A round-up of today’s other stories in brief
Figures for scrappage scheme up
Some 13,615 new cars were sold under the scrappage scheme up to the end of September, according to figures from the Society of the Motor Industry (SIMI).
Renault remains the biggest beneficiary of the scheme, with sales of 2,477, followed by Ford with 1,839.
However scrappage sales fell off significantly in September, dropping from 1,144 in August to just 380 last month. It was the first time sales fell below 1,000 since it started in January.
First sketch of Nissan's new global car
Nissan is expected to banish the memory of the Tiida when it will reveal a new global saloon offering to replace the unloved model.
Tiida, known as Versa in the US is set to be replaced by an all-new car which will make its world debut at the China International Motor Show in December.
Nissan has enjoyed success with its Qashqai model but has been without a proper replacement for the big-selling Almera model since the car went out of production and while markets such as the UK don’t worry too much about the absence of a three-box saloon, markets such as Ireland, China, Russia and the US require one within their range.
The new car is expected to sit on an all new V platform that will spawn many models within the Nissan range. China will be the first country to get the new car, followed by India, but we would expect to see the new car in emerging markets in Europe and Ireland too.
Volkswagen prepare new Beetle for next year
Volkswagen is preparing for a new Beetle, pencilled in for sale early next year.
The car will launch at the Los Angeles motor show next month and is based on the same platform as the new Jetta. It will also be built in Mexico, a city with a long-time affection for the original Beetle.
While the previous model came under some fire for being a marketing attempt at retro cool, and this time around VW is determined to give it more appeal.
While this test car shows the front nose and rear of the current model, the new car will boast more striking lines.
The new model will be powered by several engine variants, including the 1.2-litre 105bhp petrol and a new 105bhp 1.6-litre diesel.
A hybrid version is also expected during its lifecycle.