It went out of production two years ago, but automotive data experts hpi say the Land Rover Defender is the best possible 4x4xWinter. With prices soaring as they become rarer, you may have to look at something else so they have identified a selection of great performing SUV’s perfect for wintry road conditions. Hpi analyst Mark Bulmer looked at a wide variety of factors ranging from … [Read more...]
Europe leads autonomous driving mode
Europe is leading the world in self-driving innovation, a Brussels conference was told. Research and innovation in the field of automated driving was high on the agenda of the 2018 EUCAR Conference this week. A lively debate on the future of urban mobility, brought policy makers and authorities together with auto manufacturers, researchers and suppliers to discuss the opportunities and … [Read more...]
St Athan super-car plant nearing take off
Aston Martin Lagonda's £250M super-cars Welsh plant is moving towards take off at St Athan. A multi-million pound three-storey state-of-art paint shop is nearing completion and engineers have started installing assembly lines, fitting out offices and preparing customer areas as well as constructing a dynamic assessment test track including an 'active hill'. The 90 acres site started life as … [Read more...]
Car makers say new diesels are desirable
New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association provides evidence that latest-generation diesel cars emit low pollutant emissions on the road. It was measured in real-driving conditions by the drivers of the various national type approval authorities. Some 270 new types of diesel cars type-approved against the latest Euro 6d-TEMP standard were introduced on the European … [Read more...]
Winter car sales need booster injection
The UK new car market declined again in October, with 153,599 vehicles registered, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Deliveries fell by -2.9% in the month, as model changes and backlogs at test houses conducting tough new WLTP emissions certification continued to cause shortages across some brands. Wales bucked the trend with a 6% rise to 5,721 new cars … [Read more...]
Ford in talks for new project in Bridgend plant
Ford is looking at “high technology opportunities” for the future of its Bridgend plant, the company said today. It was responding to media reports that it’s in talks with petro-chemical, oil and gas company Ineos over its plans to build a modern version of the Land Rover Defender. Ford will continue to build its own engines in plant and this week started assembly of the new Dragon EcoBoost … [Read more...]
Green motoring gets red card from drivers
Almost three quarters (71%) of UK motorists say affordability is a main consideration when purchasing a new vehicle, according to the Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. A further 56% care about how economical a vehicle is to run, showing additional interest in cost. Other key attributes include fuel type (55%), engine size (49%), and number of doors … [Read more...]
Newslines 29 October
The eagerly awaited Volvo V60 Cross Country will be in showrooms early next year from £38,270. The all-wheel-drive model has specific 18-inch alloys, extra bodywork protection, hill descent control and an off-road mode for severe terrain but its also one of the last to get the 190bhp 2.0 D4 diesel engine and eight speed gearbox. The Vauxhall Corsa Griffin is a new high spec city car from … [Read more...]
Brakes applied to car sales across Europe
The European car market recorded the highest monthly decline of the last decade in September 2018, as 1.12 million vehicles were registered – 343,000 less than in September 2017, JATO reported. The drop follows August’s inflated results, which were boosted by an increase in business registrations and stock clearances ahead of the introduction of WLTP on the 1 September. Despite August’s … [Read more...]
Newslines 26 October
Priority for proper road repairs should precede building new highways, said Welsh Assembly members. It comes after the Welsh Assembly's economy, infrastructure and skills committee launched a photo competition to highlight the state of the roads and a resident from Wrexham submitted the worst example along the A525. Jaguar Land Rover and unions have agreed to delay pay negotiations in … [Read more...]