Mini expects its new five-door hatch will help boost the hatchback’s true fleet sales total from 6500 to 10,500 units in its first year.
James Morrison, Mini UK corporate development manager, told BusinessCar the model would also boost the firm’s Motability sales to 4000.
Mini has been waiting for the introduction of its five-door hatch in order to bolster its corporate sales as fleets tend to exclude three-door models. Five-doors take 70% of the supermini segment in the UK and it was a space Mini needed to be in to stay competitive in the corporate sector.
Morrison believes the five-door hatch will add incremental growth and will not cannibalise Countryman sales, as the two models serve different customers. However, the five-door hatch is expected to overtake the Countryman in terms of Mini’s total corporate sales in time. The five-door is initially expected to take a third of Mini’s fleet volume in its first year, after the Countryman and the three-door hatch.
Morrison said: “The Countryman is bigger and might be more suited as a Golf rival, but it also has a sports activity element to it too. The five-door hatch is very much a five-door Fiesta rival for corporate customers and that is who we’ll be aiming it at.”
Mini is currently on a roadshow with the five-door hatch to demonstrate the vehicle to the largest leasing firms. BMW’s fleet sales team will also be re-presenting Mini to its existing customers.
Morrison said several fleets have already placed a total of 200 orders without even seeing the car ahead of its on sale date in November
