Answering the following questions will lead to identifying the correct vehicle for your actual requirements:

How many passengers will the vehicle carry on a regular basis?

Don't immediately go for the maximum number of passengers possible; consider the primary needs of the vehicle. You may have the odd occasion when five employees and luggage need to be transported to a business meeting - but is this regular? Occasional high occupancy needs can be met by using daily rental vehicles. If they only carry one passenger 90% of the time, then do you really need a 7 seat people carrier? Don't over specify vehicles on the 'just in case' basis.

What loads will the car or van have to carry on a regular basis?

Again, don't immediately assume that you need a vehicle for the heaviest, bulkiest or longest loads.

For vans you need to consider payloads, access to the load space (i.e. side doors, double rear doors, and opening sizes) and the size/shape of typical goods to be transported. Health and safety considerations surrounding the handling of heavy items should also be considered.

Again, the vehicle should be specified against normal business needs, as occasional larger loads could be addressed by hiring a suitable daily rental vehicle. For saloon cars and estate cars the boot space must be large enough for the safe storage of goods or equipment without the need to place items on the back seats, especially if these items are heavy and could present a hazard in the event of an accident.

What additional features are needed?

If the cars are for essential use or business need rather than perk, the main criteria are safety and fit for purpose (i.e. do they do the job that they were supposed to do?) not personal choice. In the case of perk company cars, you want to provide choice and flexibility but remember that reallocating unusual or highly personalised cars may be difficult if the driver leaves or personal circumstances change.

In the case of vans, are there any specific considerations that need to be made?

Any needs for racking or other conversions should be considered from the outset. Your vehicle converter should be involved at an early stage as the choice of vehicle will affect the feasibility, safety and cost of any post-delivery work.

Will your company start selling a new product range... and will it fit in your vans?

Consult the key personnel within the company to assess any upcoming changes in core business activity that may influence the type of vehicles required in the future e.g. you may sign a contract hire agreement for a new fleet of 50 vans for four years and then discover that the company's future plans are built upon delivering a new product that does fit into the van.

Does the vehicle have ergonomic features appropriate to the job?

Consider ease of access, door opening, seats, ease of use for vehicle controls, and the suitability for the safe mounting of any necessary equipment in the cockpit area (e.g. radio/communications/electronic delivery systems).