By mid-'70s BMW had sorted out its line-up. The ‘5’ of 1972 was the first ‘Series’ car.  The ‘3’ came in 1973, ‘6’ in 1976 and flagship 7 in 1977.

Marketing too raised its game - “The Ultimate Driving Machine” became one of the most enduring taglines in the history of advertising. The age of the “executive express” had arrived.

The world, of course, did not stand still.  For 2017’s new 5 Series BMW had a job on its hands in seeing off both the refined, sophisticated E-Class Mercedes and pin-sharp, dynamically accomplished XF Jaguar. Audi’s A6 (successor due in 2018) and Volvo’s S90 are also in the frame (both basically front-wheel drive with optional 4x4).

If you had to point to a particular model in the Citroën range that was underperforming versus the rest of the market, the previous C3 stood out.

Now that the DS 3 is a DS in its own right rather than a Citroën, the C3’s sales of less than 10% of the brand’s total in a segment that accounts for around a quarter of new car registrations, suggests there is some work that needs to be done.
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The C1 city car has been a success and the stylish C4 Cactus is also proving popular, but the previous C3 – fair to say also one of the blandest cars Citroën has ever produced – would have got a firm C-minus on its report card even with the kindest spin on its abilities.

The new C3 seeks to change the image of Citroën’s compact hatchback and, with the DS 3 in another part of the showroom, it has the opportunity to come out from under the latter’s shadow.

There are styling cues from both the C1 and the C4 Cactus, plus a choice of nine body colours with two-tone options, with alternative colours for the roof.

The C3 can also be specified with a version of the Cactus’s ‘Airbump’ cushioned body protection. Unlike the C4 Cactus, C3 customers will have the choice.

Citroën also plans to stand out from rivals with a new emphasis on comfort for driver and other occupants, from the support of the seats, suppression of noise and the car’s ride quality, perhaps rediscovering what were considered typical Citroën characteristics a few decades ago.

The C3 is also big on safety features. All models feature lane departure warning as standard, while higher grades also feature blindspot warning and driver break prompt which creates an alert after two hours’ continuous driving above 45mph.

The interior has a much cleaner look than before, and offers a little more space. But also features distinctive touches like C4 Cactus-style door pull straps.

We didn’t try a diesel version, but the 1.6 BlueHDi engine, available in 75hp and 100hp variants, offers CO2 emissions of 92g/km or 95g/km dependent on output, and will be familiar to anyone who has tried recent small cars in the Peugeot and Citroën ranges.

The three-cylinder petrol engines will appeal to many fleet operators because of the price premium on a diesel small car, and we tried the 82hp and 110hp versions. Both are smooth for three-cylinder motors, and the 82hp variant has more than adequate performance for a car of this size.

The C3 has all the ingredients to make a compelling case for itself as small car on a fleet, and has enough style for driver to feel they are driving something beyond the status of a compact hatchback.

By Simon Harris
​First published in Fleet News.

Audi’s new Q5 is set to have a tougher time than its predecessor which was launched back in 2008. Then the only other premium SUVs of equivalent size (in the UK, at least) were the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60.

The new model, which will arrive in the UK in spring 2017, will also be facing competition from the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Lexus NX and Jaguar F-Pace, while a new X3 and XC60 are on the horizon.
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Although it has come to dominate this premium SUV segment globally, the Audi needs to be particularly good to maintain its desirability and popularity here.

Originally a Hino Truck Division product in 1968, Toyota’s Hilux has become a dominant global player in the compact pick-up market. Launched in Thailand and Australia in 2015, the latest eighth of the line reached Europe this year.

HiLux, as we know it, is not on sale in North America, Korea or India but is practically everywhere else and has built a reputation as a tough, dependable 4x4 light truck. It is Toyota’s second best selling vehicle (18 million total to date) after the Corolla (40 million).

VW Amarok and renewed Isuzu D-Max in 2011/2012 made an impact offering much improved comfort and refinement. Ford’s Ranger was first to respond and a new L200 from Mitsubishi came in 2015. Last year year saw a new Nissan Navara followed by Toyota HiLux VIII. Ranger has been the No.1 best seller here throughout 2015.

Audi's second-generation Q7 large SUV arrived in 2015, and while it follows the template set by its predecessor and the rival BMW X5 and Volvo XC90, it also evolves the concept of the fall-size crossover.

Like many premium brands offering SUVs, Audi’s main focus was North America. As the SUV developed from the original 4x4 concept, buyers were metropolitan types who navigated the urban jungle Monday to Friday but headed for the open spaces at the weekend. They wanted handling, comfort, the practicality of an estate and some off-road potential.
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It’s probably true to say that Alfa Romeo has never launched a car as important to the company as the new Giulia.

​As well as giving it a much needed volume boost in Europe, the car will reintroduce Alfa Romeo to North America, after a long absence.

It means the Giulia needs to be competent enough to take sales from Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the latter being touted as a pricing benchmark for the Giulia in the UK.

Alfa has been without a D-sector car in the UK for five years since the 159 was discontinued, and the programme to develop a successor has been delayed many times. When asked if the Giulia is a ‘make or break’ car for Alfa Romeo, then chief executive Harald Wester simply told the group of assembled journalists “yes”.

Traditional coupés like the Audi A5 might not be as common a sight on company car choice lists as they once were, but they can be important tools in staff retention.


Cars that manufacturers call ‘coupés’ are becoming more prevalent in varying shapes and sizes, some based around a saloon or estate template, others adapting the SUV silhouette.

​Indeed, there will no doubt be more user-chooser (and fleet operator) interest in a Sportback (five-door) version of the A5, assuming that version will be replaced in due course, but the new A5 Coupé will at least whet our appetites and give us some idea of what to expect.

The current Suzuki Swift has been one of the company's most successful cars, still recording UK growth in 2015, despite being in its fifth year.

Although the brand’s total sales fell by almost 8% during 2015, at just under 35,000 units (of which fleet accounted for 8,853), last year was still its second most successful year in the UK. And it has ambitions to reach 50,000 in the next few years, helped by new models and new technology.

​Next year, it aims to pioneer a new niche with an A-sector crossover. Before that, it is launching the Baleno.

No mainstream car manufacturer can afford to ignore the growth of the SUV sector in Europe.

Five years ago, French SUVs were few and far between, and relied on partnerships with other manufacturers. Since then, there has been a proliferation of cars described as 'crossover' or 'SUV', across the industry, including the French brands.

The Peugeot 2008 is one of the most compact. Launched in 2013, the 2008 uses engine technology and components that featured in the 208 hatchback, but with raised suspension and an estate car body. Although no four-wheel drive version was available, top versions came with ‘grip control’ – a sophisticated traction control system to help the car get out of all but the most difficult off-road situations – and all-season tyres.

Few people may realise that the Tiguan is Volkswagen’s third most popular car in the UK, with almost 22,000 registered in 2015.

And as the first major new model launch under the brand in Europe since the so-called ‘dieselgate’ crisis, it is more critical to get everything right from the start than it otherwise might have been.

​Like several other SUVs and ‘crossovers’ of this size, fleet sales are pretty important, and Volkswagen thinks around half the new Tiguans registered in the UK will be taken by fleet operators. The model also runs ahead of the segment average for four-wheel drive take-up at around 75%, compared with the typical 50%.