News - Page 2129

THE UK may have the highest new car prices in Europe, but it also has the highest average residual values according to the Eurotax Residual Price Index.

NISSAN has unveiled its new-look Micra, featuring price cuts of up to £800, a new 1.4-litre engine and new features. The car goes on sale as the manufacturer launches dealer-based offers on its models guaranteeing at least 10% off the price of a Micra.

CITROEN has replaced the three-door Berlingo Multispace with the Berlingo Multispace Forte five-door, which features twin sliding rear doors but with on-the-road prices £1,345 -£1,650 lower than the models they replace plus additional equipment worth £385.

COMPANY car drivers taking the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 16v will be able to choose between driving the car in manual or automatic mode with the autumn introduction of Easytronic. The automated five-speed manual gearbox will debut in the Corsa and will allow drivers to choose between shifting gears manually or automatically.

RETAIL Motor Industry Federation chief executive Alan Hines resigned last week, less than 10 weeks after taking up the post. Previously managing director of Securicor Vehicle Management, Hines' reasons for quitting are a mystery, although an RMI spokeswoman admitted his approach had been 'low-key' since taking office.

THE Mitsubishi Motors GDI Challenge saw winner Michael Lennox, financial director of London chartered surveyor Weatherall, Green & Smith, achieve an average 57.8mpg over a 300-mile route from the south east of England via Rouen to Le Touquet in France.

VAUXHALL is contacting owners of 3,008 three-door Astras built between January and October 1998 to ask them to visit their dealer for the replacement of a spring housing in the front seat.

A 14-month Office of Fair Trading investigation into petrol and diesel prices in the Scottish Highlands and Islands has concluded that, with the possible exception of the Western Isles, pump prices reflect the conditions of the market and there will be no Competition Commission referral.

SAAB has supplied a fleet of 50 courtesy cars for the Open golf championship which starts at St Andrews today.

THE Inland Revenue says it will not challenge company car carbon dioxide emission figure discrepancies as the furore surrounding database sources deepens. A month after VELO joined forces with tax adviser Ernst and Young to highlight errors in vehicle CO2 figures quoted by motor manufacturers and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Godfrey Davis (Contract Hire) has joined the fray.

A FLEET industry expert has forced the Government's Vehicle Certification Agency to carry out a last-minute fix to the electronic version of its New Car Fuel and Emissions Figures guide which has gone <A HREF="http://www.vca.gov.uk">live</A>

PEUGEOT has launched 'Peugeot Corporate' in a bid to secure additional fleet business from the sub-100 sector. The new programme, designed to facilitate direct relationships with small fleet operators, has seen a team of 10 experts in the small fleet arena recruited, supported by a manager and the Peugeot Corporate Centre.

AUDI'S introduction of service intervals of up to 30,000 miles across its range has caused concern among contract hire firms and raised fleet managers' expectations of a reduction in leasing rates. The German manufacturer has become the first to re-engineer its cars to increase service intervals to longer than any car-maker has previously achieved, due to the new Audi Variable Servicing Interval Programme.

ASSOCIATES Fleet Services has taken over running the 330-strong fleet of UK sister company Associates Capital Corporation. Replacing six different vehicle and leasing suppliers, Reading-based Associates Capital Corporation has a user-chooser fleet.

LITTLEWOODS has appointed PHH Vehicle Management as a second supplier of personal contract motoring schemes to staff alongside debis Car Fleet Management as part of the abolition of its 400-strong 'perk' car fleet and an overhaul of its benefits and remuneration policy.

LEEDS-based property maintenance organisation Mansell Maintenance has signed a solus supplier contract with Mann Egerton Vehicle Contracts for its 300-strong mainly commercial vehicle fleet. The company will lease about 200 vehicles from MEVC over the next two years.

OMEGA Red Group, the UK's largest supplier and installer of lightning protection and earthing services to the construction industry, is changing its 30-strong vehicle fleet used by supervisors and service engineers from Renault to Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDi SX hatchbacks.

GE Capital subsidiary TLS has signed preferred van rental supplier agreements with Peterborough Panthers and Eastbourne Eagles Elite League speedway teams and is now first choice to provide short and long wheelbase vans to the nine teams in the league, as well as teams in the Premier and Conference leagues.

TWO dozen HDi diesel-engined Peugeots have been added to Northamptonshire Cricket Club's player and staff car fleet. Fuel economy was cited as a key factor in the lease deal, which follows evaluation of eight 406 diesels taken on last summer.

GODFREY Davis (Contract Hire) has produced a ready reckoner guide to whether or not free fuel is a 'true benefit'. The new edition of the leasing and fleet management company's 'Company Car Tax Guide' includes tables which enable fleet managers and company car drivers to calculate whether or not company provided 'free' fuel is a benefit.

FLEETS want to call in the Office of Fair Trading for a second look at PHH Vehicle Management's domination of the UK fuel card market after the manager of a major UK supermarket fleet was threatened with the cancellation of his fuel cards should his company refuse to accept new payment terms.

COMPANY directors must set an example to their staff by abandoning company cars in a bid to ease congestion and pollution. The 'lead by example' approach would see high-ranking staff using a green transport plan to commute to work, either by walking, cycling, car sharing or using public transport.

THE motor industry is calling on the Government to ensure that legislation designed to cut new car prices is enacted ahead of the September 1 registration plate change.

CONGESTION charging will be introduced by the end of 2002, London Mayor Ken Livingstone announced in his inaugural speech. With self-government being restored to London after 14 years, Livingstone outlined the way ahead for 'London in the New and highlighted transport as the 'single biggest issue confronting both the efficiency of London's economy and the quality of life of its inhabitants'.

THE Government has been told not to cut road fuel duties amid pressure from transport organisations and national newspapers.

LEISURE company Whitbread has reduced the list of manufacturers on its 2,900-vehicle fleet from 23 to five and is now offering employees a cash-for-car option following a 12-month review of its policy which is expected to result in savings of £1 million a year.

THE battle to win fleet business will be fought through an alliance with Ford's fleet department, Land Rover has revealed. Matthew Taylor, sales and marketing director, said a new fleet sales department would be set up and work closely with Ford fleet operations director Mike Wear.

INTERLEASING UK has bought eight Carland used car sales sites around the UK in the acquisition of Concept Automotive Services – the market's largest indendent used vehicle retailer.

A NEW six-month dealer campaign sees the price of Nissan models slashed with cuts of at least 10% off Micra, Almera and Primera models for retail and small business users. Launched on Friday under the slogan 'New Nissan, New Prices' the new pricing campaign applies to all models within the Nissan line-up but the levels of discounts are at the discretion of dealers and not guaranteed.

AUDI has slashed prices of its TT Coupe quattro, TT Roadster quattro and S3 quattro models by 10% - in line with Government calls to cut new car prices. Audi says the price cuts have been made to 'counter heightened price competition' in the specialist sector and mounting market forces in the high performance segment as a whole.