Monthly Archives: July 2012

New Seat Leon

SEAT have recently introduced the stunning new Leon. Combining beauty and practicality, the all-new Leon is a desirable car. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the third generation Leon is packed full of high-end technology, utilising a cutting edge chassis, advanced infotainment systems and sophisticated driving aids. Each of the engines combines powerful dynamics with outstanding efficiency.

 

The new Leon is compelling for its excellent practicality, combining a more compact exterior with a more spacious interior. The premium materials and the level of craftsmanship place the Leon squarely at the forefront of the competitive field. The availability of full-LED headlamps for the new, third generation Leon is a strong move by SEAT – a first in the family hatchback class. This technology combines striking design with exceptional illumination.

 

“The new Leon condenses all the strengths of the SEAT brand more than ever before. It is a car with sporting character and wide-ranging strengths. It brings quality and technologies from the full-size class into the compact segment. The Leon is a decisive step in SEAT’s brand and growth strategy. It will be launched towards the end of this year as a five-door and will subsequently grow with further variants into a fully-fledged family,” said James Muir, President of SEAT S.A.

 

“With the all-new Leon, we have designed and developed a car which perfectly captures the meaning of ‘Enjoyneering’. This compelling mix of design, technology, athletic performance and premium quality is certain to seduce existing customers, as well as bringing a new generation of car-buyers to the brand,” he added.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Seat in partnership with the company for 4 years.  Douglas Stafford prides itself on providing the highest levels of customer service to its wide ranging client base.

Ford Celebrates Production of 40 Million Engines

Ford is celebrating their consistently high output at Dagenham over the last 50 years. The company has propelled production at the East London engine site past the milestone of 40 million engines – enough to stretch 20,000 miles, or four fifths of the way around the globe, when placed end to end.

 

Ford Dagenham, which has been engineering and manufacturing engines since 1931, now specialises in fuel-efficient diesel engines for Ford’s small, medium, and large car ranges, as well as featuring prominently in Ford’s commercial vehicles. Over 50 per cent of global Ford diesel engine demand is supplied by Dagenham.

 

Dagenham-built engines have powered many famous Ford vehicles including the Ford Escort, Cortina, Capri, Granada and Transit models. Today engines from Ford’s largest UK plant, power the best-selling vehicles in Britain: the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Ford Transit.

 

Joe Greenwell, Ford Britain chairman, said: “Dagenham producing 40 million engines is a significant milestone for Ford’s biggest UK site. Ford Dagenham now produces Ford’s most fuel-efficient engine in the 1.6-litre TDCi unit and exports to 12 countries around the world as part of our global ‘One Ford’ strategy. This site is helping to power the UK’s sustainable economic recovery.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Ford in partnership with the company for over 8 years. Douglas Stafford has pushed from day one to be the champion of the performance improvement industry through its Mystery Shopping, Training and Development Services, leading by example and being at the forefront of its industry providers by introducing the latest technological developments.

BMW Group unveils London 2012 Olympic Park Pavilion

The final countdown to London 2012 has begun and BMW Group today unveiled their Olympic Park Pavilion, expected to draw thousands of visitors on each day of the Games.

 

Conceived by an award-winning British architecture firm, the BMW Group Pavilion represents a significant architectural addition to the Olympic Park, showing an exciting range of the company’s latest vehicles against the backdrop of the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre. The structure also underlines the company’s longstanding commitment to design and sustainability with an array of individual rooftop pavilions exhibiting current models as well as concept cars of the future. Inspired by London 2012 and paying tribute to our capital, the new MINI Rocketman also has a Union Jack-inspired colour scheme.

 

In an intimate cinema space a special film is shown before an opportunity to view the upper floor product displays. The top deck, comprising of nine individual rooftop pavilions, displays current and future BMW Group vehicles including the BMW i3 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept and the new generation BMW 3 Series Touring.

 

Tim Abbott, Managing Director, BMW Group UK comments: “The role of the Pavilion is two-fold – to explain the support we’re providing as the Official Automotive Partner to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also to provide a powerful visual symbol of our commitment to the highest standards of innovation in design and sustainability. We look forward to welcoming visitors and guests to the BMW Group Pavilion throughout the Games.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside BMW in partnership with the company for over 10 years and are proud to be associated with the company. Douglas Stafford is in full support of BMW and their Sponsorship of the 2012 Olympics.

New Hyundai Models Support Continued Growth in UK

Hyundai UK has continued its growth in June selling 7,362 vehicles – the highest ever June sales for the company. This new high represented a 38.5% increase over June last year and contributed to a rise in sales of 11.38% in the first-half of this year compared to 2011.

 

Following investment in a new Fleet Sales structure and the launch of the new i40 range and the New Generation i30, Hyundai UK has also seen a dramatic uplift in fleet sales year to date. 17,998 vehicles have been registered so far this year, which represents an increase of 41.75%. This growth has been driven by a fresh product line-up and in particular by the New i20 and the New Generation i30, which have both increased market share in their respective segments. The popular i800 also delivered its highest ever volume with 367 registrations in June. The best-selling model so far this year is the award-winning i10 with 11,363 units sold, up 14.1% compared to 2011.

 

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai UK commented: “We have had an exceptional first half to 2012 driven primarily by new product. Consumers are choosing Hyundai in increasing numbers which is a real sign of the growing relevance of our brand. “The new i20, i40 and the New Generation i30 have really raised the bar – offering style, refinement, efficiency and practicality. That combined with the peace of mind offered by our 5 Year Triple Care package, which includes a five year fully-transferable and unlimited mileage warranty, has ensured that we are really competitive in the market place.”

 

Hyundai UK sales have contributed to just over 15 % of all Hyundai sales in Europe so far this year. Hyundai in Europe has also continued its growth selling a June record of 45,509 units, which is up 13% over June last year. Year to date, Hyundai Motor Europe has also sold a best-ever 233,043 sales.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Hyundai in partnership with the company for over four years. The key services provided by Douglas Stafford include performance improvement through mystery shopping, customer research, performance coaching and improving business performance through tele-marketing.

Audi City

Audi is preparing for the future with a new format  of automotive retail with the launch of Audi City. The first location opened on Monday July 16th in London close to Piccadilly Circus. The brand’s entire model line-up is presented digitally in a compact space. The efficient use of space allows the four rings to be present in the heart of major international cities. Over the next few years, Audi will secure more of these attractive locations, opening more than 20 stores worldwide by 2015. In future, Audi City will also play a crucial role in the marketing of new mobility services and electric-drive Audi models.

 

Thanks to groundbreaking media technology, the vehicle manufacturer now has the ability not only to present its growing model line-up – including all colours, equipment options and functions – in its entirety, but also to offer customers the chance to experience the sheer breadth of the range in full. Visitors can digitally select their vehicle from several hundred million possible configurations and experience it in realistic 1:1 scale on screens that almost fill the entire space.

 

Audi City combines the better of two worlds – digital product presentation and personal contact with the dealer,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “This new retail format brings us even closer to our customers – geographically, of course, but first and foremost in terms of the quality of our relationship. Audi City offers new freedom for tailor-made services and an even more individual contact with the customer.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Audi in partnership with the company for over 7 years. Douglas Stafford prides itself on providing the highest levels of customer service to its wide ranging client base.

Kia Achieves Record Car Production in Slovakia

Kia’s European manufacturing facility at Zilina, Slovakia, has set a new car production record during the first six months of 2012, building 149,000 vehicles.

 

At the beginning of 2012, Kia Motors Slovakia introduced third-shift working and went on to start volume production of the new generation Kia cee’d in April, alongside the Kia Sportage and Kia Venga.

 

To meet demand for the new cee’d model, output was boosted by 17 per cent in the second quarter with more than 80,000 units produced. At the same time, engine production for a variety of Kia vehicles over six months recorded a 22 per cent increase to 237,000 units, compared to 2011.

 

Manufacture of the new cee’d wagon is scheduled to begin in the third quarter, with the new three-door pro_cee’d model joining the production line-up early in 2013.

 

“I am glad, that thanks to our employees’ hard work, we were able to set a new production record of 149,000 cars during the first six months of 2012,” commented Mr E.H. Lee, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia. “I believe we are set to meet our plans to produce more than 285,000 Kia vehicles this year for our European and Russian customers.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Kia in partnership with the company since the start of 2012. Douglas Stafford has pushed from day one to be the champion of the performance improvement industry through its Mystery Shopping, Training and Development Services, leading by example and being at the forefront of its industry providers by introducing the latest technological developments to conduct Video, Telephone and On-line Mystery Shopping, as well as providing intuitive state of the art results feedback mechanisms, through its on-line reporting results portals.

Toyota’s Day on the Solent with Douglas Stafford

Staff members of car manufacturer, Toyota, enjoyed a corporate day out on the Solent on board yacht Lady Diane yesterday (19th July) with Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford.

 

The team travelled from Portsmouth on the Beneteau Oceanis 373 towards Cowes on the Isle of Wight where they enjoyed lunch at The Folly Inn. Crew members from Toyota got the chance to get stuck in, helming Lady Diane and raising and dropping the sails to get them fully involved in the experience. “It was a pleasure to have the team from Toyota on board. We had a really good day, everyone was happy to get involved and the weather held out for us,” commented Madelaine Cook, Douglas Stafford Limited.

 

Douglas Stafford has been working in partnership with Toyota GB since the beginning of 2011, providing a quarterly mystery shopping programme to each dealership within the Toyota network.

Soap Stars line up at Silverstone

Expect plenty of top class drama as stars from the UK’s three premier soaps line up on the grid for a Celebrity Challenge motor race at this weekend’s Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July).

 

Nicola Stapleton who plays Mandy Slater in BBC’s EastEnders is the latest famous face to confirm her participation after passing her ARDS test at Silverstone and obtaining a full MSA racing driver licence. She lines up alongside a host of personalities from showbiz, sport, TV and music including Kelvin Fletcher and Tony Hirst from ITV’s Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

 

“It’s an amazing experience but I’ve got to have a lot of respect for what we’re all doing,” said Stapleton who has also appeared in a host of other TV shows such as Bad Girls, The Bill and Casualty. “It all feels so unnatural. Your instinct is not to cross your arms, not to drive too close to other cars – this is pretty much the complete opposite to what you’re taught do on the road!” Having not driven a manual car for many years, Stapleton isn’t setting her sights too high. “My ego is firmly in place,” remarked the former Albert Square resident. She added: “I’m slightly nervous, so I’m going to take it nice and slowly – hopefully it’s going to be like the hare and the tortoise. Some of the boys are taking it very seriously but I’m out to have a nice day and raise some money for charity.”

 

Stapleton will line-up on a star-studded Silverstone grid on Saturday 21 July featuring a host of famous faces such as award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal, Hollywood actor Sir Patrick Stewart, BBC Sport presenter Andrew Castle, Brian Johnson from AC/DC and Strictly Come Dancing’s Brendan Cole. All will be racing in lightweight; competition prepared Morgan sports cars capable of topping 130mph and raising funds for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and the RPJ Crohn’s Foundation.

 

“I’m certainly going to try my best to fly the flag for Emmerdale against the other soap stars competing – it’s going to be a bit of a sub-plot,” admitted Kelvin Fletcher who plays farmer Andy Sugden in the fictional rural village on television. “This is very different to Emmerdale and very different to driving tractors! These Morgans are great cars, pretty powerful and have a solid feel to them. They look like something from the Thirties but are actually quite modern. They look great and have a real niche.”

 

“I can’t tell you how exhilarated and excited I am – I’m buzzing like a silly little kid right now!” commented Tony Hirst. “I can’t wait to get out there and get racing. I know this might sound silly but this is really quite a significant moment in my life! I know I’m a grown up responsible parent and all that, but this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Hyundai is UK’s ‘Best Car Manufacturer’

Hyundai UK has been named ‘Best Car Manufacturer’ in the 2012 Car Dealer Power Awards at a ceremony at the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth.

 

Tony Whitehorn, president & CEO, Hyundai UK commented: “This is a hugely significant award for our business as it recognises the hard work and effort of our team here in the UK. The UK business is growing daily driven by the fantastic new products that we are bringing to the market place, but that growth would not be possible without a robust team and a strong dealer network.”

 

The award was received after a survey run by Car Dealer magazine sought to find the best in the industry. The survey was completed by more than 1,000 dealers from all across the UK.

 

Hyundai UK, which has grown significantly in the UK in recent years, was hailed by James Baggott, editor, Car Dealer magazine, “These awards are the only industry gongs voted for by those that matter the most, the dealers. Hyundai has obviously worked hard on forging an impressive partnership with its dealers as they’ve voted the manufacturer as the best to represent in the UK. It’s an impressive achievement and represents a jump from 12th place in last year’s survey!”

 

Hyundai UK sales are up 11.38% year to date with over 35,000 units sold and has contributed to just over 15% of all Hyundai sales in Europe.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford has been working alongside Hyundai in partnership with the company for over four years.  Douglas Stafford has prided itself on providing the highest levels of customer service to its wide ranging client base, working in partnership with them to be profitable businesses. The company gives its clients the platform to train and develop their staff to excel and become market leaders within their industries.

Guild Members Take a Drive at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Members of The Guild of Motoring Writers were out in force at this year’s legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed, the world’s premier motorsport celebration. The event, which attracted a record-breaking 186,000 spectators, provided many column s and online reports for the GoMW’s respected automotive journalists.

 

Changeable track conditions made the FoS a challenging experience for Guild members who were lucky enough to drive up the Hill. Among them was Steve Cropley, who bagged two runs in the 1954 Jaguar D-Type prototype, which was narrowly beaten at Le Mans on its debut. Steve admitted he was being careful, as the car has an estimated value of £10million. Steve also tried the 2013-spec McLaren MP4-12C, the latest version with an extra 25bhp. More Le Mans history was at the disposal of Guy Loveridge, in the 2.0-litre 1962 Le Mans class-winning Morgan, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary.

 

Guild President Nick Mason was strapped into the early short-wheelbase Audi Quattro rally car, while his own recently acquired ex-Carrera Panamericana 1953 Ferrari 250 MM was debuted by wife Annette and son-in-law Marino Franchitti drove his 250 GTO Le Mans racer.

 

Alan Cathcart rode one of the most exotic and iconic GP racing motorcycles – the streamlined 500cc Moto Guzzi V8. He was also onboard its predecessor, the 1952 500 Bicilindrica with its wide-angle 120-degree motor. Two past GoMW award recipients, 2009 Driver of the Year Rider Oliver Turvey and 2009 Rider of the Year Cal Crutchlow, were spotted too. Oliver was entertaining the crowds with last year’s F1 race-winning McLaren MP4-26, and Cal made an appearance on the Monster Energy Yamaha YZR R1.