News - Page 1491

Reports that General Motors is considering scrapping the Daewoo badge for its Korean-made cars in Europe and replacing it with the Chevrolet name it uses in North America and China, have been called 'speculative'.

Government plans to replace the existing road tax system with a variable road charging scheme could greatly increase dealer costs.

Ford’s upmarket brands - Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin – have suffered a combined loss of more than £200m, dragging the US carmaker’s European operations into a deficit.

A new AA training centre based in Leicestershire has been officially opened by Roger Wood, AA managing director.

Nissan has announced that prices for the new Primera range will start from £14,600 for the 1.8S. Until its September release date Nissan is offering the S from £13,995 including some added options.

Dealers are being warned they may be losing out on finance and car sales by only using finance providers who use automated credit scoring systems, according to Singer & Friedlander, the finance services group.

Toyota’s total global output of cars is set to top seven million in 2005, outpacing Ford.

The German government has welcomed on Monday DaimlerChrysler's offer to cut top executives' pay to resolve a dispute with employees over longer working hours.

Smart has announced UK prices for the new forfour, starting from £7,995 on-the-road, for the special launch black edition.

Daihatsu has introduced a limited edition version of its Copen roadster. Called the Vivid and available only in red, it is on sale now for £12,995.

DaimlerChrysler UK has announced the appointment of Neil Williamson as director network development. Williamson will join the executive management team of the Milton Keynes-based company on August 16, and will report to president and CEO Wilfried Steffen.

BMW’s chief executive has predicted the company will enjoy record revenue and earnings this year on back of new model launches such as the 6-series coupe and convertible, the X3 compact SUV and the 1-series compact, due in September.

Citroën has revealed the first official pictures of the new C4, ahead of its world debut at this year's Paris Motor Show, in September.

BMW is recalling 4,000 vehicles worldwide after defective control units were discovered in its V8 and V12 engines during tests. The models affected in the recall are cars first registered from May to July 2004.

Jaguar has been voted as one of the most highly rated brands in the UK by Superbrands, an independent authority on branding, at its annual awards night

A European tax on petrol is among controversial budget proposals put forward by the European Commission.

Fiat Auto and Microsoft are joining forces for a long-term strategic automotive partnership, developing telematics solutions. The telematics systems produced will allow users’ cellular phones, Pocket PC or Windows Mobile systems to integrate with the vehicle via Bluetooth and voice-activated access to data including digital music through a USB connection.

The Citroen Berlingo range now includes a dual fuel option, the 600i LX.

The new Audi A6 saloon, which Audi says is “the most driver-focused version to date”, will be arriving in the UK this month.

Soft option gets firm prices

Nissan aftermarket marketing specialist Nick Castle has been appointed parts and service manager at Mazda Motors UK. His role at Nissan is now being shared by Joanne Webster (aftersales communications) and Ian Hodson (parts marketing).<

Cars of high build quality usually attract the best customer satisfaction ratings for servicing and repair. The more cynical might observe that if a car rarely goes wrong then repairers have less chance of being found lacking.

Renault has stepped in with an online initiative to help its franchised dealers retain and grow fleet service and maintenance business.

The AA has introduced a new guarantee which it claims is unique: it will provide a complimentary courtesy car for 24 hours if the vehicle cannot be fixed at the roadside.

Management software is giving fleets an additional weapon in their attack on perceived poor dealer service and maintenance standards. Factors being monitored through the use of e-commerce include how easy, or difficult, it is to book cars in for maintenance work and the actual quality of technical work being undertaken

Allianz Cornhill has issued new contracts to its approved repairer network, increasing base labour rates by £1 an hour to a maximum of £30 and lifting its contribution to the Environment Protection Act charge by 50% to £3 a repair.

Car care specialist Motoreasy has sold more than 1,500 memberships to a new scheme offering motorists fixed cost annual maintenance cover. The package is aimed at the three- to six-year-old vehicle parc and has a target of 25,000 members by 2006

The European automotive retail sector is set to undergo massive consolidation which will see half the outlets on the mainland – some 50,000 dealerships – close over the next five to 10 years

The new A-class’ big brother has hit the Nurburgring for shakedown tests, as Mercedes-Benz prepares for the five-door hatch’s launch in January. This car is more than just a long-wheelbase version of the A-class, as its standalone model name – B-class – suggests