| Forget the Freelander, the “baby” Range Rover is the new kid on the block The brand new Evoque is set to become the top selling vehicle at Land Rover according to company chiefs. The vehicle, touted as a “baby” Range Rover due to its compact design, was officially unveiled yesterday and it was also revealed that 18,000 eager people have already put deposits down. The impressive rate of sales, which if continued means the new coupe will usurp the Freelander 2 as the fastest selling vehicle, was announced by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) chief executive Dr Ralf Speth. The Evoque has been eagerly awaited by the majority of the motoring industry, ranging from consumers who might previously opt for a used Land Rover Freelander due to its lower cost and its low emissions rate and lightweight design.  Range Rover evoque review At the launch Land Rover global brand director John Edwards said: “We think this will be our bestselling car and the order books are looking very healthy. Halewood is going to be pretty busy with the Evoque for some time to come. “I have worked for JLR for 25 years and this car is going to be a global success. We believe it will out-sell the Freelander 2.” What makes the success even more staggering is that there is not a single test model in any showroom across the country, so the customers have ordered without even seeing the car in the flesh or taking it for a test drive. Only last month the Liverpool Echo reported that the Freelander, currently built in Halewood, continued to be the jewel in the crown of the manufacturer. That is set to come to an end as sales of the Evoque have already generated £630m of revenue for the company, which is also good news for the UK economy because the majority of vehicles will be exported around the world. However the triumph will not mean an explosion of used Freelanders flooding the second hand market as owners switch to the newest release. Edwards insisted the popularity of the Evoque will not be at the expense of its predecessor as 80 per cent of Evoque’s “order banks” have been tempted away from other automotive brands. The unveiling was hosted by TV and radio personality George Lamb, a Range Rover driver himself, and was attended by production workers from the Halewood plant, at which more than 1,000 jobs will be created by the production of the vehicle. The price range of the SUV begins at just under £28,000 and goes up to just over £44,000. It is seen by the firm as the product which will challenge the long standing perception of 4x4s as gas guzzlers due to its environmentally friendly performance. Standard models boast a smart system which cuts emissions to 159g/km in traffic, while the coupe version emits less than 130g/km of CO2. This does not compromise performance though as the 2.0-litre Si4 turbo-charged petrol engine has direct fuel injection and twin variable valve timing. This translates to 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds. Soaring temperatures and brighter nights mean summer is finally here – and for young car owners, that means it’s time to go out cruising. Crank up the stereo and pick up your friends or significant other before setting off to anywhere and everywhere in your pride and joy.  That thrill of being able to go wherever you want, whenever you want more than offsets the price of car insurance for young drivers, because let’s face it, it costs a fortune when you first get unleashed on the roads. Insurance premiums are high, even after shopping around for the best deals, and can easily lead to a hefty outlay of upwards of £1,000 for the first 12 months after passing your test. In some instances, that’s more than some used cars cost to buy. Then you’ve got to contend with road tax, increasing petrol prices and possibly any garage bills if you have the odd bump and scrape. Saving some money on your car insurance by shopping around might leave you with some left over to put into buying a private number plate!
When summer arrives, though, all that expense and comprehensive car insurance fees seem worth it as you’re able to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in your car and unwind and get away from it all. Banish the stress and anxiety brought on by work or studies within moments of turning the key in the ignition as your attention quickly switches instead to more pressing needs, like thinking of which destinations to drive to. Your journey could have purpose, like visiting friends and family that are located near and far away or taking in tourist attractions at a time that best suits you or even going on a little road trip. Or, it could be totally random, going from city to city, town to town or village to village exploring as you go just because you can. That’s the kind of freedom that motorists have, yet it’s in the summer months when you really notice the benefits of being able to jump in the car at any time of day and night and disappear into the distance in an instant. Winter poses all sorts of problems to drivers, from adverse weather conditions to the fact it’s dark by the time you walk out of the door at work, college or university. Summer is different – very different! You don’t even need an excuse to go for a drive and it gives you the type of independence that will change your life forever for the better. In an unsurprising move towards a more eco-friendly city, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, recently announced that he aimed to have 1,300 public charge points for electric cars installed around the metropolis. In addition to his recent introduction of rental bikes to London, Johnson is trying to bring the capital around to a new way of thinking – at least, where petrol is concerned. Cyclists and hybrid drivers are definitely those in his sights.  Electric Car Charging It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. We already know that the bike rental scheme is operating at a financial loss, much as the bus and underground journey also does. It’ll also be interesting to see an entire city take up electric vehicles, though quite how that’ll work is beyond us, given that they won’t be able to drive up north to see their family if the car runs out of juice halfway up the M1. Watching car insurance giants like Aviva give deals to those with electric motors and comparing them to petrol cars should also give some indication of the view of eco-friendly transportation from the perspective of the industries surrounding motoring. Zero-emission vehicles, however, may turn London into one of the greenest cities on the planet overnight – a significant portion of London’s emissions come from cars, buses, and motorcycles, and switching to electric power would wipe out this statistic completely. For those worried about the ever-depleting amounts of fossil fuels underneath the earth’s surface, this is great news. In the USA, there are also a lot of financial incentives for driving electric, from tax credits and rebates to free recharges and parking. However, you won’t be getting very far – drive more than a 100 miles and even the latest electric car battery may fail you. Like the rental bikes, Johnson may in fact ignore London outside the boundaries of the inner city, so for those commuting, running out of charge may in fact beach people randomly around London, turning the M25 into a scene from Deep Impact. So if you live in London and you’re about to switch vehicles, perhaps go for a hybrid first – you can get the moral boost from owning an eco-friendly car, but you won’t have to worry about finding a charge point, as if the whole city takes up Johnson on his offer, 1300 isn’t even going to scratch the surface of the demand it may create. Now, where’s that Hummer? There are estimated to be on average about 20,000 breakdown’s in the UK everyday, with flat batteries, engine trouble and flat tyres the most popular causes the recovery services noticed. One of the most common causes of flat batteries is leaving the headlights on overnight, using the car excessively for short journeys, electronic devices within the car (GPS, CD players) or because of damp, loose or corroded connections on the battery – there are a number of safety checks that can be carried out on a car to minimise the chances of a breakdown.  Types of Breakdown Cover Checking the battery and tyres can help to prevent breakdowns, but some people cannot find the time or are unable to carry out the necessary regular checks, breakdown cover can provide peace of mind if ever the vehicle becomes stranded on the roadside. With breakdown cover the driver (and passengers) can safely wait for professional help to arrive rather than risking fixing the fault. There are a variety of breakdown cover packages available starting from the basic roadside package to a more comprehensive package. The basic roadside cover which will offer assistance if the vehicle breaks down on the road the cover will ensure that if the car can be fixed at the roadside (the majority of breakdown calls can be resolved at the roadside by professional recovery services), if it cannot be resolved the vehicle can be towed to a local garage or to a destination of the policy holders choice (some policies will have a limit to the number of miles the vehicle can be towed). The basic breakdown cover can be limited by the number of callouts the policy holder can make in the year, (as well as the age of the vehicle) although some providers may have a service available 24 hours a day 365 days a year and not charge for a call out. You can sometimes even find Student Car Insurance will include basic breakdown cover. A more comprehensive type of breakdown cover will include all the benefits of roadside assistance as well as allowing the policy holder (and passengers) to continue their journey to another part of the country if the repair can’t be made on the same day through use of a hire car or relief driver – some insurers will include overnight accommodation in the event of a breakdown as part of a comprehensive policy with no upper limit on the amount of callouts made in a year. Nissan’s UK Plant Sees its 13th Straight Year of Superiority in New Car Production Nissan is seeing great success all over the world, especially in light of the debut of the LEAF, its all-electric vehicle, at the end of 2010. The Japan-based manufacturer has also had a significant influence in the UK since the 1980s. Its production plant in Sunderland, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMUK), in fact, is now celebrating its thirteenth consecutive year as the largest car producer in Britain, with an output of 423,262 vehicles in 2010; over a third of the new cars sold throughout the UK were produced at the plant. Production at the NMUK plant began 26 years ago in 1986, with its production soaring to the top in 1998. Since then, this plant has been home to many famous names in the Nissan line, including the Qashqai, the Juke, the Note, and now with the Nissan LEAF’s honor of being 2011 European car of the year, Sunderland will be assembling the new car model in the near future. The Qashqai and the Juke were both engineered and designed in the UK. Introduced in 2007, the Nissan’s compact crossover, the Qashqai, has seen significant success in Britain; with 39,000 units sold in 2010, this model was the only one of Nissan’s production line to reach the top ten in sales since the Sunderland plant opened. Of course, another Nissan vehicle has made even bigger headlines beyond the UK: the all-electric LEAF. As the first mass-produced electric car sold by a major manufacturer, the global automotive industry is abuzz about this vehicle. It was released in the U.S. and Japan at the end of 2010, and it has a tentative release date of March 2011 in the UK. The Sunderland plant will begin manufacture of the vehicle in 2013, with the annual production capacity starting at 50,000 units. Backing this major investment are a British government grant as well as a €220-million finance package going toward the Sunderland plant.  Nissan NMUK Plant Aside from the new cars that roll out of the Sunderland auto production line, the NMUK plant is also known as one of the most efficient auto manufacturing plants in Europe. It boasts more cars per man than other European factories, and they train their workers in various areas to increase each employee’s flexibility. Despite the global economic crisis over the past couple of years, the Nissan NMUK plant has continued to thrive through its output of popular cars, its commitment to quality control, and its emphasis on workforce productivity. With bright prospects ahead for Nissan, this plant is sure to thrive. If a move to one of Nissan’s new offerings is on your mind why not valuate your car at buyacar and simplify the switch ? | Driving NewsDriving News is an online magazine containing motoring and driving news and car reviews. We are a fast growing Car blog covering all aspects of UK motoring. We only publish unique news and car articles. Click here if you would like to advertise on this top ranking car blog. |
