Jaguar XF

Jaguar has just launched two new XF models, the SE Business and Sport editions and has also been voted ‘Executive Car of the Year’ by BusinessCar.co.uk

Paul Barker, Editor of BusinessCar said: ‘Jaguar’s XF has proved its appeal to the business car market with appeal to both the heart and the head thanks to its stylish looks and good running costs. Jaguar has worked hard to improve the car’s attractiveness to corporate drivers with the excellent new 2.2-litre engine, and is making further improvements that will only enhance the XF’s chances of retaining this award – decided by the readers of BusinessCar – in 2013.’

The SE Business comes with the new 2.2-litre Diesel 163 PS output engine and adds satellite navigation with seven inch touchscreen and HDD mapping to the standard specification, which includes intelligent start stop, a 400W sound system with DAB digital radio, leather and suedecloth seats and bi-Xenon headlights.

The Sport model is based on the more powerful 2.2 Diesel 190 PS engine and adds the full aerodynamic pack which includes a revised front bumper, a black grille element, side sill extensions, a subtle rear boot lid spoiler and a black rear valance.

The XF Sport also features half leather suedecloth seats, bond grain trim and a dove contrast stitch as well as electric driver and passenger adjustment. Piano black trim with ‘Sport’ decals on the centre console are matched with stainless steel foot pedals, plus heated front windscreen and front seats, a front parking aid, reversing camera and 60/40 folding rear seats.

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2012, together with MGM Grand Detroit, will once again feature über-luxury and performance vehicles at The Gallery.  Now in its fifth year, this exclusive motoring event will be held at MGM Grand Detroit on Sunday, the 8th January, 2012.

The Gallery will feature some magnificent luxury vehicles from Aston Martin, Bentley, Corvette, Falcon, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lincoln, Lingenfelter, Maserati, Morgan, Porsche, Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, and some of the finest motorcycles. 

Many of the vehicles on display at The Gallery will not be shown at the NAIAS, for example the Aston Martin One-77, Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls Royce Ghost and Jaguar XKR-S will be on display exclusively at The Gallery.

A YouTube promotional video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ19OgGWZK0&lr=1&feature=mhee).

Range_e Plug-in Hybrid diesel-electric

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has just awarded Jaguar Land Rover an award for automotive innovation for their Range_e Plug-in Hybrid diesel electric vehicle system. The Range_e concept points the way for future Jaguar Land Rover vehicles, by offering low CO2 emissions and high fuel efficiency for production 4×4 models.

The Range_e is a luxury all-wheel drive vehicle, based on the Range Rover Sport, that is powered by a plug-in hybrid system which brings together a 69kW electric motor and Land Rover’s 245PS 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel engine. The vehicle can be driven for 20 miles on pure electric power, creating zero tailpipe emissions, with overall CO2 emissions at 89g/km. The Range_e offers 85mpg fuel economy and the combined 339PS delivers a top speed of 120mph.

Battery recharging for the 14.2kWh lithium-ion battery can easily be accomplished by using a 240V power source and the system was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The first Land Rover diesel-electric hybrid is scheduled for launch in 2013.

Royal College of Art exhibition

The RAC Future Car Challenge starts on Saturday the 5th November and requires cars with different powertrains (hybrid, diesel, petrol, etc) to drive a 60-mile route from Brighton to London, using the least amount of energy. To compliment the current RAC challenge , the students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) have been asked to design their vision of what cars might look like in the year 2021.

The Vehicle Design centre at the RCA is the world’s leading centre for vehicle design, education and research and the exhibition will be on display until the end of November in the Hanging Room. Many of the UK’s top car designers studied at the RAC, which offers a dedicated postgraduate course in vehicle design. These include Ian Callum (Design Director, Jaguar), Ken Melville (Renault Design) and Simon Cox (Advanced Design- General Motors), to name just a few.

Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee, commented “The Royal Automobile Club is very keen to support and encourage the talented designers in motor vehicle technology necessary for a sustainable future”.

New Lexus GS

Yesterday, the new Lexus GS was unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, and Lexus showed off its bold and dynamic design highlighting a new spindle grille which will be a feature for all new Lexus car models when launched. The new GS also gets a redesigned chassis for improved driving dynamics and is packed with a sophisticated range of performance and safety technology features.

Inside the car has a luxurious, more spacious interior, even though the exterior dimensions are the same. They have also increased the cabin and boot space to provide even more comfort for the driver and passengers. The new Lexus GS will reach UK shores in early 2012, including hybrid and F-Sport versions, with a GS 450h full hybrid and GS 250 petrol engine also being offered. The Lexus is a rival to BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz and this new model looks set to raise the bar again. We also have current model Lexus car lease prices on the site now.

Titan the Robot

The 2011 Motorexpo, which was held at London’s Canary Wharf, was a resounding success with more than 410,000 visitors attending the event. Motorexpo is the UK’s largest, free-to-visit gathering of car manufacturers and there were just over 250 new cars on show. Manufacturers who were showcasing their vehicles included Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, Skoda, Tesla, Vauxhall and Volvo to name just a few.

New models such as the BMW 6 Series Coupe, 2012 Jaguar XF, Lexus CT 200h, Mercedes-Benz SLK and CLS 63 AMG, Saab 9-5 SportWagon and the Bentley Continental GT all made their UK public debuts. Popular attractions at the event were the characters from the Disney.Pixar blockbuster “Cars 2″, Lightning McQueen and Finn McMissile and of course Titan the Robot.

The “Drive the Future” green zone was also popular with showgoers able to see electric cars such as the Vauxhall Ampera, Mitsubishi i-MIEV and Tesla Roadster. If you want to put the date in your calendar for next year the event will be held from Monday the 11th through to the 17th June. Full details and information on how to get there can be found at www.motorexpo.com

Goodwood Moving Motor Show

There will be a record number of new cars attending the Goodwood Moving Motor Show in two weeks time. The event gets underway on the 30th June, closely followed by the popular Festival of Speed (1-3 July). Goodwood expects more than 175,000 visitors over the four days of the event and if you are thinking of attending this fun packed meeting, here is a sample of some of the cars on show.

There will be public debuts for the Citroen DS4, Morgan 3-Wheeler, Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, Ford Focus Estate and BMW 1 Series M.

In the Supercar Run you can feast your eyes on the Ferrari FF, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, Pagani Huayra, Jaguar XKR-S, Marussia B1 and B2, Hulme Can Am Spyder, Hennessey Venom GT and the BAC Mono.

In The First Glance interesting performance cars section on show will be the Vauxhall Astra GTC, Honda CR-Z Mugen, Range Rover Evoque and Citroen Survolt concept. Other concepts at the show include the Alfa Romeo 4C and Jaguar CX-75 plus a number of other surprises.

Ticket details, and other information for the 2011 Festival of Speed can be found by calling the Ticket Hotline on 01243 755055 or at the Goodwood website below.

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/motorsport/motorsport.aspx

Jaguar & The Jockey Club

Jaguar has become the Official Partner of The Jockey Club which will see Jaguar showcasing its range of luxury cars and providing VIP transport at The Jockey Club’s racecourses at Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket. The Jockey Club will now encourage race goers to get close up to the XF, XJ and XK.

Geoff Cousins,Managing Director of Jaguar, said,”We are very excited to become the first Official Partner of the Jockey Club, a group that boasts strong heritage and a bright future. Racing is something of a British institution that attracts attention from all areas of the country. This initial one year deal sits within our overall strategy to encourage reappraisal of Jaguar by new customer groups”.

Jaguar

The 2011 London Motorexpo is being held at Canary Wharf in London between the 6th and 12th of June with access free of charge to all members of the public. Many British car manufacturers will be showcasing their new models with Jaguar unveiling the 2012 model line-up to the public for the first time. They will have models of the new XF, XFR saloons, XK coupe and convertible and of course the new 2.2-litre diesel XF, which is bound to be popular with fleets.

Other car manufacturers on show include Bentley with the new Continental GT, Land Rover with their Range Rover Evoque, Group Lotus with the Elise Club Racer plus their Evora GT4, Saab with its all-new 9-5 Sportwagon and finally Skoda with its efficient Greenline II range.

The 2011 London Motorexpo show also has a “Drive the Future” feature where you can experience the latest electric cars and low-carbon vehicles plus the exciting purpose built off-road course gives you the chance to experience Land Rover’s off-road capabilities.

Audi A1

If you have decided on the model of car you want to order on contract hire leasing, then you do need to consider the vehicle stock lead times and availability of your model, especially if you also want to personalise it with any accessories and choose the colour.

For example, if you are thinking of leasing an Audi A1, the wait for your vehicle delivery may be long, as lead times are as high as 28 weeks. So order early to avoid disappointment and possibly a long wait for your new vehicle. If you do order early, you may find that the manufacturer will “price protect” the vehicle, from future manufacturer list price increases, (depending on the length of the factory order build time), however do check this with your chosen leasing company.

Here is the latest general update on car vehicle stock availability – data kindly supplied by Inchcape;

The above data is only a guide and you may well find a vehicle in stock at a local dealer.