By Martin Ward on Wednesday, September 29, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

INFINITI – Has released a sketch of a luxury electric vehicle which is due to be released in 2013. The sketch was shown during a ceremony held to mark the opening of the Infiniti Centre in Piccadilly, London.

 

 

OPEL – Has announced that a new compact car, with the working title of ‘Junior’, is to be produced in Eisenach. It is expected to be smaller than the Corsa.

Test car – Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 litre HDI VTR+

The C3 Picasso has been on the roads now for quite a while but for one reason or another, this is the first time I have driven one. What a clever car it is.

It is one of those cars that quite simply gets forgotten about. When I provide comparisons between one model and another, the C3 Picasso isn’t even on the radar with me, and I fear this may be the case with many other people in the industry. Despite there being plenty of advertising and marketing on it, no one seems to talk about it and it has by-passed me as it has...

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By Martin Ward on Tuesday, September 21, 2010

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, September 15, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

AUDI – Has announced the introduction of the new R8 Spyder 4.2 litre FSI V8 430ps engine. It will be priced at £95,545 on the road for the six speed manual and £100,855 on the road for the six speed R-Tronic. It is available to order now, with first deliveries expected in January 2011.

 

HYUNDAI – Has announced its plans to mass produce electric vehicles in 2012, with around 2,500 units expected to be built. There are early indications that the ‘BlueOn’ will be an electric vehicle, but it’s unknown as to what markets it will be introduced in.

 

NISSAN – Has announced pricing on the new Micra. Prices start at £8,995 on the road for the 1.2 litre 80ps Visia and go up to £12,195 on the road for the 1.2 litre 80ps Tekna.

 

PEUGEOT – Has announced further details on the new 508. It will be available with the following engines: a 1.6 litre 112bhp diesel (also available as a e-HDI start/stop version); a 2.0 litre HDI 140bhp diesel;...

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, September 08, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

FORD – Has announced pricing for the new C-Max and Grand C-Max. Prices will start at £16,745 for the C-Max 1.6 litre petrol Zetec and £18,745 for the equivalent Grand C-Max.

 

INFINITI – Has announced pricing on its first ever diesel saloon model. Pricing for the new M 3.0 litre diesel saloon will start from £36,750 on the road.

 

KIA – Consumer demand for the new Kia Sportage 2.0 litre CRDI AWD First Edition has been strong, with customers eager to purchase the 850 units available. However, there has been some interest in a petrol alternative so the factory is now set to produce 300 petrol versions. The awaited 2.0 litre AWD petrol engine will produce 161bhp and will have a 0-62 time of 10.3 seconds. The combined fuel consumption is expected to be 35.8 MPG.

 

MAZDA – Has announced that the MX-5 has surpassed the 100,000 sales mark in the UK. Since launch, the MX-5’s UK sales account for over 10% of global and 40% of European...

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, September 01, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

CITROEN – Has announced the new DS4 model. It will be available with a choice of five engines (three petrol and two diesel) and is due to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. It is expected to go on sale in late 2011.

 

 

HONDA – Are expected to unveil the Jazz Hybrid at the Paris Motor Show. It will use similar technology to that found in the Insight Hybrid.



MAZDA – Will debut the new Mazda2 at the Paris Motor Show. The key changes include new front exterior styling, an upgraded interior, an upgraded chassis and Euro V compliant engines.

 

VOLVO – Has announced the introduction of two new 1.6 litre GTDi T3 and T4 petrol engines. The T3 and T4 have power outputs of 150ps and 180ps respectively and both come with a six speed manual gearbox as standard, with six speed Powershift auto transmission available as an option on T4. The 1.6 litre GTDi will be available in both S60 and V60 models in late 2010.

 

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, August 25, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

JAGUAR – Has announced it will unveil an armoured version of the XJ called the Sentinel at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show. The Sentinel will feature a state-of-the-art armouring package, yet its appearance will be virtually identical to that of a standard XJ.

 

MITSUBISHI – Will reduce the launch price of the new electric i-MiEV from £38,699 to £28,990. The adjustment will apply to all models ordered in the UK from 1st January 2011 and coincides with the recent government announcement that an incentive of £5,000 will be offered to electric vehicle consumers. This means that minus the incentive, the i-MiEV will now be priced at £23,990.

 

PEUGEOT – Has announced the 3008 Hybrid4, the world’s first diesel hybrid vehicle. The Hybrid4 has a 2.0 litre HDI 163bhp diesel engine combined with an electric motor, which maintains a constant power output of 27bhp and a peak output of 37bhp. Peugeot expect the Hybrid4 to have a CO2 emissions...

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, August 18, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

KIA – Will reveal an all new electric concept car at the Paris Motor show on 30th September. The model is called the ‘Pop’ and measures three metres in length.

 

 

Test car – Kia Sportage First Edition 2.0 litre CRDi



It is amazing to think that Kia produced their first car just 36 years ago and it’s even more unbelievable to think that the very ‘cheap and cheerful’ Kia Pride was being sold only ten years ago. Kia, along with its sister company Hyundai, has changed beyond all recognition in just a few years. These two companies, along with Skoda, have taught us to think differently about brands and their image.

 

The new Sportage could really have been given a new name, as it is nothing like the previous Sportage models. It is a total transformation and all for the better. It has increased 90mm in length and decreased in height by 60mm, which gives it a sleeker appearance and it seems more in proportion....

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, August 11, 2010

This week's manufacturer news

 

CHEVROLET – Has announced the forthcoming introduction of the Spark Woody special edition. The car has been created to coincide with the start of the annual Boardmasters Surf, Skate and Music Festival and celebrates the brand's American heritage. The design has been inspired by the old 'woody wagons' which were large estate cars that were based on mainstream models, but with timber framed bodywork. They were traditionally used in the USA by surfers in the late fifties/early sixties, as they were cheap and spacious enough to carry surfboards. The Spark Woody will feature at the Paris Motor Show next month, with pricing and specifications to be announced at a later date.

 

MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE – Has confirmed the location for its new McLaren London showroom will be One Hyde Park; The Residences at Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge. McLaren London will move into the premises in early 2011 in preparation for the spring 2011 launch of the new McLaren...

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, August 04, 2010

This week’s manufacturer news

 

ABARTH – Has announced the new 500 695 Tributo Ferrari special edition. Limited to 152 examples for the UK, the Tributo Ferrari will be priced at £29,600 and receives standard features that include automatic climate control, xenon headlamps, Blue&Me hands free infotainment, sport button and 17” alloy wheels. It will be powered by a 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine that produces 180bhp, has a 0-62mph time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. The 695 Tributo Ferrari will be available to special order only through the Abarth dealer network.

 

FORD –...

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By Martin Ward on Wednesday, July 28, 2010

This week's manufacturer news

 

AUDI – The new A7 sportback model will open for ordering in the UK on 16th August, with first deliveries expected on 1st November. There will be four engines available at launch: a 2.8 litre FSI 204ps petrol, a 3.0 litre T 300ps petrol, a 3.0 TDI 204ps diesel and a 3.0 TDI 245ps diesel. All engines will feature the Quattro four wheel drive system and S-Tronic transmission as standard, except the 204ps diesel, which will have a Multitronic gearbox and 2WD drive train. The range will offer two trim levels: SE and S Line, and pricing will start at £42,925 on the road (rising to £43,745 in January with the forthcoming 20% VAT rate).

 

PORSCHE – Has developed three Boxster models with all-electric drive to be used specifically for research...

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