SEAT surprises some school children on a recent visit to one of their production facilities.

• It's Christmas at SEAT for children from a school in Barcelona who receive presents along the assembly line
• Students visiting the carmaker's factory find out about the manufacturing process of a vehicle

The SEAT factory in Martorell, where more than 2,000 vehicles are produced every day, had presents coming off the assembly line for the first time, just days before the arrival of the Christmas holidays. 

On the occasion of a school visit to the plant, the carmaker had a surprise in store for the 28 visiting students from the Marillac school in Barcelona while they got a close look at the manufacturing process of a vehicle. 

At each stage of the visit, presents randomly appeared on several sections of the production line, the robot stations, smart utility vehicles, and some were even hand delivered by the company’s own employees.

“It looks like Santa was here last night!” the children were heard saying as they found new presents among the various car parts along the assembly line until they reached the final station, where a SEAT Leon was waiting for them filled with educational toys based on science and technology for everyone.

This initiative is part of SEAT’s commitment to young talent and educational projects, which is reflected in the nearly 60 years of existence of the company’s Apprentice School, a vocational training centre whose key to success is the completion of training courses in a real-world environment. 

185 young hopefuls are currently learning and studying there with the option of later becoming a part of the company’s workforce.

The SEAT factory in Martorell has the highest output in Spain. Last year a total of 477,000 units were produced here and later distributed to the more than 75 countries where the Spanish brand markets its vehicles. 

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting more than 80% of its vehicles, and is present in over 75 countries. 

In 2015, SEAT’s turnover amounted to over 8.3 billion euros, the highest in its history, and the company achieved worldwide sales of more than 400,000 units for the first time since 2007.

SEAT Group employs more than 14,000 professionals at its three production centres – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia. 

The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focussed on developing innovation for Spain’s largest industrial investor in R&D. 

SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the company’s global digitisation process to promote the mobility of the future.

Ho Ho Ho - MG pushes the GS SUV over the Christmas period to help in those last minute requirements.

Whether stocking up on festive treats, taking the kids to the school panto or picking up last minute presents ahead of the Christmas rush, MG Motor UK’s all-new SUV, the MG GS, perfectly blends style and practicality – the ideal car for the festive season!

Fun, affordable and available with a whole host of great practical accessories, the GS will stand up to every challenge you throw at it. 

With space for the whole family, the fully collapsible 60:40 split rear seats create a massive 1,336 litres of space to fit even the most lavish shopping trips. Optional roof top bars paired with a 360-litre top box provide even more space in the GS.  

Automatic headlights and cruise control come as standard, even on the entry-level Explore model, while the mid-range Excite adds rear parking sensors and reversing camera, along with DAB radio and Bluetooth. The top-spec GS Exclusive features an integrated sat nav, electric seats and state-of-the-art Xenon headlamps – what more could you ask for!

With all that snow, mud and sludge, winter can be a nightmare for keeping your interior clean. Fortunately, the GS comes with a range of stylish rubber mats (from £30.00) for the front, rear and boot. Simply wipe clean to get that showroom-fresh look, whatever the weather. 

Until the end of December, the MG GS comes with a selection of special offers*. With OTR prices starting from £14,995, the GS is currently available with either:

• 0% APR with just a 20% deposit monthly finance option
• £660 contribution towards your deposit when financed on a PCP/PCH basis
• A five-year/80,000-mile (whichever occurs first) manufacturer parts and labour warranty

Dacia follows it's parent company in offering a contribution, on top of all other offers for its range of cars.

• Seasonal offer adds even more value to Dacia range
• £300 contribution towards selected Sandero, Duster and Logan MCV models in addition to all existing offers until end of November
• Free five-year / 60,000 mile warranty on eligible finance packages

Dacia has entered into the season of giving with an attractive offer that sees its ‘shockingly affordable’ range represent even greater value for money.

In the run up to a period that can have a major drain on people’s finances, the no-nonsense brand is giving customers an early Christmas present in the shape of £300 towards their purchase of some of its most popular models – the extra cash being on top of already generous deposit contributions that feature in its current offers.

Available until 30^th November, the additional £300 applies to selected versions of the Dacia Sandero, already the UK’s most affordable new car; the multiple award-winning Duster SUV, and the UK’s lowest priced estate – the Logan MCV.

The additional £300 complements the many finance deals that already feature across the Dacia range and, as an added bonus, all eligible vehicles will also automatically come with a free 5-year/60,000 mile warranty when purchased on Dimensions PCP or Hire Purchase scheme packages. 

For even more peace-of-mind, buyers can opt for the added protection and value of a 7-year/100,000 mile warranty for a one-off fee of just £395 – a saving of £455 over the usual RRP price.

The appeal of Dacia’s no-nonsense finance options, coupled with the low-cost of its range, have contributed to the manufacturer being ranked number one brand for value for money in the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey and rated first for overall brand satisfaction in the Which? Car Guide 2015/16.

Renault to help it's customers with a brace of offers over the festive season to make a new car, more affordable.

• Festive offers make purchasing a new Renault even more affordable
• Additional £500 towards Twingo, Clio and Captur until end of November
• Payment holiday until February 2016 available for PCP Selections customers of Twingo, Clio and Captur until end of December 

With Christmas just around the corner, Renault is giving car buyers even more reason to celebrate with a duo of attractive offers on some of its most popular models.

Until the end of November, customers of selected Twingo, Clio and Captur crossover models can enjoy an additional £500 towards their new Renault – this is on top of all current offers and making the brand’s stunning small car range even more enticing and affordable thanks to a low deposit coupled with low monthly payments.

It’s also a case of ‘happy holidays’ for customers who purchase certain Renault models through the brand’s popular Selections PCP packages. Those in the market for a new Twingo, Clio (excluding Expression versions) or Captur, and purchase by 31 December will have the option of deferring the start of their monthly payments until February 2016. The payment holiday means they can change their car earlier than they might have imagined during what is traditionally the most expensive season of the year.

The payment holiday means that a customer can put down a £159 deposit on a Clio Play 1.2 16v 75 in November or December, and start their 45 monthly payments of £169 in February, after the festive period¹.

These limited festive period deals join a whole host of finance offers that are available across the Renault range. With every finance option customers enjoy the Renault 4+ warranty and Renault Assistance scheme which provide the ultimate peace of mind for four years or 100,000 miles².

The innovative rear-wheel drive, rear-engined Renault Twingo is available in four distinctive trim levels, in SCe70 and TCe90 engines. The urban runaround is also offered in either manual or automatic EDC transmissions with a whole host of personalisation options to suit the customer such as interior colour touch packs to match the exterior. The Twingo is available from £9,495.

Celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2016, the stylish Renault Clio is available in four trim levels and with an efficient range of two petrol and one diesel engines, priced from £11,145. The Clio is available with numerous personalisation options such as the GT Line look pack, coloured 16-inch and 17-inch alloy wheels as well as exterior and interior colour touch packs.

Europe’s best-selling compact crossover, the Renault Captur, is offered with a range of two petrol and two diesel engines and is priced from £14,295. The distinctive five-seater is available in four different trim levels and offers a unique array of colour options with a high specification even on entry-level models.

For more information about Renault’s model range, current offers and full terms and conditions, please visitwww.renault.co.uk/offers 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from The Motoring World

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM

THE MOTORING WORLD

WOW, Another year has passed, and 2014 can be classed as one of the best for motoring in a very long time, sadly we lost SAAB, but good news seems to be on the Horizon, with a new owner who have very deep pockets, and a need for a premium brand within their range.

The continued expansion of Jaguar Land Rover continues apace with two brand new models the XE and Discovery Sport launched to the world, and over the next couple of years, a vast aray of new, replaced or refreshed models will increase sales significantly, but thats not all, JLR brought us brand new E-Types for the first time in decades, a new SVO devision, that has given us the RR Sport SVR, we saw this model some months ago at Solihull, as you can see below.

For me, the biggest disapppointment of the year was when Land Rover confirmed that they would not be building teh DC100, this modern version, of the evergreen Defender, oozed modernity, with teh familiar look of teh car it should have replaced, this car would have sold, and sold really really well, i just hope that what ever they replace it with, is equally as stunning.

The continued recalls of 2014 broke new records, with nearly 61 million cars just in the USA, from the Takata Airbag scandal to the GM ignition switch farce and so many more inbetween, shows that some car makers either do not really care, or have little interest in making their products safe and secure for us, the buying public, 2015 will continue to be huge for recalls, with the two examples above to carry on well into the New Year.

The Motoring World Blog has seen some really big numbers, which surprised us a great deal, although this month (December) has seen a dip, and no matter what we do the numbers have failed to grow, we have great hopes for 2015, but back to 2014, the biggest read news Story is not on a car, infact it is a Yamaha Bike, and can be read >>HERE<< it is followed by three Stories on Skoda and one from Porsche, the top ten is rounded off with two on MG, one of recalls of 2014, our Goodwood festival of Speed (GFoS) 2013 and the BMW i3.

The United States remains our #1 port of call for readers with over 125,000 hits follwed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, The Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Canada, Poland and last in the top ten, India with 2190 hits, and many many more inbetween, Firefoz, Chrome and Internet Explorer take the top three browser platforms, Operating Systems from Wndows, Macintosh and Linux take the top three.

28,123 hits in October was our biggest month to date, followed by September, November and March, all 2014, so this year has been huge for the worldwide Motoing industry and for us too, I really hope you enjoy my little blog, and that we have achieved, what we set out to do, and thats to inform, enjoy and offer our own take on all things wheels.

So, Thank you all so very much, from the bottom of my heart without you guys taking time out of your busy lives to spend a part of it here, reading our posts, offering your own comments and allowing me to be a small part of your time, makes me proud.

I will continue to offer more news, reviews and updates next year, and with 2015 looking so far to be a good year for the automotive industry, hopefully we can break some records too, so, from me to you all, Have a very Merry Christmas, and no matter how you celebrate, or how you spend your time over the last week of the year, have a happy and peaceful time, and for 2015, i hope you all achieve all you set out to do.

And lastly, Thank you all so very much

Hyundai is supporing CRISIS, the homless charity with 16 vehicles over the festive period.

• 16 Hyundai vehicles supplied to support Crisis’ festive period campaign
• Cars will move guests, medical teams, supplies and volunteers around London
• Campaign expected to help 4,000 homeless and vulnerably housed people

Hyundai is supporting Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, by supplying vehicles for use by its dedicated team of volunteers in London over Christmas. The charity is taking delivery of 16 vehicles (a mix of Santa Fes, i800s and i30s) as it prepares for the festive period – its busiest time of year. The cars will carry supplies and transport individual guests and volunteers around London, supporting Crisis at Christmas which runs from 22 to 30 December (TBC).

Jon Sparkes, Crisis' Chief Executive, said: “Christmas should be a time for family and friends, for warmth and celebration, yet for homeless people it can be one of the hardest times of year – a cold, lonely time to be suffered rather than enjoyed.

“Crisis at Christmas is only possible due to the generosity of our volunteers and donors, such as Hyundai, who have come together to make Christmas happen for some of society’s most vulnerable people.”

Crisis at Christmas will see a dedicated team of more than 9,000 volunteers supporting 4,000 homeless people over the Christmas period, helping them to take their first steps out of homelessness. More than 6,000 people slept rough in London at some point last year, an increase of 77% since 2010.  

TMW - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at The Motoring World.

As 2013 draws to a close, we can look back on a number of huge stories in the motoring world, The Jaguar F-Type, Corvette Stingray, Viper, the continued dominance of the VAG group and the unsteady state of Peugeot Citroen and the return of DATSUN.

SAAB has made a return, MG continues to fail in the UK, the Chinese have proved they can build great cars, along with a new brand Qoros, the new MkIII MINI, Golf MkVII, FIAT's continued takeover of Chrysler along with the stunning Alfa 4C.

Just a tiny amount of news and its only just the start, 2014 is looking like a massive year for the automotive world, we should get first looks at at least three brand new cars from Jaguar Land Rover, BMW's hybrid sports car the i8, The Bentley SUV, New Lambo SUV, and a number of exciting developments from Mercedes, AUDI, Lotus, Citroen and Nissan, again, just a tiny hint of what is to come.

So, from The Motoring World, thank you for taking a few minutes of your valuable time to have a read of my blog, and all things motoring, and please where ever you are, who ever you are, and what ever you do, thank you and have a great Christmas Holiday and I wish you all a great 2014.

Jon Mower

Dacia UK does it again, a great offer for the Duster SUV

Dacia’s set the UK car market alight in recent months with its “shockingly affordable” four-model range. Now it’s looking to clean up completely with a stunning Duster deal from under £100 per month.

Rampant Dacia is offering Brits arguably the ultimate new car “smart buy” with the chance to get behind the wheel of its multi-award-winning flagship for just £99 per month*. Or, to put it another way, a chunky, family-friendly SUV for the price of a one-litre, three-door Volkswagen up! city car**.

The jaw-dropping offer, available through Dacia Finance, is for the Duster Access 1.6 4x2 over four years. What’s the catch? There isn’t a cash one. The only condition is that each Duster’s got to be ordered and registered by the end of 2013.

For only £20 more per month, buyers can upgrade to attractive Ambiance 4x2 spec with the fuel-sipping 1.5 dCi 110 engine. The mid-level version brings a series of creature comforts such as 4x20W radio CD, Bluetooth, AUX/USB connection and electric front windows.

The range-topping Lauréate, simply priced at a further £20 per month for the 4x2 dCi 110 version, offers a heady mix of air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors and leather steering wheel. Its chunky looks are beefed up with the addition of alloy wheels, plus satin chrome styling touches and roof bars too.

Incredibly, for unbeatable peace of mind motoring, all Dusters even come with free servicing (3 years/60,000 miles).

Dacia has clearly struck a chord with budget-conscious new and used car buyers up and down the country. Year-to-date, Duster is already in fifth place for retail SUV sales (C-SUV segment), outselling well-established competitors such as the Ford Kuga and Skoda Yeti.

Its success undoubtedly comes down to more than mere affordability though. Its stylish SUV scores high on practicality and reliability, together with low-running costs and fuel-efficient engines. It’s got a roomy cabin and huge boot to round off its tempting package. Plus, the bonus of rugged off-road capability in its 4x4 guises.