Traditional mechanical parking brakes are slackening their appeal and dying out as car manufacturers ditch them in favour of electronic parking brakes, according to CarGurus.It found that just 24% of new cars on sale in the UK today come with a manually operated handbrake, falling even further from 30% recorded last year.Some popular models, including the BMW 1 series and 3 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint
If it feels right, it’s right - and that’s a particularly apt saying when it comes to the Alfa Romeo Giulia. What’s more, the sporting saloon looks striking outside and inside and when it gets moving this driver’s smile widens still further. Alfa Romeo has always enjoyed a strong sporting fan club, and I count myself as a member, as it delivers all you’d expect of a family car but with a sharper … [Read more...]
Tradelines 3 June
North Wales Police face a £100,000 bill for selling an impounded luxury motor home without the owner’s permission. The Unimog based vehicle from Germany was taken in October last year when its German owners asked a policeman for directions and couldn’t produce insurance, which was obtained in December but after NWP sold it and it was stripped for parts, it's been reported by the BBC. Alfa Romeo … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 December
The Mazda MX-30 all electric SUV will go on sale in Europe in 12 months time. It is expected in the UK in Spring 2021. Owners of Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Abarth vehicles can now benefit from a range of fast, convenient repairs & services, without having to pre-book thanks to the new MOPAR Express Lane service. This new concept has opened at 103 workshops across the FCA retail network and … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 November
Volkswagen is breaking new ground with a concept for an electric estate car to be shown at the Los Angeles motor show the end of this week. The ID Space Vizzion is their latest proposal for a new model after a future EV hatchback was unveiled in the autumn. Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to shut down assembly plants last week to ease any Brexit issues with components and stocks will cost the UK … [Read more...]
Turning the corner with Alfa Romeo
Car sales are a series of ups and downs but there are strong signs that Alfa Romeo has turned the corner this year, writes Robin Roberts.A recent independent survey of owners who have used their models for some time concluded that the sporting Italian brand was second only to Lexus in terms of overall satisfaction with models, manufacturer and dealership support.It was the highest placed … [Read more...]
Tradelines 24 April
JLR is hoping strong SUV sales in America will offset a slowdown in the UK and China.The luxury British brand had to writedown $3.9Billion last year due to lower sales but the SUV sector is doing well in the US and the company has new models to launch there over the next 18 months, including the new Evoque (above) and upcoming Defender.Nissan profits have collapsed to a near ten-year low … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 November
A month after it took over rail operations the Welsh Government backed Transport for Wales admits a quarter of rolling stock is out of service.They admit 36 our of 127 trains are undergoing repairs leading to delays and cancellations on routes and now they have taken out newspaper ads to apologise.Alfa Romeo has partnered with Amazon to deliver test drives of the brand’s first ever SUV, … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.2 TD Q4 Super
Italian cars have reputations for being racy.But Alfa Romeo has taken its time to enter the booming SUV sector with its Stelvio, the first of its kind from the brand after it debuted the Kamal concept car at the Geneva motor show in 2003. A lot has happened in the meantime and any car-maker with an eye on the future must make an SUV, and the Stelvio is one of the last to enter the … [Read more...]
Heart-stopping looks and prices
Classic cars can be the most emotive subject and while Britain has an enormous selection amassed over the last 120 years, few will ever reach the dizzy heights of the following compiled by investment house JBR Capital.Ferrari, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bentley, Duesenburg, Ford, Shelby, McLaren, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin all feature on the list of the top ten most expensive to … [Read more...]
