The Peugeot 3008 model has been named as Car of the Year 2017 by a jury of experts at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

In total, 58 journalists from 22 European countries made up the jury, which whittled down the options to seven finalists for the title.

The other cars in the running were the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Citroen C3, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Nissan Micra, Toyota C-HR and Volvo S90/V90.

However, it was the Peugeot that emerged the winner, with the jury looking at value for money, innovation, security and design when making their decision.

Hakan Matson, president of the jury, commented: “The jury recognises that the market share of SUVs and crossover cars has been steadily increasing. The Peugeot is a worth winner.”

This is the first time that an SUV has been awarded the coveted Car of the Year prize at the motor show.

Peugeot launched the new 3008 model at the beginning of 2017 and it has picked up numerous awards since then. Among its features are the state-of-the-art Peugeot i-Cockpit interior layout, which the company claims provides a “more intuitive and engaging driving experience”.

Within this i-Cockpit are a multi-function steering wheel, a 12.3” head up digital instrument display and an 8.0” capacitive touchscreen.

A recent review of the model in the Guardian described the SUV as “refined, resourceful and alluring”.

You could always make your Peugeot 3008 look even more special by investing in alloy wheels for the car once you’ve picked it up from the forecourt.

With the UK braced to experience a cold snap as we move into March, now is the ideal time to make sure you know how to drive safely in icy and snowy conditions.

Firstly, you need to make sure your vehicle is in good condition before you set off. Top up the screenwash, check your tyre pressures and check that all your lights are working.

Once you set off, you need to remember that when the roads are icy, the grip of your tyres is significantly reduced, and therefore your braking distance will be considerably longer. Make sure you leave a larger gap than normal between your vehicle and the one in front to stay safe.

Keeping your driving smooth – so that’s in terms of acceleration, braking and gear changes – will help avoid any skids, and don’t worry about driving in a higher gear than usual if this helps you improve your car’s grip on packed ice.

Of course, in the UK wintry weather also often means windy weather and that brings its own challenges.

The RAC recently offered some top tips if you’re setting out on a drive in very windy conditions, which include making sure you have supplies in case your journey takes longer than expected, and to carefully plan your journey.

Other top tips include driving more slowly than usual and to be aware of the effect strong winds can have on the handling of your car. Remember that winds gust, so be prepared for sudden blasts of wind, rather than a consistent wind that you can easily anticipate.

If you’re thinking of adding alloy wheels to your car, contact us to find out what we offer.

Driving can be a really pleasurable experience and something that many people absolutely love to do. But the state of the roads in the UK can often make it more like a nightmare than anything else, as the last thing you want to do is cause damage to your car as you bob along.

Potholes can be found absolutely everywhere and they can cause untold damage to a vehicle, whether it’s to the tyres, wheels, the steering wheel centring, the tracking or something else. Hitting a pothole at higher speed can cause serious problems and you could even lose control of the car and have an accident if you’re really unlucky – so if you do see a pothole, do all you can to avoid it or drive over it as slowly as you can.

Last year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey revealed that the total amount spent in England and Wales in 2015 on filling potholes across each region was estimated to be just over £118 million. This compares to the £144 million spent filling them in the year before – which suggests that pothole problems are only going to increase for drivers in the future.

So what do you do if your car is damaged by a pothole? Your first call to action should be to report it, so that it can be logged officially and your local council has an obligation to get it fixed. Warranty Direct recently set up a dedicated site to help with this (potholes.co.uk), or you could go with fillthathole.org.uk – either one will help you get the ball rolling. Alternatively, you could just get in touch with your local council directly.

However, bear in mind that if you do drive over a pothole and your car sustains serious damage, you could have a claim against the authority that’s responsible for keeping the roads in good condition.

While the pothole problem in the UK doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, there may well be a change in the air. According to the Daily Telegraph, the Court of Appeal has just ruled that councils should be forced to fix potholes immediately after jogger Lee Crawley tripped on a deep pothole while out running and was unable to bear weight on his ankle for ten days.

Barnsley Council argued that it wasn’t to blame because it took all reasonable care in the circumstances to make sure the highway in question wasn’t dangerous. But Mr Crawley claimed that the authority’s breach of duty and negligence directly caused his injury.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how this pans out and whether councils around the UK do start to fix potholes in a more timely manner. We’ll be keeping an eye on this story for any developments and let you know what goes on!

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