Grand opening for new Fiat Group Automobiles dealership

A new concept in car dealerships from Fiat Group Automobiles UK officially opened its doors last night (8 September). Motor Village Croydon is one of the first dealerships of its kind in Europe, and brings together four iconic Fiat Group brands – Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Chrysler – under one impressive roof.

A major, undisclosed investment has been made by Fiat to transform the large Canterbury Road, Croydon site into an airy, spacious showroom, separated conveniently into four main areas representing each brand.



The space was put to good use at a glittering opening night for customers and special guests, including Croydon Deputy Mayor David Fitze, actor Chris Ellison and his wife Anita, and Nigel Land, brand director, Jeep Chrysler UK.

Guests were welcomed by general manager Cristiano Calabrese before enjoying fine Italian cuisine, cocktail making exhibitions, pizza throwing, and games including radio controlled Fiat 500 model racing cars.

Motor Village Croydon joins Fiat Marylebone in central London, Fiat’s Battersea service centre and Fiat Direct in Hayes, to offer strong representation throughout London and Surrey.

“We started here with Fiat in January and Alfa Romeo came in May,” says Tony Dittli, director, Motor Village Croydon. “Chrysler and Jeep joined us in July, so it’s continually evolving. We are still developing and learning but I think we have a superb showroom site from which to offer quality service and become the reference point for these great brands.”

| Fiat

Nissan celebrates 25 years of manufacturing in the United Kingdom

Nissan Sunderland Plant is today marking the 25th anniversary of its official opening on September 8, 1986. Lady Thatcher, the then-Prime Minister travelled to the North East to perform the ceremony and to paint the second eye on a traditional Japanese ‘daruma’ doll to confirm the successful opening of the plant. This followed the painting of the first eye by Prince Charles and Princess Diana during a visit to Nissan’s Zama Plant in Japan.

In the 25 years since, Nissan Sunderland Plant has rewritten the record books for UK car production, with volumes increasing from 5,139 Bluebirds in that first year to 423,262 cars in 2010 – which was the first time ever that a UK car plant had made more than 400,000 vehicles in one year.



Nissan has now manufactured more than 6.2 million vehicles and 12 different models at Sunderland, including Bluebird, Primera, Micra, Almera, Note, Qashqai and Juke.

“I celebrate this milestone with the Nissan Sunderland Plant and commend the significant achievements of the plant and its employees over the past 25 years,” said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor Co.

“As the UK’s largest car plant, biggest car exporter, and soon battery plant - with battery production for the Nissan LEAF planned for next year - Sunderland is a beacon of Nissan’s exemplary leadership in manufacture, management and technology, which define a global car company in the 21st century.”


Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I welcome Nissan's continued investment in the UK, and the important role Nissan is playing in helping to rebalance our economy.

"With the design, development and manufacture of their new generation Qashqai all taking place in the UK, Nissan has restated its confidence in the skills of its British workforce and in the UK's manufacturing sector."

To mark this milestone, a ceremony will be held at the plant in which a time capsule will be buried on the site – recreating the ceremony held when construction of the plant began. The new time capsule updates the artefacts placed inside the original, including a model Qashqai, a telephone directory, newspapers from today, a Sunderland AFC shirt and items donated by regional partners such as the North East Chamber of Commerce, the CBI, Sunderland Council and Gateshead College.

Of the 430 people who were employed at the plant on September 8, 1986, 133 remain employed at Sunderland Plant, and today’s ceremony will be performed by two of those original members of staff: Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe, Trevor Mann, and Nissan’s Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK, Kevin Fitzpatrick.


This 25th anniversary year has been a special one for Nissan in the UK. As well as celebrating a record year for production, staff produced their six millionth car in January, shortly before the first shipment of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF arrived in the UK in February. In June Nissan’s Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn visited the UK to announce that the next generation of the Nissan Qashqai would be designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK, just as the Qashqai became the fastest UK-made car to reach one million units.

Staff are now gearing up for production starting at the company’s new lithium-ion battery plant in the New Year, ahead of Nissan LEAF production beginning at Sunderland in 2013. Production of the new Qashqai will take Nissan’s total investment in its UK manufacturing base to £3.3 billion.









| Nissan

Fiat 500bygucci strips off: Fiat 500C

As a result of the interest attracted by Fiat’s 500byGucci model – 3000 pre-orders logged on the www.500bygucci.com website and requests from all over the world – Fiat and Gucci are now introducing a cabriolet version – the Fiat 500CbyGucci.

Customised by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in collaboration with Centro Stile Fiat, the car will be distributed worldwide, and from this month will be available to order both online at fiat.co.uk and in selected Fiat UK dealers. Prices start at £17,800 OTR.



All the exclusivity of the Fiat 500byGucci is enhanced by the innovative electrically operated full length soft top in this new version. It will be available in two sophisticated body colours: white with glitter and brushed chrome-plated elements, and black with glitter and shiny chrome-plated accents. For both, the soft top is black with the characteristic green-red-green Gucci web pattern printed lengthwise.

The exterior of the Fiat 500CbyGucci is embellished by 16” alloy wheels characterised by the unmistakable retro design of the spokes. The hub caps have a double G logo in matching body colour, and Gucci signatures in italics are displayed on the tailgate and door pillars.


The passenger compartment of the Fiat 500CbyGucci also brims with eye-catching features: stylish stitching, exclusive materials, satin and polished chrome-plated elements, a velvet-effect finish on the radio panel, and two-tone Frau leather seats with Guccissima print. The Gucci web theme also appears on the seats, gearbox, key cover, mats, and, with an innovative finish, on the seat belts.

Fiat 500CbyGucci will of course come complete with comprehensive standard equipment: automatic climate control system, seven airbags (front, side, window and knee), Blue&Me system integrated with rear parking sensors, car radio with CD-MP3 player and leather steering wheel with radio controls.

The selected Fiat dealerships that will be displaying the Fiat 500byGucci range will receive copies of an exclusive lifestyle brochure created as a fashion catalogue and designed to bring out the unique, one-of-a-kind nature of this extraordinary interpretation of the glamorous world of the Fiat 500.

| Fiat

Ford centenary tour stops at new car showroom on the beach

Professional sand sculptors created a line up of Ford cars – spanning the last 100 years – on a Cornwall beach for the company's Centenary Tour. The sand-modelled 'showroom' of cars spanning the Ford Model T to the Ford Focus, at Polzeath, was the creation of sculptors Andy Moss and Jamie Wardley.

Jamie Wardley said: “One of the first sand cars I ever created was the Thunderbird FAB1 so to be asked to replicate some of the most famous cars ever made in this country was a real thrill.



“The Polzeath Beach sand is absolutely amazing to work with in terms of texture and although we aimed to have each car completed in around 40 minutes, the classic Ford Model T took quite a bit longer due to the detail involved.”

Families visiting the beach were delighted to find a line-up of stunning sand sculptures depicting iconic Ford vehicles.

Tyler Docherty and his seven year-old brother Alfie – from Long Eaton in Nottinghamshire – were among a number of children to take advantage of a free master class in sculpting from the artists, representing Bradford-based sculptors ‘Sand In Your Eye’.

“I like all the cars they have done but I really love the Ford Capri – it’s so cool,” said eight year-old Tyler.

The Ford Centenary Tour is a touring exhibition charting the company's unique history in the UK. It is making contact with Ford customers, employees and enthusiasts ranging from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands to Plymouth and Cornwall on the south coast.

| Ford

Prime Minister Cameron: MINI is a great success story

Today, ten years after the start of MINI production in Oxford, British Prime Minister David Cameron drove the two-millionth MINI out of the plant. The car is a MINI Convertible with special paintwork and extras.



Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production, said in Oxford: “Production of the two millionth MINI comes on the back of strong demand worldwide. Our recent announcement of an additional £500 million investment in our UK MINI production facilities demonstrates the important role that Oxford plays in our global production network. The most essential factors in the success of MINI are the skills, passion and dedication of our associates.”





On the occasion of the British Prime Minister’s visit to Plant Oxford, Arndt outlined the company’s plans for its UK operations. The majority of the investment will be used for new production facilities for the next-generation MINI, and will play an important part in securing the long-term future of Plant Oxford and safeguarding jobs at the pressings plant in Swindon and the company’s engine plant in Hams Hall near Birmingham. This takes the BMW Group’s investment across all its UK operations to more than 1.5 billion pounds since 2000.



Cameron declared: “It’s a real privilege to drive this true British icon off the production line today. The 2 millionth MINI to be made here in Oxford is a fantastic symbol of the UK’s strength in the global automotive industry and a great British manufacturing success story. MINI is not just a symbol of our industrial past, but also the great industrial future we want to build.”



The special-anniversary MINI is the prize in a global Facebook campaign “2 Million MINI – 2 Million Faces” which will compile the faces of two million MINI fans on a special Facebook “wall”. The winner will be chosen at random when the contest ends on 30 September.



Jürgen Hedrig, head of Plant Oxford said: “This marks a tremendous milestone for Plant Oxford and its employees. Oxford has been the heart of MINI production for ten years. Our employees are proud to be part of this brand’s success.” The premium small car is delivered to customers in more than 90 countries across the globe.



Producing 216,302 vehicles in 2010 and exporting to more than 90 countries across the globe, MINI was the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the UK, accounting for 17 per cent of national automotive production. Plant Oxford currently builds four MINI models: the MINI, MINI Convertible, MINI Clubman and the new MINI Coupé. A fifth model, the MINI Roadster, will be added at the end of the year.



The success of the MINI brand can be seen in the positive developments at the Plant Oxford since 2001. Back then, a single shift of around 2,400 employees produced about 300 cars a day. Today, a team of more than 3,700 works two shifts, five days a week, and builds up to 900 cars a day. Over the past ten years, the maximum capacity of the plant has increased from 100,000 units per year to more than 200,000 units. Over the medium term, the plant will reach an annual capacity of 260,000 units.



BMW Group’s contribution to the UK economy

The UK is the BMW Group’s fourth-largest single market worldwide for sales, behind only Germany, the US and China, with sales in 2010 across the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands totalling 154,750 vehicles.



Rolls-Royce models have been built in the UK for 107 years. The company has continually invested in the Goodwood facility in West Sussex since the company was re-launched in 2003, and will continue to do so in response to the growth of the brand.



The BMW Hams Hall engine plant set a new annual production record in 2010 of 385,051 engines, representing 16 per cent of total UK engine production.



A report published by Oxford Economics underscores the significance of the BMW Group to the UK economy. The company and its dealer network employ around 18,000 people directly, while its supplier and service network supports over 46,000 jobs in total in the UK.



80 per cent of MINIs and 90 per cent of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars produced in the UK are exported. In total, 2.4 billion pounds worth of cars and engines are exported each year, making the BMW Group a major UK exporter, responsible for around one per cent of all goods exported by UK companies.



| BMW

Fiat Professional launches new Fiat Doblo Work Up

The appeal of Fiat Professional’s award-winning Doblò Cargo van range has just been broadened with a version never before introduced by a large volume manufacturer.



Called the Doblò Work Up, it’s a ‘dropside’ vehicle with compact external dimensions allowing easy use in urban areas. The external dimensions are not, however, a limit to its performance. The load box is 2.30 m long and 1.82 m wide, with 4 m2 of loading area which can accommodate a payload of up to 1,000kg. Additionally, the multi-link suspension permits a rear axle load up to 1,450kg.







The load box is made of high-resistance steel with a floor created from anti-slip multilayer wood and sides in aluminium alloy. Under the floor is a compartment for stowing long tools, safely protected from the elements.



In addition, on each side of the vehicle there is a small, practical step that allows the user to get into the load area. This structure has a ladder rack/door poles, load restraining hooks, and a sturdy protective grille on the rear window of the cab.



All these features make the Doblò Work Up ideal for agriculture, construction, maintenance or city parks services sectors. It is ideal for the transport of frames and glass and can take, for example, three Euro pallets or 33 boxes of fruit.



The new Doblò Work Up is powered by a choice of two Euro 5 turbodiesel engines: 1.3 MultiJet 90 bhp and 1.6 MultiJet 105 bhp. Both engines are characterised by excellent performance, low noise, low operating costs (fuel consumption and maintenance), reliability and environmental friendliness. Both feature the fuel-saving Start&Stop system and diesel particulate filter.





In terms of security, the new Doblò Work Up is unrivalled. To ensure optimum dynamic performance, comfort and active safety, the vehicle has been equipped with innovative mechanical solutions, among them multi-link rear suspension, stability control, and ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD electronic brakeforce distribution. Available as an option is ESP with Hill-holder, which assists the driver during hill starts.



Front airbags complete the safety specification, while high-tech equipment such as a handsfree Blue&Me system and the Blue&Me TomTom navigator are available.





“The new Doblò Work Up is the latest evolution of a model designed to be top of its class in terms of performance and functional characteristics, its capability and ease of loading,” says Francesco Russiello, Marketing Product Manager, Fiat Professional. “Its low running costs, low fuel consumption with reduced operating costs, and equipment levels all combine with safety and comfort, to make this a commercial vehicle well worth consideration.”



The new Doblò Work Up costs £16,065 (basic) for the 1.3 MultiJet 16v Euro 5 and £17,065 (basic) for the 1.6 MultiJet 16v Euro 5.





ENGINE RANGE:

1.3 90 MultiJet Euro 5

The best selling engine in the new Doblò range, with a consumption of 55.4mpg (combined) and emissions of 133 g/km CO2.



1.6 105 MultiJet Euro 5

The perfect choice for customers looking for power, torque and responsiveness, with a consumption of 49.6mpg (combined) and emissions of 150 g/km CO2.





SPECIFICATIONS:



Body: DROPSIDE



Wheelbase: Long Wheelbase



Vehicle dimensions:



- length: 4965 mm

- Width: 1872 mm



Rear deck dimensions:



- length: 2.3 m

- internal width: 1.82 m

- external width: 1.86 m

- Threshold: 0.9 m

- Aluminium alloy side height: 350 mm

- load surface: 4 m2

- Payload: up to 1.000 Kg



Max. axle loads:



- front: 1.120 Kg

- rear: 1.450 Kg



Specification:



- Glazed metal bulkhead

- Rear storage compartment with key

- Stylish lateral protection bumpers









| Fiat

Mia Electric to debut at Ecovelocity 2011

A new electric vehicle brand, mia electric, is set to hit UK shores next month when it showcases three variants of its innovative Microbus at this year’s EcoVelocity motor show (8th – 11th September).



Having been one of the highlights at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, this will be the first time these cars have been seen in the UK and the first opportunity for the general public to get behind the wheel and experience mia’s zero-emission urban mobility for themselves.







Head of UK sales at mia, Richard Deslandes, said “We’re delighted to be debuting our cars in the UK. To be launching our innovative approach to 100% electric zero-emission mobility in the shadow of the iconic chimney stacks of Battersea Power Station, in their day one of the largest producers of CO2 in the capital, seems very fitting.



“The mia has been designed with cities like London firmly in mind and we consider the UK as a priority market for us (alongside France and Germany). We’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received since we launched in Geneva and now have 3000 confirmed orders. Production started in June and we will be producing 4000 vehicles this year to meet this initial demand. We hope to ramp up production at our factory in Cerizay, France, to a total capacity of about 14,000 by the end of 2012.”



Designed with UK cities in mind

The cars, which go on sale in the UK in the first quarter of 2012, were designed by the former head of design at Volkswagen, Murat Günak, and come in three configurations – the standard short wheelbase model and two extended models, the mia L and the mia box van.



Thanks to its light-weight design concept, the standard model weighs only 750kg (extended models weighs 759kg) giving it extremely economical power consumption and low running costs (approx £1.30 per 100 kms).



All three vehicles are powered by an 18kW electric motor at the rear of the car that gives a top speed of 68 mph (110km/h). A 120 to 130km range is available from the 12 kWh battery pack that comes as standard and the lithium iron phosphate batteries can be fully charged in five hours. This technically sound battery system is exceptionally safe and helps alleviate range anxiety by allowing “no memory effect” charging. This means the battery can be charged for short top-up periods with absolutely no adverse effect to the life of the battery. (e.g. a ten minute charge will give an extra 6km of range).



The standard short wheelbase mia has three seats in total, while the extended mia L has four. Instead of three back seats, as in the mia L, the mia box van features a cargo capacity of 1,500 litres.



The most conspicuous feature of all three variants of the mia is the central driving position which allows the driver to get in and out of the car on both sides. This seat arrangement provides the driver with a perfect view of the city traffic and the passengers at the back with plenty of legroom. It also gives the cabin a unique office-style layout that features a display with space to mount a tablet computer and iPod.



When discussing the philosophy behind the car, Murat Günak, explains “As a father of four I wanted to pursue a new, sustainable path towards environmentally-friendly mobility of the future. We started with a blank piece of paper and asked ourselves the same question over and over again: What does a customer really want to be mobile in the city? Our conclusion was a compact-yet-spacious microbus that’s well organized and single-mindedly focused on urban transportation.”



David Wilkie, the former design director at Italian styling house Bertone and now design partner at mia, said “Working on the mia project was like reinventing the car itself. It hasn’t been designed to look swoopy and fast, it’s designed to be practical and likeable. A lot of cars are derivatives of mainstream cars but this is all new and perfect for big cities. It will undoubtedly become harder, and maybe even illegal, to drive petrol cars in downtown urban areas, so electric city cars like the mia have enormous potential.”



The purchase price of the cars at £22,000 (after the Government’s £5,000 incentive subsidy) and all variants will be exempt from the congestion charge in London. The car and batteries come with three year warranties, with the option to purchase up to five years.



| Mia Electric

MG Motor introducing a special three-year fixed price servicing cover

Customers buying new ’61 plate MG6 GT and MG6 Magnette models will get even better value for money.



MG Motor UK is introducing a special three-year fixed price servicing cover for just £199 on all new MG6 models sold during the new ’61 plate month of September.



It adds even more to an already amazingly strong value-for-money package on the new MGs. They have probably the highest level of standard specification of any cars in their sector on sale today.







The latest MGs also benefit from extremely low insurance group ratings of 13E, and 14E on top TSE models, which reduce premiums for most drivers.



Clint Cordle, MG Motor’s Marketing Manager, said: “The fixed price servicing offer adds to an already very impressive list of cost savings for buyers.



“The MG6 models have a truly fantastic value-for-money package. When you look at all the kit fitted to the cars as standard it’s amazing and would cost up to £6,000 on some competitor vehicles.”



The MG6 GT in TSE specification includes a comprehensive lists of standard equipment including 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, iTPMS tyre pressure monitoring, leather sports seats, rear view parking camera with front and rear reversing aids, driver and front passenger electric seat adjustment, heated front seats, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, electronic rain sensing wipers, a built in full colour display sat nav system with full European mapping, RDS radio, CD player, MP3, USB, Aux-in capability and Bluetooth mobile phone integration.



MG6 GT fastback range starts at £15,459 for the S model, £16,995 for the SE and £18,995 for the TSE.



MG6 Magnette four-door sports saloons range from £15,995 for the S, £17,495 for the SE and £19,995 for the TSE.



Both cars have been designed and engineered at MG Birmingham where final assembly also takes place. Currently more than 400 people are employed at the site.



| MG | UK

Chevrolet Camaro target UK

The Chevrolet Camaro is set to arrive in showrooms in the UK in early 2012 and will be available from £34,995 on-the-road. The American muscle car is powered by a 6.2-litre V8 engine and suspension that has been fine-tuned for European roads. All UK versions of the Camaro will be left-hand-drive only and will come complete with the top of the range specifications including, 20-inch alloy wheels, Brembo performance brakes, full leather upholstery with a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a Boston Acoustics nine-speaker audio system, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors. A choice of premium paint colours, bonnet stripes, interior trim accents, a sunroof, polished alloy wheels and automatic transmission, will also be available for an extra £1,500.

The Bumble Bedzz are bee-friendly flower beds which have been created in areas such as location railway stations to try and encourage people to plant their own beds and in doing so boost the bumblebee population. The Bumble Bedzz are the brain child of Jim Webster, owner of the locally owned and family run business, Bees Knees, a pest control supplier.



Chevrolet’s Bumble Bed features flowers, including Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme and Buddleia, in the shape of a Chevrolet’s iconic bowtie.

"The bumble bee is as much of an icon for the British countryside as the Camaro is for Chevrolet," said Mark Terry. "It's fair to say that they both cause quite a buzz. We're delighted to be involved in such an innovative and worthwhile local initiative"

Chad Collins, General Manager South of Chiltern Railways said: “It’s great to be involved in a project that not only helps and educates about the bumblebee, but also enhances our station environment. We’re delighted to be working with Bees Knees on their ‘bumble bedzz’ project and also with Chevrolet who have kindly sponsored this bed at Stoke Mandeville.”


Each Bumble Bed is accompanied by an information boards to educate the public about the bumblebee population in the UK, highlighting they are an endangered species and how important they are for the environment. There are also fun packs available for children at the participating station.

| Chevrolet

Suzuki announces national oil partnership with Castrol Professional

Suzuki GB has announced the launch of a national oil partnership with Castrol Professional. Launched on July 1, Suzuki now exclusively recommend Castrol Professional lubricants to its customers throughout the UK, highlighting improvements in fuel economy, emissions and engine performance.

The recommendation for Castrol Professional’s range of engine oils, which is available exclusively across Suzuki’s 147 franchised dealerships, will also see Suzuki producing a new range of co-branded point of sale materials to highlight the recommendation.



According to a YouGov Omnibus survey conducted in March 2011, of motorists visiting franchised workshops, 60 per cent consider their car manufacturer’s recommendation as one of their first criteria when it comes to selecting a brand of oil.

“Suzuki is committed to helping its dealers’ in improving the service they deliver to customers,” commented James Richardson, General Manager - Service, Suzuki GB. “Castrol Professional lubricants are technically advanced and will resonate as a strong brand with our customers”.


Nigel Head, Castrol Franchised Workshop and OEM Marketing Manager – UK & Ireland, explains: “We’ve worked incredibly hard with Suzuki to gain their sole and exclusive recommendation and to tailor a business development programme to meet their needs. We look forward to working with Suzuki and its network in achieving our goals of delivering first class service – and lubricants – to their customers.”

| Suzuki

New Vauxhall Corsavan

Vauxhall’s new Corsavan ecoFLEX, the Luton-based manufacturer’s most economical commercial vehicle ever, is top of the small van pack offering class-leading CO2 emissions of just 95g/km.

The Corsavan 1.3 CDTi 16v (95PS) ecoFLEX Start/Stop achieves the sub-100g/km figure through a host of efficiency improvements including a variable geometry turbocharger, lowered chassis, aerodynamic wheel covers and optimised gear ratios with a ‘shift up’ indicator. These upgrades help the Corsavan ecoFLEX achieve Euro 5 compliancy as well as an impressive 78.3mpg on the combined cycle and 65.6mpg urban driving.



“It’s great news that the Corsavan ecoFLEX is top of its class for CO2 emissions,” said Steve Bryant, Vauxhall’s Commercial Vehicle Brand Manager. “Griffin-badged vans are well known for their low running costs and Vauxhall’s most economical commercial vehicle ever is further proof of this.”

The new Coravan ecoFLEX model is priced at £13,048.33 on-the-road and orders can be placed from 11th July.

| Vauxhall

Chevrolet Volt UK Pricing Announced

Unlike most electric cars, the only time a Chevrolet Volt really needs a charge attached to it is when you buy it in the first place! And when it goes on sale in the UK next year, the Volt will cost from £28,545 after the government backed £5,000 electric vehicle grant, making it less expensive than some traditional petrol or diesel engined five-door hatchbacks.

Of course, by plugging it in, you’ll save yourself a fortune. The Volt has an electric-only range of between 30 and 50 miles depending on terrain and traffic conditions, after which its on-board generator kicks in to sustain battery power.


Unlike conventional hybrids, the electric drivetrain – known as E-REV, Extended-Range Electric Vehicle – directly powers the car’s wheels. The petrol engine is there to simply prevent the battery going flat, thus eliminating the fear of ‘range anxiety’ experienced by users of other electric vehicles, who are dependent on a limited range and a charging infrastructure before they can use their cars without compromise.

Yet if the driver is only commuting, he or she need never put any petrol in the car, meaning it only ever needs fuelling for longer journeys.

The Volt’s technology is so clever that it has won the car multiple awards in the USA, where it was crowned North American Car of the Year, as well as winning similar plaudits from major titles Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine.

Chevrolet chose to announce the UK pricing of the Volt, which comes to showrooms in right-hand-drive form in Spring 2012, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the US-manufacturer was celebrating its centenary.

“We wanted to back up a century of progress with our vision for the next century,” said Chevrolet UK Managing Director, Mark Terry. “Except it’s more than a vision, it’s a reality.”

“The Volt is a truly incredible car – the first ever compromise-free electric car with zero-emissions capability. You can use it for going to work and back during the week without ever putting fuel in, but it’s also an electric car that you can use for a family holiday. There are never any concerns that a flat battery will leave you stranded.”

All UK Volts will come with full leather interior as standard, adding a touch of luxury to the world of electric commuting.

| Chevrolet