CONFIDENTIAL

THE KIA SOUL WILL continue to be sold in the UK for the foreseeable future despite occupying a similar market position to the new Stonic SUV. Kia UK boss Paul Philpott said the Soul was a more polarising car than the Stonic but noted that around 2000 are sold in the UK each year despite the current model having been on sale since 2014.

LAMBORGHINI BOSS Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that Sant’agata is currently considering an “extreme aero” limitedproduction car to rival the Mclaren Senna and Aston Martin Valkyrie. Such a car would be “in the vein of Centenario and Veneno”, two multi-million-pound hypercars with seven-digit price tags and strictly capped build runs. However, Domenicali also admitted that series production cars are “the main priority [for Lamborghini] right now”.

SKODA COULD INVEST in a new factory as it struggles to meet growing production demands, according to sales boss Alain Favey. He said the new factory would need to have a “similar cost base to the Czech Republic” and be in Europe. He confirmed that the UK is on the list but warned he wasn’t sure it “would fit with parameters”, suggesting the outcome of Brexit could be a factor.

DESPITE WORLDWIDE best-seller status across its 29-year lifespan, the Mazda MX-5 is only Europe’s second-best-selling sports car so far this year, with 8545 sold in the EU to the end of June. The best seller is the Porsche 911, with 12,734 finding owners so far in 2018.