F&I Management & Training

TV character Peppa Pig will be seen wearing a seatbelt in future episodes, after parents raised concerns over children following her example.

British animation company Astley Baker Davies said it would also re-animate scenes from the first and second series to reflect the change.

"We were very naive when we started making Peppa," co-founder Mark Baker told Broadcast magazine.

"If we could turn the clock back, we would," he said.

Aimed at children aged two and above, Peppa Pig won a children's Bafta in 2005 for best pre-school animation.

Shown on Five and children's channel Nick Jr, it follows a five-year-old pig named Peppa, her family and friends.

Astley Baker Davies had initially considered including seatbelts and child seats in the show but felt it might limit the characters' range of expressions.

But it reversed its stance after a parent complained that her daughter had refused to wear a seatbelt because Peppa did not.

Tata Motors says it sold 74,707 vehicles around the world in December, a rise of 84% from a year earlier.

Sales of commercial vehicles were 137% higher, at 37,326, and car sales were 51% higher in December 2009 compared with December 2008.

India's largest vehicle maker also said sales of Jaguar and Land Rover, which are owned by Tata, rose 33% on the year to 21,134 vehicles.

The figures caused shares in Tata Motors to rise 1.8% to 796.70 rupees.

Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain and is the world's second-largest bus manufacturer.

It also makes the Tata Nano, which is the world's cheapest car.

Toyota has launched a Swappage scheme which offers customers up to £2,000 savings on some of its Yaris, Auris and Avensis models.

As the scrappage scheme draws to a close in February, Toyota will run Swappage for orders up until March 31 and registered up to July 31.

It is open to owners of vehicles between seven and 10 years old, registered between 1 March 2000 (W-plate) and 28 February 2003 (52-plate).

As the name Swappage implies, the vehicles traded in will not necessarily be scrapped.

Sales director Richard Balshaw said: “The famous quality, reliability and keen cost-of-ownership of our models have made them a hugely popular choice for motorists taking advantage of Scrappage.

“With Swappage we are committed to giving even more people the chance to acquire a new Toyota at a genuine bargain price.”

Trade-in vehicles have to be DVLA registered, insured and have a current MoT certificate, and the buyer must have been the registered keeper of the trade-in vehicle for the last 12 consecutive months.

Toyota is also offer savings on its British-built Avensis, with a further discount of £500 available on T2 models and £750 on the TR and T4 versions.

DATED: 15.01.10

FEED: AM

The UK has officially moved out of the recession, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

The UK economy grew by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2009, preceded by a 0.2% fall in the third quarter.

Over the whole year, the economy contracted by 4.8%, the worst contraction of any single year for 90 years.

NIESR said that despite the improvement the recovery ahead will be slow and continue to be difficult.

DATED: 15.01.10

FEED: AM

General Motors, the embattled carmaker, is hoping to motor into the black for the first time in six years in 2010.

The company, which last made a full-year profit in 2004, is hoping to do so after last year's restructuring which saw it enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for six weeks to cut its debt pile.

Bob Lutz, GM vice-chairman, said a full-year profit would depend on the speed of the US economy's recovery.

Speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, he said: "Depending on mix and depending on other expenses we would hope to make a profit on an operating basis. There may be some restructuring charges that could make the overall figure slightly negative. The truth is we don't know."

He added that for GM to be profitable, the US car market would need to see 11-12 million vehicles sold this year, against 10.4m sold in 2009.

New car registrations through the scrappage scheme totalled 284,479 between May and December 2009.

Scrappage accounted for 20.9% of all new car registrations in December.
LCV scrappage registrations over the May to December period totalled 4,494 units.

The average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme was 133.3g/km, 10% below the overall new car market average and 27% below a scrapped car's emissions.

Commenting on the data, SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said, "The Scrappage Incentive Scheme has helped significantly to increase new car registrations in each of the last six months, including a 38.9% increase in the December 2009 market. This has provided an important boost to the UK motor industry and greater confidence for consumers. The scheme will continue until the end of February and there is still an opportunity for around 85,000 more consumers to take advantage of it. Alongside the economic benefits, the scheme has helped to promote the take-up of cleaner, safer and more fuel efficient vehicles."

The scrappage scheme accounted for 20.9% of all new car registrations in December, on par with the 20.6% level seen since May. Cars account for 98.3% of total vehicles through the scheme. In the second half of 2009 registrations rose by 21.0% and without the SIS, volumes would have been down sharply. The scheme accounted for 3.9% of LCV volumes in December and 3.6% over the May-December period.

MOT failure rates for cars and small vans have been published for the first time following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the BBC.

For vehicles first used in 2004, Ford Transit Connect had the highest failure rate at 30.5%, followed by the Renault Megane at 28.1% and the Ford Transit.

The Toyota Corolla had the lowest failure rate with just 11.2%.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency had resisted publishing the data, saying it might be misleading.

The MOT is the annual test of roadworthiness that all cars and vans must pass once they are three years old.

The data relates to MOT tests carried out in 2007 and is available on the VOSA website as a PDF document consisting of 1,200 pages.

VOSA had also argued that publication would breach the commercial confidentiality of the manufacturers.

But publication was ordered by the Information Commissioner in December, who said that disclosure of the information was in the public interest.

High mileage

The crucial information that was not made available is the mileage of the car, or an assessment of how well it has been looked after by the owner, both of which will have a direct bearing on a vehicle's condition and its ability to pass an MOT test.

A number of Vauxhall cars appear toward the top of the list for failures among cars that were just three years old.

"Many of the failed items highlighted in this report, such as brakes, driver's view of the road, registration plates and tyres, are directly attributable to vehicles that have covered above average mileages," said a Vauxhall spokesman.

"Since Vauxhall was one of the largest suppliers of fleet vehicles during the period surveyed (2004-2007), and fleet vehicles typically cover higher mileages than most, it comes as no surprise that some of our cars appear in this list."

'Amazing'

The publication of the MOT data was welcomed by John Glynn of Glass's Guide, the well-known industry guide to used car prices.

"It's an amazing collection of facts and figures," he said.

"But I'm not sure it portrays the correct position because of the high number of small items that can lead to an MOT failure."

Mr Glynn pointed out that many owners, particularly those of workhorse vans, typically combine their tests with an annual service.

The MOT takes place first, the service corrects any faults that are found, and the vehicle is then re-tested and passes the MOT later the same day.

"I'm quite surprised at some of the high failure rates, such as the Rover 420," he said.

Kieren Puffett, editor of Parker's Guide, agreed that the information was a good cross-reference to the reputation of cars' reliability.

"This shows the importance of MOTs picking up if cars have faults and problems. They provide a safety net to see if cars are up to the job," he said.

He said further details about the reasons for failures, and mileage levels, would prove useful.

AA Patrolmen went the extra mile to save the day when heavy snow threatened major problems for UK charity BEN's Alexandra House Residential Centre in Southport.

The Assistant Matron was deeply concerned that residents would not be able to receive visitors or leave to attend hospital appointments unless the ramp and steps were gritted. The local council and businesses were unable to help due to a shortage so BEN's Regional Manager contacted the AA for advice.

AA Patrols Chris McGunigle and Graham Lamb received the call for help on Wednesday evening and, at 6am the following morning (Chris's day off), they set off grit to the entrances to the building.

Jenny Brown, BEN's Director of Care Services said;

"It is not unusual for the AA to go above and beyond the call of duty and in this case they have really saved the day for residents, staff and visitors of Alexandra House. It is a huge relief for everybody that we now have a safe path in and out of the building. Our sincere gratitude to Chris and Graham for this exceptional support."

China has said it overtook the United States to become the world's biggest car and van market in 2009.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said 13.6 million vehicles were sold within the country last year.

That compares with just over 10 million vehicles in the US, which was previously the world's largest market.

Unlike the US, China's figures include heavy trucks, but they added just 650,000 to the total.

That meant China was still comfortably ahead in terms of private car sales, which were 53% higher than in 2008.

The top three companies in terms of sales are all joint ventures with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

SAIC-GM-Wuling sold just short of one million vehicles, Shanghai Volkswagen sold 728,200 while another SAIC-GM tie-up, Shanghai GM, accounted for 708,000 sales.

Part of the rise was due to moves by the government to stimulate demand. These included cuts in sales tax for small cars.

The internet dashboard, or 'infotainment system' is the next in-car device that could cause a major distraction to drivers, says the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).

Intel and Google are both looking into interactive dashboards, including 10-inch screens above the gearstick which will show 3D maps, web pages and even videos. Other similar systems are being previewed at trade shows.

Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner, said: "If drivers were tempted to use the internet or watch videos on the move, the results could be deadly,"

"If it's not acceptable to read a novel while driving, how can it be acceptable to read a multimedia display? Just how much information can a car driver absorb and still drive responsibly?"

"There is a fine line between providing useful extra information and causing a dangerous distraction. This system appears to cross that line," Mr Rodger added.

"Viewing things like restaurant reviews and venue information online while driving should be illegal, and it should be an offence to buy, sell, fit and transmit information for this particular use."

The systems are not designed to be used on the move, but not all systems will be impossible to use while driving. One car manufacturer's version, due out this autumn, bears the notice: 'Please only use the online services when traffic conditions allow you to do so safely'.

"It should be made clear that the system should only be used when the vehicle is parked," Mr Rodger commented.

The first Detroit motor show after US carmakers General Motors and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy opens later.

The event, which is set to premiere 60 new models, remains the most important motor show in the US, in spite of the crisis that has rocked the industry.

Electric cars are to take centre stage, as Detroit tries to reinvent itself as a base for new automotive technologies.

Small petrol-powered cars are also due to be popular, a shift from previous years when large cars dominated.

Small and electric

The change in emphasis towards more fuel efficient cars comes as US drivers are becoming increasingly concerned with the cost of petrol.

Regulatory requirements are also being tightened amidst an increasing focus on the importance of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from cars in order to curb global warming.

Chrysler, which is now controlled by Fiat, is pinning its hopes on rebadged versions of the Italian carmaker's cars, while GM will unveil its Chevrolet Spark city car.

Ford, meanwhile, is unveiling its new Focus, hot on the heels of its introduction of the smaller Fiesta at the Los Angeles motor show last month.

The hope is that Detroit's automotive industry can be revived, thus helping to create jobs in Michigan, where unemployment reached 15.8% last year.

But Detroit's incumbents will face tough competition from non-US carmakers.

European and Asian carmakers will place great emphasis on petrol-electric hybrids or electric concept cars at this year's show.

General Motors (GM) says it has begun the process to "wind down" Saab, but will also continue efforts to find a buyer for the Swedish carmaker.

GM said it had selected restructuring group AlixPartners to supervise an "orderly" winding down at Saab, which it expected to take several months.

The US group also confirmed that it had received several proposals for Saab, which it was continuing to evaluate.

One bid has come from a group including Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Swedish union IF Metall, which has a representative on Saab's board, criticised GM's decision to start the liquidation process while still continuing to explore a sale.

"It is irresponsible of GM as an owner to go in two directions, both pursuing the sale [of Saab] and the winding-up," said Stefan Loefven, the union's leader.