IT’S been a record entry for the Business Motoring Awards this year. The judges have made their decisions and now the results are in:
So, who are the tops when it comes to cars and services?
Here goes:
Best Small Car: Honda e
Good technology and great city car. Honda e has all the technology to make city/town driving effortless while Fiat takes an iconic car and brings 21st century technology to city driving.
There are many reasons why the Honda is a clear award winner for SME users. The technology on the car is second to none. With no fewer than five screens taking the width of the dashboard from side to side, the Honda e is the only car in its class to feature cameras instead of wing mirrors.
Cutting-edge design and styling makes it a highly attractive proposition while the driving experience is both dynamic and fun with the power going directly to the rear wheels and pushing the car from a standstill to 62mph in eight seconds. The car was designed with the urban environment in mind, hence the 126 mile range. The turning circle is smaller than that of a London taxi and the Honda e has a reverse parking function at the touch of a button, making it perfect for city driving.
Highly Commended: Fiat 500
Best Company Car: Kia e-Niro
It is all EV this year – the winner has to be electric. Range is a key focus for fleet drivers. The multi-award winning e-Niro was a real game-changer for the brand and for affordable long range EV’s. With a class-leading driving range of up to 282 miles on a single charge the e-Niro is equipped with a choice of two power outputs, both featuring a lithium-ion battery pack.
The 39kWh version manages 180 miles on a single charge, producing zero on-road CO2 emissions, while on the WLTP city cycle, it can travel up to 251 miles. The high powered 64kWh edition provides a driving range of more than 282 miles on a single charge, and up to 382 miles when measured on the WLTP city cycle.
Highly Commended: BMW 330e
Best Small SUV: BMW X1
BMW delivering all the well known and appreciated benefits of its class leading PHEV technology, down to the smaller cars in the range. Support BMW Group provides for SMEs include featured offers, a full website specifically designed for them and Local Business Development Managers offering guidance for smaller fleets.
Highly Commended: Skoda Kamiq
Best Medium car: BMW 330e
Low carbon, iconic car. The BMW Group is proactive in providing guides for example the Latest Tax Information, WLTP Guide, Covid Vehicle Maintenance and Care Guide and also an e-mobility Guide.
Highly Commended: VW Golf
Best Medium SUV: Range Rover Evoque P300e
Good looking with a good RV, Land Rover combines all the SUV attributes with hybrid power. The new Range Rover Evoque is the second-generation of the most successful Land Rover product ever, now available with a plug-in hybrid P300e variant, using a combination of 1.5-litre three-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine on the front axle and electric motor for the rear axle.
Total output is 309hp, with an electric-only range of 34 miles and CO2 emissions of just 44g/km. As a result, Evoque P300e benefits from low Benefit-in-Kind tax bands; from just 10% in 20/21 and 11% in 21/22 – for a 40% rate taxpayer that equates to a monthly car tax liability from around £150/ month.
The P300e is already in strong demand from SME customers; fleet managers for its compelling financial package and end-users for its refined driving experience, luxurious cabin, hi-tech functions and cutting-edge exterior.
Highly Commended: Skoda Karoq
Best Executive Car BMW 530e
Still the class leader. The combination of superb driving experience, high level driver tech, driver appeal and excellent BIK cost makes the 5 series 530e a truly compelling choice.
BMW continues to make leading executive cars and the 530e is no different offering both efficient and refined motorway travel as well clean town driving. Polestar is highly commended with a high quality executive car for a relatively new entrant in this competitive sector
Highly Commended: Polestar 2
Best Large SUV: BMW X5
The combination of excellent versatility, stunning design and outstanding emissions, means the X4 45e has moved the game on in terms of large SUV PHEV. BMW has long set the standard in this sector and continue to provide a top quality SUV supported by today’s needed technology. SMEs benefit from the customer service provided by BMW.
Highly Commended: Range Rover Velar
Best Estate Car: Škoda Superb
Range, load capacity and hybrid makes the Škoda a very practical estate for SMEs, together with a comprehensive support package. For SMEs, Škoda ’s SE Technology trim has been exclusively designed with businesses in mind, and offers even more value to customers.
SMEs have a range of engines available in the SE Technology trim: the 1.5 TSI 150PS petrol engine (manual and DSG), the Superb iV 1.4 TSI 281PS DSG and the 2.0-litre diesel engine with power outputs ranging from 122PS to 150PS. Equipment included as standard as part of the SE Technology trim includes 17-inch Stratos alloy wheels, heated front seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control and Škoda’s Amundsen 8-inch touchscreen display.
Highly Commended: BMW 330e
Best hybrid: Kia Niro
A welcome addition to the choice list of many companies. The Niro delivers the high efficiency and low running costs of a petrol-electric car with the style, practicality and desirability of a compact crossover.
It is based on an all-new platform which will only ever be used for electrified vehicles, and has an all-new powertrain featuring a 1.6-litre, 104bhp internal combustion engine and a 32kW (43bhp) electric motor driving through a six-speed auto dual-clutch automatic transmission. This advanced power system ensures Niro is capable of up to 58.9mpg, with CO2 emissions from only 110g/km
Best PHEV: BMW 330e
In a very crowded market it is hard to stand out, but the BMW still does. BMW provides an excellent combination and driver aids with support for SMEs. The package also includes: BMW Live Cockpit Professional, Connected Package Professional, Bluetooth hands-free facility with USB audio interface, BMW Emergency Call, Online Services, DAB tuner, Real Time Traffic Information along with driveability, range, comfort, performance and desirability.
Highly Commended: VW Passat
Best Electric Car: VW id3
Great technology, low cost, good range and a segment leading car, the VW is popular in fleet and private alike. Multiple options for all needs and budgets and certified net carbon neutral status. The ID.3’s combination of accessibility, impressive electric range (up to 336 miles, WLTP), everyday usability and practicality, and low total cost of ownership make it ideal for business customers
Highly Commended: Polestar 2
Best Business Lease: Ogilvie Fleet
Innovative with technology and focused on solutions based on customers needs and the changing environment. Continual development to provide services and adapting them to the current circumstances sets them apart. Also proving help and support in the most difficult of circumstances.
Supporting the vehicle leasing sector as a whole – specifically SMEs – Ogilvie provides access to a host of online tools such as fuel benefit and tax calculators, as well as its Happy Drivers App – designed to support fleet managers and drivers’ day-to-day functions. Specifically, for Ogilvie Fleet drivers the App also provides emergency contacts, as well as a host of driver services such as access to vehicle servicing, MOTs and tyres all supported by the support team.
In 2020 Ogilvie Fleet launched Appraisal – a new, free to use online process to make end of contract appraisals easy and quick. Designed for use on mobile devices, the system allows drivers to report detailed information to Ogilvie’s fleet disposal team about a vehicle prior to its return, including images and videos.
Highly Commended: Free2Move
Best Company car Programme: Skoda
Škoda’s company car programme personalises the service offered to each business we work with; working collaboratively to meet their exact needs and ensuring that the solution offered is fit-for-purpose. The team takes a consultative approach to all customers, initially getting to understand the objectives for their company car fleet so that they are able to offer the most appropriate guidance and advice.
Škoda prides itself on developing long term relationships with all of its fleet customers so that they can future-proof their business and many have now been with the brand for several years, updating their fleets as new models are introduced. Throughout the global pandemic, Škoda has adapted quickly and introduced several initiatives to ensure SMEs continue to receive a truly exceptional experience
Highly Commended: BMW
Best Chargepoint Provider: Instavolt
Simple philosophy that EV charging should be quick and easy and available where people need it. With more than 550 rapid chargers across the UK, InstaVolt has built its reputation with the straightforward premise that charging an EV should be quick and easy. It is this philosophy that heightens its appeal to SME’s. Business people need to be sure that they can get a charge for their EV where and when they need it. InstaVolt operates an ‘open charger’ model, so anyone can use its charging points on a pay-as-you-go basis. No monthly subscription and no membership cards are required with drivers just needing a contactless payment card to start a charging session.
Highly Commended: EO
Best Fleet Management: Silvey Fleet
Building on its experience as one of the largest resellers of fuel cards in the UK, Silvey’s Miles Monitor products and services have been designed to help fleet mangers with core day to day tasks. This has been achieved by taking a customer-focused, not profit at any cost, business strategy looking at how we can add value to customers. It offers a complete 360 solution to managing and running fleets using accurate and real time data captured by its fleet management products. Fleet managers can use the Miles Monitor products to analyse and audit fuel and mileage, identify the MPG and Co2 output for their entire fleet, keep accurate records of the grey fleet drivers as well as processing travel related expenses.
Highly Commended: Vimcar
Best Mobility Solutions: Fleetondemand (Mobilleo)
A good winner as it offers an innovative new approach and connectivity. Fleetondemand is a global vehicle hire company powered by Mobilleo, the most advanced Mobility as a Service (MaaS) technology platform in today’s market.
The platform integrates vehicle rental services with all other forms of travel into a single desktop and smartphone application. It is a hugely scalable platform and Mobilleo is free to download and allows customers to find, book and pay for their entire journey as one single door-to-door itinerary in seconds.
It saves hours of time in planning, travel and vehicle costs, which is a huge benefit for SMEs that need to keep their workforce mobile and reduce expenditure.
Best Remarketing: Aston Barclay
Comprehensive remarketing service with leading modern technology working with traditional services. Aston Barclay has over 50 years of sector experience have combined to create a suite of digital platforms which integrate with a network of six state-of-the-art physical hubs to facilitate the sale of used vehicles from franchised dealer groups, car supermarkets, banks, fleets, finance houses and manufacturers to used vehicle buyers.
Its strategy drives return and unlocks increased value for both vehicle buyers and vendors, creating cost, time, and environmental savings, and providing fast and efficient disposal, purchase, management, and oversight of used vehicles.
Highly Commended: ADESA
Best Rental: Thrifty
Investment and innovation seems a key in addition to adapting to the market with the focus on growing the EV and hybrid fleet. Always offering excellent choice and delivered through a strong service and customer centric ethos.
Thrifty’s FlexiFleet product caters for companies looking to build additional flexibility into their current fleet that they maybe leasing or financing themselves. By having a percentage of the company fleet on flexible rental it will provide options so unused vehicles are not sitting idle in extreme situations like we have seen over the past 12 months and also provide a solution if a company’s business model needs to quickly change to adapt to new market conditions.
With the ability to provide vehicles on short notice the FlexiFleet product is also perfect for companies that need to scale up quickly and need to keep their workforce mobile
