CROSSOVER SUVS DRIVERS
CROSSOVER SUVS DRIVER

CROSSOVER SUVS DRIVERS

“Some fleets will offer both an SUV and sedan on their selector and let the drivers choose.

CROSSOVER SUVS DRIVER

“Every company has a strategy to weigh the variables that go into vehicle selection, including the weight of cost of ownership versus driver satisfaction,” said Becky Langmandel, VP of analytics, consulting and transformation for LeasePlean USA. Singer of Merchants also mentioned that there’s more variance in utilization with SUVs versus sedans for drivers. Related: AutoZone's Fleet Evolves with Diversification, New Policies “That narrow gap (between crossovers and sedans) can be a no-brainer when it comes to the benefits of employee satisfaction, increased head and leg room, greater visibility, and more flexible interior cargo space,” said Krogen of Enterprise Fleet Management. Other reasons for the shift can be attributed to fleets using SUVs and crossovers to bolster employee satisfaction (due to roomier interior space, higher seating position, etc.) and as a tool to incentivize the retention and acquisition of new employees. Fleets are making the transition, and we’re seeing several manufacturers getting out of the sedan market and almost exclusively being an SUV based company,” said Singer.įurther still, fleet experts mentioned fleet incentives from OEMs as another driver impacting the types of vehicles that fleets have leaned toward for their portfolios. “They’re bigger, they’re roomier, and they can get the same fuel economy. However, the evolution of the vehicle landscape has changed perception of the SUV/crossover. He mentioned that, in the past, fleets may have resisted SUVs partly due to their historically lower MPG. Michael Singer, strategic consultant of Merchants Fleet Management, attributes some of the popularity in crossovers/SUVs in fleet due to the comparable fuel economy to sedans, increased interior space, and also the available AWD options, which make them well suited for snowy conditions. Many of the same reasons as to why fleets are gravitating more toward SUVs/crossovers are the same as why consumers are interested in the segment. This also includes sales fleets, he added. “Our clients have always leaned toward trucks, vans and CUVs/SUVs over sedans, but even clients that value cost above all else have been more open to switching from sedans to CUVs/SUVs in recent years,” said Krogen.

“Even construction and retail service fleets have started utilizing SUVs, once again, largely for the ability to move product and/or tools around job sites.”Īlso observing this trend is Jeff Krogen, assistant VP of fleet strategy for Enterprise Fleet Management. Many of the beverage/spirits companies lean toward SUVs in order to carry product back and forth,” said Mark Donahue, manager, fleet analytics and corporate communications for Emkay. “We’ve also seen this shift occurring in sales fleets, though this largely depends on the products they’re selling. The transition to more SUVs and crossovers was also observed in other industries, according to experts. “There was an even bigger drop in the segment from 2016 to 2017, as we saw an average 32% drop, almost a third reduction, with the intermediate group having declined faster than the compact group.” He added that the decline in sedans was witnessed in fleet segments such as the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. From 2015 to 2016, there was about a 3% drop in sedan orders we were putting on the road,” said Wuich. “Since then, in each of the last couple of years, there has been a notable decline. However, acquisition trends have changed over the last three years.

Indeed, John Wuich, VP strategic consulting services for Donlen, noted that in 2015 there was a spike in acquisition on sedans, both compact and intermediate. While not every fleet is taking part in the shift over to SUVs/crossovers, recent data has revealed certain fleet segments have gradually been making the transition.

Crossover suvs