Mobility in the spotlight at Lease Car of the Year 2019

Alphabet, a leading provider for outstanding business mobility, organised the 27^th edition of the Lease Car of the Year Award Night. This year, 11 jury members, consisting of automotive journalists, customers and internal specialists, unanimously chose the BMW 3 Series as Lease Car of the Year 2019. 

The BMW 3 Series charmed the jury with its comfortable handling, its new design and its trend-setting connectivity. The BMW 3 Series also achieved impressive results in desk research. In addition to its victory in the Business+ category, the BMW 3 Series also won the overall prize and can now call itself the Lease Car of the Year 2019 for an entire year. 

Aside from the BMW 3 Series, in the Business+ category, other cars can also call themselves ‘Best in class’ for a whole year. The Toyota Corolla convinced the jury in the Business category, and the Audi A6 won the prize in the Executive category. This year, no Economy category was proposed because no new models were eligible. 

It has certainly not escaped Alphabet’s attention that the importance of electric cars is increasing every year. A case in point here is that the number of companies using AlphaElectric quadrupled last year. The advance of electric driving has begun and is now unstoppable, and so this year the jury also chose a Zero Emission Lease Car of the Year. The Audi e-tron had the honour of being the first to receive this great award. 

Alphabet introduced the Zero Emission Lease Car of the Year to respond to current market expectations. “More and more customers are looking for a greener fleet and are opting for cars with no or low emissions. As a leading player, Alphabet has the right expertise and consultancy skills in-house to provide optimal support to its customers in this respect”, said jury chairman Marc Vandenbergh, Director Sales & Marketing at Alphabet Belgium. The Audi e-tron convinced the jury with its 100% electric motor, dynamic handling and innovative looks. 

Alongside this, the overwhelming success of the bicycle for commuting is not deterring Alphabet at all and the number of lease bikes at Alphabet has skyrocketed. Last year, in fact, we recorded an increase of no less than 2,483%. In this connection then, we proudly presented our new Lease Bike of the Year award to those present. As a result of the adjusted mobility budgets and the revisions of our mobility solutions, bicycles were tested in addition to the traditional car. The Stromer ST3 is the first bicycle ever that can call itself Lease Bike of the Year. Its dynamic and powerful motor, the manoeuvrability and flexibility in driving and its sleek design made it a clear winner in its category. 

In parallel with the motor show for light commercial vehicles, a Lease Van of the Year was also chosen this year. The Ford Transit Custom was the one that garnered the most votes. It convinced the jury with its stylish design, innovative technology and professional interior. 

The award show was further enhanced by inspiring guest speaker Herman Konings, a trend analyst and consumer psychologist. He analysed the link that can be made between (car) mobility and the different generations. 

About Lease Car of the Year 

The Lease Car of the Year competition is the ideal occasion for Alphabet to share its expertise with vehicle fleet managers in the areas of TCO, sustainability and trend-watching. During the initiative, vehicles put on the Belgian market between 1 February of the previous year and 31 January of the current year are assessed according to their potential for corporate vehicle fleets. A jury of experts, consisting of customers, members of the press and internal specialists, determines the nominees in three steps. The desk research in turn looks at objective criteria such as TCO, safety & quality, emissions and BIK. In a second phase, the cars are subjected to a practical test. Finally, the remaining points are determined by Alphabet’s customers, who cast a vote for their favourite car. Since 2017, a Lease Van of the Year has been selected every two years, in line with the motor show, which organises a light freight edition every two years. Alphabet always responds to new trends in mobility, and that is why a Lease Bike of the Year and a Zero Emission Lease Car of the Year have also been chosen since 2019. 

About Alphabet 

As one of the market leaders in European corporate mobility, Alphabet helps companies manage their fleet in an efficient and sustainable manner. Alphabet was founded in 1997 as a division of BMW Group and has since acquired extensive knowledge in the field of international fleet management and operational leasing. The extensive services it offers include consulting as well as financing. Alphabet’s corporate mobility solutions are tailor-made to ensure they satisfy companies’ specific requirements. 

With a portfolio of over 680,000 vehicles of all makes in 28 countries, the company is one of the four leading players on the market. In Belgium, Alphabet currently manages over 52,000 vehicles, placing it in the top 3. 

Its expertise and technology enable Alphabet to play a leading role in Advanced Mobility Solutions: AlphaElectric offers businesses extensive eMobility solutions, AlphaCity provides a cost-saving Corporate Car Sharing arrangement and AlphaFlex allows companies to integrate a mobility budget. The convenient AlphaGuide app is an ideal tool for all our drivers while on the road.