Hyundai, Volkswagen UK and Toyota have all now announced scrappage schemes with discounts off various models, following on from Ford’s recent announcement and that of Vauxhall earlier in the year.
Hyundai’s scheme offers between £1,500 and £5,000 on trade-ins across its model range and will run from now until the end of the year. It will apply to all petrol and diesel cars with Euro 1-4 engines registered before 31 December 2009.
Apollo Vredestein’s work to shift its Dutch brand’s replacement market focus to become an original equipment supplier has resulted in fitments on three major models. Vredestein, has been selected as a fitment on the Volkswagen Polo, Seat Ibiza and Ford EcoSport.
The original fitment of Kumho tyres on Volkswagen Polo models in Europe continues into the car’s sixth generation. The New Polo will be available from the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona, Spain fitted with the Kumho Ecowing ES01 KH27 as standard equipment. Kumho is supplying the KH27 to Volkswagen in size 185/65 R15 88H.
Chinese tyre maker Shandong Linglong Tire co. Ltd. has opened new subsidiaries in Luxembourg and Mexico City. According to Linglong Tire the Mexico tyre unit, Elite Faith Mexico, S.A. DE C.V., and Luxembourg investment unit Linglong Luxembourg S.à r.l, will engage in the import and export of tyres and raw materials required for their manufacture.
The Pirelli P Zero, Winter Sottozero 3 and Scorpion Zero All Season have gained original equipment approval on several European vehicle models. With these approvals, specifically-marked OE tyres now account for 50.5 per cent of Pirelli’s entire portfolio.
Remus has launched a new performance exhaust system for the new Mk7 Golf GTI Clubsport. The system is designed to improve performance and sound, with a Racing downpipe with sports cat to be fitted in conjunction with the Remus front silencer. The exhaust also features a resonated stainless steel cat-back centre section and a connection tube which enables the mounting of either the L/R sports exhaust or the non-resonated L/R Racing axle back system.
Falken tyres are being supplied as original equipment to the latest Volkswagen Touran. The Falken Ziex ZE914A Ecorun will be fitted on the Touran in size 205/60 R16 96V XL.
Diesel powered cars have gained a lot of press since the Volkswagen emissions scandal became public knowledge in 2015, and much of this has been negative. The Government is now considering measures that will discourage the use of diesel cars, with disincentives such as a ‘toxins tax’ or banning polluting vehicles from city centres a possibility. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) believes such steps don’t do the latest generation of diesel vehicles justice, and has issued a list of ten facts it hopes will inform motorists about diesels:
Ever more efficient motors require ever more efficient motor oils. That’s why German oil and additive specialist Liqui Moly is now launching two motor oils on the market, which fulfill the latest BMW and Volkswagen requirements: Top Tec 6100 and Top Tec 6200. They represent a generational leap in motor oil technology.
Volkswagen is fitting the Falken Ziex ZE914A Ecorun tyres in size 215/65R17 99V as the original equipment tyre for its new Tiguan model, as of 1 January 2017. The compact SUV’s newest iteration is designed to offer comfort and convenience alongside class-leading driving dynamics, and the Sumitomo brand says its Ziex ZE914A Ecorun is “the perfect fit”. The tyre was developed to reduce fuel consumption and deliver good handling and braking even in wet road conditions.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has begun supplying its Falken Sincera SN250 A/S to Volkswagen AG for use as a factory standard tyre on its Golf Alltrack, which goes on sale in North America this autumn.
On 10 and 11 October, a team from Volkswagen Group evaluated Shandong Linglong Tire co. Ltd.’s suitability as an original equipment supplier. The Chinese tyre maker reports that it has passed this audit, and in doing so comes one step closer to having its tyres fitted on Volkswagen vehicles manufactured in China. At present, no tyres produced by domestic Chinese tyre makers come with Volkswagen cars as original equipment.
Australia is suing the local arm of Volkswagen for allegedly misleading customers by selling modified vehicles that covered up emissions fraud, with its consumer watchdog claiming Volkswagen intentionally sold more than 57,000 such vehicles over a five-year period. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking a public declaration of misconduct, financial penalties and corrective advertising. Volkswagen Australia said it is reviewing the ACCC claims.
This year’s National Franchised Dealers Association Summer 2016 survey, published today, had 1,746 respondents from a total participating dealer network of 4,090, which equates to a response rate of 43 per cent. This is the highest return ever, surpassing last winter’s high of 39 per cent. There were 28 franchise networks in the survey which represent a range of dealer sizes and ownership type from across the UK.
GSF Car Parts has invested in 10 new VW Caddy vans to be used across the branch network. The vehicles will be added to the existing fleet rather than used as replacements, enabling more frequent local trade customer deliveries. The vans have been selected using criteria to evaluate a full range of factors including load capacity, fuel economy, purchase price and anticipated running cost – with VW Caddy scoring well across the board.
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