The Kinetic Brief: September 2026

Quick insights that keep your fleet plans moving

THE KINETIC BRIEF

Quick insights that keep your fleet plans moving

This Month's Headlines

It's been a telling few months for the legacy manufacturers. Volkswagen and Land Rover are both going through very different, but very real, transitions, right down to whether one VW Group brand even survives the decade, and if either sits in your fleet, it's worth knowing what's actually going on before your next renewal. Plus a fuel duty update, this month's EV deal of the month, where Andy's been out and about, and a few more customer deliveries out the door.

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1. Volkswagen is quietly slimming down

VW Group has confirmed it's cutting back its model range across Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Cupra and Skoda, phasing out low-volume combustion variants and trims that no longer justify the production cost. The logic is straightforward: fewer overlapping models means more budget for EVs and software, and less internal competition between brands chasing the same customer.

For fleets, this matters more than it sounds. If you're running an older VW Group combustion model that's due for replacement, it's worth checking whether that specific trim is actually staying in production before you commit to another one, rather than assuming like-for-like availability at renewal.

2. Is SEAT on its way out?

Leaked internal VW Group documents, reported this week, suggest SEAT could be phased out entirely by the end of 2029, with the brand's products, manufacturing and sales operations gradually folded into Cupra. The numbers explain why: Cupra deliveries were up 33% last year while SEAT's fell 17%, and VW wants Cupra alone doing the volume both brands currently do together.

Nothing changes immediately, VW says existing customers will still get servicing and support, and SEAT's got a couple of updated models still due in 2027. But if SEAT features anywhere in your fleet or your renewal plans, it's one to keep an eye on over the next few years rather than something to act on today.

3. Land Rover is still finding its feet after the cyberattack

Jaguar Land Rover's production has recovered from last year's major cyberattack, but the numbers show how deep the disruption ran. Wholesale volumes were down over 40% year-on-year in the quarter following the breach, and full recovery took until mid-November, months longer than the initial shutdown itself.

The upshot for anyone running Land Rover on fleet: lead times may still be inconsistent as the supply chain works through the backlog, and it's worth building in extra buffer on delivery estimates for the next few months rather than assuming pre-attack timelines. On the upside, Land Rover's EV rollout (Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Velar electric variants) is still on track for this year, so the product pipeline itself hasn't slipped.

4. Fuel duty starts rising again this month

After years frozen, fuel duty goes up 1p per litre from 1 September, with a further 2p in December and another 2p next March. Small on its own, but worth factoring into any fleet still running mostly petrol or diesel when you're next comparing running costs against an EV or hybrid switch, the gap's about to widen a little further.

5. EV Deal of the Month: Polestar 4 Coupe

We've got a cracking stock offer this mon on the Polestar 4 Coupe, 200kW/100kWh Rear Motor Prime, a genuine 385-mile electric range and standout performance in a striking coupe body.

Business Contract Hire from £479.21 + VAT per month - ENQUIRE NOW

Pricing is based on a 3 year Business Contract Hire agreement covering 10,000 miles per annum. Initial rental £2,875.26 + VAT (equivalent to 6 monthly payments) followed by 35 subsequent monthly rentals of £479.21 + VAT. Processing fee of £207.50 + VAT. This offer is only available through Arval, in Magnesium paint (other colours at additional cost), and is a stock offer that must be delivered by the end of September.

6. Out of the Office

Andy's been putting the miles in this month, sessions with SalesGeek Scotland and an SCG and CityFibre briefing at the Port of Leith Distillery in Edinburgh. Always worth getting out from behind the desk, and putting some faces to the names.

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Customer Spotlight

Deliveries to two of our key clients this month. A new VW Tiguan handed over to one, and a pair of Jaecoo SUVs to another.

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