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Latest News
Wednesday 1st September 2010 - 09:00
Citroën DS3 Racing: The Race Is On
Developed by Citroën Racing - the winning team behind five WRC Manufacturer’s titles and six Driver’s titles for Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena - DS3 Racing has an impeccable sporting pedigree. The specially tuned 1.6-litre THP engine produces 207hp and maximum torque of 275Nm, which means DS3 Racing boasts a top speed of 146mph, a 0-62mph time of just 6.5 seconds and takes just 26.5 seconds to cover 1,000m from a standing start.
Based on the top-of-the-range DS3 DSport THP 150, DS3 Racing has been extensively modified by Citroën Racing to deliver optimised sporting characteristics and specific equipment from the world of motorsport.
Significantly better specified than many of its competitors, DS3 Racing is a driver’s car that doesn’t compromise on comfort or convenient technology - standard equipment includes automatic digital air conditioning, Bluetooth® with USB connectivity, and an eight-speaker HiFi system. DS3 Racing also has some new features such as S.ESP (Switchable Electronic Stability Programme) and the Citroën eTouch Assistance System.
DS3 Racing is available in two distinctive colour schemes, one with an Obsidian Black (pearlescent) body and a Sport Orange roof the other features a Polar White body with a Carbon Grey roof. The roof colours are matched to the alloy wheels, door mirrors, chevrons, grille surround, tailgate spoiler and dashboard fascia.
DS3 Racing is priced at £23,100 MRRP OTR, including VAT set at the new 20% rate as first deliveries are expected to commence early in 2011.
Citroën have confirmed that 200 RHD cars will come to the UK and strong demand is already evident with more than 1,500 enquiries made through Citroën’s UK website alone. So don’t get left behind – Freeborn is a DS dealership, so talk to our sales teams today.
Wednesday 1st September 2010 - 08:30
High Five: New Citroën C4 Receives 5* EuroNCAP Safety Rating
Citroën’s new C4 has been awarded the maximum 5-star safety rating by independent assessors Euro NCAP, including a score of 97% in the ‘Safety assist’ category - the highest score for any vehicle of its type. EuroNCAP’s findings confirm that the new Citroën C4 will meet the needs of the most safety-conscious drivers when it goes on sale early next year.
With a range of driving aids fitted as standard, the new Citroën C4 offers drivers exceptional on-road control.
New C4’s safety-enhancing technology includes ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), EBA (Emergency Braking Assistance) and ESP (Electronic Stability Programme). In addition, occupants are cocooned in a safe and secure environment, with protection from six airbags across the range (driver, front passenger, front lateral and curtain).
The new C4 also offers innovative new safety features, some of which are unique to the segment. These include a new monitoring system that alerts drivers to the presence of vehicles in the car’s blind spots, a cornering light function for improved visibility in bends, cruise control and speed-limiter with five programmable road speed memory settings, and the new Citroën eTouch Assistance System, which offers on-board functionality for a swift response to incidents.
Launched in the UK early in 2011, the new Citroën C4 builds on the 5-star Euro NCAP credentials of its predecessor, which at launch, was also one of the safest vehicles in its class.
Keep in touch with the Freeborn website and sales teams to hear more about C4’s arrival in our showrooms.
With a range of driving aids fitted as standard, the new Citroën C4 offers drivers exceptional on-road control.
New C4’s safety-enhancing technology includes ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), EBA (Emergency Braking Assistance) and ESP (Electronic Stability Programme). In addition, occupants are cocooned in a safe and secure environment, with protection from six airbags across the range (driver, front passenger, front lateral and curtain).
The new C4 also offers innovative new safety features, some of which are unique to the segment. These include a new monitoring system that alerts drivers to the presence of vehicles in the car’s blind spots, a cornering light function for improved visibility in bends, cruise control and speed-limiter with five programmable road speed memory settings, and the new Citroën eTouch Assistance System, which offers on-board functionality for a swift response to incidents.
Launched in the UK early in 2011, the new Citroën C4 builds on the 5-star Euro NCAP credentials of its predecessor, which at launch, was also one of the safest vehicles in its class.
Keep in touch with the Freeborn website and sales teams to hear more about C4’s arrival in our showrooms.
Wednesday 1st September 2010 - 08:00
Introducing the Multi-Talented New Citroën DS4
DS4 brings an alluring mixture of premium design codes and a bold approach to automotive styling, with an emphasis on driving pleasure and advanced vehicle architecture. It’s a model with a multitude of talents, effortlessly responding to a broad range of owner needs.
DS4 combines sophistication and refinement with a dynamic coupé-like body, creating exceptional versatility and day-to-day practicality within a compact design. It delivers a new “at-the-wheel” experience with unrivalled driving sensations and outstandingly agile on-road handling. With its slightly raised stance and taut lines, DS4 is a unique and eye-catching addition to the segment.
Finely crafted to convey a prestigious presence both inside and out, DS4 offers meticulous detailing from carefully applied chrome touches to premium cabin materials - such as the finest quality leather seats. A large panoramic windscreen, offering enhanced occupant visibility, illuminates the driver-focused cockpit, creating a bright and welcoming environment.
Combining coupé style with 2+2 door practicality, DS4 offers three full-sized rear seats, accessed by rear doors with hidden handles that are seamlessly integrated into the body’s flowing lines. DS4 also benefits from a capacious 370-litre boot and a host of clever storage solutions.
DS4 comes with a choice of five refined and efficient engines - two HDi diesels and three petrol powerplants.
All engines deliver a combination of powerful performance – including a new to Citroën 200hp petrol unit - and ecologically sensitive motoring. Citroën’s new e-HDi drivetrains, for example, deliver improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
DS4 will be revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and is expected to go on sale later in 2011.
Thursday 19th August 2010 - 12:00
Time and advice are vital in making Motorhome Choices
And for the best advice, motorhome users with many years’ of experience are often the best source, especially if they also happen to work for a motorhome dealership where they have access to information about all the latest products.
Some dealers – among them Freeborn Motorhomes - also offer a “try before you buy” scheme to test whether this major lifestyle change is for you.
“I regard our information services as probably the most important that we offer to potential motorhome owners,” says James Saint, director of Freeborn Motorhomes in Godalming, Surrey, and its associated Romahome Centre at Freeborn Motor Village in Southampton.
“Well-informed future owners have real potential to become happy owners once they have discussed what they think they need from their motorhome and how matching their aspirations can best be achieved.
“Because my sales team is made up of enthusiastic motorhome users we have a real fund of knowledge for customers to access. And giving customers access to our trial scheme reassures them that they are making the correct lifestyle choice before they make what, for many, is regarded as a major investment.
“Motorhome magazines are a great help as they give lots of ideas. It’s a bit like researching where you want to live and the house you want to live in – it’s just that this house will have wheels attached and will go where you want it to!”
Freeborn holds franchises for Auto-Trail, Elddis, Excel, Trigano, and the Romahome range, made by another Freeborn Group company at Cowes on the Isle of Wight and offered through around a dozen dealerships nationally.
But not everyone wants a new vehicle, so outlets like Freeborn with a choice of 40 to 50 used vehicles mean it’s possible to survey a wide range of possibilities in one place.
“Time is an important factor,” adds James. “You want to set aside uninterrupted time so you can browse a dealership’s stock and see what different combinations of size, layout and interior fittings will suit your needs.
“It may be that you see different things, like an end kitchen or end lounge in one design and a large bathroom or fixed double bed in another, that appeal. Take the right advice and your motorhome sales adviser will find a vehicle that has the right combination.
“If you want it, there’s little doubt that a design team has beaten you to it and created your dream home already. All you need is someone with the expertise and contacts to find it for you and outlets like mine can search the UK to source the correct vehicle. Rarely do you need to compromise.”
James’s advice is to:
• read up about motorhomes before you set out to buy one
• go to an outlet such as ours that will advise you, at no cost, on what choices you have and let you try before you buy, as Freeborn will
• think about where you will take your vehicle as size really does matter – will you be able to park it easily, store it at home, or use it as an everyday vehicle, as many owners do?
• think about finance – dealers such as Freeborn have access to lenders offering favourable rates over longer periods because motorhomes are assets that hold value better than cars
• many motorhomes now have diesel engines as standard and automatic gearboxes among their options but with used vehicles a petrol engine may save you a significant amount on purchase but not add greatly to running costs on the typical low annual mileages covered
• there’s a vast range of after-market accessories like bike racks and roof boxes but remember that everything you add reduces payload, restricting what else you can take
• set aside sufficient time to make your choice.
Monday 9th August 2010 - 21:00
Romahome Impresses Dragons!
And no, it wasn't anyone from the Freeborn Group asking for £750,000 for 5% of the company (though if they'd like to make such an offer...).
A supposed new invention involving satellite navigation and tracking designed especially for motorhomes had been fitted to the Romahome R20 because it was one of the few vehicles compact enough to fit into the BBC studios near Slough.
Sadly the 'invention' went down like a lead balloon with the Dragons but we're delighted to say they loved our Romahome.
Now let's see if we can persuade Peter Jones to drive our smallest model, the R10, just to see how well his 6 foot 5 inch frame fits in!!
That would be a definite hit.
Monday 9th August 2010 - 08:00
Pilot Bob spreads his wings as he swaps plane for Motorhome
Bob, a former part-time air traffic controller at Sandown and Bembridge Airport on the Isle of Wight, almost gave up flying when a runaway plane struck him five years ago, causing serious injuries.
After five weeks in hospital and a further six months convalescing, he decided to carry on with his hobby with the aid of Jim Birnie, who had originally helped Bob gain his licence.
But Bob’s wife, Margaret, has decided she doesn’t want to fly any more so Bob (57) is going to see more of the world by driving to his destinations rather than dropping in on them.
“When you arrive places by aeroplane you are either stuck on the airport or have to find transport,” said Bob. “Our new Romahome R25, made close to where we live on the Isle of Wight, will give us much more freedom to get where we want to be.
“Margaret and I have also just got a new rescue dog, Charlie Bear, and he will be coming with us for Continental tours once we have his pet’s passport.”
Bob says that, apart from other running costs, fuel approaching £2 a litre and consuming 38 litres an hour meant his Piper Cherokee was becoming expensive to keep in the air. But his Romahome should go much further for the same money, making it easier to see the world.
“When I spoke to Andrew Harris at the Romahome Centre in Southampton, I said I would do a deal for a new R25 if he would take my plane in part exchange. Within half an hour he was back on the phone, having found a buyer, to provide me with the deal I wanted.
“The R25 has been adapted with wheelchair ramps at the Cowes factory and they have also installed a television for me but otherwise it was already perfect for what I want.
“I’ll start off by nipping from one end of the Island to the other to have a cup of tea but once Charlie’s passport is through we’ll be going much further afield!”
Andrew said that during several years in the motor trade he had never been asked to part exchange a plane before, although he had once taken a longboat in a motorhome deal.
“When Bob said what he wanted to trade in I thought it might be a challenge,” he added.
“But I only got as far as our parts department at the Freeborn Motor Village in Southampton where I mentioned the problem and Victoria Ward, who was visiting from Citroen UK, put me in touch with a buyer. I’ve had more trouble trying to shift Jeep Cherokees than I did the Piper!”
Bob won’t be losing the link with his plane entirely, though. Its call sign was G-ATVS and the number on his new Romahome is B7 TVS - but at least his travel costs won’t be sky high any more.
Monday 12th July 2010 - 10:30
PHILLIP TRULY AT HOME, THANKS TO FREEBORN AND AUTO-TRAIL
Wisely, the Freeborn team had taken the key out of the ignition when parking the £55,000 Cherokee with its leather interior, fixed double bed, superb kitchen, and luxury bathroom on the lawn outside ITV’s London studios. A disappointed Phillip turned to co-presenter Holly Willoughby and said he would “definitely” have driven away, given the chance.
The popular ITV team had been presenting a feature on camping and getting away with the family but none of the tents and gadgets they saw before entering the motorhome could persuade them that a life under canvas was an easier option.
Holly and Phillip readily agreed that with the motorhome the world was at their doorstep. It could literally be driven anywhere they wanted to go at the drop of a hat.
“When I was asked to provide a vehicle at the studio it was a chance too good to miss,” said Freeborn Motorhomes director James Saint.
“Our website address was shown on a caption during the programme and the hits started straight after the feature had finished.
“While we sent a top model to ITV, there are many more options for people with a tighter budget – or a bigger one! We have both new and used motorhomes covering a wide price spectrum and will happily guide potential owners inspired by the broadcast through all the options.
“Freeborn Motorhomes has a team of experts, all of whom are motorhome users, just waiting to impart advice and share their knowledge. We are only a phone call away on 0800 211 8 211 in Surrey or 0800 311 8 311 in Southampton – it’s a free call, so it’s literally free advice.”
To watch the feature on This Morning (the best bit with the Auto-Trail is towards the end, but worth waiting for), click below.
Sunday 28th February 2010 - 19:00
Romahome on the BBC
The Adventure Show reports on the Romahome R25.
Watch Cameron McNeish,
President of the Backpackers Club and
Vice President of the
Ramblers’ Association in Scotland
review the new Romahome R25.
Watch Cameron McNeish,
President of the Backpackers Club and
Vice President of the
Ramblers’ Association in Scotland
review the new Romahome R25.
Thursday 4th February 2010 - 08:00
New DS3 & Romahome at the British Leisure Show
See the new Citroen DS3 at the British Leisure Show at The Royal Windsor Racecourse between the 19th and the 21st of March 2010.
The Freeborn Group Stand will be exibiting the DS3 along with the full range of Romahome and a good selection of other branded motorhomes.
The Freeborn Group Stand will be exibiting the DS3 along with the full range of Romahome and a good selection of other branded motorhomes.
Saturday 30th January 2010 - 12:02
Another top award for Romahome
AS FIRST AWARD ARRIVES FOR NEW MODEL
Romahome, the motorhome manufacturer based on the Isle of Wight, is planning a 50 per cent rise in production this year as its models enjoy ever-growing popularity.
Managing director Brian Bailey says planned output is being lifted from its 2009 level of approximately 160 units to a record 240 as the company’s latest model, the R25, comes fully on-stream.
The R25, based on the second generation Citroen Berlingo and launched at the end of October, 2009, has already won its first award after being named small motorhome of the year by Motorcaravan and Motorhome Monthly magazine, the UK’s best selling motorhome publication.
“It’s fair to say that Romahome leads the small motorhome field and since we introduced the Outlook and Hylo models on the Citroen C15 base vehicle in the mid 80s we have been getting awards for our products,” explained Mr. Bailey.
“Outlook and Hylo graduated to the first Citroen Berlingo chassis and have been replaced by the R20 Hi and R20 Lo, both still on that chassis and winning awards until 2009. They now sit below the R25 in the current Romahome range of six models.
“It’s very pleasing although, without wishing to sound complacent, not surprising that the new R25 won its first award so early in its life.
“One of the main aims of the new design was to liberate interior space and it was this feature that wowed the judges and helped sway the decision in our favour.
“The new Citroen Berlingo’s layout allows us to incorporate the cab seats into the bed bases, effectively moving the beds forward to provide more living, kitchen, and bathroom space behind without more than a few inches being added to the overall external dimensions.
“The big thing about the R25, and the Outlook, Hy-lo and R20 models before it, is that it’s compact enough to be used as everyday transport, a role enhanced by R25’s four full seat belts.
“The current recession has not done much to dampen owners’ enthusiasm for the motorhome lifestyle – in fact at the many shows we attend there is ever more interest but owners have to be careful how they spend their money.
“Romahome models generally allow owners to make do with one vehicle but our largest product, the R40, is favoured more by people who probably run a car, too. Even so, its six belted seats and four berths make it ideal for families or older people who like to go out and about with children or grandchildren.
“Owners also seek quality, and the wealth of boat building expertise on the Isle of Wight allowed us to assemble a workforce that creates a higher quality product than many other motorhomes.”
The company, with its factory in Cowes, is part of the Southampton-based Freeborn Group and sells its products through a chain of a dozen dealerships across the UK, including a dedicated Romahome Centre in Southampton operated by the parent group.
It also uses its coachbuilding and conversion skills to create specialist commercial vehicles ranging from vans to deliver meals on wheels through to adapted 4x4s that allow public utility engineers to access remote places.
“Our good mix of products has allowed Romahome to keep its head above water – and our employees on overtime – when other makers have been cutting back or closing down,” added Mr. Bailey.
“But we are not over confident and will keep refining our designs. A large part of our success is to listen to our customers, who remain very loyal.”
Caption: Brian Bailey of Romahome receives the first award for the new R25 from Jane Jago, editor of Motorcaravan and Motorhome Monthly magazine