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.

All-new Suzuki Swift Sport

Suzuki has released the details about its all-new Suzuki Swift Sport compact supermini which goes on sale from January 2012 with prices starting at £13,500. The car has a new Euro 5 1.6-litre 136hp VVT engine offering improved torque with a ten per cent lower combined fuel consumption of 44.1mpg. The car comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard and its insurance group rating falls by 5 groups, to Group 18.

The specification of the all-new Swift Sport includes auto air conditioning, fog lamps, push button start, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, HID Projector headlamps with headlamp wash and rear privacy glass, ESP and seven airbags.

Co2 emissions are 147g/km yet the car offers a 0-62mph performance of 8.7 seconds, with a maximum top speed of 121mph where permitted. We should have Suzuki contract hire prices on the new model loaded shortly.

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.

Audi A1 Sportback

Audi has released details about their new Audi A1 Sportback which now boasts five doors and five seats for greater versatility and flexibility. The new five-door version of the Audi A1 subcompact car will be available to order later this month and has a premium of £560 over the three-door, with first deliveries expected in the spring of 2012. 

The A1 Sportback is six millimetres taller and six millimetres wide than the standard three-door Audi A1 and inside offers slightly more headroom and shoulder room as a result. It also offers three seats in the back which is great news for passenger comfort and each seat has a headrest and full three-point seatbelt. Luggage capacity is the same as the three-door Audi A1 at 270 litres, or 920 litres with the rear seats folded.

Audi A1 Sportback

The Audi A1 Sportback will be available with four advanced, ultra-efficient TFSI and TDI engines in the UK, namely;

• 1.2 TFSI petrol (86ps)
• 1.4 TFSI petrol (122PS)
• 1.4 TFSI twin-charge petrol (185PS)
• 1.6 TDI diesel (105PS)

If it’s fuel efficiency and lowest CO2 emissions you are looking for then opt for the diesel which promises 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions at just 99g/km. Audi is also planning to launch a 2.0-litre TDI (143PS) later in the summer.

Standard features across the range (SE, Sport and S line) include alloy wheels, split/folding rear seat, front and rear electric windows, air conditioning, single CD audio system with MP3 compatibility and ESP with the latest differential lock system.

You can also order your car with the option of full roof paint finish in a contrasting colour which is exclusive to the Sportback and we hope to have Audi contract hire prices loaded shortly.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid

Volvo Car UK has welcomed the HMRC tax clarification that the 3% taxable benefit-in-kind diesel uplift will not apply to diesel-electric hybrid cars. This is in anticipation of the 2012 launch of their new V60 Plug-in diesel-electric hybrid, which emits only 49g/km of CO2.

Volvo UK’s national sales manager, Selwyn Cooper, said,”We are delighted that HMRC has both cleared up the confusion as well as acknowledging the rightful banding for diesel hybrids is alongside its petrol siblings”. The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid offers the flexibility of a sports wagon and will provide the driver (at the press of a button) three driving modes-pure, hybrid or power.

Audi TT 1.8 TFSI Coupe

Audi has expanded their iconic TT Coupe range with a new 1.8 TFSI Coupe model available in Sport or S line specification. The new model comes in either a six-speed manual or seven-speed S tronic transmission and joins the existing 1.8 TFSI Roadster.

The 1.8-litre turbo-enhancing petrol engine delivers 160PS and with the six-speed manual, reaches the 0-62 sprint in just 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 140mph. The S tronic version reduces the acceleration time to 7.1 seconds with the same top speed. Both models have identical fuel economy with a combined mpg figure of 44.1.

The Sport model standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, electronic climate control, leather and alcantara combination upholstery plus a Concert audio system with single CD player with MP3/iPod connectivity. S line versions get 18-inch alloy wheels, lowered S line sports suspension, a short-shift gearbox for manual versions, S line exterior and interior detailing, plus xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights.

Land Rover DC 100

Land Rover is showcasing its Land Rover DC 100 Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this month. This new concept demonstrates the possible future direction the model might take and highlights the capability and versatility of what the planned production model could offer (due out in 2015).

This modern looking design is delivered by the Land Rover design team led by Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, and he commented,”Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. This isn’t a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st Century”.

Land Rover has been producing authentic 4x4s since 1948 and has a wide range of capability across the current range from the current Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover and exports 78% of its production models overseas to 140 countries worldwide.

New BMW 1 Series

BMW has announced the details of their new second-generation BMW 1 Series compact range, which goes on sale in the UK on the 17th September 2011. All models come with all-new TwinPower turbocharged petrol engines (two) and revised diesel engines (three) and there will also be a new BMW 116d EfficientDynamics 99g/km model (later in the year) that breaks the 100g/km barrier for the first time.

An ECO PRO mode is a new feature on all models, which adjusts BMW’s various on-board systems to maximise efficiency and of course all models benefit from BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology. The new BMW 1 Series is available in either a six-speed manual transmission or a new eight-speed automatic transmission, with the latter available in Sport configuration as well.

Standard specification consists of satin silver interior and Move cloth seats (with other options on interiors available) with three standard and five metallic exterior paint options. The SE specification adds a 6.5-inch flatscreen monitor and is operated by BMW’s innovative iDrive controller, has Bluetooth hands-free facility, USB audio interface and a multi-function leather steering wheel.

There are also two new exclusive models being added, BMW Sport model and BMW Urban model and we will be loading BMW contract hire leasing prices on the new range shortly.

The model options are as follows:

                          * on standard 16-inch wheels

Fiat 500

The 2011 BusinessCar Awards “City Car of the Year” award has gone to the Fiat 500 for the third year running. The car’s great looks, coupled with excellent running costs and residual values, made a real impression on the judges. Paul Barker, editor of BusinessCar said,”Fiat’s 500 has once more proved that business cars can make sense to both the head and the heart. The 500 has great residual values and running costs combined with the ability to put smiles on faces, making it the perfect city car for the corporate market, something BusinessCar readers obviously echo in voting the 500 City Car of the Year”.

The Fiat 500 is available with a wide choice of Euro 5 compliant engines, 85bhp 0.9 TwinAir,69 bhp 1.2-litre and 100 bhp 1.4-litre petrol, and 95 bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel. It is also available in three trim levels, Pop, Lounge and Sport and Fiat contract hire leasing on all models is available off the site now.

New Audi A1 1.4 TFSI 185PS

Audi has added a dual-charged Audi A1 1.4 TFSI 185PS direct-injection petrol engine to their A1 range, combining a supercharger that is active from 1,500rpm, with a turbocharger that comes into play at around 3,500 rpm. This powerful combination offers a 0-62mph time of only 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 141mph (where permitted). Economy is pretty good too, with a combined mpg of 47.9 and CO2 emissions at just 139g/km.

Rear side view Audi A1 1.4 TFSI 185PS

The new model comes with S tronic twin-clutch transmission and S line specification as standard, which features 17-inch alloy wheels and part leather-upholstered seats. This is in addition to the generous Sport equipment level of remote central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors, Bluetooth mobile preparation, Driver’s information System and a six-speaker single CD audio system with an auxiliary iPod connection.

This superb new premium subcompact car is also fitted with ESP with limited slip differential, providing agile handling and cornering stability. We hope to have Audi A1 business car leasing prices on this new model loaded shortly.