Nissan has postponed pay talks with unions at its Sunderland plant until terms of the Brexit deal are clear. Reuters reported car makers are considering options if there is a poor deal for manufacturing including possible production decreases and suspension of lines while logistics and economics are clarified in the spring. Plans to develop the 1,000mph Bloodhound car have halted. It has … [Read more...]
Newcomers: Cars
Sunday drive: Ford Fiesta ST-3 1.5
The Ford Fiesta range of three and five door hatchbacks, plus their recently introduced additional Active SUV inspired versions, are still the UK’s best selling cars, not just supermini sized cars but cars overall, reports David Miles. Flagship models for the extensive Fiesta range is the new high performance ST available in three or five door forms and this time around powered by a … [Read more...]
Piece of cake sales success for revised Skoda Fabia?
To coincide with the launch of the revised Fabia ‘superminis’, Skoda UK commissioned 2016 Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown to produce a small-scale version of the iconic Fabia cake which starred in the hit 2007 TV advert which was nearly four metres long and one-and-a-half metres high. But the new cake reflects a slimmer market in today’s world of falling new car sales and … [Read more...]
VW GTI twins natural birth
Brits love their hot hatches and Volkswagen has turned back the clock to mark time for future success. Just over 40 years ago, the original Golf GTi was released to eager owners and over the decades that popularity has spread to create the Polo and up! GTi models, which are arguably more in tune with today’s needs in towns and congested country roads. The days of a hot hatch may have seemed … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 October
Volvo has demonstrated the strength in depth of its SUV range with the XC40 and XC60 together winning four honours in the 2019 Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year Competition. The honours, including the overall Towcar of the Year award for the XC60, were presented at a ceremony held at the RAC Club in London. The Audi SQ2 is a 300ps compact SUV being unveiled at the Paris Motor … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Peugeot Rifter 130ps diesel
A practical vehicle for all reasons with good looks is the new Peugeot Rifter which has just gone on sale from £19,650 for the five seater models available now, and £21,570 for the seven seat versions available early 2019. Speaking at the UK media launch last week David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK, said, “As the spiritual successor to the Peugeot Partner Tepee, the all-new Rifter … [Read more...]
Newcomer
Volvo has added more choice and sporting style to its V60 estate car range with the introduction of new R-Design versions, priced from £35,410. It has enhanced the suspension, wheels and tyres, improved the equipment to give it a more sporting look and feel, and also added an even higher specification R-Design Pro level, on all engine variants. … [Read more...]
Tradelines 26 September
The FitCar PPV ‘prototype #2’ is based on a standard Audi A4 Avant 2.0L petrol TFSI auto, with the throttle replaced by a bicycle pedal mechanism and mated to a flywheel, which generates an electronic pulse to engage the accelerator. The car is powered as normal, delivering manufacturer specification performance and economy, governed by an active pedalling motion instead of the conventional … [Read more...]
First drive: New Peugeot 508 Fastback
The D-segment saloons and estates have had a tough decade of diminishing desirability, especially if they do not carry a premium brand label, writes David Miles. Customers have either downsized to newer higher specification hatchbacks and estates that are cheaper to purchase/lease, with lower Benefit-in-Kind taxes and more affordable running costs or have moved to fashionable SUVs. And Peugeot … [Read more...]
Newcomers to watch….
The Abarth 124GT shown at Geneva last spring is now available to order. Just 50 will be imported from £33,625 with distinctive carbon fibre roof, 17-inch OZ wheels, Bose sound system and adaptive front headlights. The new VW Touareg has secured top marks for safety from Euro NCAP crash tests. It is the flagship of their range and offers the company’s greatest number of driving … [Read more...]