Latest news with #Sytner
Top Gear
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Cupra Tavascan VZ2
If you're reading this in the US, you might think the Cupra Tavascan is just an irrelevant curio. FYI, beneath the surface it's the same as the VW ID.4, which VW sells in the US, built for that region in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Yes, as a Brit I had to look up the spellings of both that city and state.) But actually, Cupra has been quietly planning to launch in America. The Tavascan would be ideal for the style-forward EV-friendly states on the coasts of the USA. Last year Cupra started to talk with the Penske Automotive Group about setting up a sales network. Penske of course not being an outfit given to failure – it owns dealerships selling half a million cars a year, not just in the US but worldwide, and owns Sytner in the UK. Advertisement - Page continues below Why do I mention this? The Tavascan isn't built in Spain but in… China. It won't have escaped your attention that the politics and economics of selling a Chinese car in the US have just taken a series of tumultuous twists. And that the ground hasn't settled yet. But Cupra hasn't pressed the panic button on its American plan. For several reasons, it's pushing on. First, tilling the ground to sell a new brand in the US is a long job. You need to research likely hotspots of buyers, set up the network and service, do the pre-marketing et cetera. So when Cupra and Penske first spoke about it last year, they never planned for a launch before 2029. They also said they might well build the Tavascan in a US VW factory, which makes the ID.4's Chattanooga (yes I had to look it up again) connection look interesting. And finally, in 2029, the Oval Office will have a new occupant, one whose strategy is perhaps something other than consistent inconsistency. By sheer coincidence, I've been exposed to plenty more electrified Chinese crossovers lately. I drove the Cupra to the first drive of the MGS5. Also to Top Gear's gathering of a phalanx of Chinese-made cars, both Chinese and European branded. Hello Lotus, Mini and Volvo. We could also, by the way, have added the Honda CR-V and E-Ny1, Polestar 2, Tesla 3 and Dacia Spring among others. Advertisement - Page continues below Well, if you think electrified crossovers are all the same those events would have supported your view. For the big Top Gear test I had to shift several of the cars between locations, and when I'd driven the Haval, Leapmotor, Omoda, Skywell, and Xpeng on that short and undemanding route, I'm here to tell you I had the gravest trouble remembering which was which. I've driven the BYD and MG rather more, so my impressions of them are marginally less fuzzy. They are all different sizes, and longer drives reveal they have widely differing levels of dynamic competence, but the general character is depressingly generic. At least the Cupra looks and feels different. Different too from the VW ID.4 and ID.5. This isn't a matter of Volkswagen Group brand differentiation rules by the way – the Tavascan sells in China as the VW Main difference seems to be an avatar-heavy skin on the screen software. A Top Gear long-term review is the way a relationship between a driver and a car develops over time. You want to know about the way a car fits into daily life. Is it reliable and useable, and does the novelty wear off or turn into real affection? Promise that after this swerve into global politics I'll be coming to all that in future instalments.
Scottish Sun
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Major UK car dealership closes down as huge chain flogs site as part of enormous ‘brand shift'
A number of Carshop sites were marked for closure or sale last year STALLED ENGINE Major UK car dealership closes down as huge chain flogs site as part of enormous 'brand shift' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CAR dealership has closed down as part of a "brand shift" with staff being moved over to another company. The Sytner Group sold its former Manchester Carshop site to a used car company. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The Sytner Group sold one of its former Carshop sites Credit: Alamy 3 An aerial view of the CarShop in North Warrington, Cheshire Credit: Alamy Shaun Lane, the CEO of Motor Range, announced the move on LinkedIn. He said: "I'm pleased to announce that Motor Range has acquired Carshop Manchester (Sytner) as of today and will now operate two sites in the northwest. "After months of hard work we welcome the current team of staff to the Motor Range family and we're all excited to take this operation to the next level. "It's been a pleasure dealing with Sytner during the acquisition and Motor Range wishes them well for the future! "The best Northwest used car supermarket just got better." A number of Carshop sites were marked for closure or sale last year. Originally, the Manchester branch was rebranded as Sytner Select. But now it's being axed altogether, Car Dealer magazine reported. Motor Range will run the site alongside its existing operation in Liverpool nearby. A statement on the Sytner website reads: "After much consideration, we have made the decision to transfer Sytner Select Manchester to new ownership. Why are so many car dealerships closing down? By Summer Raemason According to Business Rescue Expert there are multiple reasons why car dealerships are folding across the UK. The first major factor is rising online car sales which are beating in-person sales at dealerships. With an extensive range of comparison and second-hand sites to chose from, may car buyers don't even step foot into a dealership anymore. Secondly, the actual cost to physically run the sites has soared. Rent, wages and energy bills have all been increasing for roughly the past five years, putting many out of pocket. Car manufacturing across the globe was also hit by a semiconductor chip shortage in 2022 which made it difficult to produce new motors. The high demand with limited supply created a backlog, which although has eased, is still having an impact on the industry. A third reason for recent closures is the shift to electric cars. They are becoming more popular, given the Government initiative to be Net Zero in 2050. The industry is also affected when companies merge or are bought by rivals. This may lead to some independent names falling victim to the ongoing spate of closures. "We want to assure you that any outstanding orders will be processed as usual and service bookings will continue as planned. "If you do have any questions or concerns, please email us at and we will do our utmost to support you with a solution. "May I take this opportunity to thank you for your loyalty to the team and to Sytner Select Manchester, we have thoroughly enjoyed looking after you." It comes after Britain's biggest used car firm closed a site "completely out of the blue". The move by BCA left 200 workers in Oxfordshire in limbo. Last year, Brymo Limited, which was known by its trading name Sentinel Cars, collapsed into administration. The company used to hold a franchise with Volvo to supply new vehicles in the Greater London area. But it went bust over a £7 million debt just two years after undergoing a major shake up.
