Citroën has revealed a new concept car – C-Aircross Concept.

This interpretation of a compact SUV marks a new stage for Citroën in the deployment of its product strategy. With the C-Aircross Concept’s internationally-oriented body style, the Citroën brand confirms its offensive in the SUV market – an offensive that began with the reveal of the Aircross Concept in 2015.

The Citroën C-Aircross Concept’s unique identity is inspired by New C3, although clearly adapted for a new sector of the market:

• DESIGN– The exterior immediately gives an impression of space on-board. Inside, the use of colour and specially chosen materials creates a modern and relaxed atmosphere, with an overall impression of minimalist style.
• COMFORT– A modern SUV, the front doors – and the rear-hinged doors at the back – open to reveal a spacious cabin. The concept offers wide, quilt-effect seats and plenty of light from its large windows and panoramic sunroof. Thanks to the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, the concept’s technologies serve to enhance ease-of-use.

Visit the Citroën stand at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 March (press days) or from Thursday 9 to Sunday 19 March (public days), to see the Citroën C-Aircross Concept make its World Premiere.

Motivated by a strong social conscience* and keen to rent, stream and share goods and services, the Millennial generation’s revolutionary approach to spending is changing how companies – including carmakers – do business.

And their fresh thinking is influencing the cars they want to drive in ways you might not expect.

More than 4 in 5 Millennials believe SUVs have become more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly during the last 5 years. Having shed their gas-guzzling reputation, SUVs are now on the shopping lists of 1 in 4 Millennials in the market for a new car. **

Ford is introducing an all-new fully electric SUV, engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles – enough to drive from London to Paris. The company introduced three new SUVs in Europe last year, and the new zero-emission model will be one of five arriving by 2020.

“SUV sales are rising faster than any other type of vehicle in Europe, and eco-conscious Millennials are a driving force behind growing SUV demand. Last year, Ford’s SUV sales outpaced even this rapid industry growth,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe.

Sales of Ford’s SUV models in the UK – the compact EcoSport, medium-size Kuga and full-size Edge – are up 320 per cent in three years and grew 31 per cent in 2016 compared to 2015 in Europe. Industry SUV registrations were up 21 per cent across Europe in 2016, accounting for more than one quarter of all the new vehicles registered. ^†

* http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/green-generation-millennials-say-sustainability-is-a-shopping-priority.html

** Ford Motor Company-sponsored survey of 5,000 people in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K who own a car or who intend to buy one in the next 12 months. Millennial respondents aged 17 to 34

Salon Rétromobile 2017 will see the world debut presentation of the next in the ‘Reborn’ series of expertly sourced and comprehensively restored Classic Land Rovers.

Range Rover Reborn is a new programme offering prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectible vintage Range Rover, direct from Land Rover Classic in the UK. The launch of Range Rover Reborn builds on the successful introduction of Land Rover Series I Reborn last year.*

Another highlight for show visitors will be the European debut presentation of the ‘New Original’ Jaguar XKSS. Following its successful introduction to media at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles in November 2016, this stunning XKSS finished in Sherwood Green is the engineering blueprint for nine cars destined for delivery to customers worldwide in 2017.**

Also showcased by Jaguar Land Rover Classic at Salon Rétromobile – held in Paris, France from 08-12 February 2017 – will be the first fully factory-restored original E-type Fixed Head Coupe. This privately-owned, French-registered 1962 E-type, presented in Opalescent Gunmetal Grey, is presented complete with reverse-engineered body panels, manufactured in-house to ensure best fit and finish, and with its original 3.8-litre engine and transmission – also completely reconditioned.

Land Rover Classic’s expert team has drawn on decades of engineering and design expertise to complete the first Range Rover Reborn – a carefully selected 1978 Classic Range Rover.

Specification overview

• Colour: Bahama Gold
• Engine: 3528cc V8 Petrol Carburettor Zenith-Stromberg 175CD type
  • max. power 132bhp at 5000rpm
  • max torque: 186 lb ft (251 Nm) at 2500 rpm
• 4-speed manual transmission, lockable central differential

Every Range Rover Reborn will undergo a complete restoration according to the company’s original 1970s factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve and protect the vehicle’s authenticity. Land Rover’s experienced restoration team will advise customers of the best options for base vehicles – in terms of collectability, preferred chassis numbers and unique characteristics.

Prices for completed Range Rover Reborn restorations from Land Rover Classic will start from £135,000.

A Parkers investigation reveals that more than half of the most popular new models will cost consumers on average an extra £536 if they want to have a choice of more than one colour.

Car manufacturers have reduced the palette of solid colours available to just a single offering on 30 of the country’s most popular cars. For those companies offering only one free colour, consumers are charged on average an extra £292 for non-standard solid paints.

As metallic and matt types of paint cost more to produce, and the application process takes longer with more layers of base- and top-coats, it’s reasonable to expect an additional charge for something more sparkly.

White and black most popular; but usually cost extra

Sales data compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) confirmed that white was the most popular colour for new car sales in 2016, with 552,329 registrations. And yet, of those 50 popular ranges of cars sampled, only 26 are available with solid white as a ‘free’ colour.

Black is the second most commonly-chosen colour with 542,862 registrations. Only 14 of those 50 popular ranges have black as a no-cost option colour. This doesn’t seem fair on Britain’s hard-pressed car buyers amid ever-increasing fuel prices rises and 2017’s VED car tax changes.

One manufacturer spokesman who asked not to be identified confirmed Parkers’ suspicions: ‘The policy of charging more for certain shades of solid paint became more widespread during the recession to boost profitability, especially on smaller, less expensive cars.’

Across all of the UK’s most popular ranges (including those with more than one free standard colour), premium paint finishes will set car buyers back an average of £808.

Surely you’ll have more than one ‘free’ choice of paint with a MINI Hatch? Well, no – but unusually, the standard colour is a metallic: Moonwalk Grey. Of the other popular cars in our sample with only one standard shade, only the Kia Sportage’s paint is metallic.

If you’d prefer solid paint in Chilli Red, Pepper White or Volcanic Orange, you’ll pay a £475 premium – the same price MINI charges for its other metallic colours – despite being cheaper to produce. If you’re hankering after solid Lapisluxury Blue, that’s £750 extra.

MINI’s spokesperson told Parkers: ‘Our customers love to customise their vehicles and there are hundreds of thousands of possible combinations. In order to offer this level of customisation, options are priced to reflect the manufacturing and logistical requirements to facilitate them.’

What of the darling of the crossover crowd, the Nissan Qashqai? Plump for the least-expensive Visia DIG-T 115 at £18,795 and solid Flame Red is your only standard shade, with all of the optional colours being metallic (£575 extra) or pearlescent (an additional £745).

Nissan’s spokesman was tight-lipped on the reasons behind the restricted ‘free’ choice but suggested that ‘around 95% of Qashqai buyers choose a premium colour.’ With such a large volume of sales those extra-cost colours look particularly lucrative.

Parkers buying advice

Research all of the costs thoroughly before you set foot in a showroom so that you know exactly what you want, and play different dealers off against each other.

It’s worth remembering that cars in metallic colours usually have a higher resale value than their equivalents in solid colours. Rather than spending that average of £292 for an optional solid shade that a used buyer is less likely to appreciate the premium for – if you can budget for it – spend the extra £244 average cost for a metallic colour for a stronger residual value.

For the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE, which will make its world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show (7 to 19 March), a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines is available.  

The ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE combines its distinct appearance with the versatile nature of the ŠKODA KODIAQ – its exterior length of 4.70 metres offering up to seven seats as well as the largest amount of interior space and largest boot capacity within its segment.

The radiator grille, roof rails, wing mirror housings and side window trims all come in black while the rear window and rear side windows are tinted. The rear is enhanced by a narrow, silver-coloured trim below the bumper.

The side view of each of the ŠKODA KODIAQ models is characterised by short overhangs, their sloping roofline that is visually extended by a line in the D-pillar, and the tapered rear. The protective side trims of the ŠKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE are body-coloured. It comes with 19-inch alloy wheels in a special new design as standard. As an option, 20-inch wheels are also available. Furthermore, it bears a small badge with the model designation on the front wing.