F&I Management & Training

Vauxhall is extending the Female Buyer Initiative throughout the entire company in 2008, following a successful pilot.
The programme, developed to make dealerships more welcoming places for women, is being pushed forward this year with a series of women's car workshops called Women in the Driving Seat.

The workshops will be hosted in Vauxhall dealerships and focus on the menace of road rage, giving advice on self-protection and defensive driving.

DATED: 06.02.08

FEED: MT

The Institute for the Motor Industry has launched SkillMiles, an awards scheme that give points for supporting training.
The new scheme recognises both financial, time and effort to support training. Businesses can gain four levels of recognition: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Once a business or individual is registered via the scheme’s web-site (www.motor.org.uk/skillmiles) they can earn SkillMiles points for particular activities, which are given a value by the IMI, such as participation on working groups or loan of equipment, for example, as well as financial donations.
The IMI said the SkillMiles scheme will demonstrate to the Government that employers and individuals in the automotive retail industry are making valuable contributions to skills development.
The initiative will run alongside the IMI’s ongoing 'proud to be professional' campaign, which promotes the importance of best practice and ethical behaviour in improving the reputation of the industry to consumers.

DATED: 06.02.08

FEED: AM

Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation has appointed one of its vice-presidents in charge of its Volkswagen joint venture, Chen Zhi Xin, as general manager of Nanjing Automobile Corporation.
The new general manager of NAC’s MG division is now Huang Ke Ji, previously general manager at Shanghai GM Dongyue Motors.
Under SAIC's control, Nanjing Automobiles will launch three MG models this year, an MG 3SW estate, the TF roadster, and an MG3 saloon, while a fourth new model is being developed.
The UK’s Longbridge plant will continue to work on the MG cars, beginning with the TF launch in March.

DATED: 06.02.08

FEED: AM

Nine companies listed on AIM have been fined for failures in their websites.
The fines were levied by the London Stock Exchange for not complying with its rule 26 which was introduced in February 2007.
These companies paid a total of £95,000.
They did not hit a deadline of 20 August deadline for posting a website containing all financial details, including the annual report and regulatory news service announcements.
The rule was introduced as part of the exchange’s first rule book for nomads, the nominated advisers responsible for bringing companies to AIM.
Another seven companies were given warning notices for less serious breaches.
All 16 companies – none of which have been named – rapidly improved their websites to comply with the rules.
The maximum fine for breaching the rule is £50,000.

DATED: 06.02.08

FEED: AM

The Renault Retail Group has announced it has exceeded its 2007 targets.
The 25-strong network’s retail market share was up 0.7 per cent year-on-year, with the group now accounting for more than one in five of all Renault vehicles sold in the UK.

Operating margin was also above target and saw the manufacturer-owned business return to profit.

DATED: 04.02.08

FEED: MT

Subaru claims the introduction of the first diesel engine to its line-up could be the most important development in the brand’s 31 year history in the UK.
The 2-litre symmetrical Boxer unit, which dealers will receive in upper-medium Legacy Sports Tourer and Outback models from the end of February, has been a long time coming but is set to transform the 4x4 brand’s sales potential.

The new Forrester SUV, which arrives in petrol form in April, will get the oil burner in September but C-segment Impreza customers will have to wait until December for a diesel option.

DATED: 04.02.08

FEED: MT

Nissan has appointed Paul Willcox as its new UK managing director. He replaces Gary Frigo who returns to Nissan in the US as regional vice president for the North East Region. Both appointments begin at the end of March.

Willcox has been with the brand for 17 years in a number of sales and marketing roles in the UK and Europe. He is currently vice president of marketing for Nissan Europe.Frigo has only been at the helm since April 2006 when he joined from the brand’s US operation.

DATED: 04.02.08

FEED: MT

VOLKSWAGEN has entered the compact SUV sector in the UK with the launch of the Tiguan as it moves towards its goal of achieving 95 per cent market coverage within two years.
The Tiguan comes into the line-up as a little brother to the Touareg off-roader and echoes many of the larger vehicle's visual characteristics and driving versatility.
Rivals
Volkswagen is pitching the Tiguan as a direct rival to the Toyota RAV 4, Honda CRV and Land Rover Freelander – the leaders in a segment that it said accounts for 108,000 sales a year.

DATED: 04.02.08

FEED: MT