30,000th Captur sold in the UK goes to a couple in Kent.

• Renault Captur hits 30,000 UK sales landmark
• Milestone underlines Renault’s growing presence in crossover segment
• Eagerly-awaited Kadjar will join Renault crossover family this autumn

A couple from Kent has taken delivery of the 30,000^th Renault Captur urban crossover to be sold in the UK. Richard and Norma Watters, of West Malling, collected the keys to their range-topping Captur Signature from local dealer RRG Renault Orpington.

The excited couple chose the model – a Captur Signature TCe 120 Auto EDC – after falling for its elevated ride height and comfort.

But it was the added ‘va va voom’ of a striking Flame Red metallic finish with contrasting Diamond Black roof and door mirrors and chrome interior detailing that sealed the deal.

To commemorate the special occasion the couple were presented with a voucher for £300 from Renault UK towards the cost of Renault accessories as well as a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. 

Collecting the car, a delighted Mrs Watters, said: “When I saw the Captur I really loved the look of it and then, after a quick test drive I knew it was the car for me.

“It’s exciting enough just to be collecting the car but knowing it’s the 30,000^th sold in the UK and a bit of a landmark car makes it all the more special.”

Paul Davis, General Sales Manager at RRG Renault Orpington, said: “In a short space of time the Captur has become one of our most popular and in-demand models and the Captur Signature is something really special.

“I know Mr and Mrs Watters are going to love their new Captur and will have a great time discovering its many on board features.”

He added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be playing a role in the Captur success story and can’t wait until its big brother, the Kadjar, arrives in our showroom this autumn.”

On sale since July 2013, the Captur has rapidly become one of Renault’s most popular models and is now the brand’s second biggest seller in the UK. 

Its success has given Renault a growing presence in the important crossover segment. This position will be strengthened in the autumn with the eagerly anticipated launch of the Captur’s bigger brother, the Kadjar.

Priced from £14,995 RRP for the entry level Expression+, the Captur brings Renault’s sense of style to the crossover scene and a fun and sporty spirit to compliment its all-round practicality and quality.  

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, Bluetooth connectivity automatic headlights and wipers and a handsfree keycard.

The Captur Signature is priced from £17,495 RRP and offers a long list of upgrades including 17-inch ‘Explore’ alloy wheels, a leather interior, rear parking camera, climate control, the Renault R-Link Multimedia system including 7-inch touchscreen and TomTom® LIVE Satellite Navigation.

Like all Renaults it comes with a four year/100,000-mile warranty and four years roadside assistance.

Abarth 695 BiPosto to become official car of teh 2014 Gumball 3000.

• The Abarth 695 biposto makes its official on-road debut
• “Gumball 3000”: the non-competitive rally for 120 supercars which covers over 3000 miles in less than 10 days
• Abarth is the only official automotive partner of the sixteenth edition which will cross North America and Europe

Following the official debut at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show, the ‘most Abarth of all Abarths’ takes to the road for the first time.

Fitted with a 190 HP, 997 kg 1.4 T-Jet engine, giving the best weight-to-power ratio in its category (5.2) and acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds, the Abarth 695 biposto will be the official car of the sixteenth edition of the "Gumball 3000" rally.

It's the first time that an official car has been appointed for the “Gumball 3000”, the non-competitive rally for just 120 amazing supercars which cover over 3000 miles in less than 10 days.  

After the adrenaline-charged 15th anniversary rally from Copenhagen to Monaco, for the 2014 edition the “Gumball 3000” is set to cross two continents with a route that sets off from South Beach, Miami and finishes in Ibiza: this year's event promises to be more exciting and enthralling than ever, for drivers and fans alike.

It's a unique adventure for the participants who, between 4th and 11th June, will travel all the way from America to Europe: after stages in Miami, Atlanta and New York, all 120 cars will be flown across the Atlantic, touching down in Scotland. Here, in Edinburgh, the “Gumball 3000” will enrich its line-up of supercars with the Abarth 695 biposto, making its official on-road debut.

Abarth's “two-seater” road-going car will unleash its 190 HP, becoming the undisputed star attraction of the event. “Gumball 3000” has chosen “the fastest Abarth ever” as the iconic image of the 2014 edition of the Rally, giving it the coveted #1.

Maximillion Cooper, CEO and founder of the event, announced that he was honoured and thrilled to be the first official driver of the Abarth 695 biposto, a car that truly represents the essence of Abarth: with its size, a quintessential Abarth characteristic, a “small Italian supercar”, and its “racing heart”, that passion for speed and the challenges of the road – while also embracing the values of the “Gumball” rally.

“Gumball 3000” was launched in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, a former British racing driver, designer and entrepreneur, included by Complex in its list of the 50 most influential people in the auto industry, as his rally brings cars, music, fashion, art and entertainment all together. Cooper borrowed the word 'Gumball' from Andy Warhol, who used it to describe how the public “chew up” and spit out popular culture just like chewing gum. The number '3000', meanwhile, is a nod to Cooper's fascination with the future, especially at a time when the world was on the cusp of the 21st century. This now legendary road trip has seen the participation of international artists and celebrities, royalty, individuals included in Forbes rich lists, billionaires, founders of Blue Chip companies, rapidly capturing the attention of the press and public alike, achieving mainstream media coverage through automotive and lifestyle publications, and even gracing the covers of The Financial Times, GQ , Esquire, FHM and CAR.

The roads between the Scottish capital and Ibiza - taking in London, Paris and Barcelona - will be the first to put the Abarth 695 biposto's exhilarating supercar performance (top speed 140 mph) to the test. What's more, it's the very first time that a ‘street legal’ car, currently in its category, is offered with a gearbox featuring dog rings with controls and disc and clutch self-locking differential derived from the world of racing, making upwards gear changes so rapid that expert drivers don't need to use the clutch. 

In each city the “Gumball” visits, Abarth - sole official automotive partner - will play a leading role: Regent Street in London, Les Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, Barcelona and the Old Town Port in Ibiza will welcome hundreds of thousands of people and Abarth is all set to make every arrival an exciting, memorable event with its fantastic cars.

The race schedule is as follows:

4th June – Arrival in Miami

5th June – from Miami to Atlanta

6th June – from Atlanta to New York

7th June – from New York to Edinburgh

8th June – from Edinburgh to London

9th June – from London to Paris

10th June – from Paris to Barcelona

11th June – from Barcelona to Ibiza

Citroen updates the DS range to improve on the 300,000 sales already made.

• Ever-popular DS 3 & DS 3 Cabrio to be updated with new features & technologies
• New Xenon full LED light signature introduced, delivering more style, better visibility & less energy consumption
• New engines to be introduced, including Euro 6 BlueHDi 120 & BlueHDi 100
• DS 3 & DS 3 Cabrio now feature ‘Active City Brake’ for safer city driving

Following exceptional acclaim since launch and an impressive 300,000 sales globally, selected versions of the popular DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio are to be updated with a new light signature, new engines and additional technology features.

THE NEW GAZE OF DS 3: BETTER VISIBILITY, SENSUAL & HYPNOTIC

All DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio DSport versions from July production will feature state-of-the-art headlights inspired by two innovative concept cars – Numéro 9 and Wild Rubis. Combining LED and Xenon modules with new sequential indicators, the new headlights represent a world first for the brand.

The all-new headlights offer exceptional lighting performance when used in dipped or high-beam mode, with the LED and Xenon modules combining to provide enhanced visibility and driver comfort at night.

Efficiency, too, is improved; energy consumption is 35% lower in dipped mode and 75% lower in high-beam mode, while the LEDs last up to 20 times longer than halogen lights, with an impressive standard lifetime of 20,000 hours.

Already strong on visual appeal, DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio’s new headlights are now more striking than ever. The LED modules have been arranged to provide a distinctive signature and the sequential indicators – a class exclusive – add further appeal.

Both DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio retain their distinctive 3D-effect LED rear lights, with a chrome finished DS logo in a black embossed DS pattern setting. The existing LED daytime running lights compliment the new lighting signature at the front of both cars.

NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR PERSONALISATION

To further enhance the allure of DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio, and to ensure that they remain unique and desirable, the brand is also introducing a new range of personalisation options. 

Also from July production, selected versions of DS 3 will be available with the choice of a laser-etched dashboard strip and a screen-printed rear window. Colour options have also been enhanced, with the addition of Pearl White as a body colour on DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio. Belle-Ile Blue is also introduced on DS 3 Cabrio. DS 3 gains the availability of new visually striking 17” diamond-cut alloy wheels on selected models.

NEW ENGINES: PERFORMANCE & EFFICIENCY COMBINED

Already acknowledged for their perfect balance between performance and comfort, DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio will also gain new Euro 6 compliant diesel and petrol engines.

Two new Euro 6 diesel engines will become available; the BlueHDi 120 and BlueHDi 100. Both engines will offer more power and lower emissions. Thanks to the use of leading-edge technology, including SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), NOx emissions are cut by 90%, while CO₂ emissions are cut by up to 4%.

The BlueHDi 100 will be class-leading in terms of emissions, producing just 79g/km of CO₂. The BlueHDi 120 emits 94g/km of CO₂. As well as reducing emissions and delivering greater levels of performance, both engines improve fuel efficiency, boasting figures of up to 94mpg for the BlueHDi 100 and up to 78mpg for the BlueHDi 120 version.

A new petrol engine also becomes available in some markets (to be confirmed for the UK) in the form of a Euro 6-compliant PureTech e-VTi 82 ETG. Delivering 69mpg over a combined cycle and producing just 95g/km of CO₂, this engine is available with the automated manual ETG (Efficient Tronic Gearbox). The 5-speed ‘box features a creep function and optimised software mapping, which adjusts power delivery for smoother starts and a better driving experience.

HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT, FOR A SAFER, MORE COMFORTABLE DRIVE

DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio are already recognised for having the largest boot in their class and five ‘real’ seats – they can now boast new features to improve the city driving experience.

Selected versions will be available in the UK (from July production) with ‘Active City Brake’. This is an automatic braking system that helps to prevent low-speed collisions. 

This is achieved thanks to a short-range radar, mounted at the top of the windscreen, which identifies slow moving or stationary vehicles on the road ahead. If the vehicle is driving at speeds lower than 20mph, the sensor activates the brakes to avoid a potential collision.

Day-to-day manoeuvres are made easier too, with the addition of an optional reversing camera on both DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio. This camera is automatically linked to the eMyWay navigation system for ease of use.