Latest news with #Renault
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Scots cops launch hit-and-run manhunt after pensioners injured in road smash
The man was driving a van and crashed into a red Renault. Police officers are hunting a van driver who fled the scene on foot after his van crashed into a car and left two pensioners need hospital treatment. The incident took place on the A6094, which links Leadburn with Dalkeith, Midlothian, on Thursday morning, and Police Scotland have now appealed for witnesses over the crash. The smash took place at around 11.10am on May 29 and saw the man in question's white Ford Transit flat bed van colliding with a red Renault Captur. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The women, aged 68 and 69, were taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries. A post on the Police Scotland Midlothian Facebook page appealed for witnesses. The social media post read: "Road Policing officers are looking to trace the driver of a van which was involved in a crash with a car on the A6094. "The incident took place near to Rosewell, around 11.10am on Thursday, 29 May and involved a white Ford Transit flat bed and a red Renault Captur. "The male driver of the van left the scene on foot before the emergency services arrived. He headed north along the A6094. Two women, aged 68 and 69, were taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries." Constable Stewart Logan said: "We are keen to speak with the man who was driving the van or anyone who stopped at the crash and spoke with him before he left. "We are also looking to speak with any further witnesses or anyone with information or dashcam who has yet to contact police. If you believe you can assist, please call 101, quoting incident 1162 of 29 May."
The Citizen
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
PODCAST: What closure of Nissan Rosslyn plant means for Mzansi
Nissan is set to cut its financial losses by closing seven of its 17 global factories by 2027. The Nissan plant in Rosslyn outside Pretoria faces closure in the Japanese carmaker's desperate attempt to cut its global losses. The local factory is one of seven global assembly facilities on the chopping block as Nissan plans to reduce its plants from 17 to 10 by 2027. The plant has been in operation since 1966 and apart from direct job losses, its closure will have an indirect impact on two other manufacturers, BMW and Ford, which also have factories in Pretoria. In this week's episode of The Citizen Motoring's Pitstop podcast, we look at what the closure of the Nissan plant will mean for the brand in South Africa. Nissan plant in Rosslyn under-utilised Since the discontinuation of the Nissan NP200, only the Navara bakkie has been built in Rosslyn, leaving the factory underutilised. While there has been talk about the possibility of assembling an SUV alongside the Navara, the company's global restructuring plan, Re:Nissan, indicates otherwise. The manufacturer announced this month that it plans to reduce its global workforce by a further 20 000 jobs on top of 9 000 last year. This follows an R82.2-billion revenue loss for the 2024 financial year. Reports indicate other Nissan plants facing the chop include the Oppama and Shonan plants in Japan, the Santa Isabel plant in Argentina, the Chennai plant in India and one of three factories in Mexico. ALSO READ: Reports claim Rosslyn to be one of Nissan's plants facing closure Patrol, two new SUVs coming The Nissan plant in Rosslyn builds Navaras for the local market and sub-Saharan Africa. If the Rosslyn plant closes, Nissan is likely to import the Navara from Thailand. Nissan South Africa announced in March that the new Patrol and two new Indian-built SUVs derived from Renault products are due to arrive in 2026. Renault and Mitsubishi are Nissan's two alliance partners.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Opel Frontera Gravel concept previews rugged Duster rival
Limited to a one-off build, the latest Opel Frontera Gravel concept could be an adventurer's companion and rival to Renault's popular Duster SUV. Looking for a new or used Opel? Find it here with CARmag! Built in collaboration with motorsport specialists BlackFish and XS, the concept will be shown publicly for the first time at the XS Carnight event in Wörthersee, Austria, today. Designed at Opel's Rüsselsheim studio, the Frontera Gravel builds on the standard Frontera Electric model, adding a range of off-road-inspired visual upgrades. These include a Thule Canyon XT roof rack, auxiliary LED lights on the hood and roof, a front winch, and snow tracks mounted on the D-pillars. It also gets 16-inch Borbet CWE alloy wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres, which enhance the SUV's tough appearance, even if its actual off-road capability remains limited. Related: Opel Unveils All-Electric Mokka for Rally Debut The body is finished in a matte Desert Stone wrap with black contrasts on the hood and roof, while orange detailing on the skid plates, mirrors, roof rack, and badging gives it a more striking look. Matching orange stitching appears on the microfibre seats inside, with a black headliner completing the theme. Underneath, the concept sticks with the front-wheel-drive layout of the production Frontera Electric. It uses a single 115kW electric motor and a 54kWh battery, offering up to 400km of driving range. While it's not built for serious off-roading, Opel says it's capable of light-duty trail driving or 'soft-roading'. There's currently no all-wheel-drive version of the Frontera, though Stellantis has deployed electrified rear axles in models like the Jeep Avenger 4Xe and Alfa Romeo Junior Ibrida Q4. This approach is also planned for the upcoming Fiat Grande Panda 4×4, suggesting it could be possible for Opel in the future. Though officially labelled a concept, the Frontera Gravel could point to a new rugged trim level to compete with the likes of the upcoming Dakar-inspired Dacia (or Renault) Duster. Opel says the concept is a way to gauge interest in a more adventurous version of its family SUV. Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles here with CARmag! The post Opel Frontera Gravel Concept Previews Rugged Duster Rival appeared first on CAR Magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Indian pre-production of first South Africa-bound new Nissan starts
Confirmed for arrival in 2026, the first of two new SUVs will be based on existing Renault products assembled at Chennai Plant now wholly owned by the French brand. The first of two new Renault-based Nissan SUV will arrive in 2026. Both have been confirmed for South Africa. Image: Nissan With speculation continuing to grow about Nissan's alleged closing of its Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria, the automaker has indicated that two of its three products bound for India have entered pre-production ahead of their market reveals next year. Nissan by Renault Teased back in March as part of its restructuring process that saw Ivan Espinosa replace Makoto Uchida as CEO, the initial pair of models consist of a Nissan-badged version of the Renault Triber and a restyled take on the new Duster. Not shown in the mentioned images, the incoming third model will use the Dacia Bigster as a base and could replace the X-Trail as a more affordable option in select developing markets. ALSO READ: Reports claim Rosslyn to be one of Nissan's plants facing closure A facility that had been of Nissan's biggest outside Japan and even North America, the plant currently produces the Kiger and Triber, as well as the Magnite for 65 markets in both right-and-left-hand-drive. In addition, it will soon produce the Duster currently made in Romania and Turkey, and by extension, the mentioned Nissan model. Plans for India Addressing Nissan's supposed market exit, Vatsa told Autocar India, 'I am also happy to say that all our product plans are on track and well underway and, in fact, pre-production of our upcoming B-MPV and C-SUV has already begun at the Renault plant in Chennai. 'Reports of our exit are all untrue, and there is no reason for us to exit. As you can see from our continued development of the Magnite and the new products planned, we are not pulling back from anything'. Nissan-badged version of the Renault Triber will go on-sale in India next year. Image: Nissan Confirming the Triber-based model as debuting in the first quarter of next year, Vatsa stated that the Duster underpinned model, which could revive the Terrano name used on a rebadged version of the original, would make its unveiling in mid-2026 and go on-sale soon after. Although sold exclusively with five-seats in Europe, Vatsa remarked that the Bigster derived Nissan, which will also become Chennai-assembled Renault, will be engineered from the start to have seven-seats as opposed to being a '5+2' model. Accordingly, this model will debut in 2027, suggesting the Renault version as either becoming a reality in late 2026 or early the next year ahead of the Nissan. Made in India for South Africa More significantly, both SUVs have received approval for South Africa, the former set to replace the Qashqai that quietly departed the local market last year. '[These] products will be Nissan's answer to the Chinese competition in South Africa. We believe [India] is a good source to bring competitive and technologically advanced to market,' Nissan Managing Director for South Africa and Independent African Markets, Maciej Klenkiewicz, told the media at the unveiling of the facelift Magnite in Cape Town last year. Dacia Bigster will become a Renault once production kicks-off in India. A local market debut is anticipated to happen either in 2026 or 2027. Image: Dacia A line-up also set to include the all-new Y63 Patrol in 2026, the alleged closure of Rosslyn, which currently only produces the Navara for South Africa and Sub-Saharan African markets, has so far not been commented on as one of the seven plants facing closure. This comes after the announcement of the Re:Nissan strategy by Espinosa that would see a reduction in production facilities from 17 to 10 and lead to job cuts of 20 000 on top of the 9 000 announced last year. Uncertain future Locally, the Rosslyn Plant, which has been in operation since 1966, employees an estimated 1 200 workers, which had been reduced by 400 in 2023 following the discontinuation of the NP200 and the shelving of its almost finished successor due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As it stands, Nissan South Africa has so far remained mum on the reported closing of Rosslyn, though, expectations are that an official an official announcement will be made in due course. NOW READ: New Patrol coming as Nissan releases fresh details for South Africa
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Alonso says Aston Martin's big bet on 2026 F1 season will weigh heavily on his driving future
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Fernando Alonso says that Aston Martin's all-in bet on next season will play a large part on the looming decision of when he definitely calls it quits from Formula 1. 'It will be very important,' Alonso told reporters on Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. 'I need to see how motivated I am. 'Every year has its own mood and feeling, how competitive and motivated you are to keep your fitness at a high level,' he said. 'Your personal and family situations, all these things play a role. I know that very important decisions will come when I stop racing.' After winning two F1 titles back in 2005 and 2006, Alonso eventually stepped away from F1 in 2018 when his stint with Ferrari failed to deliver more successes. Seeking new challenges, the Spaniard tried his hand at the 24 Hours Le Mans, Indy 500 and the Dakar rally race, only to return to F1 in 2021. 'For 40 years I have had a steering wheel in my hand and I know that one day I will have to stop,' Alonso said. 'I did stop F1 once in 2018 and I did come back because I needed it, and the next time I do that I will have to be sure.' The former Renault champion is enduring one of the worst seasons of his long and topsy turvy career. He has failed to finish three races, including last weekend's Monaco GP, and has yet to finish in the top 10. The last time he failed to score a point through the first eight races was 2015. The context matters, however, and Alonso and his Aston Martin team lowered expectations from the start of the season. They are all concentrated on working with former Red Bull top designer Adrian Newey to put all their energies into making a good car under the rule changes coming for 2026. But sacrificing a year is a big ask for a driver who turns 44 in July and has little tolerance for teams that don't give him a competitive car. The last time Alonso won an F1 race, he did so right here on the same track back in 2013 with Ferrari when he claimed victory No. 32. He also won the Spanish GP in 2006 with Renault. Aston Martin had given him a good car in 2023, when he arrived to the Spanish GP with hopes of winning that allusive 33rd race, but it was not to be. This time he realistically is just hoping to be in the points with his green car struggling and McLaren and Red Bull far, far ahead. That said, this year can't be a total wash, according to Alonso. 'The focus is on 2026, but in order to be confident with 2026 you have to build momentum in 2025 and deliver some parts on track to make the car faster,' Alonso said. 'The biggest steps can only happen in 2026. That is where the hopes are.' ___ AP auto racing:
