United Kingdom
The big news of the year 2000 for Ford was the launch of its all-new Mondeo. The original 1993 Mondeo was one of the best selling European cars of the 1990s thanks to its modern looks, excellent handling and competitive pricing. The new Mondeo looks set to continue this trend thanks to its distinctive styling as well as its spacious, comfortable and well-appointed interior. As with the previous Mondeo, it is an excellent car to drive and comes equipped with a good range of engines. The current line-up consists of 1.8 and 2.0 four-cylinder petrol units, as well a 2.0 turbo-diesel and a 2.5 V6 petrol.
Meanwhile, the Escort nameplate has finally been discontinued after 33 years, four incarnations and three facelifts.
Vauxhall has expanded the Astra range to include a stylish new coupe and cabriolet. It has also entered the roadster market with the VX220 (Opel Speedster on the continent), a two-seater roadster with a turbocharged 2.2 engine, a top speed of nearly 140 mph and a superb chassis derived from the Lotus Elise. The Corsa supermini has finally been replaced by an all-new model after eight years. The new Corsa is a big improvement on its predecessor thanks to its upmarket interior, good range of engines, fine handling "Dynamic Safety Chassis" and competitive pricing. New to the range is a swift 1.8 GSi hot hatchback which gives Vauxhall a real competitor for the likes of the Citroën Saxo VTR and Peugeot 206 GTI.
BMW splits up and sells the Rover Group after six years of ownership. Land Rover becomes part of the Ford combine, while the all-new Mini will be produced by BMW from its launch in 2001. The original Mini finally ceased production in October, after 41 years on sale. The remainder of the company is sold to an independent group called the Phoenix Consortium and becomes MG Rover, who in 2001 will be bringing out an estate version of the Rover 75 as well as three MG-badged sports saloons.
Read more about this topic: 2000 In Motoring
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