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The Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI BlueMotion Tech Match 3-door is an ideal company car for any small business, offering excellent fuel economy at 65.7 combined mpg and CO2 emissions of only 114g/km. Volkswagen business contract hire for this hatchback is on the site now from only £257.69+VAT per month.

Volkswagen contract hire terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over a three year contract at 10,000 miles per year – total 30,000 miles.

- Only three month rentals in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals.

-  This totals 38 equal payments

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

-  Please note the image we have shown may not represent the exact model.

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

New Fiat 500 BlackJack

Fiat has introduced another limited edition for for the Fiat 500 range with the Fiat 500 BlackJack. This follows on from the successful launch of the Fiat 500 Pink. Only 200 examples of the matt black supermini will be available when the car goes on sale next week.

The Fiat 500 BlackJack is based on the 1.2 and 1.4 Sport specification and features the following standard accessories;

• Individual matt black paint finish.
• Metallic effect mouldings, door handles. door mirrors and plate holder.
• 16-inch alloy wheels in matt black with a red coach line.
• Red brake calipers (on the 1.4 version only).
• Special carpet mats.
• Fiat Start&Stop

Bosch Start/Stop technology

Bosch has announced that Start/Stop technology, which is usually only available on manual cars, is now available for automatic vehicles. They have sold over 1.5 million Start/Stop systems since 2007 and the technology has now been adapted and is already available in cars like the Volkswagen Passat, the Porsche Panamera (with dual clutch transmission), the Fiat 500 (in combination with automated manual transmission) and in the Audi A8 with a torque converter clutch.

In vehicles with automatic transmission the start/stop function is really easy to use. When the driver steps on the brake pedal (and as soon as the car stops), the engine stops automatically and then starts again when the brake pedal is released. This sounds really simple but for the Bosch engineers it was a real challenge to make the start process faster and more dynamic.

Ford Transit van conversion

The Ford Transit van celebrates its 45th birthday next month with over six million Transits having been built at 22 factories around the world. Currently the Transit is made in Southampton, with the engines from Dagenham and the transmissions from Merseyside.

In Britain, Ford has sold more than 2.1 million Transits with more than 23,000 sold in the first half of 2010. When launched the cheapest Transit was a short wheelbase, petrol engined van with a 610kg which cost £542. From 78 derivatives in 1965, the Transit now offers more than 600 Transit entities and provides a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles to any fleet operator.

The Society of Motor manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has reported that average new car CO2 emissions were down 4.7% in the first half of 2010, to 145.2 g/km, compared with the same period in 2009. The rate of improvement has cooled since the withdrawal of the Car Scrappage Scheme, which favoured smaller eco-friendly cars. The SMMT also found that registrations of alternatively fuelled cars doubled over this period as well.

Interestingly, registrations for “signposted eco-models” (Volkswagen BlueMotion, Vauxhall Ecoflex and Mercedes-Benz BlueEFFICIENCY) have risen by 141.4% in the first half of 2010, to almost 74,000 units and by almost 850% when comparing to the first half of 2008.

Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive said,”Continued vehicle manufacturer efforts to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions has further reduced average CO2 output during a better than anticipated first half of 2010. The remainder of the year is set to be challenging, especially post scrappage scheme. All manufacturers are committed to offering ever more efficient product through the introduction of increasingly efficient engines and alternative technologies”.

If you are looking for a low CO2 car with great fuel economy, The Contract Hire Super Shopper is an excellent way of selecting your next vehicle. Choose your type of car (saloon, estate etc),your favourite car manufacturers (or all) and then your preferred CO2 and combined mpg ranges and the cars that fit your criteria will be displayed.

Renault Z.E.

Renault has welcomed the Government’s decision this week to ring-fence the grants available to electric car buyers for an initial period of January 2011 to March 2012. The grant allows you to claim 25% off the purchase price of an electric car, up to a maximum of £5,000.

Renault of course has the four-door zero emission Z.E. family which is an affordable , mass market proposition in the pipeline and the first of its innovative all-electric vehicles will be the Kangoo Van, followed by the Fluence four-door saloon, a two seater based on the Twitzy concept and a five-door supermini. For more details on Renault’s Zero Emission Vehicles visit www.renault-ze.com

Kia launches new YouTube channel

Kia has now launched their new Facebook and YouTube sites to meet a growing interest in their cars from Internet users of cyberspace. On the YouTube site there is a film of the preparations for the VIP media launch of the new Sportage, which features a 30-metre crane lifting two cars at a central London location.

Kai Facebook account

And on their Facebook page, Kia is giving away seven amazing experiences to groups of seven friends, ranging from spa days to a trip in a powerboat.

Simon Hetherington, Marketing Director commented,”The on-line interest in Kia has soared in the last couple of years and thanks to the work of Peter Schreyer more and more netizens reckon our cars are cool!”. Peter Schreyer is the Kia automotive designer who is responsible for the new-design direction.

Vauxhall creates bespoke cars for Bowling Event in East London

Vauxhall has given a sneak preview of some of the Vauxhall cars that will showcased at the Vauxhall Motors Bowling Club on the 1st August 2010, in Brick Lane,  East London. For one day only, Vauxhall Motors is re-opening its original bowling club which started in 1905 and there will also be a host of celebrity faces on hand, to entertain the guests.

The tickets are free and are available off the Vauxhall Motors website and the event will also include a multi-coloured club house, psychedelic English garden flowers, picnic food and music from Man Like Me, plus various DJs.

New Audi Q7 Sportback

The new Audi A7 Sportback is a stunning new entrant to executive class motoring, with its dramatic coupe sweeping lines and five-door practicality and should be available for delivery in early 2011. The Sportback concept follows on the lines of the Audi A5 Sportback with this new model being approximately the same size as the Audi A6 in length at 4.97m (A6 4.93m), 1.91 metres wide (A6 1.86m) and 1.43 metres high (A6 1.46m).

Initially the four engine options will be two petrol (2.8 FSI and a 3.0 TFSI) and two diesel options, the 3.0TDI with 204PS and a 3.0TDI with 245PS. If you opt for the quattro all-wheel drive version the car also comes with a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission for the first time, with Audi models at this level.

Audi A7 Sportback

For standard front-wheel drive versions the Audi multitronic continuously variable automatic is standard, offering you fuel economy up to 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km in the 3.0-litre TDI 204 PS version. This car also reaches 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and onto a top speed of 145mph.

Two specifications will initially be on offer in the range, namely SE and S line and common “core” equipment includes xenon headlamps with LED tail lamps, powered tailgate operation, leather upholstery, electric seat adjustment and heating, cruise and parking controls and satellite navigation. This elegant coupe looks set to be a winner in the executive class sector and Audi business contract hire prices should be loaded shortly.

New SEAT Ibiza ST estate is now out in UK showrooms

SEAT, the sporty Spanish car manufacturer, has revealed more details about the new Ibiza ST which makes its showroom debut this month. This new estate version of the Ibiza offers a great carrying capacity yet still provides a dynamic and eye-catching look as well. Boot space is 138 litres over the 5-door hatchback which takes the carrying capacity up to 430 litres.

New SEAT Ibiza ST estate range

There is an extensive range of engines on offer, including the new 1.4 EUV-compliant to the turbo-charged 1.2-litre TSI. Diesel drivers can choose from the the refined 75 PS 1.2-litre TDI CR (also available in Ecomotive version) to the 1.6-litre TDI CR 105 PS option. The SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive ST in Ecomotive form offers a staggering 80.7mpg and CO2 emissions of only 92g/km of CO2. You also have the option of a five speed manual gearbox or hi-tech seven speed DSG.

The three  trim levels are S (with A/C), SE and Sport. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, four-speaker stereo radio with MP3 compatible CD and AUX-in, electric front windows, roof rails, alarm and remote central locking with deadlocks, to name just a few. This practical new Ibiza Estate has split folding seats on a 60:40 basis, a flat boot floor for easy loading and innovative storage options too and looks excellent value for money. SEAT contract hire prices are on the site now.