Volvo’s new UK boss has outlined a three-point plan focused on electric cars, boosting online sales and improving dealer profitability – while Brexit is lower down his priority list. In his first interview since taking over in June, Kristian Elvefors said his first big challenge is to launch Volvo’s first all-electric model, a variant of the XC40, successfully in the UK from next year while exploiting the plug-in hybrid cars that Volvo now have on every bodystyle. “We are very well placed with electrification and the XC40 will move us into a new, growing segment,” he said. The XC40 is currently Volvo’s UK best-seller, taking over from the out-of-production V40, and the new plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models are likely to further strengthen the compact SUV’s position in Volvo’s UK line-up. In the medium term, Volvo UK will work towards the corporate goal of 50% new car sales of electrified cars – hybrids and BEVs – by 2025, which will inevitably mean a bigger share of those models in the UK. In his first four months in the job, Elvefors has seen how UK consumers are comfortable with online purchasing and sees an opportunity to broaden Volvo sales on the web. “We don’t do Ocado and Amazon in Sweden like you do here,” he said. “That must be an opportunity for us.” However, there is still no firm date to introduce Volvo’s subscription service Care By Volvo to the UK. Care By Volvo bundles all the costs of running a car, including insurance, into a single monthly payment, like a mobile phone contract. “In Europe, we’re trialling it in Germany and the Netherlands,” he said. “If you can make it work in Germany, you can make it work anywhere. But we have to see how it goes before it comes to the UK.” Although Elvefors says Volvo is “prepared for Brexit”, he feels that there is enough uncertainty to remain tight-lipped about Volvo’s end-of-year UK sales. The short-term aim is 60,000 units by 2020 and Volvo already reached 30,000 new car sales in the first half of the year, but a couple of tough months post-Brexit at the end of October, if it happens, could knock the numbers back. “All I can say is that we are happy with our sales volume numbers,” said Elvefors. Elvefors has switched jobs with Volvo UK’s former boss Jon Wakefield and must now keep UK sales percolating while Wakefield has a chance to move Sweden back ahead of the UK. Much of Elvefors’ perspective on the UK market is framed by his successful stint overseeing Volvo’s Swedish sales – where he increased market share to 20.6% and recovered the company’s market position. Increasing fleet sales might be a card Elvefors could play. He’s not planning a blitz on daily rentals, but sees the fleet mix in the UK, about 22%, well behind Sweden, where it’s around 72%. Another approach will be to encourage UK dealers to bring services that they currently outsource in-house. “I want us to capture more of the profits from this sort of business,” Elvefors
Origin: Volvo UK boss: focus is electric XC40 and online sales
online
James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
Got a fairly daft press release the other day going on about ‘decidophobia’. Apparently, we Brits struggle with information overload when buying a used car. At that point, I’d have usually binned it, since the basis of the quoted stats will be a small survey. Good job I kept reading, though, because I found out that the company that carried out the survey is owned by Volkswagen and Daimler. They should have told me that a lot earlier rather than making up a phobia. They should also have mentioned they use selected dealers who supply cars that are less than eight years old and under 100,000 miles. So let’s go and do a virtual check of their stock. Being me, I searched for cheapness first and came up with a bunch of city centre assault vehicles. First off, there was a Ford Ka 1.2 Studio from 2012. It had 83,000 miles and cost just £2200, which is pretty good from a dealer group, in this case a Nissan outlet. They usually don’t stock affordables because they can be a pain to warranty. Similar models included a 2012 Citroën C1 1.0 VTR three-door at the same outlet with 70,000 miles and on offer at £2500. Otherwise, a badge-engineered Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban with 77,000 miles and a couple of extra doors at £2400 at a car supermarket offered something more practical. You can compare and contrast, as most clever websites allow you to do these days. Plus you can get posh barges like Bentleys. Without searching too hard, I found a 2013 Bentley Flying Spur with 35,000 miles from Bentley’s own Specialist Car Division, priced at £53,950. If a Spur makes you feel like a chauffeur, then a Continental GT – in this case, a 2012 car in Mulliner Driving spec – came in at £57,950. Or £69,000 would get you the same model and spec but this time as a roof-free GTC. Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes come the everyday family cars. A Vauxhall Astra 1.4i Exclusiv from 2012 with 74,000 miles is a reasonable £3500. So what we have here is another way of choosing your next used car. You may well end up at the same place as you would have anyway, but it is true the reassurance is very nice. That is what buying from a dealer should be. There are 1400 dealers in this arrangement so there is plenty of choice. A couple of big manufacturers are involved so clearly there is money to be made from us. Should I use such a service, or some other used car search? I just can’t decide what to do. What we almost bought this week Perodua Myvi 1.3: When it was launched in 2006, Malaysia’s version of the Daihatsu Sirion cost just £6799 after a £1000 dealer cashback. Today, those same folk who bought into the tough little hatch should be congratulating themselves since, as we found, a 2010-reg example with 83,000 miles and full service history still commands a price of £1690. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Just checking in with the Lorry, which is doing sterling work, shifting all sorts of stuff. Indeed, not pictured is a load bay stuffed to the roof with all sorts of metal- and paper-based nonsense. I also took the time to do a check and saw that, after a long time of being normal, the oil level had dropped a bit. I don’t think it is a problem – just might be a week or two longer since I checked. I use the mineral stuff that Halfords does, although I am sure someone else supplies something that is just as good. But I can’t be bothered to find it. Reader’s ride Here’s the second instalment of Nick Williams’s love-in with used Hondas. “My Accord is still going strong. I’ve had it for five years now. It has done 90,000 miles and is extremely reliable. Expenditure – apart from insurance, car tax, fuel, servicing and MOT – has been a set of Michelin Primacy 3 tyres three years ago and brake pads and discs on the front. “Even though it has a 200bhp 2.4-litre, I get very reasonable mpg. I think it will be our main car for years yet. And it’s not costing me a £300-per-month PCP!” Readers’ questions Question: I paid a deposit on a car but have changed my mind about buying it. Can I get my money back? The car was a nearly new MX-5, so the dealer will have little trouble reselling it. Gary Kingman, Basingstoke Answer: Whether the dealer does or does not have trouble selling it is irrelevant. In paying the deposit, you formed a legally binding contract to buy the car and your deposit is non-refundable. Circumstances when you could get your money back include if the dealer broke their side of their agreement, there’s a cooling-off period in the contract or you bought the car away from the dealer’s premises. John Evans Question: I can’t decide between a 2016 Subaru BRZ SE Nav with 22,000 miles for £14,290 and a 2015 Toyota GT86 D-4S with 24,000 miles for £15,500. Both have full history. Can you help, please? Paul Hudson, via email Answer: The Subaru is younger and £1000 cheaper but still you’re undecided between it and the older, more expensive Toyota? It can only be an image thing because both are
Origin: James Ruppert: the surprisingly cheap world of online dealers
Images of two new Ferrari drop-tops leak online
Ferrari looks set to unveil two important new convertible models according to images circulating on social media. One image, posted to Facebook by Ferrari fan page ‘Cavallino Rampante’ (Prancing Horse), shows what appears to be a drop-top version of the firm’s 812 Superfast at a corporate or private customer event. Bodywork changes over the existing hardtop variant appear to be limited to the addition of a pair of prominent rear buttresses, similar to those on the limited-run SP1 and SP2 Monza, which should enhance aerodynamic efficiency with the roof down. There’s no official word yet on the V12’s performance details, but if (as expected) the new model features the same 789bhp 6.5-litre unit as the coupé, it will be one of the most powerful production convertibles in the world. Also inbound, as shown in an image published by Instagram user trax_x, is a Spider variant of the new F8 Tributo. We’ve only seen it in silhouette form so far, but, as with the 812 Spider, it looks to bear a strong resemblance to its hardtop counterpart, with subtle styling changes at the rear to accommodate a folding roof. It is unclear how soon the models will make their official debut, but given they appear to have been revealed to customers already, we can expect to find out more in the coming
Origin: Images of two new Ferrari drop-tops leak online
New Land Rover Defender leaks online – in Lego form
Images have appeared online that appear to show the new Land Rover Defender completely undisguised – albeit in Lego Technic form. The Danish toy firm is gearing up to launch a new 2573-piece Lego Technic replica Defender, which was reported by Lego enthusiast website The Brothers Brick after being initially posted on the Smyths toys website. The model appears to be of the reborn new Defender, which the British firm is currently testing ahead of its launch later this year. Reportedly due to go on sale in October – shortly after the real Defender is unveiled – the Lego Defender will feature a working steering mechanism, four-speed sequential gearbox, three differentials and independent suspension. It will also be fitted with a working winch. The model is based on the short-wheelbase three-door Defender ’90’ variant. A five-door ‘110’ version of the real car will also be offered. While the real Defender has so far only been seen in camouflage livery, the model will be finished in an olive green. It will also be 420mm long, 220mm high and 200mm wide. The model is yet to be officially confirmed by Lego, although reports suggest is will be priced at £159 in the UK. Land Rover says that the new Defender has already undergone more than 750,000 miles of testing in some of “the most inhospitable environments” in the world. This has involved hot weather testing in Africa and North America, cold-weather testing at -40deg C, altitude testing at up to 13,000 feet and performance running at the Nurburgring. It is not yet known whether the pre-launch test programme Lego has conducted on the Technic Defender has been as
Origin: New Land Rover Defender leaks online – in Lego form
New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent debut
Vauxhall is getting ready for one of its biggest launches in years, the all-new Corsa, but the unveiling appears to have been spoiled in advance. The fifth-generation Ford Fiesta rival isn’t due to be officially revealed for a couple of weeks, but what look to be official press images have reportedly been leaked online by French automotive forum Worldscoop and promptly taken down. The images show the new Corsa will have a distinctly different design from the new Peugeot 208, with which it shares its platform and underpinnings. The proportions will be similar between both cars, however, with the new Corsa being lower and wider than its predecessor. The front end takes several cues from the Grandland X SUV, while the rear is clearly related to the Astra. The shots are of the electric variant, which was expected to be revealed before the petrol and diesel variants. After an official launch next month, sales of the new Corsa in all three variations are expected to begin by the autumn. Autocar understands that the EV will be sold as the Vauxhall eCorsa in the UK, but the images appear to show that the Opel version sold elsewhere will be named the Corsae. Camouflaged prototypes were previously shown being subjected to temperatures of -30deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the its predecessor. According to Vauxhall, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will have an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). The new Corsa is the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success, given the model’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a purely battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall-Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. Less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall-Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall-Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall-Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa is based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, it has been radically changed. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a five-door Corsa will also help Vauxhall-Opel’s drive for greater efficiency and increased profitability. Inside, the Corsa looks set to receive PSA’s familiar touchscreen infotainment
Origin: New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent debut
New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent reveal
Vauxhall is getting ready for one of its biggest launches in years – the all-new Corsa – but the unveiling appears to have been spoiled in advance. The fifth-generation Ford Fiesta rival isn’t due to be unveiled for a couple of weeks, but what looks to be official press images have reportedly been leaked online by French automotive forum Worldscoop, and promptly taken down. The images show the new Corsa will have a distinctly different design than the new Peugeot 208, with which the Corsa shares its platform and underpinnings. The proportions will be similar between both cars, with the new Vauxhall being lower and wider than its predecessor. The front end takes several cues from the Grandland X, while the rear is clearly related to the Astra. The shots are also of the electric variant, dubbed eCorsa, which was expected to be revealed before the petrol and diesel variants. After an official launch next month, sales of the new car in all three powertrains are expected to begin by the autumn. Camouflaged prototypes were previously shown being subjected to temperatures of -30 deg celsius in Sweden, carrying out chassis tuning at a test circuit and being analysed by electrical engineers in a laboratory. Vauxhall recently confirmed that the fifth-generation Corsa weighs up to 108kg less than the outgoing model. According to the manufacturer, depending on specification, the new supermini can weigh as little as 980kg – roughly 130kg less than the lightest Ford Fiesta. The weight loss comes courtesy of new high-strength steel bodywork, lightweight interior insulation materials and a range of all-aluminium powertrains. Like the range-topping variant of the current Insignia, the new Corsa will feature an aluminium bonnet weighing 2.4kg less than the steel unit fitted to the current model, as shown in a breakdown of weight savings published by the manufacturer (below). Previous spy shots of the upcoming Volkswagen Polo rival show a design that shares cues with the recently revealed Peugeot 208, which uses the same underpinnings. It’s the first mainstream Vauxhall produced entirely under the brand’s new owner, the PSA Group, and is crucial to Vauxhall and Opel’s success given the car’s historic popularity. It will also be both brands’ first model to be sold with a battery-electric variant. A preview image, released earlier this year, showed the Corsa’s headlights will feature adaptive-beam full LED technology – claimed to be a segment first. Usually the preserve of premium models, the LEDs are able to continuously adapt the full beam pattern to stop it from causing glare to oncoming traffic. The Corsa will set the tone for a new wave of Vauxhall/Opel models, each of which will be overhauled thanks to access to new platforms, engines and hardware that are also used across the group’s other car brands: Peugeot, Citroën and DS. The new Corsa has been developed in an unusually fast time. When it is unveiled, less than two years will have elapsed since work began, just as the deal to buy Vauxhall/Opel was being agreed between PSA and General Motors. The quick turnaround is due to PSA reversing the original decision for the next Corsa to be based on GM’s architecture. Once PSA had taken over Vauxhall/Opel, it would have been required to pay a licensing fee to GM to use the platform, something boss Carlos Tavares is keen to avoid. Vauxhall/Opel boss Michael Lohscheller has previously told Autocar that the new Corsa will not be compromised in any way. “It’s true that we had a version ready to go, and you can’t just stretch a design to fit a new platform,” he said, “but the teams have done a fantastic job in record time to ensure that the car is on schedule.” The new Corsa will be based on PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), a front-wheel-drive architecture. The Corsa will also dip into PSA’s engine line-up and is likely to adopt the turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit in a variety of power outputs. Despite the switch to a new platform, the Mk6 Corsa’s dimensions are understood to closely match the outgoing model’s. Vauxhall chose to launch the current Corsa in 2014 with near-identical dimensions to its predecessor, because the company felt it was the ideal size for customers. This strategy is expected to continue. The current Corsa is 4021mm long, 1736mm wide and 1479mm tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer and taller, but narrower, than the existing 208. The design of the Corsa was set to be evolutionary before the plan for a GM-derived model was axed. Now, to mark a new era for the model under PSA ownership, the styling promises to mark a departure from its traditional look. However, if the Grandland X SUV is anything to go by, its relationship with PSA will result in a design less radical than the new 208. The three-door Corsa will be axed, reflecting an industry trend to discontinue such bodystyles, which are less popular with buyers. Producing only a
Origin: New Vauxhall Corsa leaks online ahead of imminent reveal
VW launches online hub for upcoming electric I.D. cars
A camoflaged version of the VW I.D. HatchbackElektrowoz Volkswagen’s I.D. line of electric vehicles could be hitting the streets sooner than later. Starting May 8 at noon, London time, the company will begin taking pre-orders for its new I.D. Hatchback. To juice the process, VW’s U.K. arm launched a special online portal to welcome “registrations of interest” and to provide information on future members of the I.D. family. Alert readers will recall Wolfsburg has shown several vehicles designed to be part of its all-electric I.D. lineup. They include the curiously named Crozz, Buzz and Vizzion. At that rate, the company will quickly use up the world’s supply of Zs. The new I.D. Hatchback will be offered in a trio of flavours, ranging from an entry-level trim with about 330 km of driving range; all the way up to a fancy-pants 111-kWh model that can stretch its legs up to 550 km per charge. All versions will be powered by a rear-mounted electric motor cranking out approximately 168 horsepower. The company has indicated it will build future I.D. vehicles on a common skateboard platform, allowing them to drape the electric architecture with different clothing depending on market goals. Earlier today, a video of a lightly disguised I.D. Hatchback prototype briefly appeared online; screenshots from website Elektrowoz made sure images from the clip stayed around. Despite its overall shape being quite unlike anything in VW’s current catalog, there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Volkswagen. The taillights are especially reminiscent of a Golf, while the round button of a VW badge stands out prominently between its headlamps. A camoflaged version of the VW I.D. Hatchback Elektrowoz What is presumably a flap covering its charging port appears on the car’s right-rear quarter panel in some images, but vanishes from that location in others. We’ll have to wait for an unveiling of the real thing to accurately determine details such as those. What is certain is that VW is jumping into the electric vehicle market in a big way. With entrants like these, competition for EV supremacy is going to a whole lot more
Origin: VW launches online hub for upcoming electric I.D. cars
Mercedes-AMG leaked its own 2020 CLA 45 S via its online configurator
Mercedes-Benz accidentally spoiled the reveal of its small performance sedan, the new CLA 45 S, by uploading a photo of it early May to its online vehicle configurator. The image was first found by German publication Auto Bild, who discovered it while browsing the CLA 35 on Mercedes-Benz’ car configurator. When AMG Night Package was selected, there was a glitch in the system that showed a grey CLA-Class with red wheel calipers and an CLA 45 S badge instead of the yellow car that was in the body of the configurator. There’s no doubt about the vehicle being the CLA 45 S: larger wheels and quad exhausts round out the differences between the CLA 35 and the hot version. The image on the site has since been removed. In a conversation with Tobias Moers of AMG, Autoblog discovered the AMG CLA 45 S could make up to 420 horsepower, which is a lot for a small turbo-four to make, but with modern technology, we’re sure AMG has designed the danger out of it. The CLA 45 S will also feature a different transmission to handle all that power, with eight speeds instead of the seven used by the 35, which will only have around 387 horsepower. The 45-series vehicles are also expected to have a slightly different four-wheel-drive system with a drift mode. Now that the model has been leaked, it’s possible Mercedes-AMG will fully reveal the vehicle sooner than anticipated. The European-only hatchback will likely be revealed first, followed by the sedan for the rest of the
Origin: Mercedes-AMG leaked its own 2020 CLA 45 S via its online configurator
Hemmings launching online auction site to rival Bring A Trailer
Change is coming to the online car sales scene. First, Craigslist recently began charging for car ads placed on its popular online sales platform. It’s not drastic, but hey, five bucks is five bucks. And now – in a move that’s really only good news for buyers, unlike the Craigslist tax that may be just enough to deter some users – Hemmings Motor News has announced its plans to put forward an online auction platform, offering its rare and collectible vehicles for sale to anyone with an Internet connection (and a bunch of disposable income). “The name that invented the collector car category is now the last word in online collector car auctions,” the Tweet reads. That’s quite the proclamation, but Hemmings does have the credentials to back it up. The Pursuit Is On!We’re designing a whole new online auction!The name that invented the collector car category is now the last word in online collector car auctions.Sign up today to receive the latest insider info as we launch:https://t.co/jAkSrWCDqY pic.twitter.com/QRsAqRxihS Hemmings Motor News (@HemmingsNews) April 10, 2019 Famous for its classic car coverage, Hemmings Motor News is the largest and oldest publication of its type in the U.S., according to Wikipedia, and Hemmings itself claims to be “The World’s Largest Collector Car Marketplace.” Soon, buyers won’t have to drive down to Kokomo, Indiana, to get that Shelby GT 500; they’ll simply be able to sign in and register their bids online. The publication has its sights set on one rival in particular, Bring A Trailer, which holds popular online auctions for often rare and special vehicles and has all but dominated the online auction space in North America. There’s sure to be some competition between the two factions, but the Internet is a big place and there’s likely room for both, especially considering the difference in brand feel—one is time-tested with a storied name, the other is an upstart with a joke in its name. Hemmings hasn’t said when the site will go live, but you can sign up to be kept in the loop at the placeholder site here.
Origin: Hemmings launching online auction site to rival Bring A Trailer
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