- Launch offer of £1,000 discount available until 31^st March

- Launch weekend 14^th – 15^th January

To celebrate the launch of the all-new Chevrolet Aveo at Seward Branksome is offering a whopping £1,000 discount across all Aveo models until the end of March 2012.

Visitors to the showroom will be able to view the new Aveo with its bold sporty styling with distinctive headlamps, Chevrolet dual-port grille, an integrated rear spoiler and rear hidden door handles as seen on the Spark. All models also feature Electronic Stability Control as standard, along with a host of safety features which led to the Aveo achieving a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

The Aveo range starts at only £8,995 but still includes features such as hill start assist, cruise control, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and air conditioning all as standard.

The all new Hyundai Veloster is not like other cars. Thanks to its unique 1+2 door concept it's both an athletic coupe and a spacious hatchback. Either way it's cutting edge - practical on one hand and full of flair on the other. It's a bold, challenging and innovative design. A modern car for the modern minded, equipped with all the latest tech to keep you connected.
So for a drive with booster seats or bucket seats, the all new Hyundai Veloster is perfect for those with more than one side to their lives.
 

· First pics released of most powerful production Astra ever built
· Trailblazing 280PS and 400Nm outputs trounce those of key rivals
· Bespoke chassis with limited slip diff and Brembo brakes
· On sale in 2012

But while the Astra VXR is based on the new GTC, it has benefited from a raft of bespoke chassis modifications, transforming it into a focused, high-performance coupe. Setting it apart from all other current Astras is a specially developed mechanical limited slip differential, which works on the front wheels. In conjunction with the GTC’s sophisticated HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut), the LSD provides the Astra VXR with exceptional lateral grip and traction through bends.

Further changes to the chassis include brakes developed by competition supplier, Brembo, and standard fitment of Vauxhall’s fully adaptive FlexRide system. In the Astra VXR, FlexRide features not only a Sport button, but a VXR button, offering drivers the choice of two, more focused stages of damper, throttle and steering control.

Further changes to the chassis include brakes developed by competition supplier, Brembo, and standard fitment of Vauxhall’s fully adaptive FlexRide system. In the Astra VXR, FlexRide features not only a Sport button, but a VXR button, offering drivers the choice of two, more focused stages of damper, throttle and steering control.

Visual identifiers for the Astra GTC comprise a set of specially sculpted front and rear bumpers, side skirts, an aerodynamic roof spoiler and two exhaust tail pipes in a trapeze shape. Inside, the VXR’s cabin gets bespoke performance seats with embossed logos in the backs, a flat-bottomed VXR steering wheel and upgraded instruments.

The UK is by far the Astra VXR’s biggest market in Europe, so sales interest in the car is set to be strong. More details, including pricing and on-sale dates, will be revealed early next year.

Just weeks after its launch into the marketplace, Judges at The Chauffeur Car of the Year Awards 2011 have named the Hyundai i800 Automatic as the best MPV for the industry.

In 2010, the Hyundai i800 won the award for the first time, and since then, chauffeurs have been calling for an automatic version as the vehicle already offered ample passenger and luggage space. Since the announcement, the industry has given the vehicle the thumbs-up and judges of the awards have recognised the vehicle as a class leader.

The i800 fought off competition in the MPV category such as the Volkswagen Caravelle and Mercedes-Benz Viano and was crowned for its ability to carry up to eight passengers including luggage and special chauffeur discounts which were recently announced by the Korean manufacturer.

Paul Gibson, editor of thechauffeur.com commented; “We made an unprecedented move this year by awarding a vehicle so soon after its launch into the marketplace. We know the industry has been calling for an Automatic version of the i800 since the manual version was introduced.

He added; “Now, the with the chauffeur catered for in terms of specification, special prices for the industry, acres of luggage space and passenger comfort, we are delighted to give this award to the i800 Automatic.’

The Chauffeur Car of the Year Awards are run by industry online magazine www.thechauffeur.com were launched in 2005. The awards set out to discover and crown the best vehicles to suit the hire and reward chauffeur market in the UK in a number of categories.

Other categories in The Chauffeur Car of the Year Awards saw the Audi A8 Long-wheelbase and BMW 5GT both recognised as best in their class.

Seward's Commercial department has struck a great deal with local business Holten Plumbing Services.

The deal means that we are supplying the Poole based Plumbing & Heating firm with a whole fleet of vehicles.

As always we welcome local business and will always do all we can to get the best deals for all of our commercial customers.

Chevrolet has come top in Warranty Direct’s latest reliability index based on the number of warranty claims, cost of repair, mileage and age of its cars.

The UK reliability index takes into account all factors of a repair, the cost of the parts and the frequency of failures.

The average of all cars is 100 which means that if the figure for the car you are looking at has a higher than average index (118) it indicates that that car is less reliable than the average, if however there is a lower than average index (60) the reliability is better.

Chevrolet took top place with a rating of 20. Honda came second with a rating of 30 and Suzuki came third with a rating of 41.

Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Land Rover were the worst performing brands with ratings of 169, 187 and 206 respectively.

View the full results of Warranty Direct's latest UK reliability index.

Chevrolet also tops the charts for repair costs – at £195.14 per repair claim; Chevrolet beats its nearest rival, Fiat, by over £40. To make it a hat trick, Chevrolet also claims the lowest ‘time-off-the-road’ in terms of repairs, with an average of 1.41 days per claim to repair. Second placed Suzuki’s score is 1.67.

Duncan McClure-Fisher, Warranty Direct’s managing director, said: “Honda has held the top spot in our overall manufacturer’s reliability table for many months, so for Chevrolet to knock them off their perch is a major coup.

“You have to bear in mind that we do not hold as many policies on Chevrolets as Honda models but, nevertheless, the data we do have clearly shows that Chevrolets are trustworthy vehicles.”

Chevrolet offers customers a “Five Year Promise” aftersales product on each of its news cars which includes a five year warranty, roadside assistance, servicing, MoT insurance and vehicle health checks.

Mark Terry, Chevrolet UK managing director, said: “Our dealers are clearly making an effort to minimise the disruption of any repairs to our customers, and helping them keep their cost down at a time when we’re all watching our pennies.”

Robin Fielder has recently been appointed as General Brand Sales Manager for Vauxhall, Saab, Chevrolet and Commercial Vehicles at Seward Motor Group headquarters in Branksome, Poole.

Robin has 23 years motor trade experience under his belt working for Pendragon PLC, however his formative years in the business were at English Ford in Poole. Just a stones throw away from his new role at Seward, bringing a rich diversity of skills to the table.

From 2004 - 2010 he was Dealer Principal at three Evans Halshaw dealerships, Edinburgh Ford, Car Supermarket Cheltenham and then Citroen Reading before moving back to his home town Bournemouth.

Robin Quote
 “I see my role at Seward to develop and strengthen the renowned Motor Group even further,
ensuring Seward stay at the top of customers shopping list when buying future vehicles, It’s an exciting time here at Seward and I already feel part of the family”
 
 

Mike Dowding the Kit Manager at AFC Bournemouth has recently taken delivery of a brand new, spotlessly clean Vauxhall Combo Van kindly supplied by Seward, who have always had strong links with the football club. For 7 consecutive years Seward we’re the team’s main shirt sponsors and since then have remained supporters of the club in many ways. Mike has been with AFCB for 7 Years and is delighted with his new set of wheels.

Picture shows : Mike with Chief Executive Vince Courtney, Brand Centre General Sales Manager Robin Fielder and Commercial Vehicle Manager Alan Hocking.

Seward have branches in Branksome, Christchurch and Blandford

Seward's commercial department are happy to announce a new breed of VXS - the VXS 205.  Not only does it have an awesome 205 bhp, it also includes a unique carbon dip limited number on the steering wheel, carbon dipped mirror casing, 30mm lower sports suspension, pro-racing 2 alloys, miltek exhaust, sports air filter, factory fitted alarm, cruise control and intelligence pack, all on top of the standard Vauxhall Astravan SE.  This vehicle delivers outstanding performance all round!  Comes in a choice of colours.  Don't forget, numbers are limited!  Prices from £16,645 + VAT and taxes.