Latest news with #Vauxhall
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
String of UK car dealerships to SHUT in weeks with dozens of jobs up in the air after being ditched by huge brands
Hundreds of cars will no longer be sold by the firm across the country CAR BLIMEY String of UK car dealerships to SHUT in weeks with dozens of jobs up in the air after being ditched by huge brands Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO major car brands are set to stop trading with one of the largest dealerships in the UK. Staff at affected branches were left fuming after being informed of the decision earlier this week, putting dozens of jobs at risk. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Staff at the affected dealerships were informed of the decision earlier this week Credit: Marshall Vauxhall 5 Marshall Motor Group is set to cull several of its 138 stores across the UK Credit: Marshall Peugeot 5 It comes after six branches were shut earlier this year Credit: Marshall Peugeot Stellantis UK, who own huge brands including Peugeot and Vauxhall, confirmed it had terminated its contract with Marshall Motor Group by mutual consent. It means that Marshall, which represents 25 manufacturers, is set to close several of its 138 stores across the country. Six branches were unexpectedly closed earlier this year, with another four now also confirmed to be shutting up shop, potentially affecting thousands of customers. Three Peugeot stores have been culled, with locations in Gatwick, Cambridge and St Neots set to be shut down by the end of June. And one Vauxhall garage in Ipswich is also set to close its doors for the final time by the end of next month. Staff members at the affected shops were informed of the shock decision earlier this week following an internal announcement. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'Staff at all four branches have been told the exact same thing. 'There is a lot of purposefully confusing jargon being thrown around, but essentially they are not renewing the contracts with Stellantis. 'There are roughly 60 people at each location, so we're looking at dozens of jobs being put at risk. 'They didn't give staff any particular reason, it doesn't seem to make much sense to them.' Japanese giant unveils its new bargain EV with quirky 'bug eye' headlights It is not known whether Marshall plans to offload staff to other branches or take on new contracts at the eight closed dealerships. The motor firm declined to comment on the closures. Stellantis confirmed they would continue to sell cars in the same areas with new investors. In a statement, the firm said: "Stellantis UK confirms that, by mutual agreement, our retailer agreements with Marshall as a group has ceased at all their sites. "We have appointed new investors to represent our brands in the majority of these locations, therefore offering our customers continued representation for sales and service." It comes after Marshall confirmed in March it was "downsizing" its relationship with Stellantis. The firm axed Peugeot dealerships in Canterbury, Ashford and Peterborough. It also shut a Vauxhall store in Peterborough, with all four closing on March 31. 5 The Marshall Peugeot Gatwick store is set to close at the end of June Credit: Peugeot 5 Marshall confirmed in March it was "downsizing" its relationship with Stellantis Credit: Peugeot Employees at these locations were reportedly "blindsided" by this shocking news, according to Car Dealer Magazine. Staff were reportedly told about the sad news on February 28. An employee claimed: "We were blindsided by it to be honest, we just didn't see it coming. "When the directors came down to tell us last week, they said it wasn't linked to performance and it's because Marshall is downsizing its number of Stellantis sites." Marshall Volkswagen Horsham and Aylesbury were also culled at the end of March. A statement on its website read: "Further to a strategic review, Marshall Volkswagen Aylesbury and Marshall Volkswagen Horsham will close. "Its sales, service and parts operations, including the customer base will transfer to Marshall Volkswagen stores."
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man arrested after biker dies in crash at busy Liverpool junction
A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving after a motorcyclist was killed in a 38-year-old victim died at the scene at the junction of Waterloo Road and Vandries Street in Vauxhall, Liverpool on was riding an AJS Highway Star motorbike which collided with a Volkswagen ID3 at about 19:00 BST, Merseyside Police said. A 24 year-old man from Liverpool remains in police custody for questioning. Emergency services, including the North West Ambulance Service and the air ambulance, attended the scene, the force Sgt Kurt Timpson said the family of the man who died had been informed and was being supported by specially trained appealed for anyone with information to contact the force."I would also ask motorists to please check your dashcam footage to urgently review it if you were driving in the area last night," he said."These devices can often capture key evidence in the moments leading up to the collision." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Vauxhall has attempted to make the Frontera interesting with a shouty new show car
Say hello to the caps-locked Frontera GRAVEL and its very orange roof rack The reborn Vauxhall Frontera is a very worthy little SUV. You can even have it with brilliantly budget white steel wheels. And yet, those wheels are probably the most interesting thing about the new Frontera. So, in an effort to score some street cred, Vauxhall has unveiled a one-off show car that wants to avoid streets altogether. This is the shoutily titled Frontera GRAVEL, which Vauxhall said 'takes the family-friendly SUV beyond the road to epic all-terrain expeditions'. Although it's based on the Frontera Electric, so you'll just have to hope that those expeditions aren't further than 186 miles. Or y'know, perhaps there will be a rapid charger en route.
Auto Car
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
New Vauxhall Frontera harks back to the '90s original with 4x4 makeover
All-terrain tyres, roof rack and tow winch transform the crossover into an adventurous off-roader Open gallery Close Vauxhall has hinted at a more rugged version of the incoming Frontera with a new concept car that turns the conventional electric crossover into a trail-hunting 4x4. Named the Vauxhall Frontera Gravel and based on the electric version of the family car, it gains several key elements aimed at helping it tackle the wilderness. Up front, it receives a tow winch and extra LED light bars, while the car's rear haunches now feature extra storage panniers. It also gains a chunky roof rack with a spare tyre and further storage, and the wheels are shod with aggressive BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres. Inside, the interior configuration matches that of the regular Frontera, but it has been reupholstered with orange contrasting elements to match the car's exterior livery. Opel-Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl said it 'embodies [Vauxhall's] commitment to making electric mobility versatile and accessible… with respect for the environment'. Although Vauxhall has yet to state any production plans for the Frontera Gravel, the car's modifications are ultimately minimal and could in theory constitute a special-edition variant of the crossover. Sibling brand Fiat recently showed its vision of a 4x4 version of the Grande Panda, which shares its Smart Car underpinnings with the Frontera. It is possible that Vauxhall could use the electrified rear axle from that car to give its model four-wheel drive – although the Fiat uses a hybrid powertrain, whereas the Frontera Gravel has a battery-electric powertrain. Such a model would more clearly carry the torch from the new Frontera's 1990s ancestor, which was a 4x4 based on Japanese brand Isuzu's Mysterious Utility Wizard. Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.
Auto Express
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Vauxhall Frontera Gravel takes budget EV to the great outdoors
After 20 years since the original model went out of production, the Vauxhall Frontera returned last year and now it looks like it'll finally do its predecessor's off-road ability justice with a wild Gravel variant. Instead of the Hybrid 100 or Hybrid 136 versions, the Frontera Gravel is based on the all-electric model – but before you start booking green-laning trips, it's worth noting that Vauxhall's latest creation is just a show car. Ahead of the Frontera Gravel's unveiling at XS Carnight in Wörthersee, Austria, Rebecca Reinermann, Vauxhall's vice president of marketing, said: 'We wanted to take the Frontera to the next level and show how an everyday hero can become a real adventurer'. Backing this up, Vauxhall says the Frontera Gravel is 'an ultra-rugged show car version of the production Frontera Electric, designed for demanding off-road adventures without limitations'. Advertisement - Article continues below When we tried the new Frontera for the first time in late 2024 we were impressed with its practicality, safety kit and price. One aspect that we noticed wasn't a priority for the model (unlike its all-wheel-drive predecessor) was off-roading. The Frontera Gravel, with the help of tuning specialists XS and design studio BlackFish Graphics, certainly looks like it will be able to change that. The Frontera Gravel gains a matt black roof and bonnet that contrast with the matt champagne-coloured wrap with orange badging and accents on the mirrors, front and rear bumpers, spoiler and brake calipers, to give the Vauxhall a distinctive look. There are plenty of genuinely useful tools to aid adventuring, too. There's a winch and hook at the front, an auxiliary LED lights on the bonnet and roof rack, plus all-terrain tyres (with a spare mounted on the roof) that are wrapped around some chunky 16-inch alloy wheels. The interior remains the same as the Frontera Electric, although the seats get some bespoke orange trim. While the Frontera Gravel looks like it's ready to embarrass Jeep and Land Rover, it's only has the same powertrain as the standard car. That means a front-wheel-drive layout with an electric motor that produces 111bhp and 125Nm of torque. The Frontera Electric is a featherweight for an electric SUV, weighing just over 1,500kg, which could help the Gravel version scamper up craggy inclines, but either way we'll never know because the latter remains just a show car. Come and join our WhatsApp channel for the latest car news and reviews...
