February 10, 2012
Car Buying Guide
Jittery car dealers are predicting worse than expected new car registration figures for September, with some calling the market as much as 20% down on September last year. September 2009 was 11.4% up on the same month in 2008 with 367,929 units being registered but let’s not forget that this figure was boosted by scrappage registrations and … [Read more...]
US Car makers are expected to reveal solid September gains when compared to 2009 and the “cash-for-clunker” hangover, with strong retail figures set to boos hopes for an upbeat end to 2010. The automotive industry’s recovery in the US has recently sputtered, and financial analysts have cut their targets for the rest of the year on concerns … [Read more...]
BMW and new Saab-owner Spyker have announced that the German car maker will provide engines for the Swedish cars from 2012 onwards. The four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbo-charged petrol engines will be adapted for Saab's next generation of cars. Saab chairman Victor Muller revealed the two car makers "are open to explore further opportunities... … [Read more...]
It’s not all doom and gloom out there you know. Nissan have announced that they will not be introducing the diesel variant of the simply hideous “Cube” after poor sales of the original petrol example. Nissan UK had expected to sell up to 2,000 Cubes a year but have ended up selling just 442 so far this year. With predicted sales in the … [Read more...]
Used car sales in the US are surging this month with shares of the USA’s largest used car retailer CarMax leaping 33%. “CarMax is positioned well as frugal consumers seek value in used cars,” said Craig Kennison an analyst at US financial services company Robert W. Baird. “Meanwhile, credit availability has returned to pre-recession … [Read more...]
Porsche have revealed they made record sales in its financial year, as unit sales outside its core European and North American markets grew by more than 25% thanks largely to demand in China. The company said on Wednesday that vehicle sales in the 12 months through to the end of July 2010 rose 8.8% to 81,850 units, while output surged 16.1% to … [Read more...]
The VW Polo has always been a popular car but it is now more popular than ever. Car buyers looking to downsize and economise have moved over to the Polo not only because of the well known VW build quality but also because it is a very economical car to own and run. In the latest car registration figures for August 2010 the Polo joined its big … [Read more...]
Industry publication Fleet News has revealed that Nissan’s electric vehicle the “Leaf” will retain almost half its value (including the government discount) after three years of use; according to new figures it obtained from CAP. The Leaf is Nissan’s new compact 5-door hatchback electric car which is scheduled to commence sales in the US … [Read more...]
As our hunger for greater technology becomes ever more ravenous I wonder if there is a breaking point where it will simply become information overload and people will go running back to “the basics”. I spoke with a dealer recently who had paid an internet marketer to critique his website and suggest any improvements to help him gain more … [Read more...]
The typical width of cars in the UK has expanded nearly 2 centimetres during the past 4 years, according to figures published by DrivenData. The ever growing girth of the contemporary British car now holds at an average of 1,798.2mm, up from 1,780.9mm in 2006. The statistics represent a pattern which has carried on at quite a pace in the past … [Read more...]
South Korea's biggest car maker Hyundai has announced a recall of around 140,000 Sonata model cars in the US over steering concerns. The Sonata is Hyundai's best-selling model in the key US market, accounting for around 35% of sales. Hyundai is recalling Sonata models manufactured since December 2009, following a probe into steering problems … [Read more...]
VW Boss Martin Winterkorn said his goal for Volkswagen to surpass Toyota as the world's largest car maker by 2018 is going to be tough and he would like to remain in his job after his contract expires next year in order to ensure continuity to reach the target. "We know how ambitious our goals are," Winterkorn told German weekly news magazine … [Read more...]
Every 10 years or so vital automotive innovations pave the way for the next 50 years. Right now a new, dynamic approach to car manufacturing is about to re-write the rules. It's called 'iStream' and it comes from the man who, with Ron Dennis came up with what some call the greatest supercar of all time; The McLaren F1. In fact iStream along with … [Read more...]
According to Glass's Guide car dealers face a reduction in used car profits because of the VAT increase taking place in January. It warned there would be reduced profits on cars purchased this year and not sold until 2011. A VAT qualifying car purchased in 2010 for £10,000 and retailed to a private retail customer before the end of the year … [Read more...]
According to latest figures released by the SMMT UK car production grew 37.3 per cent during August Car production output for the year to date was up 41.3 per cent while engine production was up 15.4% for the month and 27.7% for the year-to-date.. "UK vehicle and engine production continues to lead a strong manufacturing recovery," said SMMT … [Read more...]
Franchised car dealers are becoming increasingly concerned about how they make sure their aftersales business remains profitable. They are under pressure like never before from the likes of Nationwide and Kwik-Fit (although that may change after the recent report by the BBC’s Watchdog) and other independent service centres who appear to be … [Read more...]
Europe's new car market continues to struggle with a continued fall in sales which has resulted in a year-to-date market decline of 2.4%, according to JATO Dynamics automotive intelligence. The VW Polo and Renault Mégane are the only two models amongst the top ten best-selling cars that have continued to increase their sales both year-to-date … [Read more...]
I know you can't really refer to classic cars as 'bargains' but having spent several weeks looking at the classifieds; there really are lots of ways to get yourself a classic car even if you're on a strict budget. And the choice, as they say, is frightening. Who hasn't bought a copy of Classic Car or Octane magazine and flicked through the … [Read more...]
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