Citroen C4 Cactus
Earlier in the week we tweeted our approval at the online marketing of Citroen in the build-up to the unveiling of their new car: the C4 Cactus.
Fantastic campaign by @CitroenUK building up to the release of the #C4 #Cactus. Left us wanting more, very effective! http://t.co/w1nSU5qUyE
— WVL (@WindsorVehicles) February 4, 2014
The ‘teaser’ strategy used by Citroen saw them revealing small details and images of their new car designed to raise a sense of anticipation – something that certainly worked with us!
Well, the official online unveiling has now occurred and we have the inside scoop…
Perhaps the most notable feature of the Cactus is the ‘Airbump’ plastic panels located on the doors. TopGear described the panels as acting like ‘bubble wrap’ designed to make a surface that’s resistant to scratches. The interior has been designed to house both minimalistic simplicity and spacious comfort. Unconfirmed reports suggest that there are likely to be two petrol and two diesel engines, emitting between 82-100g/km of CO₂ with the 110bhp turbo three-cylinder petrol engine able to reach a top speed of 118mph.
WhatCar? describe the Cactus as a ‘radical family hatchback’ with ‘radical’ being the optimum word. The design is sure to receive a spiky reception (sorry, couldn’t resist!) but we believe it’s good to see cars going against the grain in their designs, producing something different from what we’ve seen before.
Watch the trailer for the new Citroen Cactus here:
New Luxury Automotive Brand to Come out of Britain
A new automotive brand has been created by British businessman David Brown, named simply ‘David Brown Automotive.’ As a classic car enthusiast himself, Brown wanted to ‘refresh the classic British sports car for the 21st century,’ and so he constructed a highly skilled and experienced design team to aid him in the creation of his vision. Among the team was Alan Mobberley who worked as Land Rover’s chief designer for over 19 years. Brown also sought the help of automotive engineering experts Envisage Group to develop the car for production.
Brown stated, ‘I wanted all the impact and style of a classic sports car, but with modern capabilities and conveniences.’ Rather than reworking an old design, Brown wanted to create completely original designs for both the interior and exterior, and even fitted the car with bespoke British interior trim.
The car is set to be unveiled at Monaco’s Top Marques Show in April. We can’t wait to see the finished product!
New Car Fleet and Business Registrations Slightly up on 2013
53.8% of overall new car sales in January were accounted for by fleet and business registrations, equating to 83,145 out of overall figures of 154,562.
This figure is up 0.7% on January 2013.
| Position | Car Model | # Units Sold |
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 9,072 |
| 2 | Ford Focus | 5,333 |
| 3 | Vauxhall Corsa | 4,470 |
| 4 | VW Golf | 4,390 |
| 5 | VW Polo | 3,875 |
| 6 | Vauxhall Astra | 3,999 |
| 7 | Audi A3 | 3,130 |
| 8 | Nissan Qashqai | 3.028 |
| 9 | Nissan Juke | 2,704 |
| 10 | Fiat 500 | 2,595 |
Source: Fleet News
As the table above demonstrates, the top two selling cars of Jan 2014 were both Fords – with the Fiesta pipping the Focus to the top spot. Vauxhall, VW and Nissan also enjoyed high sales.
Vehicle of the Week
Our vehicle of the week is this brilliant Mercedes Vito Van.
| Year / Reg | 2011 (60) | ||
| Mileage | 98,000 | ||
| Engine | 2.2L | ||
| Fuel | Diesel | ||
| Gearbox | Manual | ||
| Body | Van | ||
| Colour | Red | ||
Price: £8,000
This Mercedes Vito van is in superb condition, has three seats, full service history and 12 months MOT. Part-ex considered.
For further information, please call 01753 851561, or click here to view full details.