The first new Fiesta has arrived at Dover for it's first customer based in Birmingham.

• First new Fiesta destined for a UK customer docks at Dover
• Titanium model in Chrome Copper to be delivered to Fiesta hotspot of Birmingham, where sales of the top seller are highest   

After eight years as Britain’s favourite car, Ford Fiesta is passing its sales crown to an all-new model arriving this month.

The first new Fiesta to be unloaded was a five-door Titanium with premium B&O PLAY audio, 1.0-litre EcoBoost 100PS engine and eight-inch touch screen connectivity.

It was transported to a dealership in Birmingham, where most Fiestas are sold.  Across the country, 1,000,000 Brits have ordered new Fiestas since 2008 and over 4,500,000 since the car first arrived in 1976.

Of the 120,000 Fiestas registered in the last 12 months, 70 per cent were five-door models, 90 per cent petrol and 60 per cent Zetec, while 20 per cent chose the Titanium series.

Red, white and blue are three of the four favourite Fiesta colours among patriotic UK customers.  Around 22 per cent of new Fiestas are sold in blue, 18 per cent in black, 16 per cent in white, 15 per cent in red and 10 per cent in silver.  For the new Fiesta line-up on display in dealerships from this month, the Chrome Copper colour pictured plus new Blue Wave and Bohai Mint green shades are among the choices.

The new Ford Fiesta is billed as the most technologically advanced small car on sale thanks to 15 high-tech features ensuring a safe and smooth journey such as Pre-Collision Assist featuring pedestrian detection, meaning that the driver is warned of people who are in or near the road ahead, automatic perpendicular parking, blind spot alert and auto high beam.

Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said:  “This year the eyes of the car world in our market are on new Fiesta as it takes over the reign as top seller.  Having seen all Fiesta models coming over the next nine months, I’m confident it will remain on top.”

Joining the Ford Fiesta’s core range of Zetec and Titanium in dealerships this month will be sporty ST-Line and luxurious Vignale models in early autumn, both offering the acclaimed 1.0 EcoBoost 140PS engine, followed by an all-new Active crossover and hot ST in spring next year.

FIVE NEW FIESTA FACTS

1. Special screening

The all-new Fiesta’s heated leather steering wheel has been tested by Ford engineers to ensure it is resistant to damage or staining from sunscreen on the driver’s hands. Sunscreen is just one of the everyday substances that were used to test the Fiesta interior. Leather seats are also designed to resist coffee spills, soil from dirty sports kit and even the dye from denim jeans.  

2. Is this seat taken?

How does Ford know the Fiesta’s seats will remain comfortable for the lifetime of the car? Robot buttocks “sat” in the seats 25,000 times to prove their durability. The seat bolsters undergo 60,000 test cycles to ensure wear-resistance, and the seat material is checked for flexibility and comfort even after 24 hours at minus 30 deg C.

3. Pressing engagement

Some of the all-new Fiesta’s body panels are made using a new manufacturing technology that analyses the noise frequencies produced during the stamping process, and can identify a component that will not meet Ford’s quality standards –  before it even leaves the stamping machine. The Fiesta factory in Cologne, Germany, produces a new Fiesta every 68 seconds, and can build about 20,000 different variations of Fiesta in total.

4. Grand slam

The all-new Fiesta’s doors now require 20 per cent less effort to close, because of improvements to the air extractors inside the car. Innovative, concealed door edge protectors spring quickly in to place when the doors are opened to protect both the Fiesta’s doors, and those of cars parked alongside from dings and scrapes. Inside the doors are pressure sensors that enable restraint systems to be activated several milliseconds sooner in the event of a side impact.

5. Playlist perfection

To develop the all-new Fiesta’s B&O PLAY sound system, engineers spent a year listening to more than 5,000 tracks to ensure the premium 675-watt audio system sounds great whether enjoying Adele, Foo Fighters or Jay-Z – or chilling out to classical music – no matter how quietly or loudly it is played. Tested in city centres, on motorways and in the countryside, the 10-speaker B&O PLAY system features a nine-channel amplifier for precise sound control, a dashboard centre speaker and  200mm subwoofer in the boot – while optional surround sound delivers a 360-degree sound stage experience.

A selection of cars gain the five stars, with one each for 3 and 4 in the latest Euro NCAP tests.

• Retest of Ford Mustang shows safety improvement, secures Three Star Euro NCAP rating 
  
• “This underlines the power of the Euro NCAP consumer testing programme,” says Thatcham Research 
  
• SEAT Ibiza the standout of other vehicles tested, raises the bar in Supermini safety 
  
• A further four vehicles tested – Five Star ratings for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, VW Arteon and Hyundai i30, Four Stars for the Honda Civic

Following an unfavourable safety rating earlier this year, Ford has resubmitted its flagship Mustang sports car for testing, on this occasion earning a Three Star Euro NCAP rating. This follows the addition of standard-fit Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and a Lane Keeping Aid, while rapidly addressing a ‘bottoming-out[1]’ issue with the driver’s airbag.

“In just a few months, Ford has responded to improve on the initial low safety rating given to the Mustang,” comments Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research. “Our advice to buyers is to always opt for a Euro NCAP Five Star car, so a Three Star Euro NCAP rating is never a cause for celebration. 

However, Ford’s rapid addition of a suite of standard-fit safety tech and its prompt updates to improve the performance of the airbags and restraints is to be applauded and underlines the power of the Euro NCAP consumer testing programme as a force for positive action. We will continue to apply pressure on carmakers to ensure UK drivers have the safest possible cars.”

Take a SEAT

July’s standout vehicle was the SEAT Ibiza, which at £13,000 is a relatively affordable and well-reviewed Supermini. Avery comments, “SEAT has set a new benchmark in safety for the Supermini price point category. The Ibiza not only comes with standard-fit AEB but also Pedestrian AEB – which is proven to reduce vulnerable road user deaths.

“The new VW Polo will be built on the same platform as the Ibiza which bodes well and with major new Supermini launches expected later in 2017, the safety game is now on for carmakers in this category.”

Four other vehicles were tested by Euro NCAP this month, with all but one achieving a Five Star rating. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio, VW Arteon and Hyundai i30 all received the maximum Five Stars. The Honda Civic was awarded a Four Star Euro NCAP rating, despite having standard-fit AEB. This was in part due to the head of the rear passenger dummy representing a 10 year old recording a hard impact through the curtain airbag

MG Car fest to raise funds for air ambulance is hosted by W.H. Brand for teh 2nd year running.

• Families gather at WH Brand MG Carfest to raise money for Air Ambulance

More than 100 classic and current MG models gathered for the WH Brand MG Carfest at the Whaplode Drove-based dealership on Sunday 23 July. The event, which takes place for the second consecutive year, is raising money for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance. 

With last year’s meeting welcoming 192 cars, raising over £400 for charity, organisers are expecting an even larger turn-out to this year’s event. 

Welcoming any vintage or modern MG or affiliated marque – including Rover, Austin, BMC, Riley and Wolseley to name but a few – entrance costs just £5 for a display space, £2 for adult visitors and £1 for children, with all profits going to the local Air Ambulance. 

With games, raffles, a tombola and food and drink available, there’s heaps of entertainment on offer, making this a great day out for families.

Adam Brand, sales manager at WH Brand MG, said: “The WH Brand MG Carfest was hugely successful last year. There’s a great appreciation for MG throughout the UK, and events like this give people a chance to come together and talk about the brand that they love. The pre-launch MG XS will also be on display at the event, giving visitors a chance to see the next generation of MG sitting next to the finest examples of the brand’s heritage.”

Matthew Cheyne, head of sales and marketing at MG Motor UK, added: “Events like the WH Brand MG Carfest give a great insight into the evolution of the brand. The new SUV that we have developed, the MG XS, is yet another exciting chapter, and we are sure that people will be delighted with the next MG generation.”

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

TMW - The Suzuki Swift is one of those cars thats just brilliant at everything it does.

The Suzuki Swift, can be summed up in one word - AWESOME - this car, the 1.0 litre 3 cylinder automatic has so much runt that you would be forgiven for thinking that the car had a far bigger engine. 

The car is an all new version, taking the brand into the future, along with the Ignis and Baleno, the brand has a reputation for beng the best small car maker in the world, and with its current range of cars, you can easily understand why it has this rep, the Swift, just oozes quality and safety, becasue this car is so full of safety features it would put a far more expensive car to shame.

The 1.0 litre boosterjet auto comes in at £16,334, which includes the beautiful Burning Red Metallic paint, from the outside, there are hints of previous Swifts, as they dont want to move it too far away from the car that preceded it, but they wanted it to be a model on it's own, the lines of the car flow nicely from the front to the back, with the "hidden" door handles in the back doors, you feel like you are in a coupe rather than a five door hatchback.

The lines continue to flow around the back, including the rear lights, the car from the outside looks to be compact and small, but like other Suzuki's the interior of the car belies the fact it is a compact car, you have loads of room inside.

The seats are very supportive and comfortable, and the touchscreen and all the buttons, dials and switchgear are all close at hand and you never feel as though you have to stretch or spend too much time looking away from the road to press a button etc.

Once you have managed to get the steering wheel and seats into position, you amazingly find yourself with quite a bit of space in the rear for passengers, i would say that you can get five adults in this car, because you can, but you probably wouldn't want to go to far fully loaded two adults in the back would be a better bet, they would have sufficient room, and be comfortable.

This car comes with a raft of safety equipment, the main one being the cruise control, which is adaptive, this means that the car will detect a car ahead and automatically slow down to match the flow of traffic, and in the case of an emergency, the car will brake to a stop, even in heavy traffic, the car will alert you if you are too close to the one in front, with either an audible warning or if set, it slows/stops its self.

the car is so easy to drive with very light power steering, just put it into drive and off you go, no hassles, no worries, the touchscreen is basic, and follows the same system as found in other Suzuki's, the sat nav is easy to operate and is very quick and accurate, unlike some i have had, which seems to run about half a mile behind the car, Suzuki has it just right.

You get few creature comforts inside the car, i felt that it could have done with an arm rest, but thats just a personal choice, and does not detract from an ideal car, the rest of the interior has plenty of storage pockets etc, to keep all your bits and pieces in, from a dent sized bottle of drink to the cup holders that will take a small bottle or cup.

The fuel consumption for the Swift as per the brand's numbers are :-

• Urban - 44.1mpg
• Extra Urban - 65.7mpg
• Combined - 56.5mpg

I managed to get in combined driving situations about 49 mpg, according to the display in front of you, and i do believe that this is achievable, it is very "swift" in getting to the speed limits your require, and sometimes it can be too quick getting there, thats how brilliant the engine/auto box work together, the car has a 114g/km rating, not the best especially for a small car, but it does beat a lot of other cars, especially as the top speed is 118mph, i dont think i would be happy doing this speed in this car, without the assistance of Adaptive cruise control, and brake assistance.

The car comes with loads of extra kit for the asking price, these include :-

• ABS with EBD & Brake Assist
• ESP
• Six Airbags
• Seatbelt Pretensioners
• ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorages
• Childproof Rear Door Locks
• Tyre Pressure Monitor
• High Beam Assist
• Remote Central Locking
• Push Button Start/Stop
• 4.2" Touchscreen
• Electric Windows All Round
• Power Steering
• Tilt & Telescopic Adjustable Steering Wheel
• Gear Shift Indicator
• Auto Air Conditioning
• 16" Alloys
• Tinted Rear Windows
• Navigation System

The Swift will follow the Baleno and Ignis and become a really popular car, the swift has been a big hit in the UK throughout its many body styles, and this new one deserves to be an even bigger hit with UK Buyers, than ever before.

CONCLUSION

Would i have one, if I were in the position of wanting a small car with lots of safety and oodles of interior room, then yes, this car ticks all the boxes and many more too, the pricing at £16k is not the cheapest, but you do get an awful lot for that money, and for that reason alone i would have one, unfortunately i have just purchase a new car, so i am not looking, but if i were, this would be within the list of cars to consider, and you should consider it too, you would be daft to ignore this car.