Honda aren’t the only manufacturer to be entering this particular part of the market. Nissan are also targeting the global small car platform with the new model of their Micra; it seems that cars which are cheap enough to manufacture and sell to emerging markets but are also sophisticated enough for Western markets are the new target for many manufacturers in the small car market.

Lexus Dealerships

It is quite possibly one of the ugliest looking SUV’s I’ve seen and that is bearing in mind that there are a number of appalling SUV’s out there at present. The Lexus GX460 seems very square and boxy and appears to lack any sense of sporty qualifications, with the Porsche Cayenne leaving it for dust in the looks stakes.

However, we are forgetting that this is a Sports Utility Vehicle and not a sports car, so looks aren’t necessarily everything. What you really want is a robust, strong and aggressive vehicle that can stand up to the challenges of the many off-road terrains that it may see, which at present will probably be Chelsea High Street as these cars have become affectionately known as Chelsea tractors.
The car is likely to feature Toyota’s new 4.6 litre V8, which should rattle around the busy streets of London nicely, whilst having enough left if you feel like heading for the country.

The car will no doubt come with Lexus’ usual good build quality and the company has a renowned reputation for good customer service at their Lexus dealerships, maybe this will be what will save this Lexus from falling on to the pile with the rest of the SUV’s.

Last week the Insight became the first hybrid at the top of Japan’s best sellers list. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association ranked the Insight at the top of the tree after Honda sold 10,481 units in the month of April alone, becoming the first hybrid vehicle in history to outsell all other conventional models.

Another plus point for Honda in the domestic (Japanese) market is that they were the only brand to experience a rise in sales for the month of April compared to April 2008 – an impressive feat given the state of the global economy at present. Like so many other car manufacturers, the Japanese giants have been hit hardly by the credit crunch and resulting economic downturn. In the UK they had to close their production plant in Swindon at the start of the year and have cut pay rates by 3 per cent in order to safeguard 500 jobs.

Japan’s government is currently deciding whether to go ahead with a scrappage scheme similar to that which UK government has recently implemented. The likelihood is that the scheme will go ahead and manufacturers, such as Honda are therefore looking at increasing production output to meet demand. They had forecast that they would sell around 550,000 units in the year up to March 2010 but they now expect this to rise by up to 100,000 if the bill goes ahead.

The Honda Insight is only available in the UK with one engine type at the moment, albeit a very clean one – 1.3 IMA petrol, emitting just 105g/km CO2 setting you back just 15 pounds road tax a year, with a combined 61 miles per gallon.

The Insight undercuts nearest rival – the Toyota Prius (the world’s most popular hybrid vehicle) – by almost 2,000 pounds with a starting price of just 15,490 pounds. Hybrid sales are expected to rise in the UK over the next few years despite the economic downturn and Honda look to have cornered the market with the Insight representing very good value for money and are also forecast to hold their value well in terms of depreciation – a vital car buying factor at this moment in time.

Toyota of course started the hybrid technology movement a decade ago but Honda look set to push them all the way. The new Toyota Prius hits the Japanese market next month so it will be very interesting indeed to see how they both perform in what looks like being a toe to toe battle.

Both of these Japanese big brands will be hoping that their latest hybrid offerings and the growing public consciousness of global warming will mean an increase in sales. Japanese car sales have been on the slide over the past 15 years or so, which of course has got worse over the past year because of the global economic crash.

Green cars look set to be in vogue in years to come and Honda are well set to lead the field.

BMW have invested heavily into lowering CO2 emissions in the last few years but they hope that the Mini E will eliminate them altogether if it becomes a viable consumer option.

The one year US pilot scheme will cost each of the 450 guinea pigs 850 dollars per month to lease these eco friendly vehicles as we enter the era of the electric car. This may not prove value for money for the trialists but they are all pioneers for the electric car movement so kudos, and possibly a slice of history in their pre-conceived egos are reasons for participation.

The Mini E is identical to its incarnation minus the mod cons and the back seat! It’s a two seater as the battery takes up the back seat space. There is no sat nav or Bluetooth gadgets as that would obviously be a drain on the battery, although is a radio and iPod connectability, plus air con.

With a top speed of just 95 mph people may not be thrilled, but they will when they hear that the Mini E does 0-60 mph in just 8.5 seconds – not bad for an electrically powered vehicle!

This prototype vehicle also has a regenerative braking system which automatically brakes for you when you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.

At this stage BMW are not planning on mass production of the Mini E but they do plan to develop and produce an electrically powered vehicle by 2012, although if this pilot scheme proves a success I can’t see why BMW would overlook this vehicle as a viable option to take to the market place.

The Mini E will charge in less than three hours from empty and it is estimated to drive 100-130 miles on a full charge, which is very impressive although the vehicle remains slightly impractical if you manage to run the battery flat. Although the battery can be charged using conventional electric sockets, that will take the best part of a day to fully charge, so the 450 testers should be warned!

It will be interesting to find out how successful this pilot scheme proves to be in the coming months but what it suggests already is that we are not a million miles away from seeing motorway legal electric cars entering our society, and with increasing CO2 emissions continuing to have a damage effect on the ozone in terms of global warming, that can only be a positive movement.

It really is good to see car manufacturers actively seeking to produce low emission vehicles, and in the case of the Mini E and a whole host of hybrid vehicles, no emission vehicles!

This has received much criticism from many in the motoring industry but early signs suggest that the scheme could be a relative success. The main criticisms are surrounding the fact that discount is limited to brand new cars as opposed to including year old used cars as well, as they have done in Germany.

The problem is, even with the scrappage discount a brand new car is still an expense that many people cannot afford during these uncertain economic times, so I believe the trick is to buy used, but not too used!

Your best bet is to look for brands that are sought after and therefore easy to sell on in a couple of years time and that depreciate at a slower pace than most, and for that read: used BMW.

Why buy brand new when a used BMW with less than 15,000 miles on the clock can be yours for two thirds of the price? I understand that many people are wary of purchasing a second hand car but with many authorised used BMW dealerships throughout the UK, you can make a purchase with the peace of mind of a warranty and that the vehicle has been fully checked by BMW engineers.

And of course, warranties are passed over so when buying a one year old used BMW that was originally purchased with a three year warranty, you would receive the further two years left on the warranty as the new owner.

With the recession looking to continue to 2010 and beyond, car buyers will be opting for used cars that hold their value and as a result used BMW’s are being snapped up quicker than ever, especially as fewer are out on the m,arket at present as less people are upgrading their vehicles at the current time.

The Government car scrappage scheme is aiming to change that, and for the entry level run around car, it will no doubt prove a success – two grand off a £7,000 car represents a great saving, but for a more prestige car a £2,000 discount will probably not prove a deal breaker.

Japanese giants Lexus are currently experiencing their worst sales period in their 20 year history, yet they aim to combat this slump by selling 25,000 new Lexus hybrid vehicles a year in the US alone as they really do believe in their product.

They have it all to do though as due to the rapid decrease in US gasoline prices, demand for hybrid vehicles – powered by an electric motor and a gas or diesel engine – has obviously dipped.

This isn’t good news for Lexus, or indeed their parent company, Toyota, who pioneered hybrid technology with the first mass produced hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius – along with the Lexus marque, the Japanese giants have seven hybrid vehicles on the market.

Of course, Lexus should be praised for continuing their pursuit of eco-friendly perfection, and let’s hope for the good of the globe that more people revert to greener cars, but with the current economic downturn, many people have more pressing priorities in terms of expenditure.

Buying a new Lexus is not at the top of most peoples’ priorities list and many UK buyers in a position to take advantage of the new Government scrappage scheme will be looking at lower end vehicles, though sales predictions of new Lexus vehicles are relatively high in other countries as well as the US.

Hybrid vehicle sales are on the increase in Japan – a notoriously difficult market to make any headway in over the last 20 years – and with two new Lexus hybrid vehicles entering the market, they will most certainly appeal to the higher end of the market

One thing is for sure though, if the economy begins to pick up, both in the UK and especially in the US, the new Lexus hybrid models will be a popular choice with those seeking an eco-friendly, yet luxurious and stylish vehicle.

The aim of Lexus to combine their engineering and design expertise with the latest in hybrid technology looks sure to prove a winner, even if the sales target of 25,000 units seems a bit steep given the current market conditions.

With this combination of motor design excellence, Lexus will have no problem riding the current economic storm and look set to lead the hybrid revolution – something that must be embraced for the good of the planet in years to come.

Honda’s new hybrid vehicle, the Insight, flew to the top of the best sellers list in Japan having sold more than 10,000 units in April. The car industry in Japan has been in decline for the past decade – unlike the rest of the world whereby the market has been affected by the global credit crunch and economic downturn.

This was seen as a double whammy for Honda whom were the only car manufacturer to experience a rise in sales for April compared to the same time period the previous year (2008). This is evidence that the market can pick up if the product is the one that buyers want and the Insight, the world’s cheapest hybrid vehicle is exactly that as people want economic cars that are eco-friendly.

As Japan look set to introduce a scrappage scheme of their own, Honda expect to shift an extra 100,000 new Honda Insight vehicles. UK sales of the Insight may not be close to the success of the domestic sales, yet the scrappage scheme looks set to improve sales of new Honda vehicles at a time where they desperately need a sales boost.

Workers at the Honda production plant in Swindon have had their salaries cut by 3 per cent to safeguard their jobs. That is obviously a much better alternative to letting go some of the workforce, yet it does highlight the fact that companies as big as the Japanese giants have had to adjust to the slump in sales so any kind of incentive to boost sales must be seen as a positive move.

A discount of £2,000 off a new Honda vehicle is a very attractive proposition, especially when you take into account that Honda cars perform strongly in terms of depreciation. This particular manufacturer continue to lead the pack in terms of engineering innovation and to think that a new Honda Civic can be yours for as little £12,000 thanks to the government scrappage scheme is astounding.

The Governemnet have had their doubters of late, and rightly so in some cases, but the scrappage scheme could well be the antidote to the plight of many car manufacturers.

In fact, just because sales figures are down on brand new car purchases doesn’t mean to say that fewer people are upgrading their car – or even downgrading as the case may be. Used car sales are performing strongly through the current credit crunch but the main requirements for used car purchasers have changed considerably.

The most common factors that people would class as priorities when buying a used car were colour and speed (0-60mph). Now the balance is shifting, people are putting on their sensible hats as the most fundamental factor considered when buying a car at present is reliability. People don’t want to buy a car only to have to fork out for hefty repair bills at the best of times, and especially not during a recession!

MINI’s are the least depreciating car that money can buy according to Parker’s Car Guide who say that an average brand new MINI purchased in 2007 would have lost as little as 1388 pounds after one year’s ownership – just 27 pounds depreciation per week. And the same applies beyond the first year of ownership as used MINI cars hold their value very well – better than any other car on the market – which is a huge selling point in today’s market.

Since BMW acquired the ownership of the Mini brand, almost 1.5 million units have been manufactured in the UK, making the MINI the most popular hatchback car in the UK once again as it was in the 60s and 70s. Used MINI cars are sought after and because of the sound build quality coupled with the aesthetical stylishness of this iconic car makes it the full package.

When BMW redesigned the MINI many enthusiasts of the original were disappointed with the new model with many suggesting that the extended size of the car defeated the object of the original Mini – the MINI being 12 inches wider and 22 inches longer than the original. Many believed that a BMW hatch with a MINI badge on it was an insult to the original, but despite this it was an overnight success.

And this success continues to keep going, even during a recession! Used buyers know that purchasing a used MINI will not be a gamble provided they buy from an authorised dealership – private sales offer bargains but your purchase is never safeguarded by a warranty. So if you’re in the market for an upgrade, consider a used MINI, it safeguards your investment and you’ll have a lot of fun driving it – not to mention looking chic along the way!

We all know Honda are advanced but they haven’t yet managed to allow for your pooch to chauffeur you to town and back. They have though developed a cushioned dog seat incorporated in the boot of the Honda Element utility car.

The seat covers are easy wash – something that any dog owner will tell you is a must – and there is a fitted dog bed with restraints in place to keep your dog safe and secure, whilst being comfortable on long journeys. The car will of course hit the US market first at the end of 2009 before it is released in Europe and Honda believe they are onto yet another winner.

Despite receiving negative press, both the motor industry and Honda are still striving to get sales of brand new vehicles shifting, although used Honda sales are standing up well amidst the economical turmoil. With the global credit crunch having hit sales of new cars and Honda, along with many other manufacturers having to close their UK plant for a period, Honda have not slowed down their design processes. Their impressive fleet of hybrid vehicles are innovative in bringing down CO2 emissions – the Insight will become the cheapest hybrid vehicle in the world when it is released this year.

So with Honda doing all they can to revive the car trade – even though some of their new ideas, namely the dog mobile, may be a little off the wall – they will be hoping to get an advantage over their competitors even though sales of brand new vehicles are set to continue to plateau at best.

Many prospective new vehicle buyers are waiting for the budget announcements to see if the UK government are to follow the lead of Germany, France and Slovakia by offering a discount certificate (possibly up to 2,000 pounds) that will enable a discount off the purchase of a brand new car, if you scrap your car of at least 9 years old, or older.

Many tax payers are against this as they would prefer to see their taxes go towards other benefits that would better many peoples’ lives during the current recession as opposed to motorists seeking a new car, yet green activists are for the idea as many see global warming as just as important a socio factor as the poor economy.

One sector that has seemingly managed to ride this out is the used car trade as sales have started to pick up. With many people avoiding the hit on depreciation incurred when purchasing a brand new vehicle, many are looking to the used car market and used Honda sales have increased significantly. Honda dealerships have announced a 22 per cent increase from the last quarter in 2008 as people are looking to buy used cars that are the most reliable.

With Honda having seemingly topped the reliability charts for the past few years, that has attracted the attention of buyers who have seen the value in purchasing a used Honda.

Lexus is renowned as a brand that is synonymous with luxury and it is also one of the most reliable car manufacturers in the world today performing highly in reliability tables for consumer experts, Which? And Parker’s Price Guide, the motoring experts. And reliability has never been such an important factor when buying a car – today it is just about the most vital factor unless money is no object!

A used Lexus may not be to everybody’s taste or suit everyone’s requirements yet they hold their value very well and if you like to change your car every couple of years then a used Lexus is perfect for this purpose.

With the car industry having been hit hard by the global credit crunch and economic downturn, sales of brand new cars have been badly affected. European countries such as Germany, France and Slovakia have implemented a scrap for discount scheme whereby you scrap your old gas guzzling polluter (it has to be 9 years old or older) in exchange for a discount certificate offering 2,500 Euros off the purchase price of a brand new vehicle of your choice.

The scheme has been hugely successful in revving the car industry, with sales of brand new vehicles increasing by a staggering 40 per cent in Germany since the scheme was brought in back in January. The UK government are contemplating following suit and implementing a similar scheme in the UK, but whether or not this will happen will not be known for certain until the budget on April 22nd.

If this scheme does get the green light, then that should give the UK car industry a boost, otherwise buyers will continue to look at the used car market as opposed to the showrooms and used Lexus vehicles will become even more sought after than they are at present.

A used Lexus can offer amazing value if you shop around – a three year old Lexus IS250 can be had for as little as 8,000 pounds which is unbelievable given that a brand new IS250 will set you back around 30,000 pounds! Luxury doesn’t have to be had by the pomp and privileged – at these prices it can be had by mere civilians also!