Outlining the strategy at the launch of the XF’s “major makeover”, Geoff
Cousins, Jaguar UK’s MD, said the new 149g/km, 52.3mpg, eight-speed XF meant the company could return to the four-cylinder executive territory “with a vengeance”.

He added: “We have been out of the [four-cylinder] segment for four years so
it is time to re-engage with contract hire and leasing companies.”

“We will also be talking to FTSE 100 blue chip companies and wealth
management funds, their CEOs and board members to help them understand advances on tax efficiency and running costs. Even the 3.0-litre V6 diesel XF has a 169g/km rating so when the fleet guys go to HR directors and fleet managers they know what is being discussed.”

Cousins predicted in the build up to deliveries of the car starting in September that the fleet factor for the revamped XF range could “ultimately
creep up to 60% but this year should even out at 35%.”

Citing sources familiar with the bank’s divestment plans, newspaper Het
Financieele Dagblaad said ING, which has been selling assets to boost its
balance sheet, has been negotiating the sale of its car leasing business for
months.

ING was not immediately unavailable for comment.

ING’s Car Lease division is not on the list of disposals agreed by ING with
the European Commission as part of a restructuring programme forced on the group as a condition of its 10 billion euro state bail-out during the financial crisis.

The newspaper said car leasing peers including BNP Paribas’ Arval , Rabobank subsidiary Athlon , BMW-Alphabet , Volkswagon (VOWG_p.DE)
and GE Fleet Services have been approached by ING’s advisory banks to discuss a potential deal.

Last week Capital One Financial Corp agreed to buy ING’s U.S. online bank for $9 billion in cash and stock, freeing the Dutch bank to repay bailout funds and sever its state ties. (Reporting by Roberta B. Cowan; Editing by David Holmes) ($1=.6986 Euro)

It doesn’t have to be that way. Essentially, leasing a car is not dissimilar
to buying a car with a loan; for a lease, the dealer or the car manufacturer is
the one taking out the loan on your car. The lease payments are used to pay off the loan. Of course, there are other differences too, and for those still
debating leasing versus buying, SmartMoney offers calculators to make the decision easier.

One thing is clear: leasing is more available when the car business is healthy. Following the depths of the financial crisis and car manufacturer bankruptcies and restructuring, the business’s strong comeback has brought the car lease debate back with it. As you manage your own buy or lease decision, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Sort out your priorities.

Experts agree that leasing isn’t for everyone. If ownership is important to you, then buying is undoubtedly a good option: Someone who spends his whole adult life leasing will spend far more than if he bought a car, paid it off and continued driving it.

The BMW Group has today announced an additional £500 million investment in its UK production network over the next three years and confirmed that the UK will be a production location for its next generation MINI models.

The BMW Group chairman outlined his company’s plans for further investment at a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street this morning.

The investment, the majority of which will be used to create new production facilities and equipment at MINI Plant Oxford, will help to safeguard over 5,000 jobs in the MINI vehicle assembly plant in Oxford, the pressings plant in Swindon and the company’s engine plant at Hams Hall near Birmingham.

Mr Cameron welcomed the investment as a “tremendous vote of confidence”:

“I welcome this major investment by BMW Group in UK manufacturing. The production and export of iconic British cars like the MINI is making a real contribution to the rebalancing of the economy that this government is determined to achieve.

“It’s a tremendous vote of confidence in the skills and capabilities of the company’s British workforce and in the future of UK manufacturing.

“The MINI plant in Oxford has been one of our great manufacturing success stories, they should be hugely proud of their achievements. They have shown once again that the UK is a major player in the global automotive industry.”

Mr Cameron also hosted a breakfast meeting with the board of directors of the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA) to discuss the growing confidence in the UK automotive industry.  ACEA represents some of the biggest car, truck and bus manufacturers at European and this is the first time the board of directors has come to the UK.

Called Managing Your Company Cars, the book offers advice on the best way in which people can manage their fleets.

It features the opinions of different professionals in the field of fleet management and offers tips on reducing costs, cutting emissions and improving safety.

Fleet News stated that the book features “everything that needs to be considered and how the person responsible for company vehicles can effect change”.

“It is intended to be a reference that can be used when various topics become relevant to company vehicles,” it added.

Hire Purchase Investigations recently urged fleet operators to only use reputable car leasing firms as less respected ones can own vehicles that have had their mileage adjusted.

This practice is known as ‘clocking’ and is currently not illegal in the UK.

Conducted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the research also found that the UK built more cars in the last five years than were registered in France, Germany and Spain combined in 2010.

“The UK has a dynamic and diverse automotive industry, demonstrating excellence across car, van, engine, bus, truck and coach manufacturing,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive.

He went on to say that the UK exports over 75 per cent of the 1.4 million vehicles it manufactures each year.

Mr Everitt concluded that the strength of this industry in the UK should encourage young people to enter careers in the automotive sector.

Earlier this month, a report from the SMMT revealed that some 18,756 commercial vehicles were registered in the UK in March.