Alastair's BLE 2 Blog

Think car sales in Europe are in the toilet? Well, turns out they're even worse than anyone thought.

A Ford executive tells Bloomberg that dealers for brands across the EU are buying their own cars, boosting new-car sales figures by as much as 30 percent. The dealers then sell the brand-new cars as used vehicles for steep discounts.

"It is a very aggressive environment and until either demand picks up or capacity is adjusted to the situation, it's unlikely going to change," Roelant de Waard, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service at Ford of Europe, told Bloomberg at the Paris Motor Show last week.

Ford has been having a rough time in Europe, posting the biggest sales declines in the industry for August, according to Automotive News. The company, which has successfully turned around its operations in North America, is facing $1 billion in losses in Europe this year.

European car dealers buying own inventory to boost sales figures originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/30/european-car-dealers-buying-own-inventory-to-boost-sales-figures/

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2012 Citroen C5 & C8 Get Modern Styling & New Technologies

Press Release: THE CITROËN C5 AND C8 GAIN STYLING UPGRADES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES CITROËN is upgrading the C5 and C8 with new styling features consistent with the Brand’s current cues and models future ambitions. Both models get extra modernity and elegance, strengthening their personalities while maintaining the assets behind their success. C5: CITROËN C5: MODERN STYLING AND TECHNOLOGIES Since launch in early 2008, the saloon and Tourer versions of the CITROËN C5 have together sold in over 400,000 units. CITROËN has given its successful model a style and technology upgrade to lend it even ...

Source: http://www.distrocars.com/2012-citroen-c5-c8

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Paris: Peugeot 208 GTI and 208 XY provide polar options for buyers

Filed under: Budget, Performance, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Peugeot

In addition to the full-on racecar version, Peugeot showed two more, slightly less hardcore versions of its 208 model at this year's Paris show - the 208 GTI and the 208 XY. We were able to bring you the scoop on both a few weeks ago, but here's the recap to go with our fresh images from the show's floor.

The 208 GTI is lighter, more powerful and better dynamically than the 207 GTI hot hatch that it replaces. The car's 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes 197 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque.

The 208 XY, meanwhile, is aimed at a 208 buyer that is more interested in added style than added pace. Style of a sort, anyway.

The XY is offered in a hue called Purple Night (one of six colors available), which is reflected just about everywhere you scan on the vehicle in our live images - the center caps of the exclusive wheels, on the Peugeot logos and dabbed on various surfaces of the interior. The real story of the XY is that it is highly customizable, whether you opt specifically for Purple Night custom touches or some other shade.

Continue reading Peugeot 208 GTI and 208 XY provide polar options for buyers

Peugeot 208 GTI and 208 XY provide polar options for buyers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/30/2013-peugeot-208-gti-and-208-xy-paris-2012 /

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Paris: 2013 Citroën C3 Picasso exemplifies utility, cubist charm

Filed under: Europe, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Hatchback, Citroën

We Americans are far too self-conscious to widely adopt the immensely utilitarian MPV, opting for bloated, high-riding crossovers. In Europe, on the other hand, vehicles like the Citroen C3 Picasso are optimal for families in towns where the streets were once farm paths.

This funky people-mover was first unveiled in 2007 and has gone on to move more than 320,000 units in sales. Citroën brought very little to the table in the way of specs, but from what we can tell, the visual updates are on the subtle side, bringing it more in line with the rest of the French automaker's product offerings. The free-floating double-chevron logo of Citroen is now anchored by faux vents that run from headlight to headlight. Upper and lower grilles now have a honeycomb pattern, and LED running lights have been added below the fog lights.

Pricing and availability have not yet been released, but that information will become available as the C3 Picasso nears its arrival in dealerships in January of 2013. More details are available in the press release below.

Continue reading 2013 Citroën C3 Picasso exemplifies utility, cubist charm

2013 Citroën C3 Picasso exemplifies utility, cubist charm originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/29/2013-citroen-c3-picasso-exemplifies-utility-cubist-charm/

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Lakers F Hill pleads no contest in assault (Yahoo! Sports)

HOUSTON (AP) -- Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill was sentenced to one year of probation Thursday after pleading no contest to assaulting his former girlfriend in February.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nba/SIG=12ckupla3/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-f-hill-pleads-no-160429255--nba.html

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