The Chauffeur car market is preparing to witness the most competitive year ever as a number of key vehicle launches promise to turn the industry upside down.
2012 has been a rather stagnant year as far as new launches are concerned, the only highlights include the re-launch of the Chrysler 300C and facelift BMW 7-Series, but it’s this year chauffeurs will be presented with a vast number of new offerings from manufacturers.
All eyes are on Mercedes-Benz which has saved the launch of two of it’s luxury saloons for 2013. The new generation E-Class and eagerly awaited all-new S-Class will be hitting the showrooms in Spring and late summer respectively, and with them will be a host of brand new technology and engines to radically improve economy figures.
Mercedes-Benz revealed its revised Chauffeur Programme in 2012 which allows the industry to operate an S-Class for as little as £639 a month and an E-Class for £519 a month. It’s hoped these prices will remain unchanged for the latest models.
However, other manufacturers are revealing models into the market which are expected to make waves once they arrive on UK shores. Audi’s A8 Hybrid is set to enter the showrooms this month – it houses a 2.0 TFSI petrol engine increasing MPG to 44.8 with CO2 emissions of only 147g/km.
Another exciting arrival in 2013 will be the all-new Range Rover. With a new benchmark in luxury, the new model promises to rival any of the other new cars of the year. An increasing amount of Chauffeur companies are opting for four-wheel drive cars in an attempt to tackle our changing climate, so Land Rover can expect a large amount of interest when it arrives in showrooms.
At the other end of the market, a new look Bentley Continental Flying Spur has already been spotted in testing. With Mulsanne inspired looks and V8 turbo engines, the Flying Spur is expected to return better fuel economy whilst being an extremely strong competitor to the Rolls-Royce Ghost.
All-new Lexus LS models will also soon be entering the market. Although only a handful of previous top-end models were sold, new Hybrid technology is expected to increase boot space and improved levels of luxury in the cabin should make it a more viable option for Chauffeurs.
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