The issues facing the British car market with the decline in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle sales in the UK this year has been outlined to media by Conor Twomey, General Manager Internal Communications and Government Affairs for Mitsubishi Motors in the UK. Mitsubishi with their Outlander PHEV more or less pioneered the launch of the PHEV market quickly becoming not only the best selling model … [Read more...]
SUVs now seen as growing polluters
A new report that indicates SUVs have become a major source of increases in CO2 emissions during the last few years should prompt businesses to consider their role on company fleets. Fleet software company FleetCheck says that the International Energy Agency document shows that growing demand for SUVs was the second largest contributor to increases in global CO2 emissions from 2010-2018. During … [Read more...]
New car sales fall is not the full picture
The SMMT figures this morning show a 6.7% fall in new car registrations in October. They do not tell the whole story though, says an industry watcher. Seán Kemple, Director of Sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said, ““Disappointing sales figures this month, slightly down once again, point to a lack of confidence among consumers. Larger, more expensive car sales remain low as … [Read more...]
BMWs score top marks in safety tests
Two BMW’s - the 1 Series and the 3 Series – both achieve a maximum five-star rating in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests. The Jeep Cherokee and the Peugeot 208 settle for four stars apiece. The Peugeot 208 narrowly misses out on a five-star rating, so drops a star compared to the previous-generation vehicle, that offered fewer standard safety technology but was tested against less stringent … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Electric nation is just a notion for now
In the first nine months this year official figures show that UK sales of Battery Electric Vehicles have risen by 122.1% over the same period last year to 25,097 registrations, writes David Miles. But before we think the motoring world has really changed that is still only 1.3% of all new cars sold. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles like Mitsubishi Outlander, have sold just 22,773 units - a fall … [Read more...]
Electric & premium brands’ car sales soaring
Brits are going bonkers for battery powered cars. September sales figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show a staggering 236.4% increase in pure electric models registered, albeit from a low point 12 months earlier. But their sales would have been higher if manufacturers had supplied more and there is now a long waiting list for the lowest carbon emissions … [Read more...]
Newslines 4 October
Welsh Government has increased the number of traffic officers on the M4 around Newport since plans for an alternative route were abandoned this summer after a £114M enquiry recommended the go-ahead of the controversial Black-Route over greenfields. More recovery vehicles were allocated during the summer months and these will now be deployed for major events and bank holidays in future as live … [Read more...]
Diesel demand still significant
While the anti-diesel rhetoric has turned a number of people away from diesel cars, an estimated 4m drivers remain convinced it is the right option for them and will be opting for diesel car next (13%), according to research from the Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. However, concerns about taxes and the ability to sell diesel cars have risen and are holding … [Read more...]
Mid-week roadtest: Volkswagen Passat Saloon Advance
Last week’s media launch was the first opportunity for us to drive the new Passat models in the UK and the first opportunity anywhere to drive the Saloon, writes David Miles. So with that in mind, plus the overall decline in diesel sales in our domestic market, I opted for the Passat Saloon GTE Advance 1.4-litre TSI, PHEV, 218hp, 6-speed DSG auto priced at £38,940. There are extra cost … [Read more...]
Land Rover Defender returns
Britain’s oldest 4x4xFar is back. Over 70 years after the model which became Defender was unveiled and three years after the last series was axed by Land Rover, a new 21st century model is a star of the Frankfurt motor show and order books now open for the first long wheelbase five-door models, followed soon after by a shorter wheelbase three-door model and a commercial series. A genuine modern … [Read more...]