RoadSafe, the organisation dedicated to reducing road deaths and injuries, has urged the transport minister, Mike Penning, to maintain the current annual check-up for the MOT. In the UK if your vehicle is three years old you must have a valid MOT and every year thereafter. In the EU however the law requires vehicles to have their test when four years old and then a subsequent test very two years. The DfT is looking at bringing the UK into line with the rest of Europe and RoadSafe is warning against this.

Every year in the UK, MOT testers identify 8.5 million cars with defects and the DfT found in its own review of the MOT in 2008, that reducing the test frequency would significantly increase the number of unroadworthy cars and casualties. Most cars should be serviced between MOT tests but many drivers fail to do this and the Tyre Industry federation has also found that 12% of tyres are illegal on replacement.

RoadSafe director, Adrian Walsh said,” Many owners just don’t realise that tyres are a vital part of the braking system. They are one of the several essential safety features that drivers seldom check. An annual MOT is vital for picking up these problems. Roadsafe joins the Tyre Industry Federation and other campaigners, with a warning to government, that extending the period between MOT tests will put lives at risk”.

New Volvo GTDI petrol engine

Volvo has announced it is introducing two new four cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engines ( T3 and T4) with Gasoline Turbocharged Direction Injection (GTDI) technology. The 1.6 GTDI T3 offers 150 PS while the T4 offers 180 PS and both engines will be available in the all-new Volvo S60 and V60 later this year.

Both engines will feature DRIVe fuel saving technology as well with the manual version offering a Start/Stop system that shuts off the engine when the car is standing still and in neutral. As soon as you press the clutch the engine restarts. The T4 engine will also be available with Volvo’s six-speed Powershift gearbox which combines the manual gearbox’s efficiency and driving dynamics with the automatic transmissions’s smoothness.

i-MiEV European spec

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is set to unveil the European specification all-electric i-MiEV, at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which is being held at the Paris Expo-Porte de Versailles in Paris, from Thursday September the 30th to Sunday, October 17th.

The European spec i-MiEV will be rolled out across Europe from December this year, including the UK, and features a new design to the front and rear bumpers to meet EU regulations. In addition the car has a rearranged centre stack in the instrument panel and improved interior comfort.

Mitsubishi will be showing a range of 12 vehicles at the show, including the new ASX compact crossover, Lancer Sportback and the new Outlander 2.2 DiD mid-size crossover and you can find them in Hall 3.

Mazda RX-8 R3

There are less than 100 examples of the Mazda RX-8 R3 coupe left in stock in the UK as Mazda phases out this four-seater, four-door sports coupe.

The rotary-engined 231ps Mazda RX-8 offers great performance and is still a head turner so if you want to join the 26,000 other UK motorists who have enjoyed the thrills of this sports classic you need to act fast.

CLICK for your SEAT quote

The SEAT Ibiza Sport 1.2 E 3-door coupe is on offer on SEAT business car leasing from £139+VAT per month and at 52.3 combined mpg and CO2 emissions of  125g/km, it is really an economical, good looking car.

SEAT business car leasing terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business car leasing over a four year contract at 10,000 miles per year – total 40,000 miles.

- Only three month rentals in advance followed by 47 subsequent rentals.

-  This totals 50 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.

CLICK to get your quote

If you are looking for an economical van to help run your small business then have a look at the Peugeot Partner L1 625 S 1.6 HDi 75 van (SLD) which is on the site on Peugeot business contract hire from only £155+VAT per month (or £39 per week). This economical light commercial van returns 48.7 combined mpg and has a CO2 emissions figure of 153g/km.

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

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

- Only three months rental in advance followed by 47 subsequent rentals. (50 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 vehicle leasing supplier.

- Other terms and mileages available on request.

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

APS Sportec upgrade

There is a new performance upgrade available for the Audi S5 quattro coupe model offered by APS of Brackley, called the “Stage One” upgrade. This consists of a free flowing filter element and ECU remap which increases the power of the car from 328bhp at 6,000 rpm, to 425bhp at 6,640 rpm.

This reduces the 0-62mph time to 4.6 seconds (a reduction of 0.5 seconds) and the car is also limited to a top speed of 155mph. The upgrade is suitable for all coupe and cabriolet models of the 3.0-litre TFSI supercharged Audi S5 and costs £1,950 fitted including VAT. Please note that if you lease your car, you cannot make any modifications to your vehicle without checking with the leasing company first.

Citroen DS4

Citroen will be introducing their new DS4 at the Paris Motor Show and this is the second model in the DS line-up after the DS3. The DS4 has a dynamic coupe-like body that is practical yet has 2+2 door practicality within a compact design. The car offers you three full sized rear seats and a 370-litre boot plus a host of clever storage solutions.

DS4 has great sport looks

The new DS4 comes in a choice of five engines- two HDi diesels and three petrol options, all delivering a combination of powerful performance with fuel efficiency plus there will be a new e-HDi drivetrain available as well. This muscular eye-catching car has great sports looks with wheels up to 19-inches, spoiler and a taut drawn roofline and looks set to be a winner.

CLICK to get your Audi quote

One of the most popular cars on the site is the Audi A3 diesel Sportback SE 5-door manual which is currently available on Audi business contract hire from £232+VAT per month on a three year term. Stretch to four years, which for a diesel car is quite normal, and the rental drops to £224+VAT per month. Audi is a premium brand favoured by many small businesses and with a combined mpg of 68.9 and CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, it is easy to see why. The SE model is also well equipped with standard equipment like air-conditioning and radio/single CD player.

Audi business 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.

-  Four year contract starts from £224+VAT per month.

Volkswagen vans

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has delivered the first of 2,000 vans to British Gas in their new livery, cyan blue. The new design is part of British Gas’ ongoing modernisation of their brand and business.

The new Volkswagen vans will be used by British Gas engineers and energy experts across the UK on the average 10,000 service checks a day that they perform. The vans are also fitted with speed limiters and racking to help control any load if they have to brake heavily and British Gas is also trialling a Transporter Shuttle minibus. The 2,000 order includes a mixture of Volkswagen Caddy, Caddy Maxi and a Crafter dropside and will be now added to the British Gas vehicle fleet of around 10,000.

British Gas Volkswagen vans

The Caddy and Caddy Maxi vans have load volumes from 3.2 cubic metres and return 54.3 mpg on the extra urban cycle making them efficient as well as practical. Simon Elliott, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said,”We are pleased to see that the quality, durability and cost effective running costs of Volkswagen vans have passed the formidable British Gas acceptance criteria”.