The reopening of car showrooms is good news for the industry, as research finds that the majority of car owners (76%) still buy their cars from a showroom, with nearly a quarter (24%) of these second-hand cars. The survey of 2,000 UK drivers, which was commissioned by InsuretheGap.com, a leading supplier of GAP Insurance (Guaranteed Asset Protection) for new and second-hand cars, found that car … [Read more...]
Retail News
Top tips for dealers to safely reopen
The motor retail industry is preparing to get back to business, with car dealerships beginning to open their showrooms. But times have certainly changed over the last few months, business as usual is different and companies will need to navigate what the ‘new normal’ looks like. There’s no doubt that it will be a very different retail environment, so dealers will need to find ways to … [Read more...]
Style takes a back seat to sense, for majority of car buyers
Some 70% of British car buyers are a sensible bunch when it comes to buying a new car, prioritising a car that is reasonably priced, fuel efficient, reliable and easy to fix over how it looks - 64% men and 75% women - according to a new Opinium survey of 2000 drivers. The survey, commissioned by InsuretheGap.com, a leading supplier of Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance for new and second-hand … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 June
Britain’s first end-to-end online car maintenance service provider revealed national survey results which show that UK drivers have not prepared their vehicles for summer holidays. Results from a national Fixter survey shows that 70% of Fixter customers are planning to spend their holidays in the UK this year and will rely on their cars for road-trips and stay-cations but 69% of survey … [Read more...]
Green label guide for new car buyers
A survey commissioned by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and the National Franchised Dealers Association found that motorists considering a new car are now more concerned about ‘going green’ – with 50% saying that environmental friendliness has become more important to them in the last year. In the same survey, despite today’s record low fuel prices, almost as many (43%) potential … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 June
A new 170mph Lancia Stratos two-seater sports car will be hand-built in a run of just 25 models by the newly created Manifattura Automobili Torino company. The legendary bespoke rally car of the 1970s will get a modified Ferrari 4.3V8 engine delivering 540bhp and it will be unveiled in the UK at the exclusive Salon Prive event in September at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. A 143 miles Citroen … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: On the road and in the news 14 June
Despite the roads-of-life starting to reopen with shops, businesses, car manufacturers and dealerships getting the wheels of business moving again, I’m still sifting through automotive news you might have missed until my first new model road test car arrives at the end of this week, says a hopeful David Miles. But for the foreseeable future the availability of new model lest cars will be very … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Locked down with a Peugeot 2008
Lockdown has been a learning experience for everyone, including the policeman who pulled me over for a routine check. Now I have spent over three months behind the wheel, some of the time, in the newest Peugeot 2008 and that’s a long time when we normally have to experience a test car in a matter of hours during a new model launch or in a week of extended test driving. So the lockdown rules have … [Read more...]
Slow pickup to England’s car sales after lockdown eases
The industry is now one week into the post lockdown trading period in England and the question that concerned retailers nationwide has now been answered and that was whether there really would be consumer demand for cars, says Rupert Pontin, Director of Insights at Cazana. Indications both anecdotal and factual reflect the fact that consumers have returned to the showrooms in significant numbers, … [Read more...]
New Toyota Hilux heading to UK
Toyota is renewing its world-famous Hilux pick-up with a striking design, a powerful 2.8-litre powertrain, improvements in on and off-road driving performance and equipment upgrades. These changes strengthen its appeal to the growing market for customers who need a vehicle that’s right for both business and leisure. At the top of the range, the new Invincible X model gains bespoke styling … [Read more...]