Skoda has joined Aston Martin and withdrawn from the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency.
Uncertainty over post-Brexit testing legislation means the two car makers are the first to get EU approval from Continental testers.
Ford will put a showroom in the Next store in Manchester Arndale Centre.
It will display five cars and handle demonstrations while the company also rolls out a nationwide on-line buying site.
After a quarter-century in the British market, Vauxhall’s evergreen Corsa will return in GSi guise this year, reinforcing the ‘performance through dynamics’ theme adopted by the recently launched Insignia GSi.
Available to order later this year, the Corsa GSi will take the key chassis and design elements from the current Corsa VXR model to create an agile and purposeful driver’s car, but with all the space and efficiency of the regular model.
PSA Group is shaking up its powertrain operations, expanding some engine production in Poland and Hungary while adding an automatic transmission to its Valenciennes, France plant.
It will also begin making electric traction motors from 2019 in Tremery, France and the changes are part of a plant to make components as close as possible to vehicle plants taking them, but it’s excluded German Opel plants as union talks drag on.
PSA Group is reportedly looking at axing a third of Vauxhall’ 324 outlets, said AM Online.
It has reviewed their business plan and in the light of falling sales and slimmer profit margins it wants to concentrate efforts on the two-thirds most profitable businesses and may establish links with Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands.