Small car market review

4 minute read  |  July 4, 2016

Ford Ka+

Ford has unveiled the replacement for the Ka featuring a distinct look and feel from the one we all know and love. The creatively named Ford Ka+ now comes with five doors and a choice of two petrol engines. As an urban run-around this could be one to watch with keen pricing and decent equipment on the Zetec model.

For instructors who are part time/low mileage, this could make a lot of sense. Here at MSL we’re looking forward to test driving the Ka+ and putting our thoughts down on paper, watch this space to see a competitive offer shortly.

Ford Fiesta

In the meantime, perennial favourite the Fiesta has had a Zetec Navigation model added (amongst other trim changes), something people have been demanding for a while now.

Gone are the days of fiddling around trying to attach a Tom-Tom to the windscreen, as in car technology and mobile interfacing becoming more integral to the driving experience.  We’re noticing more instructors are taking nav, either as an option or upgrading to a model with it as standard.

That’s not the only thing that’s changed on the Fiesta, check out the colour palette! Gone are last year’s Hot Mustard, Hot Magenta (pink) and Fashionista colours, instead we welcome back the mint green or metallic red – have brown and yellow had their day again?!

One thing I do want to mention is the Ecoboost petrol engine. We have a number of these on fleet with the Powershift auto box and the 100ps engine; they really are the best petrol automatic in the marketplace for this size of car. Instructor feedback has been good with many commenting on how great they drive and real world fuel economy is pretty decent too.

Watch out for the new Fiesta in 2017, which promises to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary but expect to see it go upmarket as today’s base models are dropped in favour of people taking a Ka+. Ford has recently launched the luxury ‘Vignale’ branding, something I personally think will appear on next Fiesta.

Vauxhall Corsa

Now it’s over to Vauxhall and the ever popular Corsa. One of our driving schools has just taken a batch of 1.3CDTI 75ps and this is one car where the ‘claimed’ fuel economy is never far off the ‘actual’ fuel economy. Vauxhall has always been a key player in developing the Ecoflex engines, fine tuning the balance and as a result this car regularly returns in excess of 57 plus mpg, a major selling point for this vehicle. Vauxhall have introduced an updated power steering pump for the Corsa diesel which can be specified for instructors, again forward thinking to keep this core business mobile and away from the workshop.

I spent some time recently in the new Corsa helping the Barnsley branch with a few deliveries and what really struck me is the quality of the interior and the technology on hand. It’s a vast improvement on the previous model (which is still pretty decent) and gives the feel of a vehicle a few class sizes up, especially with the new ‘On Star’ which we have a number of on fleet.

For instructors who literally have a mobile office I definitely recommend a second look at the new generation Corsa.

Hyundai

A manufacturer whom we’ve worked with for a number of years is Hyundai and their current product portfolio continues to go from strength to strength.

We’ve noted the trend of some instructors choosing to ‘upsize’ and have been particularly impressed with the i30, an increasingly popular option. The model had a recent refresh and has great equipment levels, with the option of a standalone Nav mode, but even though it’s a class size up from the i20/Fiesta it still offers great manoeuvrability. It’s also easy for pupils to see out of/reverse and, most importantly, you can drive this car at 30mph in fourth gear without having to change up constantly.

We currently have some impressive deals on the i30 and we’re happy to answer any questions prospective instructors may have. Alongside the i30 is the smaller i20, which was recently launched featuring a complete redesign.

We have a number of petrol and diesel models on fleet and have been seriously impressed with the durability, and dependability, of the car plus the build quality is second to none. We’re just hoping that Hyundai get a bit more adventurous with some funky colours on their model range – I can’t be the only one who is bored of grey and black?!

One thing to note is the launch of the small 1.0 GDI Turbo petrol engine in the i20. We recently had a demo model to evaluate and again we averaged high 30s in urban driving and the engine is smooth and punchy.

The recent trend of downsizing from manufacturers shows no sign of slowing down, with VW / Seat also joining the party.  We recently tried the Ibiza Ecomotive, which is now a 1.0 petrol turbo as opposed to it previously being based on the three cylinder diesel. This engine really is fantastic; it has bags of low down torque, is whisper quiet and dislikes fuel pumps.

I personally think the Ibiza is often overlooked and we’ve had some favourable feedback on the models in our fleet. Again, this is another car benefitting from a recent refresh with technological upgrades and a whole raft of personalisation offerings to the exterior which should appeal to instructors wanting to stand out from the crowd.

Renault Clio

Last, but not least, we look to France and there’s an upcoming facelift for the Clio in the next couple of months, nothing dramatic, just a nip and tuck from the images I’ve seen. It will also feature a revised version of the evergreen 1.5DCI diesel.

I’m looking forward to seeing the new model and comparing it with our current stock of Dynamique MediaNav diesels. It will have its work cut out to beat our current model, showcasing an amplified level of quality and reliability which proves Renault has raised its game.

Don’t forget!

The Peugeot 208 was recently reviewed by Mike Rutherford in Auto Express with the fuel economy and diesel receiving special mention for its economy and aversion to fuel stations. We currently have some great deals on the 208 so please contact the team if you’d like to discuss your requirements.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming review on the DS3, now a marque in its own right and another beneficiary of a summer facelift. This vehicle has a big following in the instructor market and we look forward to delivering many more over the coming months.

Manufacturers delivering

Personally, I think the quality of offerings from manufacturers is at an all-time high. With so many great cars to choose from it can be difficult for instructors to not feel bewildered.

If you’re looking to change your car, then speak to us. We have a wide range of great vehicles on fleet and our short term lease deals means you can try before you commit to a longer term lease.

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