Kawasaki Z400 Twin Engine on 2040-parts.com

VW pushes upmarket: the new Passat and lessons learned by the Phaeton

By John Mahoney Motoring Issues 07 July 2014 08:02 Logically, it makes perfect sense to push the new 2015 VW Passat upmarket far away from the declining, mass-market D-segment it used to inhabit. After all, how can Volkswagen resist a tasty slice of profit the BMW 3-series or Mercedes C-class dishes out to their makers? Even if it does risk stepping on Audi's toes...

New Volvo V40: Strong residual values predicted

New Volvo V40 – Strong residuals Volvo has had good news from the fleet industry with strong residuals forecast for the new 2012 Volvo V40 ahead of first customer cars. We’ve been very impressed with what we’ve seen of the new Volvo V40; it’s a car that is right on the money in its style, its pricing and its range (although we’d like to see something more exciting at the top end). And now, with production of the V40 under way and the first customer cars expected to arrive in the UK in September, Volvo has had very good news from the fleet industry and the people who set residual values for car finance.

Vauxhall Insignia facelift stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Ten years on from the very first Insignia concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2003, Vauxhall is showcasing a new, facelifted Insignia here at Frankfurt 2013. Part of the update to the Insignia is a new internet connectivity feature, which should make life on the road for travelling professionals a bit easier – now you can locate your nearest non-VAT qualifying hot food snack retailer in next to no time… We’re also fans of the rationalised trim range, down from 14 grades to eight for the new car. While the Insignia’s updated engine range boasts impressive efficiency (as we’ll see in a minute), we can’t help wondering if this might have been a good time to introduce a hybrid or range-extender powertrain, trumping Ford and its forthcoming Mondeo Hybrid in the process.