Kia continues to grow in Europea with a near 10% gain over last year in Q3, to make 2015 a record quarter.

• Record Q3 sales for Kia Europe, with year-on-year growth of 9.7%
• Kia Europe’s best ever year-to-date sales with 295,140 units registered
• UK still Europe’s biggest national market with 21,960 sales
• 8.3% growth in European sales so far this year
• Rise in sales for best-selling Sportage and recently-upgraded cee’d
• Upgraded B-segment models drive further sales growth

Kia Motors Europe has posted record Q3 sales across Europe, with 95,102 units sold from July to September this year. According to the latest data from ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association), Kia’s third quarter sales figures represent year-on-year growth of 9.7% (up from 86,718 for the same period in 2014).

So far in 2015, Kia is enjoying its best ever year in terms of sales across Europe, with 295,140 units sold so far this year – an increase of 8.3% compared to the 272,600 units sold from January to September 2014. Kia Motors Europe had already achieved sales of more than 200,000 in the first half of 2015 for the first time in the company’s history.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “It’s very satisfying to see our European sales continue to grow in line with our plan for sustainable growth. Kia’s promise to offer uncompromising quality, great design and the highest levels of customer care are clearly striking a chord with buyers across the continent, and we remain on course for record full-year sales.”

The United Kingdom remains the largest of Kia’s markets in Europe, with 21,960 units sold in Q3, representing over 23% sales contribution to Europe’s figures. The UK is followed by Germany (14,488 units) and Spain (9,771 units).

Sales growth for best-selling Kia Sportage and cee’d

The Kia Sportage – the brand’s European best-seller – continues to achieve strong sales growth, enjoying one of its best ever quarters in the model’s history. In its fourth full-year of production, 25,308 Sportage models were sold across Europe from July to September, a 5.2% increase, bringing total year-to-date sales to 81,310.

Kia’s second best-selling product, the cee’d model family, also experienced sales growth through the third quarter, having recently been upgraded with a revised, more modern interior and exterior look, and a range of efficient new powertrain options. In September, following the introduction of the new model, year-on-year cee’d sales grew by 3.3% during the month, to 7,227 units. 58,761 cee’d models have been registered across Europe so far this year.

Manufactured exclusively for Kia Motors Europe at the company’s state-of-the-art production facility in Žilina, Slovakia, the cee’d achieved a major milestone earlier in 2015, with the 1,000,000th cee’d manufactured since its introduction nine years ago.

B-segment models drive European sales growth

The hard-fought B-segment has played a major role in Kia’s sales growth over the last quarter, with rising sales of the recently-upgraded Rio hatchback and Venga compact MPV. Sales of the Rio rose by 10.8% compared to the same period last year (16,452 units in Q3, 49,511 year-to-date). The Kia Venga also saw year-on-year sales growth, with 6,884 units sold in Q3 representing a 9.0% growth compared to Q3 2014

Every model in Kia’s European line-up is sold with the brand’s unique 7-Year, 100,000 mile warranty.

DS Formula E racing team to try to continue season two the way it finished season one.

DS Virgin Racing will take to the streets of Beijing next weekend with a new driver line-up, new partners, a new powertrain and plenty of momentum.

The FIA Formula E Championship returns for a second season in Beijing on 24 October and the DS Virgin Racing team will be looking to continue where they left off at the end of season one.

Back in June, home favourite Sam Bird stormed to a win in the final round in London. The British driver will be looking to build on a promising first season – which also saw him pick up a win in Malaysia – alongside new recruit, Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne.

With the arrival of the DS brand, the race car also has a new look for season two. Combining the DS and Virgin brand identities, the new design represents a dynamic integration of both the DS Automobiles and Virgin colour schemes, and maintains the distinctive red and chrome features from season one. The DS brand logo now appears proudly on each side of the car on a black background, alongside fellow partner Hewlett Packard Enterprise. The battery cover remains purple as in season one.

It is not just the outside of the car that is different. Changes to the technical regulations have enabled teams, including DS Virgin Racing, to develop their own electric powertrains for season two. The team has chosen to re-design its powertrain significantly in order to increase efficiency – and in order to account for the increase in race power allowed in season two, which rises from 150kW to 170kW. This package was tested extensively in the pre-season and proved to be reliable, but it is difficult to predict how it will stand up versus the competition until all of the teams hit the streets in Beijing.

Additional changes to Fanboost, meanwhile, will give fans the chance to vote for Sam and Jean-Éric until six minutes into the race, providing a power boost of 100kJ of additional energy that can be used during the rest of the race.

Speaking ahead of the season opener, Sam Bird said; “To finish last season the way we did in London was really special, so I’m hoping that we can build on that and come into the new season with the same impetus.   It was a great feeling to get on the podium in Beijing last year and I’ll be looking to go one, or hopefully two better this time around!”

Jean-Éric Vergne said; “I’m very excited to have joined DS Virgin Racing and I’m looking forward to getting things off to a positive start in Beijing. I didn’t race here last year so it will be interesting to get out on the track and experience another unique street circuit.”

Alex Tai, DS Virgin Racing Team Principal, said; “It is unbelievable how quickly a year goes by. This time last year, we entered into the relatively unknown world of electric racing, during the first season we learned a great deal and have developed strongly as a race team. I believe we have brought great talent into the team both on and off the track and adding this to the experience learned in the first year I feel confident we will deliver a strong performance in the coming season starting right here in Beijing.

Yves Bonnefont, CEO of the DS Brand, said; “Following the announcement of our new partnership with Virgin Racing in June, it has been an exciting few months for the DS brand working towards our first race in Beijing. Having recently marked our 60^th anniversary, it would be fantastic to celebrate this special landmark with a race to remember, particularly in China which is a very important market for us.”

Abarh launches special 595 FIM MotoGP Edition, as it continues to sponsor the championship.

Abarth is celebrating its position as Official Sponsor and Car Supplier to the FIM MotoGP Championship with the launch of a new range of 595 sports hatches – the 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition.

Created from a partnership with Yamaha, and with world champion riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo on course for an historic one-two in this year’s championship, the new edition comes in a choice of seven striking colours and is packed with sporty features.

With 17-inch matt black alloy wheels, painted brake callipers and optional matching Abarth side stripes and mirror covers, there is no mistaking the new 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition. Darkened windows, a flat-bottom leather steering wheel, aluminium pedals and a special 'Yamaha Factory Racing' badge – all standard – enhance the model’s sporting credentials. Xenon headlamps, leather interior and dual zone air conditioning are among the options.

Powered by an upgraded version of Abarth’s potent 1.4-litre T-Jet engine, the 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition is further enhanced with a Record Monza exhaust system, Koni shock absorbers with FSD valves and Eibach lowering springs.

“The new 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition adds a new dimension to the Abarth 595 line-up” says Gerry Southerington, brand manager, Abarth UK. “With an upgrade to 160 horsepower, lowered suspension, sporting looks and a great sounding exhaust system, we expect a lot of interest in this car from Abarth enthusiasts and new customers alike.”

The Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing Edition is available to order in the UK now, priced from £17,420 OTR.

Technical specifications:

Engine: T-JET, 1368cc, straight-4, 4 valves per cylinder

Peak power: 160 HP (132 kW) @ 5500 rpm

Peak torque: 230 Nm @ 3000 rpm (Sport mode)

Turbo: IHI RHF3-P

Air cleaner: BMC high-performance filter

Exhaust pipe: Record Monza 4 outlet valve

Transmission: 5-speed gearbox, manual

Suspension:

Front and rear: Abarth Koni with FSD valves

Ride: Lowered racing

Shock absorbers: Eibach front and rear lowered springs

Rims: Alloy 17-inch Formula – Matt black finish alloy wheels

Performance:

Top speed: 130 mph

Acceleration (0-62 mph): 7.4 sec

Fuel consumption (mpg) and emissions (g/km):

Urban consumption: 35.8

Extra-urban consumption: 57.7

Combined consumption: 47.1

CO₂ emissions: 139

Emissions standard: Euro 6

23rd month of growth in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) for Jeep, as new model sales take hold.

• 23^rd consecutive month of growth for the EMEA region
• Second best month ever for the EMEA region
• Best month and best quarter result ever for all major European countries
• Jeep Renegade confirms its role as the leading vehicle to the brand success

The Jeep_® brand momentum continued during the month of September, marking its 23^rd consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth for the EMEA region, as well as the second best sales month ever. With 11,200 registrations, Jeep sales were up 63% compared with September last year.

An even better result was registered in the European region (EU28+EFTA) where the brand sales grew by 132,5% with almost 8,550 registrations in September. In all major European markets, Jeep recorded its best sales month ever with 2,454 units in Italy, almost 2,100 in the UK, 1,493 in Germany, 661 in France and 334 in Spain.

At product level, with more than 5,300 units sold in September, Jeep Renegade was the best seller of the range, representing 62% of the brand’s sales in Europe and ranking number three in Italy in its segment.

In the third quarter, sales were also very positive for the brand both at EMEA and European level. With more than 20,000 units sold in Europe, Jeep sales grew by 130% compared with Q3 last year, recording the best quarter result ever in Italy, Germany, the UK, France and Spain.

Best performing country in Q3 was Spain (+ 257% versus Q3 2014), followed by Italy (+242,8%) and France (+162%).

In the first nine months, Jeep sales in EMEA increased by 75% (87,226 units) compared with the same period in 2014, with Spain (+296,6%,), France (+267,6%,), Italy (+262%) and the UK (+196%), as best performing countries.

During those first nine months, Jeep sales in Europe surpassed the 2014 full year results (41,415 units) and, with 65,695 units, recorded an increase by 158,7% against the same period last year. In the same period, 40,228 Renegades were sold in the Europe region, with Jeep Renegade accounting for 61% of the total brand sales on a year-to-date basis.

Jeep Cherokee’s performance was also very positive. In the first nine months of the year, the vehicle had an 80,9% increase in sales in the European region compared with the same period last year with a triple digit growth registered in some of the major countries with +115,7% in Italy, +113,4% in the UK and +109,9% in Spain.

*Europe 28+EFTA

New trim level added to Alfa's MiTo and Giulietta, the Sprint Specials, adds tech, kit and new finishes.

• New Collezione trim level joins the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Giulietta ranges offering even more equipment, luxury and elegance
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale adds performance-oriented equipment to the Sprint specification, including Brembo brakes, Quadrifoglio-style seats and sports suspension
• Alfa Romeo MiTo Collezione priced from £17,660 OTR with the Giulietta Collezione starting at £24,820
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale priced from £23,320

The Alfa Romeo MiTo and Alfa Romeo Giulietta ranges have both been enhanced by new trim levels. A new Collezione specification is available in both the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Giulietta models, while a new Sprint Speciale version joins the Alfa Romeo Giulietta range.

The Collezione versions are the new luxury flagships of their respective ranges, offering a more luxurious and elegant specification than the sporty QV Line models. In the case of the Alfa Romeo MiTo Collezione, standard equipment includes 17-inch ‘Collezione Bronze’ alloy wheels with matching bronze-effect door mirrors and satin-effect headlight and tail light surrounds.

The interior is trimmed in special Collezione cloth and eco-leather upholstery, with brown stitching on the flat-bottom steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake gaiter. A split-folding, three-seat rear bench, sports dials, special Collezione vintage floor mats and a Uconnect™ NAV infotainment system with TomTom satellite navigation and DAB radio round out the extremely high specification.

Offered with a choice of a 0.9-litre TwinAir Turbo 105hp or 1.4-litre Turbo Petrol 140hp engines (the latter with Alfa Romeo’s six-speed ALFA TCT twin-clutch transmission and uprated Brembo brakes as standard) the Alfa Romeo MiTo Collezione is priced at £17,660 OTR and £19,210 OTR respectively.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Collezione builds on high specification of the Exclusive trim level but stands out even further from the crowd thanks to its signature gloss-black painted roof with matching door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors and unique, dark-finish, 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. Inside, the seats are trimmed in bespoke ‘Collezione’ leather with heating on the front seats and the luxurious ambience is complimented by a 6.5-inch Uconnect™ NAV system with advanced voice operated satellite navigation with 3D mapping and DAB digital radio as standard.

Prices for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Collezione start at £24,820 for the 1.4 MultiAir Turbo Petrol 170hp six-speed manual, or £26,245 with the six-speed Alfa TCT twin-clutch transmission. The diesel Alfa Romeo Giulietta Collezione range starts at £25,680 for the 2.0 JTDM-2 150hp manual, with the 2.0 JTDM-2 175hp ALFA TCT version completing the new Collezione range at £27,840.

Amid all this luxury, Alfa Romeo hasn’t forgotten its cuore sportivo, however: A new Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale also joins the range, building on the specification of the Sprint model to offer ever more performance-oriented equipment. The Sprint Speciale adds sports suspension, 17-inch sports alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, aluminium pedals and Quadrifoglio-style sports seats as standard, along with dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, special silver dashboard trim, the ‘Visibility Pack’ and cruise control.

The Sprint Speciale engine range includes the 1.4 TB MultiAir 150hp, priced from £23,320 with a six-speed manual or £24,745 with the six-speed ALFA TCT (including steering-wheel mounted paddle-shifters). The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale powered by the 2.0 JTDM-2 150hp is priced from £24,180 while the 2.0 JTDM-2 175hp ALFA TCT version is priced from £26,340 OTR.

The Names Martin, Aston Martin, and here is my new car, the DB10, visiting a dealership near you soon !

The Aston Martin DB10 built exclusively for James Bond in the forthcoming movie, Spectre, roared into Newport Pagnell on Saturday as part of a tour of the British sport car maker’s UK dealers.

The relaxed, family-friendly, event saw more than 500 people visit Aston Martin Works to get a close-up view of the exclusive new sports car. DB10 is limited to just ten examples, all of which are used in the highly anticipated new Bond film which premieres in London on Monday October 26.

Stunt driver Mark Higgins – the man behind the wheel for the extreme driving scenes in three Bond films – was also at Saturday’s event to share his fascinating insights into both the making of Spectre and the experience of driving the exclusive DB10.

Aside from the rare chance to see the stunning Aston Martin DB10 ‘in the metal’, visitors to the historic Newport Pagnell site were treated to a display of one of the immaculate Aston Martin DB5s used in the previous blockbuster Bond film, Skyfall. 

Guests also had the chance to put their own driving skills to the test behind the wheel of an Aston Martin sports car in a Sony PS4 simulator challenge, with prizes for the fastest laps in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Aston Martin Works Managing Director, Paul Spires, said: “The whole day was a superb occasion. I was thrilled to see so many of our customers come along to see for themselves the incredible DB10.

“It was also a real delight to see so many youngsters – potential Aston Martin customers of the future – join us on the day.”

Volvo to have every model within it's range as part of a new range of Plug In Hybrids and a full Hybrid by 2019.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced one of the automotive industry’s most comprehensive electrification strategies in which plug-in hybrids will be introduced across its entire range. It will develop an entirely new range of electrified smaller cars and build a fully electric car for sale by 2019.

As part of this new strategy, the Swedish car company said it expects electrified vehicles to account for up to 10 per cent of total car sales in the medium term.

The first element of the new electrification strategy involves the introduction of plug-in hybrid versions of its 90 series and 60 series larger cars, based on the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture. This process has already begun with the launch of the T8 Twin Engine All-Wheel Drive plug-in hybrid version of its new XC90 SUV and will continue with plug-in hybrid versions of the new S90 premium sedan and other forthcoming models.

Volvo Cars will also broaden the range of plug-in hybrid cars it offers with the introduction of a new front-wheel drive Twin Engine variant.

The Swedish car maker will further deepen its product offering with the introduction of an entirely new range of smaller 40 series cars based on its newly-developed Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which, like SPA, has been designed from the outset for electrification. This makes Volvo Car Group one of very few car makers in the world with two brand new vehicle architectures designed to support both plug-in and pure electric powertrain configurations.

Lastly, Volvo Cars has confirmed that it will build an all-electric car for sale by 2019. Further details of this planned model will be released at a later date.

Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, said: “We believe that the time has come for electrified cars to cease being a niche technology and enter the mainstream. We are confident that in two years’ time, 10 per cent of Volvo’s global sales will be electrified cars.”

Volvo Cars believes that plug-in hybrid cars offer customers the best combination of efficiency, range and convenience.

For example, Volvo Cars’ XC90 T8 Twin Engine is one of the cleanest and most powerful 7-seater SUV on the market, delivering over 407 horsepower equivalent and just 49 g/km CO₂, plus a pure electric range of 43 km, an industry leading 2.1 l/100 km in fuel economy and reaching 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds.

This combination of power, efficiency and environmental friendliness will be the hall marks of all of Volvo Cars’ forthcoming electrified models.

“We have learned a lot about how people use cars with electrification thanks to our current product offer,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President for Research and Development. “Our research has shown that people are driving our Twin Engine cars in electric mode around 50 per cent of the time, meaning our plug-in hybrids already offer a real alternative to conventional powertrain systems.”

“With around 40 years of experience in the field of electrification, Volvo Cars has learned a lot about battery management along the way, delivering the best range per kilowatt hour in the industry. We have come to a point where the cost versus benefit calculation for electrification is now almost positive. Battery technology has improved, costs are going down, and public acceptance of electrification is no longer a question,” Dr Mertens added.

Volvo cars new global compact car range to be built on innovative flexible architecture.

Volvo Cars is to extend its range of compact cars into new segments on its highly-innovative Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), a smaller but equally advanced version of Volvo’s acclaimed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The company’s first car on CMA is expected to be launched in 2017.

CMA’s introduction in 2017 means that all future Volvo cars will be built on just two fully scalable and wholly modular vehicle architectures.

The simultaneous development of SPA and CMA has formed the cornerstone of Volvo’s product renewal and growth strategy, which involves the replacement of every single car in its line-up in the next four years and an annual sales volume of up 800,000 cars. This process started with the launch of the XC90 and will continue shortly with the launch of the new S90 premium sedan.

CMA allows Volvo Cars to offer customers of compact cars the same type of premium engineering benefits as owners of its larger cars built on SPA. Shared technology between SPA and CMA will include powertrains (both conventional and new plug-in hybrid variants) and the infotainment, climate and data network and safety systems taking the Swedish car maker ever closer to its vision of no deaths or injuries in its new cars by 2020.

“The flexibility of CMA liberates Volvo’s engineers and designers, allowing them to devise and introduce a wide range of new and alluring features whilst at the same time improving drivability, offering world-class safety features and connected car technologies,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

CMA will also change the way Volvo Cars builds its products in the future by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and technologies of varying complexity to be fitted on the same architecture, generating significant economies of scale and a more streamlined manufacturing process.

Volvo Cars’ CMA has been designed from the outset to embrace electrification – offering a new Twin Engine plug-in hybrid variant designed especially for the new architecture.

“We are in a terrific position with CMA. We have developed this new architecture as a plug and play component. This means that on Volvo’s next generation of compact cars you will benefit from the advanced technologies available on our XC90 today,”

said Dr Mertens.

Volvo Cars expects to significantly increase its global volumes with the coming range of CMA-based cars, which will have a truly global footprint and take the Swedish brand into exciting new product segments.

“CMA is a key part of the continued growth strategy of the Volvo Cars brand,” said Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President, Sales Marketing and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group. “Apart from offering all the benefits and features of a larger premium car, such as the industry-leading safety, powertrain and infotainment technologies, CMA will deliver a true and distinctive Volvo driving and ownership experience setting it apart from others in this growing premium segment.”