In a total of 14 automobile categories, the best fleet models in Great Britain were evaluated. In Austria, the readers of the trade magazine firmenwagen awarded the company three gold medals.
The award ceremony of the Fleet News Award, already held for the 22nd time, took place in London this year. The jury, composed of fleet customers, news editors of Fleet News, and members of the automobile manufacturer’s association, primarily assessed quality, car ownership costs including residual values, as well as CO2 emissions.
In the categories of “Best Supermini” as well as “Best Lower Medium Car”, the jury awarded first places to the Volkswagen models Polo and Golf. The Škoda brand won the first prize in the category “Best Upper Medium Car” for the Superb as well as the “Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer of the Year” award. Audi was recognized with the “Best Small Premium Car” award for the A3 as well as the “Best Large Premium Car” award for the A4 in the upper categories. The Volkswagen Golf was elected “Company Car of the Year” in Great Britain.
Despite with global economic crisis, which has struck the UK in particular, Great Britain is the largest fleet market in Europe. Traditionally, there is a high concentration of a small number of customers with very large fleets. About three percent of the customers account for around 60 percent of the entire commercial customer business. In the passenger car fleet market, which applies to fleets of 25 vehicles or more, the Volkswagen Group with its brands Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, and Skoda were able to achieve a market share of 26 percent in the business year 2009, thus being the clear market leader.
In Austria, the Fleet Car of the Year 2010 awards were given out by the trade magazine firmenwagen. In seven automobile categories, the readers voted the Volkswagen Group to three first places in various automobile classes. The Volkswagen Polo convinced the jury in the compact car category. In the station wagon segment, the Škoda Superb Combi asserted itself. Likewise, the Volkswagen Caddy Blue Motion easily won the first prize in the category of environmentally friendly vans.
Besides performance and comfort, the factors costs and fuel efficiency were evaluated. “With this result, the Group brands underscore the prominent position of our models in the international commercial customer business. It is particularly pleasing that these awards represent the choice of experts such as fleet managers,” said Dr. Stefan Brungs, the head of Volkswagen Group Fleet International.
Source: Volkswagen Group Fleet International