The next generation Land Rover Defender will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in early September. It is one of the car makers still pledged to the German motor show, despite 22 other makers missing it as they revisit their sales and marketing strategies, but the new Ford Puma SUV is expected to be their highlight at the event. The planned Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault Group … [Read more...]
Newslines 31 May
Nissan is giving its blessing to the $35 billion (£27.7 billion) merger of Renault with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, according to the Nikkei newspaper. The plan raises difficult questions about how Nissan would fit into a radically changed alliance with Renault, its current partner Mitsubishi, and the FCA group and comes after FCA and PSA failed to progress talks on collaboration earlier this … [Read more...]
FCA and Renault talk of merger
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles want to merge with Renault in a $35B deal which the French car maker is seriously considering. French and Italian Governments would have a say in the venture, which is likely to be based in the Netherlands for tax reasons, and which would bring synergies for both sides, reducing development costs and production, without major drawbacks. Renault has been hitting … [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...]
Newslines 9 April
Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and Vauxhall have started idling UK plants this week. The move announced weeks ago is intended to help them adjust to supply and certifications under the anticipated Brexit terms and Honda will introduce six non-production days as well this month. Automakers could be hit with billions of euros in fines for missing the European Union’s fleet CO2 … [Read more...]
FCA to act on car finance commissions
Some methods used by finance brokers to reward car dealers that end up overcharging an estimated 560,000 customers about £300 million pounds a year will be banned. The Financial Conduct Authority said it found widespread use of commissions that allow brokers to set the customer interest rate and thus earn higher bonuses. “We found that some motor dealers are overcharging unsuspecting … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 November
Commuters face three weeks of travel chaos on Wales' rail network just weeks after it was taken over by Welsh Government's Transport for Wales. The effect of storms on ageing trains means an "unprecedented" third of the fleet of 127 are damaged, so many will not run or be replaced by buses and Transport for Wales said they are trying to "share the pain" by diverting trains from quieter to more … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 September
Lister Tuning is relocating to a new centre in North West England where it will develop their unique high performance versions of Jaguar models. Among the first to be built there is a 670bhp Lister LFP SUV using carbon fibre components to keep down weight while the tuned V8 engine will take it to 60mph in 3.5secs and onto a maximum 200mph at a cost of about £140,000. In a major … [Read more...]
Motorists’ deep unhappiness with dealer finance services
A mystery shop of car dealerships has revealed there is nation-wide consumer confusion about car finance, stemming from a lack of transparency and inconsistent sales practices. The research by Confused.com comes ahead of the results of a review by the Financial Conduct Authority into the growing motor finance sector, which will review potential for consumer harm, due in September … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 June
Flintshire is facing a £2.7M bill to keep roads as they are but would need £40M to fix winter damage across the county network. A report says it has logged 4,000 potholes and crews have been called out over twice as many times as last year and 30 major schemes must be completed over the summer. A Polestar performance package is being created for the new Volvo S60 T8 hybrid series, assembled … [Read more...]