February 26, 2010
What Car? reveals 9% rise in car prices in past 12 months while discounts fall 13%
Consumer champion of sorts, What Car, has just revealed that the average car price has risen significantly by an average of 9% in the last 12 months while those hard to find discounts have shrunk by 13%.
The good news is that you can still get a average discount of of £1699 off the list price of a car, although this is £200 less than the average discount a year ago.
Renault is the most generous at the moment with a average discount of 13% or £2009, while the purveyor of cool the Mini is the stingiest with a typical savings of just £125 a measly 1% off its cars.
During the past year Ford has increased prices the most, with the average increases of 14.7%, a staggering 32.6% hike on a Fiesta 1.25 60 studio 3dr.
What Car? editor Steve Fowler, said: “Price rises can be partially attributed to the weak value of the pound compared with the Euro, but we wouldn’t be surprised if some makers are looking to recoup some of the cost of the scrappage scheme, too.
“Everyone’s feeling the pinch at the moment, so it’s more important than ever that car buyers do their research and haggle hard – never pay more than the What Car? Target Price. If a dealer won’t play ball, leave your phone number with them and walk away. In my experience it won’t be long before they call.”
- Keep your cards close to your chest. Don’t quote the Target Price straight away – you could get an even better deal. - Be assertive – don’t be afraid to push for a bigger discount, but don’t be rude either. - Haggle for options – dealers make a profit on options so expect the same discount on extras. - Stick to your guns – if the salesman says no, walk away and ask him to call if he changes his mind. - And make sure you read of Car buying guide for a more in depth look at achieve fantastic discounts. Here
February 25, 2010
Vauxhall’s Ampera has been charged and will drive to the Geneva Motor Show will it make it ?
In what could be major PR gamble Vauxhall have just announced that their prototype electric car the Ampera (subtle play on amp) has been charged, and will attempt to drive the 370-mile journey from Rüsselsheim, Germany, to the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, without emitting CO2.
At the wheel of this gargantuan challenge will be Opel/Vauxhall Director of Electric Vehicle Implementation, Gherardo Corsini, he said:”I am really looking forward to putting a lot of miles on our first Ampera prototype during this maiden test on public roads.
“With 370 Nm of instantaneous, electric torque under my right foot, it promises to be an interesting and almost silent drive to Geneva.”
With the news of a whopping £5000 discount for ultra-low carbon emitting cars, this presents a real opportunity to win over sceptics who don’t see the technologies viability.
Opel/Vauxhall bloggers will join the brave Ghersado Corsini on his journey which will start 9.30am on Saturday, February 28 and you cam follow their success or failure by checking their blog here www.opel.posterous.com or you can follow them on twitter here.
Green car guide welcomes Plug-in Car Grants
Leading green car guide, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has welcomed the announcement of the the green car incentive scheme.
Commenting, the website’s editor, Faye Sunderland said: “This support is essential to help the UK move towards a low carbon future. We are now reliant on the carmakers to ensure that the eligible vehicles are available to consumers when the grants come available next year.
Rumours are swirling around the internet that one of the first car to be eligible for the significant discount will be BMW’s Mini E, which was unveiled a couple of weeks ago at 10 downing street.
“The Plugged-in Places scheme is crucial to sustain the use of eligible vehicles so we hope to see this make significant impact on how our towns and cities prepare for the electric car revolution set to start in 2011.” she added.
Motorists get up to £5,000 towards cost of an ultra-low carbon car
The government have just announced that green motorists will receive £5,000 to help them to buy a ultra-low carbon cars in 2011.
This follows the success of the scrappage scheme which finished today and gave motorists a flat rate price for their cars when purchasing a new one.
This new incentive will be distributed directly to the consumer at the point of purchase and should be available alongside a new range of eligable vehicles in 2011.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said:”Decarbonising transport isn’t an aspiration – it’s a reality. By this time next year, cutting edge motorists will be on the roads with these next generation cars they’ve purchased because of our help.
Part of the initiative will see the government invest £450 million to create a flourishing early market for low-carbon vehicles.
Also included will be a £30 million fund for a electric vehicle hubs – called Plugged-In Places – this will finally see a comprehensive infrastructure for charging cars in car parks, supermarkets, leisure centres and retail centres.
The first areas to receive the new infrastructure were named today as London, Milton Keynes and the North East.
Business minister Pat McFadden said: “We have already committed £450m to delivering our ambitious vision of supporting suppliers of low carbon technology, encouraging demand from consumers and enabling lead UK cities and regions to switch on charging infrastructure.
“The Government is focusing on this sector as a priority and we are committed to helping British businesses take advantage of the growth potential and job opportunities this presents.” he added.
A second competition for Plugged-in Places funding is to follow later in the year, with consortia from the West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, the Lake District, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland having already confirmed their intention to bid for the next wave of funding.
February 24, 2010
F800: the future of Mercedes
This is the F800 style – we are unclear what the F means (future maybe?), but we are promised that this concept car will be announced at thew Geneva Motor Show next week.
It’s packed with more organic sensibilities than a Gee Wiz, it’s the usual four-door coupe which were reliably told will look like the next-generation CLS and CLC replacement, which is expected way in the future, some time in 2013.
This car is the first Mercedes to show off their new green credentials. It’s powered by a plug-in Hybrid, which will match the 300hp, 3.0-Litre V6 to a 109hp electric motor.
Mercedes says the F800 will manage 75mph and a range of 19 miles in electric-only mode, but when the petrol engine is running, things become rather more impressive: 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Combined economy is quoted at 97mpg, with CO2 emissions of 68g/km.
There is, as you’d expect, a multitude of cleverness on board. Those rear doors are sliding affairs, because – well, just because they are, so there – and there’s a touchpad centre console to control the car’s entertainment system, similar to the unit on the new Audi A8.
Audi’s New RS5: info leaked a week early
Audi has revealed the RS5 – a 444bhp rival for the BMW M3 Coupe – ahead of its Geneva debut after brochure details were leaked onto the internet by some naughty rapscallions with no morals.
Thirty years after Audi debuted the original quattro they have just unveiled their latest RS5 coupe which will continue the legend – with the combination of high-revving V8 power and a new super-fast S tronic twin-clutch gear.
It’s expect to be on forecourts by late October and its first European customers in October.
Like all RS models, the RS5 features quattro all-wheel drive, but the this latest generation has evolved more with a clever center differential know as a crown-gear differential. The 40:60 ratio of standard rear-biased configuration ensures responsive handing.
Visual differences from the S5 could best be described as ‘subtle’: there’s a new front splitter and bigger air intakes, with a retractable spoiler round the back that raises at 75mph, a feature officially known as the ‘Ooh, look at me, officer!’ wing.
February 23, 2010
New Alfa Romeo Giuletta
To be a true petrol head you should have own at least one Alfa – but many of us are never likely to own a 8C Competizione.
But fret not, Alfa have just annouced their latest cars and it looks like a ford focus but with added sex appeal.
The Guiletta will replace old favourite 147, and resurrects one one of the most famous names in the Italian marque’s history; the 1950′s Guiletta responsible for many of our parents love affair with the brand.
Thankfully this car is not rooted in the past – it’s built on a new platform – which we can expect to see in Fiat’s Bravo replacement featuring aluminium and high-strength steel.
Alfa are touting ‘next-generation steering’, though hasn’t yet explained what this might mean. Perhaps more importantly, the Giuletta will be the second car to get the Alfa DNA system.
This debuted on the MiTo, and offers a choice of Dynamic, Normal and All weather (D-N-A, geddit?) driving modes, adapting the suspension, throttle, steering and stability control appropriately.
World premier Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E concept
Vauxhall have just announced their latest concept car and it looks stunning – called Flextreme GT/E it will feauture a very small efficient engine as well Vauxhall’s E-REV technology.
Vauxhall calls the strategy underpinning Flextreme GT/E, ‘e-mobility unlimited’, which will effectively adapt the highly efficient E-REV drive system to vehicles across all market segments. In other words, the Flextreme GT/E concept shows that size really doesn’t matter when it comes to driving a car with zero CO2 emissions.
Vauxhall are touting the their latest E-REV drive system, despite its greater size and a maximum speed of 125mph – a battery-powered driving range of up to 40 miles – with zero CO2 tailpipe emissions – and a total range of over 300 miles. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 175mpg, with CO2 emissions of less than 40g/km.
However, unlike a battery-only electric vehicle, the Flextreme GT/E eliminates any possibility of range anxiety through fear of being stranded without power. The small petrol engine/generator is seamlessly engaged to provide electricity whenever the battery’s supply becomes depleted. In this mode, the driving range is extended to more than 300 miles, until the plug-in battery pack can be recharged or the car is refueled.
February 22, 2010
Car visibility on the blink
Cars are getting safer every year, but according to Which? drivers’ views are increasingly becoming more restricted and they have just announced which cars are the best and worst for visibilty.
All-round visibility is generally getting worse than 15 years ago – this is because of the strengthening that has gone into door pillars; growing from barely noticeable strips to thick chinks of metal.
According to the Royal Society of Accidents (RoSPA) 1% of all accidents are caused by blind spots, they also suggest that if you eliminated them you would prevent 25 fatal accidents each year.
In Which? Car’s rigorous research, the Smart ForTwo Coupé comes out top for driver’s vision with a visibility score* of 64.8%, aided by its lack of a B pillar (usually found between a car’s front and rear doors). The Fiat 500 (58.7%) is second and the Citroën C3 Picasso (58.2%) is third. The raised driving position in the Ford Galaxy MPV (57.4%) brings benefits for the driver’s line of sight, as it does to a lesser extent in the VW Golf Plus (56.2%).
At the bottom of the list, convertibles such as the Porsche Boxster (31.4%), BMW Z4 (38.7%) and Lexus IS 250C (39.4%) rate poorly, though obviously their view improves considerably once the roof is down. And there are issues with the futuristic Honda Civic (37.6%), which has a split rear screen that does rear visibility no favours.
Which? Car editor, Richard Headland, says:”It’s vital to make sure a car protects its occupants in a crash, but accident research – and common sense – suggest that crashes are more likely if visibility is reduced. This is of particular concern for more vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Some models that score well for visibility in our tests also achieve good crash-test results, showing it is perfectly possible to design safe cars with good visibility.
“Which? Car is calling on manufacturers to do all they can to make life easier for drivers and we have drawn up a list of recommendations to make conditions safer.
- Cars should have a better field of vision in the A pillar (front roof pillar) area and C pillar (rear-most pillar) area.
- There should be improvement in side impact protection.
- Electronic ‘junction assistants’ should be introduced.
- Head curtain airbags should be installed as standard.
DVAL set to score at Old Traffrord
The DVLA hoping to emulate the success of Manchester United this spring when they have their spring registration auction.
With a reserve price of £10,000 there are hight hopes surrounding the sale of 9 0 next month. This is no surprise as last year its first six 0 plates – 1 0 – 6 0 – sold for a staggering £666,000 in total.
Jody Davies, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Events Manager, said: “As 2009 proved, our O series was extremely popular with personalised registrations lovers and there’s no reasons why 9 O, which goes under the hammer on Friday March 26, will not follow in the same vein.”
She added: “There is a varied mix, among the 1,500 registrations being auctioned with plenty of choice to suit all tastes and, more importantly, with reserves ranging from £300 to £10,000, something to suit all budgets.
In total, DVLA’s forthcoming auction will comprise 1,500 registrations chosen to offer an eclectic mix to suit all tastes, styles and pockets, including, BMW 805S (£400),DAM 114N (£400), , FER 661E (£900), F4 LSE (£900), HOT 805S (£400), K11 LTS (£900), NET 800K (£300), NEW 805S (£400), 9 O (£10,000), OFF 1 (£3,200),OLD 805S (£350), 2 OOO (£4,000) , TAX 80Y (£400), TOW 805S (£400), UTD 805S (£900), VDS 1 (£3,200).
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