Rather than developing a car from scratch as BMW have done, Mercedes have opted to build their EV from the B Class chassis. The chassis was designed in such a way that future developments such as electric systems and gas could be easily incorporated, thanks to a sandwich design freeing up space in the floor.

Priced at £1500 more than BMW’s i3, the B Class EV has outwardly little to distinguish itself from the run of the mill diesel and petrol offerings, unlike the i3 which is entirely unique. The B Class is already established as a useful and practical MPV, pleasingly little boot space is lost to the batteries so these attributes remain.

Range is around 124 miles, with a top speed of 99mph. Thanks to the high levels of torque provided by electric motors, 0-62mph is a perfectly acceptable 7.9 seconds. The powertrain was developed in partnership with well known electric car manufacturer, Tesla, so the technology would appear to be well designed and reliable.

We’re looking forward to it’s release, pinned for 2015. You can find current Mercedes B Class leasing prices here.

If you’re taking delivery of a new car, from the 1st October there’s no need to be alarmed, there won’t be a tax disc in the car. If you’ve still got a tax disc in your car (because it’s been taxed within the last 12 months), you have the choice to remove it altogether if you wish.

Many manufacturers and finance companies provide tax disc holders that double up as the point of reference for contact numbers, such as breakdown and servicing. If you remove the holder, be sure to keep a note of the details should you need them in the future.

There’s been negative press surrounding the amount of promotion that the DVLA has carried out in respect of the changes, many drivers surveyed aren’t aware at all. So if you’re reading this for the first time, be sure to share it amongst your friends and colleagues. We’re sure once the 1st October comes, it will make the headlines, but we’re still expecting to hear from worried drivers who believe they are missing their tax discs.

As we’re a leasing company first and foremost, we’re happy to say that all of our finance companies offering contract hire will automatically tax their vehicles each year. You have nothing to worry about! It’s just another great reason to lease your new car.

If you don’t lease your car, you’ll need to tax your car in the same way as before, you just won’t have anything to show for the expense! You’ll also now be able to tax it by Direct Debit, monthly if you wish.

For more information feel free to call one our friendly team.

We don’t just supply great leasing deals to individuals and companies in Kent, we can supply nationally via our extensive network of main dealers, just give us a call!

If you are based in the Kent or the South East and would like to visit us to discuss your car and van lease requirements, just give us a call to make an appointment. One of our experienced Account Managers will guide you through your new vehicle lease from initial credit checks to delivery.

We can supply all makes and models, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and many more.

We’re proud to have wonderful premises in a great location- just 15 minutes from the M20 motorway, and 10 minutes from towns such as Ashford or Tenterden.

Just call one of our friendly team today to find out how we can save you money on your next car lease.

You may pay an allowance to your employees, or recompense them on a pence per mile basis. However they’re compensated, your responsibilities don’t end there. In our industry, the term given to employees own cars used for business is the grey fleet.

Employers sending their staff out on business in their own cars have a responsibility to ensure the cars are safe and legal, and that the employee is correctly licensed and insured for the intended use.

Those that don’t, open themselves up to liability, should the employee have an accident while on business, it’s likely the business will come under scrutiny.

What sorts of things can you do?

Simple safeguards can be implemented, these include spot checks of the car for things like tyre wear, checking original driving licences for endorsements and validity, and many more. There’s no exhaustive list- it’s something the business in question needs to decide they’re comfortable with.

Ideas such as a record of tyre depth, oil and windscreen checks and more could for example, be a requirement with the monthly mileage reclaim expected from the employee.

The HSE offers a guide for Driving at Work, you can find that here for more information.

Leasing a car is one way employers can be more comfortable the cars their employees are using are safe and legal. You could lease a car through the business as a pool car, or a company car for the staff in question. Alternatively, you could offer car allowances whereby the employee leases a car personally. You should still make checks to the vehicle, but if the user has a full maintenance private lease with a brand new car, you can be reasonably confident that the car is regularly serviced and maintained, and has the latest safety precautions in place.

However you decide to equip your staff, it’s important employers know their responsibilities and address the risk accordingly.

The new Mini has been incredibly successful since BMW took over the brand and you can see why- it’s fun, great to drive, customisable, and full of character! Brand new amongst their range of cars is the 5 door Hatchback.

With a longer wheelbase accommodating the rear doors, there’s now more practicality to be had from Mini. Passengers in the rear benefit from increased leg room over the 3 door version, meaning it really is a fun alternative to supermini’s such as the Ford Fiesta. There’s a bigger boot, too, with more space than an Audi A1.

Being a Mini, there’s loads of customisations you can make to the car, both for added features and for looks alone- you can have great fun choosing a Mini to perfectly suit you!

As standard, you’ll find features like USB interface, Bluetooth, electrically adjustable door mirrors, front fog lights and air conditioning.

At Skyfleet we have great Mini Leasing rates- the whole range is available for business contract hire and personal contract hire. With strong residual values, the New Mini 5 Door Hatchback is bound to be a big hit, call us for more information!

Historically, leasing was the preserve of businesses alone. In recent years, leasing a car privately has boomed in popularity. There are many reasons, including  more finance companies that offer the product, squeezes on individuals cash flow,  the desire and aspirational quality of driving a new car and many more.

Most finance companies now offer a private leasing option that has the same pricing as the business product, albeit quotations are provided including VAT (as you can’t reclaim VAT as an individual). The benefits to an individual from pricing along are substantial- as a solo purchaser you can rarely compete with the level of buying power large brokers and finance companies are able to obtain. Lease a car from a broker such as Skyfleet, and whether it’s one car or 100- you’ll benefit from our combined buying power. This means a cheap rental for your new car.

Many of us aspire to having a new car on the driveway, and leasing is one of the best ways to do this! Just driving a brand new car off the forecourt incurs a big drop (depreciation) in value. After, say, two years- you’re ready for another new car, the amount of money lost just in depreciation (before other on the road costs are accounted for) is substantial. When you take out a private lease, you know from day one the cost of the car for the duration of your contract. When you include service and maintenance, you further fix your costs. That way, you can easily budget your motoring costs and also consider your next toy when the contract has finished! The car is taken away to auction for you, you don’t need to worry about the “disposal”.

Used cars carry risks, too. Sure- the depreciation will be much less than a new car, however warranties expire, wear and tear takes its toll, and they’ll lack the latest in technology and efficiency. Leasing a new car not only gives you all these things (it’s a new car, with all the new car benefits!), but it’s also a very wise financial decision, the initial payment is small when compared to the cost of a car be it new or used, and the cost of a lease is often very comparable to the overall costs of owning a used car.

Before you order your new car on Hire Purchase, Cash Purchase, PCP, or cash from the used car dealer down the road- speak to us! We’re certain we can find you a great personal lease deal on the car you really want.

Check out our latest offers on our homepage here, our website is regularly updated with our pick of the best leasing deals!

The 3 Series ActiveHybrid boasts the same high performance twin turbo 3 litre straight 6 engine found in the 335i.

Mated to the class leading 8 speed automatic gearbox, as well as the same 306bhp and shattering performance of the 335i, there’s an additional 54bhp of electric power to both improve overtaking performance and economy. As such, CO2 emissions are just 139g/km- making it one of the best value high performance cars for those opting to take it as a company car.

Average fuel economy is 47.9mpg. All this, and its 0-62mph time is just 5.3 seconds!

Electric vehicle technology is the future, and while full-electric is still in its infancy, this hybrid shows what’s possible with current technology- performance and economy.

Check out this offer, you can lease a BMW 3-Series ActiveHybrid from just £319.99+VAT per month!

Replacing the BMW 3 Series Coupe, the new 4 Series gets its own model number and a raft of updates.

The 3 Series Coupe was arguably the most desirable 3 Series, the 4 Series retains and improves on what went before. With a sleek and low slung rear roof line, it has obvious appeal.

Despite being based on the 3 Series, the 4 Series has a lower centre of gravity than any other model in BMW’s range. It shares many of the superb engines available to the 3 Series (but not all of them). Bound to be a best seller is the excellent 20d diesel- which offers high economy and still provides keen performance.

Select the automatic transmission, and you get perhaps the best gearbox currently on the market in this sector, the sublime ZF 8 speed automatic. Gear changes are impossibly smooth, and when you want to get a move on it holds and shift gears as required perfectly. Economy and 0-62MPH speed are also improved over the manual.

You can check out some of the great leasing offers on the BMW 4 Series here, with contracts available for business contract hire and personal contract hire. With strong residual values, the 4 Series is excellent value for money!

If you’re looking for prestige car leasing and performance prestige cars are your thing, Skyfleet Car Leasing is who to turn to. We share your passion (I drive a Mercedes C Class Coupe AMG Sport myself!). As a result we work hard to have the best deals possible for these cars.

The Mercedes C Class Coupe has been one of the most popular prestige car leases in the last 12 months since its launch, with aggressive looks, and equally aggressive lease pricing to boot- it ticks so many boxes. AMG styling is standard, and it comes packed with technology. Call us for more details, we’re always striving to get stock and a special deal on this car as we know how popular it is!

BMW lead the way in terms of driving ability, squeezing every last ounce of performance possible, with a comfortable ride and efficient engines with high MPG/low CO2. Our favourite BMW lease deal at the moment is the BMW 520D MSport Saloon Auto- from just £349.99 per month! With MSport spec, it’s a true prestige lease car.

The Audi A6 pitches against the Mercedes E Class and BMW 5 Series and offers it’s own unique qualities- the 2.0TDI SE for example is fully featured while only having CO2 emissions of 129g/km- making it the perfect prestige company car. Check out the deal now.

We have many more prestige car lease deals available, for more information just pick up the phone and we’ll get the best deal for you, whether it’s for personal contract hire or business contract hire.

The powerful 2.0 diesel engine offers 184ps, with 380nm of torque! This propels the car to 62MPH in 7.5 seconds, all the while returning average fuel economy of 67.3MPG. Company car drivers will be pleased to know the CO2 emissions are just 109g/km.

With a great specification as standard, there’s plenty of technology, styling and comforts to add to the experience. They include the GTD styling pack, front and rear parking sensors, 18″ alloy wheels, sports suspension, Bi-Xenon headlights, roof spoiler, twin exhaust pipes, bluetooth telephone preparation, colour display, climate control, cruise control and loads more!

With the reassuring build quality, and fine handling you know you’ll get with a Golf, it’s a perfect blend of enjoyment and practicality.

We have fantastic lease rates on the VW Golf GTD at the moment, so there’s never been a better time to place your order. 2 year business contract hire starts from just £239.99+VAT per month, and what’s more- that includes all servicing and tyres! Check out the offer page to make your enquiry.

If the VW Golf GTD, or indeed any other make or model is of interest, call us, we can supply any make or model with exceptional service and of course, fantastic rates.

Take a look at more Volkswagen leasing offers.