Author: Robin Roberts

SEAT built its reputation on small cars although its now expanded the range upmarket, but it still knows how to make a good city car in the Ibiza. The Ibiza five-door range comprises three 1.0 litre petrol engined models of 80, 95 or 115ps with a choice of 5 or 6sp manual gearboxes and 7sp auto with the most powerful, plus 95ps 1.6 diesel 5sp manual-only transmission. There are six trim levels and the six model range runs from £15,645 to £18,975 before options are chosen. Simply, there is in the Ibiza range something for anyone who wants an agile…

Schoolchildren in Wales face losing some of their regular buses from September when new regulations are introduced on wheelchair access. Ken Skates AM, Minister for Economy and Transport, has asked the Department For Transport to exempt school buses from the new regulation for public transport. He also wants buses used on replacement rail services to be excused from the regulations. Mr Skates said the regulations, which were outlined last year, place immense demands on small and medium-sized bus operators, some of which rely almost entirely on school contracts for their income. The new regulations stipulate low floor access and additional…

Five major international companies have expressed interest in taking over the whole of the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant site, it has been revealed. They are among 21 businesses who have expressed interest in the 1.2M sqft site when Ford end production there in September, said Welsh Economy Minister Ken Skates after meeting the Ford Bridgend Task Force. He confirmed £100,000 of public money will be invested in the local area and region to encourage enterprise among the 1,200 Ford workers who will lose their jobs but want to remain working, also boosting businesses in Bridgend town centre and assisting Porthcawl…

British registrations went up 12% to over 56,200 with the compact XC40 taking 15,445 and the XC60 recording 11,766 sales as the brand out performed some other premium rivals in 2019 and globally topped its 93-years history with over 700,000 sales. This year will see more PHEV and BEV models joining the ranges to maintain this momentum. The Volvo XC60 series is a truly huge range with seven basic trim levels, 2WD or 4WD, almost exclusively automatic transmission and for now diesel engines along with petrol units, but its is moving towards a pure-electric line up in a few years.…

The future of hundreds of jobs for people in North East Wales is uncertain after Vauxhall parent Opel this week announced details of a voluntary severance scheme in Russelsheim, Germany which shares Astra production with Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It has been known since spring last year that 2,100 jobs would be going in Germany when Opel produce the next generation Astra and it raised concerns for Ellesmere Port, which also assembles Astra models. Now Opel has said it will offer enhanced redundancy packages and guarantee some jobs for five years in Germany after consultations with the plant’s works council. However,…

Size can make a world of a difference to buyers and that’s where the Ford Mondeo packs them in. It has consistently won awards for its internal dimensions, roominess and popularity with families and business users and it’s easy to see why. The trend towards compact cars has seen the Mondeo segment shrink in numbers if not individual dimensions, but if you really need or want space there is little to rival the big hatchback or estate behind the blue oval badge. It’s a truly massive range of hatchbacks and estates with wide selection of powertrains in petrol, diesel, hybrids,…

Workers are wasting over five days of their time a year due to commuting problems, according to a poll by the CBI and Porter Novelli/Opinium. A survey of 2,000 employees across the UK found that they lost, on average, 2.7 hours a week due to travel disruption or delays. This equates to 125 hours, or over 5 whole days, in the course of a working year. As part of a new 18-month campaign called The Future of Commuting, the UK’s largest business group is working with KPMG to highlight the need to improve transport infrastructure across the UK, and make commuting…

Some 3 million public charging points will be needed for 44 million electric vehicles in 2030 if the EU is to become climate neutral by 2050, new research by green campaign and research group Transport & Environment (T&E) shows.  That’s over 15 times the 185,000 public chargers currently available in the EU – which are enough for the current electric fleet but not to keep pace with the growing market beyond 2020.  To finance the necessary chargers, the analysis estimates Europe needs €20 billion over the next 11 years, or €1.8 billion a year on average, in private and targeted public investment.…

The SMMT said today that overall sales in 2019 were 2.4% below the previous year at 2.31M new models. Sales in Wales were down under 1% by comparison.  Consumer confidence, confusion over clean air legislation which is tightening each year and challenging car makers, and the Brexit debate with a general election, combined to suppress demand. A drop in buyers choosing diesel hit planning and sales while the electric models are in short supply and high prices put off some. December marked the 33rdmonth of sales decline for diesels and tax changes have impacted on Benefit in Kind payments and…

If proof was needed that sleeping giants are a threat, then the Vauxhall Astra proves it with the facelifted models now reaching showrooms. The model has been a staple of the Vauxhall brand for 40 years as the eighth-generation arrives and it’s arguably the best, and has benefitted from input by new owners Peugeot Citroen. A new or revised range of engines cascade into the enormous spread of models and with about 80% going to businesses and fleets the emphasis is squarely on lowering tax penalties for them while delivering a better driving experience for every user. They have succeeded…