SEAT Fine-tunes Its Engine Offerings

• Small capacity 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit added to Ibiza range
• Economy improved by up to 25 per cent versus previous 1.6
• Refined new 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel in Leon, Altea and Altea XL

SEAT is continuing its extensive programme of product renewal and improvement with the launch of a pair of impressive new engines in its best-selling models.

The Ibiza, in all three bodystyles – SC, 5dr and ST – is now available with an exciting new 105 PS 1.2 TSI unit, mated either to a five-speed manual gearbox or state-of-the-art seven-speed DSG with double clutch. The turbocharged petrol engine replaces SEAT's 1.6-litre 105 PS.

Meanwhile the Leon and Altea families now feature a 140 PS 2.0 TDI with common rail fuelling in place of the previous unit's pump injector system. This, too, is offered with a manual gearbox or DSG.

The new Ibiza 1.2 TSI combines trademark SEAT sporting intent with outstanding efficiency. Despite being considerably smaller in terms of cubic capacity than the 1.6 it replaces, this new TSI generates an identical 105 PS.

Performance and acceleration figures both improve versus the 1.6; in the case of 0-62 mph acceleration, the time drops by more than half a second to 9.8 seconds while the top speed is marginally better, too.

And proving that you can have your cake and eat it, the new turbocharged 1.2 also makes the Ibiza both more economical and more environmentally responsible. Compared to the 1.6, combined economy is improved by a massive 25 per cent from 44.8 mpg to 55.4 mpg (SC and 5dr), while CO2 emissions are slashed by 20 per cent from 149 g/km to just 119 g/km.

The engine is available to SE and Sport buyers across all three bodystyles, and all versions are fully compliant with the latest EUV emission control legislation. Manual versions are also badged ‘Ecomotive’ because they feature SEAT's new stop/start and brake energy recovery technologies. Prices start at £12,780 RRP for the Ibiza SC 1.2 TSI SE.

The other important engine introduction - which sees SEAT's family-sized Leon, Altea and Altea XL gain the option of a new 140 PS 2.0 TDI CR unit - also brings lower fuel consumption and emissions, along with significantly improved refinement.

Like the TSI, the 2.0 TDI CR is offered with a manual or DSG 'box but, regardless of transmission, offers nimble acceleration and a smooth, efficient drive. In the Leon, the new common rail turbodiesel sees CO2 drop from 147 g/km to just 125 g/km, while combined economy climbs from 50.4 mpg to 58.9 mpg, a welcome 15 per cent improvement. Similarly impressive improvements result from the new common-rail engine's introduction in the Altea and Altea XL, too. CO2 in both bodystyles drops to just 129 g/km, while combined fuel economy climbs to 57.6 mpg. However, the economy improvements do not come at the expense of driving enjoyment or pure performance. The Altea 2.0 TDI CR, for instance, races from rest to 62 mph in a spirited 9.7 seconds meaning that the new version is, in fact, quicker off the mark than the previous pump injector version. Prices for the Leon 2.0 TDI CR in SE spec start at £18,570 RRP, while a similarly engined Altea SE is available from £18,770 RRP.

SEAT UK's Ibiza, Leon and Altea Product Manager, Andy McGregor, said: “Our continuing programme to update and enhance our suite of engines now sees the arrival of these two great units.

“The extra refinement, economy and performance from the common rail turbodiesel are clearly impressive, while the arrival of the excellent new 1.2 TSI in the Ibiza shows that, when it comes to today's engines, smaller really can be better!”

For more information contact AutoPlanet SEAT Chingford on 0845 871 7109 or AutoPlanet SEAT Tunbridge Wells on 0845 871 5169.

Kia's Sportage & Venga Awarded Top Euro NCAP Honours

At Waters AutoPlanet we're pleased to announce that two of Kia's newest vehicles, Sportage and Venga, have both been awarded the top 5-star safety rating by leading independent European safety organisation, Euro NCAP, making them two of the safest cars on the market this winter.

The Kia Sportage crossover and Venga B-segment MPV were both given the maximum 5-star rating, placing them at the top of their respective classes and in the distinguished company of other Kia models such as the Soul, cee'd and Sorento.

Brett Kavanagh, Marketing Manager at Waters AutoPlanet said: "These awards prove that Kia's engineers strive to design vehicles that make it easier for drivers to avoid hazards, thanks to good visibility, powerful braking and excellent road holding. This is particularly important as the winter sets in and driving conditions are naturally riskier; Kia owners have peace of mind that they and their passengers are protected by the very best passive safety technology.”

Kia Sportage obtained scores of 93 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 86 per cent for Child Occupant protection, 49 per cent for Pedestrian Protection and 86 per cent for Safety Assist. Venga scored 89, 85, 64 and 71 respectively, in the same categories.

Sportage and Venga also received praise for having Electronic Stability Control (ESC) fitted as standard in most markets. "These latest results from Euro NCAP highlight Kia's commitment to ensuring exceptional levels of safety in its vehicles," commented Benny Oeyen, Vice-President, Marketing & Product Planning, Kia Motors Europe.

In the name of safety this winter, Waters AutoPlanet have five top driving tips for motorists:

· Keep an emergency kit in the car (torch, blanket, first aid kit, shovel, reflective warning sign)

· Fill up your tank before your journey and carry a fuel canister – stopping and starting on the roads uses up fuel

· Check weather reports before you set off anywhere – don’t risk it if you really don’t have to

· Be mindful of black ice – if you can’t see ice, it doesn’t mean it’s not there

· Drive slowly and keep your distance between you and the car in front to avoid bumps if you skid on ice

For more information Waters Kia can be contacted on 0845 871 7014 for Chingford or 0845 871 5085 for St Albans and AutoPlanet Kia can be contacted on 0845 871 7134 for Tunbridge Wells.

Are You Geared Up For Winter?

To make sure you stay safe on the roads during the inclement weather, follow our helpful motoring tips...

Winter motoring requires special care and a little preparation if you’re to avoid a breakdown or accident. We’ve put together a list of easy to follow advice for combating Wintery conditions. Just remember, use common sense, don’t risk your life or the lives of others.

Antifreeze

Antifreeze costs only a few pounds, but a cracked engine block will cost hundreds of pounds to repair.

A 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water in the cooling system is needed in winter. This gives maximum protection down to -34° centigrade, and without it, severe engine damage costing hundreds of pounds can occur.

Vision

Through the winter months dazzle from the low sun can be a particular problem. Improve vision significantly by making sure that the windscreen is clean – inside and out. Scratches, abrasion and chips on the outside can also worsen the dazzling effect of the sun.

Use air conditioning for faster demisting and to reduce condensation on cold windows. Keep the windscreen and other windows clear – if your vision is obscured through dirt or snow you could face a hefty fine. Check windscreen wipers and replace if necessary.

Windscreen washer fluid should be topped up and treated with a proprietary additive to reduce the chance of freezing in frosty weather. Don’t use ordinary engine antifreeze as it will damage paintwork. Clear snow from the roof as well as from windows. Snow piled up on the roof can fall onto the windscreen obscuring your view and can also be a hazard to other road users.

Visibility

Check that all bulbs are working and that headlights are clean and aimed correctly. You must use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced. You may also use front or rear fog lights but these must be switched off when visibility improves as they can dazzle other road users and obscure your brake lights.

Keep the number plates clean too, as you can be fined if they are dirty and illegible.

Tyres

Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. At least 3mm of tread is recommended for winter motoring, and certainly no less than 2mm.

Don’t reduce tyre pressures to get more grip – it doesn’t work, and reduces stability. Check you have a working jack and wheel brace, and that you know how to change a wheel if necessary.

Consider changing to winter or all season tyres – these have a higher silicone content in the tread which prevents it hardening at lower temperatures, and therefore gives better grip in cold wet conditions.

Preparing To Travel

Get up at least 10 minutes early to give you time to prepare the car. Don’t drive off with a tiny hole cleared in your windscreen. Clear all windows of snow and ice using a scraper and de-icer.

Besides an ice scraper and de-icer, it’s worth carrying a mobile phone with fully charged battery, torch, first-aid kit, tow rope, blankets, warm coat and boots, jump leads, snow shovel, warning triangle, an old sack or rug (to put under the wheels if you do get stuck) and water repellent spray.

Put safety first when the bad weather closes in, it's always a good idea to allow extra time in winter for your journey.

Driving In Snow And Ice

Stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow.

Gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving. Select second gear when pulling away, easing your foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheel-spin.

When climbing a hill it’s important to avoid having to stop on the hill by waiting until it is clear of other cars or by leaving plenty of room between you and the car in front. Try to maintain a constant speed, choosing the most suitable gear well in advance to avoid having to change down on the hill.

When driving downhill, reduce your speed before the hill, use a low gear and try to avoid using the brakes. Leave as much room as possible between you and the car in front.

Always apply brakes gently. release them and de-clutch if the car skids. If you do get stuck, straighten the steering and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip. Once on the move again, try not to stop until you reach firmer ground.

If it's been some time since you last had your car serviced a Winter Check would help to make sure that your car is fully prepared for the conditions. At Waters AutoPlanet we can offer a winter check at any of our branches:

AutoPlanet Chingford

AutoPlanet Maidstone

AutoPlanet Southampton

Fiat Southampton

Kia Chingford

Kia St Albans

Kia Tunbridge Wells

Mazda Barnet

Mazda Chingford

Peugeot Chingford

Peugeot Hatfield

Renault Letchworth

Renault Southampton

Renault St Albans

SEAT Chingford

SEAT Tunbridge Wells

For more information visit:

www.highways.gov, www.theaa.com, www.rac.com

Waters AutoPlanet – Voted best Multi-Franchised Dealer Website of the Year by Car Dealer Magazine

Automotive Retail Group (ARG), one of the largest new and used car retailers in the South East has just been awarded ‘Multi-Franchised Dealer Website of the Year’ by a panel of judges at Car Dealer Magazine.

This inaugural Eward was one of the most hotly contested categories this year with just five points separating the top three websites. Sealing the win – by just two points over the second placed site – is autoplanet.co.uk. Judges were impressed with the clean layout, the bold graphics and the ease at which cars could be researched.

What the judges said:-

“This website is definitely the best entry in this class and a worthy winner as it ticks many of the boxes for customer experience and usability. Offers are immediate, clear and engaging and if the customers are looking for different brands it’s easy to find with the clear architecture and presentations. The site ranks high for performance and interaction with features and functionality such as presentation of new and used vehicle information and call to actions making it more likely to meet customers’ needs”.

“It is a great honour for the team here at Waters AutoPlanet to Win the Car Dealer Magazine‘Group Franchised Dealer Website of the Year’.” Said Brett Kavanagh, Group Marketing Manager.

“It is testament to the extensive thought and effort that went into designing the site that we've managed to design and build a website that has been recognised for its user-friendliness and ease-of-use.”

“Online is now central to the success of every automotive retailer in the country and it is now essential to understand, and deliver ‘precisely’, what the customer wants. I think we have managed to achieve this in a format that presents our own ‘Waters AutoPlanet’ brand, and all the manufacturers we represent, in a way that is easy for customers to understand and interact with.”

“Of course this award is only the beginning as we now strive to build on what we have achieved and to be recognised once again by our peers in the future.”

Waters AutoPlanet brings together the heritage of Waters, founded in 1896 in Hatfield by Walter Waters and synonymous with the retail motor business in Hertfordshire, and AutoPlanet, one of the biggest names in used car superstores.

New car franchises for Fiat, Kia, Mazda, Peugeot, Renault and SEAT come together with Used Car Centres to provide customers throughout the South East with a superb car choice in terms of range and value for money.

To find out more about what Waters AutoPlanet have to offer, phone or call in to any of our branches:

AutoPlanet Chingford

AutoPlanet Maidstone

AutoPlanet Southampton

Fiat Southampton

Kia Chingford

Kia St Albans

Kia Tunbridge Wells

Mazda Barnet

Mazda Chingford

Peugeot Chingford

Peugeot Hatfield

Renault Letchworth

Renault Southampton

Renault St Albans

SEAT Tunbridge Wells

The Sun Road Tests The Upgraded Mazda2

In The Sun’s ‘motors’ section, Ken Gibson road tests the upgraded Mazda2, and writes: “On the road the 2 has always been a good drive – agile as a small car should be and they have modified the suspension to make the handling slightly sharper.” He also refers to its looks, remarking that the Mazda2 is “one of the sexiest small cars on the road – and sex sells.”

He also praises the interior, saying that Mazda has “upgraded all the trim with more durable plastics in the most touched areas, plus new instrument panel and dials.” He adds: “They’ve also restyled the seat fabrics and added more patterns to make them easy on the eye and comfortable.”

Gibson concludes his review positively, writing: “The price is good value. From £9,995 to £14,455, you get a great looking small car that fits the bill.”

To arrange a test drive of the upgraded Mazda2 or to find out more about the Mazda range call in to either of our Barnet or Chingford showrooms , or call us on 0845 871 5253 for Barnet or 0845 871 7101 for Chingford.

Seven Heaven: SEAT Alhambra Glides Into AutoPlanet SEAT

The new SEAT Alhambra is making an elegant entrance into our showroom at AutoPlanet SEAT Tunbridge Wells as the Spanish brand’s highly-anticipated successor to its original seven-seat MPV makes its public debut here.

Fresh from the wheels up, and proving beyond doubt that practical full-size MPVs do not have to be lacklustre to look at, the new Alhambra once again places SEAT at the head of the people carrier class.

The largest car SEAT has yet made at more than 4.8 metres stem to stern, the Alhambra also becomes the Spaniards’ most luxurious and technologically advanced offering with a raft of clever and important new features that showcase the firm’s formidable technical expertise.

Styled by SEAT design boss Luc Donckerwolke and his team in Martorell, today’s Alhambra shows how sporty, dynamic and engaging it’s possible to make a modern seven-seater with, in particular, SEAT's trademark ‘Arrow Design’ nose adding a sense of purposeful style to proceedings.

That svelte shape also contributes in no small part to the SEAT's exceptional Cd figure of just 0.299, making it one of the most aerodynamic vehicles in its class.

Further back, the car’s capacious new shell sports arguably the most obvious distinction between this and previous vehicle to wear the ‘Alhambra’ badge – two sliding rear doors which significantly improve practicality.

Inside, seven individual seats can accommodate seven adults in genuine comfort with even third row occupants benefiting from generous knee and headroom. Today’s Alhambra does away with the old-style individually removable seating concept in favour of a clever new fold-flat system that sees all five second- and third-row seats pivot into the car’s floor at the simple tug of a lever.

Access to those third row seats, in particular, is now a cinch thanks to the debut of the easy entry slide and tilt second row seats.

You want space? Alhambra's got space. Up to a massive 2,297 litres of it, to be precise. While even in five-seat form (with just the third row folded) there’s as much as 1,167 litres of load bay on offer. Needless to say, storage around the cabin is typically generous, too, as a profusion of cupholders, tray tables, cubbies and pockets easily swallows the detritus that goes along with family outings.

Beneath the graceful bonnet of the front-wheel drive Alhambra lie a variety of modern engine and transmission options. The counterpoint to one of two top notch EU V-compliant 2.0-litre common rail turbodiesels, of 140 PS or 170 PS denomination, is an especially capable 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged direct injection 150 PS petrol powerplant.

Depending on trim level, all three are offered with either a precise six-speed manual or sporty yet flexible six-speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox). The result is a seven-seater capable of covering the 0-62 mph sprint in just 9.5 seconds (2.0 TDI CR 170 PS manual) and topping out at 130 mph (2.0 TDI CR 170 PS manual).

At launch, all Alhambras boast some of SEAT's most important eco-minded Ecomotive technologies including Stop/Start and Brake Energy Recovery. Thus, all Alhambras are badged Ecomotive while the 2.0 TDI CR 140 PS manual grabs the honour of being badged E Ecomotive thanks to its range-best CO₂ emissions of just 146 g/km.

Economy, as you might expect of such a slippery and carefully engineered vehicle, is laudable, too, with as much as 50.4 mpg available on the combined cycle (2.0 TDI CR 140 PS manual).

Bristling with equipment, the new MPV is offered in SEAT's simple trim designations: S, SE and SE Lux. But even the entry-level S versions are hardly what you’d call humbly specified. Standard across all Alhambras are such goodies as 3-zone climate control, parking sensors front and rear, sliding rear doors, electronic handbrake, Bluetooth hands-free phone connection, 16” alloys, Stop/Start and Brake Energy Recovery.

Equipment gets even more lavish as you ascend the range, with SE Lux versions boasting a dazzling array of standard-fit kit. Brief highlights include power-operated sliding rear doors and tailgate, panoramic glass sunroof with opening front pane and electrically operated sun blind, black leather upholstery, 12-way electrically adjustable font seats, SEAT Media System including satnav with dynamic route guidance and rear view camera.

Technical innovations in the Alhambra are many and varied. Aside from the impressively convenient seats there are, depending on spec, such highlights as High Beam Assist which automatically switches between full and dipped beam taking into account both street lighting and oncoming traffic.

Meanwhile, the forthcoming option of Park Assist (available on vehicles ordered from December 2010 onward) makes mincemeat of sliding the SEAT into (and out of) parking spots by both identifying suitable spaces and then automatically attending to the steering while the driver simply controls the accelerator, clutch and brake.

Available in showrooms nationwide from this week the new SEAT Alhambra is, then, both a practical and luxurious MPV and, with prices starting from £22,330 RRP, it maintains SEAT's reputation for exceptional value.

Welcoming the UK arrival of the brand’s most technically advanced model to date, SEAT UK Product Manager James Buckell said: ‘I’m extremely proud of the new Alhambra as I believe it shows that family-sized seven seaters can be both good to look at and great to drive.

‘The technology that has gone into this new car, from the great range of engines to luxury features such as Park Assist, underline, too, how keen we are to put every ounce of value that we can into our new MPV.’

For more information AutoPlanet SEAT Tunbridge Wells can be contacted on 0845 871 5169.