New DS store, The biggest in the North West opens in Manchester, in time for the new DS 7.

• Stylish new DS Store opens in Manchester as the largest dedicated DS store in the North West
• Opening on Tuesday, 4 July, buyers are helped by a unique combination of virtual and physical assets
• Designed to provide a premium customer experience
• DS 7 CROSSBACK, the all-new SUV from DS, is exclusively being displayed during the new DS Store’s opening week and yet remains available through DS Virtual Vision in 3D

The new DS Store brings a taste of Paris to Manchester and opens on 4 July. Located on a new site on Windsor Street (off Albion Way), it has been conceived from the floor up to represent premium French car brand DS Automobiles. Due to the latest technology, DS Store Manchester will give new and used car buyers a special environment to explore, experience, specify and purchase their next DS.

As an all-new building, DS Store Manchester will be the largest dedicated DS retail space in the North West of England. The 268m2 showroom can accommodate a display of six DS cars. 

These will be positioned around a DS lounge area where customers can be comfortably seated on bespoke leather furniture in air conditioned surroundings, lightly scented by the exclusive DS ambience-scent via a special diffuser.

As well as displaying a compilation of beautifully crafted items from collectors’ models to leather bags, DS Store will bring together an exclusive array of physical and virtual assets. The result will enable customers to try before they buy in a stylish and chic environment that is nonetheless a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Jason Chick, General Manager for DS Store Manchester, explains: “The new DS Store Manchester has a very different feel to a traditional car showroom, being very obviously premium and spacious while providing customers with a feeling of well-being while within the DS experience that is so much more intimate and engaging for them while with us.

Architect Mike Strain from Scaramanga Design has spent two years working on the project. He says: “This showroom concept is unlike anything I’ve worked on before. Everything from the floor tiles to the wall cladding has been carefully chosen to exude quality. We’ve even worked on lighting that picks out specific design features of the cars on display.”

DS Automobiles UK Marketing Director, Mark Blundell adds: “We’ve used intuitive technology such as DS Virtual Vision to be at the forefront of new ways for our customers to specify, experience and buy a new car in order to make their lives easier and better informed. 

DS Store Manchester has been finished with great attention-to-detail. The result has the French savoir-faire we’re renowned for and most importantly, we’ve created an appealing environment for our customers to immerse themselves with the DS brand.”

Specially trained DS advisers will help visitors to DS Store Manchester to immerse themselves in DS Automobiles. An area dedicated to a comprehensive collection of sample materials lets visitors touch, feel, see and even smell the luxury in a DS. 

Slipping on the DS Virtual Vision headset will enable them to be fully interactive with their chosen selection of DS models using high-definition state-of-the-art 3D technology. 

They can personalise trim levels, interior materials, exterior colours and wheel designs as they build ‘their’ ideal DS. They can then explore the full-size ‘virtual’ car as if the real thing is in front of them, able to look around and inside it as if virtually in front of them.

As with all DS retail centres, DS Store Manchester has been designed in line with the brand’s ONLY YOU promise. It means customers in the North West will be among the first in the world to enjoy the unique DS ownership experience. 

For new owners, this could well start in DS Store Manchester’s bespoke handover area. “The new-car handover is a small example of this attention-to-detail, but nonetheless a very important one,” says Mark Blundell. 

“The new DS Store Manchester demonstrates perfectly how we are looking to bring high-class values to the customer buying and servicing experience as we look to establish DS as a premium automotive brand.”

Arnaud Leclerc, UK DS Brand Development Director, explained, ‘DS is bold and daring yet the brand also seeks to keep in touch with prospective clients through a human touch. 

DS 7 CROSSBACK, our new SUV from DS, is on display as we open the doors to DS Store Manchester and yet continually remains available for customers to see through DS Virtual Vision, as it can illustrate all possible versions available to sample and is a great chance to enter the DS brand world, with hi-quality 3D as an experience the closest to reality.’

DS Store Manchester is newly located at Windsor Street (Off Albion Way), Salford, Manchester, M5 4DG and calls can be made to 0161 636 7472 or more details found at its website: DS Store Manchester

Renault launches an all new special edition Twingo to support THE COLOUR RUN 5kn Event.

• Renault is partnering with THE COLOR RUN for its colourful 5km events in the UK
• Renault to sponsor the yellow section at THE COLOR RUN’s five city venues across the summer
• Renault Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition launched to mark the occasion
• New special edition features electric panoramic fabric sunroof, 15-inch alloy wheels and free-of-charge colour personalisation options costing from £10,495

Renault is going the extra mile to celebrate its sponsorship of THE COLOR RUN, the Happiest 5k on the Planet, with the launch of a commemorative special edition Twingo city car.

The French car manufacturer is sponsoring the Yellow Color Zone of the UK series of THE COLOR RUN global events, where thousands of runners start the course in a white T-shirt and are covered in a rainbow of colours throughout the course.

Taking place at the heart of five nationwide cities that span Brighton to Glasgow and kicking off in London at Wembley Park on 12 June, THE COLOR RUN is all about having fun with friends and family and enjoying a truly colourful experience. 

The events are untimed and participants are invited to complete the course however they wish, be it running, walking, skipping, dancing or even cartwheeling!

For 2016, THE COLOR RUN is bringing the theme of an island holiday to each venue with its Tropicolor Tour, transforming the locations into bustling hives of fun, music and colour. The famous ‘Color Throws’ will welcome participants across the line in a frenzy of colour and the fun will continue at the Finish Festival with entertainment from a mix of DJs and MCs.

As well as sponsoring the yellow section of each course in homage to the vibrant colour of its iconic badge, Renault will be adding even more colour to each city’s event with the display of the new Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition.

Fun, innovative and guaranteed to leave people smiling, the Renault Twingo is the ideal match for THE COLOR RUN. Based on the popular Twingo Play version, that features air conditioning, daytime running lights, electric front windows, DAB tuner with Bluetooth^®, AUX and USB connectivity, and the R&GO^® application that turns any compatible smartphone into an infotainment and navigation system. 

The Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition adds an electric panoramic fabric folding sunroof, 15-inch ‘Exception’ alloy wheels, THE COLOR RUN-exclusive floor mats and the choice of any compatible Exterior Touch Pack and Interior Style Pack, which add colour coordinated details to the inside and outside of the striking city car.

The five-door Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition is available in all of the Twingo’s large array of colours – including the new Ultraviolet metallic shade – and customers can make it even more distinctive with optional Special Edition decals.

Powering the striking Twingo is the SCe 70 petrol engine, the three-cylinder, 999cc engine in the Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition returns fuel economy of 56.6mpg (Combined) and emits 112g/km CO₂.

Compared to a Twingo Play specified with the same extras, the Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition offers a customer saving of £800. The Twingo THE COLOR RUN Special Edition is priced from £10,495 and is available to order now.

James Boyer, Marketing Director, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “We’re very excited to partner with THE COLOR RUN, especially as it brings something new and fun to the city, just like the Renault Twingo. 

Both are all about enjoying urban environments to the maximum and colour is also a major part of the Twingo with the car’s many personalisation options offering drivers the chance to tailor it to their own unique style to really cut a dash around town.”

Andy Knee, Managing Director EMEA of Mass Participation Sports, at organisers IMG, commented: “We’re delighted Renault has chosen to launch a special edition Twingo to celebrate its partnership with THE COLOR RUN. 

The Twingo’s playful personality is sure to connect well with our ‘Color Runners’ who are incredibly passionate about immersing themselves in the Happiest 5k on the Planet. We look forward to seeing these dynamic and stylish cars at our COLOR RUN events and on roads across the country.”

THE COLOR RUN events will take place at:

London – 12 June

Manchester – 2 July

Glasgow – 17 July

Birmingham – 20 August

London – 4 September

Brighton – 17 September

Not that we need telling, but the UK is more congested on the roads today than five years ago.

Traffic congestion in the UK’s biggest cities is 14% worse than it was just five years ago, according to a major new report just released. Across the rest of Europe, average congestion is actually 3% down over the same period.

The annual Traffic Index from TomTom shows average UK journeys in 2015 took 29%* longer than they would in free-flowing conditions – up from a 25% delay in 2010.  

The analysis of 14 trillion pieces of traffic data worldwide showed that the morning rush hour is almost 10% more congested than in 2010, with the evening peak nearly a fifth (19%) worse – suggesting that people return home in a narrower time period in the evenings.

The average commuter driving to and from work in the UK’s top 25 cities wasted 127 hours (more than 5 whole days) stuck in traffic during 2015.  

Congestion has got 4% worse in the past year alone. It’s risen in 17 of the 25 UK cities in the report, with a further 4 remaining about the same.  Only Nottingham, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Preston have shown slight decreases.  

The TomTom Traffic Index analysed traffic patterns in 295 cities globally and found that Belfast was once again the most congested city in the UK – and 14th worst in the world.  Journey times in 2015 were 40% slower than free-flow traffic throughout the day – peaking at 86% longer in the evening rush hour.

London is the 20th most congested city worldwide – and second worst in the UK - with journey times 38% slower, rising to 66% in the evening peak.  The Northern Powerhouse of Manchester (37% slower) moves up into third place, overtaking Edinburgh (37%) and Brighton (34%).  

The next five worst cities for congestion are Hull, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Bristol and Sheffield.

“Transport authorities are managing congestion with well-engineered policies, but you can’t just build your way out of traffic jams”, comments Ralf-Peter Schaefer, Vice-President of TomTom Traffic.  "Studies have shown that policies of ‘predict and provide’ are unsustainable.  Building new motorways and ring roads doesn’t eliminate congestion.  More must be done to better manage existing road space and to spread demand.  

“People simply aren’t doing enough to change their travel habits - such as working flexible hours, avoiding peak commuting times, making use of real–time traffic information and trying alternative travel modes.

“If only five per cent of us changed our travel plans, we could improve traffic congestion on our main roads by up to thirty per cent.”

Globally, Istanbul has been knocked off the top spot by Mexico City.  Commuters in the Mexican capital can expect to spend 59% extra travel time stuck in traffic during the day, rising to 94% in the evening peak period – a total of 219 wasted hours a year.   

The next most congested big cities worldwide are Bangkok (57%), Istanbul (50%), Rio de Janeiro (47%) and Moscow (44%).

TomTom has been collecting traffic data since 2008 and over that period, the UK city that has recorded the largest overall growth in congestion is Coventry - up a staggering 67%.  Stoke-on-Trent has seen the biggest increase in rush hour congestion, at 44%.

But Cardiff can give itself a pat on the back, with overall congestion down 19% since 2008.  

The TomTom Traffic Index is the only global measurement of congestion comparing travel times between non-congested hours and rush hour periods, for passenger vehicles.  It takes into account local roads, main roads and motorways across 295 cities in 38 countries on six continents.  

The latest report is based on data for January – December 2015 and can be found here:

www.tomtom.com/trafficindex

Jaguar First to give 11-17 year olds the opportunity from Jaguar to have driving lesson experience, not cheap though.

• Jaguar First scheme to educate young people on safe, responsible driving
• Launches at six venues across the UK
• 11-17 year-olds to get behind the wheel of a new Jaguar XE in environments which realistically represent public roads

The all-new Jaguar XE is achieving widespread praise from its first owners following its launch earlier this year, andfrom today the Jaguar sports saloon experience is offered to the next generation of drivers with the launch of ‘Jaguar First. 

This new scheme from Jaguar offers driving lesson experience days to 11-17 year-olds to help prepare them for their driving test and for driving safely and responsibly on public roads.

Jaguar First lessons start from just £45 and are available to book at www.jaguarfirst.com. The lessons offer under 17s a fun and safe way to experience driving a car, in a realistic on-the-road environment, with a focus on the skills and attitude needed to become a responsible driver.

Youngsters will drive a 2.0-litre, 180 PS diesel XE with automatic transmission, the most advanced and efficient sports saloon car that Jaguar has ever produced. Lessons will be delivered by government approved driving instructors in Jaguar XEs featuring dual controls.

Lesson content will mirror on road lessons for those with provisional licences, but will take place on specially designed private road systems at the following venues:

• Allianz Park, London
• Bath and West Showground, Bath
• Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham
• EventCity, Manchester
• Lingfield Park Racecourse, Surrey
• Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Once they’ve mastered the basics, youngsters will be able to progress to driving in two-way traffic, dealing with junctions and roundabouts, master turning and steering through slaloms and practice bay andreverse parking. At some venues, there will also be areas where drivers can safely experience the handling of the car at higher speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.

Research has shown that learning to drive responsibly from an earlier age lowers the risk of accidents. Four hundred people are killed each year in the UK in accidents involving young drivers, and one in five newly qualified drivers will crash their car within six months of passing their test. By extending the period of learning with a qualified instructor, and by introducing the concept at an age when they’re more receptive to safety messages, this figure can drop by more than half.

Mark Cameron, Jaguar Land Rover Experiential Marketing Director, said: “Jaguar First is about introducing young people to the concept of responsible driving, helping them in turn to become safer drivers, and also raising their awareness of safety as a pedestrian or cyclist. The XE is a great car for this, as it offers the very latest in technology and innovation, and is also ideal for helping teach young people about environmentally responsible driving.

“The lessons are also great fun and an exciting yet safe way to give new drivers a sense of what it’s like to be in control of a car. We have chosen venues across the country to give as many people as possible the opportunity to try their first drive in a Jaguar. Whether our customers choose a 30, 60 or 90 minute experience, they will spend the whole time in the car, driving.”

Dynamo joins forces with FIAT and the 500 X to tour the country.

• FIAT has partnered with famous magician Dynamo to star in the build up to the launch of the FIAT 500X in the UK in April
• The artist and the new crossover feature in an extraordinary 360-degree VR test-drive experience using special 3D headsets
• The tour visits six UK city-centre locations in February and March, starting today in London’s Covent Garden
• The VR experience is a collaboration between FIAT, Dynamo and Framestore, the British Oscar-winning SFX studio
• More information on the "The Power of X” initiative is available at the dedicated site:thepowerofXtour.co.uk

The "The Power of X” tour, featuring the FIAT 500X and world-famous magician Dynamo, kicks off in the UK. Having already visited 68 European cities, the UK leg of the tour brings the FIAT 500X and Dynamo’s immersive VR experience to London’s Covent Garden on February 13 and 14, before moving on to Cardiff (Queen Street, February 15), Birmingham (Victoria Square, February 21), Manchester (Piccadilly Gardens, February 22) and Newcastle (Grainger Square, February 28), before making its final stop in Glasgow (Silverburn, March 1).

Participants in the #ThePowerOfX tour are taken on a double journey to discover the new FIAT 500X: not only are they able to get up close and personal with the new crossover they can also take part in an immersive digital experience thanks to a special Virtual Reality headset, which reproduces a 360-degree environment in ultra-high resolution 3D. Users will be part of the first ever virtual reality magic experience, produced in collaboration with FIAT, Dynamo and Framestore - the two-time Oscar®-winning, British special effects studio.

Everyone is welcome to drop in and explore the “The Power of X” tour events but by registering online at thepowerofxtour.co.uk visitors will be given priority access at their chosen location, allowing them to skip the queues. Once there, they will be given a wristband with a unique chip which will not only allow them to gain access to the facilities, it will also enable the cameras installed at the event to recognise each individual and compile a unique and personalised video of their experience.

At the same time, dealers throughout the UK will host special preview weekends where people can enjoy the same VR test drive experience with Dynamo and see the FIAT 500X in the metal for the first time. The beginning of the tour also coincides with the official opening of the FIAT 500X order books, enabling the 82,000 “hand raisers” who have so far expressed an interest in the new crossover to create their perfect FIAT 500X using the online configurator and place their order for one of the most hotly-anticipated new cars of the year.

Visitors to both FIAT dealerships and city-centre tour locations will also be able to recreate Dynamo’s incredible virtual experience at home using a cardboard toolkit that will be given as a gift to all participants. Comprising a piece of carefully folded cardboard containing a pair of lenses and used in conjunction with a designated smartphone app, the headset becomes a virtual reality headset in its own right, allowing people to experience “The Power of X” in their own homes.

The arrival of “The Power of X” tour in the UK was marked by an exclusive event at the Copperbox Arena in London where Dynamo performed a one-off, never-to-be repeated illusion, making a FIAT 500X appear on stage in front of more than 1,000 astonished guests. 

Video of the illusion is available to view here:www.youtube.com/FiatUK

The FIAT 500X range at launch kicks off with the 140hp 1.4-litre MultiAir Popstar, priced from £17,595 OTR, when the first right hand-drive models arrive in showrooms nationwide on April 17. An entry-level 1.6 Pop joins the range shortly thereafter priced from £14,595 OTR. For more information visit 500x.FIAT500.com or search for #ThePowerOfX

Tesla continues push into UK with another dealership, and more to come.

West Drayton-based store and service centre continues Tesla’s UK expansion

Tesla today opened a new store and service centre in the UK. Accessible from the M4 and M40 in West London, the new location features a Model S design studio, a seven-bay service area, and the UK’s first purpose-built two-bay delivery centre. It will also offer Model S owners a free shuttle service to the nearby Heathrow airport.

The retail centre – located at Park House, Horton Road, West Drayton, UB7 8JD – is Tesla’s second UK store, adding to the company’s presence in Westfield White City. By the end of 2014, customers will be able to visit Tesla stores and service centres across the country. Tesla is currently recruiting for upcoming sales and service facilities in Crawley, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. The company will continue to hold test-drive events around the UK.

Model S Heathrow Shuttle

Tesla is also announcing plans for an exclusive Model S customer airport shuttle to Heathrow from the new store and service centre. The pre-bookable offering will allow customers the opportunity to have their car serviced whilst away on holiday or business. Tesla will drop off drivers, passengers, and luggage at the airport in time for their flights and meet them in arrivals on their return.

“By taking any hassle out of servicing and flying, I believe that we can delight our customers,” said Georg Ell, Tesla’s UK country director. “The location of our new West London store and service centre makes a perfect base for this service.”

Model S in the UK

Launched in right hand drive in June, Model S is an uncompromised electric car that delivers 312 miles of NEDC range on a single charge. With a 17-inch touchscreen, an outstanding safety record, and an acceleration of 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds, the fully electric Model S breaks the mould. The car and the company have received numerous accolades, includingAutocar magazine’s Sturmey Award for Automotive Excellence and Telegraph Motoring’s Best Eco Car, voted for by readers. Top Gear Magazine called the Model S “the most important car Top Gear has tested.”

Model S has an iPhone app, available in the UK iTunes store. The app puts Model S owners in direct communication with their cars anytime, anywhere. Owners can use the app to check on charging progress, start or stop charging, and heat up or cool down Model S before driving.

In the UK, prices for the Model S start at £50,280 on the road, including the £5,000 government plug-in grant. UK Model S customers can also benefit from other government incentives, including zero road tax, zero showroom tax, and exemption from London Congestion Charge. The car is also eligible for the 100 percent First Year Allowance for company purchase and 0 percent Benefit in Kind, both of which last until April 2015.

McLaren opens 20th retail site, the 5th for the UK.

• Fifth UK retailer marks the 20^th European location for the brand
• State-of-the-art facility will be the largest dedicated McLaren retailer in the UK
• Prominent retail location becomes the Jardine Motors Group’s second dedicated McLaren site

British manufacturer McLaren Automotive has announced plans to further strengthen its expanding retail network with the appointment of McLaren Ascot, which will become the brand’s 20^th European location. A state-of-the-art facility, located in the royal town in Berkshire will become the largest dedicated McLaren retailer in the UK, offering the full range of models, including the 650S Coupe and 650S Spider.

Located only a short distance from the company’s McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) headquarters in Surrey, adjacent to the mainline rail link in the town, the newly-built McLaren Ascot facility will include an eight car showroom, a dedicated service centre and the largest selection of McLaren Qualified pre-owned models in the world.

This latest addition to the retail network will be operated by Lancaster part of Jardine Motors Group, the firm’s second McLaren retailer, having run McLaren’s flagship site in One Hyde Park, London since the launch of the brand in June 2011.

David Brimson, European Director for McLaren Automotive: ‘The UK market is key to the growth of the McLaren brand as we continue to strengthen the network, and this is shown by confirmation of McLaren Ascot so soon after announcing our entry into Scotland with McLaren Glasgow. Jardine Motors Group has proved a valuable retail partner in establishing the brand over the past three years, and McLaren Ascot will provide an important second hub for the brand in the south of England.'

Mark Herbert, CEO of Jardine Motors Group added: ‘It is amazing to think McLaren Automotive only launched three years ago, and the journey the company has been on since then, with the 12C, the McLaren P1™ and now with the 650S. It is a really exciting time to be involved with the brand, and there are some really great products in the pipeline. The addition of McLaren Ascot will be another jewel in the company’s retail network, complementing McLaren London at One Hyde Park to fully service the needs of customers in the south east of England.’

Work on the new showroom will commence in the coming weeks, and the doors to McLaren Ascot will open before the end of 2014, marking the fifth retailer in the UK for the brand. The site joins London, Manchester, Birmingham and the recently announced McLaren Glasgow.