Superminis- Good to Contract Hire or Personal Lease?

There has been an inexorable rise in the popularity in superminis over the last few years, this can be attributed to the acquisition cost, running costs and the need for small cars especially in congested cities.

Contract Hire and Personal Leasing both are attractive ways of acquiring these diminutive cars due to the low initial purchase price and generally speaking high residual value. With many customers wanting to downsize from bigger more expensive vehicles the demand for good conditions, low mileage superminis has increased which is good news for all. The Contract Hire and Leasing companies constantly monitor the performance of their disposals and where strong performers are identified stronger residual values are applied. This results in lower monthly rentals for the customer a win win then.

I have been reading in the excellent Fleet Confidential publication comments from Martin Keighley, HPI's valuation expert and his views of the superminis residual performance which makes interesting reading.

There are now many more less mainstream manufacturers entering this very competitive sector, Keighley said'' The traditional volume players such as Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and the Volkswagen Polo have strong competition from the low volume players offering styles to suit everyone, from the sporty to basic frugal models.''

''Add to this their generally lower than average production of carbon emissions, and these cars offer guilt-free,greener motoring and good value''.

So who are the real winners in this group, which make good Contract Hire and Personal Contract hire options?

HPI have come up with their top ten superminis based on residual value percentage.

1 Honda Jazz

2 Hyundai i20

3 Seat Ibiza

4 Mazda 2

5 Mitsubishi Colt

6 Suzuki Swift

7 Volkswagen Polo

8 Toyota Yaris

9 Chevrolet Aveo

and in joint 10th spot

Renault Clio

Ford Fiesta

Kia Rio

Some real surprises there so when considering your next Contract Hire or Personal Lease vehicle may be check out those in the top 5 first. There will be the opportunity of finding a super competitive Contract Hire rental, so save you money and the planet at the same time.

Some of the very best examples of Contract Hire and Personal Lease rentals can be found at Uk Leasing and contract hire with the winning Honda Jazz http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/car-leasing/Honda-cars/Jazz%20Hatchback/contract-hire.htm

Vauxhall Update Job losses looming

You may have been following my thoughts on the changes going on at Vauxhall, well it now looks like our fears are well founded for the UK work force. As I have previously reported the Canadian parts maker Magna who successfully purchased Opel (which includes Vauxhall) are now looking to make radical changes to the business throughout Europe.

A source close to the talks has told the BBC News that some 1,100 jobs could be lost in the UK, these losses will be shared between the Luton and Ellesmere Port, where they build the Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Van range. Even after the frantic negotiations in Germany a German newspaper has reported up to 1,400 jobs could be lost there as part of a total European job reduction of 11,000 people.

The new Vauxhall / Opel Astra has been unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week which will be a major seller for the new owners Magna, however in spite of the glitz and glamour of a new model launch Magna's co-chief executive, Siegfried Wolf,informed reporters up to 10,500 jobs would need to be lost , worryingly for Angela Merkel 4,000 of them in Germany.

In the UK 5,500 workers are directly employed by Vauxhall and thousands more indirectly in Vauxhall dealers, Vauxhall Contract Hire and Leasing arm along with delivery companies and motor factor businesses. The unions in the UK are clearly concerned over the future of their members in both Luton and Ellesmere Port plants. Tony Woodley of the Unite Union said he had''growing concerns'' over Magna's plans for Vauxhall.

Mr Woodley also repeated what he had said at the recent TUC conference that''at last the truth is out about Magna's intention towards the UK plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton''

Is this the end of Vauxhall building cars in the UK?

Only time will tell but for all those affected this must be a worrying time, these large employers are the backbones of the communities and large scale job losses have dire consequences on these areas.

On a positive note the Vauxhall Astra is not only a popular family car but a significant vehicle to the fleet industry, a market any volume car manufacturer would be foolish to turn their back on. Vauxhall need to look forward, with the world leaders all appearing to believe the global economy is coming out of recession the insatiable demand for cars will again make manufacturing an attractive proposition.

Let's hope Magna don't start making cuts to soon, let's make sure the UK retains a viable car making capability, after all we are good at it, once those skills are lost they will probably never return.

If you are looking for some of the very best car deals on the market visit http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/ or for specific Vauxhall offers see http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/car-leasing/Vauxhall-cars/contract-hire.htm

Vauxhall Bought By Magna

Late last week it was confirmed that General Motors had chosen the Canadian car parts giant Magna to buy Opel and Vauxhall in Europe, which has ended months of speculation and rumour.
As is well documented the German government had been lobbying hard, and is generally accepted that they had managed to ‘cut ‘ a deal in order to help preserve jobs at the Opel plants in Germany. Angela Merkel the German chancellor welcomed the news and said she was ‘’very pleased’’ about Magna’s decision.
In the UK there has been consternation amongst British Unions in the handling of the affair to try and protect the Vauxhall plants and the 5,500 workers employed by them. Peter Mandelson Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has come in for criticism for not appearing to be as aggressively involved as members of the German government have been, a claim he strongly refutes.
With every take over there is always a high risk of significant head count reduction, along with the UK’s 5,500 employees Opel in Europe have around 54,500 workers across Europe, with a significant proportion based in Germany (25,000). As Germany have been at the forefront of the deal will all their work force be spared the misery of redundancy or will they still face an uncertain future?
It is reported that Magna will look to reduce the workforce by over 10,000 in both Vauxhall and Opel, with Germany being proactive in coming up with a deal and contributing circa 1.5bn Euro’s already and committing to a further 3bn Euro’s in the way of loan guarantees. It is predicted only 2,500 of the job casualties will come from Germany and the rest from the remainder of Europe and the UK
A spokesperson for Magna has confirmed the company has committed to keeping the Ellesmere Port facility open which would effectively keep production of the Vauxhall Astra here in the UK. He also added that the existing contract to keep production of the vans at the Luton plant will be honoured until 2013. Magna have a desire to keep production here after that date, but like all take over’s and mergers things tend to change quickly.
Tony Woodley general secretary of the Unite Union said ‘’ The uncertainty surrounding the ownership of Vauxhall is now over, but the uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of British plants will continue’’. He also added ‘’ We need to make sure that British plants and people are not treated disproportionately during the restructure that takes place’’.
So at the moment its business as usual for Vauxhall in the UK, I suspect over the coming weeks and months greater clarity will be given to the future of the two plants and the workforce employed. The good news is Vauxhall Astra remains a strong brand in the UK and is popular both to individuals and Fleet drivers alike. Astra have a broad line up of derivatives such as Astra Diesel Estates, Astra Diesel Sport Hatch, Astra Diesel Twin Top, Astra Hatchback and Estate petrol and Astra Sport Hatch Special Editions.
For some of the best office on the web go to http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/car-leasing/Vauxhall-cars/contract-hire.htm where a range of the best independent car leasing brokers in the UK advertise. Whether you are looking for a new company car on Contract Hire or a Personal Lease, Personal Contract Hire agreement you will be able to find it here.

Contract Hire an Overview

Contract Hire has become one of the leading leasing products amongst UK's national and local fleets in recent years. There are in excess of one million cars and vans being leased on Contract Hire currently though out the UK.
Contract Hire is one of several different types of lease and is also known as an operating lease, in simple terms Contract Hire is a .......Read More

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Car contract hire online - where technology helps

Using car contract hire online means you're making technology work for you.

The ongoing advances in internet technology mean that you can now access a wide range of goods and services from the comfort of your home or office. Pretty much anything that can be sold online, is sold online and that means you have an excellent tool at your fingertips. As well as buying .......for full details follow http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/Article/Car-contract-hire-online-where-technology-helps.htm