When choosing your business car, it’s not easy knowing which to go for when considering company car tax. We have made it easy, looking at the three most popular company car sectors and the three most popular cars within these based on SMMT sales, and compared them using data from KeeResources to rank them in order of BIK costs.
SUVs
3. Hyundai Tucson
The Tucson is only available with a diesel engine, unlike the other SUVs listed here, but it’s still a cheaper option in P11D.
Most manufacturers boast about their new car’s sporty handling and bold design. What’s refreshing about the Tucson, the successor to the ix35, is that the model places a greater emphasis on comfort, good equipment levels and handsome looks. The Tucson comes third in our whole-life cost champions list in its sector. Hyundai is aiming for the Tucson to be the brand’s second best-seller (after the i30) with a target in a full year of 20,000 units, half of which will go to the business car market. That target looks completely achievable for the new crossover because Hyundai has got the recipe just right for fleet customers.
Hyundai Tucson SUV 1.6GDi Blue Drive 132hp S 6Spd
P11D £19,900
Residual value 39.7%
Depreciation £12,000
Fuel £7,709
Service, maintenance and repair £1,698
Fuel consumption 44.8mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 147g/km (34%)
BIK 20/40% per month £113/£226
Boot space 513 litres
Engine size/power 132hp/1,685cc
2. Ford Kuga
Launched a decade ago in 2008, the original Ford Kuga was arguably one of the first mainstream SUVs that promised sporty handling. Ford is now in the second generation of Kuga, which was launched in 2013, although it was facelifted in late 2016. It bumps shoulders with some other popular mid-sized SUVs such as the Mazda CX-5 and Skoda Kodiaq, although the slightly smaller Volkswagen Tiguan is also a rival in the field.
Ford Kuga SUV 2WDT EcoBoost Zetec 6spd
P11D £22,340
Residual value 41.7%
Depreciation £13,015
Fuel £7,709
Service, maintenance and repair £2,343
Fuel consumption 45.6mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 143g/km (29%)
BIK 20/40% per month £108/£216
Boot space 406 litres
Engine size/power 120hp/1,498cc
1. Nissan Qashqai
Say the word ‘crossover’ and the first car likely to come to mind is the Qashqai. It has sat at the very heart of the segment for a decade and over two million have rolled off the production line since 2007, including a total of 16,635 YTD according to SMMT.
The crossover is built in the company’s Sunderland plant, and despite being Japanese, the car’s roots belong in part here in the UK – its success in this country is virtually unrivalled elsewhere in the world.
Recently, Nissan began selling the Qashqai with its ProPilot semi-autonomous driving system, which assists the driver with steering, acceleration and breaking, working in a single lane on highways. While its dimensions mean it actually falls in the ‘hatchback’ section of SMMT data, we would categorise it as an SUV and, in terms of sales, it comes out in the top three SUVs by our categorisation.
Nissan Qashqai SUV 2wd 1.2 DIG-T 115hp Acenta 6Spd
P11D £21,465
Residual value 36.5%
Depreciation £13,615
Fuel £6,975
Service, maintenance and repair £1,932
Fuel consumption 50.4mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 129g/km (26%)
BIK 20/40% per month £93/£186
Boot space 430 litres
Engine size/power 115hp/1197cc
Hatchbacks
3. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The new A-Class looks different to its predecessor and it sits on a revised platform, too, with a new interior, tech and engines. The sleek exterior moves the old car’s aerodynamics into a new dimension too. With a longer wheelbase increasing interior space – leg, shoulder and elbow room – and a bigger boot (up 29 litres to 370 litres, which is slightly bigger than the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3), the A-Class has become more practical as a small family car. For the fleet buyer, this new 1.5-litre diesel unit is the pick of the new range offering 116hp with impressive figures of 68.9mpg and 108g/km CO2.
Mercedes A180 Hatch 5Dr 1.5d 116hp SE 7G-DCT Auto
P11D £25,580
Residual value 40.5%
Depreciation £15,230
Fuel £5,217
Service, maintenance and repair £2,425
Fuel consumption 68.9mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 108g/km (26%)
BIK 20/40% per month £111/£222
Boot space 420 litres
Engine size/power 116hp/1,461cc
1= Ford Focus Hatch
Focus is consistently among the best-selling models in the country, and rightly so. It has also hit the joint top spot with the Golf in BIK costs. Chances are you already have a few on your fleet, as they are proving to be a popular choice for savvy operators. The latest version is competitive on most fronts, being good value for company car buyers. The new mode undercuts the outgoing model on price and spec, with entry-level Style models getting autonomous emergency braking, electronic parking brake and a spare wheel as standard.
Ford Focus Hatch 5Dr 1.5TDCi 120hp Style Auto8
P11D £20,900
Residual value 30.9%
Depreciation £14,450
Fuel £5,341
Service, maintenance and repair £1,880
Fuel consumption 67.3mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 111g/km (27%)
BIK 20/40% per month £94/£188
Boot space 316 litres
Engine size/power 120hp/1,499cc
1= VW Golf Hatch
The Golf is Volkswagen’s most important car. Fact. It’s the company’s biggest-selling model globally and, over its 43-year history, has become something of an icon for the brand.
It’s no surprise that the Golf has come out joint first in our list here with the brand known for its low running costs and residuals. One of the best all-round cars money can buy, on our first drive of the new Golf we called it practical, good to drive, comfortable and economical. Despite petrol becoming more favourable with fleets, Volkswagen still expects the majority to opt for diesel; CO2 emissions for the 1.6-litre here are 106g/km and fuel economy of 68.9mpg combined is also competitive against rivals.
Volkswagen Golf Hatch 5Dr 1.6TDI 115hp SE
P11D £21,690
Residual value 32.5%
Depreciation £14,640
Fuel £5,217
Service, maintenance and repair £1,525
Fuel consumption 68.9mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 106g/km (26%)
BIK 20/40% per month £94/£188
Boot space 318 litres
Engine size/power 115hp/1,395cc
Superminis
3. Mini Hatch
The third-generation recently facelifted Mini is perhaps the most important Mini yet. It shows a Mini/BMW future using a common platform, which has been used in the BMW X1, Mini Clubman and Mini Countryman to name a few. There is also a new range of three-cylinder engines and, for the first time, the hatch has blossomed into a five-door shape. When it comes to costs, the Mini range is often more expensive compared with the Volkswagen Polo, and Audi A1, which you can get for just over £16,000 in SE trim, but, traditionally, Minis tend to counter premium prices with strong residual values as seen here despite coming third in the company car tax cost race.
Mini Hatch II 5Dr One 1.5 102hp 6Spd
P11D £16,385
Residual value 40.4%
Depreciation £9,760
Fuel £6,103
Service, maintenance and repair £1,369
Fuel consumption 57.6mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 112g/km (23%)
BIK 20/40% per month £63/£126
Boot space 211 litres
Engine size/power 136hp/1,496cc
2. Ford Fiesta
A new engine and bold new styling mean the Fiesta is now one of the most stylish, efficient and refined cars in its class. Ford saved the biggest changes for under the bonnet, with the introduction of the award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. The Fiesta has always been a bit of a star where running costs are concerned. Now that the Fiesta has some of the most fuel-efficient engines in the sector, the list prices of the cars are a little higher – but to compensate, residual values have improved. The EcoBoost engine returns 65.7mpg on the combined cycle and registers 97g/km.
Ford Fiesta Hatch 5Dr 1.0T EcoBoost 100hp Zetec 6Spd
P11D £16,265
Residual value 36.1%
Depreciation £10,390
Fuel £6,093
Service, maintenance and repair £1,494
Fuel consumption 57.7mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 110g/km (23%)
BIK 20/40% per month £62/£125
Boot space 290 litres
Engine size/power 100hp/999cc
1. Vauxhall Corsa
The Corsa is consistently one of the best-selling cars in the UK, despite competing with a vast number of accomplished rivals in the forms of the Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio or Seat Ibiza to name a few. While the new Corsa may sit on an old platform the car still hits a standard worthy of a seat at the top table of any supermini party, and it tops our company car tax cost calculations too. One of the Corsa’s biggest assets is its 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine. Mated to a six-speed gearbox, the car is able to drive smoothly and economically.
Vauxhall Corsa Hatch 5Dr 1.0i Turbo ecoTEC 90hp SE 6Spd
P11D £16,450
Residual value 25.4%
Depreciation £12,275
Fuel £5,725
Service, maintenance and repair £1,661
Fuel consumption 61.4mpg
CO2 (BIK band) 105g/km (22%)
BIK 20/40% per month £60/£121
Boot space 290 litres
Engine size/power 90hp/999cc