To celebrate their 25th anniversary TMUK has produced the special edition Auris Hybrid GB25 five door hatchback priced at £24,045. Prices for the 39 British built Auris hatchback and estate model derivatives start at £16,655 and rise to £26,905. The engine range consists of 1.33-litre 99hp petrol, a turbo 1.2 116hp petrol, the 1.4 D4-D 90hp turbodiesel, the 1.6 D4-D 112hp … [Read more...]
Wales new-car sales worst in UK
New car sales in Wales have collapsed further than the rest of Britain. Registrations fell by 17.5% in September compared to 12 months ago and the downturn in England was approximately half that but it also meant the running total of registrations in Wales so far this year is over 10% below nine months in 2016, also the worst in the UK. The SMMT said the fall was due to uncertainties over … [Read more...]
Facial recognition unlocks new opportunity for cars
The prospect of looking at your car and opening it is becoming a reality. Insurance specialist Rias has conducted research in to patents filed over the past two years by the world’s leading car manufacturers, giving us an insight in to what the future of driving may look like. Imagining a world with driverless cars seemed the stuff of dreams only a decade ago, however thanks to Artificial … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 September
A near 50-model range of the new Volvo XC40 will begin arriving in the UK early next year. Their latest SUV will have a wide choice of petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains in two-wheel and 4WD, and pioneer the company’s all-inclusive Care by Volvo rental package within the M25. Chemical company Ineos and its British founder Jim Ratcliffe says he wants to build a modern heavy-duty off-roader … [Read more...]
Toyota lead world sales this year
Toyota continued as the world’s most successful brand in the first half of this year. Sales exceeded 4.28M, some 4.4% up on the same time 2016, while Volkswagen barely improved when they recorded 3.22M sales, just overtaking Ford on 3.06M, a drop of 2.2%. Nissan sales rose 6.2% to 2.51M but it was Honda which leapt 10% with 2.50M registrations in six months at the expense of Hyundai’s 2.08M, … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Toyota Yaris Excel Hybrid
The Toyota Yaris supermini hatchback in three and five door forms was first launched in 1999 and became European Car of the Year 2000. Now in its third generation five-door only form it has received a mid-life refresh. Actually it’s more than a refresh with 900 new parts say Toyota including the introduction of a new 1.5-litre petrol engine which replaces the previous 1.33-litre … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota C-HR 1.2T Dynamic auto
Few test cars turn heads like the Toyota C-HR. It’s dramatic styling hints at something special and it is, for most parts. The latest Toyota offering in the compact SUV sector where it was solely represented with the RAV4 could not be more different to its stablemate. There is a good 11 model lineup in the C-HR (Coupe High Rider) range utilising three trim levels, front or all wheel drive … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 August
Welsh ports are key to the future success of Britain’s trading relationships post-Brexit, said the Freight Transport Association. Following publication of the results of the National Assembly for Wales’ inquiry into the implication of Brexit for Welsh Ports, FTA has called for the Assembly to keep the pressure on the national government to ensure that trading relationships and customs … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 July
Prospective owners of the McLaren 720S supercar need to look no further than DVLA Personalised Registrations’ three-day live summer auction for the ultimate accessory. The Agency has once again come up with the perfect personalised registration to adorn the latest McLaren dream machine with MCL 720S, which is listed with a £250 reserve, among the 1,250 personalised registrations being auctioned … [Read more...]
SUVs now account for a third of global sales
Almost a third of cars sold around the world is an SUV. Figures compiled by international analysts at Focus2move say this type of car is currently taking an incredible 75% of sales in China alone. The best selling car in the world remains the Toyota Corolla, followed by the Ford F-Series pick-up, and the VW Golf is third. Sales of the Honda CR-V are rapidly rising towards overtaking the … [Read more...]