Kangoo Van Maxi

Renault has released the pricing and specifications for the new Kangoo Van Maxi and the new face-lifted Trafic Phase 3 panel van. The Renault Kangoo Van Maxi is a new long wheelbase version of the standard Kangoo van, that comes in standard panel and Crew Van guises and offers up to a third larger load capacity.

Two variants of the 1.5-litre diesel engine are available across the five versions of the full Kangoo Van Maxi range, in 85 and 105hp. The trim levels on offer are LL and LL+ and the range starts at £550 more than the standard Kangoo Van. High standard equipment is promised, including 2x15W radio CD MP3 with fingertip remote control and aux input, full steel bulkhead and eight load anchorage points.

New Trafic Phase 3

The new Trafic Phase 3 is also being launched with 42 different variants on offer, covering every short and long wheelbase and low and high roof configuration, to offer total load volumes from 5 cubic metres to 8.36 cubic metres. The revised versions come in either 90hp, 115hp or 150hp and all drive through six-speed manual gearboxes as standard, bar the automated manual Quickshift6 versions.

Again equipment levels are high offering a full steel bulkhead, remote central locking with deadlocking, Bluetooth and Carminat Tom Tom satellite navigation. There is also a comprehensive range of additional cost options, to allow you to bespoke your actual requirements. Renault van contract hire will be loaded shortly on both new models.

Peugeot RCZ

Peugeot UK is again sponsoring the UK’s three Taste Festivals this summer, in this its 200th anniversary. The Taste Festivals are the outdoor events for British foodies and are being held in London (17th to 20th June), Edinburgh (28th to 30th May) and Birmingham (16th to 18th July).

Taste Festivals

Visitors to the food festival can see the very best in culinary talents from across the world and check out the latest gastronomic gadgetry. Peugeot will have its own demonstration theatre called “Cuisine d’Amour with Peugeot RCZ” where some of the world’s top chefs such as Jean Christophe Novelli, Anthony Worrall Thompson and Jun Tanaka, will showcase live demonstrations of sensuous dishes to compliment the new Peugeot RCZ.

New Cooper Tyre

Cooper Tire has launched a new tyre that promises to be quieter and longer lasting than its predecessor and is aiming it at small to medium sized family cars, such as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Citroen C4 and BMW 3 Series.

The Cooper Zeon CS2 has the latest “pitch sequencing technology” which allows the tyre to cause less energy to be wasted through friction with the road, yet still providing a strong hold. The broader outer shoulder also gives greater handling in the dry and deep grooves helps stop aqua-planing. The new tyre will available from December and comes in fitments between 13 and 15-inch diameters.

Alfa Giulietta

Finally the wait is over as Alfa Romeo launches the pricing for their eagerly awaited new Alfa Giulietta, which arrives in the UK this summer. The new Giulietta will also be publicly unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on the 2-4 July where Alfa Romeo also celebrates its centenary year.

Alfa Giulietta

The Giulietta will feature three petrol engines, the 1.4 TB 120bhp and 1.4 TB MultiAir 170bhp, plus a top of the range 1750 TBi 235bhp Cloverleaf model. The two MultiJet diesel options are the 1.6 JTDm-2 105bhp and 2.0 JTDm-2 170bhp. Three trim levels will be offered, namely Turismo, Lusso and Veloce, while the Cloverleaf will have its own exclusive exterior and interior attributes. The range starts from £16,995 “on the road” for this stylish new 5-door C-Segment car.

Standard equipment on the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta includes air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, Start&Stop (not on all models),VDC, LED front and rear lights, Electronic Q2 and Alfa Romeo’s DNA technology with six airbags. Alfa Romeo contract hire prices for the Giulietta should be on the site shortly.

Toyota Hilux

Marlow based MLL Telecommunications, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of managed telecommunications networks, has just taken delivery of eleven black Toyota Hilux HL3 Double Cabs, fitted with Truckman Tops  for their field engineers. The field engineering team is responsible for the maintenance of the company’s nationwide network of 5,000 links.

They chose the Toyota Hilux primarily because it has the lowest carbon emissions in its class (219g/km for the manual 3.0-litre diesel), its combined fuel economy at 34mpg and for its ability to service remote parts of the country when necessary. All drivers have also reported that the Hilux is faster and quieter than previous operational models they have used in the past. The thirteen Hilux models were supplied on contract hire on a three year contract at 30,000 miles per annum.

All models feature electric windows, CD/MP3 audio system, air conditioning, Auto Disconnect differential, airbags, ABS, 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, chrome steps and door handles, headlamp cleaners, multi-information display, rear privacy glass and a Thatcham category 1 alarm system.

Tyre failure

With the next bank holiday approaching and more cars on the road, motorists are advised to check their tyres before setting off on any journey. Punctures and tyre problems are the third highest call out for roadside rescue companies so Protyre, the tyre specialist, is offering a free spring tyre check at any of its 49 UK locations. Tyre failure can be a serious problem for any driver, especially travelling at high speeds, so this is a great offer from Protyre.

The checks will include:

• Checking the tread depth – the legal limit is 1.6mm across the whole width of the tyre, however Protyre recommends that tyres should have at least 2.5mm to 3mm of tread for safer driving.
• Tyre pressures- if you drive with under-inflated tyres this can lead to premature wear on your tyre, reduced fuel consumption and more CO2 emissions.
• General condition- tyres will be inspected for bumps, cuts and other sidewall damage.
• Uneven wear – the tyres of your wheels may be misaligned and this can also lead to premature replacement.
• Spare tyre (if easily accessible) - Protyre will also check your spare tyre, the most neglected component on a car. 

You can find their locations via their website @ www.protyre.co.uk

Hyundai ix35

Business contract hire for the new Hyundai ix35 2.0-litre CRDi Style 2WD SUV starts from only £252+VAT per month on the site, with the 4WD version coming in at £265+VAT per month. The Hyundai ix35 is an attractive looking SUV and in 2WD returns a healthy 51.4 combined mpg and emits only 147g/km CO2 emissions.

The Hyundai business contract hire deal is based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over a three year term at 10,000 miles per annum.

- Only three months rental in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals. (38 equal payments in total)

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and all other vehicle options can be added at an extra cost to the rental shown above.

- The image shown may not represent the exact model.

-  Pricing is subject to change at any time and must be verified directly with each leasing supplier.

Jaguar XF

Jaguar has announced that the first ever Police-spec XF is about to go on patrol across the West Midlands with the Central Motorway Police Group, which covers Staffordshire, Mercia and the West Midlands. Seven high performance Jaguar XF diesel S models have been bought and feature the 275PS 3.0-litre Diesel S engine.

Jaguar XF

Police specification includes a roof mounted light bar with 360 degrees blue flashing lights and integrated side alley lights, blue and white flashing LED lights inside the front grille, side mounted blue flashing LED lights, blue and red flashing LED lights integrated in the rear light clusters and a Home office-specification electronics “Police Pack”.

The Jaguar XF offers 42mpg and has a CO2 figure of 179g/km and because of its strong residual value  should retain 80% of its purchase price after 12 months, or 14,000 miles (source EurotaxGlass’s). Having a strong residual value also means that the contract hire rental for the Jaguar XF will also be attractive.

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director for Jaguar Cars UK said,”Police drivers demand the very best from their vehicles- power, performance, safety and comfort are all very important, while their fleet managers are looking at good environmental credentials and strong residual values to ensure value for money”.

www.mytyres.co.uk, the online tyre retailer, has found that over 80% of UK motorists clean their vehicles (and tyres regularly) however only 30% admitted to checking the condition of the spare tyre. Almost 20% admitted they have never checked the spare at all, however more than half of the drivers surveyed have checked their tread depth in the last month, which is a promising result.

The survey was undertaken by fast.MAP and the result shows that the spare tyre is the most neglected component on a car and could put drivers in an inconvenient situation or even in danger if not checked. www.mytyres.co.uk  recommends that drivers check their spare tyre once a month to ensure the tyre pressure is correct and that the tyre is in a good general condition. If the spare tyre is in a “hard to get to” location there are products on the market which connect to the tyre valve, that will show you the tyre pressure.

Schrader Electronics, part of Tomkins plc, has forecasted that tyres will be capable of monitoring themselves, road conditions and “communicating” to a vehicle’s electronic systems within three years. This development will be a quantum leap forward and follows on from innovations like Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), which will be fitted to all new cars by 2012 (by law).

Schrader Electronics already supplies half of these types of systems on roads and is pioneering ahead with the new tyre technology. This centres on a sensor that is mounted within the inside of the tyre, rather than on the valve or wheel trim. The sensor then transmits information wirelessly to receivers mounted in the wheel housing and then via the car’s ECU to the driver.

A raft of data is likely to be available to the vehicle’s electronic systems (ABS, ESP etc) and also will provide information on tyre pressures, tread depth and tyre temperature, all leading to safer driving. Schrader is partnering with Pirelli on this technology and the first phase of these tyres should be available in the European market by the end of 2010. The fully intelligent tyre, called the Cyber Tyre, is due by 2013.