• NISSAN Motor Co., Ltd. has confirmed a four-year global partnership with the UEFA Champions League including the UEFA Super Cup. This agreement represents the Japanese manufacturer’s largest ever sponsorship deal and will establish Nissan as an official partner worldwide from 2014/15 to and including the 2017/18 seasons. “Innovating to excite is what Nissan does, and as partners with UEFA we are looking to introduce new ways in which to enrich the UEFA Champions League experience,” said Roel de Vries, corporate vice president and global head of marketing and Communications for Nissan. “Europe’s most prestigious football competition will be an important global platform for Nissan, and our aim is to show fans all over the world the excitement of both football and our cars. Both are created by amazing people who have a passion for what they do. As an official partner, Nissan will have extensive rights to the matches, pre-match training sessions, content, media, hospitality, events and the final.”

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• BRITISH research among motorists at the start of 2014 revealed that over 70 percent of motorists worry most about the price of fuel — the same as 2013. “With nearly three quarters of respondents to the survey using their car every day, clearly every aspect of the cost of motoring is a worry,” said Tim Naylor, of the BCA Used Car Market Report. “The cost of fuel remains top of the list of concerns — despite the fact that the AA has reported a steady drop in prices over the last year. The reality is that fuel prices today are still much higher than they were just a few years ago — and for many motorists it’s hard to forget when unleaded was under one pound sterling a liter. Over one in five are convinced the fuel retailers are failing to pass on potential savings and a quarter of drivers are frustrated by the lack of action by the government to tackle the cost of motoring.”

The Top Five Concerns about Motoring Costs in 2014 are: The price of fuel; the cost of road tax; insurance costs; vehicle maintenance and servicing; and finally, parking.

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• LEXUS will unveil its new premium mid-size crossover, the NX at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on April 20. The new model, based on the LF-NX concept car revealed at last year’s Frankfurt and Tokyo motor shows, marks Lexus’s entry into the compact crossover market. With a striking design and use of advanced technologies, it will set new standards for other future Lexus models. Lexus will also display the new RC F high performance coupe in China.

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• INFINITI has outlined its commitment to delivering its premium brand promise to customers in Saudi Arabia. Through an expanded dealer network of Infiniti Centers, the entire Infiniti performance range will be backed by full genuine parts availability and highly-trained technicians. As a strategic partner to the brand in the Kingdom, Al-Ghassan Motors will play a significant role. Francois Goupil de Bouille, vice president, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), said: “We are announcing our plan to strengthen Infiniti’s presence in Saudi Arabia. Infiniti is entering an exciting and new phase of its future as it commits to building a global brand. Saudi Arabia is instrumental for our plans in the region and therefore globally.”