Slump in new car sales is worst since February 2006

By Nigel Wonnacot Motor Industry 07 July 2008 12:42 It’s finally happened. The new car market has succumbed to the economic slowdown and punters are staying away from showrooms in droves. Latest figures from industry trade body SMMT showed an 11.9 per cent fall in private sales in June to 83,425 cars.

Jaguar Land Rover strong September sales thanks to Evoque & XF 2.2

JLR Sales up in September thanks to XF 2.2 & Evoque We’ve had cause to take Jaguar Land Rover (well, Jaguar) to task lately for disappointing sales, particularly in the US and the UK. So it seems only fair, after dishing out disapprobation, that we should balance that with a story about a decent set of sales figures for JLR in September, especially in the face of weakening sales from other manufacturers in the UK. Unsurprisingly – although how long it will last is debatable – China was the strongest performer for Jaguar, certainly in percentage terms, with a rise of 156 per cent for Jaguar and 85 per cent for Land Rover and year on year figures up 60 per cent.

Lexus debuts dedicated HS 250h hybrid at the Detroit auto show

Lexus is no stranger to hybrids, with green offshoots of the GS and LS sedans and RX SUV currently in showrooms. However, joining them this summer is Lexus's first dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, which made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show. The new entry-luxury sedan slots between the IS and ES in the Lexus range.