News - Page 2366

MERCEDES-BENZ engineers have developed an intelligent cruise control to prevent drivers from getting too close to the car in front.

HYUNDAI predicts that demand for the Lantra Estate will leap by 25% thanks to the arrival of its new entry level model. The 1.6 LSi is priced at £10,999 and provides the most luggage space in the upper medium sector.

THE quest for individuality has boosted sales of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's personalised registration numbers through the £200 million sales barrier. The DVLA has sold more than 400,000 personalised number plates since the scheme was launched in 1989 and fleets have been buying them to 'get noticed'.

RISK management specialist Town and Country is offering fleet operators two free risk analysis reports a year to help companies drive down their insurance premiums. The reports take into account all vehicle accidents and thefts above and below the excess limit and break down incident details and compare them with a database compiled from a large number of fleets.

FLEET Cost Management has won the contract to supply fuel cards to London Electricity's fleet. The capital's largest power provider chose FCM's fleet card to cash in on the savings afforded by the petrol price war currently being waged by the major retailers.

PEUGEOT dealers have launched an initiative that will raise £45,000 a year for BEN - the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund. The dealers will donate 30 pence to the charity every time they sell a new Peugeot. For an average dealer selling 400 units a year it will cost just £10 a month.

COWIE Financial Holdings, which comprises Cowie Interleasing, has signed a five-year loan facility of £200 million to be used in funding its growing contract hire, finance and leasing operations.

PEUGEOT has announced prices for the facelifted 106 range which hits UK showrooms next month. The new-look supermini is 11 cms longer than its predecessor and features an extensively reworked front end from the windscreen pillars forward (Fleet News, May 10).

RENAULT'S Megane Classic - the saloon version in the six car range - will go on sale in the UK in the first quarter of next year at the same time as the Scenic - the MPV version of the Megane. At 4.40 metres in length, the saloon is long for its class and (for non-metric types) nearly a foot longer than the hatchback version. The boot has a capacity of 18 cu ft. Engines for the Classic will be the same as the hatchback but without the lead-in 1.4 petrol model.

ROAD rage is nothing new - despite the spate of recent newspaper reports - according to driver training specialists Drive & Survive. Although recent research shows company car drivers feel more vulnerable than ever at the wheel (Fleet News May 24), Drive & Survive managing director Paul Catlin said the phenomenon has been around for years.

SUPERMARKET group Asda has shaken the petrol retailers with a promise that all its hypermarket petrol is to be sold at cost price. The company's declaration of the 'profit-free zones' was immediately attacked by the major fuel companies as a 'PR stunt' and they said that they would not be cutting prices to retaliate.

TOP GE Capital Fleet Service's sales executive Barry Monks has been rewarded for achieving 58% of his annual target in the first quarter of 1996.

CAP Motor Research has launched a stinging attack on van and truck manufacturers for failing to fit adequate security devices to their vehicles. It claims the cheapest cars offer drivers substantially superior anti-theft devices to those found on commercial vehicles which means commercial drivers, vehicles and loads are being unnecessarily put at risk.

THE UK leasing industry can breathe a sigh of relief following HM Customs & Excise's failure to establish leasing companies' liability for their customers who exploited a loophole in VAT regulations in the run up to the August 1, 1995 changes.

DIAL Assure, the accident management arm of the Dial Contracts Group, has won a 510-vehicle contract from Norsk Data. The company will provide a comprehensive service, ranging from 24-hour driver rescue and vehicle recovery to claims administration, repair management and invoice vetting and processing.

ROVER has realigned dealer margins as part of its ongoing programme of improving customer satisfaction levels across its dealer network. The manufacturer refused to confirm the exact details of the move, but it is believed that retailers were told that margins would be reduced by 1% to 9% at Rover's annual dealer conference.

NORTHGATE Motor Holdings has bought Yorkshire lcv-hire specialists Ember Rentals for £1.44 million. The acquisition consists of five depots and 900 vehicles and takes Darlington-based Northgate's total fleet size above 12,000 vehicles.

ADT Auctions has continued to increase its shareholding in CMA Auctions in the run up to CMA's acquisition by Independent Car Auctions. It is understood that ADT has increased its stake to 28.2% of CMA, enough to block ICA's plan to gain 100% control.

THE August 1, 1995 VAT changes had little or no effect on the company car leasing market as business volumes remained virtually static according to new figures from the Finance and Leasing Association.

THE RAC has joined forces with the UK's leading diesel fuel management company to offer preferential rates for Keyfuels and Diesel Direct fuelcard customers when they sign up for RAC fleet membership.

MAJOR car makers are sticking to their policy of restricting supply of fast-churn vehicles and prompting a significant change in the used car market according to experts at CAP and Glass's Guide.

COMPANY car drivers who are site-based with no permanent place of work could obtain tax relief on their journeys under new proposals by the Inland Revenue.

ROVER is to become the first of the 'big four' manufacturers to scrap separate delivery charges and adopt on-the-road pricing in the face of mounting pressure on car makers for an all-in list price. From Monday (June 3), all Rover pricing literature will feature two figures - a delivered price including VAT, delivery, number plates and initial servicing and an on-the-road price including a year's road tax.

THE fleet industry has drawn-up a seven-point company car action plan for a future Labour government and called on it to implement a long term transport strategy.

THE Nissan Almera has made its auction debut with all 53 models entered at BRS Auctions' Coventry site sold and achieving an average of 83% of list price.

FLEETS waiting for the new Rover 200 vi will have to wait at least another three months for delivery because the company is concentrating on building the MGF sports car. Dealers can quote a price of £16,146 for the hot Rover but they can't get the cars.

HOPES were high this week that the French may be about to announce an expansion of the Ryton plant, currently building the Peugeot 306. According to reports, the expansion decision has already been taken by company president Jacques Calvet but British executives are still waiting to hear the news.

A NEW brochure and video pack explaining the difference between accident management and claims management has been launched by Kudos UK. The company aims to educate fleet managers that there is no such thing as 'free' accident management or 'free' courtesy cars despite the claims of some accident management firms.

THE Guardian Media Group's 170-strong fleet has switched fuel cards to cash in on the current fuel price wars. The drivers had used a Shell card but after a review by company secretary Arthur Townsend the company has moved to Fleet Cost Management's card to improve the ability to shop around. The FCM card is accepted at 12,500 fuel outlets.

VOLVO has started a run-out programme for the 400 series which is set to be axed at the end of this year. The range has been halved with the introduction of two new specification levels.