A BIG thanks to our local business leasing customer, from Manchester, who came to collect their new BMW X1 SUV from the CarLease UK team recently…
Customers purchasing and leasing habits in our industry have altered fairly dramatically over the last 5 years; in particular there has been a concerted move across to petrol SUV vehicles. As part of this, manufacturers have needed to offer both 2WD and 4WD options in their 4×4 range – particularly for fuel efficiency and emissions (company car users).
Principally, not all customers do want to have the benefit of an All-Wheel Drive system.
Should I be getting a 4wd car? This is going to depend on your personal (or business) circumstances. If you live in a rural region which is affected by poor weather, ice and snow, you may need to consider a “winter-friendly” option. Nearly all manufacturers offer SUV product with a Quattro/xDrive/4matic/4WD/AWD system which provides customers with the practicality that they need.
For any customers who live in very remote regions, you may also need to review the prospect of winter tyres; a 4WD system allows your car to move forwards more easily whereas your winter tyres will enhance its braking ability and efficiencies.
For customers needing the addition of winter tyres, let your finance company or broker know so that they can make the necessary arrangements. In most cases, the customer should purchase the winter tyres separately and make the arrangements to put on/remove from the vehicle. Do consider that when you add winter tyres, you sometimes need to make adjustments with the vehicle.
Where customers do raise queries with a 4WD system on a car is that it increases CO2 and decreases MPG. Why is a car’s efficiency and statistics so important?
In the UK, we operate a company car tax regime which is focuses around a car’s P11d value (recommended retail price) and its CO2 (shown as grams per kilometre).
Put very simply, for company car users, the more expensive and more inefficient a car is, the higher the rate of tax (Benefit in Kind) they will pay for the vehicle.
This tax will be deducted from their salary every month.
So are all 4WD’s inefficient? Modern cars have made significant improvements, particularly as automatic transmissions are now better than any manual options – computers are far more effective than humans in this regard. However, when you compare a 2WD v 4WD option, you will clearly see a reduction in its MPG and an increase in the CO2.
For many urban company car drivers, the benefit of the drive system may not be enough to overcome the increase in their company car tax/fuel bill. However, for those drivers who must have a vehicle (what we refer to as “business critical) you have to consider the impact of being without your car in poor weather.
More and more customers are looking into whole life costs. This essentially means instead of jumping into a new car purely based on a competitive rental, they are considering the insurance/service/fuel/environmental costs on the vehicle.
As many contract arrangements are long-term, in excess of 3 and 4 years, the customer needs to make a long-term decision. Choosing a 2WD or 4WD will feature heavily in this consideration.
In terms of the car shown, the BMW X1 DIESEL ESTATE xDrive 20d Sport 5dr Step Auto, this is based on the following configuration:
· Metallic – Black sapphire
· Race Cloth – Anthracite/grey
· 18″ Double Spoke light alloy wheels – Style 568
As standard the car includes 18” alloys, Bluetooth, body coloured mirrors and bumpers, cruise control, navigation system, 6 speaker loudspeaker system, rear park distance control, heat insulating tinted glass, brake energy regeneration, ASC, DTC, hill start assist, velour floor mats, active guard, attentiveness assist, front parking sensors, stop/start button, BMW online and teleservices, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, DAB radio, follow me home headlights, LED daytime running lights, halogen headlights, front fog lights, air conditioning, 3 spoke sport leather steering wheel, LED ambient light, storage package, multifunction steering wheel, warning triangle and first aid kit, front sports seats, 40/20/40 rear seats, electronic differential lock, Thatcham cat 1 arm and engine immobiliser. In terms of additional factory options, consider – sun protection glass and the advanced loudspeaker system. Alternatively, for those customers needing more of a sporty appearance, consider the M Sport model.
On the technical-side, company car and business users can note the P11d at £35,770.00 and CO2 at 126g/km. The 1995CC 8 speed auto diesel engine delivers 58.9 combing MPG (EC), 45.6 combined max MPG (WLTP), 190ps and 0-62 times of 7.8 seconds. The service intervals on a diesel X1 are every 24 months or 18,000 miles, whichever land sooner.
So would you select the BMW X1 as your next car leasing option? Or would the Mercedes GLA, Jaguar E-Pace or Audi Q3 get your vote?
Find the webs best lease car deals on the small SUV that is the awesome BMW X1 @CarLease UK – or – check out more SUV lease car reviews below.
