Auto Windscreens factory

Automotive glazing companies are finding a shortage of windscreens, following the worst winter in the UK for nearly 30 years. Auto Windscreens has found that many vehicle owners are having to wait for replacement parts, particularly for the Vauxhall Zafira, Astra, Vectra, Volkswagen Passat, Golf and the Audi A4.

As a result Auto Windscreens has increased production by more than 40% at its own factory in Chesterfield, to cope with this demand and is now producing 600 windscreens a day. Nigel Davies, Auto Windscreens Sales and Marketing Director commented,”It’s unusual to have a national shortage of windscreens and we’ve certainly not come across this before. Auto Windscreens is in the fortunate and unique position, however, that we can simply add another shift at our factory and increase popular windscreen models to meet demand and manage the delays”.

Audi A4 allroad

The Audi A4 allroad Quattro has been voted as the Executive Car of the Year by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, at the annual Scottish Car of the Year Awards.

The Audi A4 Quattro Avant is particularly well suited to the rugged landscape in Scotland and its four-wheel drive system, wider track both front and rear plus a higher ride platform of 180mm, provides an excellent driving platform.

Jeremy Hicks, Director of Audi UK said,”If proof were needed that the A4 allroad is fit for purpose, not just as super refined transport but also as a tough opponent to more testing terrain and conditions,then an award made by Scottish motoring writers surely provides it. This is a great endorsement”. Audi car leasing prices on the whole range are available off the site now.

Audi A3 Sportback

Every month, thousands of customers use the live contract hire quote engines on Comparecontracthire.com, to get the latest car or van pricing available from the main FN50 UK car leasing companies. These are the actual finance houses who fund the vehicle leases, making the site unique.

The most favourite models in order of popularity, where a customer has completed a “contact form” for further information, are as follows.

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.

Golf GTi

You have spent hours looking at different car leasing websites and finally chosen the car you want and the company you want to deal with. But is the car of your choice available now, or is it going to be a pipeline vehicle or full factory order?

You would think there would be plenty of vehicles sitting at dealerships, however the manufacturers have been cutting back on vehicle production due to the fall in demand as has been widely reported. The availability of certain models will always vary depending on your choice of car, colour and specification and your options fall into three categories:

Audi A3 Sportback

1) Vehicles that are in stock at the dealer

There will always be some vehicles that are in stock (or “physical” as it sometimes called) for you to choose from. They may not be your exact specification if you want a car that is packed full of accessories but if you can be flexible you may find a car now.

2) Your second option is “pipeline” vehicles 

Pipeline vehicles are cars that are already in production and work has started at the factory to build the model or it is scheduled to be built. These will normally be available to see on the manufacturer systems that our leasing partners have access to. The vehicle dealerships, who our contract hire leasing partners buy their cars from, will be able to conduct a search (or ”pre-locate”) for your model. However, again if your choice is simple i.e. “I want a Mini diesel in Black or Blue” then you should be able to find a vehicle quite quickly.

3) Your last option is a factory order 

Factory order lead times vary continuously as manufacturers change production schedules due to demand. If a model is particularly popular, a manufacturer may switch production to cope with the demand. However there are usually guidelines that our leasing partners can provide you on how long you will have to wait.

Factory order lead time, when quoted, is usually the time to build your vehicle to the exact colour of your choice and specification. However don’t forget that the lead time quoted is from the date the factory receives the order from the dealer and if the vehicle is built overseas, it has to be shipped to the UK and then prepared for delivery to you, which can add further delay.

So if you are thinking of leasing your next BMW, Audi, Honda, Mercedes or whatever vehicle, the best course of action is to order your vehicle earlier than you think to avoid disappointment. In order to help you with current vehicle availability, the following data is the current state of play for some of the most popular models on the site. The information has been kindly supplied to Comparecontracthire.com by Inchcape Retail, a large dealership group, is intended to be a guide and may be subject to change at any time.

Current Vehicle Availability

Audi A5 Cabriolet

Audi has won fourth overall in the “Manufacturer Award” in the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards, presented by Thatcham, on Wednesday the 17th June. Thatcham is the leading authority in vehicle security and has been assessing the theft protection standards of vehicles for over ten years and uses a New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) star rating system.

The A4 range was voted most secure in the compact executive class, the Audi S8 was best in the performance car class and the Audi A5 Cabriolet wins through in open-top class. The Audi brand offers more ranges in which every variant has a achieved a five star rating for “theft of” security and of at least four stars for “theft from” security than any other entrant.

Jeremy Hicks, Director of Audi UK said ”The fact that Audi security has come to the fore on so many successive occasions really is a ringing endorsement of the lengths to which Audi’s AG security team has gone to guard against theft. I am delighted that their efforts have been recognised and that drivers of Audi models across the spectrum can take comfort from them”.

Audi models include Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser technology with interior ultrasonic protection, Thatcham Category 4 locking wheel bolts, anti-tow tilt sensors, visible Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) and extensive marked parts. Full Audi car leasing prices are available now.

The winners at the prestigious “Fleet News Awards 2009″ were announced last night at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair, W1. Manufacturers, Contract Hire Leasing companies, Fleet Managers and other motoring related service companies were all recognised for their hard work and commitment throughout 2008.

The full roll call of winners is as follows.

Fleet Manager Awards.

New Fleet Manager of the Year – Alan Tegge, British Standards Institution.

Boardroom Initiative of the Year - Avon Cosmetics.

Fleet Manager of the Year , sub 100 vehicles – Rob Paddock, Commercial Group.

Fleet Manager of the Year, 101 to 400 vehicles – Marie Jarrold, British Car Auctions.

Fleet Manager of the Year, 500+ vehicles – Gerard Finn, Avon Cosmetics.

Service Company Awards

Best Environmental Initiative - Leaseplan.

Best Safety Initiative – Fleet Support Group.

Best Leasing Initiative – Arval UK.

Best Short-term Rental Initiative – Europcar.

Best Customer Services Initiative – Zenith Provecta.

Manufacturer Awards

Best Small Car – Ford Fiesta,

Best Small Family Car – Volkswagen Golf.

Best Large Family Car – Mazda6

Best People Carrier – Ford S-Max.

Best Small SUV – Ford Kuga.

Best Large SUV- BMW X5.

Best RV star – Mini

Best Small Premium Car – BMW 1 Series.

Best Large Premium Car – Audi A4.

Best Executive Car – BMW 5 Series.

Best Luxury Car – BMW 7 Series.

Fleet News Headline Awards

Fleet of the Year – IBM.

Fleet News Hall of Fame Award – John Bradley, MBE, Hampshire constabulary.

Fleet Manufacturer of the Year – Ford.

Fleet Supplier of the Year – Kwik-Fit Fleet.

Company Car of the Year – Audi A4.