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More new car choice than ever before; Dealers line up bargains for 2010.(Features)

Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) February 23, 2010 Byline: BARRIE MILLS AS prospective car buyers line up to be first on the block with the new ’10’ registration plate next month, there is plenty to tempt them into the showrooms. site aston martin rapide

There are important new models for almost all the major manufacturers, with the rest announcing key upgrades and makeovers for some of their most popular cars.

If optimistic economic forecasts are proved right, and the country moves further out from under the black cloud of recession, then 2010 could be a good year for car makers, dealers and motorists alike.

In this special Liverpool ECHO supplement, we are highlighting some of the big brands who have plenty to shout about as they look ahead to one of their traditionally busy times of the year.

While the credit crunch has taken some of the shine off the twice-yearly registration plate change in recent times, dealers on Merseyside and elsewhere around the UK are cautiously optimistic that this year really will prove to be a Perfect 10.

In these pages we’re highlighting models like the impressive new Fiat Punto Evo, the upwardly-mobile Ford Ka, Fiesta and Focus, the refined and reliable new-look Honda CR-V, and its siblings the Jazz and Civic, the dynamic SEAT Ibiza range and the class-leading Toyota Auris and Yaris.

And that’s not all: it’s a busy year for model launches across the industry, from the executive luxury of the new Audi A8 and BMW 5-Series, to the raw power of the Aston Martin Rapide and supercharged Jaguar XKR coupe, and from the economy and value of the Chevrolet Spark to the bold new looks of the MINI Countryman.

On Merseyside, after a period of uncertainty over the future of parent company General Motors, Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant is looking ahead to a brighter future with the latest Astra looking certain to deliver excellent sales as the model name enters its 31st year.

Meanwhile, across the river at Halewood, the Land Rover Freelander 2 is another example of the latest – and best – incarnation of a popular model which is proudly built by a Merseyside workforce.

So take a look at what’s on offer and then get along to your local dealers – many are offering special packages including low-interest finance, or trade-in offers to soften the blow of the imminent end of the government’s new-for-old scrappage scheme, which is being phased out at the end of March.

Without a doubt, this is the biggest time of year for buying new cars and competition has never been so fierce.

The downturn followed a period of the most intensive investment, with more new models having arrived in recent months than ever before. here aston martin rapide

It is the biggest buyers” market in history, with the best-ever cars loaded with the most equipment at the lowest prices.

The latest cars have been given the sort of safety, security and luxury features as standard that were once expensive optional extras, including air conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows and masses of air bags.

Despite this huge investment there are remarkable deals to be done on even the most lavishly-equipped models.

Gas guzzlers may be more expensive to run but you can buy an awful lot of fuel with the thousands of pounds that are currently being knocked off them.

Even the more mainstream and economical models are being offered with generous discounts to encourage potential buyers to take the plunge.

In other cases prices are not only reduced but models leaving the assembly lines are being crammed with masses of equipment at no extra cost.

Most manufacturers are introducing new low-cost entry-level models and in the case of the most expensive cars the reductions are literally thousands of pounds.

The bottom line is that this is undoubtedly the greatest buyers” market ever with the biggest bargains of all time.

CAPTION(S):

LOCAL HEROES: The Vauxhall Astra, left, built at Ellesmere Port, and the Halewoodbuilt Land Rover Freelander FAST FORWARD: The Aston Martin Rapide offers four-door luxury with outstanding performance – at a price