Thousands of shoppers, holidaymakers and sports enthusiasts saw some of the world’s most advanced cars in Swansea at the weekend for Britain’s first exclusively low carbon rally. [aoa id=”1″] Fuel cell models lined up with a wide range of battery electric vehicles from nearly every manufacturer selling in Britain to compete in the Green Dragon EV Rally and Show. Streets around Castle Square were filled with examples of the latest ev cars and competition cars together with demonstrations of electric trials bikes and high performance electric racing bikes which have lapped the Isle of Man TT Course, along…
Author: Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts
Automotive news & features
Launched in the UK in spring 2019, it is competing in a tough sector of family and company cars but its about to get a big boost this autumn. The new Mazda3 hatchbacks initially came with either a 122ps 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol or 116ps Skyactiv-D diesel engine, in five trim levels: SE-L, SE-L Lux, Sport Lux, GT Sport and GT Sport Tech. Now, Mazda’s innovative Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition engine will join the range in October together with saloon versions and an innovative intelligent all-wheel-drive model just in time for winter. Mazda3 breaks new ground for owners with its…
Within weeks of its launch the Skoda Scala started winning awards for its family friendly practicality and praise for its styling around the new roomy interior. Scala is the first VW Group product to be built on the latest MQB A0 modular platform developed for all future Group models and simply relies on one fixed distance – front bulkhead to front wheels centre-line – and then everything else can be varied to suit. So it produces a changeable wheelbase, track and overhangs. So far as Skoda is concerned with its newcomer, the Scala range is available in SE and SEL…
Swansea is gearing up for the a unique look into the future of transportation as the Green Dragon EV Rally and the Future of Electric Show takes to the streets on Saturday August 24th this coming August Bank Holiday Weekend. [aoa id=”1″] Promoted by Low Carbon MC and organised by Maesteg Motor Club in association with Swansea BID (Business Improvement District) the Green Dragon EV Rally and Show is due to become an annual fixture on the Swansea calendar. This year’s inaugural event is focused on all forms of transportation electric and hydrogen. The Green Dragon EV Rally is open…
Global demand for the Ford triple-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine is lower than expected and driven the decision to close its production line in Bridgend next February. [aoa id=”1″]Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe, in a conference call said the employees and management at Bridgend Engine Plant had done all they possibly could to support Dragon production, but it was simply not cost-effective when compared to other plants, particularly in Mexico.[/aoa] He confirmed that Ford will repay about £11 M to the Welsh Government for not fulfilling its investment promise made in 2016 and the company will begin an enhanced separation…
First shown in 2010 as a 3-door, the 5-door came 12 months later and arrived in Britain in 2012, and it’s a successor to the Audi A2. Today, Audi’s entry level model comes in a comprehensive range of over 30 versions utilising some 5 engine choices with manual or automatic gearboxes, and 7 trim levels in 3 or 5-door versions. Options play a big role in Audi’s appeal and our test model included the £1,650 technology pack along with £995 comfort and sound pack, and £450 dual-zone climate control, in the near £7,600 of extras on the car. That seems…
It is one of the growing families of SUVs, and that includes a number from SEAT and the rest of the parent VW Group, but it brings a little extra pizzazz to the family party. The proportions and practical nature of this Ateca are a good starting point for the driving enthusiasts at SEAT to power up their passion and deliver a really lively family car with a foot in the performance sector. The SEAT Ateca range is truly huge and most are petrol powered but a few diesels are included in a handful of trim levels and packs, but…
Anyone who doubts the future of estate cars should take a long look at the Peugeot 308 SW series and see what it offers for the family who want space without the bulk of an SUV. The 308 series of hatchbacks and estates has been a backbone of the range for decades with different prefixes but it’s as relevant today as it ever was. What’s more it has kept pace with taste and demand so it’s a very good offering in what is a comparatively small segment, which some believe will outlive the SUVs so popular today. There are over…
The Welsh location is lining up against a plant in Portugal, the CEO of Ineos Automotive Dirk Heilmann has confirmed after bosses visited South Wales and looked around the Ford plant along with Welsh Government representatives. Ineos plan to build between 25,000-30,000 of the vehicles annually for drivers of high-spec double-cab pickups and the models will be priced similarly. But it has also said it will use BMW sourced engines for its new model which has the working name of Projekt Grenadier. If Ineos choose Bridgend it will help offset the expected 400 jobs losses when the Ford site loses the…
New car sales in Wales last year did better than most other parts of Britain, show figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Twelve months saw 79,936 new cars registered in Wales compared to 82,753 in 2017, a 3.4% dip and only Northern Ireland faired better with 3.35% decline on a smaller total of 52,533 in 2018 under 54,356 sales a year earlier. New car sales in England and Scotland fell 6.89 and 8.18% respectively and the total for the UK was down 6.8% to 2,361,618 from 2,534,040 in 2017. It was the steepest decline since the global…