What’s the right vehicle type for your enterprise?
In an ever-changing world, ALD Automotive offers a plethora of mobility options to employees and businesses across the globe, with safety and affordability at the heart of it all.
Since 2020, employee mobility has taken a whole new dimension across the globe. As all major organizations gear up for a comeback to the offices, they face a key challenge. Organisations are now expected to enable hassle-free and more importantly, risk-free commutes for employees.
The pandemic has led to industry leaders giving equal thought to employee well-being, in addition to business growth and profitability of the organization. Car leasing offers the best of both worlds.
Sales representatives or field staff of organizations, who would otherwise opt for a shared-vehicle commute or public transport, now find the option of a leased company car most viable for their work commute.
Businesses that chose car leasing in pre-covid times now find it easier to resume their services. This reflects the fact that car leasing in India is the best solution to enable employee mobility, across different sectors. With changing times, business leaders and decision-makers have started considering cars as a ‘Tool-for-trade’ much like laptops and Wifi services.
Employees working with organisations providing professional services which require on-field site visits, often need car leasing with high-mileage options and vehicles which meet their business needs. Many businesses such as Agri-related firms, manufacturing, pharma and even e-commerce enterprises have an assortment of functions that require high-frequency or long-distance mobility.
But the big question that remains is, which type of car best suits your company’s needs? Industries like pharmaceuticals and manufacturing have very different requirements as compared to service-led industries like hospitality. Once you understand and outline the mobility needs of your enterprise, it all comes down to choosing the right car model that can accommodate them.
Here are the different segments of vehicles you can explore, to find what best suits your business.
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Compact SUVs/ Crossovers: Compact SUVs are becoming the biggest trend in the automobile market, considering their utilitarian purpose. These vehicles are a ‘crossover’ of standard cars and full-size SUVs. If you need added room, while having better fuel efficiency as compared to an SUV, then a Compact SUV is your perfect choice. They are also much more affordable.
These are easy to manoeuvre even in rough terrains, but at the same time, help you navigate busy city roads with ease. Crossovers do not consume much space for parking, so that remains an added advantage for users in congested parts of the city. Compact SUVs also bring you a higher degree of safety, when it comes to collision protection, with a strong build and reliable frames.
Compact SUVs/Crossovers such as Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ignis, Hyundai Venue and Renault Kwid are popular choices for mid-level employees in MNC and for businesses that need a reliable ride that can cover all bases.
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Luxury/Large SUVs: Luxury SUVs are the preferred choice of vehicles among those who seek premium features such as in-built GPS navigation, high-quality sound and infotainment systems, the latest theft deterrent systems and much more. A few high-end luxury SUVs have the added feature of heated seats made from hand-sewn leather and also consist of audio and video-on-demand services providing the best in mobile entertainment. These vehicles can comfortably carry five or more passengers. The SUV can even transport up to eight or nine people if it is equipped with a luxury third-row seat.
Luxury SUVs are mostly suited for CXOs, company top brass accounting professionals working for corporates, who usually prefer commuting in an Audi Q-series, Jeep Compass or Volvo XC90. Volkswagen Tiguan is another popular choice in SUVs.
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Compact cars and Hatchbacks: Hatchbacks let you weave through the city traffic with ease. Compact cars and Hatchbacks are the most preferred choice for businesses that require high-frequency, intra-city travel. Because of the basic car controls and no complicated control panels or gear systems, it is relatively easier for anyone to get used to driving a compact car. The ready availability of spare parts and accessibility to service centres make hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki Swift and Baleno popular, low-maintenance cars.
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Four-door sedans: Four-door sedans are one of the most common car models on Indian roads. They offer ample interior space, a comfortable travelling experience and engaging features like touchscreen infotainment systems. They also fare well when it comes to overall safety.
These cars are best suited for hospitality and travel enterprises. The Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz are some in-demand sedans in the Indian market.
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Luxury sedans: Luxury sedans are a classic combination of state-of-the-art technology, beauty and comfort. These sedans can be ticked as the perfect corporate car lease option for company top brass and CXOs. These vehicles offer the best stability, traction control, anti-lock braking systems and side and front airbags in the car segment. Luxury sedans are known to offer more safety features compared to their non-deluxe counterparts. This implies that their chances of surviving a collision are far better.
Also, they are well known for the prestige factor. There’s a reason why you see heads turn when an Aston Martin DB9 or an Audi R8 rolls into view.
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Pickup Trucks/ LCVs: Pickup Trucks are known for their hauling and towing capacities. They have large boot space for carrying heavy equipment and are considered the ideal options for people who prefer to commute hassle-free through deeply rutted dirt tracks, mud and rocks. These vehicles are bigger and heavier than most other cars on the road and rank on top in most collision tests.
Maintenance and repair services, adventure tour organisers and businesses that need to move sizeable machines and equipment can find the perfect vehicle in a pickup truck like Tata Ace and Mahindra Jeeto.
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Vans: Vans come in different dimensions and offer substantial space to suit the requirement of the load to be carried. A minivan, for instance, can accommodate up to eleven people. Customising a van according to the required purpose is easier, compared to any other vehicle. They can have custom-fitted racks, shelves and even specialised equipment. These vehicles are known for their versatility as they can be used as accommodation as well during long-distance travel.
Major media and news firms can now lease their media vans at affordable prices and modify them to fit all the equipment they need. Also, the hospitality industry uses vans as mobile eateries, catering to people across different corners of the country. Hospitals also use vans as ambulances, which enable quick response times to reach patients in need.
As India’s leading car leasing and fleet management company, ALD Automotive brings you a wide variety of vehicles that best suits the needs of enterprises across industries. In addition to choosing the perfect vehicle for your business, you can leverage a whole range of add-on services and hassle-free maintenance to reduce downtime and ensure a safe, secure commute for your employees.
For assistance with procuring best-in-class leased cars for corporates, fill out our contact form.