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Best car buys for new 60 registration plateBest car buys for new 60 registration plate

Tuesday, August 17, 20102 ★★★★

Motors

IT sounds like satisfactionguaranteed for buyers of newcars this autumn with anenticing mix of fresh models,special deals and extended

warranties.The new 60 registration swings in

on September 1 with manufacturersbuoyed by rising sales figures, insome cases better than ever.

Overall winner, though, is theconsumer, who has a fantasticchoice of models in just about everyarea of the market – and with moreto come.

Everything is cleaner andgreener too, as emissions andrunning costs go down, fit andfinish becomes universally superiorand technology like fuel-savingstart/stop systems are embraced bymore car makers.

If the Rolling Stones couldn’t getany satisfaction back in the 60s,then modern fans of Japaneseproducer Mazda certainly will,because the company has emergedas the best for customersatisfaction, the brand and itsdealers winning the automotivesection of the UK Institute ofCustomer Service survey.

The marque has also enjoyed asignificant rise in sales,particularly in its fleet business,thanks to the continuing success ofthe Mazda3 and recently refreshedMazda6 diesel models, while thenew generation Mazda5 seven-seatpeople mover is about to reachshowrooms.

While modern cars are bettermade than ever it’s still reassuringto be able to bank on extra peace ofmind – and Korean company Kiahas achieved its best ever retailsales performance in the UK on theback of an industry-leadingseven-year warranty.

When you have a range stretchingfrom the popular Picanto city car tothe freshly launched Venga, thesupermini Soul, family friendlyc’eed plus Sportage and SorentoSUVs, the choice is extensive.

And Kia’s seven year Switch offerguarantees savings of between£1,500 and £2,600 to anyone tradingin a seven to ten-year-old car for aselected new model.

Latest to join the long warrantyparty is American icon Chevrolet,who claim to offer the UK’s bestever combined warranty andafter-sales package with its new5-Year Promise.

As well as a five-year warrantyon all new Chevys bought fromparticipating retailers, customerswill also get the benefit offive-years’ free servicing, roadsideassistance, free annual vehiclehealth checks and free MoT testcover until the car is five years old.

The offer is available across theentire Chevrolet line-up, includingthe newly-launched Sparksupermini and Cruze saloon.

What’s certain is that theemphasis is firmly on going green,and every manufacturer has adifferent title for its cleanest models– whether it’s the ECOnetic of Ford,BMW’s EfficientDynamics,Volkswagen’s BlueMotion orVauxhall’s ecoFLEX.

And another car maker goinggreener than ever is MINI with twonew diesel engines that achieve CO2emissions of 99g/km. The companyis also introducing its first dieselconvertible.

It is part of a complete rangemakeover which kicks in duringSeptember and comes hot on theheels of the new, more economicalpetrol engines and the forthcomingMINI Countryman.

Toyota is also giving itself a paton the back, having celebrated 10years of the Prius hybrid by topping

200,000 sales. And the recent launchof the Auris Hybrid marks the startof a dramatic expansion in thecompany’s full hybrid model range.

Arch rival Nissan is another withplenty to shout about as thecompany’s new crossover kid theJuke is about to prove a smash hitwith families, while next year seesthe arrival of Britain’s firstmainstream electric car, the Leaf.

Already this year Nissan hasbrought in quirky headturner theCube – a £14,000 style statementbased on a box – the latest 370Z

Roadster and the next generation ofthe British-built Qashqai andQashqai+2 family models, as well assome model range revisions.

The big two of Ford and Vauxhallremain the major players on the UKscene, and both have imminentarrivals to continue the fight.

Vauxhall’s most eagerly awaitedmodel arrives later this autumn inthe shape of the new Astra SportsTourer which will cost £500 lessthan the current Astra Estate.Entry point will be £16,575 for theEllesmere Port-built range, which

kicks off with the 1.4-litre (100PS)ES model.

Ford, meanwhile, are about tolaunch the latest C-MAX peoplecarrier and the new Mondeo on theback of the refreshed S-MAX andGalaxy models that arrived earlierin the year.

And if you’ve got the readies, howabout this for a deal.

Renault’s new Megane‘Generation’ five-door Hatch modelcosts only £10,995 to retail cashbuyers – a whopping £3,000 off thesticker price.

CarbuyersreadybyMIKE TORPEY

TOP OF THE CHARTS:The Kia Cee'd 2ecodynamics, main picture,comes with Kia’s seven-yearwarranty, the first offered bya manufacturer and nowmatched or bettered byother firms includingVauxhall.Far left, the Toyota AurisHybrid and, left, the RenaultMegane Generation

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 3★★★★

Motors news

forSixties revival

SWINGING SIXTIES: The MINI Countryman, main picture, and right, from top, the ChevroletSpark Woody, the Nissan Cube, and the new Ford Mondeo

Tuesday, August 17, 20104 ★★★★

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010 5★★★★

Motors

THE proof ’s in the product.Ford’s popular S-MAXpeople carrier has been sucha standard bearer for thebrand’s quality and design

that it remained untouched for fouryears.

No mid-term tweaks, no specialeditions - until earlier this summerwhen, along with full blown MPVthe Galaxy, it was chosen to launcha raft of fresh technology and newfeatures that take the Ford marqueto an even higher level.

And better still for fans of theblue oval badge, the prices of bothS-MAX and Galaxy have beentrimmed by 10-12 per cent comparedto the previous generation models.

It has been made possible by anoffsetting reduction in dealermargin and showroom discounts,dubbed Blue Tag pricing by Ford.

What it means is that the S-MAXline-up starts at £20,645 for the Zetec2.0 Duratec 145PS five-speed petrolmanual version.

More important though is thedawn of a new era in the Americancompany’s petrol engine

development courtesy of somethingcalled EcoBoost.

S-MAX and Galaxy are the firstcars to be available with the highefficiency 2.0-litre 203PS EcoBoostpetrol engine, a lightweightaluminium unit Ford believes canlure diesel buyers thanks to its fueleconomy and performance.

It’s a terrific unit that can powerthe S-MAX to 62mph from zero in8.5 seconds, manage a top speed of137mph and return a Combinedcycle fuel figure of 34.8 miles pergallon.

Compared to the 2.3-litrepowertrain it replaces, emissionsare down by 19 per cent to 189g/km,even though EcoBoost has 25 percent more punch.

At the same time Ford upgradedits diesel line-up, the 2.0-litreDuratorq TDCi engine nowavailable in three power levels – 115,140 and 163PS – for the first time.With these you can achieve a

fraction short of 50mpg economyand CO2 of 152g/km.

Also entering the range is Ford’sPowerShift double clutchtransmission, standard withEcoBoost and an option on the 140and 163PS diesels.

Visually the S-MAX has instantimpact with its sculptured bonnet,striking LED tail lights, satinchrome bar and low slung profile,giving it the appeal of a seven-seatcoupe.

That feelgood factor is clear inthe driving experience too, the carhandling more like a sporty saloonthan a large people carrier. It’s funto travel in – something you wouldnever have thought possible in anMPV just a few years ago.

Along with Galaxy, the S-MAXnow features a radar-basedinformation system that flashes anorange light to warn drivers ofvehicles in their blind spot, as wellas an adjustable speed limiter.

All models come with fold flatseating in the second and thirdrows and higher series models – thecar comes in Zetec, Titanium and

Titanium X Sport trim grades – getan overhead console withsunglasses holder and child-watchmirror.

Six-speed manual transmissionmodels start with the 2.0 TDCi115PS at £21,945 while entry levelfor EcoBoost is the Titanium withPowerShift auto at £24,395.

This has certainly been a big yearfor Ford, who top the year-to-datesales figures with the Fiesta, and

the company isn’t prepared to sit onits laurels either.

Due this autumn is anextensively upgraded Mondeo that’sre-styled inside and out andfeatures the first application of ahigher performance 240bhp versionof the 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrolengine.

And Ford is also preparing tolaunch the next generation of itsC-MAX compact MPV.

NewlookandnewvaluetakeFordto theMAX

byMIKE TORPEY

FRESH FACE: The new-look Ford S-MAX offers more technology for less money

COMING UP: The new C-Max will be unveiled later this year

Tuesday, August 17, 20106 ★★★★

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 7★★★★

Motors

A FEELGOOD factor is all importantwhen buyers have a top drawer range ofcars to choose from.

So Citroen got it right from day onewith the arrival of its latest C3 superminiearlier this year.

Light and bright are the buzzwords fora car that’s really styled to impress – andits star feature is an enormouspanoramic windscreen fitted as standardon all but the entry level models.

With a field of view almost five timesgreater than that of a standard screen itcreates a fantastically airy interior andgives rear seat passengers a viewunsurpassed in superminis.

The glass in what’s called the Zenithscreen swoops above the front seats.

The screen is not available with thebasic VT specification C3s but is fittedon mid-range VTR+ and Exclusiveversions which are priced from £12,990for the 1.4i petrol model.

Cheapest in the line-up is the 1.1-litreVT model at £10,990 while cars with thetax busting 99g/km 1.6 diesel engine –capable of averaging 74.3mpg – cost

from £14,790 for the Airdream+.Inside, the latest C3 is smartly styled

with a modern, flowing dashboardfeaturing a soft touch top, while allmodels have MP3 compatible soundsystems.

Kicking off the French manufacturer’sproduct range is one of the mostenvironmentally considerate vehicles onthe road – the C1 city car.

Both its engines emit less than110g/km of CO2 emissions and fueleconomy of up to 68.9mpg on theCombined cycle. The range starts at£8,495 for the 1.0-litre VT three-doorrising to £10,645 for the 1.4 VTR+.

If you had to put your money on a carmanufacturer to produce anaward-winning multi purpose vehicle itwould probably be Citroen.

But then almost one in every fourMPVs sold in Europe carry the Frenchcompany's double chevron badge.

Its latest arrival in that category, the

C3 Picasso, could well be the best smallfamily car Citroen has produced, withthat Tardis-like ability to squeeze a quartinto a pint pot with room to spare.

What it does best though is combinethe roomy, versatile advantages of anMPV with the agilityand comfort of a familyhatchback.

The comfort side iscatered for thanks to asensible, modern cabinlayout that ensuresmore than enoughhead and elbow roomplus the space for tallpassengers, front andback.

There's decentflexibility too. Therear seats slide tooffer either morepassenger space orincreased luggage capacity and for extralarge loads the rear seat backs fold flat ina jiffy while higher spec models also havea folding front passenger seat.

At 500 litres, the split level boot is alsoup there with the best and, like the C3hatchback, it also possesses thatfeelgood factor due to the expanse ofglass.

The range comes with a choice of fourengines -twopetrol,two diesel- andthree trimlevels,withpricesfrom£12,445for a 1.4petrol VTmodel.

Bothdieselengines -

featuring 90 and 110bhp - are fromCitroën's HDi line-up allowing near60mpg fuel economy and low CO2emissions of just 125g/km and 130g/km.

byMIKE TORPEY

Citroen’srangehasthefeelgoodfactor

ART OF THE MATTER: TheCitroen C3 Picasso and, insetabove, the C1 supermini

Tuesday, August 17, 20108 ★★★★

Motors

BRIGHT colours, racystyling and a trendy imageall contribute to SEATboasting that it attractsthe youngest average age

of car buyers in Europe.To that little lot you can add the

word Ecomotive, because theSpanish car maker has deemed‘going green’ an absolute mission.

Leading the way is the SEATLeon Ecomotive, now in its secondgeneration and with CO2 emissionsslashed to 99g/km, while its claimedaverage fuel economy figure of74.3mpg gives the Leon a range ofclose to 900 miles between fill-ups.

Central to it all is one of SEAT’snewest and most efficient engines,the 105PS 1.6-litre TDI CR unit withthe latest common rail technologyand Diesel Particulate Filter.

Add to the equation Start/Stoptechnology and a Brake EnergyRecovery system, along withgearshift prompts plus low rollingresistance tyres, and you have aclean, green combination.

Despite a drop in cubic capacity,the Leon’s new engine still produces105PS, identical to the previous1.9-litre turbodiesel, yet thanks toits new technology the car’semissions have dropped from119g/km to the current 99g/km.

Acceleration, though, is areasonable 0-62 in 11.5 seconds withtop speed of 118mph, testimony tothe fact that you don’t need tosacrifice spirit to achieve greenermotoring.

Prices start at £16,840 for theLeon Ecomotive S.

With an overall engine line-up of

six petrol and four turbodieselunits, the Leon range is not onlyfar-reaching but is a five-seater withfar more space than its compactdimensions might suggest.

Also fresh to the SEAT stable aretwo other Ecomotives in the shapeof the larger Altea and Altea XL.

While these siblings share thesame 1.6-litre TDI CR engine, they

don’t have the Leon’s aerodynamicadjustments. So their economy andemissions figures aren’t quite soimpressive. That said, 119g/km ofCO2 coupled with average fueleconomy of 62.8mpg iscommendable.

The Altea Ecomotive starts at£16,725 for the S model while theAltea XL Ecomotive S is £17,425.

Most extensive in the SEATline-up is the Ibiza supermini –about to be extended again withestate version the ST which willcost from £12,070 when it goes onsale in the next few weeks, makingit one of the best value compactload-luggers on the market.

The Ibiza ST offers estatepracticality with hatchback

convenience and has a third morespace than the Ibiza hatch.

Its line-up features two petrolengines and as many diesels, themost economical 1.2-litre oil-burnercapable of averaging 78.5mpg withtax free emissions of 92g/km.

That version costs from £14,910while the ST has a 1.4-litre petrolengine returning 47mpg.

byMIKE TORPEY

LEAN AND GREEN: The SEAT Leon Ecomotive SE

In thedrivingSEATIn thedrivingSEAT

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 9★★★★

Motors

VAUXHALL has just set anew standard in the carindustry by being theonly car maker to offer a100,000-mile lifetime

guarantee on its cars.The move demonstrates the

company's confidence in itsproducts and covers the engine,gearbox, steering, brakes andelectrical equipment.

At the moment the extendedwarranty is available only to thefirst owner of any Vauxhallincluding the latest generationMeriva, which it claims is the mostfamily friendly car of its kind.

Unlike other cars the Merivafeatures rear-hinged back doorswhich swing open towards the tailof the car.

Not only is entry and exit mucheasier, regardless of passenger size,but so too is securing kids in childseats.

Nor does the versatility stopthere. There’s also FlexRail, athree-tier storage system based onrails running between the frontand back seats in space freed up byVauxhall’s decision to use anelectronic parking brake ratherthan the traditional handbrake.

Then there’s the FlexSpaceseating which allows the cabin tobe transformed from a five totwo-seat layout depending on howmuch luggage space is needed, andthe outer rear seats can be movedforwards, backwards or even slideinwards.

And to highlight the sort ofattention to detail evident in thiscar is the way the rear side windowedges have been cut away to helpyoung children see out more easily.

At present there’s a choice ofthree 1.4-litre petrol engines with100, 120 and 140ps, a 75ps 1.3-litreCDTi diesel and 1.7-litre CDTi, alsoavailable with a six-speedautomatic transmission.

Early autumn will see a lowemissions ecoFLEX variantpowered by a 95ps 1.3-litre CDTiunit and a 1.7 CDTi with six-speedmanual gearbox and 130ps joiningthe party.

Prices are from £12,995 for the1.4-litre 100ps Expression modelwhile the 120ps turbo starts withthe S grade at £16,215. Diesels startat £16,875 for the 1.3 CDTi S.

The most eagerly awaitedVauxhall arrives later this autumnin the shape of the new AstraSports Tourer will cost £500 lessthan the current Astra Estate.

Entry point will be £16,575 forthe Ellesmere Port-built range,which kicks off with the 1.4-litre100ps ES model, which gains extrapower over the 1.4 Estate.

It also adds air conditioning,curtain airbags, ESP, electronicparking brake, an aux-in socketand active safety front headrestraints as standard.

The Sports Tourer’s premiumover the five-door hatch modelstarts from £995, for whichcustomers benefit from a largercargo area – 500 as opposed to 470litres with rear seats up – despiteretaining the same wheelbase asthe new hatch.

Diesel pricing sees theentry-level 110ps 1.7 CDTi ESSports Tourer costing less than theoutgoing 90ps 1.3 CDTi AstraEstate Life, yet packing morepower and benefiting fromsub-120g/km CO2 emissions.

The range comprises four trimlevels named ES, Exclusiv, SE andSRi, but adds a variety of standardand optional equipment.

byMIKE TORPEY

TOUR DEFORCE: Thenew VauxhallAstra SportsTourer, whichwill go on salein theautumn, isbuilt atEllesmerePort

Vauxhall setsnewstandard

OPEN SEASON:The latestVauxhall Merivaoffers space andversatility coupledwithforward-openingrear doors foreasier access tochild seats. It canalso be orderedwith a panoramicsunroof, left

Tuesday, August 17, 201010 ★★★★

Motors

Audi takes the A1 route with new carAUDI is ready to raise the superministakes to a record level with theautumn arrival of the A1.

This is the car charged withrivalling the motoring scene’sproven top quality performers,notably the MINI, and the orderbook has been stacking up since thefirst page opened in May.

Prices are between £13,145 and£18,280, and features common tothe SE, Sport and S line optionsavailable in the UK include alloywheels, remote central locking,air-con, electric front windows andmirrors plus a six-speaker CDsound system with auxiliary iPodconnection linked to a 6.5-inch

retractable display.Sport model additions include

larger diameter wheels, sportssuspension, sports seats, Bluetoothmobile phone preparation and aDriver’s Information System, whileS line versions upgrade with extrassuch as an exclusive S line exteriortreatment including larger 17-inchalloy wheels, S line sportssuspension and leather and clothcombination upholstery.

The three-door model – afive-door will follow in 18 months –uses running gear from the VWPolo and will initially be powered bythree TDI and TFSI engines.

All have the latest turbocharger

technology and engine start-stopand recuperation systems.

The new 1.2 TFSI petrol enginelinked exclusively to a five-speedmanual transmission kicks off therange, its 86ps enabling a 0-62mphtime of 11.7 seconds and a 112mphtop speed, plus 55.4mpg economyand clean credentials of 118g/km.

There will also be a 1.4 TFSIpower unit delivering 122ps viaAudi’s standard six-speed manualgearbox or the optionalseven-speed twin-clutchtransmission. The latter allows0-62mph in 8.9 secs, with economyand emissions figures of 54.3mpgand 119g/km.

NEW BABY:Audi’s A1has beeneagerlyawaited

AFTER turning in somerecord breaking salesfigures for 2009 Fiat isaiming to top the 60,000 UKtotal for last year.

Last year’s sales statistics includedmore than 24,000 Fiat 500s while theAbarth sporting arm of Fiat alsorecorded healthy sales figures for theyear of 1,381 units.

Just in time for the 2010 Septembernew registrations, Abarth – a famous60s brand recently revived by Fiat –has served up a pair of newcomers totempt the palate of sporty drivers, thered hot Abarth 500C convertible andthe Abarth Punto Evo.

Both models are cute looking littlemovers and each is pretty generouslyspeced for the money.

Weighing in at £17,500 is the Abarth500C Convertible with a kit list whichincludes a competition gear box withsteering wheel paddle shift, electrichood, air con, hands free phone, xenonheadlights and seven airbags.

It is powered by a 140bhp 1.4-litrepetrol engine capable of 0-62mph inaround eight seconds and a maximumspeed of 137mph with average fuelconsumption in the region of 43mpg.

The Abarth Punto Evo weighs in at£16,500 and standard kit includes aircon, six airbags and 17 inch alloys.

The Abarth Punto Evo is powered byan impressive 1.4-litre 165bhp enginewith stop/start facility and paired witha five-speed manual gearbox oroptional Duologic facility. It boasts0-62mph in 7.9 seconds, a top speed of132mph and average fuel consumptionof around 47mpg.

Also on show at any of Fiat’s 170dealerships in September will be theTurin car giant’s impressive and valuefor money nine model line-up whichinclude the Panda priced from £7,665,the Grande Punto, £9,785, the 500 from£9,265, the Qubo mini MPV, £10,255,and the Punto Evo which costs from£10,985.

SportynewFiatshelpboosthopes forsalesbyMALCOLMROBERTSHAW

STING IN THE TAIL: The Scorpion-badged (inset) Abarth Punto Evo is among the offerings from Fiat’s sporting division

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 11★★★★

Motors

THE Phoenix has risenfrom the ashes as Saabhas bounced back fromthe spectre ofliquidation with its best

model yet.Now owned by Dutch

supercar company Spyker, theSwedes have pulled a rabbitfrom the hat in the shape of thenew 9-5, a premium modelpacked with technology andadvanced safety systems.

With its bold yet conservativestyling the 9-5 has been primedto take on the giants of thepremium car arena like Audi,BMW and Mercedes, as well asarch rival Volvo.

Aware that its days as part ofGeneral Motors were numbered,Saab’s engineers workedtirelessly on the underpinningsof the new car to distinguish itfrom the award-winningVauxhall Insignia on which it isbased.

The result is a bigger car witha smooth and sophisticated ride– and prices from £26,495 to£37,795. The cheapest 9-5 is

powered by a two-litre dieselengine developing 160bhp,which gives the Saab a sub-tensecond 0-60mph accelerationwith average fuel consumptionof 53.2mpg and CO2 emissions of139g/km.

The range-topping 2.8-litreAero V6 is all-wheel drive andpumps out 300bhp, producing atop speed of 155mph and 0 to 60acceleration of 6.9 seconds –making it a fair quattroalternative. Emissions of294g/km and average mpg of26.6 are on the high side,though.

A more economical 2.0-litrepetrol turbo is also available inthe 9-5 while an even leaner1.6-litre engine boosted to180bhp will be coming onstream during September.

Saab is making six-speedmanual and auto gearboxesavailable on the 9-5 and theHaldex four-wheel drive systemcan be fitted as an extra, costing

more than £2,000 on the non-V6models where it is standard kit.

Electronic stability is fittedacross the range while higherspecification models haveadaptive chassis settings tochange the ride for sport orcomfort - although the systemworks very well left to its owndevices in auto mode.

Saab’s roots in aviation arestill very much in evidencewhen it comes to the interiorand the 9-5 is fitted with a headup display projecting a speedoonto the windscreen in thedriver’s line of sight.

The layout of the instrumentsis clear cut and functional,comfort levels are high and thespace in the rear is generous.

byMIKE TORPEY

LatestSaabisoneofmaker’sbest-evercars

BOLD MOVE: Saab has worked hard to make the 9-5 distinct from the Vauxhall Insignia, with which it shares a platform

BACK ON FORM: The new, post-GM, Saab 9-5

THE world’s fastestproductiondrophead, the202mph BentleyContinentalSupersportsConvertible, madeits public debut atthe recentGoodwood Festivalof Speed, and isabout to arrive onUK roads.

Racing legendand ‘Bentley Boy’Derek Bell wasbehind the wheelas the car madeseveral searingruns up thefamous hill.

The convertiblefollows theintroduction of theContinentalSupersportsCoupe in 2009 andhas the same621bhptwin-turbochargedW12 engine. It canaccelerate from0-60mph in 3.9seconds

The inspirationfor theSupersports name

is the 1925 BentleySupersports, arace-bred versionof the Bentley3-litre, thatdelivered 85bhpwhen moreordinary cars wereequipped with amodest 15bhp.

It was also thefirst productioncar to reach100mph – extremeperformance in itsday.

The new,muscular four-seatSupersportsConvertible isunmistakablyBentley in itsdesign andcraftsmanship butits interior signifies

a dramaticre-interpretationof Bentley luxury.Satin-finishedcarbon fibre,Alcantara and‘Soft Grip’ leathercreate a sportingand contemporarystyle. All models inthe Continentalmodel range,including the newSupersportsConvertible arenow capable ofrunning on bothpetrol and E85bioethanol.

Pioneered by theSupersportsCoupe, thisFlexFueltechnology offers areduction of up to70 per cent in CO2emissions on a‘well-to-wheel’basis, a measure ofa fuel’s netcontribution to theatmosphere, notjust tailpipeemissions.

Bentley’s newluxury flagship, theMulsanne has just

enteredproduction at thecompany’s Creweheadquarters,where it has beendeveloped fromthe ground up.

More than 170hours – almost halfthe entire buildprocess – goes intohandcrafting theMulsanne’sluxurious interiorwhich combinesthe traditionalwood veneers andleather hidesBentley isrenowned for withthe latest in-cartechnology – andthe world’s mostpowerful in-caramplifier.

Bentley’s202mphdrop-topunveiled

FAST: Bentley Continental Supersports

Tuesday, August 17, 201012 ★★★★

Motors

HONDA has announced apackage of offers to helpcustomers off-set thecost of new carownership for the first

three years.The offers – available on selected

Jazz, Civic and Insight models –include savings of as much as £1,425off some cars, three years’complimentary servicing, three

years’ free road tax, plus a range ofcompetitive finance options.

It means customers could driveaway with a new Jazz from as littleas £9,995, or a Civic 1.4 Type S from£13,995 – or even a Insight for just£14,995, making it the lowest pricehybrid on the market.

Each car then comes with free

Honda servicing for three years,plus the road tax is already paid forthe period.Honda also takes onboard what its customers have tosay about its products.

As a result the Japanese companyhas improved the specification andsettings of the Insight in response tocustomer feedback.

The suspension of thelow-emission, five-door hatchback

has been adjusted to improve ridecomfort and noise and vibrationlevels, while interior trim levelshave been upgraded.

A new, top-of-the-range EX model,featuring black leather upholsteryand DVD sat nav and hands-freetelephone equipment, has also beenintroduced to the Insight line-up.

As well as these upgrades tosuspension, Honda has added rear

parking sensors to all but the basicInsight and has changed some trimto smarten the interior. Dashboardand seat colours have been given amore uniform finish, and someplastics have been improved.

Pricing for the Insight starts at£16,325 for the SE but with Honda’sAffordable Driving offer, the hybridis available at £14,995 until the endof September.

PRICE IS RIGHT: Honda has introduced a raft of incentives for buyers of selected 60-plate cars such as the Civic, above, including free servicing and road tax for three years

byMIKE TORPEY

Honda’sCivicpride

A BIT SPECIAL: Mazda has special edition models in the showrooms,including this Mazda3 Takuya

Mazda tops the chartsCAN’T GET no satisfaction? Ifnot, then first stop in your searchfor a brand new car this summershould be your local Mazdadealer.

For Mazda has once againemerged as the best carcompany for ‘customersatisfaction’ with the brand andits dealers topping theautomotive sector in the UKInstitute of Customer ServiceSatisfaction Survey with a scoreof 80.6 per cent, well above theindustry average of 75.6 per centand ahead of rivals like BMW,Toyota and Mercedes.

Latest arrivals in the

company's showrooms areTakuya special edition modelsavailable in the Mazda2, Mazda3and Mazda6 ranges which boastfeatures normally only availablewith top-of-the-rangederivatives, including exteriorsports styling, larger alloywheels, a Bluetooth system anda sports interior.

Priced from £11,915, the1.3-litre Mazda2 five-doorTakuya is the entry point intothe special edition range andcomes with 16-inch alloys, asports styling kit and front foglights. Interior features includeblack sports trim, trip

computer, leather steeringwheel and gear knob remoteaudio controls and a Bluetoothhands-free kit.

The Mazda3 Takuya five-doorcomes with a 1.6-litre engineand gets a similar boost instandard equipment and ispriced from £15,780 while therecently revised, restyled andimproved Mazda6 range offersTakuya special edition models inthree different guises - 2.0five-door (£19,845), 2.2D 163psfive-door (£20,945) and 2.2D163ps Estate (£21,595).

And a limited edition of theMX-5 roadster is also available.