News - Page 2241

THE British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has renewed the fleet industry attack on MPs who claim that new car fleet discounts are responsible for driving up the prices of vehicles for retail customers. Members of the House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee held bulk-buying fleets responsible for manufacturers hiking up new car prices for private buyers to restore bottom line profit.

VENSON is set to acquire a Midlands-based contract hire and fleet management company as part of the latest stage in its expansion plans. The name of the company, which has a 3,500-strong fleet and turnover of £18 million, is not being revealed by Venson until the deal has been signed.

ALLEGATIONS that car manufacturers and the Government are being too complacent over the threat of the 'millennium bug' have been supported by MPs on the all-party transport select committee. The AA wrote to the committee expressing its concerns at the apathetic attitude of many manufacturers.

BP has opened the first of six alternative fuel filling sites it is setting up on forecourts throughout the country. The site, near Dunfermline, on the M90/A92 junction, was opened by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who is MP for the area.

FLEETS in the UK will be taking delivery of the world's first mass-produced petrol/electric-powered hybrid passenger car by the year 2000 as Toyota prepares to start production of the Prius in Europe. Toyota says the first year into the new millennium will see at least 1,000 Prius sales to fleets in the UK.

THE Sytner Group, the prestige motor retailer, launched its new contract hire business Sytner Vehicle Contracts on Monday, in partnership with Capital Bank. Heading the new Leicester-based operation as general manager is Mark Bennett, former corporate sales manager for Pendragon Motor Group.

HYUNDAI is recalling 33,000 Accent cars built between January 1995 and August 1997 to deal with a front suspension problem which can cause the vehicle to go out of control. The Korean manufacturer is blaming salt on winter roads for causing the spring failure on the front coil, which can cause the driver to have problems steering.

NATIONAL Tyres and Autocare has signed a two-year contract with the utilities giant Scottish Power Systems.

A REPORT by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission into the takeover of RAC Motoring Services by Cendant Corporation is expected to be made public before the end of February after it was handed to the Department of Trade and Industry last month for consideration.

THE Government has admitted that it is continuing in talks with Rover and parent company BMW over future investment plans for the manufacturer's troubled Longbridge factory. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the recent backing from workers for the introduction of flexible working practices and the decision to build the new Mini at the plant were 'very important milestones in helping to secure further investment for the plant'.

ABBEY National's £347 million acquisition of Lombard Motor Finance, Lombard Tricity Finance Finance and Lombard Business Equipment Leasing through its subsidiary First National Bank will not be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has announced.

MARKETING of Mercedes-Benz products in Britain is unlikely to be affected by the creation of a fresh DaimlerChrysler organisation to handle vehicle sales worldwide. Similarly, Chrysler Jeep Imports UK managing director Richard Mackay claims there will be no change to the way Chrysler products are marketed in Britain after the maker's franchise agreement with Inchcape runs out in 12 months' time.

A £50 million boost in funding for integrated local transport schemes to provide an alternative to the car has been announced by Transport Minister Dr John Reid.

ARRIVA plc has appointed Bob Davies as its new chief executive to replace retiring chief executive Gordon Hodgson. The group has been looking for a chief executive since managing director Michael Gwilt, chief executive elect, resigned last June.

AUDI has unveiled range-topping 4.2-litre V8 quattro versions of its A6 saloon and Avant range. The 300bhp cars, which feature Tiptronic transmission, will go on sale in the spring, with pricing and specification to be confirmed nearer the launch.

NISSAN is to debut its new MPV, the six-seater Almera Tino at the Geneva Motor Show in March, a year before it is due to go on sale. The all-new car will be a derivative of a model developed for the domestic Japanese market.

GLASS'S Information Services is lifting values for 18-month to four- year-old cars by up to 2.5%, adding further weight to the argument that plunging residual values have bottomed out. In the January issue of its used car price guide Glass's describes the market as 'improving'. This comes just a month after both CAP Black Book and Glass's Guide Car Values predicted improvements in the used car values.

MORE than 100 new cars and facelifts are expected to be launched in 1999, promising more choice and competitive deals for fleets. The big two car makers - Ford and Vauxhall - will be the main centre of attention as they continue to slug it out in the lower-medium sector by rolling out new saloon variants of their Focus and Astra respectively. Ford is also launching the new Focus estate.

THE roll-out of the new Focus continues in 1999 with the launch of saloon and estate versions in January. Its fleet appeal will be widened with a new 1.8-litre diesel engine, an option throughout the model range, and a four-speed automatic gearbox will be integrated into the line-up towards the middle of the year.

THE heavily-revised Vectra will enter the showrooms in March boasting 1,800 changes and offering 1.6-litre, 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre V6 options along with exterior and interior styling changes. Dealers will hold information and issue ordering guides from January 8.

ATTENTION will be on the new Rover 75 when it is launched in the UK, a vital model to ensure Rover's success. In keeping with parent-company BMW's emphasis on quality, the manufacturer is concentrating on perfecting the car first and considering exact launch dates second, sparking debate over delays in its expected March appearance.

FLEET drivers who find a BMW out of their price league will find it more within reach with the launch of the new entry-level 316i, in March. Sporting a 1.6-litre 105bhp engine it should be priced well below the £20,000 mark.

COMMON rail diesel engine technology is tipped to make its debut as an option in Citroen's van range in the second half of this year, the most likely earliest candidate for a high-pressure direct-injection transplant being the Dispatch. Parent company PSA's 2.0-litre HDI engine appeared first in the Citroen Xantia in November and is to be introduced in Peugeot's 406 from January 1.

A PEUGEOT 206 light van is expected to arrive late spring, early summer this year, although there are no details on specification and engine choice.

THE big one for Renault in 1999 will be the little Cliovan, to be launched here at the end of March or early April. It was to have made its debut in right-hand-drive this month, but heavy demand for the passenger car Clio meant a delay in production for the load-lugging variant.

THE Movano, Vauxhall's significant re-entry into the heavy van sector with a combinations in the 2.8-3.5-tonne GVW segment, goes on sale on January 8 with prices starting at £13,325. Operators are offered the choice between 0% finance - after a 50% deposit, the payments for the balance are spread over 24 months - or a £750 finance deposit allowance to be coupled with either Smartlease tailored payments or Special Rate Finance, where deposits start at 20% and payment is spread over 24 or 36 months.

DETAILS have been released of the new facelifted Chrysler Neon which will be launched towards the summer, with a revised engine line-up, introducing a 1.6-litre entry-level model, with 1.8 and 2.0-litre variants and a planned turbodiesel. It has an all-new body, new grille, improved interior space and higher quality materials.

ALMOST the entire Fiat range will see changes in 1999 with the biggest alteration to the line-up coming in the autumn when the new Punto is launched, with sales expected to at least match the current model, which sold more than 50,000 in the UK last year.

NEW models and a stream of facelifts are to be launched by Honda this year, with the line-up being led by the new Accord five-door aimed directly at Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra territory when it hits showrooms in August. The range will start with an entry-level 1.6-litre engine. In April, there will also be a powerful Type-R version.

THE Clio will form the main focus of attention at Renault as four new models are introduced during 1999. A new 1.6-litre eight-valve Si arrives this month, with a 1.6-litre 16-valve following towards the end of April.