Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Saab Sport Wagon
SAAB has finally announced details of the long-awaited estate version of the 9-3.
Called the 9-3 SportWagon, it will come with a full seven engine line-up and give Saab the opportunity to secure more fleet sales – a high volume area for lifestyle estates. Available for car rental uk.
Carrying huge loads is not the SportWagon’s prime strength. With a maximum load of 1,273 litres, it has only slightly more space than the likes of the small A4 Avant but does have a TwinFloor stowage facility. By pulling a chrome, aircraft-shaped handle, the main boot floor can be folded and relocated for access to a recessed sub-floor.
Full UK pricing, specifications and technical data will be announced Car rental uk.
Called the 9-3 SportWagon, it will come with a full seven engine line-up and give Saab the opportunity to secure more fleet sales – a high volume area for lifestyle estates. Available for car rental uk.
Carrying huge loads is not the SportWagon’s prime strength. With a maximum load of 1,273 litres, it has only slightly more space than the likes of the small A4 Avant but does have a TwinFloor stowage facility. By pulling a chrome, aircraft-shaped handle, the main boot floor can be folded and relocated for access to a recessed sub-floor.
Full UK pricing, specifications and technical data will be announced Car rental uk.
Saab Sport Wagon
SAAB has finally announced details of the long-awaited estate version of the 9-3.
Called the 9-3 SportWagon, it will come with a full seven engine line-up and give Saab the opportunity to secure more fleet sales – a high volume area for lifestyle estates. Available for car rental uk.
Carrying huge loads is not the SportWagon’s prime strength. With a maximum load of 1,273 litres, it has only slightly more space than the likes of the small A4 Avant but does have a TwinFloor stowage facility. By pulling a chrome, aircraft-shaped handle, the main boot floor can be folded and relocated for access to a recessed sub-floor.
Full UK pricing, specifications and technical data will be announced Car rental uk.
Called the 9-3 SportWagon, it will come with a full seven engine line-up and give Saab the opportunity to secure more fleet sales – a high volume area for lifestyle estates. Available for car rental uk.
Carrying huge loads is not the SportWagon’s prime strength. With a maximum load of 1,273 litres, it has only slightly more space than the likes of the small A4 Avant but does have a TwinFloor stowage facility. By pulling a chrome, aircraft-shaped handle, the main boot floor can be folded and relocated for access to a recessed sub-floor.
Full UK pricing, specifications and technical data will be announced Car rental uk.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Ford Focus 1.6iTi-VCT Tatanium
EVER since the Ford Focus replaced the Escort back in 1998, it has consistently remained near the top of the sales charts as Britain’s best-selling car.
It was a breath of fresh air when it first hit the roads and, almost a decade later, its popularity shows no signs of abating. Car rental uk
Ford’s success with the Focus is down to several key ingredients. It is economical, it handles well, is easy to get parts for and often scores well in reliability tests.
Replacing a trusted favourite can be a difficult move for manufacturers with a faithful following but, with many drivers accusing the old Focus of becoming dated, in particular its interior, it had reached the end of its natural life-cycle, despite sales still going well. Car rental uk
The new model, our latest long-termer, has had a complete overhaul. It has a new shape, is larger than its predecessor, has much firmer handling and boasts a five-star occupant protection rating from Euro NCAP.
The Focus comes in six trim levels, from the entry-level Studio up to Titanium. Available in petrol or diesel, 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre and manual or automatic, there’s an option for most fleet tastes.Our version, the Titanium 1.6i Ti-VCT five-speed manual starts at £15,525 on-the-road but is fully loaded with extras, pushing the cost up to a whopping £20,025.I’m not sure how many cost-conscious fleet managers would spec a Focus up so much but, for an extra £4,200, we have the luxury of a DVD navigation system with six-disc CD changer, adaptive front lights, ESP, rear parking sensors and leather seats.It also includes an advanced telephone pack which means drivers with Bluetooth-enabled phones can use the same DVD navigation screen to make calls. It even downloads the contents of your phone address book on to the built-in screen and allows voice-activated control.The Titanium doesn’t feature the optional KeyFree System, which is a shame as it’s a useful and simple time-saving device which worked faultlessly on a previous long-termer, the Renault Megane.I actually preferred the sweeping irregular curves on the dash of the old Focus. They have been replaced by the sort of standard dash found in almost every other car. The exterior on our Focus is aquarius blue and contrasts with a blue and beige interior which extends across the dash. It is an acquired taste but works well and the two-tone look gives a sporty feel.The 1.6 petrol version feels a little slow. I’m not sure if this is because I’ve been driving diesels with more torque for the past six months or maybe it’s due to the low mileage on our long-termer. It has less than 1,000 miles on the clock, so hopefully once it has loosened up it will feel sprightlier. As the mileage is still low I’ll also leave the test mpg figure until my next update. What we expectWE’RE hoping the Focus lives up to its reputation as a class-leading fleet car. We will be getting to grips with the voice-activated controls on the audio and phone system so will report back in due time, and after a few more miles have been put on the clock the engine should also loosen up.The manufacturers‘WITH the new Focus we strived to set new standards in every area. This year our best-selling car has exceeded sales of 100,000 across Europe and is currently Britain’s best-selling car, becoming the top choice with both retail and fleet customers. We are confident that it will remain top of the tables for some time.‘Nearly six months after its initial launch, the Ford Focus made its auction debut recently. All models achieved a remarkable residual value in excess of 80% of list price.‘We are delighted with the positive response to the new Focus. Such a strong residual value is great news for retail and fleet buyers alike and testament to the increased quality and craftsmanship across the Focus range.’Steve Hood, marketing director, Ford of BritainSTANDARD 16-inch five spoke alloy wheels Sony audio system with single slot CD player ABS with EBD Control blade rear suspension Driver’s, front passenger, front seat side and side curtain airbags Intelligence protection system Immobiliser Thatcham category one alarm Air conditioning Front fog lights Auto lighting headlights Headlamp delay Rain-sensing wipers Electric front/rear windowsOPTIONS DVD navigation system with 6-disc CD auto-changer - £2,250 Advanced telephone pack – Bluetooth hands-free and voice control system £250 ESP with EBA and traction control £250 Adaptive front lighting system £250 Park assist – rear £200 Titanium leather styling pack – leather-trim seats, power seat adjust and metallic paint " Car rental uk.
It was a breath of fresh air when it first hit the roads and, almost a decade later, its popularity shows no signs of abating. Car rental uk
Ford’s success with the Focus is down to several key ingredients. It is economical, it handles well, is easy to get parts for and often scores well in reliability tests.
Replacing a trusted favourite can be a difficult move for manufacturers with a faithful following but, with many drivers accusing the old Focus of becoming dated, in particular its interior, it had reached the end of its natural life-cycle, despite sales still going well. Car rental uk
The new model, our latest long-termer, has had a complete overhaul. It has a new shape, is larger than its predecessor, has much firmer handling and boasts a five-star occupant protection rating from Euro NCAP.
The Focus comes in six trim levels, from the entry-level Studio up to Titanium. Available in petrol or diesel, 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre and manual or automatic, there’s an option for most fleet tastes.Our version, the Titanium 1.6i Ti-VCT five-speed manual starts at £15,525 on-the-road but is fully loaded with extras, pushing the cost up to a whopping £20,025.I’m not sure how many cost-conscious fleet managers would spec a Focus up so much but, for an extra £4,200, we have the luxury of a DVD navigation system with six-disc CD changer, adaptive front lights, ESP, rear parking sensors and leather seats.It also includes an advanced telephone pack which means drivers with Bluetooth-enabled phones can use the same DVD navigation screen to make calls. It even downloads the contents of your phone address book on to the built-in screen and allows voice-activated control.The Titanium doesn’t feature the optional KeyFree System, which is a shame as it’s a useful and simple time-saving device which worked faultlessly on a previous long-termer, the Renault Megane.I actually preferred the sweeping irregular curves on the dash of the old Focus. They have been replaced by the sort of standard dash found in almost every other car. The exterior on our Focus is aquarius blue and contrasts with a blue and beige interior which extends across the dash. It is an acquired taste but works well and the two-tone look gives a sporty feel.The 1.6 petrol version feels a little slow. I’m not sure if this is because I’ve been driving diesels with more torque for the past six months or maybe it’s due to the low mileage on our long-termer. It has less than 1,000 miles on the clock, so hopefully once it has loosened up it will feel sprightlier. As the mileage is still low I’ll also leave the test mpg figure until my next update. What we expectWE’RE hoping the Focus lives up to its reputation as a class-leading fleet car. We will be getting to grips with the voice-activated controls on the audio and phone system so will report back in due time, and after a few more miles have been put on the clock the engine should also loosen up.The manufacturers‘WITH the new Focus we strived to set new standards in every area. This year our best-selling car has exceeded sales of 100,000 across Europe and is currently Britain’s best-selling car, becoming the top choice with both retail and fleet customers. We are confident that it will remain top of the tables for some time.‘Nearly six months after its initial launch, the Ford Focus made its auction debut recently. All models achieved a remarkable residual value in excess of 80% of list price.‘We are delighted with the positive response to the new Focus. Such a strong residual value is great news for retail and fleet buyers alike and testament to the increased quality and craftsmanship across the Focus range.’Steve Hood, marketing director, Ford of BritainSTANDARD 16-inch five spoke alloy wheels Sony audio system with single slot CD player ABS with EBD Control blade rear suspension Driver’s, front passenger, front seat side and side curtain airbags Intelligence protection system Immobiliser Thatcham category one alarm Air conditioning Front fog lights Auto lighting headlights Headlamp delay Rain-sensing wipers Electric front/rear windowsOPTIONS DVD navigation system with 6-disc CD auto-changer - £2,250 Advanced telephone pack – Bluetooth hands-free and voice control system £250 ESP with EBA and traction control £250 Adaptive front lighting system £250 Park assist – rear £200 Titanium leather styling pack – leather-trim seats, power seat adjust and metallic paint " Car rental uk.
Friday, May 13, 2005
BMW 320d
IT IS becoming something of a rite of passage now for me to take a new long termer on the 600-mile round trip to Cornwall and back.
Our new 320d SE is the latest car to head down Rick Stein’s way and while it suggests that I really ought to go somewhere else on holiday every now and again, it proves a useful way of subjecting cars to all sorts of conditions, from motorways to winding country roads to bombarding seagulls. Car rental uk.
The A14, M6, M5 and A30 provide the high speed roads, while the rather grandly-named Atlantic Highway provides some twists and turns through the countryside. And as the 320d had been delivered the day I went, it was dropped in at the deep end, but it proved what I’d been suspicious of since I went on the international launch in January: this might be the best car in the world.
The 320d, like all truly great drivers’ cars, has a sweet spot. It will trundle about happily enough, but find yourself on a stretch of winding Cornish road not populated by those big mobile Tupperware boxes being towed by oblivious holidaymakers and it will come alive. Car rental uk.
Start to push the 320d and the steering just lightens slightly, then you start to feel the tyres working beneath, through the seat and your hands. The whole car seems to rise up on its toes, ready for the challenge ahead, all four corners sending you perfectly defined messages.
But don’t assume that just because it is great through a corner it has a stiff set-up. In fact it is beautifully damped, and although the ride is firm, it smothers any harshness and cruises silently on a motorway.
And it was doing 42mpg straight out of the box with the diesel engine pulling quietly but insistently. So it is quick, it handles beautifully, has good fuel economy, low emissions and excellent residual values.
It also has no iDrive system, which is a £1,585 option. Pretty much every BMW I‘ve driven for the past couple of years has had iDrive, but with the 320d I can’t work out what I’m missing apart from the obvious sat-nav. The radio and CD works fine without iDrive, the climate control works fine without it, and the dashboard has a more elegant sweep without that unsightly plastic tent bolted on to the binnacle. Car rental uk.
The 320d proved so popular that even the seagulls took a liking to it. A friend – hardly the most salty of seadogs – reckoned their poo-based bombardment was more to do with its sea-coloured paint than its flame surfacing lines. He theorised that they mistook it for water from above.
So what are its faults? There’s not a lot of room in the back, but then there never was and never will be, and from the C-pillar back I think the design looks like a far-Eastern copy of a 3-series.
We’ve got a lot more miles to do yet before a conclusion can be reached, but the 320d does everything in such a consummate way that, when you examine relative costs, it does more for its money than nearly anything else on the market and I can’t see our early opinion changing.
In fact, I’ll fling aside all journalistic cynicism and just say it: the BMW 320d is the best car in the world. Car rental uk.
What we expectTHE BMW 3-series has been one of the most popular company cars for years, and we expect more of the same with the new car. It has always retained strong residual values despite selling in huge numbers, and the new car should do the same. But it has to be a great driver’s car as well as a working tool, and in diesel form should return excellent fuel economy and good performance.
The manufacturer’s view‘THE BMW 320d saloon is a key model and although 2005 will not be a full sales year, great things are still expected of the 320d and the 3-series range as a whole. When focusing on the 320d with its predicted class-leading residual values of 50% after three years, it is easy to see why the order bank for this model swelled prior to launch.’ Author; Steve Moody
Our new 320d SE is the latest car to head down Rick Stein’s way and while it suggests that I really ought to go somewhere else on holiday every now and again, it proves a useful way of subjecting cars to all sorts of conditions, from motorways to winding country roads to bombarding seagulls. Car rental uk.
The A14, M6, M5 and A30 provide the high speed roads, while the rather grandly-named Atlantic Highway provides some twists and turns through the countryside. And as the 320d had been delivered the day I went, it was dropped in at the deep end, but it proved what I’d been suspicious of since I went on the international launch in January: this might be the best car in the world.
The 320d, like all truly great drivers’ cars, has a sweet spot. It will trundle about happily enough, but find yourself on a stretch of winding Cornish road not populated by those big mobile Tupperware boxes being towed by oblivious holidaymakers and it will come alive. Car rental uk.
Start to push the 320d and the steering just lightens slightly, then you start to feel the tyres working beneath, through the seat and your hands. The whole car seems to rise up on its toes, ready for the challenge ahead, all four corners sending you perfectly defined messages.
But don’t assume that just because it is great through a corner it has a stiff set-up. In fact it is beautifully damped, and although the ride is firm, it smothers any harshness and cruises silently on a motorway.
And it was doing 42mpg straight out of the box with the diesel engine pulling quietly but insistently. So it is quick, it handles beautifully, has good fuel economy, low emissions and excellent residual values.
It also has no iDrive system, which is a £1,585 option. Pretty much every BMW I‘ve driven for the past couple of years has had iDrive, but with the 320d I can’t work out what I’m missing apart from the obvious sat-nav. The radio and CD works fine without iDrive, the climate control works fine without it, and the dashboard has a more elegant sweep without that unsightly plastic tent bolted on to the binnacle. Car rental uk.
The 320d proved so popular that even the seagulls took a liking to it. A friend – hardly the most salty of seadogs – reckoned their poo-based bombardment was more to do with its sea-coloured paint than its flame surfacing lines. He theorised that they mistook it for water from above.
So what are its faults? There’s not a lot of room in the back, but then there never was and never will be, and from the C-pillar back I think the design looks like a far-Eastern copy of a 3-series.
We’ve got a lot more miles to do yet before a conclusion can be reached, but the 320d does everything in such a consummate way that, when you examine relative costs, it does more for its money than nearly anything else on the market and I can’t see our early opinion changing.
In fact, I’ll fling aside all journalistic cynicism and just say it: the BMW 320d is the best car in the world. Car rental uk.
What we expectTHE BMW 3-series has been one of the most popular company cars for years, and we expect more of the same with the new car. It has always retained strong residual values despite selling in huge numbers, and the new car should do the same. But it has to be a great driver’s car as well as a working tool, and in diesel form should return excellent fuel economy and good performance.
The manufacturer’s view‘THE BMW 320d saloon is a key model and although 2005 will not be a full sales year, great things are still expected of the 320d and the 3-series range as a whole. When focusing on the 320d with its predicted class-leading residual values of 50% after three years, it is easy to see why the order bank for this model swelled prior to launch.’ Author; Steve Moody
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Vauxhall Tigra
CAR manufacturers selling convertible models in the UK owe a debt of gratitude to Mercedes-Benz. Were it not for the launch of the original SLK with its folding metal roof, sales in the UK wouldn’t be at the level they are now.
We are one of the biggest markets in Europe for soft-tops (more than 70,000 cars are sold in the UK annually), and the SLK’s two-in-one coupe and convertible body has made these cars much more practical for buyers thanks to the absence of a fabric roof and the security implications that go with it.
And now Vauxhall is getting in on the act with the Tigra, a two-seater based on the Corsa chassis with a clever hard roof which retracts into the body at the touch of a button. Car rental uk.
It works on the same principle as the SLK’s, with a double hinged boot which either opens conventionally to allow access to the luggage compartment, or tilts the other way to let the roof fold into its home.
With the roof in place the Tigra is a cosy two-seater coupe, which means there’s none of the wind roar associated with fabric roofs. With its silver coloured rear window surround, it also looks really stylish.
And with the roof folded away, the smart looks continue as it disappears flush under the large bootlid to leave a slick convertible with a pair of silver roll-over hoops behind the headrests. Car rental uk
Inside there’s a very simple cabin with all the controls located on a silver slab of plastic in the centre console. Allied to silver rimmed instruments and a chunky three-spoke steering wheel, the Tigra makes for a pleasant place to be. In 1.8-litre guise as tested, the Tigra offers 125bhp, which equates to brisk acceleration – 0-60mph takes nine seconds. Its key rival, Peugeot’s 206CC, has 138bhp but in reality feels little quicker. Car rental uk.
We are one of the biggest markets in Europe for soft-tops (more than 70,000 cars are sold in the UK annually), and the SLK’s two-in-one coupe and convertible body has made these cars much more practical for buyers thanks to the absence of a fabric roof and the security implications that go with it.
And now Vauxhall is getting in on the act with the Tigra, a two-seater based on the Corsa chassis with a clever hard roof which retracts into the body at the touch of a button. Car rental uk.
It works on the same principle as the SLK’s, with a double hinged boot which either opens conventionally to allow access to the luggage compartment, or tilts the other way to let the roof fold into its home.
With the roof in place the Tigra is a cosy two-seater coupe, which means there’s none of the wind roar associated with fabric roofs. With its silver coloured rear window surround, it also looks really stylish.
And with the roof folded away, the smart looks continue as it disappears flush under the large bootlid to leave a slick convertible with a pair of silver roll-over hoops behind the headrests. Car rental uk
Inside there’s a very simple cabin with all the controls located on a silver slab of plastic in the centre console. Allied to silver rimmed instruments and a chunky three-spoke steering wheel, the Tigra makes for a pleasant place to be. In 1.8-litre guise as tested, the Tigra offers 125bhp, which equates to brisk acceleration – 0-60mph takes nine seconds. Its key rival, Peugeot’s 206CC, has 138bhp but in reality feels little quicker. Car rental uk.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Lexus GS20
BUSINESS travellers of a nervous disposition who are about to board a plane seldom want to hear just how much their safety depends on technology.
In most aircraft there is no physical connection between the pilot and the bits which keep the plane under control, such as the wing flaps and engines – instead it’s all done by computers. This technology is increasingly common in cars and the new Lexus GS is a showcase for just what is possible.
Amid the technology it uses are accelerate-by-wire and brake-by-wire, meaning that when you press the brake pedal, the computer calculates your intentions and carries them out for you.
It is just one of a wealth of devices on the new GS designed to make it safer, more economical, quicker and more agile. Car rental uk
All models are fitted with ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control and vehicle stability control as standard.
Adaptive cruise control, standard on the top-spec GS430 and available as a £2,100 option on the GS300 SE-L, also comes with a pre-crash system which prepares the car for an unavoidable impact by tightening the seatbelts. If the driver is braking too gently, the car will intervene to emergency brake when a collision becomes unavoidable.
The GS430 also gets the all-singing, all-dancing Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), which combines all the systems in one package and, in addition, can independently control the steering to ensure the vehicle responds correctly to a driver’s wishes in extreme situations.
The speed-sensitive steering, working with all the other hi-tech systems, can ‘take over’ the steering to get the car round a corner. Even the key does everything for you, with a smart entry and exit system to unlock the doors and start the engine at the push of a button while the key stays in your pocket. Car rental uk.
The new GS is the third generation of the luxury sports saloon first launched in 1991 and updated in 1997. Lexus is unveiling its future design philosophy with the latest model and the GS carries more on its shoulders than its predicted annual sales of 2,500 in a full year suggest.
This is a first salvo in a plan to relaunch the Lexus brand in Europe, appealing particularly to a group called the ‘informed luxury group’, thought to make up 36% of potential buyers who demand luxury but are open-minded enough not to only want one of the more traditional (for which, read German) brands.
For company car buyers, an open mind will be vital as the GS will not be offered with a diesel. Instead, drivers will have the choice of an all-new petrol 3.0-litre V6 with 249bhp and a six-speed automatic gearbox. An updated version of the firm’s stunning 4.3-litre V8 with 283bhp is also available. Car rental uk.
In most aircraft there is no physical connection between the pilot and the bits which keep the plane under control, such as the wing flaps and engines – instead it’s all done by computers. This technology is increasingly common in cars and the new Lexus GS is a showcase for just what is possible.
Amid the technology it uses are accelerate-by-wire and brake-by-wire, meaning that when you press the brake pedal, the computer calculates your intentions and carries them out for you.
It is just one of a wealth of devices on the new GS designed to make it safer, more economical, quicker and more agile. Car rental uk
All models are fitted with ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control and vehicle stability control as standard.
Adaptive cruise control, standard on the top-spec GS430 and available as a £2,100 option on the GS300 SE-L, also comes with a pre-crash system which prepares the car for an unavoidable impact by tightening the seatbelts. If the driver is braking too gently, the car will intervene to emergency brake when a collision becomes unavoidable.
The GS430 also gets the all-singing, all-dancing Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), which combines all the systems in one package and, in addition, can independently control the steering to ensure the vehicle responds correctly to a driver’s wishes in extreme situations.
The speed-sensitive steering, working with all the other hi-tech systems, can ‘take over’ the steering to get the car round a corner. Even the key does everything for you, with a smart entry and exit system to unlock the doors and start the engine at the push of a button while the key stays in your pocket. Car rental uk.
The new GS is the third generation of the luxury sports saloon first launched in 1991 and updated in 1997. Lexus is unveiling its future design philosophy with the latest model and the GS carries more on its shoulders than its predicted annual sales of 2,500 in a full year suggest.
This is a first salvo in a plan to relaunch the Lexus brand in Europe, appealing particularly to a group called the ‘informed luxury group’, thought to make up 36% of potential buyers who demand luxury but are open-minded enough not to only want one of the more traditional (for which, read German) brands.
For company car buyers, an open mind will be vital as the GS will not be offered with a diesel. Instead, drivers will have the choice of an all-new petrol 3.0-litre V6 with 249bhp and a six-speed automatic gearbox. An updated version of the firm’s stunning 4.3-litre V8 with 283bhp is also available. Car rental uk.
