A GT Sport Nav+ model has been added to the revised Mazda CX-5 range of 2WD and AWD models with petrol or diesel engines. All models now come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto together with revised suspension but the new trim includes real wood and satin chrome fascia highlights, new interior lights and 19-inch bright alloys. Almost one-in-three new cars sold in Norway last year was pure … [Read more...]
SUV sales soar, but not for every manufacturer
Global SUV sales rose 6% last year to a hit a staggering 60% over five years. Toyota dominated the sector with 2.35M registrations, Nissan recorded 2.24M and they were well ahead of a shrinking Honda holding 1.84M and falling due to the run-out of the CR-V. Despite its expansion in the sector, Ford sold just under 1.6M some 3.5% down on the 2017 total. Hyundai recorded a near 19% … [Read more...]
Ford and Toyota get share of Brexit budget
Ford and Toyota engine plants in Wales will get a share of a £6M Brexit assistance budget from Welsh Government, but there has been criticism from Tories in Wales. Ford will get £1.6M and Toyota an unspecified grant while money will also go to other automotive companies struggling with expected higher costs as a result of leaving the EU. First Minister Carwyn Jones announced further business … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota RAV4 Icon Tech 4×2
Hybrids powertrains are the in-thing at the moment, but that’s not a surprise to Toyota who started development nearly 50 years ago and were among the first to put one on sale 25 years ago. Alongside hybrid technology, Toyota were working on the world’s modern first compact SUV and showed us the RAV4 in the mid 1990s. Come up to date and we have the two sectors merged in the RAV4 Hybrid series … [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...]
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...]
Toyota take top cars crown
The Toyota Corolla remains the best selling car in the world on latest data. Latest figures compiled by Focus to Move shows over 501,000 Corolla models were sold last year, a slight rise on 2016, and the next best seller and top pick up was the Ford F-Series on 441,000 while the VW Golf was third with 367,600 and dominated Europe as it saw sales rise 2.4% despite the company’s instigation of … [Read more...]
Tradelines 4 July
The Toyota RAV4 is once again the best selling SUV in the world. VW Tiguan is next and the Honda CR-V third. After suffering the worst monthly petrol price rise in 18 years in May, June provided motorists with a little welcome relief at the pumps with the average price of unleaded falling by nearly 2p a litre. RAC Fuel Watch data shows that petrol fell from 129.37p a litre across the UK … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible 2.8-litre
Sold in over 190 countries around the World, the latest Land Cruiser and Toyota’s all wheel drive technology has 65 years of history in their tracks, writes David Miles. The hard-core Land Cruiser has a legendary reputation for toughness, reliability, durability and go-anywhere capabilities whether its jungle, desert, mountain, war zones, peace keeping and humanitarian aid, holiday tour … [Read more...]
Kankkunen & Grist honoured with Rally Legends accolade
It is now 25 years since ‘Flying Finn’ Juha Kankkunen and his Welsh co-driver Nicky Grist won what is still remembered as one of the toughest and most challenging Rally GBs in the famous event’s long-running history. To mark the silver anniversary of that snowy and icy victory, a quarter of a century on Kankkunen and Grist will be honoured as the official ‘Rally Legends’ of this autumn’s Wales … [Read more...]