There’s trouble brewing for rivals to the new 'green' family car from Vauxhall. The latest Vauxhall Mokka-e is not a stand-alone model but one of the offerings in a compact SUV series which includes both cheaper petrol and diesel engines and indicates the future direction of its model series as it drives towards the pure electric future in the 2030s. Mokka-e gets the new look Vizor front end … [Read more...]
Ford regain top place in Welsh car registrations
Wales's new car sales rose to 5,246 models last month, according to figures today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Ford regained its lead in Wales after months of trailing rivals with significant registrations of the Puma SUV closely followed by Britain's most popular small car, the Fiesta. But only two registrations behind the Fiesta was the MG ZS and Volkswagen filled the … [Read more...]
Supply not demand the issue with van sales
Following a series of exceedingly strong months of used sales performance, April recorded a drop in the number of LCVs sold, said Rupert Pontin, Director of Insights at Cazana. It is of interest to note that the volume of new retail listings during the month has also dropped by -11.9% which suggests that the problem here is not demand but a lack of supply of used product to satisfy demand and … [Read more...]
Wales’s car sales sky-rocket after lockdown
Car sales in Wales last month rocketed over 6,750%, the biggest jump in mainland Britain, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Only Northern Ireland exceeded this leap in 12 months when showrooms recorded 13,629% rise. Scotland saw a 5,686 jump but English dealers trailed with just under 3,000%. Last month, total UK new registrations reached 141,109 cars compared to 4,205 some 12 … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 April
It’s the 20th anniversary of MINI being assembled in Plant Oxford by BMW Group. In early 2001, production began for MINI body parts in Swindon and on the 26 April the first new MINI rolled off the line in Oxford which has since built over 5 million cars and currently makes MINI 3-Door Hatch, MINI 5-Door Hatch, MINI Clubman and the MINI Electric, all on the same production line. A post mortem has … [Read more...]
Scrappage soars in shutdowns and Ford Focus leads
Scrap Car Network data indicates that Brits disposed of a third more cars in 2020, with the humble Ford Focus leading the way with over 2535 of the model being scrapped. It says a record 37,000 cars were scrapped last year. Models of Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Peugeot all featured in top ten cars that drivers thought should hit the scrap heap. The disposal website, which represents the UK’s … [Read more...]
Tradelines 7 April
While the pandemic has taken a toll on many people’s finances, others are emerging with a nest egg after months of lockdown living and this could ensure the car industry, along with the wider economy, bounces back quicker than originally anticipated, said James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars. He was speaking after the SMMT released March car sales figures showing a dramatic rise compared to the last … [Read more...]
Stellantis/ Vauxhall pressure rises on UK Government
Vauxhall parent Stellantis says its up to the UK Government to secure the future of the Ellesmere Port, Cheshire car plant. Any investment by Stellantis depends on support from the British government, CEO Carlos Tavares told a French paper this week. Stellantis is considering the site for electric mobility development but the high costs may not make business sense as the UK Government has … [Read more...]
Budget does little for car sales
The Budget is first aid for the motor industry but will not fix underlying long term ailments, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. “Today’s budget provides some encouragement to an automotive sector hit hard by the pandemic and additional trading costs but it falls short of the support needed to transform the industry and market to the net zero future to which both the … [Read more...]
Ellesmere Port plant future hopes raised
The parent company of Vauxhall and the British Government have been in talks about the future of Ellesmere Port car assembly plant. Britain is "very hopeful" that a good outcome can be found for the Astra assembly plant and its 1,000 workers, including 300 from Wales. British business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said there had been encouraging signs from PSA Group, which includes Vauxhall, and its … [Read more...]