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Made in Sussex

Groupe PSA wins Manufacturer of the Year at 2020 AM Awards

Groupe PSA has been awarded the prestigious Manufacturer of the Year title at the 2020 Automotive Management Awards ceremony, held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre on February 13th.

The expert-judging panel for the AM Awards commented: “This is a vehicle manufacturer that some observers thought was running out of road a decade ago. It has faced numerous challenged, embraced new thinking, battled to improve efficiency and is now a strong automotive force.”

Beating other large volume manufacturers including Volkswagen and Volvo to the title, Groupe PSA was highly praised by judges for its standing as a leading carmaker and mobility provider.

Alison Jones, Group Managing Director UK and Senior Vice President at Groupe PSA said: “To be recognised as

Manufacturer of the Year by a title as influential as AM is a proud moment, recognising the efforts of our global team in Groupe PSA, in terms of strategic thinking and driven implementation. 2020 marks an exciting year for our brands globally, particularly with out clear and defined electrification strategy that will see every model in the group portfolio being made available with an electrified powertrain by 2025.”

Maserati announces its plans for the development and production of the new electrified range

The brand’s first cars to adopt 100% electric solutions.

All new Maserati models will be 100% developed, engineers and built in Italy, and will adopt hybrid and battery electric propulsion systems delivering all the innovation and outstanding performance typical of the brand’s DNA.

Maserati’s electrification programme starts this year, and the first hybrid car to be built will be the new Maserati Ghibli. Production of the new Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio, the brand’s first cars to adopt 100% electric solutions, will commence in 2021. Maserati has decided to build these models at the Mirafiori production hub, with an investment of 800 million euros. The latest generation of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, two iconic cars for the brand, have totalled more than 40,000 units sold from 2007 to 2019.

Hyundai Motor gives first glimpse of new i30

Hyundai Motor has revealed the first glimpse of the new i30 ahead of its public world premier at the 2020 Geneva Motor show. It features a host of upgrades including redesigned bumpers and new LED headlamps, bringing a stronger, sharper look and more visual appeal.

In the teaser images showcasing the N Line model, some of the most significant new design features can be seen. The redesigned front bumper and new grille featuring an updated mesh pattern are shown, exposing the wider look and stronger stance of the new i30.

Further design highlights for the new model will be seen when more images are released in the coming weeks. These include a new rear bumper, rear lights and alloy wheel designs in 16, 17 and 18-inch styles. The interior design has also been enhanced, with new digital instrument cluster and a larger 10.25-inch display among other upgrades.

ŠKODA retailers honoured at annual awards

ŠKODA UK has announced the winners of its annual Retailer of the Year Awards, with Rainworth ŠKODA taking both first and second place in the top prize.

The prestigious annual awards highlight the hard work and dedication of the ŠKODA network. With 128 retailers across the UK and Northern Ireland and 10 key categories, competition is fierce.

Rainworth ŠKODA proved its excellence with ŠKODA Sheffield not only taking the top spot, but Rainworth ŠKODA Mansfield securing second place; an unmatched record for any retailer in the network. The award is based on excellent performance throughout the year, taking into account various elements including sales, aftersales and customer satisfaction.

Jaguar Land Rover on tour to mark two years of carbon neutral operations

Jaguar Land Rover has completed a zero emissions tour of its UK manufacturing and product development facilities to celebrate its operations being certified as carbon neutral for the second consecutive year.

An all-electric Jaguar I-PACE completed a zero emissions tour from Haydon to Halewood, visiting the company’s Whitley headquarters, the home of Land Rover in Solihull, the newly-electrified Castle Bromwich manufacturing facility in Birmingham and the Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.

To achieve carbon neutral status Jaguar Land Rover has invested in energy-saving projects such as solar panels and LED lighting and in the UK, operating CO2 emissions are down 74% versus 2007 and the energy used to build a vehicle has reduced by 37% since 2007.

Foxhills focused on bright future after 2019 surge

The future looks bright for Foxhills Club & Resort after seeing a surge in memberships over the course of 2019 and the upward trend is set to continue with its £25m investment programme. Venue

Memberships at the popular Surrey resort are up by 10 per cent in 2019 and there is further incentive to join the club with new members paying an annual subscription entitled to a free three-month bonus to the end of March 2021.

It’s been a year of significant progress at the club with around £1m already been spent on the launch of four new projects to add to the existing wide range of facilities.

The food and beverage offering has been given a major overhaul as The Fox dining rooms is the refurbished restaurant in the Manor House, which uses locally-sourced ingredients, while The Woodie is a ‘graband-go-style’ food outlet located by the 11 tennis courts on site.

The leisure aspect has certainly not been ignored either with the opening of the Practice Den – a short-game facility which adds to the club’s extensive golf practice facilities – and the Yoga Cabin, which has already gained huge popularity among the members and guests with a wide range of yoga and pilates classes now available.

With two Championship golf courses, a par-three course, tennis courts, squash courts, an award-winning spa and 70 rooms on site, it has also seen its selection of corporate membership options become increasingly popular among the business community to relax and unwind or nurture new prospects.

Tiered membership options can be tailored to suit the requirements with flexible options to act as incentives for staff or for use in client entertaining, events, corporate away days or training purposes.

Membership Sales Manager, Chris Dowrick said: “There has never been a better time to impress clients, rewind after a hard week or ensure your team can relax in our magnificent surroundings.

“The newly-refurbished manor house creates the perfect environment for meetings from informal chats in our beautiful lounge, to a more formal environment in the beautiful executive board room with stunning views of the country manor. There is also a great opportunity to impress an important client with a delicious meal in The Fox dining rooms. “But it’s also an ideal venue to escape from stress of work with your corporate membership at Foxhills. Our leisure facilities are going form strength to strength and will continue to improve in the near future.” The new Yoga Cabin is a calm and soothing oasis away from the office, but there is plenty to take your mind away from work if you prefer another activity.

“We know the value of family time after a long week at work and you can combine this with a corporate membership at Foxhills. There is so much to do for all ages.”

The family facilities will rise to a whole new level in 2021 when the next step of the ambitious project is open for business – The Pavilion.

Facilities in the £7m-project will include a crèche, art studio, soft play and kids den, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a games room, dance, fitness and spin studios and a new restaurant on the same site as the previous building.

For more information, visit foxhills.co.uk or call 01932 704498.