Welsh car buyers have restored the Ford Fiesta to top spot in the sales chart in January as UK registrations hit a 50 years low. Ford dealers registered 122 Fiestas last month, comfortably ahead of the 104 Kia Sportage, which was the top SUV among Welsh families and they were the only two models to exceed 100 sales in the month. Ford suffered badly in Wales last year but it has come back … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 February
Nissan introduces the LEAF10, a special edition of the popular all-electric car, to celebrate a decade of sales as the first mass-market EV in the world. Available in UK dealerships from February, LEAF10 introduces a new bold body colour to the Nissan palette, complemented by exquisite pattern detailing on the exterior from £28,820 OTR (including the Plug in Car Grant). Kia Motors (UK) is … [Read more...]
UK car making lowest in generation
UK car making slumped last year to the lowest since 1984, hit by Covid-19 interruptions and a collapse in demand for most of the year. The car makers' body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief Mike Hawes said it was a "dreadful year" but added that a comprehensive vaccination programme might restore buying and production. Output was 920,928 vehicles, a 29.3% fall on … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Nissan X-Trail Tekna
The Nissan X-Trail has been a long-lived and much loved member of the Japanese family, sitting above the smaller Qashqai SUV with which it shares much of its components and technology. Launched in 2001 as a tough dual purpose 4x4 alternative to the bigger and heavier Patrol 4x4, the X-Trail has gone through three generations and it cannot be too long before it is again revised or … [Read more...]
Nissan decision puts pressure on Ellesmere Port investment
Britain is charging up for a battery cars’ future. Nissan said today that its Sunderland car plant is secure for the long term as a result of the trade deal reached between the UK and the EU. It already makes traction batteries next to its Sunderland assembly plant and now says additional battery production will be invested where it has 6,000 direct employees and supports nearly 70,000 jobs in … [Read more...]
Rare and rarer & ready to be picked up for peanuts
There are some of Britain’s true automotive gems. And we don’t mean the obvious one-offs and models that were launched so long ago there are only one or two left. Where’s the fun in that? CarleaseSpecialOffers said you might think Ferrari owners enjoy exclusivity, but you’d be wrong. Sort of. Even the Ferrari 812 Superfast – a 6.5-litre, 789bhp grand tourer – isn’t as rare as the Fiat … [Read more...]
EVs on charge in collapsed UK market
The UK new car market fell almost a third last year with registrations dropping 29.4% to 1,631,064 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders today. A -10.9% decline in December wrapped up a turbulent year, which saw demand fall by 680,076 units over 12-months to the lowest level of registrations since 1992. Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of … [Read more...]
When a car is not enough
The Ford Transit van entered the best-selling used car list for the first time in 2020, in a year in which online deliveries grew substantially, says AA Cars, the AA’s used car website. The Ford Transit was the ninth best-selling used vehicle of 2020, as a growing number of people who had lost work or been made redundant turned to delivery driving to bolster their income. With millions of … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan X-Trail Tekna 1.7 dCi 150hp
Nissan introduced the original X-Trail in 2001 when it was a hard-core proper dual-purpose 4x4 workhorse which sold in huge numbers around the world, writes David Miles. From 2007 the X-Trail moved from hard-core 4x4 to SUV/Crossover and in 2017 received further restyling and specification changes to soften its image into a more family friendly suitable model. The large X-Trail shares much of … [Read more...]
Ghosn in French tax probe
French tax authorities have reportedly seized funds from Carlos Ghosn and his wife. He is under investigation in France for possible tax evasion during his last three years heading Renault and Nissan, according to media reports. Lawyers for Ghosn and French tax authorities have been discussing since the middle of 2019 whether the former CEO was a French resident during 2016, 2017 and 2018 after … [Read more...]