The best-selling car in Scotland is back with a new look and new engines. The new Vauxhall Corsa. Squint at its outline and you’ll see the ghost of the old one, but all the panels are new, and so is the interior, most of the engines, most of the suspension, and the whole structure forward of the windscreen. So they’re being fair in calling it a new car. Does it carry the proportions and glazing of the old one for any reason other than expediency? Well Vauxhall claims that Corsa buyers, of whom there are lots, actually very much liked the size of the old car as well as its basic look. The supermini class has stopped growing, and the Corsa too retains its 4m length. People want compactness. The old car was well-packaged, so again the new one doesn’t mess with the cabin…

New car registrations rose 6.2% in June to 228,291 units. In the first half of the year registrations rose 10.6% to 1,287,265 units, the best half-year total since 2005, according to the SMMT. The market was driven by attractive finance and PCP deals as carmakers targeted the UK for sales to compensate for weak markets in Europe, which are recovering but from a very low base. The UK market is now on track for 2.4 million new car registrations in 2014, up more than 6% on last year. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Improving economic conditions have helped propel the UK new car market to a strong first half-year performance, with registrations up 10.6% on the same period in 2013. “Key to attracting consumers is the ever-improving efficiency of new cars, an important factor that is highlighted by the 51.3% increase in alternatively-fuelled…

 The National Association of Body shops (NAB) has named the insurance companies body shops dislike working with the most. In a survey body shops were asked, given total freedom of choice, which insurers would they prefer not to work with. AXA Swift Cover emerged as the least preferred option for 42% of body shops, Direct Line (40%) and LV (29%). Esure and RSA/Morethan each scored 28% in the survey. Body shops were also asked, given total freedom of choice, which insurance companies they would most like to work with. Ageas was the preferred choice of 58% of body shops followed by NFU which got a 57% rating, Allianz (51%), Zurich (44%) and Aviva (38%). Frank Harvey, head of the NAB, said: “This appears to confirm the feedback we have been receiving from our regional road shows regarding which insurance companies are considered to be The…

Jeep is launching a direct rival to Nissan’s Juke in a move the brand hopes will help treble sales within three years. The Jeep Renegade will launch into the hotly-contested compact crossover market in the first quarter of 2015. It is expected to be a major volume seller, with Jeep looking to increase its 2013 UK sales figures of just 2,200 cars to over 6,000 before the end of 2016. This ambitious growth programme comes just two years after Jeep considered quitting the UK after almost half its network served notice on the franchise. In June 2012 23 dealers decided they were losing too much money to continue with Jeep, leaving the remaining 31 outlets covering only 58% of the brand’s targeted UK markets. Steve Zanlunghi, UK chief executive and managing director of Jeep’s now parent group Fiat, admitted that at that point the…

Peugeot expects its significantly revised 508 to challenge the forthcoming new generation Ford Mondeo in the large family car sector. Dealers will start selling the new 508 saloon, estate and extended ride-height RXH in September, several weeks before the long-delayed new Mondeo arrives in the UK. Prices have not yet been revealed but the brand has made clear its intention clear to move it upmarket. Peugeot describes the new 508 as a “major evolution” of the model rather than a facelift with the revamp extending to new engine choices. The Euro 5 emissions-compliant 1.6-litre THP 156 petrol engine makes way for a Euro 6 model, the THP 165 Stop & Start. As well as offering a 9bhp increase, this unit when matched to a six-speed manual gearbox cuts CO2 emissions from 144g/km to 131g/km. The brand’s BlueHDi diesel engines reach the 508 in two…

Dealers are coming under increased pressure to upgrade or relocate their facilities as the automotive sector and the general economy improve, according to property specialists Rapleys. It cited strong Q1 performances from Lookers and Pendragon who both showed double digit growth “This improved trading outlook has certainly translated to improved sentiment in the sector, with many groups continuing to grow their business, both from the acquisition of existing businesses and the development of new trading facilities,” it said. But the improving conditions meant renewed pressure to maintain corporate standards. “After years of patience by manufacturers regarding corporate standards, we believe many dealers are coming under increasing pressure to upgrade or relocate, and we are currently acting for a number of the top 10 groups who have active requirements in this respect. “We see no sign that this level of activity is likely to diminish…

Ferrari has described its “overwhelming joy”, F1 champion Michael Schumacher has left hospital in Grenoble and is no longer in a coma, his family says. The 45-year-old has been transferred to Lausanne university hospital in Switzerland, officials there say. Schumacher was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering a severe head injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps on 29 December. His family thanked people who had sent messages of support, saying: “We are sure it helped him.” They also praised the “excellent job” of medical staff at the hospital in Grenoble, in south-east France. Doctors had kept the seven-time champion in a coma to help reduce swelling in his brain. Michael Schumacher had been treated at Grenoble’s University Hospital Centre in the French Alps “Michael has left the CHU Grenoble to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He is not…

‘That’ is the future. Or at least, a step towards it. It’s a diesel-electric hybrid S-Class Mercedes. See, a few months ago at the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz’s boss of large cars, Dr Uwe Ernstberger, told TopGear.com that “a complete electric [S-Class] will be done in the future”. That goal is currently limited by battery technology. Mercedes, therefore, wants to take it step by step, which is where this hybrid S comes in. Or the S300 Blue Tec Hybrid L, to give it its full name. It features the same drivetrain as the E300 Hybrid we tested a couple of years ago. Underneath there’s a 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, with a small electric motor sandwiched between engine and seven-speed gearbox, driving the rear wheels. Wait, what? There’s a four-cylinder diesel in the biggest car Mercedes-Benz makes? Before we get to the thorny issue of…