MG Customers go on holiday to Devon and instead of bring home sweets or postcards, they bring home new cars.

Most people just bring a stick of rock back from their holidays. But tourists visiting Devon are taking larger souvenirs home – MG cars!

Blights MG in Bideford, north Devon, is developing a thriving business in selling the latest MG cars to visitors to the holiday resort who to find the dealership by chance. 

General Manager, Dave Chumbley, said: “It’s amazing really, we’ve had three sales in the past week alone and all of the customers live miles away from us.”

The latest holidaying customer was Coral Taylor from Thatcham – 170 miles away from Bideford. She bought one of MG’s top-selling MG3 superminis. Coral said: “I was in Bideford for a long weekend and fancied a test drive, which Dave kindly arranged for me on the Saturday afternoon.

“I loved it and spotted a bright yellow used one when we got back to the showroom and that was it – I just fell in love with it and signed up there and then.”

The Hello Yellow MG3 had in fact only just been part-exchanged by a couple who had ordered one of MG’s latest models, the MG GS sports utility vehicle, and that customer was another summer holiday buyer!

Dave Chumbley explained: “While we were servicing their MG3, they took our new MG GS demonstrator for a spin, they loved it so much they ordered one on the spot.

“Last week we took the MG GS to the North Devon Show which was packed with holiday makers and blow me, we took another order from a chap who was on his summer break down here.

“There were other cars on show, but the MG GS was certainly the biggest attraction and it wouldn’t surprise me if we get more orders from tourists. It’s a trend that’s now building our sales very nicely!”  

Meanwhile, MG’s summertime sales boom continues to accelerate with dealers up and down the country reporting record requests for MG3 and GS test drives.

The UK marque is one of the fastest growing brands in Britain and is on target to set a new sales record in 2016, backed by an ever increasing dealer network. While the UK car industry is currently increasing by an average of 2.8 per cent, MG growth is more than five times that level with official figures showing the brand is up more than 15 per cent so far this year.

USA - 2017 INFINITI QX60 gains top honors in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's safety ratings test

• 2017 INFINITI QX60 gains top honors in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's safety ratings test

INFINITI USA today announced that the 2017 INFINITI QX60 premium crossover has earned a 5-star overall safety rating in the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing. 

The 2017 INFINITI QX60 follows previous model year QX60 vehicles in receiving a 5-star NCAP rating dating back to 2014.

"As our bestselling SUV, the INFINITI QX60 was designed with safety and versatility as its number one priorities," said Randy Parker, vice president, INFINITI of Americas. "With safety features including Predictive Forward Collision Warning and Forward Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection available, the QX60 incorporates industry-leading safety technologies to help ensure a secure driving experience."

Recently refreshed for the 2016 model year, the INFINITI QX60 premium crossover delivers an engaging and sophisticated driving experience, and is available with front-wheel drive, Intelligent All-Wheel Drive and efficient hybrid drivetrains.

An augmented suite of advanced safety and driving assistance technologies with available Predictive Forward Collision Warning and Forward Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection can intervene to help prevent collisions when necessary, along with Backup Collision Intervention. Other safety features include Moving Object Detection as part of the Around View Monitor, as well as Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Blind Spot Warning, Blind Spot Intervention, Intelligent Cruise Control, Distance Control Assist and front Pre-Crash Seat Belts.

The extensive list of standard safety features on the 2017 QX60 include:

• Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification sensors
• Roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags with rollover sensor for outboard occupant head protection for all three rows
• Front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags
• LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
• Vehicle Dynamic Control and Traction Control System

For more information regarding the INFINITI QX60, please visit here.

About Infiniti

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China.  Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.

Infiniti design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing.

Infiniti is in the middle of a major product offensive.  The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies.

From the 2016 season, Infiniti is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.

Luxury British Menswear company, Hackett has collaborated with Aston Martin to produce a great range of items.

Luxury British carmaker Aston Martin and menswear retailer Hackett today announced a new, long-term global partnership. In line with the reveal of Aston Martin’s highly anticipated DB11, the first fruits of the new partnership will be revealed when Hackett launches an exclusive capsule collection for Autumn/Winter 2016 entitled ‘Aston Martin by Hackett’.

Hackett’s relationship with Aston Martin stretches back many years through a successful partnership with Aston Martin Racing, the company’s global sportscar racing operation. Building on the foundations of that strong relationship, the Aston Martin by Hackett collection offers an all-new range of luxurious clothing that reflects the coming together of two stylish brands.

Aston Martin’s EVP & Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said: “Starting with the enduringly successful relationship with Hackett via Aston Martin Racing, we were delighted to take the partnership to a whole new level of style with the creation of the Aston Martin by Hackett collection. By bringing together our creative teams from the outset of the project we have created a look that captures the essence of this great partnership.”

Jeremy Hackett, Chairman and founder of Hackett commented: ”I am very proud of the successful relationship that Hackett has forged with Aston Martin.  We are both forward-looking brands with a strong focus on delivering a refined product to a discerning market. Taking the step from uniforms for the race team into a beautiful capsule collection of luxurious clothing has been a pleasure for Hackett and we believe we have created a collection that drives us to the next level in elegance and refinement.”

The luxurious 14-piece Aston Martin by Hackett collection includes outerwear, knitwear, shirts, trousers and accessorises. Reflecting on the quintessentially British brand values of both Hackett London and Aston Martin, the new collection is innovative, luxurious and the epitome of style.

USA - Ford adds interior & exterior upgrades to offer stylish, value-oriented trucks with the STX Appearance Package.

• Ford adds special interior and exterior upgrades to offer stylish, value-oriented trucks with the STX Appearance Package for 2017 F-Series Trucks
• Positioned between XL work and XLT mid-level models, STX available for 2017 F-150 and Super Duty 
• Customers can order the STX package on F-150 in either SuperCab or SuperCrew and on Super Duty in any cab configuration from Ford dealers today

Ford, America’s truck leader, is giving entry-level truck customers a new option to find the truck of their dreams with great infotainment features and stylish design at an affordable price.

The STX Appearance Package will be available for 2017 F-150 and Super Duty trucks, building on the success of the previous generation F-150 STX. This will be the first time F-Series Super Duty is offered with the STX package.

“STX is for customers who want the utility of an F-Series truck in a stylish, well-optioned package at a competitive price,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. 

Positioned between the XL and XLT models, STX adds a stylish exterior and many interior features that aren’t normally available on the entry level F-150:

• 20-inch machined-aluminum wheels with dark gray painted pockets
• Black billet-style grille with body-color surround and black mesh insert
• Body-color front fascia and front and rear bumpers
• SYNC® 3 with 8-inch center stack touch screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™
• Privacy glass
• Unique black sport cloth seats with Flow-through Console and steering column-mounted shifter
• STX Sport Box decal
• Fog lamps
• Manual driver and passenger lumbar support

The F-150 with the STX package is available with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost, 5.0-liter V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost.

The Super Duty STX Appearance package brightens up the exterior with chrome features and unique badging. The package is available with either the 6.2-liter V8 gas engine, or the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel, and adds the following to the XL trim:

• Bright chrome grille
• Chrome front and rear step bumpers
• STX fender vent badge
• Unique aluminum wheels
• Steering wheel-mounted cruise control
• Bright hub covers (SRW only)
• AM/FM stereo with single CD/MP3 player

Available in either SuperCab or SuperCrew configurations on F-150, and in all cab configurations in Super Duty, the STX package bundles numerous features together to give customers a great value truck.

The STX package is available to order through dealers on both models now.

The F-150 STX starts at: $35,615.

F-250 STX starts at $34,910, and F-350 STX starts at $36,080.

WORLDWIDE SALES JULY - Skoda builds on the record first half with an increase in sales for July.

• ŠKODA delivered 83,700 vehicles in July (2015: 82,800); up 1.0%
• Surge in unit sales in China (up 16.1%) and Russia (up 11.6%) 
• Third-generation ŠKODA SUPERB sales increase significantly (up 92.7%)
• New SUV model, ŠKODA KODIAQ, world premiere on 1 September in Berlin
• Werner Eichhorn: “Young model range appeals to new consumer groups”

ŠKODA delivered 83,700 vehicles to customers worldwide this July (July 2015: 82,800 vehicles). This corresponds to a growth of 1.0% over the same period last year. 

The Czech manufacturer made significant gains, particularly in China (up 16.1%) and Russia (up 11.6%). The ŠKODA SUPERB continues to enjoy great popularity, with sales increasing 92.7% over last year.

“ŠKODA’s growth has also continued in July,” says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. 

“Across all markets, we see that our young model range is appealing increasingly to new consumer groups.” ŠKODA will be consistently expanding its model range over the coming years. In this context, the brand will be strengthening its position in the important SUV segment. 

The ŠKODA KODIAQ – a new large SUV model above the ŠKODA YETI – will be celebrating its world premiere on 1 September in Berlin; the market launch is set for February 2017.

In Western Europe, delivering 32,700 vehicles, ŠKODA recorded a sales decline of 8.7% in July as expected. 

This development was mainly due to the break in production at the Czech plants during the three-week factory holiday (4 July to 22 July). In Germany 10,500 customers received their new ŠKODA in July (down 19.7% compared to July 2015). 

The brand recorded double-digit growth in July in Italy (1,600 vehicles; up 11.0%), Finland (900 vehicles; up 23.1%) and the UK (6,100 vehicles; up 12.5%).

In Central Europe ŠKODA’s July sales were down slightly on last year’s figures with 13,900 delivered (down 4.2%). Here too, the holiday-related break in production at the Czech plants had an expected influence on the sales development. 

In the brand’s home market, 7,100 customers received their new ŠKODA (down 8.1%). ŠKODA had a positive July, however, in Croatia (July 2016: 300 vehicles; up 45.6%), Hungary (July 2016: 900 vehicles; up 4.5%) and Slovenia (July 2016: 500 vehicles; up 9.6 %).

In Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, ŠKODA’s deliveries to customers in July increased 11.2% to 3,100 cars (2015: 2,800 cars). During the same period, ŠKODA’s models enjoyed increasing demand in Russia: Sales volumes increased 11.6% to 4,700 vehicles (July 2015: 4200 vehicles).

Thanks to a completely revised model range, sales in July developed particularly positively in Turkey and Israel; compared to July 2015, deliveries to customers climbed 22.8% to 2,200 vehicles (July 2015: 1,800 vehicles) and 45.8% to 2,700 vehicles (July 2015: 1,800 vehicles) respectively. 

ŠKODA gained significant market shares in both countries in contrast to the market trend (Turkey: down 29%; Israel: down 11.9%).

In the brand’s strongest global market, China, ŠKODA recorded a significant sales increase compared to the same month last year: Deliveries to customers rose substantially by 16.1% to 21,400 vehicles (July 2015: 18,400 vehicles).

ŠKODA deliveries to customers in July 2016 (in units, rounded off, listed by model; +/- in % compared to July 2015):

ŠKODA CITIGO (sold only in Europe: 3,400; -1.7 %)

ŠKODA FABIA (15,500; -13.4 %)

ŠKODA RAPID (16,100; +16.8 %)

ŠKODA OCTAVIA (32,200; -5.7 %)

ŠKODA SUPERB (9,500; +92.7 %)

ŠKODA YETI (7,000; -11.1 %)

WORLDWIDE SALES JULY - 180,080 automobiles delivered worldwide, up 4.0% for the BMW Group.

• 180,080 automobiles delivered worldwide, up 4.0%
• Year-to-date sales increase 5.5%: 1,343,217 vehicles sold
• BMW deliveries up 4.0% in July: 153,392 vehicles worldwide MINI sells 26,439 in July, up 4.0%
• Europe and Asia continue strong growth trend
• BMW’s electrified models exceed expectations

BMW Group achieved a new July sales record with a total of 180,080 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 4.0% on the same month last year. Coming off the back of a record first half-year, this solid start to the third quarter sees year-to-date sales climb 5.5% with 1,343,217 vehicles delivered worldwide.

“The BMW Group continues to deliver sustainable, profitable sales growth month after month,” said Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management with responsibility for Sales and Marketing BMW. 

“While we see growth across our range, the fact that the planned production for our electrified 7 Series, 3 Series and 2 Series Active Tourer models is already sold out this year demonstrates our strategy of rolling out electrification on all models is the right one.

We will, of course, now respond to this high customer demand,” he continued.

July saw 153,392 (+4.0%) BMW brand vehicles delivered to customers, more than ever before in the month. This brings year-to-date sales for the brand to 1,139,947, an increase of 5.6% compared with the first seven months of last year. 

Many BMW models have achieved considerable sales growth in the year-to-date including the BMW 2 Series (113,233 / +43.6%), the BMW X1 (111,639 / +69.6%), the BMW X3 (88,442 / +15.5%) and BMW X4 (34,464 / +6.9%). Well over 30,000 new BMW 7 Series models have been delivered to customers so far this year, with sales up 40% compared with the same period last year. 

As availability of all variants continues to increase, monthly sales of the brand’s flagship vehicle more than doubled year-on- year with 5,025 delivered to customers in July.

BMW’s electrified models continue to exceed expectations, especially in Europe. While four percent of all BMW sales in Western Europe in July were electrified vehicles, that percentage increases significantly in markets where innovative electric mobility is supported through financial and infrastructure measures. 

For example, in the Netherlands, 43% of BMW 3 Series registrations are for the plug-in hybrid BMW 330e model and 26% of 2 Series Active Tourer registrations are for the BMW 225xe. 

In Scandinavia, those figures are even higher, with the plug-in hybrid versions accounting for 45% of all BMW 3 Series sales and 55% of all BMW 2 Series Active Tourer sales. July also saw the first deliveries of the new BMW i3 94A, which offers 50% increased battery capacity and therefore significantly increased range. 

Orders for the new BMW i3 exceed 7,000 while sales of the BMW i3 in July are up 33.7%, with a total of 2,358 delivered globally in the month.

Following on from its best-ever first half year, MINI achieved record sales in July with 26,439 (+4.0%) vehicles delivered to customers around the world. A total of 201,337 MINIs were sold in the first seven months of the year, an increase of 5.2% and the first time the brand has sold over 200,000 vehicles by this point in the year.

The brand’s biggest growth drivers in the year-to-date are the MINI Convertible (17,225 / +65.9%) and the MINI Clubman, which has been delivered to more than 32,000 customers around the world.

In Europe, combined monthly sales of BMW and MINI totalled 79,815 in July, up 5.6% compared with the same month last year. Year-to-date sales in Europe are up 10.5% with a total of 622,664 vehicles delivered. 

Almost all markets in the region have contributed to this strong growth with the three biggest markets, Germany (182,390 / +7.8%), the UK (136,914 / +9.6%) and France (49,755/ +13.0%) playing a significant role.

Sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in Asia also saw strong growth last month with a total of 56,819 vehicles delivered to customers in July (+7.9%). In the first seven months of the year, a total of 417,730 BMW and MINI vehicles were sold in Asia, an increase of 7.4% compared with the same period last year. 

The region’s biggest market, Mainland China, achieved an 8.5% increase compared with the first seven months of last year, with a total of 287,753 vehicles sold. Year-to-date sales in Japan (41,750 / +8.2%) and South Korea (34,569 / +9.9%) also show strong growth.

Sales of BMW and MINI in the Americas decreased 3.9% in July compared with the same month last year, with a total of 38,097 vehicles delivered to customers in the region. Year-to-date sales of BMW and MINI vehicles in the region total 260,621, which is down 7.4% compared with the same period last year. 

While sales in Canada (25,524 / +7.3%) and Mexico (18,308 / +9.1%) are up, the increasingly competitive market in the USA has seen year-to-date deliveries decrease 9.5% with a total of 209,131 BMW and MINIs delivered to customers.

This year continues to be the best ever for BMW Motorrad, with year-to-date sales up 2.1% compared with the same period last year: 94,546 motorcycles and maxi- scooters were delivered to customers in the first seven months of the year. Monthly sales for July achieved almost the same extremely high level as last year with 13,792 units sold, a slight decrease of 2.7%.

BMW Group sales in / ytd July 2016 at a glance

	In July 2016	Compared with	YTD 07/2016	Compared with
		previous year		previous year
BMW Group Automobiles	180,080	+4.0%	1,343,217	+5.5%
BMW	153,392	+4.0%	1,139,947	+5.6%
MINI	26,439	+4.0%	201,337	+5.2%
BMW Motorrad	13,792	-2.7%	94,546	+2.1%