North Road Garage, a company synonymous with both the motor industry in Mid-Wales and with national rallying, will provide state-of-the-art scrutineering facilities for this year’s Nicky Grist Stages – which takes place on Saturday 13 July. The Toyota dealership situated in a prime position on the A470/A483 roundabout on the outskirts of Builth Wells has very kindly offered its pristine workshop … [Read more...]
Good 2 Talk
The Motor Ombudsman, the automotive dispute resolution provider, has unveiled the “#talk2resolve” campaign on their Twitter page (@Motor_Ombudsman). The aim of the online awareness drive is to emphasise the importance of consumers giving a business the opportunity to resolve a complaint directly with them, prior to involving an impartial alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider, such as … [Read more...]
Shortage of good stock emphasises preparation
An increasing shortage of good quality stock in the used car sector means that there is a growing emphasis being placed on vehicle preparation for sale, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. The organisation, which represents businesses that between them handle, sell, inspect, transport or manage more than 1.5 million used vehicles every year, believes this will be one of the key trends of … [Read more...]
FCA and Renault talk of merger
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles want to merge with Renault in a $35B deal which the French car maker is seriously considering. French and Italian Governments would have a say in the venture, which is likely to be based in the Netherlands for tax reasons, and which would bring synergies for both sides, reducing development costs and production, without major drawbacks. Renault has been hitting … [Read more...]
E-scooters offer real environmental benefits
Ground-breaking research from Cenex found that moving to electric scooters and mopeds from petrol equivalents significantly lowers energy use and emissions. Cenex’s first study of its type, the report shows that electric scooters use 72–91% less energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70–90% compared to a 250cc scooter of similar specifications. Electric cars typically use 50–70% less … [Read more...]
Renting a Fiat 500 in the Costa Blanca
When I decided to visit Sella, a small village near Benidorm in Spain, my first thought was to take a taxi, said Rachel Henson. Being driven to the village would mean not having to worry about parking, driving on the other side of the road, or looking after somebody else’s car for a week. As my research progressed, it became clear that renting a car between four people would actually be more … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Citroen C5 Aircross Flair Plus 130hp
The new Citroen C5 Aircross was launched in the UK in February and gave the French brand its entry into the medium-sized SUV market, writes David Miles. But this vehicle’s design comes with a twist thanks to Citroen’s expertise with producing a long-line of MPV people carriers over a number of decades. Whilst the exterior and front interior design is very much a modern but conventional SUV, … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Fiesta ST2 3dr
Fast Fords have been a mainstay of company sales and motorsport for decades and the newest Fiesta ST continues this remarkable tradition. The baby Ford has consistently been Britain’s best selling small car. The higher performance sporting stablemates have been eagerly snapped up by those who want fun on a frugal budget. Whether that’s a second or third hand Fiesta, or the newest … [Read more...]
Users must be at the heart of future ev plans
Citizens Advice is calling for the electric vehicle and energy sector to put consumers at the heart of the design process as new methods for charging electric cars are developed. The charity has developed a set of recommendations, based on its research examining drivers’ attitudes towards new ‘smart’ charging schemes. Sales of electric vehicles are increasing - which is good news for the … [Read more...]
Drivers dicing with danger and poor eye-sight
There are 37 million cars registered in the UK and four million motorists admit to putting road safety in the back seat. Research by Asda Opticians suggests more than 4 million motorists in the UK admit to driving illegally by not wearing the correct eyewear, which is required of them by law. Despite ‘roadside eye tests’ being introduced in various regions across the UK, many motorists still … [Read more...]