To date, Skoda has sold 4.1m units of the Fabia since it was first launched at the Frankfurt motor show in 1999. Four years after the launch of the new, third-generation model (2014), Skoda has released a facelifted version of the compact hatchback. With this being a revision, the design of the previous Fabia is clear to see, although the ...

Auto Trader UK and Cox Automotive have revealed plans related to the formation of a new automotive wholesale marketplace joint venture. Pending clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK, the new JV will see three businesses amalgamated onto a single platform. Cox Automotive will transfer its Dealer-Auction.com and Manheim Online businesses to the joint venture, while Auto ...

Andersen EV, manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) rechargers, has introduced the A2 charging point. The A2 is a three-phase charger which develops a peak output of 22kW, three times that of the previous A1 unit. This offers the capability to charge most EVs to 80% of full capacity in 30 minutes. Further to this, the A2 is now SMART enabled. Supported ...

Pendragon has agreed a deal with St John Ambulance to install ZOLL AED Plus defibrillators at all dealerships, service centres, accident repair body shops, and preparation centres across the group’s network (AED: automated external defibrillator). Stratstone BMW and Evans Halshaw Nissan, both in Doncaster, were amongst the first dealerships to feature a defibrillator unit. The decision to install the equipment ...

The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) has released figures showing that point of sale (POS) new car consumer finance business increased by 1% in June, compared with year-on-year figures from the same month in 2017. The FLA has also noted that the value of new business was up 9% over the same period. According to the FLA, the percentage of ...

Lookers plc has published its trading figures for H1 2018. Top line numbers show that the group had turnover of £2.58bn for the H1 period, a 5% increase over the same period in 2017. This resulted in profit before tax of £45.7m, up from £44.6m in H1 2017 (+2%). Adjusted operating profit (profit before amortisation of intangible assets, etc.) was ...

Coachworks Consulting has revealed concerns that the post-Brexit employment status of EU nationals could cause a serious recruitment shortfall in the UK’s car retailing sector. The shortage of suitable candidates would be further exacertabated by any failure to agree rules on the movement of labour between the EU and the UK. Karl Davis, managing director of Coachworks Consulting, said: “One ...

JudgeService, one of the country’s leading customer review platform providers, has launched a new product which allows customers to post real-time online feedback on their car-buying experience. The new Micro Reviews tool allows customers to provide instant feedback to Google and Facebook at any point during the buying process. Areas of enquiry include quality of dealership greeting (refreshments, waiting areas, ...

West End Skoda has rolled out the Indicata used car management portal at its three sites in Scotland, including its new showroom in Stirling. The introduction of the real time management system follows a group trial period. The new system will help dealer principals and sales managers monitor the performance and efficiency of all aspects of the used car operation. ...

Marshall Motor Holdings (MMH) has released its interim results for the six months ending in June this year. Headline numbers for the report include a 1.2% like-for-like increase in profit before tax of £16.4m. This is +1.2% over 2017 (£16.2m), despite revenue being down year-on-year for the six-month period to £1.162bn (-0.4%). In addition, like-for-like new unit sales were down ...