Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/451763
XIV maltatoday, SUNDAY, 25 JANUARY 2015 Motoring NEW CITROËN C4 www.citroen.com.mt Michael Attard Ltd. – Citroën Showroom, Mdina Road, Attard – T: 2144 2005 / 2248 2602 – E: citroensales@michaelattard.com Combined consumption (l/100 km): from 3.8 to 4.3. CO2 emissions (g/km): from 88 to 99. CITROËN C4 CACTUS Citroën Malta 0896. Citroen - C4 Cactus - 18x5.indd 1 22/10/2014 14:04 EU car sales rose 5.7% in 2014 due to tax breaks and shift to budget brands European Union car registra- tions rose 5.7% in 2014, thanks to government incentives, tax breaks and a consumer shift to cheaper brands such as Dacia and Skoda that helped the market to return to growth after six years of declining sales. An 18% rise in Spain and a 9.3% increase in Britain took total deliveries to 12,550,771 in the EU, industry association ACEA said on Friday. But the jump in car sales was primarily driven by discounting, state-backed incentives and whole- sale orders rather than a genuine recovery of consumer confidence. "Not since the year 2000 have so few cars been bought by private individuals," said Peter Fuss, an automotive analyst at professional services firm EY, referring to the fact that corporate and commercial purchases made up a large chunk of the sales. In Spain, the government has repeatedly extended an incen- tive scheme, known as Plan PIVE, which offers price cuts on new low-emission vehicles. Under the scheme, people who scrap their old car and buy a new one get a reduc- tion of €2,000 (£1,526), half from the government and half from the carmaker. "The European car market has bottomed out, but is only gradually emerging out of crisis mode", Fuss said, adding that growth will slow in the coming year to about 3%. In western Europe, which includes the EU and countries belonging to the European Free Trade Association such as Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, registra- tions rose 5.4% to 13,006,451 cars, ACEA said. 60th anniversary of the DS: Three icons to open the festivities This year marks the sixtieth an- niversary of the 1955 DS. Three icons the original DS, the DS 3 WRC and Sébastien Loeb are joining forces with the DS brand to celebrate the anniversary of this legendary car and support the launch of the new brand. All three icons will be in Monte Carlo this month: the DS 3 WRC and Sé- bastien Loeb today for the start of the 83rd Monte Carlo Rally, and the DS 21 in a few days for the 18th Monte Carlo Historic Rally. This year will set the scene for a va- riety of meetings, shows and special events, along with other surprises yet to be announced by the DS brand. On 6 October 1955, the DS 19 made its debut under the glass dome of the Grand Palais in Paris. Visitors rushed to buy the car, which made 12,000 sales in one day. The styling and high- tech innovations of the DS made it a legendary car, one that is still talked about today. "It was only natural for us to celebrate the anniversary of the historic DS at a time when the brand is beginning its first full year of exist- ence. We are building the brand on the exceptional heritage of this car to bring customers cars that combine outstanding styling and technol- ogy, comfort and driving sensations, premium materials, refinement and attention to detail," explains Yves Bonnefont, brand CEO. For this rea- son, a multitude of events are planned around the world in 2015 to celebrate this sixtieth anniversary. Opening the festivities, three icons will be present in Monte Carlo this month. The DS 3 WRC with its new 2015 livery featuring a large "60" on the rear wings, and Sébastien Loeb, nine-times world rally champion, is on the starting line for the 83rd Monte-Carlo Rally today. A sports version of the 1966 DS 21 will be taking part in the 18th Monte- Carlo Historic Rally (28 January - 4 February). Stamped with the brand logo and carrying the number 21, the DS will be on the starting line at Reims on 30 January next, with Bob Neyret at the wheel. A nod to history since Bob Neyret has already claimed two victories in the Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel of a DS. DS is taking advantage of events dedicated to vintage car enthusiasts such as Rétromobile (Paris, France, 4 - 8 February) or Techno-Classika (Es- sen, Germany 15 - 19 April), as well as international motor shows in Geneva (Switzerland, 5 - 15 March), Shanghai (China, 22 - 29 April) or Frankfurt (Germany, 19 - 27 September). The brand will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the DS with original exhibitions of vintage vehicles and the showcasing of new vehicles placed alongside the historic DS. DS enthusiasts all over the world will be celebrating the 60th birthday of the DS, as in Belgium (on 26 April) or in Australia (2 and 11 October). One of the main international events, set to take place on 22 and 23 May next at the historic Montlhéry track in France, is set to bring together 700 vintage DS vehicles. Between 19 and 22 May, the DS brand will be welcoming representa- tives of its global network to Paris, home of the brand. On the weekend of 23 and 24 May, it will be organising events for the general public in the heart of Paris. The meeting place will be the Tuileries Garden.