Canvey Carriage Company discuss Apple CarPlay

Canvey Carriage Company were pleased to hear that Apple has confirmed that their upcoming iOS CarPlay dashboard won’t be limited solely to new cars. Japanese electronics company, Pioneer, who produce dashboard media receivers, have confirmed that they will begin supporting CarPlay this summer.

These receivers will be able to pick up CarPlay in the form of a firmware update to Pioneer’s existing line of NEX units. The receivers range in price from $700 (around £420) to $1,400 (around £840). The upcoming CarPlay support update was announced by Pioneer via press release, with Apple later confirming the news.

This new technology will allow drivers to control iPhone features such as media playback and navigation through Siri. Siri operates through voice commands. They will also be able to use a touchscreen function on their vehicle dashboard. Users must physically tether their iPhone 5, iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C to the units to activate the system. They must remain tethered throughout use. The technology will be able to predict potential journeys based on previous travel and will incorporate apps like Spotify to give users a broader range of services.

Before this announcement was made, rumours were flying around that Mercedes-Benz were looking into aftermarket solutions for CarPlay support. It has now been confirmed that CarPlay will be included in the production of all 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars, as well as the Ferrari FF and the Volvo XC90 SUV. Honda, Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover are expected to follow suit soon too.

This is all great new for car stereo fitters. The new CarPlay system will have an incredible presence in the car stereo industry and will help to inject some life into what has, in recent years, been a flailing business. This would mark the return of an industry that Apple inadvertently stole with the dawn of the iPod.

Canvey Carriage Company on what the budget means for motorists

Following yesterday’s budget, Canvey Carriage Company decided to bring you a quick run though of what it means for motorists. There were a handful of small measure that will hopefully help Britain’s road users everywhere.

There will be a freeze on fuel duty until spring next year, meaning the rise that was planned for this September has now been abandoned. George Osborne outlined how this freeze would make petrol 20 pence per litre cheaper on average.

There were however, details of an increase in vehicle excise duty, in line with inflation. This means that from the 1st of April, any cars that fall into band D or higher will rise by £5 or more. Vehicle owners will be able to pay for their vehicle excise on a monthly, biannual or annual basis from October 2014. Remaining tax on a car being sold on will no longer be transferrable. 

Osborne also gave details on a £200 million fund for local authorities to repair potholes, which was welcomed by the Institute of Advanced Motorists. UK roads have been hit hard by bad weather over the last few years so every little helps in terms of repairs. The RAC on the other hand have stated that to simply patch up potholes perhaps isn’t enough. They suggested that whole stretches of road need to be resurfaced regularly. They said that patching up potholes is a false economy that leads to more damage to the cars of taxpayers on a year by year basis.

Exemption from car tax for classic cars will move to a 40-year rolling period as of April this year. Models such as the Austin Allegro and the Reliant Robin will qualify for tax exemption, potentially increasing their resale value.

These are largely positive steps for motorists across the country and we should begin to see their benefits in the coming months.

If you’re looking for a new used car, why not check out the Canvey Carriage Company website, where you’ll find our exquisite range of quality used cars. You can also follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook for more stories like this. 

Canvey Carriage Company on Eco-Friendly Cars

At Canvey Carriage Company we understand that fuel economy is an important topic. Potential buyers want to make sure they’re buying a car that will go easy on the bank balance throughout their relationship with it. Car firms are responding to this by producing ever-more fuel efficient cars. It is now common to see new cars returning more than 80 miles per gallon. Low CO2 emissions are also important, and if you purchase an eco-friendly car, you pay lower tax on it. The team at CanveyCarriage Company have compiled a guide to some of the most efficient and cheapest new cars money can buy.

Vauxhall Ampera/Chevrolet Volt - 27g/km

The Chevrolet and the Vauxhall combine an electric-drive and petrol-powered electricity generator for when the circa-40 mile range is exhausted, giving EV motoring without the range restrictions, and a staggering official combined economy figure of 235.4mpg. Pretty impressive!

Toyota Prius Plug-in - 49g/km

This is a regular Toyota Prius with the addition of batteries that can be charged from your mains electricity supply. Because they can store more electricity, they allow an all-electric range of up to 15 miles before the petrol engine kicks in. Thanks to this, the official combined consumption figure shoots up, to 134.5mpg.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid – 79g/km, 80.7mpg

The Yaris Hybrid is a combination of a 1.5 litre engine and electric motor drivetrain from the Prius and Auris with the lighter, more compact Yaris body. This lightness makes it even more fuel-efficient than it’s bigger siblings. It averages up to 81mpg and emitting just 79g/km CO2 - Toyota's lowest-ever figure. This car can travel for up to a mile on electric power alone.

Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 ECO – 83g/km, 88.3mpg

This car has a 1.5-litre diesel engine that’s capable of 88.3mpg and emits just 83g/km CO2. This is a stylish option for budget-conscious buyers. And when it comes to green credentials, it trumps the VW Polo BlueMotion and Ford Fiesta ECOnetic.

Hyundai i20 1.1 CRDi Blue – 84g/km, 88.3mpg

Hyundai have given their i20 supermini a facelift recently and these revisions include the new super-efficient diesel model, using the firm's excellent 1.1-litre three-cylinder engine. This car emits just 84g/km and averages an impressive 88.3mpg. Hyundai offer a great deal here with the greenest regular-engine road car, for one of the best-value prices on the road.

Canvey Carriage Company on Popular Car Colours

Here at Canvey Carriage Company, we love all things car. This week, we decided to take a look at most popular car colours amongst drivers and why some are more favoured than others.

While they may be less easy to spot in the dark, heat up more quickly in the sun and call to mind taxis and hearses, black cars are eternally popular in the UK. However, silver and blue cars continue to outstrip their darker brothers. A recent survey showed that around 29% of cars on the roads are silver, while 23% are blue.

The same survey also suggested that red and green cars have become less popular in recent years and that there was little difference between the sexes  in terms of car colour, though women were slightly more inclined towards blue and green vehicles.

Black cars are apparently more popular in the North East, while silver is preferred in Northern Ireland.  Yorkshire and Humberside tend towards red, and the West Midlands go for white cars. There weren’t many orange cars but they were more likely to be owned by older drivers in the South East. The higher the social status the more likely the driver was to own a silver car.

Does Car Colour Matter?

Canvey Carriage Company understand that cars mean different things to different people. It is true that the colour of your car can indicate various things about your lifestyle.

Status: Some feel that black or white cars denote status whilst those with orange, yellow or purple cars are trying to be whacky.

Sale: When it comes to reselling the car there are still two clear contenders for most saleable colours – silver and black. Sellers of purple or beige cars may struggle. Various police forces switched to silver cars a few years ago to cash in on better resale values.

Spick and span: One of the attractions of silver is the feeling that it is by far the easiest to keep clean or indeed appear to be clean. Black and white cars tend to show up the dirt.

Safest: Lighter colours are felt to be the safest. Yellow, white and then red topped the poll for safety. In bad light some colours are easier to spot than others hence the importance of using your lights when visibility is poor.

Sanest: A motoring psychologist has suggested that owners of beige or pastel coloured cars are more likely to suffer from depression. The happiest drivers have blue metallic cars. Owners of black cars try to top the pecking order whilst white car owners tend to be distant and aloof. Other psychologists suggest that silver denotes prestige and wealth but has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying.

Suits: Some people argue that a certain colour may suit a particular model of car such as a red Ferrari or British Racing Green older MG. Others accept that more quirky cars (2CVs, Beetles) can get away with more exotic colours.

Canvey Carriage Company on Toyota Recall

Canvey Carriage Company read today that Toyota is to recall of 1.9 million Prius hybrid cars due to a fault with speed control. Toyota, the world's biggest car maker said cars may suddenly slow down due to a problem with software. In some cases, they said, the car may even come to a full halt while being driven.

They also said, however, that the fault may simply activate the warning light and cause the car to enter “failsafe mode”. While the cars would still operate, they would do so at a reduced output. If the car was to stop, it would not do so suddenly, instead making a gradual slow before coming to a stop.

The issue centres around the boost converter in the Intelligent Power Module. The boost converter is required when for example you accelerate hard from a standstill. The problem was identified through Toyota’s stringent quality reporting system.

Toyota confirmed it had identified at least 400 faulty vehicles, three-quarters of those were discovered in Japan. The recall will now affect 30,790 Prius cars in the UK and 700,000 in the US. There have been no reports so far of any accidents or injuries relating to this issue, though it is a recurring problem.

All the vehicles that are affected by the software problem will be recalled for a system update. Registered owners will be contacted by Toyota over the next few weeks by post or telephone. They will be invited to take their car to their nearest Toyota garage where a full update will be carried out.

Toyota and other Japanese car firms have suffered a series of high profile recalls in recent years, which has undermined their reputation for quality control. In the US a recall has also been issued on 260,000 2012 RAV4s, Tacomas and Lexus RX 350s over an unconnected potential braking issue. They have also recently announced an end to production in Australia. Read more on that here.

Canvey Carriage Company

Welcome to the new Canvey Carriage Company Blog!

This is the Canvey Carriage Company blog, where we will share the latest trends and stories in the world of motoring.

At Canvey Carriage Company we specialise in used cars and have a huge range of makes and models to suit your budget and lifestyle. We will offer tips and tricks for buying a used car.

We aim to update this blog at least once a week and in the meantime would love to hear from you in the comments box below, or via Twitter.