Mazda UK is anticipating an increase in company car demand from outright purchase fleets and contract hire and leasing businesses this year.

The brand has increased its penetration of public and private sector fleets that fund vehicles through outright purchase, Mazda Contract Hire and specialist leasing providers.

Last year those ‘core’ end-user fleet registrations accounted for 6,497 units out of total Mazda fleet registrations of 10,648 vehicles - up from 6,061 and 10,498 respectively in 2009.

This year, Mazda fleet and remarketing director Peter Allibon is forecasting that end-user fleet registrations will be close to 7,500 units.

That is equivalent to a 15% rise in ‘core channel’ sales, which will be helped by:

■ More Mazda franchise dealers focusing on their local fleet marketplace as they tap into the marque’s business development programme, which sees centres working in tandem with an outsourced specialist sales team to target corporate sales
■ The introduction of a fleet focused Mazda6 derivative that will be arriving later this year
■ The arrival of the New Mazda5 1.6-litre 115ps turbo diesel with emissions of 138g/km.

As a result of Mazda tightly managing its other fleet channels, including daily rental and Motability sales, Allibon is predicting that total fleet sales will be slightly down on 2010 levels.

However, he said: “Our relationships with end-user fleets and leasing companies continue to strengthen and that is manifesting itself in rising demand for Mazda cars.

"Consequently, end-user fleet registrations as a percentage of Mazda’s total fleet sales will rise this year and account for at least 70 percent of overall corporate volumes.”