The scheme is called the Eco Collection and offers drivers a diesel vehicle with CO2 emissions lower than 120 g/km. Fitted with the highly efficient 1.6-litre common rail TDI engine producing 105 PS, the Golf SE BlueMotion Technology emits 107 g/km and achieves 68.9 mpg on the combined cycle. With emissions of 99 g/km and a combined fuel economy figure of 74.3 mpg, the Golf BlueMotion is capable of almost 900 miles on one tank.

The new models will be added to Avis’s low carbon fleet over the next 12 months as the company continues to reduce its carbon footprint. Both models combine efficiency with comfort and equipment to offer enhanced economy and produce less emissions than their traditional counterparts. Yet all BlueMotion products remain practical, stylish and are conventional to service and maintain.

Nick Mountfield, head of marketing Avis UK, said: "As a nation we are becoming increasingly conscious of the environment, car emissions and fuel economy, and we are finding that customers are keen to do their bit for the environment wherever possible. The Golf BlueMotion models were chosen as part of an ongoing drive to improve the offering of vehicles with low CO2 emissions and high fuel economy for the Avis Eco Collection.

"Due to the initial demand of Eco Collection and customer demand for the current Golf model, we are building on the success by upgrading to the Golf BlueMotion models. These Golf models are a desirable package for both Avis and our customers as, despite being extremely efficient and economical, they are conventional to drive and offer superb value and reliability."

BlueMotion products have been extremely well received since being introduced in 2007, proving especially popular with the fleet market. With the Polo, Golf and Passat BlueMotion models, which emit just 91, 99 and 114 g/km of CO2 respectively, the ‘BlueMotion’ badge denotes the most fuel and CO2 efficient model in each Volkswagen range.

Greenlight used industry data to classify 356 of the most popular global destinations that people in the UK travel to, and profiled which search terms they used to find car hire companies in each location and how popular each search term was. Greenlight also took a set of generic keywords, which are not destination-specific but are also used when searching for car hire.

‘Car hire’ was the most queried term totalling 246,000 searches and accounting for 16% of all car hire-related searches in January. ‘Car rentals’ followed with 165,000 (11%).

The UK was the most searched for individual location.

In Greenlight’s top 60 league table which charts the most visible websites, CarRentals remained the most visible site in natural search, achieving 49% share of voice. This was a decrease of 5% since September 2009. EasyCar followed with 38%. It attained lower visibility for high volume driving keywords compared to CarRentals. However, since September 2009, it increased its share of voice by 6% which saw it replace TravelSupermarket at position two.

Top 5 of the 60 most visible car hire websites in natural search, UK

1. carrentals.co.uk (678,579) 49%
2. easycar.com (533,033) 38%
3. travelsupermarket.com (461,606) 33%
4. avis.co.uk (377,884) 27%
5. europcar.co.uk (353,695) 25%

Avis Europe has been a CarbonNeutral® operation accredited company since 2002, but to celebrate the launch of the new collection, and as part of its efforts to try harder for the environment, Avis will offset the emissions for every Avis Eco car rental for the months of December 2009 and January 2010 and match pound-for-pound the total amount offset by its customers across the entire fleet during the period.

Reducing CO2 emissions forms part of the Avis Carbon Management Programme developed with The CarbonNeutral Company, a world leading carbon offset and carbon management company. Since starting the programme in 1997, Avis Europe, its staff and customers have offset over 147,000 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to the amount of emissions produced if you drove 17,299 times around the equator.

“Avis Europe is one of our longest standing and most valued partners and we have managed to work on some fantastic projects together during the last 12 years. Avis’ current offset matching scheme here in the UK and the launch of the Avis Eco Collection only goes to further underline its commitment to working collaboratively to help protect our climate.”

Jonathan Shopley, Managing Director of The CarbonNeutral Company.
Nick Mountfield, Head of Marketing at Avis UK, said, “We have often been asked by our customers to guarantee the availability of low-emission vehicles. With the arrival of 250 Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI’s as our launch model for the Avis Eco Collection, we’ve ensured that our customers don’t have to compromise on the quality or comfort of their vehicle to benefit from an environmentally responsible journey.”

As part of Avis’ ongoing commitment to the environment, should the collection prove to be a success with its customers, Avis are keen to offer more models within this group to cater to different car sizes and preferences – making it even easier for customer’s to try harder for the environment.

The company, which has car rental outlets across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, was awarded the top accolades ahead of its rivals thanks to its outstanding global service; which includes a complimentary, priority service – Avis Preferred, which promises to deliver customers their keys in under three minutes.

Wolfgang Neumann, Group Commercial Director for Avis Europe, comments: “We are thrilled that Avis has been recognised by the most prestigious awards across the board. They are a reflection of the premium car rental service that we strive to offer all of our customers and we are very proud of the success that the company has achieved both here in Europe and internationally.”

Avis won ten awards in total:

1. British Travel Awards, Best Business Car Hire Company
2. British Travel Awards, Car Hire Company of the Year
3. World Travel Awards, Europe’s Leading Business Car Rental Company
4. World Travel Awards, World’s Leading Business Car Rental Company
5. World Travel Awards, Asia’s Leading Car Rental Company
6. World Travel Awards, Africa’s Leading Car Rental Company
7. World Travel Awards, Indian Ocean’s Leading Car Rental Company
8. World Travel Awards, Middle East’s Leading Business Car Rental Company
9. TTG, Car Hire Company of the Year
10. Viséo Conseil, Car Rental – Best Customer Service of the Year 2010

Anthony Ainsworth, Avis UK sales director, said: “The quality and age of rental vehicles is a key part of the contract terms and conditions. Avis is delivering on these commitments with the help of Ford and the Ford Focus, which BAE Systems has told us is a very popular car with its staff.”

Kevin Griffin, director of fleet operations, said: “Rental business continues to play a key role in our strategy as it provides excellent product exposure that generates hundreds of additional sales.  Providing cars to Avis and BAE Systems demonstrates how this works in practice in the corporate rental market.”

Ford Focus lease prices
Ford Focus new and nearly new prices
Ford Fiesta lease prices
Ford Fiesta new and nearly new prices
Ford Mondeo lease prices
Ford Mondeo new and nearly new prices

‘’Avis are now the sole car rental provider for British Airways customers worldwide. The new partnership reflects our commitment to the airline and our belief in their brand values and synchronisation with our service levels. The aim is simple; to make the travel process easier and quicker for our customers,” says Julia Kemp, Director of Partnerships and Leisure, Avis Europe.

British Airways and Avis customers will benefit from a richer offer including :-

• Unique cost saving year-round promotions
• All customers can sign up to Avis Preferred which offers members a host of time saving benefits and 500 BA Miles for sign up.
• Additional benefits for British Airways Executive Club members include:

Three BA Miles per £1 spent on car rental (minimum 500 miles per rental). This initiative is an industry first, as no other car rental company has ever offered miles per pound spent

There are many more additional benefits for British Airways Executive Club members and a number of ‘By Invitation’ bonus’ available such as 5,000 BA Miles when they rent a car with Avis for the first time.

Andrea Burchett, Director, Relationship Marketing and Insight, BA Miles said: “Avis has delivered a fantastic service to our Executive Club members since 1998. It was important to us that we extended this to all our customers worldwide and Avis had the capability, excellent service and the brand values to deliver that.  The partnership seemed a natural fit for us and we know the benefits to our customers will be enormous – based on just four vehicle rentals in a calendar year, you could boost your BA Miles balance by in excess of more than 10,000, which means you’ll get to your desired destination sooner.”

Avis and British Airways Executive Club have enjoyed a fruitful relationship for the last 11 years. A full list of ‘Be There Sooner’ benefits can be found at www.avisba.com

Not wearing a seatbelt is still the cause of a high number of deaths and serious injuries. Research from the Department for Transport indicates that nearly 300 lives would almost certainly have been saved in 2007 if all car occupants had been wearing a seat belt.

“To show our support for the new THINK! Campaign and help motorists stay safe behind the wheel, we’ve come up with our top safe driving tips for the winter,” says Josi Kytle, Head of Marketing, Avis UK.

 “With snow hitting many parts of the UK this week, we hope motorists will take heed and of course remember to belt up for every trip, even short ones at low speed!”

Avis top tips for winter driving:

1. Park your vehicle downhill, but not against the traffic flow and in the direction you want to travel the next morning.  Turn your front wheels into the kerb.
2. Always wear your seat belt, and ensure your passengers wear theirs too for every trip however short, even at low speeds.
3. Accelerate gently when starting the vehicle and, with a manual car, use the highest gear at which you can move without stalling (usually 2nd gear).
4. Engage the clutch before starting the engine from cold. This is to reduce the load on the battery.
5. Ensure that all ice and snow is removed from your vehicle windows before driving. Avis UK supplies ice-scrapers in rental cars for customers during the winter months.
6. If your rear wheels slide do not hit the brakes. Ease off the accelerator and steer into the direction of the skid until you gain control.
7. When your vehicle is parked and low temperatures are expected, ensure the front and back windscreen wipers are away from the windscreen to avoid them freezing to the screen.  Otherwise, if they are frozen, detach them from the screen before trying to use them.
8. Be prepared – always plan your journey, check weather forecasts and let someone know your travel plans.
9. Always have a good amount of fuel in the vehicle and ensure you have an emergency pack with warm clothing and refreshments.

“It is well known that foreign roads signs can cause UK motorists headaches, but we were shocked to see that even the simplest of UK signs had drivers stumped,” says Daniel McCarthy, Commercial Director, Avis UK.

Straightforward UK signs such as ‘No Waiting’, ‘No Cycling’ and ‘No Overtaking’ were misinterpreted by motorists. Most interestingly, over 20% of drivers thought the ‘No Overtaking’ sign indicated a dual carriageway ahead, while 54% of those questioned identified the ‘No Motor Vehicles Allowed’ sign as ‘All Motor Vehicles Permitted’!

Today’s driver in the UK is typically aged between 40-49* years old, meaning that many motorists have not studied the Highway Code for over 23 years.

“Drivers over the age of 30 were not put through the modern day Driving Theory Test and this could explain the survey results,” continues McCarthy. “We would recommend that drivers refresh their knowledge; the Department for Transport offers great advice via its website www.dft.gov.uk/think.”

“We conducted the survey to see which foreign road signs motorists struggled with and therefore how we could help them drive safely and confidently abroad, with products such as our international driving guides and GPS. We also thought it would be interesting to see if motorists were up to speed on the Highway Code here in the UK.”

Avis has joined up with partner British Airways to provide driving guides for popular business and tourist destinations worldwide. The guides advise motorists on legal requirements, road signs and speed limits in specific countries and are available online at www.avisba.com.

In addition, customers can rent GPS from Avis locations around the world – simply book online at www.avis.co.uk.

Avis recently conducted a survey, on the www.wetryharder.co.uk blog, to see if motorists would consider downsizing their vehicles. 58 per cent of those questioned claimed they would definitely downsize or seriously consider it and, as the financial crisis continues to mount, downsizing is becoming a more viable and attractive option, particularly for city-dwellers.

The average family living in the UK could save up to £7,792 per year by downsizing their everyday car and taking advantage of car rental as and when they need a larger vehicle, says Avis Rent A Car. This environmentally-responsible and practical solution could help stem the mounting costs of running a vehicle in the UK.

Take the following scenario, where a family of two adults and two children need to use their vehicle every day for short journeys around town and the occasional family outing or annual holiday. They currently own a large vehicle with four-wheel drive capability that is rarely driven with every seat occupied and never used for off-road driving.

For families in this situation, Avis suggests downsizing the regular car to something smaller, practical and more economical for use during the week, such as a 5-door Peugeot 107 that has a fuel economy of 61.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 109g/km, and then renting a larger vehicle from Avis when the need arises.

Motorists can also expect significant cost savings if downsizing from MPV models or mid-range family cars.

With Avis it is possible to rent cars of all shapes and sizes from a Renault Clio to an Espace, providing customers with cars to meet every need, for any length of time. With the company’s new Home Delivery service, cars can also be delivered to the customer’s home, offering the ultimate in convenience. Visit www.avis.co.uk for further information.
For more tips please visit the Avis blog: www.wetryharder.co.uk

Avis Prestige Car Rental has some new motoring thoroughbreds in its stable of luxury car marques for hire.  Joining an already impressive array of supercars from Avis are the Ferrari F430 Spider, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Gallardo and the new Jaguar XF.

Inspired by these recent additions, the supercar enthusiasts at Avis selected their top five models on the Prestige fleet before putting them to the customers’ vote.  Bloggers at www.wetryharder.co.uk were asked to pick their ultimate favourite from this all-star line-up:

•  Ferrari F430 Spider (34%)
• Aston Martin DB9  (25%)
• Lamborghini Gallardo (21%)
•  Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster (15%)
•  Porsche 997 Carrera (5%)

The results showed the Ferrari F430 Spider to be the most popular choice with just over one third of the votes.

Robert White, Marketing Intelligence Manager at Avis, commented on the results: “Our blog poll demonstrates that our new additions will be popular with customers who are passionate about driving and want to get behind the wheel of some of the most exhilarating cars in the UK, even if it’s just for a few days.”

Avis Prestige offers luxury car rental from a fleet of carefully selected brands chosen for their reputation and status including Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati, Lamborghini, Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes — perfect as a gift, or to get you to a business meeting or special occasion in true style!

And it’s more affordable than you might think, with up to 30 per cent off tariff prices this month!  Hire a Mini Cooper from just £46 a day, or an Aston Martin from £280 a day*. To book your dream car, visit www.avis.co.uk/prestige  or call 020 7591 0444.

Avis Prestige has locations in Central London, London Heathrow Airport and Central Manchester. It also delivers to Manchester International Airport, London Gatwick Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and Leeds Bradford International Airport, or to customers’ homes or businesses in the UK.

To view the Avis supercar poll and other ‘choice of car’ posts, visit the We Try Harder Blog: http://wetryharder.co.uk/?cat=5

*Prices based on a seven day rental in October, correct at time of publishing. Conditions apply.

Any driver caught without this equipment in their vehicle is liable to an on-the-spot fine.

Avis provides reflective and hazard triangles with their rental vehicles in France, to make sure their customers don’t fall foul of the law.

“It is important that motorists are kept aware of the changes in foreign driving laws,” says Daniel McCarthy, Commercial Director, Avis UK.