THERE is little sign of the demand for SUVs going away.
Everyone wants a bit of the high-up driving action, whether for business or personal use. Last year SUVs were the most popular type of car purchased on a global scale with nearly 30 millions SUV style vehicles sold (source: JATO).
So what are the most popular SUVs to lease? These are the vehicles that have proved most popular at Kew Vehicle Leasing from the start of the year. Lee Jones, MD of Kew Vehicle Leasing, offers his insight, too.
No 1 Vauxhall Grandland X diesel
Model: 1.5 Turbo D 130 Sport Nav 5Dr Manual [Start Stop]
Rental profile: 6 + 35/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £176.54 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £211.85 inc VAT monthly rental
This is Vauxhall’s family-sized SUV. Popular because availability is good, practical, and they are economical to run. The diesel’s official economy is 67.3 mpg. For business users, company car tax is from £137.35 per month. CO2 Emissions are 110 g/km.
No 2 Citroen C5 Aircross petrol
Model: C5 Aircross SUV 1.2 PureTech 130 Flair 5Dr Manual [Start Stop] 5 door
Rental profile: 6 + 17/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £159.20 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £191.04 incl VAT monthly rental
This is Citroen’s brand new SUV in this family sized segment. And its chunky tonka toy looks are proving popular, especially on this 18 month leasing profile. Official economy is 53.3 mpg, while company car taxation is from £117.16 per month. CO2 emissions are 121 g/km.
Lee’s top tip for leasing SUVs
“Don’t always assume the best deals are the longest ones. Check out the different lengths of rental – you might be surprised at the cost of a lease over 18 months, for example.”
No 3 Suzuki Vitara petrol – BEST DEAL
Model: Vitara SUV 1.0 Boosterjet 111 SZ-T 5Dr Manual [Start Stop]
Rental profile: 6 + 23/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £156.34 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £187.61 inc VAT monthly rental
If you want a delightfully competent SUV at a delightfully competent lease rental, then there’s nothing better than the 1.0 Vitara. The Vitara represents great value in the compact SUV sector, and works equally well as a business lease for company car drivers or on a personal contract hire agreement. Company car tax starts from £87.63 pcm, CO2 emissions are 121 g/km. Meanwhile fuel economy is 53.2 mpg – so it’s easy on running costs. It’s also worth noting that Suzuki was the highest ranked volume brand for overall customer service satisfaction in the 2019 J.D. Power UK Customer Survey.
No 4 Nissan Qashqai petrol
Model: Qashqai SUV 2wd 1.3 DIG-T 140 Acenta Premium 5Dr Manual [Start Stop]
Rental profile: 6 + 35/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £199.51 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £239.41 incl VAT monthly rental
The Nissan Qashqai – the car that invented the SUV style in this sector. Remains fantastically successful and quite rightly so. An engaging car to drive, the Qashqai offers good running costs too. Official economy is 53.2 mpg and CO2 emissions are 121 g/km. For company car tax drivers, benefit in kind starts at £105.82 per month.
No 5 Mercedes-Benz GLC petrol
Model: GLC GLC220 Coupe 4MATIC 2.1 d 170 Sport Premium 5Dr G-Tronic+ [Start Stop]
Rental profile: 6 + 35/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £349.99 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £419.99 incl VAT monthly rental
The GLC is the mid-size SUV in the Mercedes line up, offering the only premium model in our top six. The combination of high list price and CO2 emissions (161 g/km) means company car tax for this petrol version starts from £265.02 per month. So more for a personal lease, then. Auto is standard, refinement a given. Cheaper on a diesel lease than a petrol lease.
No 6 Toyota RAV4 hybrid
Model: RAV4 SUV 2wd 2.5 VVT-h 218 Icon 5Dr CVT [Start Stop]
Rental profile: 6 + 35/10,000 miles per annum
Best business contract hire rental: £218.64 + VAT monthly rental
Best personal contract hire rental: £262.37 incl VAT monthly rental
The only hybrid in our list, and with the orders piling up it’s likely to rise higher than no 6. Great for company car drivers thanks to that petrol/electric drivetrain, benefit in kind starts from £117.78. You’ll also find it a great place to sit, roomy and practical. And with over 60mpg, easy on the pocket too.
Kew Vehicle Leasing comment
“The SUV sector has been incredibly successful. In fact, each month we see new competitors coming forward, but that doesn’t seem to stop the appeal. And we can understand why. You get that commanding driving position and they are so practical for families. Practical and appealing, it’s little wonder people are so keen to lease SUVs.”
Lee Jones, Kew Vehicle Leasing
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