Whether we like it or not, 2017 is approaching its end. The John Lewis advert premiered not too long ago, and that’s a sure indicator of the fact that we are nearly at the end of the year.
This year has been an interesting one, and despite uncertainty, car leasing has still maintained the popularity it has been enjoying the past few years. Both private leasing and business leasing are still hugely popular and continue to be on the rise.
If you are considering refreshing your fleet, or even getting your first ever fleet, you might be wondering which vehicles to get. And, looking at the best vehicles of the year by sales is a good place to start.
In this article, we look at the best fleet vehicles of 2017 to hopefully help you make a decision as to what fleet vehicle might be right for you.
What are the best fleet vehicles of 2017?
It should be noted that this list is based on registration figures. The registration figures come from this website, and it contains a lot of information on vehicle registrations from monthly registrations to yearly registrations.
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a hugely popular car with both private individuals and businesses alike, so it’s no surprise that there were over 60,000 Volkswagen Golf registrations the past year.
There are several reasons why the Golf would make the perfect vehicle for your fleet. It is well-built, stylish and is famously great to drive. It also has an excellent range of engines. The Golf underwent a minor update in 2017 but is currently in its 7th generation. It’s currently available as a three or a five-door hatchback or as an estate.The petrol engines include a 1.0 litre TSI, a 1.4 litre TSI and a 1.5 litre TSI EVO. The 2.0 litre TSI comes in the GTI, GTI Performance and Golf R models. All the engines are turbocharged in the petrol range.
There are fewer choices with the diesels, but they are, of course, good engines. There is the 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI, the GTD gets the 2.0 TDI in 184PS form.[vc_single_image image=”58600″ img_size=”article-image”]If you are looking for a more environmentally friendly version of the Golf then you have the GTE plug-in hybrid with a 1.4 TSI petrol engine and an electric motor. There is also the e-Golf, if you wanted to invest in a whole fleet of electric cars. Low emission vehicles are very appealing for businesses as it means low company car tax and it looks great for company image.
However, if you are looking for the lowest emission model without going for a plug-in hybrid or the electric model, then you do still have a range of options. The 2.0-litre GTI returns 44.1mpg with 148g/km of CO². Alternatively, the 1.0 litre petrol and the 1.6-litre diesel have emissions of less than 110g/km. The electric Golf can do around 130 to 140 miles on one charge, however this does depend on your driving style and the usage of the vehicle.
In terms of what you get inside the Golf, all versions of the model come with Bluetooth, a DAB radio and a USB connection. It also comes with the Think Blue trip computer, Volkswagen’s software that gives you tips on efficient driving. The SE models and above come with App Connect, which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you have sat-nav you also get a three-year subscription to online services.
Prices for the Golf start at £17,790 and, as it is so popular, is often subject to some great lease deals.
Ford Focus
Another hugely popular vehicle, the Ford Focus has long since been a staple choice for company cars. It’s affordable and easy to drive.
There are plenty of engines on offer, including a Ford Electric model. There are several trims including the Style, Zetec, ST-Line and the Titanium luxury models. If you were looking for a hot hatch then you might be looking at the Focus ST or the Focus RS, of which has been claimed to be one of the best high-performance hatchbacks ever.There is a 1.5-litre diesel engine which is available in 94bhp or 118bhp outputs, and a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel with 148bhp. The 182bhp 2.0-litre engine is only available on the ST line. There is also a 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine and a 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine.
Every car in the line-up bar the ST and RS models emit less than 140g/km of CO2, making a majority of the models good for company car tax. If you wanted the most eco-friendly model then you can look at the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine which can offer 99g/km of CO2. The 1.5-litre TDCi 118bhp diesel engine offers less than 100g/km of CO2. Bluetooth streaming comes as standard on all models and you can also upgrade to the navigation system. Of which is an eight-inch touchscreen which comes with voice operation.
Prices start at upwards of £20,000, and again, there are some great lease deals to be had on the Focus due to its popularity.
Vauxhall Astra
If you are looking for something slightly different from the conventional Volkswagen’s and Ford’s, then the Vauxhall Astra is also a hugely popular choice.Their engines are efficient, affordable and it is hugely comfortable to drive, making it appealing for businesses whose employees are going to be driving long distances.
There are several trims to choose from, starting with the Design trim and moving up to the Elite line. There are eight different engines, but not all are available in all trims. Engines include a 1.4-litre 4-cylinder and a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder Turbo petrol engine. The 1.6-litre engine is the most powerful but is only offered in the SRi, Sri VX-Line and Elite trims.
If you are looking for a diesel engine, then there is a 1.6-litre CDTi unit and a BiTurbo CDTi. If you want stop-start technology, then this is only available in the EcoFlex option.[vc_single_image image=”56768″ img_size=”article-image”]In terms of emissions, the Astra 1.6CDTi 190bhp emits just 82/gkm of CO2 and claims 91.2mpg. If you wanted something more powerful but also economical then we recommend the 134bhp 1.6 CDTi diesel emits less than 100g/km of CO2.
The Astra comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. In the Sri-Nav cars you also get a navigation and an IntelliLink system with an eight-inch touchscreen system. It also comes with an OnStar system which allows you to call a concierge to upload a destination to your car’s sat-nav remotely. It will also contact the emergency services if you have a crash or track your vehicle should it be stolen. This safety element is hugely appealing to businesses.
Models also come with audio streaming, DAB radio and you can pay for 4G internet connection via a subscription.
Prices start at around £15,000 for the petrol version.The Astra comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. In the Sri-Nav cars you also get a navigation and an IntelliLink system with an eight-inch touchscreen system. It also comes with an OnStar system which allows you to call a concierge to upload a destination to your car’s sat-nav remotely. It will also contact the emergency services if you have a crash or track your vehicle should it be stolen. This safety element is hugely appealing to businesses.
Models also come with audio streaming, DAB radio and you can pay for 4G internet connection via a subscription.
Prices start at around £15,000 for the petrol version.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
If you are looking for something more executive, then the C-Class is a perfect option for you.
There are three different C-Classes to choose from including a saloon, an estate and a two-door coupe. There are several trims ranging from the SE to the Sport and AMG line. However, the equipment bundles vary, and include Executive, Premium and Premium Plus. The latter two, however, are only available on the Sport and AMG Line models.Most of the engines are diesels including a 1.6-litre single-turbo four-cylinder unit or a 2.1-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder unit. There is also a plug-in hybrid that comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. There is also a standard hybrid that comes with a higher power 2.1 litre petrol engine.
If you are looking for the most eco-friendly then naturally you will want to go for the plug-in hybrid or even the standard hybrid which emits lower than 100g/km of CO2. However, if you are looking for a standard engine, then the C200d emits 101g/km of CO2 and the C250d emits 103g/km of CO2. Sport trim cars come with 17-inch wheels with LED lights, AMG lines come with 18-inch wheels. Standard equipment includes cruise control, DAB radio and Bluetooth as well as man-made leather. The Sport and AMG Line include heated seats, sat-nav and LED headlamps. If you want keyless-go, ambient lighting and an impressive sounding stereo, then you might want to upgrade to the Premium Plus.
Prices for the saloon start at £44,000 but because Mercedes are so popular, they are great deals to be had when it comes to leasing, particularly business leasing.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The A-Class is perfect if you want an executive badge but something a little bit smaller than an executive saloon.Diesel choices include a 1.5-litre and two 2.1-litre engines. There are four petrol engines, two 1.6-litre engines and two 2.0-litre engines. You can also choose from five trims, from the entry-level SE model to the AMG line. The SE models come with 16-inch alloys, cruise control and reversing camera as well as comfort suspension. It also comes with an infotainment system which comes with a sat-nav and Apple CarPlay. It also comes with air conditioning and leather seats. If you upgraded to the sports trim then you will get bigger alloys, climate control and a larger infotainment system.
If you choose an AMG trim or an AMG line then you will get sports seats, a steering rack, lowered sports suspension and LED headlamps.[vc_single_image image=”58521″ img_size=”article-image”]Prices start at upward of £20,000, and there are some great lease deals to be had on these vehicles.In terms of running costs, the A180CDI emits under 100gkm of CO2, thought to be thanks to the engine, of which has been sourced from Renault.
Prices start at upward of £20,000, and there are some great lease deals to be had on these vehicles.
BMW 4 Series
An alternative to a Mercedes, the BMW 4 Series has consistently been popular with private individuals and businesses alike.
The 4 Series looks good, it has some great engines and handles very well. It underwent a minor facelift in 2017 to keep it up to date and competing with its rivals.There are some great engines to choose from including the 2.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine on the 420i. The 430i gets a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with 326bhp. The 420d model has a four-cylinder unit and the 430d and the 435d models have six-cylinders. The flagship model, excluding the M4, is the 440i which gets you from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds.
If you are looking for the most efficient, then the 420d is the one you should be looking at, achieving 62.8mpg. The 420i with automatic transmission emits 134g/km of CO2, the 430i emits 151g/km of CO2.[vc_single_image image=”58588″ img_size=”article-image”]Basic equipment includes a 6.5-inch screen infotainment and iDrive system. It also comes with DAB radio as standard. You can upgrade to a bigger screen, live traffic updates on the sat-nav, parking cameras and a fancy sound system. You can also get BMW’s Connected setup which includes weather and news headlines and specify a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Prices start at around £30,000. Like the other models, this is hugely popular to lease so there are some great deals to be had on the BMW 4 Series.
Hopefully this has given you some idea of what sort of fleet vehicles you might be looking at. The above are the most popular fleet vehicles by registration of this year, and one or more of these models might be perfect for you. We recommend talking to an independent broker about your requirements and they will be able to give you some advice and later, some prices for the vehicles above. We have a huge amount of articles on business leasing and fleet leasing, so do have a look at our learning centre for more information on business leasing, and how to get a fleet of vehicles.
