British automobile manufacturing has hit a 17-year high as it stays on track to reach an all-time record by the end of the decade, despite dangers from Brexit trade negotiations.
Driven by exports to a lot more than 160 countries worldwide, UK plants produced 1,722,698 automobiles in 2016 – the most considering that 1999 and up 8.5 per cent on 2015 – according to figures from the SMMT.
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• best selling cars in the UK
With Jaguar Land Rover bolstering its line-up built in the UK combined with the continued success of the Ellesmore Port-made Vauxhall Astra and Nissan’s Sunderland factory, the UK is predicted to beat the 1972 record and breach two million automobiles produced in 2020.
That’s despite the continued danger of tariffs on trade which has seen investment in the automotive market drop by nearly £1 billion in 2016. The year before, £2.5 billion was committed but that was down to £1.6 billion last year.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes admitted this was down to uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote but said commitments on product cycles already made would help the UK automotive market continue to grow in the short term.
But he added: “It’s slightly worrying investment is down, we’re keeping an eye on it. We do see companies at least delaying investment decisions until there is greater certainty.”
80% of UK-built cars are for export
The UK exports 80 per cent of automobiles produced in the country with the EU accounting for a lot more than half. The us makes up 14.5 per cent of exports and grew by nearly half last year bit this market in the us could also be under danger given the election of president Donald Trump.
Hawes said: “We want to know what happens across the pond, the us is a vital market and we need a global outlook. We will grow and trade internationally.”
One potential opportunity from Brexit, according to Hawes, is that if producers do stay, the homegrown supply chain may increase to meet policies of origin requirements.
• Can you depend on UK new automobile sales figures?
Currently 60 per cent of automobile parts are imported and parts made in the EU count towards the tally on a UK-made car. If the UK has to go it alone, a lot more part factories would be needed to meet targets.
And it’s estimated around £4 billion-worth of parts – such as alloy wheels – currently made outside the UK could be manufactured here without any requirement for extra skills or expertise.
Hawes said: “There’s a danger to the industry if we do not reach the policies of origins threshold. The local supply chain could be boosted but you need the producers here in the first place.”
What do you think the future holds for UK automobile manufacturing? let us know in the comments section below…
Audi has confirmed details for a new plug-in hybrid variant of the A3 Sportback. Orders for the new model open this week, with prices starting from £33,060.
The new Audi A3 40 TFSI e shares its powertrain with plug-in hybrid versions of the new Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Superb; the 1.4-litre petrol engine works alongside an electric motor to produce a total output of 201bhp which, S3 aside, makes it the most powerful powertrain option in the current A3 line-up.
Best plug-in hybrids 2022
The petrol and electric units produce maximum torque figures of 250Nm and 330Nm respectively, though both produce their peaks at different points, resulting in a total combined output of 350Nm. Power is sent to the front wheels by means of a six-speed dual hold automatic gearbox.
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The A3 40 TFSI e accelerates from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds – 0.8 seconds quicker than the 148bhp A3 35 TFSI petrol auto.
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A 13kWh battery pack promises a range of around 41 miles between charges. CO2 emissions are rated at 31g/km, while it achieves 282.5mpg on the WLTP testing cycle – though this will vary based on the type of journeys undertaken.
The automobile starts in electric mode by default, and the motorist can choose to run in an electric-only mode, at which point the 107bhp motor can take the A3 up to a zero emission 87mph top speed. A regular hybrid mode allows the automobile to figure out what it deems to be the most efficient use of petrol and electric energy, while a hold function keeps a certain level of charge in the battery – optimal for saving some battery life for a low emission zone later in the journey.
Dacia has announced that it has received more than 1,000 pre-orders for its new Duster, three months before it officially goes on sale in the UK.
A sixth of pre-orders have been for the entry-level Duster access model, which starts from just £8,995 and comes with 16-inch steel wheels, power steering, electric front windows and central locking.
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However, more than two-thirds of buyers have ticked at least one item on the options list, and more than half of Dacia’s total pre-orders have been for the top-spec Duster Laureate, which starts from £12,995 for the two-wheel-drive model.
The high number of pre-orders – which involves paying a £100 refundable deposit – is particularly impressive considering there are currently no right-hand-drive models in the UK available to test drive.
The Duster’s success is likely to be bolstered by the arrival of the Sandero supermini, which will become the UK’s cheapest new car when it arrives in the UK in January, starting from just £5,995.
Rolls-Royce has revealed some of the cars set to feature in a nine car run of bespoke Wrath coupes, collaborating with legendary British musicians to commission nine Wraith ‘Inspired by British Music’ one-off collectors models.
Each car is based on the Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ revealed in 2015 and features bespoke design touches celebrating the musical careers of the artists involved in the project, who have worked alongside Rolls-Royce’s bespoke design experts to create the vehicles. The cars will be sold later in 2017, with a sum of the sales figure of each car going to a charity of the artist’s choice.
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Two of the cars have been commissioned by The who lead singer and frontman Roger Daltrey – one being a tribute to the band boasting plenty of The who iconography, and the other inspired by their 1969 album ‘Tommy’.
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The ‘Tommy’ car features a bonnet hand painted to imitate the 1969 album’s vinyl sleeve cover, while other elements of the album artwork are found throughout the car – such as the blue trainer line and birds. much more design motifs are found on the headrests, and the song ‘Pinball Wizard’ has inspired the embroidery work on the leather divider separating the two rear seats.
• best luxury cars
Alongside Roger Daltrey’s two cars, Sir Ray Davies – former frontman of The Kinks – has contributed to the collection. lyrics from ‘Drivin’’ and ‘Shangri-la’ feature on the door-flights, while the umbrellas in the doors themselves are engraved with altered lyrics from ‘Sunny Afternoon’.
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Songwriter and producer Giles Martin’s Wraith is a tribute to his dad Sir George Martin, dubbed ‘the fifth Beatle’ by some for his involvement on numerous of the Beatles’ early hits. The names of 30 top singles are stitched into the rear seat leather waterfall, while Sir George’s signature features on the headrests.
A handful of forthcoming collaborations have been previewed too. Dame Shirley Bassey’s Wraith ‘Inspired by British Music’ includes nods to the three ‘007’ title songs recorded by the Welsh artist – diamonds are Forever, Moonraker and Goldfinger.
Two lead guitarists – Francis Rossi of status Quo and Ronnie wood of The Rolling stones – will also add to the collection with their bespoke Wraiths.
How would you design your bespoke Roller? Leave us a comment below…
Mercedes has introduced new versions of the trio of Mercedes me buddy apps for owners, with new features as well as a easier login.
The three updated apps: Mercedes me, Mercedes me store as well as Mercedes me Service, are offered for Mercedes owners to download now. Mercedes declares improved individual performance as well as a a lot more intuitive interface as well as menu system, with a new look throughout the apps.
Best sat-nav apps 2022
All three apps are now programmed utilizing the exact same software application platform, called SDK. The utilize of the exact same platform indicates owners requirement just one account as well as password to login across all three apps, utilizing their Mercedes me ID.
The Mercedes me app links the smartphone with the owner’s vehicle. This enables the owner to look at crucial info remotely, such as mileage or battery charge, while remote commands allow automobile pre-heating, unlocking as well as a new function indicates the headlights can be flashed with the phone, to find the vehicle in a dark vehicle park.
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The Mercedes me store app is where owners can purchase as well as sign up for on-demand automobile functions, while the service app supplies a tip of service intervals, screens alerting lights, as well as enables owners to book servicing or repair services at a dealership.
What are the very best driving apps available? We listing our favourites here…
Renault’s head of electric automobiles believes EVs like the ZOE will expense about exact same as likewise sized, conventionally-powered cars and trucks by the year 2020.
Gilles Normand, senior vice-president for electric automobiles at Renault, stated that sales of the firm’s little EV, the ZOE, have jumped 90 per cent between 2016 as well as 2017, thanks to the introduction of a larger battery capacity. as well as he believes that as a lot more makers as well as vendors invest in battery advancement as well as manufacturing, the costs of EVs will take only a couple of years to reach the exact same level as petrol-engined cars.
Speaking at the monetary Times cars and truck of the Future summit in London, Normand said, “We are moving quicker than we expected. When we introduced the very first ZOE back in 2012, we didn’t believe the new battery capability would are available in 2016; we expected it by 2018.
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• Best electric cars and trucks on sale ideal now
“There’s now a significant amount of money being invested by OEMs as well as by suppliers, tier one suppliers. This will bring additionally innovation breakthroughs in battery tech. as well as then it’ll additionally assist sales, since it’ll be a lot more affordable.
“So we mustn’t fail to remember that the costs of combustion-engine cars and trucks will go up, as well as EV costs will come down. If you choose B-segment [cars like the Ford Fiesta], by early next decade we think about the costs of EVs will be on par with combustion-engined cars. With the C-segment [cars like the VW Golf], it’ll be the middle of the next decade. as well as in market terms, the year 2020 is like tomorrow morning at 8am, right? as well as this will be one more activate point for a lot more as well as a lot more adoption.”
Would you get an electric cars and truck if it expense the exact same as its petrol equivalent? let us understand below…
This is the limited-edition Volkswagen Beetle Fender, which has been produced in conjunction with the legendary guitar maker.
The Beetle Fender is only offered with the 138bhp diesel engine, so it’s fitting that the vehicle can only be had in VW’s Deep Pearl Black paint finish. purchasers can select between a six-speed handbook or DSG double clutch gearboxes.
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As well as the black paint, the Fender edition’s exterior gets a rear wing, vintage 18-inch alloys as well as a Fender badge on each front wing.
Inside, as you’d expect, the vehicle features a 400-watt Fender stereo, total with boot-mounted subwoofer as well as illuminated front speaker mountings, which is normally a £520 optional extra. The entire dash panel likewise features what VW phone calls a “vibrant sunburst wood, just like a traditional Fender guitar.”
The Beetle Fender likewise comes fitted with climate control, front as well as rear car parking sensors, xenon headlights as well as a unique fabric interior trim.
Order books open on 2 January as well as production is extremely limited, although VW UK is currently unsure of just exactly how many vehicles it will receive.
However, with costs starting from £23,015 for the handbook as well as £24,610 for the DSG model, the Fender is much better value than the Beetle sport on which it’s loosely based. It should have much better residual values, too, as it’s a limited-run car.
The Nissan Juke n-tec has been added to the firm’s crossover range. It’s based on the Acenta premium model, as well as costs £300 more, however Nissan declares the n-tec design gets “more style, higher devices levels as well as an improved Nissan link infotainment system.”
Visual modifications for the Juke n-tec include an upgrade to 18-inch alloy wheels, the addition of gloss black trim on the B-pillars as well as door mirrors, as well as black bezels for the Juke’s signature bonnet-mounted lights.
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Inside, the Juke n-tec gets a new-generation version of the Nissan link infotainment system. managed by a 5.8-inch touchscreen, the new Nissan link system combines sat-nav, reversing video camera as well as Bluetooth functions that enable you to make hands-free phone calls as well as stream music from your phone.
The sat-nav likewise includes Google Send-To-Car innovation that enables owners to plan as well as send their path to the vehicle through a laptop or smartphone before they leave the house.
The touchscreen likewise enables the chauffeur to change the method the vehicle drives through the Nissan dynamic manage System, as well as change the climate control.
Nissan expects the Juke n-tec to be the very popular design in the line-up. The n-tec trim level will be offered with all engine as well as drivetrain combinations.
That implies a option of one diesel as well as two petrol engines. Four-wheel drive is offered in combination with the 1.6-litre DIG-T petrol engine only.
A two-wheel drive design with the exact same engine is likewise available, as well as both DIG-engined vehicles get a black interior headliner as well as a double exit exhaust finisher to even more differentiate them from the rest of the Juke n-tec range.
The Juke n-tec is developed together with the rest of the Juke line-up at Nissan’s factory in Sunderland. The Juke is Nissan’s second finest selling car, behind the Qashqai, with 28,862 vehicles offered in the UK last year. Worldwide, Nissan has offered over 500,000 Jukes so far.
Full Nissan Juke n-tec costs as well as specs:
ModelPowerCO2MPGPrice
Juke n-tec 1.6 man.115bhp139g/km47.1£16,295
Juke n-tec 1.6 man. stop-start115bhp136g/km48.7£16,495
Juke n-tec 1.6 CVT115bhp145g/km44.8£17,295
Juke n-tec 1.5 dCi108bhp124g/km58.9£17,690
Juke n-tec 1.6 DIG-T 2WD man.187bhp159g/km40.9£17,795
Juke n-tec 1.6 DIG-T 4WD CVT187bhp169g/km37.2£20,000
As I compose this, high-level discussions are taking location about the future of one of the UK’s biggest as well as most important vehicle brands: Vauxhall.
GM, the us owner of Vauxhall as well as Opel, is in talks with PSA, maker of Peugeot, Citroen as well as DS cars, about selling its loss-making European business. Meanwhile, UK politicians as well as union leaders are fretting about the threat of factory closures.
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This all comes at a time when there’s genuine hope for Vauxhall as well as Opel’s line-up in Europe. new SUVs are arriving, while the excellent Astra provides a strong indicator of exactly how great the new Insignia will be. Meanwhile, the Ellesmere Port as well as Luton plants are among the most productive in Europe.
• Vauxhall takeover talks: full details
But why would PSA want to buy brands that contend directly with their existing line-ups? PSA manager Carlos Tavares has shown his skill at turning around an ailing business; his ‘Back in the Race’ plan, morphing into ‘Push to Pass’, has heralded huge expense cost savings as well as impressive, sought-after new product that’s now leading to strong profit. might he do the exact same with Vauxhall as well as Opel?
There’s no question PSA would be drawn in by the stamina of GM’s brands in Europe’s strongest markets: Germany as well as the UK. as well as the efficiencies of innovation sharing that the Volkswagen group has so effectively proven cannot be in doubt.
• ‘Things are lastly going to get fascinating for DS in 2017’
But where would Vauxhall as well as Opel sit between a resurgent Citroen, an progressively impressive Peugeot as well as interesting new premium brand DS? I’m sure Tavares has a plan, however it’ll have to be a strong one.
While this may make monetary sense for GM, it might turn out to be one more example of this fantastic American business providing up on Europe – keep in mind Saab as well as Chevrolet? Let’s hope PSA sees more value in Vauxhall as well as Opel than GM does.
What do you believe of the present specify of the general Motors as well as PSA talks? let us understand below…