NISSAN PRICE CUT: Nissan is to knock nearly €10,000 off the price of its 350Z sports car.
Currently priced at €64,995, the coupé has been seen by some as an equal to the likes of the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4. However, sales failed to match expectations. With only 27 sold last year, a new price of about €55,000 is due to be announced in the coming weeks.
That will see it vie with the likes of the rotary-engined Mazda RX-8. The 231 bhp version of it is priced at €48,600. It also means the 350Z roadster soft-top will be priced at around €60,000 when it hits our forecourts in the coming weeks.
However, current owners need not unduly worry about the blow it will have on their resale values, for Nissan is offering "to look after anyone" who wants to trade in their 350Z.
LEATHER-FREE MERCS: Mercedes-Benz has agreed to offer "leather-free" versions of all its luxury cars to pacify an animal rights group that says thousands of cows are slaughtered each year for leather car seats and interiors.
After complaints from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), DaimlerChrysler said its Mercedes subsidiary will offer fabric or synthetic leather as options.
Daimler spokeswoman Ursula Mertzig-Stein said that far from wanting leather-free cars, "our customers ... are more likely to want even more leather at the premium end. But we'll make cars without leather on demand."
PETA officials, who had threatened protests at the car maker's Stuttgart headquarters, said they were delighted.
AXA NEW SPEED SIGNS: Axa has launched its latest pair of speed signs, the digital signs that tell motorists what speed they are doing.
Two are already in place in Raheny in Dublin, and a further two were unveiled yesterday on the Long Mile Road. Next is Dún Laoghaire, with an Axa spokesperson saying the intention is to bring the scheme to other towns and cities.
FIAT'S DVD: Fiat has launched its latest sales initiative - a free DVD system with every Stilo sold between now and February 28th. The portable DVDs can be hung from the headrests in the front seats and run off the car's own DC power.
DAIHATSU'S NEW 'MPC': Daihatsu's new Sirion, now on Irish sale, has small car looks but Daihatsu has given it another title. It's an MPC or Multi Purpose Compact, emphasising space that has been created with wheels fitted at the four corners and a wide track. Power comes from a three-cylinder 1-litre 58 bhp engine.
Unusual features include a speedometer mounted on the steering column and not the instrument panel. The rear seat backs split 60:40 while the seat cushions can be slid forward to form a flat surface. Daihatsu claims fuel economy of 5 litres per 100 kilometres in the combined cycle: that's 56.5 mpg in old money.
Standard specification on the 1.0GX at €13,495 includes ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), electric front and rear windows. In May the 1-litre will be joined by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder version. Ian Bloomer, Daihatsu Ireland's general manager, expects 500 Sirion sales this year.