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.

Saving money will most definitely be on the agenda for many this year but many neglect the expenses that derive from your vehicle.

These tips give advice on saving fuel, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

• Try to keep your driving smooth, gentle acceleration and using the highest safe gear will use less fuel. Ease off the accelerator early for traffic lights if they are red, why hurry up to wait.
• Try to avoid driving during the rush hour. Stopping and starting in traffic needs the use of the first gear and a lot fuel is dispensed to get the vehicle moving again.
• Keep your tyres well maintained at the correct pressures, when they are due for replacement there are brands which are designed for extra economy which may be worth considering.
• Get rid of unnecessary weight. Cars work just like the human body, your body needs more energy to more around more weight and so does your car, take heavy items out of the car if you don’t need to carry them. A roof rack or roof box will increase drag and you will use more fuel to overcome this remove it if it is not being used.
• Stop the constant back and forth. During this winter season as your engine is trying to warm up it uses more fuel for the first four miles or so. Your engine stays cold when you drive less than two miles and your car will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm engine – avoid these short journeys where possible.
• Turn off the air-conditioning it will be working overtime and it uses extra fuel. When the rear window is cleared turn off the rear screen heater, the more electricity your car has to produce the more fuel it will use.
• Keep your speed low. It sounds pretty standard but driving faster uses more fuel, you can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent. Try pressing more lightly on the accelerator, often you can maintain the same speed with less pressure on the pedal.

Richard said: “Fuel is expensive and burning fuel is bad for the environment, a few small changes in the way we prepare our vehicles and plan our journeys can make a big difference in our fuel consumption. Sound observation and planning on our necessary journeys will help. Remember that safety and fuel saving can be complementary if we drive effectively.”

The forthcoming 2017 Geneva Motor Show marks a turning point for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation with the world premiere of its latest SUV – the first of a new generation of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles.

Tthe sporty, coupe-like SUV will line up alongside the Mitsubishi ASX and Mitsubishi Outlander to broaden the brand’s model range and introduce a whole new audience to Mitsubishi Motors, a name long associated with stylish, tough and extremely capable SUVs and 4X4s.

Sharper in its expression than a conventional coupe, this new, compact SUV will feature highly chamfered contours with a wedge-shaped belt line and a distinctive V-line in the rear quarter stemming from the forward-slanted C-pillar and the chunky, muscular rear fenders.

The all-new Mitsubishi SUV will make its global debut on the Mitsubishi stand at the Geneva Motor Show (Hall 2, Stand 2130) on March 7.

Customers interested in the new Mitsubishi SUV can go to the following link for updates: http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/new-suv/

Audi is quattro and quattro is Audi – the famous all-wheel-drive system has been a defining feature of the Vorsprung durch Technik brand for over 35 years, and proof of that enduring appeal has been provided by the eight millionth quattro-equipped model to leave the production line.

Fittingly, the worthy recipient of this particularly momentous example of the all-weather roadholding and driver appeal amplifier is an all-new Q5 SUV in Garnet Red fresh from a brand new plant in San José Chiapa, Mexico.

quattro technoloAudi achieved a milestone in automotive history with the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system – in 1980, no other manufacturer offered fast-running and light all-wheel drive technology for high-volume production. The technology premiered in 1980 in the Ur-quattro at the Geneva International Motor Show. In 1986 Audi replaced the first generation’s manually locking centre differential with a Torsen differential which could variably distribute drive torque. The planetary drive followed in 2005, with its asymmetrical, dynamic distribution of power and torque. The self-locking centre differential is the subject of continual development by Audi engineers and is considered the benchmark for traction and driving dynamics combined with very light weight.gy made its debut in 1980, and today it is available in more than 100 model versions.

White maintained its position as the UK’s most popular new car colour for the fourth year in a row in 2016, according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. More than half a million new car buyers chose the colour last year – a fifth of all registrations – although figures show its popularity is starting to fade with demand falling -2.1%, the first drop since 2005.

White and black are the nation’s two favourite car colours – of the 2.69 million new cars registered in 2016, white (552,329) and black (542,862) took more than 40% market share. While white maintained its lead in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in England it was overtaken by black as the new car colour of choice.

Nationally, the third and fourth most popular colours were grey and blue, both gaining market share. Meanwhile, yellow cars appeared in the top 10 for the first time since 2013 at the expense of mauve, which dropped to 11th place.

Regionally, black topped the chart in the South East while also overtaking white as the favourite new car colour in East Anglia and the West Midlands. However, white continued to be most popular across the rest of the country, with buyers in the South West, East Anglia, East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North all following the national trend.

Car colours: Biggest winners and losers in 2016

Going up

• Pink may still be a niche colour choice, but last year demand grew 82.7% to 3,527 units.
• A 44% rise in demand for Bronze cars saw a record 8,902 people spec the colour in 2016.
• Turquoise’s popularity grew fourfold last year, from just 792 registrations in 2015 to 2,718.

Going down

• Is brown’s time in the top 10 coming to an end? Demand fell -40.1%, dropping it one place to ninth.
• Appetite for beige fell -27.6% to under 10,000 for the first time since 2000 with 8,426 cars registered.
• Silver saw the biggest volume decline, falling 22,209, with 273,220 buyers choosing it compared with 843,870 in its heyday back in 2004.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the UK’s best-selling Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. At its introduction in 2014 it effectively created the ultra-low emission vehicle segment, notching up 10,000 sales in the UK within the first ten months and amassing a total sales figure of 26,600 by the end of 2016. The vehicle is derived from the third generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander (which pioneered the ‘cross-over’ vehicle design concept with the Mitsubishi Airtrek in 2001 and has sold 1.5 million units globally since launch) but was developed from the ground up to be driven by either an internal combustion engine or hybrid technology and as a result there are no compromises in terms of packaging, practicality or drving dynamics.

Extensively revised in 2016, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV vehicle continues to take the automotive world by storm and now the new Outlander PHEV has arrived, representing another evolution in technology, safety and dynamic performance. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is in showrooms now with prices starting from £34,749 (excluding the £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant).

For 2017 Mitsubishi introduces a new EV Priority Mode across all variants. The new EV switch is located below the 4WD button and once activated, it allows the driver to operate the vehicle in EV mode without the engine starting, provided there is sufficient charge in the batteries. An electronic parking brake is also new to the 2017 Outlander PHEV, as well as the brake auto hold button function which, when activated, holds the vehicle in traffic or on an include the same way a handbrake would, allowing the driver to release the footbrake.

Across all variants, the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV powertrain and chassis has been revised, with new dampers and rear suspension bushes, making it a quieter and more refined to drive than ever. Rapid charging has also been improved, reducing its charging time to 80% from 30 minutes to approximately 25 minutes, and its pure electric range is increased to 33 miles, up from 32 miles. The 2017 Outlander PHEV also delivers more performance with improved acceleration in EV mode compared to its predecessor. CO₂ emissions have also been lowered by 1g/km to 41g/km, with an average weighted fuel consumption of 166 mpg – a 6.4% increase versus the previous version. Regenerative braking technology, which works to put lost energy back into the battery when slowing down and which can adjusted while driving using the steering wheel paddles, has also been upgraded for 2017 Outlander PHEV – the drive battery output has been improved by 10%.

Safety features have also been further developed and improved on the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Forward Collision Mitigation technology, standard on the Mitsubishi Outlander 4hs and 5hs versions, now features Pedestrian Detection for added safety, while Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert have both been introduced on the 4h variant to assist the driver when reversing out of a space. For example, if traffic is coming from the right, the icon located on the right-hand mirror will light up, accompanied by an audio alert.

Another colour has been added to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV colour palette in the form of Cool Silver. A shark-fin antenna is now incorporated in the roof line and there is a secure charge-point cover linked to the central locking. For a more refined exterior look, Outlander PHEV also features silver roof rails, as well as clean chrome accents on the sills.

Inside, the new Electronic Parking Brake and auto-hold button are located to the right of the 4WD and the new EV Priority Mode switches on the centre console. The console, and other key surfaces, have been finished with a black ash design and chrome accents and, as before, it is extremely well finished with soft-touch switches and ambient lighting flooding the floor area and centre console box. A four-spoke heated steering wheel, with a thick high-grip rim, fine leather trim and multiple control switches, completes the upmarket cabin feel.