Around 30 years ago, Audi was still trying to establish itself as a premium car player alongside BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.

It has succeeded, and is now as aspirational a brand as its German rivals, as all have seen rapid sales growth.

Audi’s focus on getting its products and fleet strategy right has been paying dividends. Long regarded as a benchmark for interior quality, and with a reputation for innovation that has seen many models in its range become ‘must-have’ cars for user-choosers, Fleet News readers have voted the brand Fleet Manufacturer of the Year.

No longer the preserve of senior executives or the wealthy, compact hatchbacks have been democratising premium badges since the introduction of the Audi A3 in 1996. The latest A3 was a category winner in this year’s awards, a feat matched by the larger A4.

Audi also produces desirable SUVs with its heritage in ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive contributing to their appeal, and many sit very comfortably on company car choice lists because of their low emissions and running costs.

Also core to Audi’s desirability among company car drivers is offering some of the best diesel engines on the market combining performance, refinement and low fuel consumption.

Its reluctance to chase volume as hard as some rivals has ensured residual values of its latest models remain among the best in class.

With design features and attention to detail that make some of its cars appealing as technological showcases in their own right, Audi continues to set high standards with each new model introduction.

Audi’s achievement in a year when so many manufacturers were targeting fleet business to help shore up overall market share is testament to the depth of the allure of the cars and the support of the corporate sales team.

Picture caption: KeeResources chief executive officer Denis Keenan (left) presents the Fleet Manufacturer of the Year award to head of Audi UK Fleet James Douglas

Finalists

• Audi UK
• BMW UK
• Ford Motor Company
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Mercedes-Benz Cars UK
• Škoda
• Toyota/Lexus
• Volkswagen UK
• Volvo Cars UK

Judges’ comments

Audi’s busy year saw it introduce the latest generation A4 range and launch a car into a new sector with the Q2, as well as make important updates to the A3 range maintaining its desirability over rivals. They have ensured the product line-up still has plenty of appeal for fleets. 

Awards video