Alex Grant
Revised Mondeo cuts costs, bolsters user-chooser appeal
Ford has restructured the Mondeo range, reducing the number of trim levels, cutting on-the-road pricing and adding equipment to bolster its user-chooser appeal.
Severn Tolls to be cut from January
Tolls on the Severn Bridge are to be cut by almost a fifth from 8 January, ahead of plans to abolish them altogether by the end of 2018.
Chery targets fleets with plug-in crossover
Chinese carmaker Chery has revealed the first of its European-market products, a crossover with hybrid and electric powertrains which will target fleet and retail customers across the region.
TomTom launches live charging point data service
TomTom has launched a new service displaying real-time charging point availability for electric vehicle drivers within its navigation devices.
Grandland X will be Vauxhall’s first plug-in hybrid
The Grandland X crossover will be Vauxhall’s first plug-in hybrid, utilising technology from parent company PSA Group, suggesting Peugeot, Citroen and DS could offer similar products in the near future.
Updated S-Class previews longer-range, faster-charging PHEVs
Mercedes-Benz has boosted the range and charging times of the S-Class plug-in hybrid, previewing technology likely to be rolled out across its other plug-in models in the near future.
Lexus updates best-selling CT and NX
Lexus will launch a refreshed CT hatchback and NX crossover late this year, replacing models which account for over half of its UK sales volume.
VW Group aims for CO2-neutral petrol and diesel engines
Volkswagen Group is working towards carbon-neutral combustion engines, seeing petrol and diesel as a vital technology despite plans for mass electrification of its model range over the next decade.
Infrastructure could curb EV uptake, says JLR CEO
Jaguar Land Rover has no plans to stop using petrol and diesel engines in the near future, chief executive officer, Ralf Speth, has said, suggesting infrastructure had to be improved to support the growing market … Read More »
Scotland aims to phase out petrol and diesel in 2032
The Scottish Parliament has outlined plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2032, supported by part of a £60m funding pot for low-carbon technologies.
New Nissan LEAF goes further, faster
Nissan’s second-generation LEAF electric vehicle will arrive in Europe early next year, offering 50% more range, increased power and partially-autonomous drive.
WLTP requires urgent tax reform, experts warn
The UK’s car tax system needs to be reformed as soon as the next fiscal year to account for higher CO2 figures generated under the new test cycle, experts have warned, meaning an announcement … Read More »
Shanghai’s Chery to target European fleets
Chery, one of China’s biggest carmakers, is to launch in Europe with a line-up of ‘electrified’ crossovers and sights set on a footprint in the fleet sector.
First Drive: Renault Koleos
Renault’s luxurious flagship has several roles to fill, explains Alex Grant.
Volkswagen backs SUVs as ‘true fleet’ volumes grow
Volkswagen could soon be selling more SUVs in ‘true fleet’ than it does Golfs, with the forthcoming T-Roc crossover potentially able to outperform the Passat once it becomes established.
Electric and diesel variants drive H1 uplift for Nissan GB
Nissan GB has seen little slowdown in demand for diesel engines, despite the electric LEAF accounting for almost a third of its UK sales growth in the first seven months of 2017, according to … Read More »
Volkswagen Bus reincarnated as electric vehicle
Volkswagen has greenlighted production of an electric van and MPV, said to be inspired by the split-screen Transporter and Microbus of the 1950s…
Road Test: Audi Q5 2.0 TDI S line
The new Q5 is a huge step forward in all except Audi’s evolutionary styling, explains Alex Grant.
Driverless cars still need human input, research shows
Autonomous cars won’t have the edge over human drivers until every vehicle can communicate with each other and predict what’s happening over the horizon, according to IAM RoadSmart.
BMW shows first images of X2 coupe-SUV
BMW has previewed the forthcoming X2 coupe-SUV, which is due to launch in 2018.