News - Page 1909

BMW has launched an updated satellite navigation system for its motorcycle range, which can also be used in its cars.

THE new Mazda 3 (pictured) goes on sale this month, sporting two body styles, three petrol engines and an entry-level price of £10,650 on-the-road.

JAGUAR has unveiled the new S-Type featuring revised body styling and interior. Prices are yet to be released and the new model is due to go on sale in April.

COUNTRYWIDE Vehicle Management, part of the Leasedrive Group, has celebrated its 10th anniversary.

SAAB has introduced a new 1.8-litre entry level model for the Saab 9-3.

A CHAUFFEUR company has invested £700,000 in a new fleet aimed at providing luxury transport.

MAX Mosley, president of the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA), has become one of the first UK owners of the new Toyota Prius petrol-electric car.

MAZDA has re-vamped its classic MX-5 with improved specification and three new body colours.

NICK Brownrigg, managing director of fleet management company Interleasing, gives his predictions for 2004 and beyond in the leasing and fleet management industries.

GENERAL Motors and DaimlerChrysler will join forces to develop a new generation of hybrid vehicles.

HEALTH and safety, profit margins, changes to Block Exemption, extended replacement cycles, the prospect of falling new car sales, congestion charging, green fuels and taxation – it's going to be another interesting year in the fleet industry. Here some of the industry's leading figures give their predictions for the next 12 months.

LAST year saw sales of light commercial vehicles rocket as transport companies rushed to buy a host of new models. In 2004, van manufacturers are aiming to keep up the pace.

CELEBRITIES and high-profile company bosses have started placing orders for a special executive saloon that costs twice as much as the standard version.

ALTHOUGH they say that size isn't everything, some of the figures behind DaimlerChrysler Services Fleet Management (DCSFM) are enough to make rivals stop and take notice.

PICTURE the scene. It is six o'clock in the morning and one of your fleet drivers realises his car keys have been stolen.

THE vast majority of fleets inhabit the middle ground when it comes to cars. It's not the heartland of Ferrari, Porsche or Bentley, and nor is the supercar's polar opposite a key area.

The latest appointments in the fleet industry.

Average fuel prices in the UK.

LAUNCH dates for key fleet models.

AN exclusive Fleet News survey has revealed fleet decision-makers are putting health and safety at the top of their agenda for the year ahead.

FLEET decision-makers have revealed their 2004 action plans to give a kick-start to 2004 in the Fleet News/Lex Vehicle Leasing survey.

THE Office of Fair Trading (OFT) could save fleets millions of pounds after calling on car manufacturers and dealers to lift restrictions on where new cars can be serviced while under warranty.

FLEETS could be basing important business decisions on inaccurate information according to experts, who say 10% of vehicle databases contain major errors.

FLEET costs look set to rocket this year following the increase in the cost of new vehicle registration tax by 52% on January 1.

A FLEET of mobile sandwich vans is using new mapping technology to view the best location and catchment areas for its franchise vehicles.

A ROW over the merits of speed cameras has reached fever pitch – with death threats issued to one of their leading supporters.

ENGINEERING giant The Weir Group has taken on the first batch of light commercial vehicles under a newly-signed contract with Godfrey Davis Contract Hire (GDCH).

FLEETS can now access a large number of UK bodyshops through a single web link.

MURRAY Hennessy, currently commercial director at department store chain John Lewis, is joining Avis as chief executive, replacing Mark McCafferty, who resigned last year.

EBBON-DACS has launched a new online e-procurement system which electronically links leasing companies, dealers and manufacturers.