All the successful manufacturers whose vehicles have met the qualifying criteria onto the police national vehicle procurement framework, which for the first time included an assessment of wholelife costs, have already been informed that they have been given ‘preferred supplier’ status but must wait for 10 days under European procurement rules before the contracts are actually awarded.

It is expected that Hyundai and Audi will get onto the procurement framework for the first time. They will join the likes of Ford, Vauxhall, BMW, Volvo, Skoda and Peugeot as suppliers to the police, the MOD police and fire services. These blue light fleets buy over 6,300 new cars worth £93.8m pounds a year.