Another 6,500 British automotive jobs in two car plants are on the line if the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal. Mini workers 4,500 jobs will be be diluted in Oxford and Ford Dagenham may shift diesel engine production to Europe if no deal is done. There will be knock on effects to the plants' UK suppliers and local economies as well. Honda has said it will close Swindon in a couple of … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI John Cooper Works 3-Door Hatch
At last week’s MINI UK media test driving day the BMW Group brand brought along their 60th anniversary Edition Hatch model as well as the revised John Cooper Works Hatch version to be sampled, writes David Miles. With a 60th anniversary Edition model already scheduled into my forthcoming road test diary I wheeled myself out onto the winding Lambourn area country roads near Newbury for a brief … [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...]
BMW Group apprenticeships this year
Young people with a passion for a career in the automotive industry are being encouraged to apply for an apprenticeship place at BMW Group’s manufacturing operations across the UK. The news comes at an important and exciting time for BMW Group, as it leads the way in the electro-mobility sphere and gears up for the debut of the first fully electric MINI later this year. More than 40 places … [Read more...]
Kia Motors unsurprising success in showrooms
Kia Motors (UK) Limited has once again topped the summer survey of dealer attitudes conducted by the NFDA – the brand came top in the 2017 survey. Asked how highly dealers rated their relationship with the manufacturer Kia scored 9.1 out of 10 to top this year’s summer survey, where the average score was 5.7 Paul Philpott, President and Chief Executive said, “I am immensely proud to see this … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI Cooper S Convertible
The Mini brand when British owned, or MINI now under the control of Germany’s BMW Group, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2019. This year the Convertible celebrates its 25th anniversary after going on sale in 1993 as the Rover Mini Cabriolet. Although now German owned, Oxford Plant remains the British home of MINI although some models are built in other countries now to meet the … [Read more...]
Britain’s Korea link is strong & growing
Britain is now the biggest EU market for Korean cars. The growing strength of the automotive relationship between the UK and South Korea was highlighted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders during its trade mission to the country this week. Latest figures from the UK trade body show that Britain is now the largest new car market in the EU for Korean car brands. 190,215 British … [Read more...]
Best sellers which won’t burn a hole in your pocket
If you are looking to buy a new car this March, InsuretheGap.com has analysed how the top ten best-selling petrol cars in 2017 have held their value in the last five years. A new car loses approximately 20 per cent of its value as soon as it is driven off the showroom forecourt, and cars lose between 15 - 20 per cent of their value each year. All of the cars in the study lost almost … [Read more...]
Tradelines 14 February
Peugeot GT Line Premium trim introduces affordable luxury to 3008 and 5008 SUV line-up. Enhanced trim level incorporates the ‘GT Line’ specification with the best of the range-topping ‘GT’ level with five engine options, starting from £28,590 for the 3008 and £30,565 for the all-new 5008 and the enhanced specification includes keyless entry, an opening panoramic glass roof and driver seat … [Read more...]
MINI prepare for Dakkar with two new models
MINI and the X-raid Team have launched into the final preparation phase for the Dakar Rally 2018 with the presentation of their current racing cars. For the first time MINI and X-raid will face the challenges of the most demanding long-distance rally in the world using two different types of drive. In addition to the further advanced version of the all-wheel drive MINI John Cooper Works … [Read more...]