News - Page 2170

BUSINESSES could be hit with £2 billion in extra costs by workplace parking charges if just a quarter of local authorities sign up to the scheme, the British Chambers of Commerce is warning. BCC estimates were based on annual charges of £250 per space being introduced by one quarter of authorities outside London.

VAUXHALL is distributing thousands of Z-Cards to fleet managers detailing carbon dioxide emission levels on its car line-up. Giving engine-by-engine CO2 figures for all models within its Tigra, Corsa, Astra, Zafira, Vectra, Omega and Frontera ranges, the Z-Cards are designed to be a reference point for fleet managers.

AUDI has dropped the eight lowest selling A4 models from its line-up in a move aimed at simplifying its range for 2000 and has slashed up to £1,800 off some models. With the line-up 'too confusing for customers', the A4 1.6 SE, 1.8, 2.4, 2.8, 1.9 TDI SE, 1.9 TDI (110) and 2.5 TDI saloon and Avant models have been deleted. The remaining 22 models benefit from specification upgrades.

A REORGANISATION of Vauxhall's fleet department is paving the way for massive increases in sales of the firm's alternative fuels range which could be worth more than £200 million annually in three years. All fleet sales staff at the manufacturer are now trained to sell customers alternative-fuelled vehicles alongside petrol and diesel models amid 'unprecedented' demand from fleet buyers and decision-makers for information.

NISSAN is offering VAT-registered customers a £2,743 refund on its Double Cab 4x4 pick-up because it fails to qualify for HM Customs and Excise's advantageous new VAT treatment for double-cab vehicles. The Nissan Double Cab's payload is 910kg - below the 1,000kg benchmark set by Customs for pick-up vehicles to be classified as vans instead of cars.

RENAULT has added its new 1.9-litre common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine to the Laguna range at prices starting from £16,875 on-the-road for the Sport 1.9 dCi hatchback and £17,875 for the estate. The new engine, offering 110bhp and 184lb-ft of torque, replaces the existing 100bhp 1.9-litre dTi turbodiesel engine and is now on sale in the Sport hatchback and estate models only.

NISSAN is benchmarking the new Nissan Almera against the Volkswagen Golf for quality in a bid to offer class-leading build quality and increase fleet sales. The model, which will be built in Sunderland to become the first lower-medium car from Nissan produced in Europe, goes on sale on March 1, but already carries Nissan's hopes for the future on its shoulders.

FLEET managers and company bosses have been warned that action could be taken against them if they don't manage road risk correctly following the sentencing of two directors of Roy Bowles Transport - Stephen Bowles and his sister Julie Bowles - after they were convicted on manslaughter charges in November. The pair were jailed for 15 months and 12 months respectively, with both sentences suspended for two years.

SKODA has introduced a new hatchback-only Felicia LX model featuring the 1.9-litre 64bhp diesel engine.

WALON UK has signed a new contract with Toyota (GB) for vehicle logistics and preparation services at its site at Royal Portbury Docks, Bristol.

ELF Oil UK has launched an electronic billing service for its 20,000 account card customers, allowing them to download a computer file from the Internet, providing information on their transactions and access to invoicing and payment facilities.

BRAKE, the non-profit making road safety organisation, is holding a one-day conference on January 26 entitled 'Tired and Emotional', at which expert speakers will outline the latest research on the risks and causes of driver tiredness and failure to take care behind the wheel.

DAEWOO Cars has opened a £600,000 'flagship' outlet in Enfield, north London, creating 12 jobs. Patrick Farrell, Daewoo's UK director of sales operations, said of the 10,000sq ft site: 'We anticipate selling 1,000 cars from this site in its first year.'

THE Rover 75 has become the first British-built car to win Germany's Golden Steering Wheel Award.

MERCEDES-Benz is recalling all 3,800 M-class models to check for a possible fault on the front seat belts which could result in the belt slipping out of the buckle. The problem was discovered during an internal quality audit and owners are being contacted to arrange for the vehicle to be checked at a local dealership.

THE Department of Trade and Industry has denied reports it is considering withdrawing or 'revamping' an application for approval of its £152 million aid package to BMW, which is once again threatening the future of its loss-making subsidiary Rover.

TOYOTA has launched a facelifted Camry model featuring extra standard equipment and realigned prices for the year 2000.

CHARITY United Response, which operates a 137-vehicle mixed fleet, has signed a solus agreement with CW Lease UK.

HONDA has signed a one-year £500,000 deal with former Grand Prix racing driver Jonathan Palmer to supply a fleet of 26 vehicles to his corporate driving event company Palmer PromoSport.

THIRTY-two companies have to-date booked to exhibit at Fleet Show 2000 to be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from April 4-6. The Fleet Show, sponsored by sister publications Fleet News and Fleet Car Business and held in association with the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, will also be the venue for Business Forums sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

FLEET replacement cycles have crept up to an average in excess of four years and 65,000 miles during the past decade, taking advantage of consumer demand. 'The Future of the Used Car Market', a new report from Market Facts & Business Information, found that in 1990 only 23% of fleets defleeted cars at 65,000 miles or more, but by 1998 this had risen to almost 70%.

CAP Motor Research has moved to reassure contract hire and leasing firms and auction houses of the value and accuracy of its new six-mileage prediction system which is being introduced now as a computer valuation software upgrade in response to customer demand. Traditionally CAP has provided used values across three mileage bands, but it says the increasing numbers of cars coming to the market outside of these mileages has led to the need for a more sophisticated adjustment formula.

THE windscreen replacement industry is preparing for a battle royal in the new year following the purchase of the third biggest player in the market, Silver Shield Screens, by Ford-owned Kwik-Fit. The fast-fit company will pay £8 million in cash for Silver Shield Screens and the current owner, Silver Shield Group, is recommending the offer, which is expected to be completed early next year subject to shareholder approval in January.

AUTO Windscreens and Autoglass adopted a wait-and-see approach to news of the formidable competition they could soon face from a Kwik-Fit backed Silver Shield Screens. As the two largest players, their dominance of the market is a significant target for the rival's new owners.

FLEET managers may have to adopt draconian measures when dealing with their drivers to ensure they are fit to take to the road. The warning comes amid growing concerns about people driving while under the influence of drugs and a court case involving a diabetic motorist who was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving after his condition caused him to black out at the wheel and run over two pedestrians.

FLEETS are being warned to look out for gangs targeting leased vehicles in an insurance claims fraud which is costing the UK motorist about £40 million a year. Lease or rented cars are being identified by roving gangs through the company stickers in rear windows or names on number plates and once they see such a vehicle being driven on the road will pull in front of it in their own car and brake sharply causing a rear-end shunt.

PEUGEOT has introduced the 2.0-litre 110bhp HDi common rail turbodiesel engine and added a range-topping trim level to its 806 people carrier. The new engine, already powering the French manufacturer's car line-up, gives the 806 a top speed of 109mph and acceleration from 0-62mph in 15.8 seconds.

FIAT'S distinctively-styled Multipla mini-MPV will cost between £13,380 and £16,080 on-the-road when it goes on sale in the UK in January. The Multipla, which can seat six people in two rows of seats, will feature two engine options - a 1.6-litre 16-valve 103bhp petrol engine and a 1.9-litre common rail turbodiesel engine producing 105bhp.

MITSUBISHI'S price cuts announced this month have resulted in its new Shogun Pinin off-roader being up to £2,000 less than was originally planned. The entry-level i model will cost £13,995 on-the-road, the GLX £14,995 and the GLS £16,995.

VOLVO is offering V70 buyers £2,300-worth of extra equipment for an average price rise across the range of £500. The V70 is now available in one specification level - Classic. On-the-road prices for the Classic range are from £21,995 for the 2.4-litre 140bhp to £27,995 for the XC.