Volkswagen Vw Multifunktion Relay 451 1j0907487a - 1j0 907 487a on 2040-parts.com

German new car sales drop 11 per cent – pre-reg accounts for 33.5 per cent

New car sales in Germany dropped by 11 per cent in September with pre-reg cars accounting for over a third of all sales. That drop of 11 per cent in Germany is despite deep discount offers – an average of 12.2 per cent in September – with even the previously invincible Mercedes and VW having to offer discounts of up to €3k, despite which VW’s sales fell by 20 per cent in Germany and Mercedes by 12 per cent. What’s perhaps most interesting about the decline in car sales in Germany is the number of pre-reg cars sold (pre reg cars are cars registered by dealers to hit sales targets and then sold at a discount of up to 25 per cent).

Kia GT at Frankfurt: It WILL go in to production

Kia GT at Frankfurt - will be going in to production We’ve been hugely impressed with the way Kia – and sister company Hyundai - has transformed in to a serious player in the car market. And now, having matched the Japanese in the mainstream market Kia, in particular, is looking to take things up a rung or three with the Kia GT. We praised the styling of the Kia GT when we saw the first photo, but we believed it was likely just a design exercise; a sort of ‘Look what we could do if there was a market for it’ kind of statement.

What's New: July 2004

Audi A3 Sportback With the A3 Sportback, Audi is seeking to define a new segment in the premium compact class, combining the sporting elegance of a coup? and the versatility of a five-door vehicle, with sophisticated technology and well-defined driving dynamics. The Sportback features four and six-cylinder engines developing up to 184 kW (250 bhp), front-wheel or quattro permanent four-wheel drive and optonal DSG transmission.