Lyft, Inc. has upped its battle against rival Uber Technologies, Inc. in the ridesharing market by launching a premium car service to take on Uber Black.

Called Lyft Premier, the service is being pitched at users who want a more stylish arrival for business trips and special nights out, and will allow users to book premium vehicles such as a BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus ES, or Cadillac Escalade.

According to VentureBeat, Lyft had previously run a luxury car service called Lyft Plus in 2014 that picked up riders in a customized SUV with 20-inch sport wheels, a brushed steel mustache on the front grill, access to Spotify Premium, and more, but subsequently abandoned the service several months later leaving a number of drivers who had purchased vehicles for the program both upset and out of pocket for up to $34,000.

Lyft claims a remarkable 60 percent of its users have requested an option for a more luxurious ride, although how many would actually use the service is another matter; it’s difficult to get figures from Uber as to how many people use their competing service Uber Black, but that service would seem to appeal to those who are well off or have corporate accounts where the amount of money spent isn’t an issue.

As one person on a Quora thread explained:

I use Uber Black (or the local equivalent) all the time. I don’t like UberX, I like to sit in a nice car, with a suited, polite, professional driver. Is it expensive? It’s all relevant. It’s cheaper than owning an A6 or booking a limo.

For Lyft drivers who own more upmarket cars, Lyft Premier is a win/win; Premier bookings will attract premium pricing which will mean those drivers get paid more, but when there is no demand in an area for the service, those same drivers can continue to pick-up regular Lyft bookings.

Interesting times

Lyft’s decision to compete head-to-head against Uber in the premium ride market comes after a report late June that Lyft had hired a mergers and acquisition specialist firm to explore either raising more funding for the company or potentially to look for a buyer for the business.

It’s a no-brainer for Lyft to enter the premium ride market because it has nothing to lose by doing so, and everything to gain, particularly if it is able to attract more drivers of upmarket vehicles.

Naturally, such a service would also increase Lyft’s margins going forward making it look more appealing to investors or potential acquirers.

Lyft Premier is available from today but only in New York City, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles.

Image credit: Lyft.