Hyundai Announce Price Increases On Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson went up by £400 today making the entry level 2.0 GSi 2WD, £14395 on the road.

It's a move which suprises me to be honest, given the current state of the new car market place. The only logical reason i can think of is to try to bridge the gap between its marginally bigger brother, the soon to be replaced Santa Fe.

One other reason may be that winter is on its way and the demand naturally increases for 4WD's. So if Hyundai think they can get away with a price increase, i guess this is the time to do it.

None of the other range have been affected.

In other Hyundai News the facelift Getz goes on sale tomorrow leaving a golden opportunity to pick up the older models for bargain prices. I understand from a Hyundai source, that a lot of pre-registering has gone on today in Hyundai dealerships around the country and ive seen the 1.3 GSi models for as little as £5995 (normally £7495) so there will be some crazy deals on the run out Getz model.

Now's the time to take advantage as its a really good car, well specified and bullet proof reliable.

New Mazda MX5 Arrives At Dealerships

We spotted the all new Mazda MX5 being delivered to a Mazda dealer as we drove past and thought we'd get a couple of shots in.

The 1.8i Mazda MX5 in True Red with an option pack, consisting of two extra speakers (4-6), cloth soft top, leather steering wheel/gear knob and handbrake lever, stainless steel scuff plates, 16" alloy wheels and steering wheel audio controls, was still in its wrappers and a bit hemmed in, so the shots are not exactly perfect for a car with such lines, but hey, who's complaining.

The official dealer launch is on November 1st, but we talked to a salesman whilst we were there who told us that Mazda are treating sales staff from its dealer network, to a glitzy pre-launch night in Portugal in mid October in order to get up-to-speed with the product.

Sounds like a good way to waste some money if you ask me, as now the car is at the dealerships, they'll all have enough time to drive the car and learn the product in time for the launch.

Oh well that's the motor trade I guess.

Sorento And Cerato Win Towcar Awards

News in brief:

The Kia Sorento has been named Britain’s best towcar in the Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards 2006 winning two categories and the overall tile, with the C-segment Cerato also picking up a category win.

Kia Sportage: Product Revisions

Kia have just announced that the Kia Sportage XE & XS diesel automatic models will be deleted from the current line up, since they do not comply with forthcoming Euro IV diesel regulations.

The decision leaves Kia with only one diesel automatic 4 wheel drive in the Sorento. Previously supplied and existing units are not affected by the new regulations.

2006 Hyundai Amica

In a recent document from Hyundai to its dealer network outlining the new enhancements for the facelift Hyundai Getz, it was mentioned that a new Hyundai Amica will be coming to the market next year. This has also been reported by channel 4 with recent spy shots and bearing a canny resemblance to the Kia Picanto.

Makes sense as they already have the Kia Picanto platform already in place, so it won't take a great amount of effort to role it out.

The entry price point for the new Getz has now been set at £7495 for the 1.1 GSi and so they will need a cheaper product to compete in the sub super-mini market against the likes of the Fiat Panda.

Hyundai have been heavily discounting the run-out model of the Getz at £5995 to keep it in line with stiff competition but would need to charge a premium for the facelift model if they are to sustain profits and continue their ambitions to become one of the top 5 car makers. A smaller model in the line up will enable them to do this charging around the £5495-£5995 mark.

Hyundai tried to enter this market with the Amica and then the ATOZ (A-To-Z) but never quite pulled it off due to the typical Korean styling. Now with the R&D centre in Europe pushing out nice looking cars with high quality and specification, this should be a lot easier second time around.

MPV Award Goes To Mazda 5

The new Mazda 5 Multi Activity Vehicle (MAV) has scooped the MPV of the Year title awarded by 4x4 and MPV Driver magazine just two months since its launch in the UK.

In October's issue of 4x4 and MPV Driver
magazine, The Mazda 5 was praised for its fresh styling and build quality: "The style is unquestionably 'Mazda' and all the better for it...It's built to an impressively high standard, too. The driving position is spot-on, visibility good and the gearchange brilliant - all far from guaranteed in an MPV.

"It has sliding doors, but there are no heavy, tediously slow electric contraptions here - they're so light and slide back in such a well-oiled manner you don't need motors. They reveal a wide opening that's instantly accessible and they shut again with the push of a fingertip rather than a slam. All MPVs should have them."

Bob Murray Editor, 4x4 and MPV Driver added: "Mazda 5 is the complete compact MPV: it looks good, drives well, is beautifully put together, fully-featured and great value for money. It goes straight to the top of the class."

5-star rating

It was not the only good news for Mazda as its new MPV also scored 5-stars, in the latest European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) testing. Achieving an overall 33 points to make it one of the best in its class at protecting occupants in nearly all impact scenarios.

Despite the Mazda 5 being the only C-MAV to offer the convenience of two sliding doors in this segment, it achieved the highest possible score in side impact safety - 18 out of a possible 18 points - proving that sliding doors are not only more convenient, but also at least as safe as hinged doors.

On the front off-set crash test, Mazda 5 was awarded 13 points, or 84 per cent of the total possible points, with two additional points awarded for the vehicle's seatbelt reminder system.

Mazda have sold over 300 units since the official launch on July 22nd 2005.

Hyundai Santa Fe 2.4 CDX

Hyundai UK have added a new model to their current Santa Fe range today. The 2.4 petrol engine will be re-introduced and offered in one trim level and a manual transmission only.

The 2.4 CDX will also come in two colours, Ebony Black and Warm Silver and will be limited to only 750 models between now and the of the year.

2 new product features such as climate control and auto dimming rear view mirror, will be fitted as standard over and above the current 2.0 CRTD CDX model. There's also new exterior and interior design features added to the already high specification of leather seats - steering wheel and gearknob, cruise control, front wiper de-icer, heated door mirrors, heated front seats, side airbags and trip computer.

Privacy glass £300.00, SmartNav £695.00 and DVD Multi Media System £1000.00 will all be available as cost options.

The 2.4 CDX will be offered on the road at £15,995, have an insurance group of 12D and will include Hyundai's industry leading 5 yr unlimited mileage warranty.

The high specification and aggressive pricing is an indication of Hyundai's intent to clear existing stocks to make way for the all new 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe which will be larger than the current model, and compete with the likes of the Kia Sorento and Toyota Land Cruiser.

New Hyundai Getz UK Launch

• Hyundai UK have announced October 1st as the official launch date for its facelift Hyundai Getz.

The new Getz will have air conditioning as standard across the entire range with excellent levels of specification and a 5 year warranty as standard. This makes the Getz the only supermini in the UK with air conditioning and a 5 year warranty as standard across the range.

The Hyundai Getz Facelift has had extensive re-designs to both the interior and exterior. Most notibly a re-designed front profile including new headlamps, front bumper and fog lamps (fog lights on CDX models only).

Other key enhancements to the new Getz range are:

Exterior

• New body moulding
• New designed rear light cluster and fog lamp
• New design alloy wheel and wheel cover
• New design rear bumper and tailgate design
  

Interior

• New colour instrument panel
  
• Driver seat armrest (no lumbar support)
• New interior cloth pattern
• New interior plastic grain design
• Passenger airbag switch off
• Illuminated glove box
• New steering wheel design
• M/T shift pattern changes on diesel model (lift up and shift right)
  

The new Getz line up has been planned taking into consideration the introduction of the new Hyundai Amica in 2006 which will enable Hyundai to also compete within the Mini segment.

3 new colours have been added to the range to go alongside established colours like Ebony Black and Hip Hop Red. These are Sky Blue Metallic, Space Silver Metallic and Midnight Grey.

Pricing is consistent with the out-going model line up, with prices starting from £7495 for the 1.1 GSi 3dr.

There's also a new 1.4 petrol engine which will replace the 1.3 unit and a more powerful CRTDi diesel engine producing 109 bhp with improved torque.

The full product line-up and pricing:

• 1.1 GS 3dr £7495
• 1.1 GSi 5dr £7995
• 1.1 CDX 5dr £8495
• 1.4 GSi 3dr £7995
• 1.4 GSi 5dr £8495
• 1.4 GSi Auto £9345
• 1.4 CDX 5dr £9245
• 1.4 CDX 5dr Auto £10095
• 1.5 CRTDi GSi 5dr (89 bhp) £9145
• 1.5 CRTD CDX + 3dr (109 bhp) £9995
  

Product specification: *New Additional Item of Specification not on current Getz

1.1, 1.4 & 1.5 CRTD GSi range

• ABS with EBD
• 3 x 3 point rear seatbelts
• Air Conditioning with Air filter*
  
• Central locking
• Driver and Passenger airbag* (with switch off facility)
• Electric Windows - Front
• High mounted brake light
• Immobiliser
• Power Assisted Steering (PAS)
• Rear set 60/40 split

1.1, 1.4 & 1.6 CDX range (in addition to above)

• 14" Alloy Wheels* (on 1.1 CDX)
• Body Coloured door mirrors
• Centre console power outlet * (not on 1.1 CDX)
• Dual Height Adjuster
• Electric Heated door mirrors* (heated new on 1.1 CDX)
• Electric windows - rear
• Front fog lights
• Keyless entry and burglar alarm
• Map light and front interior light
  
• Rear Door Speakers
• Seat height adjustment
• Side airbag* (on 1.1 CDX)
• Sunglasses holder
• Sunroof (not on 1.1 CDX)
• Trip Computer
• Tweeter Speaker

1.5 CRTD CDX + new model (in addition to CDX)

• New 109 bhp engine
  
• Carbon Grain Dash
• Front and Rear Mudguards
• Rear Spoiler with Integral Brake Lamp
• Leather steering wheel and gear knob
  

New Nissan Micra C+C Rolls Off Production Line

Nissan's newest addition to the Micra family rolled off the production line at its Sunderland plant yesterday. The decision to build the convertible at the plant created 70 new jobs and safeguarded another 250. Nissan hope to sell 20,000 coupe's a year.

The car has a folding glass that can be raised or lowered into the boot at the touch of a buttom, a feature now common on most convertibles such as the Peugeot 206 CC and Daihatsu Copen.

The car is built at a special facilty created inside the main factory, at the plant's final assmemby shop, alongside German supplier Karmann GmbH, who have set up their own production operation, employing 50 people to make the folding glass roof modules.

The C+C was designed at Nissan Design Europe, developed at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Bedfordshire, and is now built by Nissan Motor Manufacturing in Sunderland.

Colin Dodge, managing director of the Sunderland plant, said: "The C+C started life as a design excercise for the 2002 Paris Motor Show. That concept car recieved such a favourable reaction from the public and motoring Press that the decision was taken to make it a production reality.

Nissan has never built a convertible car in Europe before and I'm delighted that our plant has been given the responsibility, and challenge, of producing the C+C.

Although the production volume will be relatively small compared to the other models we manufacturer here, the C+C is a very important car for Nissan because of the boost it will give to the brand right across Europe."

New Kia Rio Prices

Kia have published prices for the all new Kia Rio which is due for its UK launch on 1st October 2005. For the first time a manufacturer will offer the diesel version at the same price as the petrol variant.

GS Grade

• 1.4 petrol GS (manual) £7,995
• 1.5 diesel GS (manual) £7,995
• 1.4 petrol GS (automatic) £8,995

LX Grade

• 1.4 petrol LX (manual) £8,995
• 1.5 diesel LX (manual) £8,995

Optional Dynamic Package on LX grade, which includes ESP, electric sunroof, rear spoiler and map lamp will be available from November and charged at £1,000 premium.

The metallic/mica paint premium is £300.

During the initial launch vehicles will not be grade badged, so dealers will need to use external visual differences on the LX including body coloured door mirrors and handles, and front fog lamps when differentiating the GS from LX.

New Kia ´Multi-S´ Crossover Concept Revealed

Kia Motors Corporation revealed its latest concept vehicle, the dramatic looking seven-seater Multi-S, at the Frankfurt Motor Show today (Tuesday). Conceived by Kia as a next generation CUV (Cross-over Utility Vehicle) the Multi-S is designed to cater for the needs of modern customers by blending the interlocking trends of Crossover vehicles, MPVs and SUVs.

The ´S´ in Multi-S stands for "Sporty, Spacious and Smart" and the 4545 mm long concept car is in-tended to appeal to individual buyers seeking a car with ´character´ and to families with children and an active lifestyle. Multi-S will have ´best-in-class´ occupant protection systems, plus ESP (electronic stability program), MDPS (motor driven power steering), TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system), AFS (adaptive front light system), full-length curtain airbags and ´active´ head restraints.

New Kia Rio : Pre-Launch Information

Full technical data & specifications have been released for the all new Kia Rio 5-door hatchback.

The official public on-sale date will be 1st October 2005. Initial dealer stocks will begin to be released w/c 12th September 2005, with availability of all petrol and diesel grades.

Colours will be Clear White, Clear Silver Metallic, Tropical Red Metallic, Sapphire Blue Metallic and Midnight Black Metallic. Initially, some colour availability may be in short supply. Most dealers will receive a minimum of one petrol and one diesel in either Clear Silver or Tropical Red.

Prices will be announced on September 19th when the new Rio UK Press Launch begins, although early indications suggest a lead in price of £8,000 for the GS petrol.

Model line up and specification will be as follows:

GS Grade

• 1.4 petrol GS (manual)
• 1.5 diesel GS (manual)
• 1.4 petrol GS (automatic)

LX Grade

• 1.4 petrol LX (manual)
• 1.5 diesel LX (manual)

GS Specification

• Air conditioning
• CD audio with MP3 Player
• 14" steel wheels
• ABS with EBD
• Immobiliser
• Driver and front passenger airbags
• Central door locking
• Power steering
• Front electric windows with delay function
• Driver's seat height adjustment

LX Specification (as GS plus)

• 15" alloy wheels
• Front fog lamps
• Body coloured door handles and mirrors
• Twin side & curtain airbags
• Premium seat trim
• Remote central locking & perimeter alarm
• Electrically adjustable & heated door mirrors
• Rear electric windows
• Interior chrome coating (door handling, parking brake button)
• Leather steering wheel and gear knob
• Metal grain centre fascia
• Metal grain steering wheel spokes
• Metal pedals
• Deluxe instument cluster

There will be a "Dynamic Package" available for the LX as a cost option, available from October which includes:

• Electronic Stability Programme
• Electric sunroof
• Rear spoiler
• Map lamp

Kia are hoping the all new Kia Rio will challenge the mainstream manufacturers in the highly competitive B-sector. They are confident that with its unrivalled value and high specification, it should take Kia sales to new heights.

Average New Supermini

Research by Glass's Market Intelligence Service shows that the list price of the average new supermini dropped 2.1 per cent, year-on-year, to the end of April - more than for any other type of car. By contrast, list prices across the UK's new car market as a whole increased, albeit by a modest 0.9 per cent, equivalent to an annual rise worth £123.

The average new car list price rise contrasts strongly with the Government's preferred measure of inflation - that reports a 1.7 per cent increase during the same period. The below-inflation uplift in average list prices for all new cars is part of an ongoing trend. In the face of falling new car registrations and intense competition, manufacturers remain reluctant to pass on rising steel and energy costs in case they put off more prospective buyers.

Sector-by-sector price changes

The 2.1 per cent fall in average supermini list prices, equivalent to a drop of £209, has been partly influenced by the arrival of a new budget model, the Kia Picanto, which has prices starting at just £5,352.

The above-average increase in list prices of compact family cars comes partly as a result of the launch of several new models over the past year - the Astra, Focus and the face-lifted Corolla to name but a few. Typically, these models have come in at around 4 to 6 per cent higher than their predecessors, which has inevitably contributed to new car price inflation in the sector.

The volume-brand upper-medium car sector [Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Vectra, Toyota Avensis, etc] continues to have some of the fastest rising list prices, with the sector as a whole up 2.7 per cent, or £435, over the past year. This has primarily been led by upgrades and new model introductions. For exanple, the entry point for the Renault Laguna diesel range is now more expensive, thanks to the 100bhp engine being replaced with a 120bhp unit. in Addition, SEAT's Toledo has been radically revised, which has been coupled with a price premium over the outgoing version.

The list price of the average
SUV increased in price by 1.5 per cent over the last 12 months. However, if you discount the arrival of the BMW X3 at the prestige end of the market, the average list price rise for the sector would be only 1 per cent.

The biggest list price changes

In pound note terms, the single biggest list price rise was in April for the Audi Allroad 2.7T Quattro Limited Edition Estate, or 2.9 per cent, to £34,080. The largest single price list reduction last month was for the Renault Vel Satis 3.0 V6 dCi Privilege, which dropped £1,740, or 6.3 per cent, to £25,787, to clear remaining stocks.

New Mazda MX5 Accessory Workshops

Mazda UK are holding a series of accessory workshops around the UK in which their dealer network get to choose the design of accessories for the all new Mazda MX5.

Dealers get the chance to sample various different spoilers, mudflaps and trim designs and decide which would be the most suitable for the car.

Mazda have so far published a pre-launch brochure listing a selection of accessories, but these are only preliminary. These include:

• Front mesh grille in stainless steel
• Sports Appearance pack
• Chrome or brushed aluminium door handle covers
• Strut tower bar
• Aluminium gear knob with illuminated shift display
• Style bar with chrome finish and polycarbonate wind deflector
• Chrome or brushed aluminium fuel filler cap
• Eibach lowering kit
• Detachable hardtop
• Front parking aid

The all new Mazda MX5 is due to make its UK launch in November and is in its third generation design phase since the original was introduced in 1989.

Kia UK Offer Free Websites To Dealer Network

Following communication with its dealers, Kia UK have decided to provide dealer websites to its 150 strong dealer network through the course of Quarter 4 with the aim of having the websites up and running by the end of December.

In a letter provided to its dealer network Kia UK's General Marketing Manager Lawrence Hamilton said: "Given the importance of presenting a unified face to customers, and the fact that we know that 90% of our customers do their research on the internet before visiting the network, we can not afford to carry on as we are. Therefore, all dealers will be receiving a Kia Dealer Website, free of charge."

Kia UK had previously asked the network to stump up £1000 each towards the cost of the new websites but recieved little or no response at all.

However there will be a price to pay in the long run as Kia will charge a monthly maintainence fee of £30 per month, per dealer to cover the cost of updates, improvements and amendments to the dealer sites across the network.

New Mazda MX5 Reviews

The launch of the all new Mazda MX5 has already broken new ground with a chorus of accolades unprecendented in their enthusiasm.

If those accolades were coming from Mazda themselves, then you'd be right in thinking that the praise would be overblown. But when they are coming from the UK's independent top motoring journalists, people who are not easy to impress, then the words take on a whole new meaning.

Here are some examples of what's been said so far:

"It rides well, steers with precision, stops powerfully on command and handles with a lovely balance. It might be hard to improve on perfection but Mazda has done it better than anyone else" Peter Hall - The Telegraph - 25th June 2005

"Mazda has once again found the formula for a true roadster. The MX-5 legend is set to continue for a long time" Ken Gibson - The Sun - 24th June 2005

"Blast off in the magical new MX-5" Peter Lyon - Auto Express - 22nd June 2005

"Its simply a brilliant sports car, a car that completely delivers on its promise. It's affordable, comfortable and convenient" Richard Bremner - Autocar - 21st June 2005

"In 1989 the MX-5 was in a class of its own and so it is today" Andrew Frankel - The Sunday Times - 26th June 2005

"Mazda unveils the successor to its lengendary roadster...and it's a corker" Russell Bray - The Mail on Sunday - 26th June 2005

"Pure roadster fun and easy to live with too. An antidote to the modern world, but still contemporary" - Paul Horrell - Top Gear Magazine - August 2005

High praise indeed to what is probably the most exciting car launch of 2005. The Auto Community will be bringing you our very own report once we manage to get our hands on one. Roll on November!

Hyundai Add New Colours To Range

Hyundai UK have added Ebony Black to their Hyundai Trajet range as a permanent colour. Ebony Black was previously only available on the Special Edition until now. The colour will be available in both Petrol GSI and CRTD GSI models with immediate effect.

The Hyundai Accent will also see 4 new colours introduced to the range. Ebony Black, Sky Blue, similar to Celadon blue but slightly more blue, Midnight Grey - very dark grey, almost similar to metallic black and Space Silver - normal metallic silver colour.