Nissan LEAF

The 100-percent electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF has just been voted 2011 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show, edging out the BMW 5 Series and the Audi A8 for the top spot.

This is the latest in a series of accolades for the Nissan LEAF and Nissan and Chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, said,”It is a great joy that the world’s first mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, has won the prestigious award of the 2011 World Car of the Year”.

The World Car of the Year competiton was launched in 2004 with winners chosen by a panel of leading automotive journalists and experts from around the globe, including  Asia, Europe and North America.

Jaguar XJ

The Jaguar XJ luxury saloon has been chosen as the Best Luxury Car at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards beating the BMW 5 Series GT and new Audi A8 to win the prize.

Jaguar XJ- Best Luxury Car

The President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) said,”Today’s luxury breed of luxury cars have to be as impressive to drive as they are to be driven in and no car showcases this better than our 2010 winner, the Jaguar XJ”. Jaguar business car leasing can be found on all Jaguar cars now.

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.

Jaguar XJ

Independent experts EuroTax Glass’s, the car industry’s leading residual value “bible”, has forecasted that the new Jaguar XJ will have class-leading residual values in three years time.

Based on pricing in January here are their forecasts;

1. Audi A8 TD. Cost new is £53,290. Estimated residual value in 36 months with 60,000 miles is £18,600 (35%)
2. Mercedes-Benz S350CDi. Cost new is £56,263. Estimated residual value in 36 months with 60,000 miles is £21,400 (38%)
3. BMW 730d. Cost new is £53,300. Estimated residual value in 36 months with 60,000 miles is £19,950 (37%)
4. Jaguar XJ 3.0 d. Cost new is £53,775. Estimated residual value in 36 months with 60,000 miles is £20,600 (40%)

Jason King, Head of Market Intelligence for EurotaxGlass’s, said,”The exterior design of the new XJ is certainly stunning, bringing a bold, fresh approach to the luxury car segment. This bold design is sure to appeal to a wider and much younger audience, building on the fine work of the XF in helping the Jaguar brand redefine itself and appeal to a younger buyer”.

The residual value of a vehicle is the biggest factor affecting the contract hire rental you will be charged. While the forecast by Eurotax Glass’s Guide shows the Jaguar has the strongest residual value, this does not mean that the contract hire rental will be the best.

For example at present the BMW 730d SE Auto is being offered at £692.60+VAT  per month on the site, on a three year non-maintained contract hire rental (3+35 rentals), at 20,000 miles per annum (60,000 in total) . The least expensive Jaguar XJ 3.0-litre diesel on the same terms is £920.63+VAT. This is the attraction of contract hire, as it shows you the total life cost of a vehicle covering all the cost factors.

Infotainment system

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has voiced their concerns about the internet dashboard or “infotainment system” that many car manufacturers are now installing in new car models.

Both Intel and Google are looking at interactive dashboards including 10-inch screens above the gearstick showing 3-D maps, web pages or even videos, as seen on the new Audi A8.

Peter Rodger,IAM Chief Examiner said,”If drivers were tempted to use the internet or watch vidoes on the move, the results could be deadly. It should be made clear that the system should only be used when the vehicle is parked”.

Google Earth

Audi has made some great technological advances with the new Audi A8  with this luxury car accessing information via the internet via mobile phone connectivity.

These include new state-of -the-art high resolution three-dimensional aerial and satellite Google Earth imagery which is the first for a production car. As well as Google Earth, the Audi A8 offers in their MMI navigation plus system, an optional integrated GPRS/EDGE modem allowing points of interest to also be selected.

All-new Audi A8

Audi has launched their new A8 flagship model at the Design Miami exhibition in Florida,USA. The all-new Audi A8 is crafted entirely from lightweight aluminium and is bristling with new technology.

Highlights include all-LED headlights, new touch screen Multi Media Interface (MMI) incorporating new “anticipatory” satellite navigation with night vision and an Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system with optional sports differential. All models will feature energy recuperation technology with the 3.0 V6 TDI version coming with an engine start-stop function.  The 3.0-litre TDI will develop 204PS and also offers a lowest-in-class CO2 of only 159g/km.

The other models are a 4.2-litre V8 TDI (350PS) and the 4.2-litre V8 FSI petrol engine (372PS). Orders are being taken now for this luxury Audi with deliveries expected in spring 2010.

The end of 2015 seems a long way off, but this is the date when Government Ministers have announced that all analogue signals will be switched off and all signals move on to a digital platform. This will effectively make any FM analogue radio fitted to your car or van now, obselete. So if you are about to choose your new car or van it might be worth considering fitting a DAB digital system.

Digital radio

Many of the top-selling models such as the Ford Focus, Fiat Punto, Volkswagen Polo, Peugeot 207, Vauxhall Astra and Renault Clio still remain in the analogue age, though will offer a digital radio as an extra option for circa £200-£500. Ford for example does fit DAB radios as standard to many Titanium models in their range, like the Kuga. Of course the more luxurious models like the Audi A8, BMW M5 and M6, Jaguar Sovereign and Land Rover Freelander come with digital radios as standard, but it is worth checking before you order your new vehicle. You can also check out DAB reception and coverage at www.getdab.com.

Julie Sinclair, of Auto Express magazine said ” Motorists wanting to sell their cars will have to upgrade their radios whether they like it or not. It’s going to cost them money”. There is also likely to be a period of disruption when the switch from analogue to digital happens, as transmitters are adapted to the new system.

Mandy Green of the Digital Radio Development Bureau , which is funded by the BBC and commercial broadcasters, said: “We are not happy about it but there is not a lot we can do. Everything comes off the same mast so when you are doing work to facilitate the switchover, it affects both the analogue and digital radio signal”.

If you are buying, or financing your next car on a loan agreement, you should consider the potential impact on the resale value of your vehicle, if you have an analogue FM radio as standard. Most manufacturer car radios are already fitted into the dashboard and are an integral part of the interior and therefore may be difficult to replace when the switchover happens. Of course if you contract hire your vehicle you don’t need to worry about the impact on the second hand value, as the risk on the disposal proceeds is the responsibility of the car leasing company.