Audi S5 Sportback

Audi is planning to unveil three new models at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The three models are the Audi S5 Sportback, The Audi A4 3.0 TDI quattro and the Audi A3 1.2 TFSI.

Audi S5 Sportback 

This new model is the top of the Audi A5 range and this elegant five-door coupe is powered by a three-litre V6 with a mechanical compressor. The car sprints from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds (provisional), has a top speed of 155mph and offers combined fuel economy of 29.1mpg (again provisional).

The car has a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The car has sports suspension, 18-inch aluminium wheels with 245/40 tyres, black brake calipers bearing S5 emblems at the front and will be available in the Spring of 2010.

Audi A4 3.0-litre TDI clean diesel quattro 

The new clean diesel engine was first seen in the Audi Q7 SUV and is now available in the A4 range. The engine features a new common rail injection system with innovative pressure sensors in the combustion chamber, plus a high performance exhaust recirculating system. These three measures ensure a highly efficient and low emission combustion process.

The A4 3.0 TDI clean diesel quattro already complies with the emission limits of the EU’s Euro 6 standard, which is expected to become law in 2014. This TDI engine reaches 0-62mph in only 6.2 seconds (Avant 6.3 seconds) and has a top speed of 155mph. The six-speed tiptronic and quattro permament all-wheel drive system should guarantee a high degree of comfort and safety, with its superior traction on the road.

Audi A3 and A3 Sportback 1.2 TFSI

This new 1.2 TFSI has been designed from scratch and the turbocharged direct petrol engine generates 105PS and reaches 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds in the three door hatch and 11.3 seconds in the Sportback. Both versions have a top speed of 118mph, can return 51.3mpg on the combined fuel cycle and emit just 127g/km of CO2. The first versions of this car will be paired with front-wheel drive and a six speed manual transmission. Audi is the most popular manufacturer on Comparecontracthire.com and car leasing prices on all their other range of models can be compared now.

Saab 9-5 saloon

Saab, the Scandanavian manufacturer, has released the details of their new premium saloon, the Saab 9-5 which signals the dawn of a new era for the company. The new car goes on sale in 2010 and has a new sculpted shape with muscular, aerodynamic, styling.

The car has an array of new features including head-up information display (HUD), adaptive headlights (Bi-Xenon Smart Beam), adaptive cruise control, Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis with real time damping control, keyless entry and starting, dual-zone climate control, dynamic parking assistance and Saab XWD with eLSD, an industry leading all-wheel drive system.

New Saab 9-5

The car has an all-turbo powertrain using highly efficient four cyclinder engines and you have a choice of three fuel types, petrol, diesel and E85 bioethanol. CO2 emissions are as low as 139g/km. The engine options are a 160hp 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine, a 220hp 2.0-litre petrol turbo engine and a top of the range 2.8 V6 turbo, generating 300bhp which is offered exclusively with the Saab XWD.

After the launch a 1.6-litre petrol turbo with 180bhp will be introduced plus the 2.0-litre BioPower E85 engine.  All the transmissions offered will be six-speed as well. The new car makes its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and as soon as prices are released, we will have car leasing rentals on the site.

Michelin Man

The cost of fuel continues to rise and is a large part of the running costs of your car or van. To help with this Michelin is offering £40 in fuel vouchers to any customer who buys a set of four tyres for a car, van or 4×4.

This special offer is available through various UK tyre retailers from the 1st September until the 30th November.

Michelin tyres

Michelin is one of the world’s major tyre manufacturers and offers a wide variety of tyres including low resistance Energy Saver or Primacy HP car tyres. For vans they have the damage resistant Agilis tyres and for a 4×4′s the Latitude Tour HP 4×4.

The voucher is redeemable in any Sainsbury’s store and can be used to purchase fuel or even your weekely grocery shop.

59 Plate

When you buy a car you probably never think about what it is likely to be worth in three or four years time. Car depreciation does differ between different manufacturers and models and Glass’s guide has just published the top ten worst cars.

However none of the top ten are currently in production and this has also had an impact on their second hand value. The analysis was conducted from value of all cars over three years old which are available in the UK – over 6,500 models in total.

The top 10 models which retain the least of their original list price (as a percentage) after three years and 39,000 miles are as follows.

1) Alfa Romeo 166, 14.4%

2) Rover 45/MG ZS, 20.3%

3) Rover CityRover, 20.4%

4) Rover 75/MG ZT, 21.3%

5) Proton Impian, 22.0%

6) Mitsubishi Space Star, 22.5%

7) Nissan Terrano, 22.9%

8) Alfa Romeo 156, 24.2%

9) Renault Laguna, 24.3%

10) Cadillac CTS, 24.8%

Other car ranges which are lurking below the bottom ten are the Nissan Primera, Fiat Croma, Vauxhall Vectra and Vauxhall Signum. Before you buy your next car you should consider car leasing instead, as you are protected from all the depreciation risks of ownership.

Not only do you have to worry about what the car will be worth in three years time, if you buy it, but also each car has different running costs. You can opt for car leasing with full maintenance cover as well, so that all your servicing, maintenance and mechanical repairs can be paid for as part of the rental

The best way to see which cars depreciate more than others is to try the Car leasing £ shopper price guide as this displays all cars between a rental range. You will be really surprised that some cars, that actually cost more to buy, will actually have a lower contract hire leasing rental. This is primarily down to the depreciation of certain manufacturers and models.

Ferrari 458

Ferrari has released the first official pictures of the stunning new Ferrari 458 sports car before its official launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show on the 15th of September.

Working closely with the Ferrari Styling Centre, the engineers have redesigned the cockpit completely to offer a truly driver oriented driving experience. All steering -column stalks have now been eliminated with the indicators, beam, flash and windscreen wiper functions now being activated by buttons on the steering wheel boss. 

Ferrari 458

There are more photos in the Ferrari site plus an exclusive interview with Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of Pininfarina S.p.A who provides an insight into the philosophy of the Ferrari 458′s design.

The Transport Minister, Sadiq Khan, has signalled that the Government is going to crack down on rogue car parking firms, with the introduction of tough new rules limiting the access to driver data.

Private parking companies can currently request data from the DVLA in order to issue penalty notices for drivers who have parked illegally on private land. These companies will now have to become a member of an Accredited Trade Association, requiring them to abide by a strict code, before they will be able to get this information in the future. To date the only ATA is the British Parking Association.

Other measures being considered include a compulsory licensing system for clamping firms which will ensure they behave reponsibly.

ATS vouchers

ATS Euromaster is offering a promotion where you can print a series of vouchers redeemable at any ATS Euromaster centre in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can access these by logging onto www.atseuromaster.co.uk where discounts for car and van tyres, including Michelin and Pirelli, as well as other savings on wheel alignment, batteries and exhausts can also be found.

You may have bought your vehicle, or even leased your car on a non-maintenance contract hire product, so this offer should help you save money on your repairs.

If you are baffled by all the technical jargon with all the different car finance options offered to you, help is at hand. The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has launched an independent website which should help buyers understand the differences between car leasing, hire purchase, personal contract purchase etc.

When you look at getting a new car, you probably tend to think about What make?, What model? What colour? New or used?. These are much easier questions to answer than “How will I pay for it?”.

www.financingyourcar.org.uk is an impartial website to help you understand the different types of car finance. The website features a “car finance decider” which is a shortlist of questions about your general circumstances and car buying habits and recommends the best form of car finance for you.

- Check that the identification numbers on the car i.e, the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and chassis number have not been tampered with and they match the V5/logbook.

- If buying privately, make sure you view the car from the registered keeper (look on the V5) at their home address.

- Do not BUY a car if the seller doesn’t have the V5/logbook registration dcouments.

- Thieves may attempt to change the identity of a stolen car by changing the number plate, VIN, window etchings so look out for any signs of tampering.

- Research the car’s market value. If the car is 30% cheaper than it should be don’t pay with a large amount of cash.

- If there is a sticker on the vehicle linking to a security register, phone them and check it out.

Fleet News, one of the UK’s leading fleet magazines, has launched a new initiative for business car or van fleets to recommend suppliers they like. Comparecontracthire.com is growing quickly and if you think other businesses might like the site and the live car leasing engines we offer, we would be really grateful if you would spend a few minutes to recommend us. Or category is “contract hire“.

The link to the Fleet News Reader Recommendation site is www.fleetnews.co.uk/recommended/ 

Many thanks.

Robert Wastell.