Can I still lease a brand-new diesel car? Should I not be looking at alternative fuels like hybrid and PHEVs? Is it suitable for low or high-mileage driver?
Following on from our exploration of all things varied in the world of automotive fuels, we will be coming back to discuss the diesel engine; the devil of the UK roads (or so we are led to believe!).
Firstly, a big thank you to our leading BMW supplier, BMW Park Lane, for organising the brand-new BMW 3 series demonstration vehicle for our recent Leigh Business Expo at Leigh Sports Village. The car proved to be a huge success and while many customers were exploring our electric and PHEV options, the BMW still drew a massive amount of interest.
As a credit broker, not a lender or supplier, we don’t actually hold stock here at the CarLease premises nor do we physically deliver the actual vehicle to the end user. The pictures we use on our blogs/review and social pages are of actual delivered vehicles; these are not available for re-hire or re-sale! As such, it is paramount we work with a fantastic network of suppliers and franchised dealers to ensure our customers receive the highest standards of care.
BMW Park Lane epitomise excellence; for any central or GreaterLondon customers requiring purchase or lease options on a BMW just visit their team. They have one of the leading examples of showrooms, so you will not be disappointed.
So are we still supplying diesel vehicles? Yes; manufacturers are still making diesel vehicles as part of their fleet production and this is still a key fuel type.
The “dieselgate” issues from a number of manufacturers led to a change in attitudes towards this type of fuel.
Added to that was additional research which showed that diesel engines produced harmful emission like soot and NOx plus many “low-mileage” drivers were complaining about blocked diesel particulate filters (DPF) and inaccurate MPG statistics.
The lack of confidence resulted in a change in testing standards; as discussed recently the Worldwide Light-Vehicles Testing Procedures (WLTP) has led to more thorough testing of vehicles so that the figures presented to a customer on a car’s key performance is accurate and reflects what is actually possible.
In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has placed additional obligations on those involved in the sale/financing of goods with the introduction of a “Treating Customers Fairly” approach. This resonates on all levels so to improve the quality of each and every industry. In the contract hire and leasing world our ombudsman the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association) together with our finance companies now place further obligations on us to discuss fuel choices with our customers to ensure they select a vehicle/fuel choice which meets their needs and requirements.
Customer’s covering shorter stop/start journeys on a low annual mileage will not be persuaded that diesel is their ideal choice. But that isn’t just it; there are new obligations being placed on manufacturers to monitor emissions.
The Real Driving Emissions (RDE) now measures pollutants, like particulate matter and NOx, which cars emit while driving on the road. This works in conjunction with WLTP to ensure that while a vehicle is being operated it does not produce too many emissions. The cars are fitted with a Portable Emission Measuring System (PEMS) and will be driven over a range of conditions – low/high altitude, urban/rural/motorway, up and downhill, additional payload and year-round temperatures. The data produced will result in a pass or fail for the car.
So how will a car pass or fail under RDE? There will essentially be two steps for manufacturers to consider which are based on dates. RDE Step 1 applies on all cars registered from September 2019 and sets a standard of 80mg/km NOx for a diesel and 60mg/km for petrol. A conformity factor of 110% will apply, thereby setting a maximum of 168mg for diesel and 126mg for petrol vehicles. All passenger cars must not exceed 4.5mg/km for particulate matter. Cars passing the test will be known as “Euro 6d-temp”. Step 2 will apply from January 2020 and this will be known as “Euro 6d”. The conformity factor changes so to set a maximum limit of up to 50%; diesel car must not emit over 120mg and petrol no more than 90mg.
The result of this? Cleaner and more efficient combustion engines.
Does this mean we can trust diesel vehicles? So long as the standards of WLTP and RDE are adhered to, this suggests customer confidence in the diesel engine can grow. For those covering higher mileages, in excess of 20,000 per annum, this still presents the most practical and economical route.
As we mentioned above, there is a real focus on all things alternative like hybrid, PHEV and pure electric. However, you have to consider the medium to long-term driving styles and behaviours
Many hybrid and PHEV are petrol (although diesel alternatives are growing), so they are less suitable for the longer motorway style driving. For urban stop/start journeys, the petrol engine coupled together with the lithium-ion battery works very well. On the pure electric side, you need to consider the vehicle range; many electric vehicles cover between 200 and 250 miles on a full charge so for those higher-mileage drivers you do need to understand about charging times and locations.
If you are covering a number of miles every day, you still to ensure this is going to be suitable for you or the business.
If your home or business doesn’t have a charging facility, you are going to have to rely on service stations, petrol stations and charging stations to cover this.
To help all of our personal and business customers, just head to our “choosing the right fuel” guide for further help and advice – https://www.carlease.uk.com/car-e
In terms of the car shown here, the BMW 3 SERIES DIESEL SALOON 320d xDrive M Sport 4dr Step Auto, this is based on the following configuration:
· Portimao blue Metallic Paint
· Vernasca leather – Black with blue contrast stitching
· Aluminium tetragon interior trim
· 19″ M double spoke bicolour jet black light alloy wheels – Style 791M with mixed tyres and run flat tyres
Additional Manufacturer Options
· M Sport plus pack – the crucial pack to add on any BMW. This will offer sun protection glass, adaptive M suspension, 19” alloys, M rear spoiler, M seat belts and the M Sport braking system;
· Technology pack – go for this if you want head up display (HUD), harmon/kardon sound system, gesture control and enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging;
· Premium pack – this will add the electric glass sunroof, electric front seats with memory and the lumbar support for driver and passenger;
· Driving assistant professional pack – this a safety and comfort feature which adds steering and lane control, automatic speed limit assist, active cruise control and side collision protection;
· Comfort pack – this adds the comfort access system, heated steering wheel, powered tailgate and extended storage;
· Parking assistant plus pack – this is essentially a parking and manoeuvring system which helps the driver by adding a surround view camera. This includes a top view, panorama view, remote view 3D and the parking/reversing assistant;
· Sensatec instrument panel
As standard the car includes acoustic glazing, 18” alloys, vernasca leather, green tinted heat protection glazing, rain sensor with automatic headlight activation, ASC, brake assist, brake energy regeneration, hill start assist, front and rear velour mats, DTC, active guard plus, attentiveness assist, front/rear park distance control, auto stat-stop, keyless engine start, BMW live cockpit, exterior mirrors electrically folding ant-dazzle, incorrect fuelling protection, DAB radio, body coloured externals, M aerodynamics and body kit, automatic headlights, extended LED headlights, LED front fog lights, two part LED taillights, air conditioning, M leather steering wheel, 40/20 split folding seats, ambient lighting, connected pack, crash sensor, electronic differential lock, heated front seats and a Thatcham Cat 1 alarm system. In terms of additional options on the new 3 series, just choose from the great list above.
On the technical-side company car and business users can note the P11d at £48,320.00 and CO2 at 120g/km. The 1995CC 8 speed auto diesel engine delivers 61.4 combined MPG (NEDC), 48.7 (WLTP), 190ps and 0-62 times of 6.9 seconds. Service intervals are based on every 24 months or 15,500 miles whichever lands sooner.
So would the new 3 series be your select leasing option? Or would the Audi A4, Mercedes C Class or Jaguar XE be your choice?
Find the best lease car deals online for the BMW 3 Series @CarLease UK – or – check out more prestige lease car options below…
