News

The Peugeot 107 will be refreshed in 2009 featuring a ‘new face’, better fuel economy, lower CO2 emissions and enhanced equipment with upgraded interior.

Changes to the 107’s exterior include a stylish ‘new face’, with chrome detailing and a new wheel trim design to bring a more youthful appearance to the city car.

The interior has also been upgraded and includes new upholstery materials which complement new exterior colours in the range.

The 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine is tweaked with a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 62.8mpg – an improvement of 2% over the previous model.

CO2 emissions are also reduced to just 106g/km - previously 109g/km - retaining the low £35 road tax ‘B’ banding.

The new 107 will be in Peugeot showrooms in early 2009

It’s sleek. It’s stylish. And amongst its innovative technology is the Heat Scarf that keeps you warm even when the roof is down. So isn’t it time you took a closer look at Peugeot’s all-new 308 CC.

Set for launch in April 2009, the range is the newest addition to Peugeot’s award-winning line-up of coupé cabriolet cars, following on from 206 CC and the recently launched 207 CC.

And no matter what your lifestyle, the stylish lines and premium quality interior promise a life less ordinary.
Available in three trim levels – S, Sport and GT – the 308 CC sets a new benchmark and enhances the superb 308 Hatchback and SW range.

And you won’t just look great in the 308 CC – you’ll also have cutting edge technology at your fingertips.

The front seats can be fitted with an innovative Airwave system, which effectively acts as an air-stream. Warm air is pumped around the driver and front passenger’s head and neck. And this new technology means you can enjoy life with the roof down… no matter what the weather!

The 308 CC range also has a choice of standard or optional in-car entertainment and telematics, including Peugeot Connect Nav, a new sat-nav system featuring audio functions with a three-tuner MP3 compatible Radio / CD player, a Bluetooth® hands-free mobile telephone, satellite navigation with European cartography, traffic information and RCA connectors in the glove box.

Safety is always a priority and as such ESP – electronic stability programme – is standard on all models. The 308 CC is also the world’s first coupé cabriolet to have a head air bag for the front passengers.

And it wouldn’t be a coupe cabriolet without expert ride handling and a wide engine choice. As such, the 308 CC is powered by a choice of Euro V HDi diesel and petrol turbocharged engines.

• World’s best-selling roadster wins another accolade from Auto Express
• After almost 20 years, MX-5 still claims top-spot for global popularity
• MX-5 and RX-8 sales make Mazda Britain’s favourite sportscar brand

A legend in its own lifetime, the iconic Mazda MX-5 roadster continues to deliver pure motoring thrills – as a new or used car – almost 20 years since its debut.

This week, MX-5 has overcome the challenge of numerous short-listed rivals to win its class in the ‘2008 Auto Express Used Car Honours’ in the popular weekly publication’s annual awards. This latest success for the Mazda MX-5 follows last month’s triumph, when Mazda’s sportscar won ‘Best Convertible’ in the 2008 Auto Express New Car Honours.

For the latest issue of Auto Express, an experienced panel of six judges, who know the used car market inside out, scrutinised the merits of the dozens of cars in 16 different categories. After much deliberation, the Mazda MX-5 two-seater emerged as the clear winner of the ‘Best Roadster’ – beating the significantly more expensive Porsche Boxster and Audi TT into the runners-up places. Commenting on the Mazda MX-5’s victory, Auto Express stated: “In 1989, Mazda took everything that made the British Lotus Elan great, then added superb reliability and a low price to the package. Not only is the MX-5 the world's best-selling sportscar, it has also won over us loyal Brits. It’s poised to knock the classic MGB off the top spot for both popularity and parts supply in the UK. The problem our judges faced come ‘decision time’ was choosing between the current and previous generations of the MX-5 – the Mazda is a fantastic choice and a thrilling drive".

Highlighting the dilemma facing members of the judging panel, British Car Auctions general manager Ashley Feldman said: "My first thoughts were in favour of the present-shape MX-5 as it's more desirable. But it is simply impossible to ignore the availability and value of the older model. Both versions will fend off most sportscar rivals in every way, so we can recommend them as a pair."

Accepting the latest award for Mazda UK, Marketing Director Mark Cameron commented: “In the UK, the iconic two-seater, rear-wheel drive Mazda MX-5 sportscar continues to be hugely popular with both the public and media. It delivers on the promise of thrilling open-air motoring, with everyday reliability and modest running costs. Since its launch in the UK in 1990 we have sold more than 90,000 MX-5s so there is broad selection of used models available through our ‘Zoom-Zoom Plus’ approved used car programme and of course through other outlets nationwide.“The MX-5 soft-top can be opened and closed in just a few seconds, using only one hand and without getting out of the car. The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe features the world’s fastest-folding hard-top – up or down in just 12 seconds. And by a miracle of packaging ingenuity, this roof retracts into a compact space behind the seats so the boot space maintains its 150-litre volume as before – a unique innovation among modern sports cars,” concludes Cameron.

Competitive ownership costs thanks to the excellent levels of security, including Thatcham category 1 alarm and immobiliser (standard on all models), together with the modest overall costs of crash repair, the insurance groups for both the Mazda MX-5 soft-top and Roadster Coupe are highly competitive, ranging from 11E to 13E. Improved residual values are also apparent. The indicative three-year/60,000 mile residual values from used car experts CAP Motor Research predict the Mazda MX-5 will retain between 43 per cent of its value (2.0i Sport) and 47 per cent (1.8i base model) at disposal time – making it an unbeatable ownership proposition.

As new car sales in the UK tumble, down 21.2 percent in September from the same month a year ago and down 7.6 per cent in the first nine months of the year, Mazda UK reports a strong increase in its market share.

The Zoom-Zoom company has taken its share of the retail market from 2.3 percent in September 2007 to 3.1 percent in September 2008.  The September performance which saw Mazda selling 9,506 cars wasn’t a blip.

“We’ve been growing our retail share this year and for the first nine months that share is 2.8 percent which is 0.7 percentage points up on the same time last year,” says managing director Jeremy Thomson.

“Our passenger car retail sales for the year are 24,226 which is 3,138 up on last year and given current conditions a great performance.”

The overall industry sales are down 7.6 percent – or 147,543 units – in the same period.  Having the right car at the right time with Mazda2 has obviously helped, said Mr Thomson. Mazda2 overtook Mazda3 in September to become the company’s best seller.  

In September, Mazda sold 5,325 passenger cars to private buyers and 4,181 to fleet and business customers. “To support our dealer network, we have put increased emphasis on the retail channel and sales to local fleets.  It’s the right balance for the business, especially now,” said Mr Thomson.

• International debut for IS 250 C at the Mondial de l’Automobile
• LF-Xh hybrid concept car, highlighting a new tonality of L-finesse design
• LS 460 with permanent All-Wheel Drive

Lexus will reveal the new IS 250 Convertible during its press conference at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October.
Following the launch earlier this year of the ultra-high performance IS F, this will be the third derivative in the IS range.
Also on display at Paris will be the LF-Xh hybrid concept vehicle, the new LS 460 AWD with permanent all-wheel drive and a full-line up of Lexus Hybrid Drive models.
Lexus remains the first — and only — premium automotive manufacturer to offer a comprehensive hybrid model range, comprising the RX 400h, the world’s first hybrid SUV; the GS 450h performance hybrid saloon; and the ultra-luxurious LS 600h flagship limousine.

LF-Xh hybrid concept
The Lexus LF-Xh hybrid concept car highlighted the potential for Lexus’s L-finesse design philosophy to be applied to different artistic and creative spheres far beyond the language of car design when it made its European debut at the Museo della Permanente art gallery during Milan Design Week earlier this year.
Now appearing in the more conventional surroundings of an international motor show, the LF-Xh features powerful, highly sculptural bodywork, an elegant, user-intuitive interior and an all-wheel drive Lexus Hybrid Drive system, which combines a powerful V6 petrol engine with high output electric motors. Finished all in black, the LF-Xh has a dynamic presence. Its combination of advanced environmental technology, outstanding driving performance, near-silent operation, excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions perfectly reflects Lexus’s forward-thinking mindset for a future generation of vehicles.

LS 460 AWD
Two years on from the European launch of the fourth generation of Lexus’s flagship saloon, the LS 460’s outstanding performance, sure-footed dynamic abilities and ground-breaking active safety systems have been further strengthened by the addition of permanent all-wheel drive.
The all-wheel drive system has a three-differential configuration, with a highly compact Type C TORSEN® Limited Slip Differential (LSD) that distributes drive power between the front and rear axles with a 40:60 rear axle torque bias. The highly responsive torque distribution is continuously controlled and optimised according to driving conditions, and can be varied between a 50:50 to 30:70 split between front and rear axles. This enhances the vehicle’s grip, traction and cornering stability under acceleration to class-leading levels.