There is little doubt that the SsangYong Rodius is a lot of car for the money.  And cabbie John Harbourne from Rowley Regis in the West Midlands can’t praise his new vehicle from Cab Direct highly enough.  He Says: “I wanted a car that does the job and the Rodius is just that.  It is absolutely great.”

John, who also owns a Citroen C5 and a Fiat Ducato, was looking for something more prestigious when he bought his new taxi and he certainly found that in the Rodius.  He explains: “I do a lot of business work, taking customers to and from the airport and the Rodius is ideal.  I was looking for an executive car and the Rodius fits the bill perfectly.  It’s a prestige vehicle.” 

Versatility

If you need versatility and space then the Rodius is for you.  Not only can it seat seven adults but a whole lot of luggage too.  And with 8 different combinations, whether you need luggage space or people space, the amazing range of seat combinations means there’s a variant that will work for you, whatever the job. 

John is delighted with the versatility of the Rodius. He says: “I recently took 5 passengers and 5 suitcases to the airport – no problem.  The boot space is excellent and the sliding back seat is great.  And the comfort levels are fantastic too – my customers always comment on the comfort.  I’ve had nothing but positive feedback”

Driveability

The largest MPV in its class, the Rodius offers a unique combination of space and strength.  Together with great power, it also offers superb handling.  And John has certainly felt the benefit of this.  He comments:  “For driveability it’s great.  You’ve got

all the power you need under you. It’s fantastic.  And the driving position is excellent too – it gives you a great visual.”

The quality and style of the Rodius is clear for all to see.  And the unique design ensures that it turns heads wherever it goes.  John couldn’t be happier with his new cab and by all accounts his customers are happy too!

With such high specification, flexible centre seating, masses of space and the choice of manual or automatic transmission you might expect the Rodius to cost the earth.  Think again.  From an amazing £14,495 including vat the Rodius packs a huge punch.  And with Cab Direct’s exclusive 3 year, 250 mile warranty you can’t afford to miss out on this superb offer.

For further information on the SsangYong Rodius call Cab Direct on 0800 916 3058, visit www.cabdirect.com or email info@cabdirect.com

Several cities have expressed interest in a 'greener' black cab

The manufacturer of the iconic London black cab has signed a deal to design and build a battery-powered taxi with no carbon emissions.

Manganese Bronze says the car will have a top speed of 50 miles per hour and a range of 100km on each battery charge, costing about 4p per mile to run.

It will work with electric vehicles specialist Tanfield Group, with the car built in the UK and launched in 2009.

The joint venture follows interest from several cities keen to cut emissions.

But the higher cost of buying the taxi means it is only likely to take a small part of the market, Manganese says.

'Significant savings'

Manganese's most recent model, the TX4, costs between £28,000 and £33,000.

The cost of the batteries means the zero-emission version will cost more than this, though no price tag has yet been put on it.

Savings over the lifetime of the vehicle would be "significant" said Mark Fryer, Manganese's group finance and business development director.

But he conceded that the higher sale price made putting the commercial case for the new vehicles "more difficult".

"I do not think we will see a significant substitute impact unless there is change in regulations," he said.

"This will be something for a small group of drivers."

Downturn impact

Mr Fryer added that Manganese had been approached by several cities - including some in Scandinavia - that were interested in using the existing diesel-powered black cabs, but felt that the emission levels were too high.

Later this year Manganese Bronze will begin manufacturing the black cab in Shanghai in a deal with Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely.

Hong Kong already has London taxis which were made elsewhere and shipped to the territory.

Last week, Manganese Bronze warned that sales so far this year had been affected by the uncertainty which has swept through London's financial market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7360426.stm

Twelve determined climbers recently took on the tough Three Peaks Challenge for the Paul O’Gorman Leukemia Research centre and Cab Direct was there to lend a helping hand.
The National Three Peaks Challenge is steadily becoming a well-known phrase amongst the more adventurous.  It involves climbing the 3 highest mountains in the UK within 24 hours.  The steep peaks of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon total a staggering 11,180 vertical feet and climbers are against the clock!
Matt Sinclair, the team leader of the group was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer, Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in 2005 and wanted to complete the challenge for the University of Glasgow Trust for the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre.
The £3 million centre, based at Glasgow University campus, was opened in May this year and provides advanced facilities and equipment for clinicians and researchers to translate laboratory findings into new treatments for leukaemia patients.
The group had planned their trip for the 21st of June this year but were having problems sourcing suitable transport for the event.  Allied Vehicles, Cab Direct’s parent company,  saved the day and not only provided one of their accessible minibuses printed with impressive graphics, but also an enthusiastic driver, Sales Director Peter Facenna.
The group left for the Scottish Highlands on the 21st of June as planned and began their climb of Ben Nevis at 4pm before making their journey to England, commencing their climb of Scafell at 3am.  Braving the treacherous rain and gale force winds of 65mph the group just managed to reach Wales and take on Snowdon with the last man finishing with just minutes to spare!
The team returned home blistered and bruised but thankfully no serious injuries were sustained during the trip.  The target for the challenge was to raise £6000 for the Paul O’Gorman Centre but the target was smashed with a total of £15,750 being raised between the group.

Commenting on the challenge Matt Sinclair said: “I’m very glad that we took on this tough challenge and made it.  My legs certainly felt pain for the following week but because of this challenge, £15,750 will now go to the new Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Facility in Scotland, where people with Leukaemia all over the world will benefit.  I would like to thank Peter and Cab Direct as without them we couldn’t have done it.”
Cab Direct were delighted that they could help out the group.  Sales Director Peter Facenna commented: “Driving the climbers around for long hours was tough and the weather certainly took its toll on all of us but myself and Cab Direct were delighted to support Matt and the team for such a worthy cause. Well done to all who took part!”
Cab Direct supplied the jumbo Ford Transit minibus with tailgate for the challenge which is just one of many vehicles available from their extensive accessible range.

To find out more on Cab Direct’s minibus range freephone 0800 916 3058, email info@cabdirect.com or visit www.cabdirect.com