Volvo is extending cars which 'talk' to each other. It’s making its ground-breaking, industry-first connected safety technology available across Europe as another step in its ambitions to improve traffic safety. The technology allows Volvo cars to communicate with each other and alert drivers of nearby slippery road conditions and hazards via a cloud-based network. Hazard Light Alert and … [Read more...]
News
Newslines 16 April
German prosecutors are pressing criminal charges against former Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn in connection with the automaker's manipulation of diesel-emissions testing, reports Automotive News Europe. Four other executives are also being charged, said the prosecutors' office in Brunswick in VW's home of Lower Saxony and all are charged with fraud and violation of competition … [Read more...]
Getaway breakdowns more likely than returning
Drivers more likely to suffer a breakdown that can’t be fixed when heading out, rather than returning home, says the RAC as the Easter Break is underway. Breaking down and finding your vehicle can’t be fixed at the roadside is never good news, but research from the RAC shows the Law of Sod also has a significant part to play as more of these incidents tend to happen on the outward leg of a … [Read more...]
Ford Fiesta ST Performance limited edition
Ford has introduced a special edition of the Fiesta ST, one year on from the first examples hitting UK roads. The Fiesta ST Ford Performance Edition is limited to just 600 examples, all in three-door bodystyle and finished in Deep Orange paint. Based on the best-selling ST-3 trim, the Fiesta ST Ford Performance Edition gains specially-designed Ford Performance parts, including 18-inch Ford … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 April
The RAC says some 27M motorists will hit the roads of the UK this week, nearly half before Friday. Today is expected to be busiest with 4.7M journeys undertaken compared with anticipated 4.4M on Good Friday, according to INRIX analytics. Audi S6 and S7 models now come only as diesels with 48v electric motor assistance. The hybrid powertrain is a perfect fit for the executive models with a … [Read more...]
Welsh business recharges classic cars
Classic cars are being given a new life for the 21st century with a “heart” transplant and an electric powertrain by a Welsh enthusiast and engineer. Richard Morgan set up Electric Classic Cars in Newtown to give much-loved classics and popular cars a new lease of life with a modern twist. “I use to compete in the British Historic Rally Championship while I worked as a software engineer in … [Read more...]
Dealers disappointing customers with servicing – J D Power
Dealers are letting down customers and their brands with poor communication when it comes to servicing, according to the J.D. Power 2019 UK Customer Service Index Study released today. While some brands stand out for good communication, others are missing opportunities to build trust, relationships and satisfaction. Sizable gaps exist between how customers prefer to schedule vehicle service … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 April
The UK’s two top-selling cars in Fiesta and Focus benefit from new Ford security technology which disables their keyless entry fobs when not in use to block illegal hacking. A new motion sensor inside the Ford fob detects when it has been stationary for longer than 40 seconds and triggers a sleep mode, which will not respond to attempts to hack its signal via a “relay box” or through the misuse … [Read more...]
New Flying Mile record set at historic Pendine Sands
Record-breaking racer Zef Eisenberg survived a 195mph scare to establish a new Flying Mile at Pendine Sands. Riding a specially made 400bhp supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa (right) that was built and prepared by Eisenberg’s MADMAX Racing Team, he set a two-way average of 182.40mph on Saturday 6 April. In 1927, Sir Malcolm Campbell reached 174.8mph at Pendine, Carms in his iconic aero-engined … [Read more...]
Ineos car plant for Wales – speculation mounts
Work to prepare a 116-acre site in Bridgend for employment space covering more than 70,000 sq m will begin next month, Economy Minister Ken Skates said today, leading to speculation this is being readied for the £600 Million Ineos Automotive project. The Economy Minister confirmed that following the granting of outline planning permission for a development at Brocastle in Bridgend, the Welsh … [Read more...]