Unite union has met PSA over plans for Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, which assembles Astra models. Discussions followed a 250 jobs cut announced this month on top of 400 jobs going since last autumn but the company has said it is twice as expensive to run as the French equivalent plants. UK industrialist Sanjeev Gupta is bidding to build electric vehicles in a factory GM Australia closed … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Audi SQ5 3.0 TFSI quattro
Changing buying patterns have brought about a rethink by Audi, writes David Miles. The previous generation SQ5 was a V6 335bhp TDI turbodiesel model and the first ‘S’ model to have a TDI diesel engine in the UK and the first Q model to be available with ‘S’ performance specification. The latest Q5 range went on sale earlier in 2017 followed later in the year by the new ‘S’ flagship … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Audi RS3 saloon
As I sat in yet another stationary long line of traffic I wondered just how useful or practical was the 174mph Audi RS 3 Saloon. Official figures recently released by the Department of Transport show UK drivers faced on average a delay of 46-seconds for every mile they travelled on A-roads. With a record number of 37.3-million vehicles on our roads we motorists have travelled a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Audi SQ7 4.0 TDI quattro tiptronic
The Audi SQ7 really has given the luxury SUV sector a kick – or more accurately, an electric shock. It is the first series production car to be fitted with an electric compressor used to eliminate turbo-lag and boost acceleration. The result has to be experienced to be appreciated, and that’s quite an experience which transforms the 2.3 tonne seven-seater with sports car … [Read more...]
Welsh car sales holding up better than UK
New car registrations fell 12.2% in October across all parts of the market, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders today. Sales totalled 158,192, leaving registrations in the year to date down 4.6% compared with 2016 led by a decline in business and consumer confidence, said the SMMT chief executive Michael Hawes. Demand for diesel cars slumped by about 30% and the industry … [Read more...]
Popular models in big US recall campaigns
Nearly 500,000 Mercedes cars across its range in the US are being recalled. They are to be checked for faulty air bags which may inadvertently deploy. US dealers are also recalling 342,300 Kia Soul and Soul EVs with suspected faulty pinion gear on the steering. Failure could result in the system falling apart. Meanwhile, over 216,000 Audi A5 and Q5 models will be checked by American … [Read more...]
Newslines 25 August
Witter towbars of Deeside is making 90 people redundant. UNITE said it was talking to the company, which hopes to keep 60 other workers on its books but is considering manufacturing abroad. Vauxhall has taken 20,000 used models under its scrappage scheme relaunched in May after spells over the last two years. Unlike other schemes, the Vauxhall recyclers will identify potential classic … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Audi A5 Cabriolet quattro
Audi know a thing or two about successful niche marketing, and the revised A5 Cabriolet is a brilliant example of the brand doing what it does best, but at a price. It’s not cheap but its very, very good and the range is extensive and comes with a lot of tempting options which you have to very carefully pick over to ensure you get exactly what you want. Revised in 2016, the A5 … [Read more...]
Newslines 14 August
The latest Audi Q2 quattro can now be ordered with a petrol engine for the first time and deliveries begin in September. Responding to the market down-turn for diesel engines, the new model gets a 190ps 2.0 petrol engine available in S tronic powertrain with S line and Edition #1 specification from £31,760 to £36,750. Ford in Germany is co-operating with authorities probing the emissions … [Read more...]
Newslines 24 July
Audi has launched a recall for up to 850,000 diesel cars to update vehicle software controlling emissions in a bid to avoid potential driving bans, reports Automotive News Europe. The service is also being offered to Porsche and Volkswagen brand cars using the same six- and eight-cylinder engines and follows a similar move last week by Mercedes-Benz for about 750,000 models. Drivers much … [Read more...]