12:55 pm, April 1, 2023
This year car makers and automotive brands have been releasing their new concepts especially for April 1st.
The April Fools range from product recalls to new dealership practices. Take a look below to see if you were caught out by any.
Isuzu badge mix-up
Isuzu announced this morning that a small number of its D-Max pick-ups sold in the past 12 months had been produced with an incorrect badge – reading ‘IZUSU’ instead of ‘ISUZU’.
It recommended that customers who have purchased a vehicle from them check the front of their vehicle as soon as possible, but added that this won’t affect performance, capability or safety.
Neil Scott, Isuzu UK’s national sales manager, said: ‘We take quality control and customer satisfaction very seriously, and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. The company has taken immediate steps to address the issue and ensure that it does not happen again.’
Volkswagen nail varnish
Volkswagen revealed this morning that it will be releasing a range of nail varnishes that match its range of paint colours – so people can perfectly match their cars.
It said: ‘Nail art is one of the quickest growing trends among fashion-conscious millennials, regardless of gender.
‘The Volkswagen nail varnish range lets people get creative and glamorous while also co-ordinating with their cars – whether they want to paint the town Kings Red, Lapiz Blue or Oryx White…
‘And there’s one added bonus. The range is specially formulated using a Fashionable Oil Overhaul Lacquer – known as F.O.O.L – so it can even be used to temporarily repair scratches and scrapes on car paintwork.’
Jeep’s ‘Mud’ paint option
Want your Jeep to look rough and ready without having to leave the city? On the Jeep Compass, this April 1 you can choose to ‘get the Mud look’.
When specifying the crossover, customers can option three mud finishes – Clay, Soil and Silt. They’re developed by soil scientists, too, and it sounds just believable enough to be really available on new Jeeps.
Sprayed on in booths at the factory, the ‘mudification’ process ensures the Compass is plastered from top to bottom and a ‘Mud-On’ package can even be bought for those wanting to do the same at home.
Honda launches HUSH to keep passengers quiet
Honda’s latest technology, launched this morning, is a noise-cancelling technology for inside your vehicle.
The Honda Ultra Quiet Sonic Hub, or HUSH, gives drivers peace and quiet from annoying noises on long journeys.
It features detection of unwanted noises such as children screaming and a ‘pre-set recognition of phrases such as “you’ve missed the turn”, “I would’ve gone the other way” and “are we there yet?”.
Pumped-Up Pooches from Skoda
Want to buy a new Skoda but unsure if your dog will fit in the car’s boot? Well, Skoda has devised its way of checking for April Fool’s Day – Pumped-Up Pooches.
According to news out today, Skoda dealers will have an inflatable version of all 222 dog breeds recognised by the Kennel Club at their showrooms.
When pumped up, you can see how well the pooch will fit in the boot of a Fabia or Octavia.
Fuel car with the RAC’s OrangeJuice
The RAC is notoriously serious when it comes to motoring matters but this year the organisation decided to poke fun at the fuel retailers it believes are over-charging customers by launching its own fuel this April 1 – OrangeJuice.
It’s designed to appeal to a large segment of hard-pressed motorists so that they can squeeze out that extra mile from their fuel.
It said: ‘While it’s difficult to quantify the number of extra miles drivers are likely to get from a full 55-litre tank of OrangeJuice™, real-world tests have found drivers have managed to squeeze out up to five a day.
‘As there is only one grade of OrangeJuice™ it will be priced competitively in relation to petrol and diesel.
‘Produced to reflect the RAC’s iconic brand, OrangeJuice™ is 100 per cent orange, and zero per cent fruit. The RAC believes it’s the best ‘juice’ drivers can put in their vehicles.’
Subaru reveals all-heel drive walking shoes
Subaru announced this morning that following years of development it would be making a walking shoe with all-heel drive technology.
The Suba-Shoes were run on its website with customers able to get on the waiting list now.
Subaru wrote: ‘The All-Heel Drive system works via an omni-loaded drive cup that helps customers power through tough miles.
‘A car rubber outer sole provides extra grip over the harder surfaces such as gravel and rock, whereas spongier compounds along the outer edge of the shoe give extra grip on softer, muddy grounds.’
