Latest news with #Buying
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Toyota Proace Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? Of your three trim levels, you've got a basic one, a sensible middling one, and then the choice between two top ones depending on which size of van you go for. But the glitzy ones feel a bit too nice to ever put to work. All versions get the SmartCargo adjustable load bay, which is handy. Proace Active starts at just under £29,000 excluding VAT and gets 16in steel wheels, cruise control with speed limiter, air-con, a couple of airbags, electric windows and door mirrors, plus the 10in central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay connectivity. Advertisement - Page continues below Icon grade kicks off at just under £30k for the 1.5-litre diesel (or £36,974 for the 50kWh EV) and adds digital dials and a wireless phone charger. It also includes navigation on the central screen, while the steel wheels remain but are covered with wheel trims. You get slightly more posh exterior styling too with that chrome surround around the front grille. Spot a Proace with black 17in alloy wheels and body-coloured bumpers and it's most likely the range-topping Sport spec, with prices starting at £35,599. That'd mean it has the more powerful 2.0-litre diesel engine and an auto 'box if it's not electric. If it's longer and has machined alloys then it's the £32k+ Icon Premium. We covered several hundred miles in our Proace Sport and actually bettered the claimed economy of 36.2–39.2mpg. We saw 40.3mpg from the more powerful 2.0-litre diesel. Range was over 500 miles, thanks to the hefty 69-litre tank. What if I'm going electric? It's worth noting that you can't have an EV in the entry-level Active grade, so prices kick off at just under £37k as mentioned up above. Although if you want the bigger battery then you're looking at a minimum of £41,682. Oh, and no matter the choice of battery you'll be able to DC rapid charge at 100kW, meaning a 0-80 per cent top-up takes 30 minutes in the 50kWh and 45 mins in the 75kWh. Advertisement - Page continues below Payload for the EVs is 1,000kg for the 75kWh version and 1,253kg for the 50kWh. That puts it broadly in line with the diesels, which offer 999kg in the 1.5, 1,375kg in the less powerful 2.0 and 1,226kg in the range topper. Worth bearing in mind that the electric versions can only tow a maximum of one tonne, though. What's this warranty I'm hearing about? Ah yes, there's a real mark in favour of the Toyota here, because while its Stellantis siblings generally offer a three-year warranty and then make you pay extra for anything on top of that, Toyota will give you a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty as long as you service it with the manufacturer. It also offers five years of free roadside assistance.
Associated Press
10-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cascale Issues 2025 Better Buying Partnership Index Report
AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, OAKLAND, Calif., February 10, 2025 /3BL/ - After acquiring key assets of the Better Buying Institute (BBI) earlier this month, Cascale has published the 2025 Better Buying Partnership Index (BBPI) Report —the first Better Buying report to be issued by Cascale. Since 2022, the BBPI has used anonymous surveys that assess buyer-supplier relationships across 12 interconnected areas of partnership performance. Annual data from the BBPI report helps buyers assess and improve business relationships with suppliers. 'Integrating the Better Buying tools into our strategy isn't just about adding another metric—it's a catalyst for rethinking how we build supply chain relationships,' said Colin Browne, CEO at Cascale. 'This year's Better Buying Partnership Index report proves that when buyers and suppliers engage on equal footing with clear, actionable insights, we can dismantle outdated practices and work toward creating a framework for equitable and sustainable progress. We aim to drive systemic change that can empower every partner in the value chain to achieve lasting impact.' Key highlights from the report include: The report also notes that buyers' operational efficiency was the only area to show a decline (by 2.3%), suggesting that suppliers may be experiencing resource allocation issues, redundancies, and bottlenecks. Buyers who allocated sufficient time for planning and process management were more likely to have efficient operational systems, reflecting better organized and well-planned collaboration practices. Suppliers have called on buyers to review and improve their operational processes to eliminate inefficiencies. 'In today's challenging climate, our industry must embrace true partnership and collective action,' said Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel and Cascale board director. 'The latest BBPI report shows that when buyers and suppliers engage transparently and equally, innovation and more sustainable practices can follow naturally. At Cascale, we believe every value chain partner must be empowered and motivated to work together—because only through genuine collaboration can we drive the urgent changes needed for a resilient and responsible future.' History shows that participating in the Better Buying Partnership Index can help shift the needle. Buyers that subscribed to the BBPI for at least two consecutive years showed continued improvement, with six out of nine companies reporting improved scores compared to the previous cycle. Participating companies are encouraged to share their BBPI scores with internal and external stakeholders – including executives, investors, regulators, benchmarkers, and verifiers—to demonstrate progress in responsible purchasing practices. Cascale is currently accepting participants for this year's BBPI rating cycle, which opens on October 1, 2025.
