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301 saloon heralds new chapter for Peugeot

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:07:56 +0100

A new Peugeot, the 301, promises to be one of the most significant models in the venerable French car-maker's history. It is the first of a separate range of cars designed to meet the specific requirements of customers in emerging economies but also marks a big change in the system of model names Peugeot has used for over eighty years.

Car price inflation up to 8.5%

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:31:28 +0100

The price of some top-selling cars has risen well above the inflation rate over the last four years, according to Which? magazine.

Ford regains its credit rating and famous logo

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Ford has reclaimed control over its famous blue oval, six years after it mortgaged the logo and a host of other assets in a desperate attempt to avert bankruptcy.

Pre-1960 vehicles to be exempted from MoT

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:54:45 +0100

Classic and historic vehicles are to be exempted from the annual MoT test, the Government announced today.

Rare Aston Martin fetches over £1.2 million at auction

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:17:57 +0100

A rare sports car has fetched over £1.2 million at auction.

Green motoring finds a new fan

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

In Edward Glaeser's totemic 2011 book, The Triumph of the City, he points out that if China were to suburbanise and become as car-dependent as America, the effect on the environment of China's 1.3 billion people driving would be fatal to the environment.

Vauxhall confirms new Astra wil be built at Ellesmere Port in £125m jobs boost

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:30:11 +0100

A future of a car factory has been secured for years after workers agreed to a "ground-breaking" pay and conditions deal clearing the way for investment worth £125 million.

UK car production up 9.3% as General Motors announce Ellesmere Port Vauxhall investment

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:37:29 +0100

The number of cars built in the UK last month was almost 10 per cent up on a year ago, boosted by strong export demand, new figures showed.

Road safety: The traffic-light statistic that has cyclists seeing red

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The pointless war of the roads between cyclists ("Lycra louts") and motorists ("murderers") has flared again, ignoring the fact they are generally the same people.

Charge motorists per mile, says IFS

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Motorists should be charged for every mile they drive as a way of cutting petrol prices and reducing traffic jams, an influential think tank says in a report today.

Chevrolet announces new small SUV

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:07:58 +0100

Chevrolet has released a picture of its forthcoming new small SUV, the Trax, which is expected to be seen in the metal for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in September.

Last Saab 9-3 convertibles go on sale in the UK

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:53:39 +0100

A final batch of 26 Saab 9-3 convertibles has arrived for sale in the UK.

Jaguar Land Rover spending plans promise 300 jobs

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:28:27 +0100

Car giant Jaguar Land Rover is to spend an extra £1 billion with suppliers in the UK over the next four years, and plans to create 300 jobs.

The Queen's Speech: Drug-driving legislation welcomed by road safety groups

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:47:15 +0100

Legislation to make drug-driving a specific offence was welcomed by road safety groups today.

Would you Adam and Eve the name of Vauxhall's new car?

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Clarkson, Hammond and May regularly mock the Kia Cee'd for the oddly placed apostrophe in its name, but now Vauxhall is setting itself up for a Top Gear rubbishing with its new supermini.

Vauxhall names new baby car Adam

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:50:23 +0100

General Motors has decided to call its forthcoming baby car Adam, a name that will resonate immediately with German buyers but probably leave their British counterparts scratching their heads.

Trending: Boys and their £100k, 500-horsepower toys

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

In the 1960s a young Twiggy joined Mary Quant, Peter Sellers and The Beatles in picking the modest Mini as her car of choice to cut across swinging London. Today's young stars don't quite seem to have grasped the concept of stealth wealth. So as the typical 18-year-old gets to work in a battered-old Corsa, teen idol Justin Bieber, One Direction's Harry Styles and snooker player Judd Trump and are all bombing around in £100k-plus supercars.

An Olympics number plate? No thanks. I just want some tickets

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

"Tell us what you want to hear about this summer," reads the first line of an email from the London 2012 marketing team, "and be in with a chance of winning an Olympic-themed number plate!".

Renault starts build-up for UK Dacia launch

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:58:18 +0100

Renault has started a big push to raise awareness of its budget Dacia brand before large-volume imports start at the beginning of next year. An initial batch of twenty-two Duster SUVs has been brought into the country and will be on show at dealerships to generate interest in advance of the main sales effort.

BMW and Locog unveil low-CO2 Olympic fleet

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:33:08 +0100

BMW and the London 2012 organising committee, Locog, yesterday revealed details of the 4,000-strong vehicle fleet the car-maker will be providing as Official Automotive Partner for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Fuel tanker strike likely as Unite union rejects terms

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

A strike by fuel tankers looked increasingly likely last night after union officials voted against a proposed deal and urged their members to do the same.

Bentley sets out engine options for future SUV

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:09:15 +0100

When Bentley unveiled its EXP 9 F SUV concept car at the Geneva Motor Show, the reaction was largely negative. But the company is holding its nerve, and far from dropping the EXP 9 F, or at least rejigging it in order to meet some of the criticisms of its styling, Bentley has been pushing it again at the Beijing Motor Show, this time setting out the likely powertrain options.

Decision on fuel strike delayed

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

A final set of proposals has been drawn up in a bid to avert strikes by fuel-tanker drivers, it was announced last night.

Petrol prices hit a new high

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:32:45 +0100

The price of petrol at the pumps has risen to a new high, the AA said today.

New fuel crisis in the pipeline as tanker drivers reject deal

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The prospect of petrol shortages re-emerged last night after tanker drivers rejected a proposed deal offered by six fuel-distribution companies.

Fiat 500 'most vandalised car'

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Small, stylish and kind to the environment, the Fiat 500 costs a fraction of the price of luxury saloons or off-road gas guzzlers. But the city car is also the most vandalised vehicle in Britain.

Ministers continue to plan for fuel strike

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Government said last night it will continue with its contingency plans in preparation for a fuel strike, until a deal between the Unite union and fuel distribution companies has been formally agreed.

Volvo announces price of new V40 hatchback

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:48:34 +0100

Volvo has released further details its forthcoming C-segment V40 hatchback, which was unveiled at last month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Record sales for BMW are driven by British icons

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

BMW, the world's biggest luxury car maker, has reported record sales in the first three months of this year, driven by booming demand for its UK-made Mini and Rolls-Royce marques.

Nissan announces new hatchback for UK production from 2014

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:17:38 +0100

Nissan will begin producing an extra model at its Sunderland plant in 2014. The new car was announced during a visit by UK prime minister David Cameron to Nissan’s Japanese headquarters.

Street-legal aeroplane unveiled at New York Auto Show

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:36:37 +0100

A small aviation company has created the first car licensed to fly as well as drive.

Jaguar confirms new F-Type will go on sale in 2013

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:29:35 +0100

Jaguar confirmed yesterday at the New York Motor Show that it will launch a new sports car, the F-Type, in mid-2013.

Now motorists are told to drive slower, as jerrycan bungle minister is sidelined

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The latest advice from the Government to motorists to avoid a petrol crisis is to drive slower.

Fuel frenzy spreads – but at least it's good news for the Treasury

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Long queues snaked back from forecourts again yesterday, garages shut after drying up and the Prime Minister was accused of presiding over a shambles. But there was one piece of good news for the Government from the ongoing row over fuel tanker drivers' threatened strike action: the petrol panic buying triggered by ministers' advice will bring an extra £32m to the Treasury's coffers from fuel excise duty.

Renault Twizy in the UK from 13 April

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:05:48 +0100

The Renault Twizy will be launched in the UK on 13 April. The radical tandem two-seater battery-powered vehicle will be much cheaper than full-sized electric cars, even though it doesn't benefit from the government's generous £5,000 plug-in car grant.

Drivers warned to prepare for fuel strike

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Downing Street urged unions and oil companies to get round the table for talks to prevent a tanker drivers' strike, as senior ministers met to draw up contingency plans to keep fuel supplies moving.

Petrol hits a record high of 140p a litre

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Just two days after the Chancellor refused to cancel a fuel duty rise, and five months before it kicks in, petrol prices have reached a record high. The average price of petrol has for the first time exceeded £1.40 per litre – it now stands at 140.20p per litre – while diesel is even higher at a record 146.72p per litre.

New Mercedes SL appears at Germany's Techno Classica

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:21:05 +0000

Europe's biggest annual event for classic cars, the Techno Classica, opens in Germany today. The show, which accommodates more than 1,200 exhibitors and 2,500 cars spread across 20 halls at Essen's vast exhibition complex, is expected to draw 180,000 visitors this year.

Fuel price rises outstrip savings

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:33:39 +0000

Recent rises in petrol prices at the pumps will wipe out any savings drivers could have expected from warmer-weather motoring, the AA said today.

The Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari opens in Modena

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:07:39 +0000

A new Enzo Ferrari birthplace museum opened this week in Modena in Italy. The Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari stands on the site of the house in which Ferrari was born in 1898, and celebrates not only his long life and many achievements, but also the remarkable central role of his home town in the development of the Italian motor industry.

U-turn as men are declared better at parking

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

A few weeks after research claimed to finally prove that women are better at parking than men, new evidence has emerged to suggest four-wheel chauvinists could be right after all.

Atalanta sports car revived after a gap of 75 years.

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:09:20 +0000

Last week, in the shadow of the Geneva Motor Show, a pre-war British sports car marque, Atalanta, was relaunched at London's Royal Automobile Club. The unveiling of a new Atalanta car took place on 5 March 2012, exactly 75 years to the day after the original car of the same name was first shown to the public.

Geneva Motor Show 2012 round-up

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:52:03 +0000

The Geneva Motor Show, held on neutral territory in Switzerland in the spring, always produces a bumper crop of new models, and this year's is no exception.

Kia shows off new cee'd at Geneva

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:42:32 +0000

Kia has unveiled the five-door hatchback and estate versions of its Golf-sized cee'd at the Geneva Motor Show.

Lorries are main threat to cyclists

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Lorries accounted for one in five crashes involving cyclists, a study of 265 road collisions in London found.

New Fiat Panda range goes on sale in the UK

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:15:49 +0000

Fiat's latest Panda range has gone on sale in the UK. The third-generation model is similar in appearance to the previous one but little of the old car is carried over to the new.

Drivers and passengers to face fines for littering

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Car owners are to face fines of £100 if anyone throws litter from their vehicle.

First Drive BMW 320d

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:26:34 +0000

BMW 320d Sport
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 184 PS
Torque: 380 Nm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 61.4 mpg
CO2 emissions: 120 g/km
Top speed: 146 mph
Acceleration (0-62 mph): 7.5 seconds
Price: £29,080

Petrol price reaches record high

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:09:58 +0000

Hard-pressed motorists are paying record high prices for petrol, it was announced today.

Price of petrol hits new high

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Petrol prices are expected to hit a record high today as unleaded came close to the 137.43p-per-litre high of May last year.

Land Rover sends millionth Discovery on expedition to China

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:04:00 +0000

Land Rover has produced the millionth Discovery at its plant at Solihull in the British Midlands. The milestone car is being sent on an expedition to Beijing with the purpose of highlighting the Discovery's strong off-road performance and the importance of the Chinese market for the company's future.

Peugeot and GM look to save on car share

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen will seek to squeeze a joint $2bn annually from a global platforms-to-purchasing alliance, but the savings will not be fully realized for five years.

Jaguar reveals XF Sportbrake estate - first official images

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:41 +0000

Jaguar has released the first official pictures of the Sportbrake estate version of the XF in advance of its formal unveiling at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

China's luxury cars appetite lifts GKN

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Strong sales of luxury cars in China have helped the car and plane parts maker GKN to a 15 per cent jump in profits for 2011.

Land Rover reveals Evoque convertible concept

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:43:29 +0000

Land Rover has released the first pictures of a possible convertible version of the Range Rover Evoque.

Hyundai unveils i30 estate in advance of Geneva show

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:21:35 +0000

Hyundai has unveiled the first pictures of the estate version of its new second-generation i30, which will be seen in public for the first time at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Peugeot shares leap as it talks to General Motors about an alliance

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Shares in PSA Peugeot Citroen, the second largest car maker in Europe, surged yesterday on news that it was discussing an alliance with General Motors (GM) of the US, which could see the two companies take stakes in each other.

Surge in second-hand car sales boosts Pendragon's profits

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Pendragon, the car dealer behind Evans Halshaw and Stratstone, reported a 14 per cent rise in used vehicle sales last year, helped by the expansion of its Quicks second-hand car "supermarket".

Lafarge-Tarmac merger in doubt

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Plans for a £3bn merger of cement-maker Lafarge with Anglo American's building materials group Tarmac were up in the air yesterday, after the Competition Commission warned it had a "number of concerns" about the deal.

Diesel price reaches record high

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:31:57 +0000

The price of diesel at the pumps has reached record levels, the AA said today.

Jaguar drives leap in profits at Tata

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Tata Motors reported a stronger-than-expected rise in quarterly profit as robust sales at Jaguar Land Rover more than made up for weakness in its home market in India.

'Black boxes' could slash the cost of insurance for young drivers

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

The often astronomical insurance premiums for newly-qualified young drivers could be cut by up to £700 a year if "black boxes" are fitted in their cars, insurers and the Government will claim today.

Satnavs to spot good drivers

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

TomTom satnav devices will be used by insurers to monitor driver behaviour, the manufacturer has announced. Drivers who display "good behaviour" could have their premiums reduced.

Cyclist relives horror of tanker crash

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:01 +0000

A cyclist who was run over by a petrol tanker yelled "stop, stop" and thought he was going to die as he was dragged under the vehicle, a court heard. James Moore said he still has to sleep with the television on to block out the memory of last February's crash.

Sorry, chaps, women are better parkers

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:01 +0000

It is a stereotype that has spawned countless jokes and become a truth universally acknowledged by men across the land – women are the least proficient gender when it comes to parking a car.