Suzuki will hire its first fleet manager later this month as the Japanese brand plans to enter the business car market for the first time in 2012.
Speaking exclusively to BusinessCar, Suzuki sales and marketing director Dale Wyatt said: “Our market share overall is static at about 1%, and 92% of our sales have been retail, but we’re seeing the total UK market move more to fleet. Where historically it’s been a 50:50 split between fleet and retail, it has moved to 60% fleet.
“We’ve moved from 4x4s into small cars but had nothing in the C- or D-segment. In December we’ll have the Kizashi in the D-segment. And within two years we’ll have a new C-segment and two new 4x4s. So we’re having a cautious entry into fleet and are about to appoint our first ‘head of fleet’.”
Wyatt said that next year Suzuki hopes to sell between 3000 and 4000 vehicles into the corporate market and that none would be short term business. An additional 4000 vehicles should push the brand beyond 20,000 units in 2012. At this level, Suzuki’s fleet mix would move from 8% to around 20% of its total sales.
“There are opportunities for us in the government and health sectors,” said Wyatt, adding that Suzuki would also do some Motability business.
“The new head of fleet will also help us with our relationship with Glass’s and CAP. What business we will do in fleet will be done in a profitable way.”
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