Ssangyong and Infiniti are the latest brands to join the Motor Codes, New Car Code of Practice in the UK.

• SsangYong and Infiniti UK are the latest car manufacturers to subscribe to the Motor Codes New Car Code of Practice.  
• 39 brands have now signed up to the CTSI-approved code since its introduction in 2004.
• 99% of new vehicles sold in the UK are covered by the New Car Code.

Motor Codes, the government-backed consumer watchdog for the automotive industry, is pleased to announce that SsangYong, the South Korean automaker, and Infiniti UK, the Japanese luxury car manufacturer, have subscribed to its New Car Code of Practice. 

This brings the total number of car brands that have voluntarily joined the code to 39, meaning that an impressive 99% of all new vehicles sold across the UK are covered by this comprehensive guide of best practice.  

Introduced in 2004, the New Car Code was the first code for the automotive sector to gain approval by the former Office of Fair Trading. Now endorsed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), it is designed to ensure that manufacturers supply new cars and warranties to consumers responsibly.

By signing up to the code, manufacturers promise that new car buyers will not be misled by adverts, documentation which is easy to understand will be supplied with the vehicle, terms of the warranty will be respected if the car is serviced according to the recommended guidelines, replacement parts and accessories supplied to dealers are of satisfactory quality, and any complaints will be handled swiftly.

With the recent introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) legislation, manufacturers must equally ensure that there is a cost-effective mechanism in place to review a dispute quickly should one arise. Motor Codes, a CTSI-certified ADR provider, supplies a free advice and conciliation service for vehicle owners who are unable to resolve the issue directly. In the last decade, hundreds of claims have been settled by Motor Codes, saving thousands of pounds in arbitration and legal fees.

Bill Fennell, Managing Director of Motor Codes, said: “We are delighted that SsangYong and Infiniti UK have signed up to the New Car Code. Motorists purchasing new vehicles from both of these brands will now have the added peace of mind that they are operating according to best practice. This is coupled with the comfort of someone to turn to in the unlikely event that a problem arises after they have taken delivery of their pride and joy.”

For the first time on the model since introduction in 2013, Nissan has listed a Limited Black Edition on the Qashqai.

• Qashqai Black Edition is first Special Version introduced since model was launched in 2013
• Based on top-spec Tekna grade with styling enhancements and powered by dCi 110 engine
• Limited production run is on sale now priced from £27,310 OTR

Nissan is pleased to introduce the stylish new Black Edition’ to the Qashqai line-up. A new flagship specification for the range, the Black Edition is the first Special Version of Qashqai available since the model was launched in 2013. Offered in a limited production run, the Black Edition is on sale now and priced from £27,310 OTR.

Based on the generously equipped Tekna grade, Black Edition enhancements include 19” Black Ibiscus alloy wheels, Pearl Black metallic paint, front and rear styling plates and ‘Black Edition’ badged door entry guards.

The model also gains the sleek Panoramic Roof with one-touch shade, making it the only Qashqai with a glass roof as standard – typically a £400 option on Tekna models.

Nissan’s suite of advanced safety and driver assist systems – collectively known as Nissan Safety Shield – are included on the car as standard. These include Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Forward Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Moving Object Detection and Driver Attention Alert.

Additional specification includes full black leather upholstery, Intelligent Park Assist, bi-LED headlights and the state-of-the-art NissanConnect infotainment system. Based around an integrated seven-inch high-resolution touch-screen, it includes DAB digital radio and satellite navigation. Nissan’s pioneering 360º Around View Monitor – to help with low-speed manoeuvres – is also fitted as standard.

The Qashqai Black Edition is powered by the frugal yet refined dCi 110 6-speed manual 2WD, which delivers 70.6mpg combined fuel economy and CO₂ emissions of just 103g/km.

Kieran McMenamin, Section Manager for Qashqai at Nissan Motors GB Ltd., commented; “Top-grade Tekna versions represent around one in three Qashqai purchases and recent reveals like the Qashqai Premium Concept identify a desire and demand for Qashqai to extend towards the higher end of the segment. As a new flagship for the range, the Black Edition is the definitive statement for Qashqai – luxury styling and generous specification but maintaining an accessible price point. In fact, at just £450 more than the equivalent Tekna, the model represents around £1200 in savings compared with individual Option prices on Tekna models.”

The multi-award-winning Qashqai’s impressive quality, styling and innovative technologies continue to make it the best-selling crossover in Europe. Since production began in 2013, a new Qashqai has been built every 62 seconds, or 58 per hour, at the plant in Sunderland, UK. In September 2015 the Nissan Qashqai became the fastest ever UK-built vehicle to smash the half million production mark.

UK SALES - The SMMT announces a decline in sales for June, less than 1% but nevertheless it is down, BREXIT ?

• Demand for new cars up 3.2% in first half of 2016, with a record 1,420,636 registrations between January and June.
• Growth seen across all fuel types, as alternatively fuelled vehicles lead the way with 21.3% boost YTD.
• June sees small -0.8% decline as new car market continues to stabilise.

The UK new car market grew by a steady 3.2% in the first six months of the year, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 1,420,636 new cars have been registered so far in 2016 – the best half-year performance ever recorded.

Growth was reported across all fuel types, with diesel and petrol registrations growing 2.3% and 3.0% respectively in the year-to-date. Alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs), meanwhile, continued the significant gains seen over previous months, up 21.3% compared with the first six months of 2015. AFVs now account for 3.2% of the overall new car market.

Demand in June eased slightly, with a -0.8% fall in registrations, meeting expectations that market growth would stabilise following a record 2015. Fleet registrations continued the trend of recent months, driving the market with a 4.5% rise and compensating for a -4.5% drop in private registrations.

 Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “It is far too soon to determine whether the referendum result has had an impact on the new car market. The first six months saw strong demand at record levels but the market undoubtedly cooled over the second quarter. It’s important government takes every measure to restore business and economic confidence to avoid the market contracting in the coming months.”

UK SALES JUNE - Renault continues to outpace the market in 2016 with growth of 14.4%.

• Renault car sales up 21.0 per cent on same period last year to 44,570 vehicles
• Renault car market share increased to 3.1 per cent year-to-date
• Renault continues to outpace the market growth
• Groupe Renault UK sales – including Renault cars, vans and Dacia – records 71,492 sales in first half of 2016 – up 14.4 per cent

Renault UK car sales were up 21.0 per cent during the first six months of 2016 to 44,570 vehicles – considerably outpacing the car market growth of 3.2 per cent, according to the official figures released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Renault’s first-half performance represents a year-to-date car market share of 3.1 per cent – an increase of 0.5 percentage points against the same period in 2015.

Sales of 9,156 cars in the month of June means Renault is also up on the month compared to last year – an increase of 37.6 per cent on June 2015.

In a burgeoning electric vehicle market that was up 12.5 per cent in the first half of the year compared to 2015, sales of Renault’s electric vehicle range, comprising of ZOE, Twizy and Kangoo Z.E., doubled, rising by 26.1 per cent across the same period, with 1,199 EVs sold. ZOE contributed strongly to this performance, with 1,069 examples of the all-electric supermini being sold – a 39.4 per cent increase on the first six months of 2015 – continuing the trend set in Europe where Renault was the top-selling electric vehicle manufacturer in 2015.

Groupe Renault, which comprises Renault cars, vans and Dacia, has experienced unprecedented growth over the last three years, consistently outpacing the UK market. This growth has continued into 2016 with 71,492 Group vehicles being sold in the first six months of the year for a market share of 4.4 per cent – up 14.4 per cent and almost double that of the total market growth rate of 3.1 per cent.  Of that total, Renault cars represented 44,570 vehicles (up 21.0 per cent), Renault vans 13,435 vehicles (up 20.3 per cent) and Dacia 13,445 vehicles.

Commenting on the results, Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK and Ireland, said: “This extraordinary growth by Groupe Renault has been fuelled by customer demand for our stunning new car and van models, including the recently launched All-New Kadjar, and supported by our dealer network’s commitment to customer satisfaction. We are on track to deliver our GO5+ mid-term plan objectives and with one of the newest model line-ups in the car market, and with All-New Mégane arriving in showrooms this month, and then All-New Scénic and Grand Scénic arriving later in the year, we are confident that this trend is set to continue.”

UK SALES JUNE - Jaguar Land ROver continue to produce records with even more sales than ever before.

• Jaguar Land Rover sold record 62314 vehicles in the UK in first six months of 2016, up 21% on the same period in 2015.
• Jaguar, the official car partner of Wimbledon, serves up 10 year record June UK monthly sales of 2928, up 34% on June 2015.
• Record-breaking half-year sales for both brands: Jaguar retails 16,603 vehicles, up 68% and Land Rover retails 45,711, up 10% on the same period in 2015.
• One Jaguar Land Rover vehicle sold every 4 minutes in the UK in 2016.

Both Jaguar and Land Rover brands have smashed their previous half-year sales records in the first six months of 2016 , with Jaguar retailing 16,603 vehicles, up 68% on the same period in 2015 and Land Rover retailing 45,711 vehicles, up 10%.

Today Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's leading manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles, reported its best ever UK half-year sales retailing 62,314 vehicles in the first six months of 2016, up 21% on the same period last year. One Jaguar Land Rover vehicle has left a UK showroom every 4 minutes in 2016 so far.

Commenting on the performance, Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director said: “This is a fantastic result and sends out a signal of intent in the current uncertain climate: Jaguar Land Rover is very much open for business. It has been a fantastic performance so far in 2016, with both brands contributing to our success. The award-winning Jaguar XE continues to appeal to customers with its class-leading offering, selling 1,023 vehicles in June and the F-PACE enjoyed another impressive month. For Land Rover, the Discovery Sport’s versatile package see it retail 1,597 vehicles in June, up 31% on June 2015 while the Range Rover Sport continues to set the benchmark in its sector, retailing 975 in June up 62% on June 2015.”

Jaguar, the brand behind the innovative #FeelWimbledon campaign, enjoyed its best UK June sales for more than a decade, retailing 2928 vehicles, up 34% on June 2015. The brand’s impressive month was spearheaded by the Jaguar XE, which this week was crowned as Compact Executive Car of the Year for the second year running by Auto Express. The XE retailed 1,023 vehicles in June. The Jaguar F-PACE, Auto Express Car of the Year 2016, enjoyed an impressive month, retailing 782 vehicles while the All-New XF continues to win the hearts of executive buyers with 800 vehicles leaving UK showrooms during June.

Land Rover retailed 5,805 vehicles in the UK in June, with the Range Rover Sport continuing to set the benchmark for performance in its sector. The luxurious SUV retailed 975 vehicles, an impressive 62% climb year-on-year. The all-conquering Range Rover Evoque, which celebrates its fifth year of production this week, continues to perform well (1756 vehicles) while the Discovery Sport (1,597) and Discovery retailed (927) in June respectively. 

• Jaguar Land Rover is Britain's largest automotive manufacturer, with the company’s three UK manufacturing plants breaking the 500,000 production milestone in 2015.
• In 2015, the UK was the company’s largest market for both Jaguar and Land Rover vehicle sales. In 2015, a total of 100,636 cars were sold, up 21% year-on-year. Of that, Jaguar sold 23,897 vehicles and Land Rover sold 76,739 vehicles.
• Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive sector employer, employing over 35,000 people in the UK, including 2,500 apprentices and graduates, as well as supporting around 275,000 additional UK jobs through its dealerships, suppliers and local businesses.
• Jaguar Land Rover is one of the UK's largest exporters and generates over 80% of its revenue from exports.
• Over the past five years, Jaguar Land Rover has doubled sales and employment, more than tripled turnover, and invested £12 billion in new product creation and capital expenditure.
• Note: the above reported figures relate to the volume of UK retail sales. These may differ from the SMMT’s passenger car registration figures.

USA - Ford announces the new Raptor will come with Six different mode settings to cover the vast majority of surfaces.

The all-new Ford F-150 Raptor features six terrain modes designed to handle the most demanding terrains. From off-road rock crawling and desert running to on-road sport mode, Raptor is ready for any type of driving. Here’s a breakdown of each mode.

Normal

For everyday on-road driving duties, normal mode is a perfect balance of excitement, comfort and convenience.

Sport

Mountain passes are no longer just for Mustang, thanks to Raptor sport mode. For spirited on-road driving, sport mode increases throttle response and provides a sportier steering feel – along with quicker shifting. The transmission holds gears longer to keep you in the power band.

Weather

When road conditions are less than ideal, weather mode inspires confidence without compromising driving pleasure. Snow/wet mode automatically engages 4 Auto. AdvanceTrac, throttle response and the shift schedule are optimized for greater confidence in slippery conditions.

Mud/Sand

For tackling trails and other off-road treks, the mud/sand setting is your best friend. 4 High and the electronic locking differential automatically engage for driving over loose or soft ground, and optimized AdvanceTrac settings help Raptor keep its footing. Steering is set to comfort, which makes it easier to navigate along tight trails and over obstacles.

Baja

Baja mode is where Raptor eclipses the competition. Designed for high-speed desert running, Baja mode places the vehicle in 4 High, AdvanceTrac is programmed to the least intrusive settings, and the throttle map is adjusted for more linear power and improved engine response to give the hardcore off-road driver greater control. The transmission has quicker shifts and holds gears longer – keeping the vehicle in its power band.

Rock Crawl

This setting is for intense off-road driving and rock climbing at low speeds. Rock crawl prompts the driver to place the vehicle in 4 Low, the electronic locking differential is automatically engaged and AdvanceTrac is set to the least intrusive settings for optimum rock-climbing ability. 

Throttle modulation and transmission response are optimized for greater control. Additionally, the front camera allows the driver to see what’s right in front of the truck, and it can be kept on at speeds up to 15 mph.

Along with the individual AdvanceTrac settings tied to drive modes, Raptor continues the Ford Performance tradition of allowing the driver to program the system’s settings to match conditions and skill level. 

The driver can reduce traction control but keep stability control on with a single press of the electronic stability control button; or, by holding the button for five seconds, the driver can turn AdvanceTrac settings off.

UK SALES JUNE - MG breaks previous records with the new GS helping to boost sales along with more dealers.

MG Motor UK’s first ever SUV, the MG GS, has given a boost to record sales for the UK brand.

Official half-year figures, released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) show that MG Motor has had its best start to a year.

Year-to-date figures show it has exceeded last year’s figures with 1,896 units; a 13.53% increase. June alone has pushed the brand up 43.59%, with 336 units.

MG’s new SUV, the MG GS, is blazing the way with more than 70 registrations already; only a little less than two weeks since it officially went on sale. Regional test drives have been taking place across the country, which has paved the way to more sales and fantastic feedback on the new model.

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “This year has got off to a fantastic start for us. Launching our new model, the MG GS, has given us the boost we needed and it is clear to see that we are firmly on track to make 2016 a record year.”

To show how strongly MG is growing in the UK, this year’s half-year sales are more than the total sales for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 combined.

Matthew added: “The MG3 and MG6 took us through to June, and then the MG GS helped give us that extra boost. Our newest addition will definitely help push the brand even further. We are growing rapidly and attracting new customers and new dealerships alike. If ever there was a time for people to look seriously at either buying a new MG or becoming a dealer, it’s got to be now. We are really delighted with the way things are going for MG.”

AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - Mitsubishi takes the title of Best Pick Up Of The Year with the L200.

Auto Express, the UK’s most popular automotive weekly publication, has awarded the Mitsubishi L200 ‘Pick Up of the Year’ for the second year running at an illustrious award ceremony in London last night.

Auto Express’ Editor-in-Chief, Steve Fowler, explained;

"As you'd expect the L200 is a typically robust pick-up, but its superior refinement marks it out from other contenders, making it more car-like to drive. With all the carrying capacity you could want and decent performance, it all adds up to an all-round package that can't be beaten."

 The Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors UK, Lance Bradley, said;

“We are delighted to receive this award again this year. The iconic Mitsubishi L200 pick-up is a huge success story for us.  To have retained this award, in light of an ever expanding sector, really extols the virtues of the L200. We believe this latest accolade to be a just reward for what is a fantastic vehicle.”

Auto Express is Britain's biggest selling weekly motoring magazine, with a print circulation of 45,150 and a website attracting four million unique users a month.

A constant presence at top of the UK’s pick-up sector for decades, the L200 is a fundamental part of Mitsubishi Motors presence in the UK and at the end of June sales were up 23 percent versus the same period last year. 

AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - Honda takes the Design award for the tenth generation Civic.

The 10^th generation Civic, due in showrooms from spring 2017, has won its first UK gong at the 2016 Auto Express Awards last night.

Picking up the coveted Design Award, which was voted for by readers of autoexpress.co.uk, the Civic fended off 14 competitors to the top spot.

The car is proving to be a much anticipated arrival on to UK forecourts next year with the new Civic claiming almost a fifth of the entire vote.

With the production version set for global unveil at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September; the concept was unveiled at March’s Geneva Motor Show to critical acclaim.

Produced at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) in Swindon, the car will be exported to global markets, including the US.  The design of the prototype heralds a significant step-change from previous versions of Honda’s core European model, focusing on provocative design and rewarding driving dynamics.

The all-new Civic hatchback will be 30 mm wider, 20 mm lower and 130 mm longer than the current generation. New larger and wider wheels and tyres give a feeling of an assured stance, while the long wheelbase, short overhangs and sleek cabin area further add to the dynamic feel of the exterior.  The all-new Civic Hatchback will feature a range of three powertrain options: 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre VTEC TURBO petrol engines, and a revised 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel unit. Civic will be the first European model to feature the two all-new petrol engines.

Phil Webb, Head of Cars at Honda UK, commented: “This time last year we were starting to refresh the range.  Since then, we have significantly increased our market share, expanded our offering and started to win awards again.  

“This Design Award for the next generation Civic is all the more significant because it is voted for by readers.  It’s a sign of things to come and we expect big things for this car.”