NUMBERS GUIDE
£29,015/25% 1.8-litre 4cyl/178bhp 142g/km/46.3mpg 7.2 secs/147mph £34,050 2.0-litre 4cyl/161bhp HIGH RATE £242 LOW £121 8.2 secs/132mph £30,995 £33,995/21% 109g/km/68.9mpg £30,940/17% 2.5-litre 4cyl petrol-electric/220bhp 101g/km/65.7mpg 8.4 secs/125mph HIGH RATE £238 LOW £112
JAGUAR’S revised XF range has been designed with business users in mind. While the original car was initially only offered with big V6 diesels under the bonnet, the latest generation has two versions of Jaguar’s new Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel, with the lower-powered 161bhp version clearly targeting fleet buyers. This engine is a pretty good performer on the whole, serving up enough power to keep you entertained, while going for the automatic gearbox means it’s a relaxed and refined cruiser on the motorway. Even the entry-level Prestige model feels like a plush executive car, with standard kit such as leather, ambient lighting and a soft leather steering wheel included. You also get xenons, heated seats and two-zone climate control. On the road, the rear-wheel-drive chassis provides plenty of entertainment from behind the wheel, with sharp steering and decent chassis control that sees Jaguar challenging BMW for the title of best handling executive saloon. OPEN-TOP thrills are yours for a reasonable cost if you choose the Audi TT Roadster. The Sport model with 1.8 TFSI power is the entry point to the range, but it’s entertaining to drive and looks great, too.
The TT Roadster is a strict two-seater, although that gorgeous roof folds away into a separate compartment so that it doesn’t impinge on boot space. Plus, the cabin is roomy for a sports car.
Get the TT on the right road and it won’t fail to put a smile on your face. The car features aluminium within its construction, and the MQB platform is designed to deliver an agile driving experience.
The 1.8 TFSI has plenty of mid-range power, and it’s great fun using the slick six-speed box to keep the engine on song. This base model features xenon lights, keyless go, Alcantara trim and the neat Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display.
HIGH RATE £175 LOW £88
COMPACT executive saloons are a staple of company car parks across the country, and cost-conscious fleet managers will be able to save their staff plenty of money in Benefit-in-kind bills by going for the hybrid Lexus IS 300h ahead of its diesel-powered rivals.
The rear-wheel-drive Lexus can’t compete with models such as the BMW 3 Series or Jaguar XE for ultimate driving fun, but it’s a comfortable cruiser, and the 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is refined when compared with its diesel counterparts.
Rather than revel in sharp handling, you’re more likely to be stretching the IS’S hybrid economy as far as possible, and the car encourages you to do this with its eco driving mode. The petrolelectric powertrain can get noisy when pushed, but many drivers will put up with this when they know they’ll have a lower tax bill.
£25,000-£30,000
£35,425/7%
650cc 2cyl/125kw; electric motor/168bhp
12g/km/470.8mpg 8.1 secs/93mph
BMW could have played safe and electrified an existing model when it joined the EV ranks in 2013. Instead it broke new ground with the i3. This bespoke electric car offers something unique in the range, yet still has BMW ’s core character at its heart.
The i3 is offered in full electric or range extender (REX) guises, and we recommend the latter because it helps to dispel any range anxiety.
The Rex’s engine is a petrol twin-cylinder based on a motorcycle unit, and it’s only a banker for when you run out of battery power. That’s because it recharges the cells, rather than driving the wheels, and the small nine-litre fuel tank means you only get an extra 50 miles or so from it.
Still, place an order now and you’ll get the latest i3 – not quite in showrooms yet – with a revised battery pack that now offers a 195-mile range, up from 120 miles for the older model, so you’ll be less likely to turn to the engine for power.