Manufacturers

4x4 Pick-Ups

The UK’s pick-up sector last year accounted for 34,314 sales, the eighth year in succession of growth. In 1998, when double and club cab pick-ups started to enter the market, total sales were just 7,553 units.

The 347% growth has been driven by private buyers wanting more versatile SUV vehicles, company car users attracted by the low taxation levels, fashion conscious must-have recreational users, owner-operators, small business customers and to a lesser extent by commercial and farming users opting for a pick-up rather than a utilitarian 4x4.

In addition to customers wanting more recreational and lifestyle vehicles such as sporting pick-ups, company car users who see them as a way of reducing personal taxation have also driven the growth of double cab sales. Mitsubishi points out that although ‘Benefit in Kind’ tax will increase from April 2007 to £3000, from £500, for a driver using a pick-up as a company vehicle this is still significantly less than the charge for an equivalently priced car. There will also remain an advantage for pick-up drivers paying less fuel tax than their counterparts driving an equivalent company car. For a company or business the VAT element can also be claimed back if the pick-up is used as a commercial vehicle, hence the reason prices for commercial vehicles are quoted ‘less VAT’.

For more information pleas go to: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim23045.htm

Vanatic can supply and deliver FREE of charge the following NEW manufacturers vehicles:

• FORD
• ISUZU
• MITSUBISHI
• NISSAN
• TOYOTA