ONE of the UK's largest fleets has added the MINI to its choice list for staff looking to reduce their company car tax bills.

Pharmaceutical and healthcare products distributor Unichem runs an outright purchase fleet of 1,500 company cars, and reviewed its choice list in the light of the new emissions-based company car tax system.

This led it to offer lower emission cars to drivers, including the MINI One and Cooper, both of which incur a benefit-in-kind tax charge at the minimum 15% of list price.

Graham Satchell, UniChem's fleet controller, said MINI was an option for staff who wanted a small vehicle to reduce their tax liability. He said the company was taking advantage of MINI's tlc service and maintenance package which covers parts and labour for five-years/50,000-miles for a one-off £100 fee.

MINI's sister company BMW has supplied Unichem for about 12 years, and Bernard Bradley, BMW's general manager, corporate sales, said Unichem drivers had already started to order the MINI.

'MINI allows us to have discussions with parts of fleets that were previously closed to us,' he said.