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Transcript of Auto Express - May 27, 2015 UK
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E C R NEWS WEEKLY
VOLVOX 90
VS
DIS OVERY
2 y 2 2 15
o. 1, £2 0
BRIT IN’S GGEST-SEL ING EEKLYC R M G
Hottest-ever Golf
Super-stylishSuperb estat
PLUS The ultimateguide tosummercar festivals
stunning concept thatroves W can do sexy
ew R400 rewrites hot hatch history
First look at Skoda’s classynew wagon
N
L
O
O
I
G
G
R
&
T
www.autoexpress
339955
MW SL
HOMMAGE
Super Swede eets b illia t rit in SUV shoot-ou
X LUSIV FIRST T ST
BHP
E C R NEWS WEEKLY
27 May-2 June 2015No. 1,372 | £2.90 BRIT IN’S B GGEST-SEL ING WEEK LYC R M G
G G E R
& E T
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ContentsNews | New Cars | Features | Tests | Products | Buying cars | Sport
Judgement day for the new Volvo XC90 as it squares up to Land Rover’s Discovery 42
BMW celebrates CSL with Hommage8
We reveal the design secrets of Ford’s stunning new GT20
BESTSUMMER
CAR SHOWGUIDE
Page 26
For more visitautoexpress.co.uk
NewsweekCOVER BMW CSL Hommage Famous name revived as classic is celebrated on new concept
COVER Skoda Superb Estate 1Official pictures and details of stylish new wagon
Diesel of the future driven 1We try hi-tech Bosch engine that will cut emissions significantly
Classics going extinct 1Shock figures reveal how few legendary cars are left in UK
COVER Fastest ever VW Golf 1Sensational new 395bhp Golf R400 spied undisguised
Call to cut drink-drive limits 1Rest of UK should follow Scotland, says Police Federation
Secrets of Ford’s GT revealed 2We get the inside line on 2016’s most exciting new supercar
FeaturesBig summer of motoring 2
Your ultimate guide to t his year’s best festivals for car fans
New carsPorsche 911 GT3 RS 3The definitive verdict on 493bhp racer for the road
Facelifted DS 5 3New exec ditches Citroen badge, but is it a class leader?
Mercedes-AMG C 63 Estate 3First UK drive as ultimate C-Class wagon blasts off
Fuel cell Hyundai 3Hydrogen ix35 points to the future – but costs £53,000
Alfa 4C Spider 3Is drop-top any better to drive than disappointing coupé?
Road testsCOVER New XC90 vs Discovery 4
Volvo and Land Rover seven-seaters go head-to-head
Flex machines 5New Kia Venga takes on Nissan Note and Ford B-MAX
Our cars 6It’s time to say farewell to the groundbreaking BMW i3
ProductsNew on the shelves 6Fantastic Project CARS game leads round-up of great gear
Tyre pressure gauges 6Two top buys head-to-head. Plus books and DVDs
Picnic hampers tested 6Which should you have in the boot of your car this summer?
Buying cars
RAV4 buyer’s guide 7Toyota SUV makes a great used choice from only £5,000
Best auto superminis 7Experts pick top buys from Ford, VW and Honda for £8,000
New car prices 7 All the info you need before you head to the showroom
RegularsConsumer news 2Watchdog solves your problems, plus you have your say
Sport 8Drivers back F1 revamp, plus latest news
Get Auto Express every week 8How to net a great deal on your favourite magazine
Back chat 9Mike Rutherford on world’s most profitable car companies
Classy Skoda Superb Estate revealed10 Storming Porsche 911 GT3 RS driven30
Onlinethis week
First drive verdicton new BMW 640d
THE6 SeriesGranCoupe
nowclaims almosthalfof
all6 Seriessales globally.We’llbe getting behind the
wheel of thepopular £64,875
640din the UKthisweek,
now powered bya new six-
cylinder twin-turboengine.
Developing309bhpand
630Nmof torque, it’senough
for the 640d tohit 0-62mph in
5.3 seconds, whilereturning
54.3mpg. Howwill the
newcomer fare onUK roads?
Log on toread our verdict.
R SH
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Modelshown is Renault Clio DynamiqueS NavTCe 90 available from £169 per month
3.9% APRrepresentative
From £149 per monthClio Dynamique representative example
Renault
CLIORestart your heart
The ocial fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Renault Clio Dynamique S Nav TCe 90 are: Urban 50.4 (5.6); Extra Urban 72.4(3.9); Combined 62.7 (4.5). The ocial CO2 emissions are 105g/km. EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008 test environment figures. Fuelconsumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors.
Finance provided by RCI Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. Subject to status. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. You must be at least 18 and a UK resident(excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands). Terms and conditions apply. Visit renault.co.uk for full details. Oers cannot be used with other schemes or finance oers and are available onfeatured new vehicle when ordered between 1 May2015 and30 June 2015 andregistered between 1 May2015 and 30 September2015.Oer based on 6,000 miles perannumexcessmileage of
8p per mile inc VAT. Participating dealers only. CLIO DYNAMIQUE S SHOWN – MONTHLY PAYMENT BASED ON £4,071 TOTAL DEPOSIT FOLLOWED BY 36 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF £169 ANDOFP OF £6,430.£500 deposit contribution EXCLUDESEXPRESSION. Clio shown has optional FlameRed Renault i.d.metallic paint,available at an additional £595.Excludes Expression models.
36 MONTHLY
PAYMENTS
OF
TOTAL
AMOUNT
OF CREDIT
TOTAL
AMOUNT
PAYABLE
CUSTOMER
DEPOSIT
FINANCE
FACILITY
FEE
DURATION CASH
PRICE
OPTIONAL
FINAL
PAYMENT
FIXED
INTEREST
RATE P.A.
DEALER
DEPOSIT
CONTRIBUTION
OPTIONTO
PURCHASE
FEE 3.9%
APRREPRESENTATIVE£149 £10,272 £14,620 £2,903 £99 37 months £13,675 £5,605 2.88% £500 £149
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Tell us about your carDriver Power is the UK’sbiggestmotoring satisfactionsurvey.Everyyearwe needyou totellusaboutyourcar. Good orbad,your feedbackhelpsus tellEVERY motor manufacturer whatYOU want... and believe us,they’re listening!
I’VEbeen looking forward todriving thenew VolvoXC90 in theUKsincelastsummer,when
itwas first revealedat a hugeevent inSweden. Iloved itwhenI drove itonthe launchin Spain,and youcannowreadhowit faresoverhereonPage42.
It’san important car for Volvo – the first of anewbreedunderChinese ownership. ButI’vewrittenenough about that caron this pageover the pastyear. This time, I’mgoingtoconcentrate onthe car ithas tobeatin itsfirstUKtest: theLand RoverDiscovery.
The currentDisco, like theXC90’spredecessor,hasbeen arounda while.In Discovery3 formwefirst saw itin 2005. It’sbeentweakedand
fettled andwas rebornas Discovery4 in2010,butit’s essentially thesame car. Andit’sbeenabsolutelyfantastic fromdayone.
Just like theDefender, theDiscoverywasbrilliantlyconceived. It fits itsbriefasa family-friendly, upmarket, stylish, all-terrain vehicleperfectly. Infact when it comes to ferryingmyownfamily around, I can’t thinkofmany better.
I’ve oftenreferredto itas the bestcar inthe realworld, telling many peopleto buyone, buton theproviso that itmightgowrong– continualpoorshowings forreliabilityin ourDriver Powersatisfaction surveyillustratethis perfectly. Butthey’resogood, I’vealwaysthought itworthtakingthe chanceandhopingyouget a goodone!
TheDiscoveryisnowon its farewell tour– thesmaller DiscoverySport gives a bigcluetowhatanall-new full-sizeDiscovery will look likewhen weeventually seeitnext year.
Until thenthe current Discocarries on.And whattougheradversary forthenew XC90to takeon? If it canbeat theDiscovery,the new Volvo isa veryspecial car indeed.
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OFFI I L
Topstory First for news every week
Newcomer gets big alloys and side-exit exhaust, while mirrors make way for cameras
JonathanBurn [email protected]
@Jonathan_burn
BMW revivSeventies classic reborn in new two-door
“BMW claims the Hommage is one of the lowest cars it has ever produced”
BMWhas taken the wraps off asensational newconceptat the
exclusiveConcorso d’EleganzaVillad’Este
show in Italy.Called the3.0CSLHommage,
t’sa spiritualsuccessor anddesigntribute
o theiconic 3.0CSLfromthe seventies.
The3.0 CSL Hommage – CSL stands for
coupé, sport, lightweight – makesuse of
he sophisticatedmodernday technology
andmaterials BMWhas begun tousein
ts i Division production cars. Craftedfrom
ightweight carbonfibre, thenewcomer is
believed tobebased on theM4and uses
a six-cylinder in-lineenginewith eBoost.
Despite the advances in technology,
heHommage sticks to the recipe of the
original CSL. The interior hasbeen strippedback to thebareessentials,with the focus
on reducing overall weight. Theseventies
model’saluminiumbonnet,boot andwings
have madewayfor carbon fibre versions.
Designers havebeen heavily influenced
byaerodynamics, but theHommage retains
manyclassic styling cues from thelegendary
racer with which it sharesa name. BMW’s
trademarkkidneygrilledominates thenose,
and adopts themoreupright styleofBMWsof
old. Slender laser andLEDheadlightsmerge
with thepronounced grille, with thestylisedX-graphica nod to theheadlampstickers
usedon thebrand’slong-distance race cars.
BMWclaimsthe Hommage isone of the
lowest cars ithas ever produced– a result
of thecarbon fibre front splitter closing the
gap between theroadand the frontend.
Tofurther reducedrag and increase
aerodynamicefficiency, traditionalwing
mirrors have beenreplaced by cameras.
Viewedin profile, the fixed rear spoiler
extendsbeyond theC-pillar, where there’sa
BMW logo oneachside, inkeepingwith the
original.Black 21-inchalloys fit snugly into
the flaredarches, while theLED tail-lights
continue seamlessly into the tall rear wing.
The interior is stripped of allluxuries, andputsits lightweight designon show.Where
the cabin of the old 3.0 CSLwas trimmed in
wood, theHommage uses only a decorative
strip ofwoodon theinstrumentpanel; the
rest ismade entirelyout of carbon fibre.
Bucketseatswith matchingGolfYellow
stitching, aswell as thesix-point harness
andfireextinguisher, hint at thecar’s racing
■ Carbon fibre beauty points to ultimate version of M4 Coupé■ Combines classic styling with i Division materials and tech
WING INMassive rear
spoiler pays
tribute to the
seventies car,
but here it’s
made of carbo
fibre – plus itincorporates
LED lighting
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BMW3.0 CSLHommage Topstory
BMW’S OTHER PAST MASTERS
WHILE BMWis usually forward-thinkin
with itsdesign, this isn’t thefirst time
it’s paid tribute toits past. Hereare a
couple of otherboldreinterpretations
of itsbackcatalogue from recentyear
s its legendary 3.0 CSLhat hints at hotter M4 Coupé
pedigree.BMWisn’tgivingmuch away about
heHommage’s performance, butdidconfirm
t’spowered by a six-cylinder in-lineengine
which also features eBoosttechnology.
While thebrand isstaying tight lipped
asto whateBoost is, it’s no secretBMW
hasbeenexperimentingwithperformance
upgrades, asseenwith thewater injection
systemon theM4 GTSCoupé, which will be
used asa safety car in top-lineMotoGPbike
racing. Audi showcased electric turbosin the
ecent TTClubsportTurboConcept, soBMW’s
ystem could revolve around thesame idea.
While theHommage vehiclesBMWhas
roduced for theConcorsod’Eleganzaover
he years don’t normally makeproduction,
he company said: “OurHommage cars
otonlydemonstratehow proudwe are of
ur heritage, butalsohow important the
astcan be indetermining thefuture.”
Thiscouldpoint towards there-emergence
f theCSLnamein BMW’scurrent product
ange. It could firstfinditsway on toa more
ocusedM4Coupéin the near future. Stripped-out interior has lots of carbon fibre, with lightweight bucket seats and minimalist dash. Wood insert references 3.0 CS
BMW 328 HOMMAGEDesigned to mark the 75th anniversary ofthe lightweight 328 sports car in 2011, thi
was made from carbon fibre coupled with
a stripped-out, but leather-lined cabin.
BMW M1 HOMMAGE This reimagining of the iconic supercar sparked rumours of a new M1 when it
was revealed in 2008. However, designcues can be seen in the current i8.
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News
New Skoda Sup
JackRix [email protected]
@jack_rix
EXACTLY onemonthago(Issue 1,369),
wegot behind the wheel of the all-new
SkodaSuperbhatch, andwere impressed
by its civilised roadmanners, gargantuan
bootand luxurious rearpassenger space.
ButSkoda isalready looking to extend its
ead over rivalswith theevenbiggerEstatemodel,revealed here forthe first time.
It’s a significantcar forthe brand, perhaps
evenmore so than thehatchback in theUK,
becauseacross its lifespan, theoutgoing
Estateaccounted foraround 70percent
ofSuperbsales here. This time, the ratio is
expected to shift slightly, asSkodasays
hehatch’s bigger boot andmore stylish
designwillboost itspopularity,but itwill
still be60:40 in the load-lugger’s favour.
When it comes topracticality, though,
theEstate isunsurpassedthis side of a Ford
Transit. With the rear seats inplace, boot
space has grown by27 litresto 660 litres
– that’s60 litresmorethan ina Mercedes
E-Class.Skoda isyetto release theexactcapacitywith therear seats folded, but
expect it to be just under 2,000 litres, rising
from the1,865 litres in itspredecessor.
Up to theB-pillar,the hatchandEstate
are identical, but thehigher, extended
rooflinemeans there’smoreheadroomto
gowith the latter’sbusiness-class levels of
rear legroom.At theback, thenew, steeply
raked screen andsharpLEDtail-lights
give theEstatea sportier look than you’d
expect from a carmeasuring4,856mm
nlength– 23mmmorethan the hatch.
Theengine line-upwill mirror thehatch’s,
yetCO2 emissions areexpectedto rise by
1g/kmdueto theaddedweight.So, petrols
willrangefroma 123bhp1.4TSIto a 276bhp2.0TSI 4x4, whilediesels stretch from a
118bhp1.6TDI toa 187bhp2.0TDI 4x4.
Estateprices areexpectedto start from
around £1,200more than for thehatch, so
theentry-level 1.4TSIwill cost£19,890.Trim
evels will compriseS,SE,SE Business, SEL
Executive andLaurin & Klement,with one
uniqueoption: a full-length panoramic
roofwithan electric-opening frontsection,
whichislikelyto setyou back£800. Theorder
booksopen inmidJune,with first deliveries
at thesametimeasthehatch, inSeptember.
■ Joins impressive hatch in range■ Offers class-leading practicality
INTERIOR Estate will getthe same high-quality cabinas the hatch(below), withan eight-inchtouchscreendominatingthe dashboard
“Boot space has grown
by 27 litres to 660 litres –
that’s 60 litres more than
in a Mercedes E-Class”
OFFI I L
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Skoda SuperbEstate News
r state is go
NEW BIG SUV SPIED
A u t om e d i a
And Skoda’s Santa Ferival’s up and running
SKODA is clearlythinking big,because thenextthingon
itsbusy agendais a seven-seatSUV. Caughtby our spiestestingatGermany’sNürburgring, thecar is coveredwitha stretchedYeti body, keepingits designunder wraps.
Lookclosely,andit’sobvious there’ssomethingmuchbigger underneath – theflared wheelarches, forexample,arethere toaccommodatethe newSUV’s wide front
and rear tracks, while a lengthenedrear door isproof ofa longerwheelbase, needed forthree rows of seats.
Expectedtobebasedon the largestversionof the VW Group’sMQBarchitecture (already seenon the VolkswagenCrossBlueconcept),the newSkoda will
takeon the HyundaiSantaFe and KiaSorento in thegrowing large SUVmarket, which continues tostealcustomers awayfrom traditional seven-seaterMPVs.
Althoughthe carwasoriginallybelievedto on track fora debut atSeptember’sFrankfurtMotorShow, our latest informationsays it won’t actuallybe revealedin
fullproduction trimuntil theParis showin September 2016,witha concept appearing earliernextyear –possibly at theGenevaMotor Showin March.
Higher, extended roofline of theEstate means there’s more rear
headroom than in the hatch
“Caught by our spies testing on
the Nürburgring, the new SUV is
covered with a stretched Yeti body”
SPI
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News Bosch’s dieselbreakthrough
www.autoexpress.co
1989 Audi amongdirect-injection dieselpioneers. It was fittedto the 100 2.5 TDI
1943 Common-raildiesel (CRD) engine wasinvented and patented by American Clessie Cummins
1893 Rudolf Dieselinvents diesel engine.First examples werelarge, run at low revs
1978 Mercedes’ 300 SD becomesthe first passenger car to useturbodiesel technology. It wasonly on sale in US and Canada
JonathanBurn [email protected]
@Jonathan_burn
JamesBatchelor
[email protected]@JRRBatchelor
DIESELHISTORY
OFFI I L
OFFI I L
Stripped-out Brit supercar is ready to fly
We drive hi-tech car thaDRIVING a dieselis about toget a lot
more exciting – andkinder to the
environment– thanks to Bosch.
The tech gianthascreateda highly
efficientmild hybridengine that aims to
mprove the reputationof diesels – currently
underattack from new legislation – and Auto
Express hashad anexclusive first drive.
While thecarhas allthe hallmarks
of a Golf GTD, Bosch’sprototype isno
normal Volkswagen. Insteadof a 2.0-litre
urbodiesel engine packing181bhpand
380Nm of torque, under thebonnet lies a
brandnewdiesel engine. The1.7 litre four-
cylinderturbo has 148bhpand340Nm– butt’sfarmore technicalthanthat. It’s fittedwith
Bosch’sBoostRecuperationSystem (BRS).
Thecompany says theset-up aims to
close the large gapbetween conventional
stop/startandhybrid drivetrains, improving
CO2 emissions by15percent.It combines
brake energy recuperationand torque boost
withstop/start andcoasting functions.
Boschhas also fitteda 48-volt generator
(rather than a standard12-voltset-up)
anda drive-by-wire clutchcalledeClutch.
Once on themove, apply thebrakes
andthe engine shuts down tocoast along.
Therealdevelopment,however, is that the
car recoupsthebraking energy andsends
t through the48-volt generatorto the
It looks like a Golf GTD,
but as our man Batchelor
found, Bosch prototype
uses hi-tech mild hybrid
to slash NOx emissions
DEVELOPMENTof theElemental Rp1, a
new lightweight track-biased roadcar
from theSurreymaker, is in its final stages,
and AutoExpress has had a closerlook.
TheRp1projectbeganeight years
ago, as thebrainchild of formerMcLaren
engineersandFord designers.Their brief
was to createsomething to rival the likes
ofthe Lotus Elise andAriel Atom.
“Itstartedas an afterhoursproject,”said
designmanager GuyColborne.“Initially we
were only going tobuild onecar, possibly
two,for us touse personally, but itsoon
attracted interest. Productioncostsstarted
to fall andtoolingbecamemore accessible.”
The namestandsfor RaceProject1, with
thecarbasedaroundan exposedlightweight
0.25kWh lithium-ion battery. Putyour foot
down, andthe recoupedenergy is sent totheBRS –whichthen effectivelybecomes
anelectricmotor – giving a surge in torque.
Unlikemostother stop/start systems, the
enginekicks back into life with novibrations
ornoise – and thatwas eventhe casewhen
wewere coasting along andthenplantedour
footonthe throttle.The eClutch isalsoa big
step forward, as it prevents thepossibility of
stalling in busynose-to-tail citydriving.Stop
andthen pull away in first or secondgear,
and you don’t haveto use theclutch – it
glidesaway just like anautomatic.
There’s noword on the incremental
cost, butthe BRSmildhybriddieselwillbe
incorporatedbymainstreammanufacturers
within thenext two years and isa logicalwayfor mega citieslikeLondon toachieve
stringentnitrousoxide (NOx) emissions
levels. “We aresure this systemwill be the
solution tomaking thediesel farcleanerand
likedagainbypeoplewho areafraid these
engines arebad forcities,”saidDrMichael
Krueger,seniorvice presidentdieselsystems.
By2017/18, Londonis targetinga cutin
harmful NOx emissionsby 40percent from
2005’s levels– andit’s believed this type of
dieselwillhelp achieve that. But theviewat
Bosch is that Londonandothermega cities
will need a scrappagescheme to getold
diesels off the roads.Bosch’sprototypeGolf
couldbe the type ofdieselhatchbackyou’ll
be incentivised to buy in thenext fewyears.
■ Behindwheel of Golfwith Bosch tech that cuts diesels’ emissions
STRIKINGNew two-seater is based aroundcarbon-compositetub, with carbon fibre body, whilepower is froma choice of Ford engines
“Car recoups brake energy andsends it through the generator
to give a surge in torque”
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Bosch’s diesel breakthrough News
newsinbrie
HI-TECH
Mild hybrid set-
up called BRS
helps recoup
brake energy,
and Bosch’s Dr
Michael Krueger
shows our man
how it works
2012 Peugeot first to
combine diesel, hybrid
and four-wheel drive in
Europe with 3008 HYbrid4
2006 Audi makes
history by winning
Le Mans 24 Hours
ace with R10 TDI
Elemental tech chief Begley (left) talks our man Burn through Rp1’s lightweight design
set to save diesel
Back to Black for Porsche specialsPORSCHEhaslaunched newBlack Editionsof its911 andBoxster. As thnamesuggests, bothgetpureblack paintwork,a black interior andblack
detailinginside andout. Thereare al20-inch alloysandextra standard kit
Thenew modelsare basedonentrlevel versions: the911(above)gets tCarrera’s3.4-litre flat-sixengine andBoxsterhas the 2.7-litre unit.The 91
BlackEdition range starts at £75,074while theBoxsterkicks offat £46,16
Nissan goes for goon GT-R’s birthdayNISSANis celebrating45 yearsof theGT-R with a newgoldeditionof itssupercar-slayingcoupé.
Thebadge debuted on theSkylinesaloon in 1970, andthe newmodelisetapartby a Champagne Gold painand20-inchforged aluminiumwhee A plaque marks theanniversary andthebuildnumber of thecar,too.
Theboldspecialwill bebuilt inextremelylimitednumbers,andjust five exampleswillbe coming to theUK, each priced at£79,780.
F-Type lines up tosupport record bid JAGUAR hasunveiled theofficial ‘RapResponse’ support car for thissumm
BloodhoundSSC landspeed record bTheone-off F-TypeR AWD(below) gea special unionjacklivery,blueandorange paintand tangerinewheels.
Prior tohelping Bloodhound in itsattempt to hit1,000mph, theunique
542bhpF-Typewillmake itsdebut attheCoventry Motofeston30May.
carbon-composite andaluminiumtub. All
thebodypanelsare made from carbonfibre,with a glass fibrebody optional.
Followingfinaltweaksforproductionmodels, theRp1 shouldweighlessthan 600kg– around 300kg lighter
than a LotusElise. Itbeginsto generatedownforce at60mph,while200kg of downforceis generated at 100mph.
Powering thecar isa Ford-sourced2.0-litreEcoBoostenginewith 280bhpand
440Nmof torque– enoughfor 0-62mph
in3.1seconds. Buyers will also be offered
a smaller1.0-litreEcoBoost, developing between160bhpand180bhp.Bothwillbe linked toa six-speedsequentialbox operatedviasteeringwheel paddles.
Productionwill startin October
andprices areyet tobeconfirmed,but technical director JohnBegley toldusit will costbetween a £37,200Eliseanda £110,000BACMono.Given theextensive use of carbon fibre, expecta
finalfigure around the£60,000mark.
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Extinct cars News
JoeFinnerty [email protected]
@AE_Consumer
www.autoexpress.co.uk
OFFI I L
Hundreds of classic cars closeto being wiped out in the UK
MORE than 600 modelsin theUK are
on the verge of extinction, including the
first-generation Aston Martin, according to
data from the Department forTransport.
Thestatistics – updatedto the endof
2014 – reveal that638 types ofcar are down
o10 orfewerexamples intheUK, and 222
of those have justone model licensed.
Included in thatlist isthe Aston DB1–
hefirst sports car to be builtby the brand
under David Brown’s ownership in 1948.
Andthere are only five examples of1965’s
Citroen Pallas– theluxury version of the DS,
which gives its name tothe new poshbrand.
There are also only five examplesof Land
Rover’s127 – oneof the original iterations
of the Defender, adapted forambulance and
military use. Andthe UK has just oneversion
of another big off-roader: the Hummer H1.
Morepopular classics facing extinction
nclude the Lotus Cortina and Vauxhall
Magnum – predecessor to the big-
sellingCavalier.There are still 5,458
Cavaliers on theroad, but that’s a
drasticfall from 20 years ago when
1.5 million werein circulation.
A similarly big faller isthe Ford
Sierra. Backin 1994,there were more
■ Figures show how few examples of legendary cars on road ■ Citroen DS, Aston DB1 at risk
than onemillionSierras on UKroads, but
now there are only3,765 examples.
The figures highlight the rarity of some
newer models in Britain,too.Justone Lexus
LFAhad been registered at theend of 2014,
as hadnine Porsche 918 hypercars and
20 of KTM’s outlandish X- ows.
Breakdown firm Recove y h
data on 30 million vehicle ,
some old classicswerebe g g k
to life. Therewas just one
early2014, but another h
by the end oftheyear.T h
extinctin 1994, but seve
Robin Reames, found g
ecoverMe, said: “We r p
the historyand diversity
ritish roads so interes g
something special abo ”
OFFI I L
Renault lifts lid onew budget Kwid
Tall, slim Kwid gets Renault’s familiar, aggressive
y rows i
y Dacia
RENAULT has taken thewraps offa newsupermini
crossover called theKwid.It’s theproductionversion ofa radical two-doorSUVconceptfirstrevealedat last year’s Auto Expo inDelhi,India.
TheKwid takes styling cues from the latestTwingo, albeitin a tall, slim,more value-focused
package. It getsthe aggressiveRenaultfamilyface,curvysidepanelsand a neat rear end, butthere’snorearwiperandthe door locksareexposed, givingawayits back-to-basicsphilosophy. It alsohasaraised rideheight and rugged wheelarch inserts.
Inside,manyelements areborrowedfromcurrentDacia cars, includingthe touchscreeninfotainmentsystem,dashboardlayout andventilation controls.
Unfortunately, it’sdestined for emerging marketsonly,andwill initiallybe sold in India,priced fromjustthree Lakhs (around£3,000) later thisyear.
Thereareno plansto bring it toEurope, butDaciahaspreviouslyhinted it’splanning a £5,000city car to situnder theSandero, andthiscouldfit thebill.
ENDANGEREDFrom big seller inthe eighties, FordSierra (above) isa rare sight, with fewer than 4,000left, and only one Hummer H1(below) is now licensed in Britain
LEGENDARY Figures show just five examples of Citroen’s stunningDS Pallas are now left in the UK
e
e
t
rMe analysed the
s, and also ound
ing broughtbac
Daimler XJ6 in
ad been restored
e Bristol 404 was
en are now around.
ing directoro
is losing part o
y o what ma es
sting. There’s
ut classic cars.”
Chunky Kwid bo
dash layout fro
CLEANING UPLatest A3 featuresa 1.6 diesel andemits 89g/km CO2
Ultra-efficient Audi A3 promises 83mpg AUDIhas introduceda new fuel-sippingUltra version of itsA3. It’s themostefficientmodelin
therange, claiming83.1mpg and89g/kmofCO2.Thenewcar ispowered bya 109bhp1.6-litre
TDI diesel, andachieves these figures thankstolowered suspension, low-rolling-resistance tyres
and longergearing from itssix-speedmanualbox. Plus, the lowemissions will tempt compa
car buyers, astheymeana Benefit inKindratiofjust16 per cent.TheA3Ultra ispricedfrom£20,865, andis available toordernow asasaloon (right)or five-doorSportback.
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SHOW STAR R400 was revealeas a three-door aBeijing last year; five-door in spy shots gets thesame wider track
Fixed rear spoiler and new quad exhaust system hint at new flagship Golf’s potential
JonathanBurn [email protected]
@Jonathan_burn
SEAT switches on to in-car tech
astest-ever VW Golfon road with 395bhp
£72,000 for mospowerful Lotus
■ Spies catch scorching R400■ Set to go on sale next year
S H T HES
JUSTedging thenewVW Golffor powis Lotus’ mostpotentproductionmod
ever, thenew Evora400,whichwill cfrom£72,000whenit hitsshowroom
TheEvora 400(below) develops400bhpand 410Nmof torquefromit3.5-litresupercharged V6. It comes wa limited-slip diff,air-con and sat-nav
Options include a sixspeed autombox(£2,000), an Alcantara and leath
y
p
SEAT hasrevealed its future in-car connectivityand infotainment tech, fittedto a LeonX-Perience. Createdthrough
a collaborationwithelectronicsgiantSamsung,the systemwillappearfirstonthenew Ibiza this summervia a special trimevel called ‘Connect’ that comeswith a free
Samsung A3phone. Itwill thenberolledoutto theLeon, AlhambraandToledoranges.
The techallows you tosetup a profileon themobile app, with personal settingsactivating automatically, such as engineprofile,cabin temperature,window heightor the song youwanton fromyour musiclibrary.
Youcan connectyourphoneto thecar using MirrorLink, whilegesturecontrolets youset a specific movementon the
touchscreen to a task. Forexample,swiping an‘L’ can beset tosend someone a textto
say you’relate,and show them your location.
DEVELOPMENT on the fastest ever
VW Golf is officiallyunderway,
after our spies caught the 395bhpGolf R400 testing forthe first time.
First unveiled as a concept at last year’s
BeijingMotor Show, the R400will become
themostpowerful hothatch on themarket,
having beenapproved for production byVW
development bossDr Heinz-JakobNeusser.
It’sset to feature a heavily revised version
of the2.0-litre four-cylinder turboused in the
standard Golf R, andcould arrive nextyear.
Although there islittle to markthe R400
prototypeout from the R, lookcloselyat
our spyshots andyou’llnotice beefier
brakeshidingbehind largeralloy wheels.
A wider fronttrack and fixed rear spoiler
arealsoclues that there’ssomeserious
power beneath the bonnet.If the production model is to follow where
the concept left off, VW willextracta further
100bhp fromthe2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo.
The power hike islikely to come from a new
set of pistons, a larger intercoolerand a new
exhaust, with 395bhp and450Nm of torque
theexpectedresult. Four-wheeldrive and
thesix-speed DSG gearbox will remain from
This is thecurrent hothatch leaguetable,basedon
power – andthe Golf R400 will leave them all trailing
CUSTOMISEInfotainment
set-up lets youtailor cabintemperature,engine profileand window height via app.Plug in phone,and settingsare appliedautomatically,as SEAT’s Victor Banos (left)showed us
the R400 concept, as will the performan
figures, with the car set for a 0-62mpht
of3.9secondsanda top speed of174mp
It’s not yetknown whether theR400w
be a series production car or a limited bu
butgiven the near-production-ready loo
of theprototype, a debut atSeptember’s
FrankfurtMotor Show could be on the car .
306 BHP
316 BHP
322 BHP
355 BHP
362
BHP
HondaCivic Type R
FordFocus RS
BMW M135i
Mercedes- AMG A 45
AudiRS3
SPI
News
TOP FIVE
ce
ime
ph.
ill
uild,
rds.
27May20
deliverieswill be madethis summer.
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News Drink-drive call
www.autoexpress.co
CONFUSIONDrink-drive limit is
lower north of
border
“We have a worrying trend with females flouting the
drink-drive limit, adding to
drain on police resources”
VICTORIA MARTIN Police Federation
JoeFinnerty [email protected]
@AE_Consumer
Vauxhall in U-turnon hot Adam nameIN a surprise U-turn, Vauxhallhas ditched t GrandSlam name for its 148bhp hot Adam citycar (above), and revealed it will simplybe calledthe Adam S.
The changewill take effectimmediately, andanycars
already deliveredwill require no changes as theyalready wear ‘S’ badges. A Vauxhall spokesmanclaimed the moveisaimed at “makingit clearer for customers”, asthe UK isthe onlyplace where the GrandSlam name was used.
Brits back tiereddrink-drive limits
HALF of UK adultsbacktiereddrinkdrive limits,with more stringentmeasures imposed on youngandnovicedrivers, according to a study
Germany,Spain, Italy and Hollanallimpose lower restrictions for those who’ve just passedtheir test
andsome sort oftieredsystem isinplace onroadsin a thirdof theworld
Insurer DirectLine, whichcarriedout the survey,found just14 per cent of respondentsagreedwith
thecurrent drink-drive laws in theUK, and 36 per centsupport a zerotolerancepolicy– as operated intheCzechRepublic andSlovakia.
DirectLine’sGusParksaid: “Thefact thatmostpeopleaged 18-34
support a zero-toleranceapproachto drink-driving, or lower limitsfor lessexperienceddrivers, showsa commitmentfrom theyounger generation for tighter restrictions.”
18 27May2015
Special Defender’s up for cup
Top cops call for drink-drive limitto be cut across whole of the UK
■ Police Federation wants Scotland’s 50mg alcohol per 100ml of blood limit adopted across the count
LAND Roverhas created a one-off Defender in partnershipwith theRugbyWorldCup.Developedby JLR’sSpecialVehicle
Operations (SVO) division, the110StationWagonwill carry theWebbEllistrophy on a 9,000-mile, 100-daytour around theUK aheadof thetournament,whichkicks offon 18September.ThespecialDefender, which wasfloated
down the RiverThamesinsidea giantrugbyball forits grandunveiling, has been kittedoutwitha toughenedglass trophycabinettoprotect thecup. Other additionsincludea raisedair intake, analuminiumsump
guard and16-inchoff-road tyres.Inside, it’s basedon theDefender
AutobiographyEdition,withblackwindsor leather seats andgoldcontrastingstitching.Power comes fromthestandard2.2-litre
diesel, linked toa six-speedmanual box.
SENIOR policeofficers have called for
thedrink-drivelimit to be reduced
acrossthe whole of theUK, following
the lead taken byScotland in 2014.
Copsat thePoliceFederationwant a
50mgofalcohol per 100mlof blood limit
n England,WalesandNorthern Ireland,
asis thecase northof theborder.
The current80mg per 100mllimit is the
highestin Europe, and while the number of
drink-drive-related casualties and accidents
hasfallen steadily since 1979, officers want
more done– especiallyin the faceof further
fundingcuts under thenewGovernment.Police Federation spokeswoman
VictoriaMartin said: “We’renowseeing the
consequences of thecuts, with morepeople
dying andbecoming seriously injuredon
our roads, someas a result of drink-driving.
“We would like to see a lower drink-drive
imit asmost other European countries
have, aswell asScotland,which
sawa markedreduction in failed
breathalyser tests as soon as the
awwas changedlast year.Wewould
also like to see roadsafety backon
thenational and local agenda.”
Martin admitted thatone of the
biggest problemsnowwaswomen
drink-driving.As partof ourNoDrink,
NoDoubt campaign at the endof last
year, Auto Expresshighlighted howthe
conviction rate for womenwason the rise.
“We’ve seen a steepdeclinein men
drink-drivingover theyears,withtargeted
advertising campaigns,which is great, but
womendon’t seem tobe getting thesame
ON TOUR Special Defender to
tour UK ahead of Rugby World Cup
OUR CAMPAIGN We highlighted
the rise in women
drink-drivers in our
campaign last year
message,” said Martin. “It seems we
have a worrying trend with femalesstill
floutingthe drink-drivelimit, sometimes
scarilyunaware,putting themselvesand
othersin danger aswellas adding to
thedrain onpolice resources.”
Responding to the ideaof lowering
thedrink-drivelimit, David Bizley, the
RAC’s chiefengineer, said nine outof 10
motorists believeddifferent limits across
borderswas a recipe forconfusion.
He added: “The Governmentsays that
tackling drink-driving in EnglandandWales
isa priority, but the simple question isnow
this: with a significant weightof opinion
behind a reductionin thelimit, are there
anysolid reasons to opposeone?”
NONO R NKDRINK NO DOUBT
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News Ford GT exclusive
20 27May2015
provenin thewind tunnel. Ford Performance
chief engineerHameedi talkedaboutthe
breathtaking shapeof thecar: “The tapering
fuselage comesfrom a Formula One or
anLMP1car. They all havea taper,which
setsupa very clean air path to the rear
wing, andthat’s what we’re doinghere.”
Headded that the teamworkedhardto
notonly get a lowcoefficientof drag (Cd),
but a low CdA figure, too.Thisis theCdmultipliedby the frontal area of thecar–
anindicator of the aerodragthat mustbe
overcometo achievebothspeedandstability.
“Oneof the goals was tohavea small
greenhouse [uppersectionof thebody] to
geta world-classCdAnumber,” Hameedi
said.“Air coming around thesurface does
notdetach. It’s been carefully crafted and
designed to have cleanlaminarflow.”
Elizabeth Baronandherteamused
Ford’svirtualdesignstudio to builda
complete interior andexteriorof theGT from
computerdata thatengineers anddesigners
could get intoand sit downin. There they
could explorethe spatial relationships in the
narrowcockpitbydonning a special stereo
viewing helmetandusing a wandand a
“flashlight” to look at elements indetail.
Amko Leenarts,who ledthe interior
design, said: “Whenyouhavea special
package, andthiswasa special package,engineeringanddesign have to gohand-in-
hand. In this car, therewasno big centre
console with a bigshifter,because wehad
tobeas leanandefficient aspossible.
“We designed it so thesteeringcolumn
andpedals come to thedriver. Because of
thehyper-smallspace,weneededto carve
out a lot ofspace fromthedashto get a
lightweight feel.When youget into thecar,
youget an immediate feel of raciness.All
the functionsare on thesteeringwheel.”
Whether ornot theFord GTwill beraced
in internationalcompetition, a subject
that Hameedi dodged, itwill be themost
sophisticated, fastest andmostexpensive
car ever towear thefamous blueoval badge.
SHAPEFrom detai
sketches, te
moved to s
models car
out of foam
“GT project was sosecret that itwasdesignedbya tiny
group of people inawindowless basement corner room”
Jim McCraw
EXCLUSIVE We head to Ford’s Michigan HQ to find out how supercar was born
Bold design secrets beTHE jaw-dropping FordGT supercar, first
revealed asa concept at January’sDetroit
MotorShow, isalready testing onpublic
roads aheadof its2016 launch. But the
talebehind this reinvented American icon
goes back a littlefurther, sowevisited
Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn,Michigan,
to get the fullbehind-the-scenesstory.
The FordGT project was sosecret that it
was designedbya tinyteam ofpeople, not
noneof themany studios inthe vast Ford
DesignCenter,butin a windowlessbasement
cornerroomprotectedby a padlock.
From thebeginning, thebrief wasto make
somethingdifferentto the2005 GT, which
usedaluminiumandmagnesiumcomponents
anda 550bhp5.4-litresuperchargedV8.Anearlydecisionwasmade to constructit from
ightweight carbon-fibre structural andbody
panels,witha rear-mounted, twin-turbo
3.5-litreV6producingmore than 600bhp.
This new enginecouldn’t be further from
anold-schoolV8. StephenRuss,director of
global engine engineering,explained that
theGT’s ECU processes 3,000 signals from
50sensors aroundthe car and uses28
microprocessors running10million lines
of code (anF22 militaryplaneuses two
million lines,and a Boeing 787six million).
SecretOnlya handful ofpeoplewere aware of the
program. Theseincludedtopmanagement,ikechief designerMoray Callum,exterior
design chief CraigMetros andglobal interior
designbossAmko Leenarts,plus theFord
Performance team, includingdirectorDave
Pericakandchief engineer JamalHameedi.
Standingat theentrance to thedesign
bunkersurrounded by sketches andscale
models, Callum told us:“This room housed
one of the first mills that evercame into
FordMotor Company. Wetook this space,
movedeverything outof it andrefurbished.
Notonlydidthespacehave to bedifferent,
butthe processhadto bedifferent, too.
“Wemixeda coupleof youngdesigners
withmoreexperiencedones.We wanted
fresh ideas from theyoungsters, but knew
weneededthe experiencedguys to getthe car donein a recordtimeof 14months.”
Callumsaid the teamused the traditional
methodofdoing a two-dimensional sketchof
thecar andmoving on toscalemodelscarved
fromfoamusingmathematicaldata.This
ightweight foammade it easier tomove the
models outside toview them innaturallight.
Plus, he added that theducting and
venting on thebody,the flyingbuttresses
andtheteardropshapeof thefuselage
behindthe cockpitwere alltested and
■Ford talks us through GT’s transformation from 2D sketch to 600bhp-plus production car
ON PTS
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Ford GT exclusive News
27May201
You canwatchanyof ourvideos
onyour phone
Simplyscan
this QR code.
INTERIOR
Everything fromthe roofline tothe multifunctionsteering wheelhas been tailoredto give GT sporty feel customers will demand
READY TO GO
Show car debutedat Detroit after just14 months, and GTis being tested onpublic roads aheadof launch in 2016
MORAY CALLUM Ford chief designer
ind new Ford GT
Chevrolet reveals quicker and greener new Camaro
POWER
New engines for Camaro range
in power from275bhp to455bhp, whileinterior is assporty as ever
Audi RS4 Avant vsMercedes-AMG C 63
IT’S the battleof theultimatehigh-
performance estates. On paper, the
newMercedes-AMG C 63 (driven
on Page34) has the edge, asits
4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivers
469bhp and649Nm of torque.
Butwhilethe Audi RS4Avant
trailsin terms of outputs, it sendsits 444bhp and 430Nm to all four
wheels. Could this be thedeciding
factor in our head-to-head?
We hit rush hour inself-driving Audi A7
WE’VE already been aboardanautonomous Audi RS7as it lapped
a race circuit at high speed.Butthi
isthe nextstage: wetooka trip up
the Germanautobahnin a self-
driving A7 during normalrush hour
traffic forwhat wasperhaps the
ride of our life. This was a glimpse
of the future, and weliked it!
W g
week. ne drivesitself,andyoucandrive theother veryfast...
W have twoamazing Audisat
autoexpress.co.uk/videos this
@mat_watson
Videowatch
SECRET Design chief Callum (far right) led asmall team working on
new GT insecret site atFord’s HQ
“We mixed young designers with more experienced ones
– we wanted the youngsters’ fresh ideas, but needed theexperienced guys to get the car done in 14 months”
AS Fordreadies its newGT, archrivalChevrolethaspulled thewrapsoffa lighter, fasterandmore economical newCamaro. While thebrandhasofficiallypulledoutof theUK market, iconic
cars such as theCamaroand Corvettearestillavailableto Britishbuyers in left-handdrive.
Thenewmodelmakesextensiveuse of aluminium,whichhelps shave90kg offitspredecessor’s kerbweight. It’salso57mmshorter and20mm narrower, plus newenginesincludea 275bhp2.0-litre four-cylinder–
enoughto take theCamarofrom0-62mph in under sixseconds.
An all-new 335bhp3.6-litre V6 hasalsobeen introduced,while theCamaroSS gets the
full-fat 455bhp6.2-litreV8. Allengines can behad witheither asix-speedmanualtransmission(withRevMatchtech)or eight-
speed‘Hydra-Matic’ automatic.
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We get behind the stories that affect you
@AE_Consumer
Watchdog
Finance packages and higsales targets for new carsare causing industry harm
■ CASE STUDY Used C4 Grand Picasso fails after 1,500 miles – and it transpires it was a rental car
Secret history of usedapproved Citroen MPV
“Allowing dealers to sell
worn out ex-rental cars
makes the approved
scheme redundant”
BUYING a car second-hand always
carriesa degree of risk, but oneway
o reduce concerns isto go througha
manufacturer’sapproved used scheme.
Theseschemesoffer piece ofmind and
car-maker backing for second-handbuyers,
but James Allan, fromWistow, Leics, found
t wasn’t quite thatsimple. Afterjusta
month ofownership, hisCitroen C4
Grand Picasso wasback in thegarage.
Jamesboughtthe 2014model from
Bristol Street Motors, Leics, with 17,500
mileson the clock. But only 1,500miles
ater, theMPVneeded to be recovered.
Theclutch hadstartedshudderingand
was accompanied by a badsmell. James
said: “Thedealershipdiagnoseda burnt
out clutch and said itwas so bad it could
onlybe driver error. They wanted to
charge £1,800 to repair my nearly new car.”
Jameswasn’t happyas he’d covered
so few miles in the shorttimehe’d owned
the car.Headded: “To wear out a clutch
so comprehensively would have taken a
veryconcertedeffort on ourpart.”
WhenJames checked theV5C document,
he found theCitroenhadpreviouslybeen
run byAvisas a rentalcar– a factJameshad
notbeentold. He said: “Allowing dealersto
sell potentially worn outex-rental cars and
BAD START
James was irate
after his used
approved MPV
suffered burnt
out clutch after
only 1,500 miles
THE number of nearly new
cars on sale hasalmostdoublein thepastsix months, apparentlyconfirminghow makers and dealeare pre-registeringin larger numb
There’s beenplenty of speculati
about thispracticefor a while now,
but this is thefirstevidence thatall isnotas itseems.Withnewcarregistrations risingmonthaftermonth, it seemsobviouspre-registeringhas beenprevalen
Theamountof sub-one-year-oldsold in theUK duringMarch 201591per cent higherthanin October2014. It’s true,the numbers of thistype of sale traditionally spike in th
months, withearly PCP returns ahof new registrations.However,asRupert Pontinof Glass’s Guidesaiit’s“much higher” thanexpected.
Demandfor this type of carisfalling,too, thanks to attractive
new car finance packages. Second-handdealers are strugglingto shifstockof late-plate vehicles.If salesor more accuratelypre-registrationcontinueto rise,what willhappen
andwhatshould bedone?If manufacturers insiston
setting highsales targets,dealerswillcontinueto pre-register.It’sgreat for industry and factoriestobe churningout carafter car,
butwe’ll endup in a situationwhere theUK becomes a carpark of unsoldmodels.The simpleanswer is to reduce sales targets.
Forcarbuyers,though,it’s nota
bad. Withso manypre-registered
on themarket,you’ll beable toscogreatdeal on a barelyused,nearlynmodel.That is,of course, if youcanresistthetemptationof a zeroper cfinanceofferfor that shiny, newca
“We’ll end up in a
situation where the
UK becomes a car
park of unsold models
James Allan
and family
are now in
courtesy car
Joe Finnerty
expectingsecond owners to pick up the tab
makes theapproved scheme redundant.”
Wedidn’t think James shouldbe
paying for the workso soonafter
purchase, either,especially as Citroen’s
usedschemepromises “a vehiclewith a
genuine history, a cleanbill of health and
no hiddenproblems”.So,we contacted
Citroen to investigate. A fewdays later,a
spokesmantold us Citroenand thedealer
would cover thecosts and provide a
courtesy carwhile he waited.The
spokesmansaid: “Wearesorry Mr Allan
hasbeen inconvenienced in this way.
“Thisoffer has been made asa
gesture of goodwill. It isimportant topoint
outthisissuewasnot coveredunder the
manufacturer’swarranty as there wasno
evidence of a manufacturingdefect.”
Jamesconcluded: “Thankyou very
much foryour help on this.It’smuch
appreciated, and I’mdelighted.”
JoeFinnerty
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n ox
h t do you think?
Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk
Joe Finnerty
THE following provide helpwithmotoringproblems.Someservicesare free,otherschargea feeor operate on premium-ratelines(p), while some offer
advice for members only(m).
Legal
AA: 0906 010 1300 (p)RAC: 0870 5533 533 (m)Which?: 01992 822 800Consumer Direct:
0845 404 0506Local Trading Standards
LocalCitizensAdvice Bureau
Used car inspections
AA: 0800 085 3007RAC: 0800 085 2529
Technical advice
AA: 0870 606 1619 (m)
Driving licences
DVLA: 0300 790 6801
Car registration/history
HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564DVLA: 0300 790 6802RAC: 0800 975 5867
Traffic information AA: 09003 401100 (p)RAC: 09003 444999 (p)
Problems with dealersMotor Codes:0800 692 0825RMIF : 0845 839 9205 (m)Scottish Motor Trade
Association: 0131 331 5510
Problems with makersMotorCodes: 0800 6920825
Financial problems
Financial Ombudsman:0800 023 4567
Safety concerns/recalls
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA):
0117 954 3300
UsefulContacts
Contact Lawrence Allan
[email protected] @AutoExpressWrite to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publis30 Cleveland Street, LondonW1T 4JD
Teen road death raterevealed in new data
HOT TOPIC DIY car maintenance
■ Shock figures confirm teen accidents are still disproportionate
DIY DEBAReaders are
divided on th
merits of doin
simple car
maintenance
Audi should look atSkoda for styling tips
Why waiting for a facelift is a good idea
FROM: N Bennett I’VE always changedhalogen lightbulbs myself, for the simple
reason that the glass mustn’t be touched
by hand. With bulbs requiring convoluted
hand positioning to avoidcontamination,
I can’t imagine mechanics wanting
to or caring much in some cases.
FROM: Aidrian Walsh I BELIEVE ifyouaren’table do simplethings such as
changing your own essentials or topping
up thefluid levels, then youdeserve to
becharged upto £70 for someone else
to do it.It amazesme how manydrivers
have trouble with the simplest tasks.
FROM: Paul Baimbridge TheVW Group
should take the designer responsible for
Audi and introduce them to whoever
created the newSkoda Superb – a
car with flair and style.It’stimefor a
real designshake-up at Audi, ratherthan
simplyadding minor details to itscars.
FROM: Bobby Parker WHY would anyone
buy the first evolution of a new car when
mid-life refreshesalways seem to bring
about improvements suchas engine
tweaksand betterinteriors? Whybe
the guineapig? It seems common-sense
to meto waitfor a refreshed model.
FROM: Michael Westrup YOUstate that
the newJaguar XE (Issue1,368)emits99g/km of CO2 on the 163bhpmodel,
which will “please the taxman”. Surely
it’s the opposite.The taxman would
be pleased by higheremissions,so he
cangrab more revenue!As cars become
cleaner,he needsallthe moneyhe can get.
FROM: Jack Taylor YOUR articleaboutthe
self-drivingAudi A7 on the autobahn(Issue1,369)laid bare the issues we wi
havehere inthe UK. Mymain concern is
lane discipline. Addingan extra lane
would cost huge amounts,but be ignore
by80 per centof drivers, justlike they
do to the current emptylane onthe left.
Cleaner cars don’timpress the tax man
UK drivers not ready for self-driving cars
■ “Manufacturers should
be forced to make basic
safety essentials, such
as swapping lightbulbs,
easy to perform.”Nicko
■ “We need rules on
making these things ea
without the need to visi
a bank manager first.”
Land Rover are thebes
■ “Itnever ceases to
amaze me how complex
cars arenow. Common-
sense should dictate that
it shouldbe simple.” les
MORE than four teenage
passengers a weekwere killed
or seriouslyinjured in 2013 in
cars drivenby 17 to 19-year olds.
Recent figures show thattwo-
thirds of teenage passengers
killed or seriously injured were
also in cars drivenby under 25s.
Previous research found
teenage drivers make up only
1.5 percent of full licence holders,
but are involved in12 per cent
of allaccidents where someone
s killed or seriouslyhurt.
The RAC Foundation, whichreleased the statistics following our
nvestigation into whether 16-year-
olds should be allowed to drive
(Issue 1,368), said whilefigures
were dropping, it wasn’t because
young drivers were being safer.
Theroad safetycharitysaid
the cost of learningto drive and
owninga car meantthe numberof
teenage licence holders was falling,
resulting in less accidentrisk.
Professor Stephen Glaister,
director of the RACFoundation,
said: “The casualty figures don’t
cast blamefor accidents, but given
the disproportionate number of
youngdrivers involved in accidents,the conclusion must be that many
teenagersare being killedby the
nexperienceof their friends.
“Itis a great disappointment
that successive governments
have failedto tackle an issue
that is causing so much pain.”
New figures highlight concern
over teen fatalities in cars
INSURANCE
INSIDER Graeme TrudgillExecutive Director at BritishInsurance Brokers’ Association
( www.biba.org.uk )
DOyouknow if you’recovered for driving other cars (DOC)? If not, you’renotalone. Theextension isn’t standardunder allpolicies, butwhen it applies,
it allowsthe policyholder todrivecars thataren’townedor hiredby them, providing, of course, they
have permissiontousethe vehicle.It usually providesonlythird-party
insurance, so addingyourselfas a nameddriver togetaccidentaldamage, fire andtheftcovermightbewise. It’s not anexact science, though, asAdrian Flux –willoffer comprehensiveDOCcover.Reading yourinsurance certificatemay
notprovide enoughinformation,either,sohere’sa quickchecklist to askyour insurer beforeyou take to theroad:
■ Am I oldenough?The extensionnormallydoesn’tapplyto under 25s
andsometimesnotto under 30s, either.
■Does coverextend toEurope or just UK?
■ Isit emergencycoveronly, or can I useitfor sharing the driving ona long trip?
■Willit bevalid ifdriving a small van?■Does it apply only to thepolicyholder,
or to nameddrivers, too?
■ Ismy jobacceptable?Themost important thing to remember
is,don’tmake anyassumptionsabout yourcover– check before youdrive.
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Insidestory Tackl ing the motoring issues that matter
Make some dates in your diary as we round up the top car shows
and events for petrolheads this summer, in the UK and in Europe
AS the temperatures rise, thoughts turnto holidaysand family daysout.
Andwhatbetter wayto enjoythe summer sunshine and thegreat outdoors
than with thesights, soundsand smellsof a gloriousBritishmotoringevent?Motor showshave changed dramaticallyover theyears. They’re no longer
stuffyaffairs held in gianthallswithstaticdisplays;they’venowbecome all-
encompassing, family-friendlycelebrationsof carsoldandnew,withplenty of
otherattractions, including liveentertainment, competitionsand more.We’ve
rounded upthebestthat summer 2015has tooffer in the UKand furtherafield.
BIGSUMMEROFMOTORING
CarFest (North and South)Where:Oulton Park,Cheshire;Laverstoke ParkFarm,HampshireWhen: 31 July-2August (North); 28-30August (South)Entry: From£60 Contact: carfest.org
THEbrainchild of radiopresenter andFerrari enthusiastChrisEvans,CarFestisa funfamily festival underpinnedby a love of cars–with a quarter ofproceedsgoing toChildren InNeed. It’s nowin itsfourth year andsplitintoevents in thenorthandsouthof England,with thethree-daycampingfestivalsbestdescribed asGlastonbury withcars.The livemusic line-up includesTheBoomtownRats, Texas, Paloma Faithand WillYoung, while
there’s plentyof organic festival food andanair displayto enjoy.Oh,and therearecars, too, with awide rangeofproduction andracingmodels taking to thetrack, includinghistoric F1 racers, hotrods,rally cars, Japaneseretro andsupercars, andeventwo generations
of theBatmobile.For little ones,
there’sa driving school, football,a stunt school,
interactiveart displaysanda funfair,whilemoregrown-upkidscan havea goinbulldozers andtractors.
ScottishCar Show
The BigWelsh ClassicCar ShowWhere:Margam Country Park, PortTalbot When: 20September Entry: From£7 Contact: leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk
THEnamesays itall – thisis set tobe Wales’
biggest classiccarevent, raisingmoney for organiserLeukaemia& Lymphoma Research.This brandnewshowwillsee hundredsof classic andmilitary vehicleshit MargamPark.Organised withtheHistoricEndurance
RallyingOrganisation(HERO), theshowwill
featureover700cars, with 26provided
byHERO andsomeused forridesaroundMargamParkin exchange fora charitydonation– includinga 1933ACMarchanda 1992LanciaDelta Integrale.The family-friendlyeventwillalsohost
activitiesfor kids, includinga treasurehunt.
BigWelshClassicCar Show
KopHill ClimbWhere:KopHill, Princes Risborough, BucksWhen: 19-20September Entry: From£5Contact: kophillclimb.org.uk
IT’S oneof England’soldest hill climbs– having been usedsince1910– andalthoughit started asa competitiveevent,the Kop Hill Climb
has becomea fun-packed familyday outwithhundredsof historicandexotic cars andbikestakingparteach year,surroundedbyexhibitionsandentertainment.Side events include a
SoapboxChallenge, a rafflefor a Porsche 911 rideupthehill,a terrifyingwall of death ride anda funfair for thekids. It’s allfor charityandrunbyvolunteers.
JU
3
SEPT
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MarkNichol
26 27May2015
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nsi estory
Silverstone ClassicWhere:Silverstone, Northamptonshire
When: 24-26 July Entry: From £40
Contact: silverstoneclassic.com
THOUSANDSof heritage display cars andthree
days of non-stop racing,featuringmore than
1,000historic racers, underpin theSilverstone
Classic. But that’snotall. StatusQuo will perform
liveand you can takepart inall manner ofdriving
experiences, from off-road to drifting.Mike Brewer
ishostinga live car clinic, too – tweeta question
in advance using the#SCASKMIKE hashtag.
Plus, there’sa funfair andmillionsof
poundsworth ofclassic carsdue togoon
sale at theSilverstone Classic auction. Fancy
staying over?Silverstoneoffersposhcamping
or compact ‘Snoozebox’ hotel rooms.
Scottish Car ShowWhere:Royal Highland
Centre, Edinburgh
When: 19 July Entry: From£10
Contact: scottishcarshow.com
ORGANISERS call theScottish CarShow
a “grassroots”event – there’sno official
manufacturer involvement, just1,600-plus
owner cars,most of themmodified.
But theone-dayspectacular isn’t just for
the tuningcommunity;there’ssomething
foreveryone.Drift andsupercar taxis are
availa le all ay, an whileanex travagant
stunt showwith cars andbikeswillentertain
all, there’salso an activity zone forkids.
The Armywillbe inattendance with a
rangeofvehicles, andthere’slivemusic
aswell – including theRolling Drones,
a pipeband thatplays modernhits.
Lotus FestivalWhere:BrandsHatch, Kent When: 15-16AugustCost: From£12 Web link: lotus-festival.com
THIS“celebration of Britain’smostcharismatic
sportscarmarque” coversthe entiretyof Lotus’
60-yearhistory.Organisedby fans, it comprises
a packedracingprogramme,while showgoers
canmingle with fellowowners andenthusiasts,
aswell asbuyfrom themerchandise stands.
‘ShowandShine’will display thebest-
preservedmodelsin theUK, plus you can even
enjoy a passenger ridein a Sunbeam rally car.
Goodwood Festiv l of peedWhere:Goodwood,West Sussex When: 25-28 June Entry: From£51 Contact: goodwood.com
st
Silverstone
Kop Hill Climb
Lotus Festival
GoodwoodFestival of Speed
JUL Y
24
h
JUL Y
1 9
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15
JUNE
25
‘FAST and Fearless: Racingon theEdge’ isthe theme
as this year’sGoodwoodFestival ofSpeed celebrates
a whole host of racingmilestones,including the60th
anniversary ofSirStirlingMoss andDenis Jenkinson’s
historic victoryat the1955MilleMigliafor Mercedes,
plus 50years since Honda’s first grand prix win.
Mosswilldrive an iconicMercedes 300SLRup the
famousGoodwoodhill climb, whileMotoGP legend
ValentinoRossi willdo so on his currentYamaharacer.
At leastfive F1 teams, includingMercedes and
Ferrari, will hit thehill with their currentdrivers, and
a raft of touringcars from the incredibleeighties era is
set to appear, too. Back in thepresent, the1,800bhp
Koenigsegg Regerawill do thehill climb,aswill the
brand newMazdaMX-5– making its UKdebut. And
forsomethingmore leftfield, a pack of infamously
unsuccessful F1 cars will appearin thenew, tongue-
in-cheek ‘Fearlessbut Flat-Broke’category.
As all of this is goingon, spectators cansoak
up a petrol-infused, family-friendly atmosphere
that includes autographstandsand aminihill
climbfor kidsto racearound inbox karts.
27May2015
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Insidestory
28
...Andwhat about abroad?FANCY taking advantageof a cheapflight or aneasy ChannelTunnel ride andheadingtoEurope? Here arethreeof theContinent’s topmotoringevents...
LeMans 24 HoursWhere:Circuit de laSarthe, FranceWhen: 13-14June Entry: From €75Contact: 24h-lemans.com
Berkshire Motor ShowWhere: ProspectPark,Reading,BerksWhen:5 July Entry: From£2 (charitydonation)Contact: berkshiremotorshow.co.uk
DunsfoldWings &WheelsWhere:DunsfoldPark,Guildford,SurreyWhen: 29-30August Entry: From £22Contact: wingsandwheels.net
GoodwoodRevivalWhere:Goodwood,WestSussex When: 11-13September Entry: From £50 Contact: goodwood.com
RAISINGmoney for theChildLung Foundation,theBerkshireMotorShow isa relaxed familydayout,with thelikes of circus entertainers,chainsaw carversanda funfair toenjoy.
Carsarecoveredat themoreunusual endof thespectrum, withparticipants bringingalongtheir ownclassics, hot rods, modifiedcarsand standoutcustommodelslike theBlack Pearlpirate van.There’sevena tug-of-war contestplanned–andyou don’t getmanyof thoseatmotor shows.
THEhigh-octaneWings &Wheels event takesover DunsfoldPark for theAugustBankHolidayweekend,andpromisespulsating air andmotordisplays.Thehugepark isused to full effect, includinga Red
Arrows show, classiccarandsupercar areas, a stunt show,a retailvillageandall kindsofactivities for the kids– from a fairground toaviationandracesimulators,plusbouncycastles.
KNOWNasmotoring’sbest fancydressparty, theRevival isstagedentirelyin periodclothingand
will once againexplore racingand carculture
from thepast. As ever,hundreds of seminalvintage road andtrack carswill race around the
Goodwood circuit,whilethis year’smaineventwill bea tribute to legendaryracer andengineerBruceMcLarenandwill include a paradeof more than20carspertinentto hiscareer. A highlightwill be theLavant Cuprace,
which is exclusivelyfordrum-braked Ferraristhis time around,with hundredsof millionsofpoundsworthof cars taking part. Under-13sget into theRevival show for free.
Belgian GPWhere: Spa-Francorchamps,Stavelot, BelgiumWhen: 21-23August Entry: From €135 Contact: formula1.com
ONEof themostcelebratedcircuitsin theworld,Spa-Francorchampspromises
plentyof excitementwhen the F1circus arrives in August – althoughatup to€600 (£427)per personfor theweekend, plus travel, it takescommitment.Wit
theseasonpast thehalfwaypointbythen,will Mercedes still bedominating?
THE iconicLe Mans24 Hours isan event anyseriousmotoring fanmustsee in thefleshatleast once. Withtrackaction fromcutting-
edgeracecars, a festival-likeatmosphere andhuge road trip potential, it’s theperfect long weekendbreak for petrolheads.Nothing canquiteprepare
youfor thenoise– fromboththe campsites
andthe track.
VLNEnduranceChampionshipWhere:Nürburgring, GermanyWhen:March-October2015 (10 races)Entry: From €15per race (grandstand)Contact: nuerburgring.de
THEVLNEndurance Championshipcomprises 10one-dayraceevents,each organised bya differentmotorsportclub andcontested byeveryone fromamateursto profactory teams.
It’s free towatch fromtheperimeter of thefamousNordschleife
circuit,and isa greatdayout.
LeMans
Spa-Francorchamps
Nürburgring
JULY
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M A RT OOCT
Goodwood
Revival
DunsfoldWings &Wheels
CarFest
BerkshireMotor Show
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FORD ECOSPORT
SYNC®
withVoice ControlIt’s the compact SUV that lets you voice control
your smartphone on the move.
ford.co.uk/EcoSport
The connected SUV has arrived.
Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford EcoSport range: urban 34.9-57.7 (8.1-4.9), extra urban
53.3-64.2 (5.3-4.4), combined 44.8-61.4 (6.3-4.6). Official CO2 emissions 149-120g/km.Thempgfiguresquotedare sourcedfromofficialEU-regulatedtestresults(EUDirective andRegulation692/2008), areprovided forcomparability
purpose s and may not reflect your actual driving experien ce. Ford SYNC is optional, at extra cost.
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Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives
Newcars
Kyle Fortune
Porsche911GT3RS
NEW DS 5
It’s the first model toget
standaloneDSbranding,
but isexeca contender?
32
FIRSTDRIVE Latest race car for road promises to bemost extremeyet
“The GT3 RS delivers downforce of 345kg – 80 percent of what Porsche achieves with its GT3 R racer”
ASthesayinggoes,racing improves
hebreed– andif there’sonecompany
hat genuinelytakes that mantra to the
road, it’s Porsche.Whilethe 911GT3
homologates its GT3 R racecar, the GT3 RS
reallyblurs the boundaries between therace trackand the road.However, thenew
car – unlikeprevious RSmodels – isa lot
more distinct from thestandardGT3.
Firstly, there’smore power, as the3.8-
itre flat six has been increased to 4.0 litres.
That’sachievedby a longerstroke, via a
differentcamshaft constructed fromthe
sameexotic, repeatedly heat-treated,high-
strength steel you’ll find inPorsche’s 919
WEC LeMans prototype race car.
Andtheengine upgradesdon’tstop there
– there’sa redesigneddry-sumplubrication
system, a lighter valve trainwith newvalve
springs, a revised camshaft, lightweight
cylinderheads anda variable resonance
nductionsystem. Thenet result ismore
powerand torque than in theGT3,with a
peakoutputof 493bhp, increasedby25bhp,
andtorque up from440Nm to460Nm.
Porsche’s GTbossAndreasPreuinger adds
that at the193mphmaximumspeed,the
ram-air effectof thenew inductionsystem
adds at least10bhpto themaximum power.Unlike itspredecessor, the4.0-litre
engine, combinedwith the seven-speed
PDKpaddleshift transmission (there’sno
manualoption),is civilised at times,but
decisiveand quickwhen youup thepace.
Andit’s difficult notto as the4.0-litre’s
huge flexibilitymakes it quickat lowrevs
andotherworldlyas it chases the lower, but
stillstratospheric, 8,800rpm red line – it
covers0-62mph in3.3seconds and hits
100mphin 7.1seconds. Do thatand the
noiseis incredible, speed sensationaland,
when youfinda corner, turn-in immediate.
This ishelpedby revised RS-specific
rear axle steering settings.The frontaxle
feelsmore tied-downthan anyother911,
allowingentry speedsas high asyoudare,
while the rear offershuge grip.Despite allthat rubberon the road, theRS isplayful,
butit happens atgreater speedsthan its
GT3 relation,and requiresquicker reactions.
With theGT3RS borrowing itswider body
from the911Turbo, inductionair for the
engineis channelledvia the rearwing inlets
ratherthanover the roof andengine lid.
Visuallythe GT3RS wears its intentwith
overt styling, andall of it is functional.The
frontwings feature ventedtops to improve
airflow anddownforcewithout any increase
Huge wing helps keepRS pinned to road, and
the pace is ferocious
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Verdict
MERCEDES-AMG C 63
First UK drive of 469bhp
Estate thriller that has
Audi RS4Avantin sight.
FUEL-CELL ix35
Verdicton pioneering
hydrogen Hyundai as it
pointsto a green future.
ALFA 4C SPIDER
Mid-enginedsupercar
flips its lid forsummer,
and wetakethe wheel.
VOLKSWAGENCADDY
Van-basedfive-seater is
a fine alternative to the
usualMPVsuspects.
34 36 38 40
Carbon-fibre bucket seats from 918 are options. Despite the focus, creature comforts
include climate control, seven-inch infotainment touchscreen and MP3 compatibility
in drag, despite that huge rear wing. Allthe
aerodynamic trickeryallows theGT3 RSto
deliver downforce of 345kg –
80 percentof what Porsche
achieveswith itsGT3R racer.
ithaero borrowed from the
track, an engine with 919componentsandmaterials, plus a wheel andtyre
selec
tionthat’sthe sameas on
orsche’s918 Spyder hypercar,
the GT3 RSisa far more
extreme evolutionthan
eventhe fabled997 RS4.0.
Despite theweight of thewider
Turbo-derivedbody and larger
wheelsand tyres fittedunder
it, the RSis around 20kglighter
than thestandardGT3.That’s
achievedby replacing the rear
windows withpolycarbonate, plus
fitting a lightweight rear bumper, a bootlid
and frontwings constructed from carbon
fibreand lesssound deadening. There’s
even a magnesiumroof which is lighter
than carbon fibre,and we’re told the 1mm
thickpanelis incredibly difficult to make.
It’s worth theeffort, though, dropping1kg
at theRS’shighest point,whichbenefitsthe
centre of gravity. Purists canopt fora lighter
lithium-ion battery for£1,538, while the£6,248 ceramicbrakesarea must-have
optionfor those taking it to thetrack.
It’s inconceivable that a GT3RS owner
wouldn’t spend some time on a race circuit,
yetfor all itsobvious focus,it’s notoverly
compromisedas a road car. Despite the
massive tyre andwheelpackage andlack
of rubberbushing inmuch of the firm
suspension’sspecification, the RS
rideswith remarkable composure.
It’s a more demandingcar to drive than
a GT3, but rewarding at the sametime. The
RS achievesits greatness without robbing
itselfof everyday usability. At £30,000
morethanthe GT3 itlooks likea bargain,
assumingyoucan gethold of one.
THE 911 GT3 RSis a bigger step
up fromthe GT3 thanany other
RSmodel that has gone beforeit.
It’smore engaging than theGT3,
but witha characterof itsown.
Despite the track-focusedfeel,
it’s nottoo compromisedwhen
used on theroad, although that
Turbo-derived bodydoesmake
it feelquitewide. Toreally enjoy
it,youneeda racetrack, but
with anRSthat’sthe point.
★★★★★
Essentials
Porsche911GT3RSPrice: £131,296
Engine: 4.0-litre 6cyl petrol
Power: 493bhp
Transmission: Seven-speed twin-clutchauto,rear-wheel drive
0-62mph: 3.3seconds
Top speed: 193mph
Economy: 22.2mpg
CO2: 296g/km
ON SALE Now PRACTICALITY A roll cage can
be bolted in behind the front seats
as a no-cost option – although this
means the only storage in the GT3 RS is
the 125-litre front luggage compartment
AERODYNAMICS Massive rear
wing is a nod to the GT3 RS’s racing
intentions; clever front wings improve
airflow and ensure that, despite the
rear spoiler’s size, there’s no extra drag
NEED TO
KNOW
The 911 GT3 RS
lapped the
Nürburgring in
seven minutes
20 seconds – that’s
13 seconds faster
than the old model
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Newcars DS 5
www.autoexpress.co.uk
Essentials
STYLING At the front, there’s a t d-
down grille and, most importantly,Citroen badges – just a chrome DS
l
to reflect the fact that the premium b d
now stands as a company in its ow h
EQUIPMENT Standard kit is gene
on the DS: Bluetooth, parking sensor s
Mirror Screen all feature. But giving y o
a personal touch – by adding bold le h
watch strap’ seats, for instance – is p
DS5PrestigeBlueHDi150Price: £29,560
Engine: 1.6-litre4cyl diesel
Power/torque: 148bhp/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual,front-wheel drive
0-62mph: 10.6 seconds
Topspeed: 127mphEconomy: 68.9mpg
CO2: 105g/km
ON SALE Now
“Inside, the boldly styled dash, with its aircraft-inspired switchgear, is just as wacky as before”
THE original Citroen DSmight have
launched60 years ago, butit laid the
blueprint forwhat a luxuryFrenchcar should
be:quirky, innovative and unique. As the
first newproduct from a nowstandalone DS
brand, theupdated DS5 should bejust that.DSaims to rival Audi, so isthiscara step
n that direction? Wedrovethe top-spec DS5
Prestige,which ispowered bya new 148bhp
1.6-litre BlueHDi dieseland cango from
0-62mph in 10.6 seconds. Plus, it claims
68.9mpg economy andCO2 emissions of
105g/km, givingit a Benefit in Kind rate of
19 percent forcompany buyers andfree
roadtax for the first year. A good start...
This Prestige is expected to be the best
seller, andwhilethe engine is a littleloud
on full throttle, it’s brisk enough andkeen to
rev. Allthe other units in the range(118bhp
1.6 and 178bhp2.0-litrediesels,a 162bhp
1.6-litreturbopetrol and the197bhp2.0
Hybrid4x4) have been tweaked to comply
NEED TOKNOW DS range will
grow to six cars
by 2020. Expect
new DS 3, DS 4
and DS 5 models
as well as SUVsand saloons
in that time
y
y
, ,
robotisedmanual gearboxhas been ditched
in favourof a slicker six-speedautomatic.
The old DS5 had all thestyleof a typical
French limo, yetdidn’t offer the comfortto
match. This time around, DShas opted for
softer damperrates. As a result, the car
floatsand glidesover bumps, although not
at the expense of lurchingbody roll. Speedbumpsand potholes still crashthrough the
cabin,but overall it’s a bigimprovement.
It’s backed up by a hydraulicsteering
system that’s meaty and accurate enough
andison parwiththe more comfort-oriented
Ford Mondeo’s set-up, if notAudi sharp.
At the front,there’s a brand newgrille
that does without anyCitroenbadges,
instead proudly wearing theDS logo. A
chrome surround leads into stylish new
headlamps that include halogen or xenon
bulbs andL daytimerunninglight
s,and
there are Audi-like ‘scrolling’ indicators in
the front bumper. At the back, thechromed
‘Citroen’ hasmade wayfor the DSbadge.
Apart from this, the designteam has
left the DS5 untouched,so the distinctive
chrome ‘sabre’ on the front wing, floating
roof and characteristic curves and creases
remain. Ouronly complaintis that thesimpler grille designis at odds with the
rest of the extrovert exterior – it’s smart,
but not ascohesiveas an Audi.
On theinside, the boldlystyled
dashboard, with its aircraft-inspired
switchgear, is just as wacky as before, but
nowhas 12 fewer buttons. Functions like
navigation and mediaare now controllable
through the touchscreenin the centre of
the dash, addingsome sense to the
slightly haphazard arrangement of the
JamesBatchelor [email protected]
@JRRBatchelor
oned-
nologo
ran
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rous
an
ur
ther
r cey
ear passengers get as muc egroom as ever n , ut s op ng roo ne eats nto
ea room. t , we can t au t t e qua ty o t e eat er t roug out, p us eng neers
ave tte so ter ampers, so t e r e s muc smoot er w erever you re s tt g
with Euro 6 emissions, while the dim-witted, bulbs and
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DS 5 Newcars
ption to go in sp ce here
ple se ption to go in sp ce
here ple se c ption here
VerdictHOWEVER scepticalyouare about
thechances DShasof competing
with establishedpremiumbrands,
the5 isa big improvement over
theoldmodel.Suspension tweaks
mean it rides more likea big French
car should and isa step in the right
direction for the brand’s aspirations
The future looks promising; it’sjust
a shame DShasn’tlaunchedan all-
newmodel, instead choosing to
update a car thathas never wowed
UKbuyers. Still, this is what the
DS5 should always have been.
★★★
controls.Mirror Screen,which allows you to
connect yoursmartphone,is nowstandard.
Elsewhere, it’sbusinessasusual,
withgood-quality soft-touchplastics,
lovelymetal finishesandcharacterful
roof-mounted switchgear. Theproblem
is,it allfeels a bitclaustrophobic,
especially in therear, where the
sloping rooflinemeansspaceis tight.The boot isa goodshape,with465
litresof space (just 325litres in the
Hybridmodel) – butthat’s still down
on thecapacities in theMondeo (544
litres) andVolkswagenPassat (586 litres).
The new DS5’s trim line-up has been
slimmed down.There’s nowthe choice of
Eleganceand Prestige (and fora short time,
a special 1955edition), with prices ranging
from £26,795 for theElegance THP165
petrolto £34,890 forthe PrestigeHybrid4.
There’s also a largeoptions list to
dive into, buteven theentry-level
Elegancemodelcomeswellequipped.
Itmakesthe DS5 appealing on the right
road, if somewayoff rivallingAudi.
DS5 FIRST DRIVE Fresh exec is first carto wear standalone DS branding. Canit really threaten the class leaders?
Running costs68.9mpg (official)
£70 fill-up
Performance0-62mph/top speed
10.6 seconds/127mph
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Newcars Mercedes-AMGC 63Estate
Pace is devastating, but C 63 feels
more grown-up than M3
FIRSTDRIVE 469bhp twin-turbo powerhouse storms into theUK – and impresses with its blend ofmuscle, class andpracticality
WE’VEalreadydriven andbeen mos
blownaway by the newMercedes-A
C 63.Butthatwas onanother day and,
more importantly, in another country,
on roads that areverydifferent from
the oneswe haveherein theUK.
Sohavingnow drivenit onhomesoil
as well, the crunch questionsare: is itsride quality flexible enoughto work on
a UK road? Is itsnew turbochargedV8
enginea sincere replacement for the
oldthumper of an atmosphericV8 that
powered the previousC63 with such
gusto?Andis it really worth the premiu
that Mercedes-AMGis attemptingto
charge comparedwith rivals from
Audi (RS4/5) andBMW (M3/4)?
The Estateversionwe tryhere
costs £61,260 before a single
optionhas been specified. By
comparison, the equivalent
RS4costs£56,595, while the
saloonC 63 isalso several gr
morethanthe M3at £60,060The goodnews istheC 63
backs upits loftypricetag wit
fairlydazzling array of not jus
on-paper appeal, buton-road
ability as well. Itsnew3,982
twin-turbopetrol engine
produces more power andtorque
than anyof itsclosest rivals– 469bh
and 649Nm, or504bhp and 700Nm ifyo
opt for thepricier S version.
Butthe even better news is that,
despite being turbocharged, thisnew
V8 engine isstill burstingwith personali
andsuffers from virtually no lagwhatsoe
– to a pointwhere ifyou weren’t told
that it is turbocharged, you probablywouldn’t guess.Andtheride quality,
indeed the entire chassis, steering
and suspension system, alsoworks
beautifully back here in the UK as well.
It’salsofast with a capital F, with
Mercedesquoting a 0-62mphtime of
just 4.2seconds even for the regular Mercedes-AMGC63Estate
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Mercedes-AMGC 63Estate Newcars
www.autoexpress.co.uk
Essentials
Verdict
Dynamic Drive offers
myriad options. Rear
space is generous
Mercedes-AMG
C63EstatePrice: £61,260
Engine: 4.0-litre V8, twin-turbo
Power: 469bhp
Transmission: Seven-speedautomatic,
rear-wheel drive0-60mph: 4.2seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Economy: 33.6mpg
CO2: 196g/km
ON SALE Now
THE big bootis a bonus,butit’sthedriving experience thatcountsmostina car like this. And injustabout
everymeasurablecapacity, theC 63thrills likea 469bhpestate should.It’s a littleheavierand softer than aBMW M3 (not availableas an estatebutstillsensationalto drive.
You don’teven haveto go fasttoappreciate theplush interior andcrackling exhaustnote. If ever a car couldbe worth £60,000,thisis it.
★★★★★
PERFORMANCE Race Start mode,
as shown on digital screen between
dials, helps rear-wheel-drive wagon get
off the line with maximum traction.
Acceleration feels explosive in any gear
INTERIOR C 63’s interior is as
beautifully finished as the rest of
the range. Highlights include the
tablet-like screen, bulls-eye vents
and bank of solid-feeling switchgear
NEED TO
KNOW
With 490 litres
of space with
the seats up, it
matches RS4
Avant – fold the
rear seats andit’s 1,510 litres
Estate model. Go for theS saloonand
hat drops to four seconds dead with zero
o 100mph comingup inwell below ten
seconds. All versions arerestricted to thenevitable topspeed of 155mph.
As you’d expect from anynew AMG,
thereare numerousdifferent set-up
alternatives thatcan be selectedmanually
via the car’s dynamic driveprogramme.
But in this instance, youcan tailorthe
programmes individually to suityourneeds,
or the terrain beneath.So youcan select
anycombination youfancywhen it comes to
the car’s throttle, steering,gearchange and
ESP systemresponses. No twoC 63swill
bethe same, intheory, whenon the move.
The gearboxis an uprated version of
the previousC63’snot-so-brilliant seven-
speedMCT(multi clutch transmission),
andin this instance it hasbeen muchmproved,with sharper downshiftsand
creamy smoothupshifts (or thumping
hard ones ifyouselect Sport +).Either
way, it works farbetter than before.
One slightdisappointmentis the car’s
kerbweight.At 1,785kg forthe Estatemodel
yousee here, or 1,715kg for the saloon,
the C 63 isalmost 200kg heavier thanan
M3.This hasobviousknock-on effects, not
onlywhenit comes to pureagility – theC 63
definitely feels like a biggermachineto
muscleabout ona UKroad – but also on
emissions, fuelconsumption and even
tyre wear in thefullnessof time. Then again,
theC 63 doesfeellike a biggerand more
grown-up kind of car compared with the
latestM3, period. Itscabinis both richly
appointed, especially so for a Mercedes,
and has anextra whiff ofmaturityto it
beside the racier-feeling M3.The
momentyou climb inside theC 63, you
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Newcars Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
38 27May2015
DavidVivian
www.autoexpress.co
AlfaRomeo
“Tightly contoured interior feels less claustrophobic due to better rearwardvisibility, but the hard and flat-bottomed seats are just as uncomfortable”
FOR £51,500 you can havean Alfa
Romeo 4Cwitha fixed roof, and now a
further £8,000 gets youa 4C Spiderwith
a roll-up fabrictop that stows in theboot.
Both havemini-supercarproportions
and styling to makeyou goweakat the
knees,but whysuch a significantprice
hike? Aside from the extraequipment
and wind-in-your-hair thrills, AlfaRomeo
claims to haverectified the coupé’sjitteryroad mannerswith the 4CSpider.But
does it justify the extra cash?
On paper at least, Alfa appears to
haveaddressedthe somewhat erratic
character of the coupé. Tinkering with
the4C’s chassis should have helped
tame itswayward nature, while at the
same time making it a more rewarding
driver’s car.What hasn’tchangedis the
mid-engined layout, carbon monocoque
chassisand unassisted steering.That
combinationproved to be a handful
n the coupé,especially with theraw
237bhp 1.75-litre turbonestlinga matter
of inchesbehind the driver’s head.
Bar the odd fraction, the Spideris asmpressivelyquick as the coupé: clocking
0-62mph in 4.5seconds and160mphflat-
out. Alfa hasalso presentedthe choice of
threeexhaustsystems – standard (loud),
race (very loud) and, at extra cost, an
Akrapovicsystem, which canbe switched
between the two volume settings.
By removingthe roofand redistributing
equipment, there’s been a marginal shift in
weight distribution (40:60frontand rear
versus 35:65 forthe coupé).There have also
been detailchanges to thesuspension and
steering, withnoticeably positive results –
it’s less of a battlehustlingthe Spiderdown
a winding backroad thanit isin the coupé.
Thesteeringis still quite heavy – muchheavier thanthatof a Lotus Elise – but it’s
farmore consistent anddoesn’t kick back
or move aroundwith the same severity.You
geta more detailed picture of what the front
wheels aredoing, giving youconfidence to
press on where youwouldhave backed off
inthe 4C. Opt for a set-up which ismore
comfort-orientated, withsmaller wheels
andsoftersuspension, andthe changes to
the steering areamplified, adding a degree
of suppleness andflow to the process.
The engine, however, remainsuntamed.
It’s plagued byold-fashioned turbo lag, a
throttle which ishard to modulate, plus a
booming yet characterless exhaustnote.On
fasterruns, the laggy response andover-zestymid-range make it difficult to find a
consistent rhythm. Where a Porsche Boxster
GTSwould flatter you, this car falters.
Specificto theSpider isa bespokeengine
cover, sporting a brace of rear buttressesFIRSTDRIVE Can strikingdrop-topmakeu
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Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Newcars
27May201
VerdictTHE 4CSpider ismorethanjust
a 4C withouta roof; it’s Alfa’sattemptat addressing someof
the criticismlevelled at theunruly
coupé. Changes to the steering and
suspension mean it flows along the
road better than before, butpush
a little harder, andproblemswith
the laggy power delivery,reluctant
gearbox and boomingexhaust
noteremain. It makes the Porsche
Boxsterand eventhe Lotus Elise
look refined bycomparison. It’s
lucky theSpider is so drop-dead
gorgeous,because the drive still
doesn’tliveup tothe looks.
★★★ .autoex ress.co.uk
Essentials
C Spider
ROOF In keeping with the 4C’s
stripped-back, lightweight philosophy,
the Spider’s fabric roof is removed
manually. It’s not as fiddly as you
might expect, though, plus it
stows away neatly in the boot
HANDLING With 234bhp at its
disposal and only around a tonne topropel along, the Spider’s performance
is lively and the driving experience
visceral. But the car can be tricky to
handle when pushed to the limit
Alfa Romeo4CSpiderPrice: £59,500
Engine: 1.75-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 234bhp
Transmission: Six-speed auto,rear-wheel drive
0-62mph: 4.5secondsTopspeed: 160mph
Economy: 40.9mpg
CO2: 161g/km
ON SALE Now
Performance0-62mph/top speed
4.5 seconds/160mph
Running costs40.9mpg (official)
£47 fill-up
NEED TO
KNOW There are rumours
of a faster 4C
Stradale, but it’s
hard to see more
power being
welcome and
weight being cut
appointment of coupé?
anda pair ofnewheadlamps, which replace
theopinion-dividing, bug-eyed lightsfrom
the coupé – but you can specifythose if
youwant to.The cabin is tight,but access
ismuch easierwith the roof off. Climb
inside, and the tightly contoured interior
feels less claustrophobicdueto better
rearwardvisibility,but thehard andflat-
bottomedseatsare justas uncomfortable.
One notable addition is the fabricroof.Unclipping andrefitting the7kgtop is
a fumble-free, two-minute, one-person
exercise, andpossiblymore impressive for
thesnug refinement it provideswhen in
place. When neatlystowed in theboot, hair-
ruffling iskept to a minimum, thanksto
a spoiler lip fittedacrossthe headerrail
deflectingairupwards, awayfromoccupants.
Alfa has addeda greater senseofmaturity
inside, kitting theSpider outwith a new
Alpineheadunit andhi-fi system, plusher
floor mats, parking sensors andcruise
control as standard.There’s alsoair-con
anda leather-trimmeddash,butit’s not
enoughto distract youfrom thestill unruly
character of this feisty Italian sportscar.
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Newcars Xxxxxxxxxx x
Buying a new car? Tell us about your experience
www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpow
Verdict
Coming soon
VolkswagenCaddyFIRSTDRIVE
Van-basedMPV is a practical, spacious choice
TESLA MODELATE 2015With its distinctive f
doors, seven-seat l
300-mile plus range
strong performance
Model X EV is sure shake up the SUV c
SUPERMINIS
Fiat 500 2016Ford Ka mid 2015Ford Fiesta 2017Honda Jazz summer R enau lt Twin goGT l at e2015RenaultZOEupdate late2015Renault 5 late 2015SEAT Ibiza 2016SmartForTwoBrabus mid2016Suzuki Swift 2017Vauxhall Viva summer
FAMILYCARS
A lfa R omeoGiul ia l at e2015AlfaRomeoGiuliaEstate late2015AudiA3three-cylinder late2015Audi A4 late 2015BMW3SeriesPlug-in mid2016
BMW i5 2016Honda FCEV mid 2015Infiniti Q30 late 2015K ia O pti ma faceli ft l at e2015 JaguarXE Sportbrake 2016MG5 2020MINI Clubman mid 2015MINI Coun tryman early 2016Nissan Leaf mid 2016Porsche Panamera 2016PorschePanameraestate 2016Re nault Mégane mid 2 016SkodaSuperbEstate September Subaru Levorg late 2015Tesla Model III 2016Toyota Prius late 2015Toyota Mirai late 2015Vauxhall Astra late 2015VW Beetle Dune late 2015VW Golf Alltrack summer VW Golf CC 2015V W Pa ssat A ll track su mmer VW Passat GTE June
SPORTSCARSAlfa 4C Stradale late 2 015Alfa 6C 2016Aston Martin DB9 late 2 016AstonMartinV8Vantage early2016Audi A5 spring 2016Audi A9 2018Audi R4 2016Audi R8 autumnAudi TT Sportback 2016Audi TT Spor t Quattro 2016BMW M1 2016BMW M2 late 2015Caterham sp or ts car 2016Ferrari 488 GTB mid 2015Ford GT 2016Ford Focus RS 2016Honda Ci vi cTy peR l at e2015Honda CR-Z 2017Honda NSX late 2015Infiniti Q60 2016 JaguarXE SVR early2016Kia GT4 Stinger 2016LamborghiniAsterionLP910-4 2017
Lexus GS F late 2015Lexus RC late 2015Lexus LF-LC 2016Lotus Evora 400 summer Maserati Alfieri 2016MaseratiGranTurismo late2017McLaren 570S late 2015Mercedes-AMGCLA45SB mid2015MercedesC450AMGSport 2016MG TF replacement 2020NissanPulsarNismo late2015Peugeot 308 R late 2015PorscheBoxsterSpyder late2015PorscheCaymanGT4 mid2015Pors che911GT 3RS mid2015Porsche911facelift late2015Porsche 961 2017Porsche Pajun 2018Renault Alpine 2016Toyota FT-1 (Supra) 2016
VW Scirocco GTS 20
SUVs
Alfa Romeo SUV early 20Aston Martin DBX 20Audi Q1 20Audi Q5 20Audi Q6 20Audi Q7 summAudi Q8 20Audi RS Q1 late 20Bentley Bentayga 20BMW1SeriesSportCross 2BMW X2 20BMW X3 20BMW X7 20Citroen Grand Cactus 20Dacia Duster facelift 20Ford Edge summ
Honda HR-V summInfiniti QX30 mid 20 Jaguar F-Pace 20Lamborghini Urus 20Land Rover D efender 20Lexus RX late 20Maserati Levante 20Mazda CX-3 summMercedesAMGGTfour-door 20MercedesGLCCoupé early20Mercedes GLC mid 20MercedesGLECoupé mid20Mercedes GLE mid 20Mercedes GLS mid 20MG GS 20Peugeot Quartz 20PorscheCayenneCoupé 2Pors cheMa ca n Tu rboS 2Porsche Macan GTS 20Porsche Panamera 20Qoros 2 SUV 20Qoros 3City SUV 20Renault Kwid 20Renault Kadjar Aug
Renaultseven-seatSUV 2Rolls-Royce SUV late 2SEAT SUV 20Skoda Yeti+2 20Suzuki iM-4 20Tesla Model X late 20Toyota C-HR 20Volkswagen Taigun 20Volkswagen Tiguan 20Volkswagen T-ROC 20Volvo XC40 20Volvo XC60 20
PEOPLEMOVERS
BMW2SeriesGranTourer JF ordC-MA Xfa celi ft su mmFordGrandC-MAXfacelift summFord S-MAX summMercedes R-Class 20VW Touran NovemVW Transpor te r late 2
CABRIOLETSAudi R8 Spyder 20AlfaRomeo4CSpider mid20F iat 124S pi der su mmer20 Jaguar F-TypeSVR late20 JaguarXE Convertible 20LamborghiniHuracánSpyder late20Mazda MX-5 summMercedesC-ClassCabriolet late20MercedesS-ClassCabriolet late20MINI Convertible 20RangeRoverEvoqueCabriolet 20Rolls-Royce Dawn 20VWBeetleDunecabriolet late20
LUXURYCARS
BMW 7Series late 20Cadillac ELR late 20Infiniti Q80 20 JaguarXF late20MercedesS-ClassPullman 20R oll s-RoycePhan tom 2VW Phaeton late 20Volvo S90 20
IF youwant plentyof space coupled
with child-friendly versatility and don’t
reallycare what theneighbours think,the
Volkswagen CaddyLife could be the car
foryou. It’s compact – it has a footprint
similar to a Golf Estate– yetthere’s a serious
amount of space andthe option of seven
seats on the long-wheelbase Maximodels.
The interior is robustly built,but designed
with adaptable seating and no less than 17
storage compartments. And there’s plenty
of tech, too,includingCity EmergencyBraking,Adaptive Cruise Control and a 360-degree
parking aid. Hard plastics on the dash
anddoor inserts betrayits commercial
vehicle origins, butthere’s a toughnessand
solidity that family buyers willappreciate.
The bigdraw, however, is thespace
nside. The standard CaddyLife has room
forfive adults, andloadsof headroom for
all of them. A third row, making thevehicle
a seven-seater, is an optionon the Caddy
Maxi Life versions that increasethe
wheelbaseby 470mm for a bigger boot.
In general,it rides comfortably butthings
can getunsettled over largerbumps and the
vehicle’s height makes itself felt through
corners and sharp changes of direction.
A range of Euro 6-compliant 2.0-litre TDIdiesels is offered with power outputs of
74bhp, 101bhpand 148bhp. We’ll also get
a small TSI turbo petrolby the end of 2015.
The middle-ranking diesel will take around
80 per centof sales and feels
both strongand quickto
react to throttle
nputs.
WHAT the Caddy Life lacks
in trendy styling features, it
makes upfor in cabin space
and outright practicality. It’s
wellbuilt and feels like a
Volkswagen passenger car
on the surface, although
its vanorigins are betrayed
a little by a driving experience
that’s slightly rough around
theedges. It’s likelyto
be more expensive than most
van-based rivals, but nonehas
the Caddy’s sheen of quality.
★★★
VolkswagenCaddyLife2.0TDI102Price: £21,000 (est)
Engine: 2.0-litre4cyl diesel
Power: 100bhp/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual,front-wheel drive
0-62mph: 12.9seconds (est)
Top speed: 106mph (est)
Economy: 55.4mpg(est)
CO2: 134g/km (est)
ON SALE October
NEED TO KNOW
Skoda’s next
Roomster willessentially be a
rebadged Caddy,
and is set to debut
later this year.
@Steve_cars
40 27May20 5
74bhp,101bhpand 148bhp.We’ll also get
a small TSI turbo petrolby the end o 2015.
The middle-ran ingdiesel will ta e around
80 per cent o sales and eels
both strongand quic to
react to throttle
nputs.
in trendy styl
makes up for
nd outright
well built an
Vol swagen
n the surfac
itsvan origin
littleby a d
that’s slightl
the edges. It’
be more exp
van-based ri
the Caddy’s
★★
e a ge a y,
and is set to debut
ater t s year.
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Newca
www.autoexpress.co
t
s
a
erdi t
@rsp_ingram
Hyundai ix35FCEVFIRSTDRIVEHydrogen fuel cell SUV shows promising future, at a price
Essentials
WHILEpure electricandhybridcars
continue their upwards curve in theUK,
hydrogen-powered vehiclesare stillsome
distanceawayfrombecomingmainstream.
Andwith fewer than 15 functioning filling
stations in theUK,it’s no real surprise.However, if youfancybeingan early
adopter youcan actually buya fuel cell-
powered ix35 FCEV outright for£53,015.
Could thisbe thecarto weanus off the
conventionalcombustion engine?
Currentestimatessuggest it will cost
around half asmuch asanequivalent
dieselmodel to run. A tank of hydrogen
will setyou back around£20, andHyundai
saysthiswill givethe ix35FCEVa range
ofabout 369miles – based onour drive,
thatdoesn’t sound too over-optimistic.
You’ll haveto planyour routes carefully
fyouwantto use it onlongjourneys, but
thingswill be a biteasier forLondon-based
commuters, with threestationswithin the
M25. While a 12.5-second 0-62mphtime
and a topspeedofjust99mph aren’tgoing
to setanyperformance records, thepower
delivery is instant andremarkably linear, so
theix35 feels fasterthan thefiguressuggest.
It’s around400kgheavier than the
standard ix35SUV– whichshows in
bends where itrolls fromsideto side. A
diesel ix35 feelsmore nimblethen,but
that’sunlikelytomatter to eco-concious
Hyundai ix35FCEVPrice: £53,015
Engine: Fuelcell stack, electricmotorwith lithium-polymer battery
Power/torque: 134bhp/300Nm
Transmission: Single-speed,front-wheeldrive
0-62mph: 12.5seconds
Topspeed: 99mph
CO2: 0g/km
Range: 369 miles
ON SALE Now
THERE’S no denying Hyundai’s
enthusiasmfor,and commitment
to,hydrogenhascreateda truly
feasible final product.With zero
tailpipe emissionsand a refilltime
of just three minutes, hydrogen
couldbecomea genuine alternative
todirty, thirstyinternal combustion
engines. The infrastructure isn’tnear
ready, and thepricewill putmost
buyersoff,but ifthisis a glimpse
ofthe future, we’re all for it.
★★★
PRACTICALITY Rear legroom
is as generous as in the standard
ix35; heated seats are included as
standard, as is a reversing camera
FUEL CELLS Hydrogen tanks impact
boot space, cutting it from 591 litres to
436 litres, but smarter solutions could
eliminate this penalty in future
RANGE Hyundai claims one tank of
hydrogen will take car 369 miles, whichseems realistic. It would mean fuel cell
car costs half as much to run as diesel
FCEV buyers – especiallywhen youconsider
howquiet it isatmotorwayspeeds.
Practicalitytakesa hit, with thehuge
hydrogen tank eatinginto boot space.
Totalusable room isdown from 591litres
to 436 litres, although that’sstillmore
thanin a VWGolfor FordFocus. Inside,
there’s thesame five-seatset-up and
decentlegroom.The dashboard is liftedfrom thestandardcar, too, with an
identical infotainment system.
Thebiggest stickingpointfor the
innovative ix35 is itsprice– at £53,015,
it’s over £20,000more than theMitsubishi
OutlanderPHEV. Hyundai says it’s thecost
of hydrogen tanks that dictates thesky-high
list price, butargues that thecostswill be
betteraligned to conventionalpetrol and
dieselcarswithinthreeto four years.
Robin Hayles, Hyundai’ssustainable
fueldevelopmentmanager, thinks fuel
cells are the “long-termsolution”,claiming
they will “outbid othersas the technology
of choice” in thecoming years.So if you’re
interested, patiencecould be a virtue.
Dash is taken from diesel ix35; it’s
well built and sat-nav is standard
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Road tests Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives
NEWKIA VENGAvsNISSANNOTE, B-MAX
Supermini-MPV shoot-
out as fresh-faced Kia
meets Nissan and Ford.
50
newBreakingground
Pictures:NathanMorgan ocation: ldeburgh, Suffolk
We see if Volvo’s hi-tech new XC90 can go straight to the top of theseven-seater SUV class as itmeets capable LandRover Discovery
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LIVINGWITH A...BMW i3
We id fond f rewell to
elect f
nine u f .
60 “Is the ageingLandRover’sappeal stilstro enough to rival hi-tech XC90?ric car pioneer a ter
months on ourfleet.
Volvo XC90 D5AWD MomentumPrice: £45,750
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel,221bhp
0-60mph: 8.1seconds
Testeconomy:33.0mpg/7.3mpl
CO2: 149g/km Annual roadtax: £145
Land RoverDiscovery SE TechPrice: £47,500
Engine: 3.0-litreV6 turbodiesel,252bhp
0-60mph: 8.4 seconds
Test economy: 27.1mpg/6.0mpl
CO2: 213g/km Annualroad tax:£290
THEoriginalVolvo XC90 4x4
changed thebrand’s image.
When it joined the range of boxy
saloons and estates wayback in
2002, the stylishseven-seat SUV
broughtsomepremiumpizzazz.
It stood thetestof time aswell,
finally beingaxedin 2014, 12 years
after it first went on sale. This means
the all-newXC90 has a lotto live up
to – but with an interior packed full
of the latest technology, somevery
clever safetysystemsand a new,
highly efficient familyof engines
that’llfeature in Volvos of the future,
the car has whatit takes to rocket
straight to the top of the class.
Plus, as prices start at £45,750,
it has valueon itssidewhen
compared to the competition.
Itsclosest rival hasalways been
the Land Rover Discovery.Over the
past decade, if you wanted a refined
and practicalSUVwithlots of space,
seven seats andgenuine off-road
ability, theDisco hasarguably been
the defaultchoice. Butwiththe
Mk2XC90 now on sale,has that
all changed, or isthe ageing Land
Rover’sappealstill strong enough
to rivalthe hi-technewcomer asthe
familySUV favourite? We getbehind
thewheel ofboth models to find out.
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Road tests Volvo XC90vs Land Rover Discovery
44 27May2015
MODEL TESTED:VolvoXC90D5AWDMomentumPRICE:£45,570 ENGINE: 2.0-litre4cyl,221bhp
THEnewVolvoXC90 is looking to topplerivalpremiumSUVsbyofferinga cut-down
priceand addingtheversatilityof sevenseats.The£45,570entry-levelD5 AWDMomentummodel
we’ve testedherehas styleandqualitytomatch,too.
Styling 4.2/5VOLVOSof oldwereknown for theirboxy,sedate
designs,butwith theoriginalXC90SUV, thebrandspicedup thestylingwitha moreflowingbodyandsomeinterestingdetails. Forthisall-newXC90, Volvohastaken thingsto thenextlevel– this is theflagshipof therange andsetsa templateforwhat futuremodelswilllook like:cool, classyandunderstated.
ThereareScandinavian influenceseverywhere,accordingto Volvo. Takethe T-shaped ‘Thor’sHammer’ daytimerunning lights, forexample– thenarrowlight bars give theXC90an aggressive glare,helpedby itsdeep frontbumper andbluff radiator
grille.Despite thissquare-setfront end, therounded
wheelarches andrakedwindscreenpillarsprovidea sleekand aerodynamiclook,but the19-inchalloywheelsandsilverroofrailson ourtestcarmeantstillhasmore than ahint of ruggedSUV. At therear, theXC90is lessstriking,but the
brand’s designershavestill usedthelightclusterstogood effect. Thetail-lamps runfromthe topof thebootrightdownto thebumper, andwithVolvo’s traditional kinkhalfwaydown, theXC90sinstantlyrecognisablein thedark.There’s also
a smallboot lipspoileranda fewcreasesin thetailgate.Combinethatwith thecar’sdual exhausts,andit makesfor aminimalist andcrisprearend. That theme is repeatedinside, withexpensive-
feelingbrushedmetalinserts,lotsof leather andanattractivelayout.Comparedto thelastXC90,Volvo
hasdeclutteredthedashboardandremovedmost of thebuttons.Instead,the entertainmentandclimatesystems arecontrolledby a central touchscreen,flankedby twomainair ventsandsomelovelychromedetailing.Alongwiththe RangeRover-
ike digital dials, it’s thehighlightof thecabin. Allof themainon-boardfunctionsarecontrolled
bythisnine-inchtablet-styleset-up, including thesat-nav,DABradio, climatecontrol andBluetooth.Ourtest carwasalsofittedwith the£575WinterPack,featuringheatedseats, a £700360-degreecamera
system, Volvo’s£650automaticparkinggadget andthe£1,500IntellisafePro packagethat includesQueueAssist – a semi-autonomoussystemthattakescontrolof theaccelerator,brakesandsteeringin slow traffic.
Driving 4.5/5ONEof thebigquestionssurroundingthisXC90centres onitsnewD5engine: isa 221bhp2.0-litrefour-cylinder turbodieselenoughtogoupagainstthelikesof LandRover’smore powerfulV6diesel?
Onthemove,thedownsizedunitis adequate,withenoughpunch tokeepupwithfast-movingtraffic.However,youdohave topush theacceleratora longway toget a decenthit ofperformance,whichmeansthegearboxholds ontorevs beforechanging
up.Thiscanmakethings abitnoisy, althoughit’smuchquieter andmorerefined ata cruise,with theeight-speedautomatic gearboxshuffling ratiosnicely.Despite its relativepowerdeficit to theDiscovery,
theXC90performedwell ontest, sprintingfrom0-60mph in8.1seconds.Thismeant itwas actually
fasterthanthe LandRover.While thelighterVolvo’s
lackof powerdoesn’t hurt it toomuchgoingthroughthegears, its 130Nm torque disadvantage shows.Notasmuchas youmight think,though,as it took 12.9
seconds toaccelerate from50-70mphin eighth,
whichwasn’t farawayfromtheDiscovery’s time. The rideisfirmerthan theLandRover’s,but
notas stiff assportierrivals like Porsche’sfive-seat-only Cayenne.The XC90ridesbetteron smoothersurfaces,yet alsodealswithscarredroadswell.
As a result, it strikes aneatbalancebetweencomfort andagility,with greatbody control andaroundededgeto thesuspension’s damping.Itmeans youcanpush thecarandusethenicelyweighted,quicksteeringto guide itdownevennarrowcountry
laneswhilestill retainingthe composedride.
Ownership4.2/5 TRADITIONALLY, Volvohas beenknown for itsdependability.However,it slippedsixplaces to17th
inourDriver Power2015satisfactionsurvey, andwasonly the20thmostreliablebrandoutof 32.Onlythefirstfew customerswillhavereceivedtheir XC90s bynow, so reliability reports arescarce,andalthough theVolvois packedfullof new
tech,we’re confident it shouldprovereliable.EuroNCAPhasn’tcrashtestedthenewSUVyet,but
thebrandclaimsit hasthemost comprehensivesafetypackage onsale.Thisincludestwoworldfirsts:a RunOff-Roadsystemthat senses ifyouveeroffthe tarmac–preparingthe carfora crash– andspecialenergy-
absorbent seatsthat’llreducethe impact of a bighit. There’s alsoa clever autonomousbrakingsystem,whichstopsyou turning in frontof anoncomingcar.Ontopof this,the XC90getsallof theusual safety
kit,includingseven airbagsandESP,whileblind
spotwarning,rearcross trafficalert andthe
QueueAssist functionareavailableas extras.
Running costs 4.7/5CONSIDERINGthe LandRover’s olderinteriortech
andhigher list price,theVolvo looks like a bitof abargainat£45,750.Plus, it hasmarginally strongerresidualvalues of54.8percent,so itwill lose£1,148less than theDiscoveryover threeyearsfromnew. That smallerenginemightnotbeblisteringly
quick,but it ishighlyefficient.This2.1-tonne SUV emits just 149g/kmof CO2, whichmeansa BenefitinKind rateof 27percentand lowrunningcostsforhigher-rate businessusersat £4,919per year. Wealsorecordedrespectable fueleconomyon
test of33.0mpg,whichis good fora carof this size,
even if it fallsshortof theofficial49.6mpgfigure.
Volvo XC
Testers’ notes“All-new XC90 is a big deal for Volvo, as itrepresents the template for future models.The latest chassis is based on what the brand
calls its ‘Scalable Product Architecture’. Putsimply, this new platform can be resized todesign other cars using the same underpinnings.Other Volvos down the line will use the latestDrive-E family of engines, too. There’ll bepetrol and diesel models, as well as hybrids.”
James Disdale Road test editorJa
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VolvoXC90vs Land Rover Discovery Road tests
27May2015
!0 CO2/tax149g/km
£145 or 27%
PracticalityBoot (7/5/2 seats)
451/1,102/1,951 litres
Performance0-60/30-70mph
8.1/8.0 seconds
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph
50.5/36.8/9.3m
Running co33.0mpg (on
£85 f
Old and newWITH the new XC90,Volvo has perfectlycaptured the mix ofold-school luxurywith new tech. It still
feels fresh inside,with cool metal andsoft leather, while thehuge touchscreen iseasy to use. Rotaryengine stop/startcontroller is apremium touch
Testers’ notes“XC90’s real-world efficiency also meansmore practicality. Continent-crossingcruisers need a big range, and even thoughthe Volvo’s fuel tank is 10 litres smaller thanthe Land Rover’s, it will go 26 miles further.
Dean Gibson Dep. roadtest editoDeInterior spaceCABIN feels upmarket, while boot spaceexpands to 1,951 litres. Seatbelts hark
back to three-point invention in 1959
Practicality 4.6/5INseven-seatconfiguration,the Volvooffersa grmixof refinementand practicality, with451 litresofboot space.Foldthe thirdrowdown– aneasier job thanin theDiscoverythanks to thesimpler
mechanism– andthisrisesto 1,102litres. Stow thallaway, andthere’s1,951 litreson offer. Plus,withlowloading lipand‘hands-free’ powered tailgateasstandard,it’llbe easy topack awayshopping. There’sa large storageareain thecentre consol
a decentgloveboxandadeep central cubbyhole.
Storage inthebackrowisgood aswell,witheachseatgetting itsowncup-holderand trinket tray, just likein theLandRover.However,unlike itsrivtheXC90doesn’tofferheatingcontrolsfor therea
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Road tests Volvo XC90vs Land Rover Discovery
46 27May2015
Land Rov
MODEL TESTED:Land Rover DiscoverySE TechPRICE:£47,500 ENGINE: 3.0-litreV6,252bhp
Practicality4.8/5
THEDiscovery’ssplit tailgateis anicetouch, andprovidessomewhereto siton familydaysout,but it’s also quite tall,so you’ll haveto lift luggagehigh to loadthe bootup. Also, withit
down it’s hard toreachin from theoutsideto puttheback seats Withallseven seatsin place there’snotmuchboot space on
offer, at172 litres, butin fiveandseven-seat configurations it’sbiggerthantheVolvo,with1,260litresanda cavernous2,558liavailablerespectively. Themechanismto foldthe middle rowoseats leavessomeexposedmetalandplasticto catchyourhands
butonceyou’re in thebackthere’sasmuch roomasin theVolv
THELandRoverDiscoveryis afirmfavouriteof ours, having takennumerousclassvictories
nourNewCarAwardsover theyears.It balancesrefinementandluxurywithgo-anywhereability,
butevenin £47,500 SETechspecification astested
our picturesshowanHSELuxuryversion),it’smuchmore expensivethanthe Volvo.
Styling 3.9/5COMPAREDto theunderstatedXC90,the LandRoverDiscovery’sdesignis brasher andmoreinyourface. That’sdown to thecar’svast proportions– it’swiderandtaller thantheVolvo – aswell astschunkydesign. Thetallbonnet, bigheadlight
clustersandbright silver grillemeanyou’ll definitelyseethisSUVcoming inyour rear viewmirror,andtogetherwiththe expansiveglasswindows,chunkyarchextensionsand sills, plusmassive20-inchwheels, theDiscoverylooksimposing.
Therearelotsof traditional LandRover
designfeatures, suchas theclamshellbonnetandsplittailgate,thataddsomeextravisualmpact andpracticality, butoverall, thelookismorebiased towards itsoff-roadroots, hintingat thiscar’sconsiderablego-anywhere ability.
Overall, theDiscovery’sdesignhasn’tchangedfor2015– instead, LandRoverhas turnedits attentionto theinterior,upgradingthe specification.The in-cartechisn’tas cleveras theXC90’s, butthebrand’snew£350InControloption allowsyoutouse apps
onyourAppleor Android smartphone viathen-carscreen.On themid-range SETechmodelthere’s alsosat-nav, parkingsensors, cruisecontrol,DABandBluetooth.The equipmenteveldoesn’tmatchthe XC90’s, buttheDiscodoes getmetallic paintasstandard;Volvo
buyerswillhaveto addit asa £700option.Likethe exteriordesign, theDiscovery’scabinsmoreutilitarianthantheXC90’s, butallof thegadgetsarenicely integratednonetheless.Thenfotainment screen is smallerandthegraphics
have a lowerresolution– it takes longerto respondtoyour inputsthanthe Volvo’s tabletaswell,butthefamiliarityof thesystemmeansit’s easy touse.Leather trimcomesasstandard,andadds an
upmarketair, buttheLandRover’s buildqualitystillfeelsrobust andup toanythingyoucanthrow
at it,mixing refinementandsturdinessnicely.
Driving 4.1/5THEDiscoveryboasts a powerful252bhp3.0-litre
twin-turbo V6diesel, butthecarweighs440kgmore
than theXC90. Asa result, atthe test trackit trailedby0.3secondsin thesprint from0-60mph,taking8.4seconds.Yet that’sstill 0.4secondsupon theclaimed time,and itwasquicker in-gear. The silkyenginemakesa lovelynoiseas well,
andismore refinedthanthe raspier four-cylindern theVolvo. Thebigoff-roader’s eight-speedautomaticgearboxis slightlysmoother thantheXC90’s,too, deliveringlovely slurredchanges,althoughintherealworld there’s notmuch
to choose between thetwotransmissions. Wherethe LandRover losesout is in thewayit
drives. The softchassisset-up onourair-suspensionmodelmakes for incrediblelong-distancecomfort,buttheDisco’sweightandheightmeanthebodyrollsheavilyin corners,evenatmoderatespeeds.It’s
notas car-like todriveas themoreagile XC90,and
there’s notasmuchgrip tocall on,either.Thesteering isslower, too, soyouhaveto work the
wheela lotmoreif you’regoingdowna twistyroad.However,thisis good forstability onthemotorwayandperformance off-road,where thiscarexcels. TheDiscoveryreallydoesfeel likeit canclimb any
mountainandfordanystream–withair-suspension
toincrease therideheight andavoidobstacles,as
well asa 700mmwadingdepth,it probablycan. TheLandRover faroutshinestheVolvoaway fromthetarmac,but tomost buyersthiswon’tmatter aslargeSUVslikethesewillspendmostof their timeontheroad. That’snot tosay thecar isn’t impressive
here, though,with thesmooth surgeof thedieselengine andincrediblecruisingrefinementprovidinganamazingbreadthof ability.
Ownership 3.4/5LANDRoveris a perenniallypoorperformerin ourDriver Powersatisfactionsurveys,andits2015resultprovedno different. Itranked asthe 29thbrandoutof 32,while itsdealernetwork’sperformancewasconsistentwith this,finishing28thinourmost
recentpoll. AstheDiscoveryhasbeenonsale formore than 10yearsnow,most problemsshouldhavebeenironedout– theMk4modeltestedherewas voted the68thbestcar tolivewithin ourDriverPower2015top200.Ownerspraisedits
ridequalityandpracticality.However,the resultsalsoshow reliability canbepatchy. Withonemoreairbag thanthe XC90, theLand
Rovershouldbe safe.As it’sbasically unchangedfromtheMk3model, thelastEuroNCAPcrashtestwasbackin 2006,where itreceivedfour stars
overall.Bear inmind theassessmenthas changeda lotsincethen, butsafety kithasbeenupgradedtoincludemore airbags,aswell asESP, blindspotwarningandreverse traffic alert. So althoughtheDiscoverycan’tmatchthe Volvo’s long list of
hi-techfeatures,it should bereassuring.
Running costs 3.0/5DEPRECIATIONis onaparwiththeVolvo,butourexperts predict theDiscoverywill stilllosea large
chunkmorethan theXC90in thefirstthreeyears.Ontopof this,a group42 insurancerating (ninehigherthanfor theVolvo)meansannualpremiumsforour sampledriver arelikelyto begreater.Duringour test,we couldonly return27.1mpg,
whichis largely dueto theDiscovery’shefty2,570kgkerbweight. Soover12,000miles you’ll spend£432more onfuel than someone choosingthe XC90.Still, LandRover’s routinemaintenance costs
appearcompetitive, at£699for fiveyears’ servicing. At thetimeof goingto press, Volvohadn’t yet
releasedservicingprices for thenewXC90.
Testers’ notes“It’s been over 10 years since the square-setDiscovery’s launch, and you still have to marvelat how well this car combines luxury andmud-plugging performance. The only thingthat lets the Land Rover down is its poorfuel economy. The next generation ofmore efficient SUVs is leaving it behind,but we’re sure Land Rover has somethingspecial lined up for the next model.”
JamesDisdale Road testeditora
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VolvoXC90vs Land Rover Discovery Road tests
27May2015
!
HEADTO
HEAD
Discovery
InsideWHILE interior ismore functional,finish is still great;load bay expandsto 2,558 litreswith all rear seatsfolded; off-roaddisplay tracksprogress over
different terrain
On the roadAIR-suspension means Discovery is a comfortablecruiser, but there’s no disguising its height and weight
in corners, where body roll is a real issue. It simplydoesn’t feel as car-like to drive as the new XC90
Off-road abilityNOT only can the Discovery
tow bigger loads thanks toits 3,500kg limit, it’s also themore capable choice for buyerswanting a premium seven-seatewith go-anywhere versatility. Ithas three computer-controlledlocking differentials and off-rotyres. Unlike the Land Rover, thVolvo doesn’t come with anyspecial off-road programmes.
Digital revolutionXC90’S digital dials are similarto those on the Range Rover anRange Rover Sport, while itsiPad-style interface is one of thbest around. The Disco is showinits age by comparison, but we’rsure the new model – due nextyear – will get lots of gadgets tbring its tech tally up to scratc
ComfortROOM in the back row of bothcars is good, and six-footers wbe comfortable on short journeyXC90’s seats are more forgivinand the mechanism is more usefriendly; the middle row slides
and folds in one smooth motionmeaning access is a lot easier.
CO2/tax213g/km
£290 or 37%
PracticalityBoot (7/5/2 seats)
172/1,260/2,558 litres
Performance0-60/30-70mph
8.4/8.3 seconds
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph50.6/38.1/9.2m
Running costs27.1mpg (on test)
£99 fill-up
Testers’ notes“Storage inside the Discovery is impressive.The interior might focus on functionalitycompared to the stylish XC90, but withfeatures such as a twin glovebox and bigdoor bins, you won’t be short of space.”
Sean Carson Road test editorS
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VolvoXC90vs Land Rover Discovery Road tests
27May2015
On theroad price/total as testedResidual value(after3yrs/36,000)
Depreciation Annual taxliabilitystd/higherrate Annual fuel cost (12k/20kmiles)
Ins. group/quote/road taxband/cost
Servicing costs
Length/wheelbaseHeight/width
Engine
Peakpower/revsPeaktorque/revs
TransmissionFuel tankcapacity/sparewheel
Bootcapacity (7/5/2seats)Kerbweight/payload/towingweight
Turning circle/dragcoefficientBasicwarranty (miles)/recovery
Serviceintervals/UKdealersDriver Powermanufacturer/dealerpos.
EuroNCAP:Adult/child/ped./stars
0-60/30-70mph30-50mphin 3rd/4th
50-70mphin 5th/6th/7th/8thTop speed/rpmat70mph
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph
Noiseoutside/idle/30/70mph AutoExpressecon (mpg/mpl)/rangeGovt urban/extra-urban/combinedGovt urban/extra-urban/combined Actual/claimed CO2/taxbracket
Airbags/Isofix/park sensors/camera Autogearbox/stability/cruisecontrolClimate control/leather/heatedseatsMetallic paint/xenonlights/keylessgo
Sat-nav/USB/DAB radio/Bluetooth
*Manufacturerrankings from DriverPower2015;dealersfrom2014.In red= equipmentfittedto ourtestcar.InsurancequotesfromAA(Tel 0800 1070680or www.theAA.com)for a 42-year-oldlivingin Banbury,Oxon, withthreepenaltypoints. Residualvaluesprovidedby CDLVIPData.
1st 2nd
Figures
What do you think? Tell us about your car www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpow
MercedesGL 350 BlueTECPRICE: £60,755 ENGINE: 3.0-litreV6, 255bhp
IF you want a seven-seat SUV, your options are fairly limited.However, you could go for theMercedes GL 350. The V6diesel model is much fasterthan the XC90, yet not asfrugal. It’s much pricier
than these cars, too.
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDiPremium SEAuPRICE: £36,705 ENGINE: 2.2-litre4cyl, 194bhp
AT the other end of the scale is the Hyundai Santa Fe.The seven-seater’s cabin is a little cramped, but it hasfour-wheel drive and an autobox. Premium SE modelsare well equipped, yetthe Santa Fe isn’t as
upmarket as the XC90.
RIVALSOther options inthis category...
discountsFacts, figures and advicepowered by carbuyer.co.u
Deals &
VOLVO A COOL new design
direction forVolvo and
impressive efficiencymakethis
XC90a winner. It keepson delivering,
too, with greatpracticality, a firm yet
comfortable chassisandsuperb levels
of equipmentand technology. Add
into themixthe newcomer’s value for
money andit’s a milestoneforVolvo;
the brand’s firstexcitingstep towards
posing a real threatto itsupmarketrivals.
★★★★★
LAND ROVERTIMEhasn’t blunted
the Discovery’sappeal.
Yet even though it’sbeenupdated
over theyears, next to cutting-edge
rivalsliketheXC90, it’s no longerthe
force it once was. That’spartly due
to itspoor efficiencyand thefact this
SETech model offersa lower spec at
a higherprice. Theride isstill serene,
though, andit’s thebest seven-seater
if youwantproper off-roadability.
★★★★
WE’VE shoppedaround,and
therearealreadya fewdea
tobe had onthenewVolvo
XC90. However,there’snot
much discountonoffer,and
thebestpromotionwe’ve
seenis throughVolvoitself
It’s offering thesamespe
XC90aswe tested– aD5
Momentumwithmetallic
paint– for £559 permonth
Thethree-year contract is
basedon a £9,676custome
depositwithinterestchargeat5.9per centAPR. There’s
anoptional final paymento
£21,915, butbe carefulof
mileagechargesover the
10,000-mile annuallimit.
It’s a differentstorywhe
it comesto theLandRover
Discovery – nowit’snearing
theend of itslife, thereare
lots ofdealsaround.For
example,cash buyerscan
savea sizeable£3,344on
the price ofanSETech car
through buyacar.co.uk .
The four-year, £580
permonthfinancedealisactually better value than
the Volvo offer asit asksfor
a lowerdeposit of£4,410.
Interestis chargedat 7.9pe
cent, while the final payme
is£21,555– soyou’ll pay
£4,865more than theDisco
listprice ifyouoptfora
financepaymentplan, but
£5,965extrafor theXC90.
Volvo XC90 D5AWD Momentum
£45,750/£50,025£25,048/54.8%
£20,702
£2,460/£4,919
£1,986/£3,310
33/N/A/F/£145
N/A
4,950/2,984mm
1,776/2,008mm
4cyl in-line/1,969cc
221/4,250 bhp/rpm
470/1,750 Nm/rpm
8-spdauto/4wd
71 litres/repair kit
451/1,102/1,951litres
2,130/741/2,700kg
11.9metres/N/A
3yrs (60,000)/3yrs
18,000miles (1yr)/109
17th/17th*
N/A
8.1/8.0 seconds
3.5/4.4seconds
5.7/6.9/9.3/12.9 secs
137mph/1,650rpm
50.5/36.8/9.3m
59/63/62/62dB
33.0/7.3/515miles
45.6/52.3/49.6mpg
10.0/11.5/10.9mpl
229/149g/km/27%
Seven/yes/yes/£700
Yes/yes/yes
Yes/yes/£575
£700/LEDs/yes
Yes/yes/yes/yes
Land RoverDiscovery SE Tech
£47,500/£49,025
£25,650/54.0%
£21,850
£3,464/£9,927
£2,428/£4,047
42/N/A/K/£290
£699(5yrs)
4,829/2,885mm
1,882/2,053mm
V6/2,993cc
252/4,000 bhp/rpm
600/2,000 Nm/rpm
8-spdauto/4wd
82 litres/space-saver
172/1,260/2,558litres
2,570/690/3,500kg
11.5metres/N/A
3yrs (unltd)/3yrs
15,000miles (1yr)/130
29th/28th*
4/3/1 (2006)
8.4/8.3seconds
3.3/3.7seconds
5.2/6.5/7.9/12.1 secs
112mph/1,650rpm
50.6/38.1/9.2m
66/58/58/60dB
27.1/6.0/489 miles
33.2/39.8/36.7mpg
7.3/8.8/8.1mpl
279/213g/km/37%
Eight/yes/yes/£360
Yes/yes/yes
Yes/yes/yes
Yes/yes/£815
Yes/yes/yes/yes
RESIDUALS
EVEN this entry-
level XC90 is
predicted to retain
plenty of its value
from new. Such
high residuals are
superb fora luxuryseven-seat SUV.
SERVICING COSTS
VOLVO has yet to
announce prices
for servicing, yet
Land Rover offers
a worthwhile five-
year package
to save money
on main dealer
maintenance.
PERFORMANCE
THERE’S not much
to split these cars
on speed, but the
XC90 doesn’t feel
as relaxed on the
road; theDiscovery
has the edge here
on account of
its extra torque.
EQUIPMENT
THESE cars offer
similar kit, with
climate control
and heated leather
seats as standard.
But the cheaper
Volvo gets more
safetytech andhas
a big advantage
with its slicker
tablet interface.
HIGH PRICE
DESPITE the
Discovery’s extra
pace, it’s hard to
justify the higher
purchase price
and running costs
for this thirstier,older model.
DRIVER POWER
FOR a premium
marque to finish
this low in our
annual satisfaction
survey is surprising– but not for Land
Rover. It always
comes low down
our list of top
brands anddealers.
EFFICIENCY
TAKE your choice
between efficiency
and performance.
The Discovery is
fast but not that
frugal, while the
Volvo’s engine is
less potent but
not as thirsty.
Results
Volvo
7May20
.: .2-litre4cyl, 194bhp
t e sca e s t e Hyun a Santa Fe.’s ca n s a tt e crampe , ut t as
nd an autoodels
, yets
C90.
:
u go o r t e0. The V6
much fasteryet not as
pricier
, too.
ATfo
arth
u
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Road tests KiaVenga vs rivals
“Vengahas price onside, but it has to faccompetition from cawith similar practicaandmore technolog
Pictures: PeteGibson Location: LongcrossProving Ground, Chobham, Surrey
IF you’reafter a practical yet
compact car, youdon’t have to
stick to theage-oldsupermini formula.
There’s a biggroup of vehicles thatmix
MPVversatility with a compact hatchback
footprint, and the latestto offer this blend
of interiorspace in a squashed-down
body is the faceliftedKiaVenga.
While itmight notbe instantly obvious,
Kiahastweaked its supermini-MPV for
2015 tokeepit looking fresh, while
addingsomemore luxurioustouches
inside.At£13,895, theVengahas price
onitsside – but ithasto facetough
competition, as there’sa legion of
cars out there offeringa similar level
of practicality with moreefficient
enginesandeven more tech.
In a competitivesectorwhere
flexibility rules,price alone isnot
enough,which iswhywe’ve lined
up two of the class leaders– the
cleverlypackagedFord B-MAX and
theNissanNote withits surprisingly
spacious interior– to seeif theKia is
goodenough to comeout on top despite
a relatively inefficient, old-school engine.
Bothrivalsare moreexpensive than the
Venga, but do the FordandNissan’s extra
features mean they’reworth themoney?
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KiaVenga vs rivals Road tests
Ford B-MAX 1.0T EcoBoost ZetecPrice: £16,095 Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo, 123bhp
0-60mph: 9.9 seconds Testeconomy: 41.3mpg/9.2mpl
CO2: 114g/km Annualroadtax: £30
Kia Venga ‘2’ ISG 1.4Price: £13,895 Engine: 1.4-litre 4cyl,89bhp
0-60mph: 11.7seconds Testeconomy: 38.1mpg/8.5mpl
CO2: 130g/km Annual roadtax:£110
Nissan Note n-tec 1.2Price: £15,365 Engine: 1.2-litre 3cyl,79bhp
0-60mph: 12.1seconds Test economy:48.3mpg/10.7mpl
CO2: 109g/km Annualroadtax: £20
p
p
l Flex
Is the revisedKia Vengaversatileenough to beatsupermini-MPV class rivals fromNissan and Ford?
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Road tests KiaVenga vs rivals
52 27May2015
MODEL TESTED: Kia Venga ‘2’ ISG 1.4PRICE: £13,895 ENGINE: 1.4-litre 4cyl, 89bhp
THEnewKiaVengaoffersallthe practicalitybenefits of theold carwitha fewdesign tweaks
andan updated interioras part of this gentlefaceliftfor2015.Wetest the‘2’model, completewith the
SGstop/startsystem,against itsclosest rivals.
Styling 3.6/5ASwiththe KiaPicantoweratedin Issue 1,370,
t’s a gameof spot thedifferenceto tell this Vengaapartfromthepreviousmodel.ButKiahasgiventssupermini-MPVa revised front-enddesign,witha largerversionof itstrademark ‘tigernose’grilleaswell asa larger lowerairinletthatincorporatestheVenga’s foglampsanddaytimerunning lights.
Therearea fewotherstylingtweaks,includingsomenewalloywheeldesigns acrossthe range,butthevisual differencesreally areminimal– andin ourtestcar’s£490optionalSilver Stormmetallic paint,theVenga’ssoft,roundedshapeappears a little
drabnext to theangularFordB-MAX andmore
strikingNissanNotewe’ve lineditupagainst. TheKia’s hatchback-on-stiltslooks comefrom
tsversatility, andalthough itmightnot bethemost stylishfive-dooronsale,the extraheightworkswondersforpracticality, addingextra room
nside.Kiamightnot have focused toomuchonchangingthe exteriordesign, as thebasic look worked andthefamily resemblancewasalreadypresent, butthe interiorhas come informoreattention– therearenowsome smarter trimdetails
thatbrightenupthefunctionallayout.And althoughyoudon’tget thatmany gadgetson thelower-spec‘2’modelwe’ve testedhere,a tyre pressuremonitorsnowfittedas standardacrossthe range. Alsoincludedarecorefeatureslikeair-
conditioning, Bluetoothand rearparkingsensors,
whilea digital radio is theonlyrealoption.AsonmanyKias,this isa £250dealer-fitextra. As a result of allthis, it’snot themostsparkling
cabin,but itdoes feel hard-wearingandbuildqualitysgood.In thissector,where practicality rules, it’s
thesequalitiesthatcanmake thedifference,and theKiascoreswell here,even if it isa littleshortonflair.
Driving 3.5/5UNLIKEmanyconventionalmodern superminis,
thenewVengadoesn’tgeta downsized,high-efficiencyturbochargedengine – instead, itusesa relativelyconventional1.4-litrefour-cylinderpetrol unit thatdelivers89bhp.
Unfortunately, comparedto someof themore
modern, smallerturbounits on themarket today,
t feelsflat andlifeless, asour test figuresshow. TheVengaacceleratedfrom0-60mphin11.7seconds,andcompletedthesprintfrom30-70mphthroughthegears in11.9 seconds.The otherbigdownsideis theengine’spoorefficiency, whichwe’ll cometo later.
The raised rideheight overcarslike theFordFiestaorVolkswagenPolomeansthat theKia does lose outwhen itcomesto handling,butwhat itlacksin funtmakesupforwith a composedride.Longer-travel suspensionmeans there’sa
noticeable amountof body roll if you’rea littletooenergeticwith your cornerentryspeed, andthesquidgy steeringdoesn’t givemuchfeedback – buttheVengais more aboutrelaxedcruising inurbanareasthanblastingdowna country road.Heretmakesmore sense,witha soft chassisset-upthat
soaksup cracked roadsandrutted tarmacwell.On
themotorway, theVengais refinedandofferssmoothcruisingability,whileeven onB-roads it’scomfortable,floatingnicely overbumps. Itnever
feelsengaging,though,and it’s a shamethat the
enginelacks anyrealshove, even if thelightfive-speedmanualgearboxispleasanttouse. Therewasanunexpected twistin ourtestof the
Kia, however.From70mphitmanaged tomatchthesportierFord’sbrakingdistance,stoppingin
animpressive48.5metres, plus it came toahaltthreemetressooner from60mph.This solidbrakefeelmeans theVengais reassuring ontheroad.
Ownership 3.9/5COMPAREDto itsrivals here,thenewcarshouldalsobemore reassuring torun, asKia finishedourDriverPower2015 satisfactionsurveyin19thposition. This isn’tthe bestperformance,butits reliabilityscoreswerethehighest of thethreemakershere.
The brand’s dealer network faredmuchbetter,however,comingin 10thplacein ourlastsurvey. We’venotheardof anymajor problemswiththe Venga,butit onlyjustmadeour Driver Powertop200 best cars tolivewith – ownersranked it197th.
EuroNCAPcrashtestedthepreviousVengain 2010,andalthough itperformedwell, scoring a full five-starrating, theassessmenthas changedsincethen.Still,we’dexpect thenewcarto fare aswellnow,withsixairbagsandESPas standard.There’s a hill startassistfunction, too, andthe carwillflashthehazard
lightsunderhardbrakingtowarndrivers behind.
Running costs 3.5/5 APART fromthe lackof low-downgrunt, theKia’s
naturallyaspirated 1.4petrol enginehasoneother
majordrawback: poor efficiency. Youhaveto revtheenginehardto getthecarup tospeed,whichmeantweonly recorded38.1mpg ontest.Asa result, you’llspend£127 extraon fuel over 12,000miles than intheFordand£348morethan inthefrugalNissan.
Inisolationthis isn’t toobad,but evenwithstop/start,the higher130g/kmCO2 outputmeans£110road tax and a 21percentBenefitin Kindrate. The latterputsthe Kia’s companycarcostsup byanother£94overtheNote’syearly running costs.
It’s notalldoomandgloom,though,as the Venga’sservicingcosts aremuchcheaperthanitsrivals’:Kia’s Care-3 three-yearservicingplancosts£339.Plus, a seven-year/100,000-milewarrantyis standard.Thiscombinationwillbea bigattractionto thosewhodon’ttraveltoo far
andare looking tokeepmaintenancecostslow.
Kia Venga
Testers’ notes“The 1.4-litre petrol is theentry-level engine in theVenga range. There’s also a 123bhp1.6-litre unitavailable if you don’t fancya diesel. However, the
114bhp 1.6-litre turbodiesel is punchier anddoeshelp improve theKia’s in-gear performance. Eventhe lower-powered1.4 dieselproduces 220Nmof torque, sowith morepulling powerthan thethree-cylinderB-MAX, andofficial figures of62.8mpg and119g/km, it’s a big improvement.”
James Disdale Roadtest editorJa
EfficiencyKIA’S Intelligent Stopand Go (stop/start)aids efficiency, butemissions are stillworse than rivals’;five-speed manual is
light and easy to use
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KiaVenga vs rivals Road tests
27May201
!CO2/tax
130g/km
£110 or 21%
PracticalityBoot (seats up/down)
440/1,253 litres
Performance0-60/30-70mph
11.7/11.9 seconds
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph
48.5/33.5/9.1m
Running co38.1mpg (on
£58 f
DesignVENGA benefits from a new front end with Kia’s trademark ‘tiger nose’grille. There are new alloys across the range, too. Raised ride heightmeans the handling isn’t as entertaining as the other cars’ in thistest, although that does translate into a more composed ride
Testers’ notes“To match the Note’s level of tech, you’ll havto upgrade to a Venga ‘3’, which is £15,190and is only available with the 1.6 petrol. Stillyou would get sat-nav, a reversing camera,part-leather seats and climate control.”
Dean Gibson Deputy roadtest edDeLoad bayWITH the seats up, Kia’s 440-litre boot is largeston test, and it’s still generous once they’re down,
with 1,253 litres. Armrest in rear is a nice touch
Practicality 4.2/5ITgetsbrighter fortheKiawhenit comestopracticality:in its regularfive-seat configuration,the440-litreboot is thebiggesthere,helpedbythrear seat benchwhichcanslideback andforward
upto 130mm, givinga good amountof rear legro Withthebackseatsdown,luggagecapacity ris
to1,253litres,whichisn’tas bigas intheB-MAXoNote, butstillplenty. It’smore impressivethat thloadbay is so spaciousinfive-seat configuration.
There’salso a falseboot floorfor secure storage
andinsidethere areplenty of largecompartmentdottedaround thehighseatingposition.Thismeanexcellent viewof theroad,too,whilethere’s ahandyarmrestfor extracomforton longjourney
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Road tests
54 27May2015
MODEL TESTED:FordB-MAX 1.0TEcoBoost Zetec PRICE: £16,095ENGINE: 1.0-litre3cyl, 123bhp
Ford B-MAX
BASEDon thepopularFordFiesta,the B-MAXoffersthat bitmorepracticalitythan a regular
supermini,withoutsacrificingdrivingfun.We test
the£16,095ZetecmodelwithFord’s 1.0-litrethree-cylinder turbochargedEcoBoostpetrol engine.
Styling 4.0/5COMPAREDto thesoftly styledKia,theB-MAX’sstyling –what Ford calls ‘KineticDesign’– ismuchmoreaggressive andsporty.Youcansee theFiestaroots intheshape, andthere’sa similar juttinggrilleandnarrowheadlightsat thefront.
ButfromtheA-pillarbackwards,the roofline isdifferent, with a loftier shapegivingmoreroomnside.Despiteits slabbiersides,a fewdefinedcreases down theflanks breakup theB-MAX’sbodyworkand runnicely into thetail-lights,witha
heavily styled tailgate.Unfortunately, thechunky-
ookingrear bumpermeans there’sa highloadinglip. The realstylingsecretbecomesapparentwhen
youopenthedoors, however.The reardoorsaren’thinged, butslidealong therunnersabovetherearwheelarchesinstead.Open allthedoorsupand it
fullyrevealsthe Ford’sinterior, as theB-pillarsareactuallybuilt intothedoorsthemselves.Like thechassis,muchof thedashis borrowed
from theFiesta,so thelayoutwill befamiliartomostFordsuperminiowners.Therearepositivesand
negativesto this,as it feelssporty anddriver-focused,whilethe drivingpositionis perfect.However,thenfotainment system’sbuttonsareangledawayfromthedriver andpassenger, so it canbehard tofindtheswitchyouwant ata glance. Plus,the smallscreen isburieddeepinto thedashtop,whichmeans itcanbe
difficult toseesmall detailson theoptionalsat-nav. Thankfully, thecontrols for theventilationsystemareeasier touse,with bigger, simpler buttons andsturdyrotarywheels to adjust the temperatureandfanspeed locatedin frontof thegearlever.Although
ourpicturesshowa top-specB-MAXTitaniumX, theZetectrimiscloseron equipmentto theupdatedKia.However,it’sstill£2,200 pricier andtheonlyreal advantageis aDABradio andkeylessstart. There’s a £300optionalCity Pack,which includes
parkingsensors,whileyou canspecify sat-nav(this
comesasstandardontheNote) for£400.Metallicpaintcostsjust£5more than fortheKia, butwiththe£175heated seat optionon ourtestmodel, thistookthe pricedifference toa sizeable£3,570.
Ownership 3.6/5FORD’S performance inourDriver Power2015surveywasmixed.The branddidn’timproveonits25th positionlast year andcame24th(outof 32)forreliability.However, theB-MAXfinishedhigher than
theKia,as itwasvotedthe128thbest car tolivewith. Wehaven’t heardof anyissueswith Ford’s three-
cylinderEcoBoost turbosinceits launchin 2012,andas theB-MAXmainlyusesFiesta parts,it shouldbefairlyreliable.Plus,if youdo havea problem, youwon’t
have totravel farto getit fixed,with781UK dealers.Despite thelackof a conventional B-pillar, the
B-MAXis just assafe asanyother car, andtheEuroNCAP crashtest results back this up– itwasawardeda full five-starrating. Buyerscanalso further improvetheirmodel’ssafetycredentials byspecifyingFord’s
ActiveCityStop autonomousbraking for£200.
Running costs 3.7/5 YOUdon’thave toworkthe B-MAX’scleverengineashardtoextract theperformancethanksto that
torque, butit stillisn’tas efficientasFordwouldhave youthink.Wemanaged41.3mpgontest,comparedto anofficial claimof 57.7mpg.However,thisis where thecar’srunningcost
advantagestops.It’smoreexpensiveto buy, soeven
with loweremissionsof114g/kmanda 17percentBenefitin Kind rate,the B-MAXis stillcostly forfleetusers– lower-rate earnerswill pay£545peryear.Plus,Ford’s three-yearservicingpackage is
£211more expensivethanKia’soffering,whileaninsurancegroup ratingof 13is thehighesthere–
hencetheexpensivepremiumforour sampledriver.
StylishSLEEK cabin is driver-focused, but angle ofbuttons makes it hard tofind what you want at glance
As there are no B-pillars, access to the rear is easy
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KiaVenga vs rivals Road tests
27May201
!CO2/tax
114g/km
£30 or 17%
PracticalityBoot (seats up/down)
318/1,386 litres
Performance0-60/30-70mph
9.9/9.2 seconds
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph
48.5/36.5/8.8m
Running co41.3mpg (on
£55 f
SportyFIESTA-based B-MAX looks sportier than Kia andNissan, with a heavily styled rear. B-pillars are builtinto doors, giving easier access. Powerful enginemeans Ford is most rewarding car to drive in class
Testers’ notes“In the Ford, you can fold the frontpassengeseat completely flat, so with the rear seatsdown there’s space for loads up to 2.3 metrelong and a fully flat load floor. This partlymakes up for the B-MAX’s small load bay.”
Dean Gibson Deputy roadtest edDeSat-navIF you opt for the sat-nav, it’s a £400 extra,and the small, built-in screen is set back,
making it difficult to see clearly all the time
Practicality 3.9/5 THOSEdoors givethe B-MAXa bigadvantagewhitcomesto practicality.WithnoB-pillarin thewameans standard family tasks – likestrappingyouchildreninto therear– aremucheasier.Thereare
alsosliding rear seats like intheVengatomaximpassengeror boot spacedependingonwhat youneed, althoughit’snotas roomyin theback.In itsnormal configuration, youget318litreso
luggageroom,whichisalmost100litresless than
theKia,but theB-MAX’sboot is just bigenough fo
day-to-dayuse.However,familyweekendsawaymightstretch it.The B-MAX’sstorageis better,wicup-holders andluggagenets– includingeitherside of therearseatsand inthefrontfootwells.
Testers’ notes“The doors are clever, but watch what theymean for visibility – with no B-pillar, the frontand rear doors are chunkier, which hurts the viewover your shoulder, slightly impacting safety.”
James Disdale Road test editorJa
Driving 4.3/5IFyouwant tostickwithpetrol powerin yoursupermini-MPV, Ford’s 1.0-litrethree-cylinderturengineis worthpaying extrafor.We’ve testedthemorepowerful123bhpversion, butit’salso availawith 99bhp.The addedhorsepower over theKia
andNissanmeant theB-MAXwasfasterontest:isprintedfrom0-60mph in9.9seconds, andwas1secondsquicker thanthe Vengathroughthe gear TheFord’s tinyturboalsomeansit delivers
more torquethaneither rival,servingup 200Nm
lowdownat just 1,400rpm.ThatmeanstheB-MA
also leavesthe VengaandNote trailing forin-geaacceleration– itwas7.6secondsfasterthantheNissan from50-70mphin fifth.If youvalue driving enjoyment,you’llbeplease
tohear that theengine’ssporty streakis reflected
theway theB-MAXdrives. It’s firmerthan theVenbutexcellentbodycontrolandplushdampingmeit doesn’t crashover potholes.Pushharder througcorners andit won’twilt like theKia,either – theprecise steeringprovides loads of feedbackand
theB-MAXclingson andgrips inbends.
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Road tests KiaVenga vs rivals
56 27May2015
Nissan N
MODEL TESTED: NissanNote n-tec 1.2PRICE:£15,365 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 79bhp
Practicality4.3/5
SLIDINGrear benchesaddversatility.They meanthere’sa huge amount ofroomintherearfor a supermini,whiletheNoteeclipses theB-MAX forbootspaceandevenoutshines
theKiawith therearseatsfolded.There’s411 litreswithfive seainplaceor upto 1,495litres onofferin two-seatconfiguration.
Cleverstoragealsosets theNissanapart.As well asa hiddenarea intheboot’s sparewheelwell,yougeta twingloveboxwithtwodoors toseparate thedifferent compartments. Butdue toitsuperminimake-up, it doesn’t havethe practicalstorageof the
B-MAX:twocup-holdersandbigdoorbinsarethe limit.
THENissanNoteis moreof a conventionalhatchbackthana smallpeople carrier,but it
stillaimstoofferthe samemixof practicalityandefficiencyas theKia andFord. At£15,365for this 1.2
petroln-tecmodel,it’salsopricierthantheVenga,
althoughthere’s lots of standardkiton offer.
Styling 3.8/5NISSAN’Sapproachto theNote’sdesigndiffersfromtheKiaandFord’s– instead ofoptingforahigh-ridingMPV-style body, the Japanesebrandchoseto stickwith amoreconventional hatchback shape,andontheroadit looksmorecompact.
However,theNote isactuallythe longest carhere,
at4.1 metres, so it’s reallythe lack ofheightthathidestheNissan’ssize. Withits moreaggressivebodykit,two-tonealloysand silver accentsfor thedoormirrors andhandles,thecarmixesstylewithadaptabilityandisn’ttarredwiththe sameimage
as somepractical compactpeoplemovers.
It’s notas stylish asa SkodaFabia, butitsdesignisrelatively interesting,and inthis InkBluepainttheNotegrabbedmoreattentionfrompassersbythanthedullergreymodelsit wasup againsthere. Atthefront, there’sa deeperbumperwithangular elements
housingthe foglampsanddaytimerunninglights.Onthesideof thecar thescallopeddoor surface capturesthelight, so theNotedoesn’t appearflat,while attherear there’smoreheavysculptingfor thebumperandbootlid.Like theKia,16-inchwheels arefitted as
standard.The Fordmakesdo with 15-inch rims.ClimbinsidetheNissanandyou’llrealisethe
cabinisn’tquiteasinterestingasthe exteriordesign.Thematerialshave thelowest-qualityfeel of thetrio,while thepiano-blackplastic insertaroundtheheating controlslookscheap. TheNotedoesgettwo
silverplasticsparseitherside of this centreconsoletobrightenthingsup,but it’s a tokeneffortin anotherwisedrab, black andplastickyenvironment.
AlthoughtheNissan costs£1,470morethan theKia, oneof theredeeming features is that yougeta
otof gadgets foryourmoney. Thisn-tectrimlevelcomeswith a reversingcamera,sat-nav,DABandapp-basedInternetradio, pluscruise andclimatecontrol,a tyre pressuremonitor andlotsof safetykit.
Driving 3.7/5ONthe move,the Notedoesn’t seemasrefinedas itsrivals– partlyduetorattles from itscheaper-feelingnterior.Ourfiguresshow it’s noisier at30mph. Aswiththe B-MAX,the carusesa three-cylinder
petrolengine,but asthere’sno turboit’snotas
powerful.The 1.2-litreproduces79bhp– that’s theowestoutput here andmeanstheNote isalso theslowest car.Ontest, 0-60mph took 12.1seconds. Thissn’tparticularlyquick, butstillover1.5 seconds fasterthanNissan’sclaim,whichis actuallya strongresult.
Push thedash-mounted EcobuttonandtheNote’sthrottle responsesoftens off,reducingperformancena bid totryandekeouta few morempg. Itmakes
theNissan feel evenmore sluggishwhenyou’regoingthroughthegears – it’s bettersuited to
cruising ata constantspeed,meaningyoucanmprove theengine’sefficiencyevenfurther. The three-cylinder is smoothmostof the time,but
tgets coarsehigher upthe revs andfeelsbreathlessonmotorways. You’llhaveto push thepetrol unit tokeepupwithfast-movingtraffic,and thatmeans
working thefive-speedgearbox, too.Yet compared
tothe smoothtransmissionsin theKia andFord,the Nissan’sbox feelslightandnotchy.
However,the ride isbetterthanthe powertrain.
TheNote’s chassishasa firmedgeto it thattransmits
vibrationsthroughtothecabin overrutted roads,butNissanhas tunedthecar’s handling forEuropesoit doesmean it’s a littlemoreinvolving todrive.
Itcan’tmatch theB-MAX’s agility orgrip,butgoodbody control andnicelyweightedsteering
mean theNotefeelsat home andsecure onback roadsaswellas motorways.It trailed itsrivalshereforbrakingperformancefrom70mph.Itwason aparfrom60mphand30mphtoa stop,but thebrake pedalfelt spongyand indistinct,which
didn’tinspiremuchconfidence.
Ownership 3.6/5JAPANESEbrands likeNissanhavetraditionallyalwayshada strongreputationforreliability.
However,in this year’sDriver Powersurveyitfinishedwaydownthe order in28th outof 32, whileits dealers didn’tperformmuchbetter, coming25thin ourmostrecent survey. TheNotewas votedthe 143rdbestcar to live
with,whichis nothingtowritehomeabout,either.Justlike theB-MAX,you geta three-year/60,000-milewarranty, butunlike theFordthere’s three years’ roadsideassistancethrownin, too.
Whenit comes to safety,the Noteis themostcomprehensivelyequippedof thethree,withblind
spotand lanedeparturewarning,movingobjectdetection,ESPand sixairbags. Thishelpedthecar toearn a full five-starEuroNCAP rating.
Running costs 4.5/5 THENoteloses a greaterportionof itsvalueoverthreeyears fromnewthanits rivals,with predictedresidualsof just over40per cent.However,as it’scheaper than theB-MAX tobuy, this translates intoless depreciation– thecarwill shed £9,165,whereas
theFordloses£9,292.Neithercanmatch the£8,120thecheaperKia losesto depreciation, though.
CO2 emissionsof 109g/kmarethe lowesthere,andas a resulttheNoteslips into road taxbandB,costing£20peryear.They’re alsogoodnews for
company cartax;a 16per cent Benefitin Kind ratingmeansbusinessuserswill pay£490over12 months,making this thecheapest company car of thethree.
Forthefirst threeyearsof ownership, routinemaintenanceon theNissan addsupto £567– that’sonlya smallamountmore than the
Ford,but ahefty£228abovetheKia’scosts.
Testers’ notes“A real-world focus means none of our test carsoffers any meaningful personalisation optionswhich youcanchooseon some regular superminis.
But if customisation is your thing, the Note is themost versatile. There are plenty of vibrant coloursto choosefromto suitthe hatchback bodystyle, butyou can also spec different finishes for the mirrorcaps, door handles, grille and wheels – plus someinterior trim – to add more visual impact.”
es Disdale Road test editorJa
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KiaVenga vs rivals Road tests
27May201
!
HEADTO
HEAD
e
InteriorQUALITY of cabincan’t competewith rivals here,but practicalityis good, with twinglovebox and up to1,495 litres in boot;insert aroundheating control
looks cheap
HandlingWELL weighted steering and strongbody control mean Note is good to drive,
although it doesn’t feel as refined onthe move as the Venga or B-MAX
VersatilityALL three of our test cars
feature variable height floors,concealed compartments andsliding rear benches, so it has tbe a special feature to crown onof these cars the most versatileEven though the Note and Vengare roomier inside, the B-MAXhas a couple more strings to itsbow in the shape of those slidindoors and the folding front sea
Ease of accessACCESS to the B-MAX’s rear iseasy with those sliding doorsand no central pillar. The Kiaalso lets you jump in with zerofuss due to its high-up seatingposition. The Note isn’t as simp– you have to lower yourself intthe deeper seats. Despite morelegroom, you feel hemmed in.
TechnologyCHEAP doesn’t always meancheerful – on the Kia and Ford,equipment is sparse. Even in asmall car, the Note’s reversingcamera and other gadgets arewelcome. Sat-nav and a big
touchscreen infotainment unitcould be a deal-maker for some
CO2/tax109g/km
£20 or 16%
PracticalityBoot (seats up/down)
411/1,495 litres
Performance0-60/30-70mph
12.1/12.5 seconds
Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph50.0/36.7/9.2m
Running costs48.3mpg (on test)
£47 fill-up
Testers’ notes“Nissan’s ‘Safety Shield’ tech redefinedstandards in the supermini class. This n-tecmodel gets it as standard, but if you wantthe around-view camera monitor, you’ll havto pay £1,105 extra for the Tekna model.”
Sean Carson Senior road testerSe
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oa tests
0
On-the-roadprice/totalas testedResidual value(after3yrs/30,000)
Depreciation Annual taxliabilitystd/higherrate
Annual fuel cost(12k/20kmiles)Ins.group/quote/road taxband/cost
Costof 1st/2nd/3rdservice
Length/wheelbaseHeight/width
Engine
Peakpower/revsPeaktorque/revs
TransmissionFuel tankcapacity/spare wheelBootcapacity (seatsup/down)
Kerbweight/payload/towing weight
Turning circle/dragcoefficientBasicwarranty (miles)/recovery
Service intervals/UKdealersDriverPowermanufacturer/dealerpos.
EuroNCAP:Adult/child/ped./points
0-60/30-70mph30-50mph in3rd/4th50-70mph in4th/5th
Top speed/rpmat 70mphBraking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph
Noiselevelsoutside/idle/30/70mph Auto Express econ (mpg/mpl)/range
Govt urban/extra-urban/combinedGovt urban/extra-urban/combined
Actual/claimed CO2/taxbracket
Airbags/Isofix/parksensors/camera Autogearbox/stability/cruise controlClimatecontrol/leather/heatedseats
Metallic paint/xenons/keyless go
Sat-nav/USB/DAB radio/Bluetooth
1st 2nd 3rd
*Manufacturer rankings fromDriverPower2015;dealersfrom2014.In red= equipment fittedto ourtestcar.^As partof pack.Insurancequotes from AA(Tel0800 1070680or www.theAA.com)for a 42-year-oldlivingin Banbury, Oxon,with three penaltypoints. Residualvaluesprovidedby CDLVIPData.
SAMEPRICEOther options forsimilar money...
NEW: SkodaFabi PRICE: £14,595 EN
1
SKODA’S Fabia Estate is g y p b g
boot. SE trim doesn’t br g
much standard kit – like u
‘2’-spec Kia – but 15-inc
alloys, air-con, DAB andBluetooth are all on
the equipment list.
SE
D:MINI Cooper ClubmanP
E: £14,500 ENGINE: 1.6-litre4cyl, 122bhp
I you want petrol power, but y g
p mium feel, a used MINI Cluw in budget. Its 260-litre bom
ns it’s down on practicality
b £14,500 gets you a low-m per with cruise control, pa -
l a her seats and sat-nav.
Results
Figures USINESSUSERS
THENissanshows
CO
2
iskeyfor
business buyers.
Emissions of
109g/kmmean
lower enefit
in Kind than for
the130g/kmKia,
amounting to
a £94saving.
OOTSP CE
NOTE is only
30 litresdown on
theVenga withrear
seats in place, but
242 litreslarger
with them down.
This is impressive
versatilitygiven its
conventionalshape.
DRIVERPOWER
NISS Nand Ford
didn’t fare well in
our satisfaction
surveyin 2015.
Kia’s reliability
reputation is
strong thanks
to itsextended
warranty.
EQUIPMENT
NISS Nleads
the way whenit
comes to kit. It’s
theonlycar that
gets sat-nav as
standard. System
is a £400 optional
extra on theFord.
RESIDU LS
DESPITE the
highest residual
values, the
-M X actually
depreciates the
most. This Zetec
model’s higher
price is the
problem.
INSUR NCE
KI ’S group nine
insurancerating
is thelowest, but
the -M X (the
highest at group
13)costs only £11
more to cover. ll
ourtestmodels
have reasonable
annual premiums.
W RR NTY
F NT STIC seven-
year/100,000-mile
warranty adds
peace ofmind.
Kiawas also the
mostreliable
brand of thethree
in ourDriver Power
2015survey.
NC P R TING
CLEVER doors
don’t hurt safety
ontheFord.In
fact,it’s thesafest
carhere, with
consistentlyhigh
ratings in allEuro
NC P’s categories.
FUEL ECONOMY
DON’T be fooled
by Ford’s claims,
asthe1.0 turbo
isn’tas efficient
as thefigures
suggest. Still,mpg
and0-60mph time
arebetter than
the Kia’s results.
HIGHESTCO
2
EMISSIONS of
130g/km are
high by today’s
standards.They
mean road taxis
£80pricier than
for theNote, and
company cartax
ratesare higher.
Nissan Noten-tec 1.2
£15,365/£15,810
£6,200/40.4%
£9,165
£490/£980
£1,300/£2,167
7/£262/B/£20
£159/£249/£159
4,100/2,600mm
1,530/1,695mm
3cyl in-line/1,198cc
79/6,000 bhp/rpm
110/4,000 Nm/rpm
5-spdman/fwd
41 litres/repair kit
411/1,495 litres
1,124/395/430kg
10.7metres/0.30Cd
3yrs (60,000)/3yrs
18,000(1yr)/225
28th/25th*
86/82/58/70/5
12.1/12.5 secs
6.6/10.1 secs
10.7/16.4 secs
105mph/3,300rpm
50.0/36.7/9.2m
68/53/67/72dB
48.3/10.7/436miles
47.9/70.6/60.1mpg
10.5/15.5/13.2mpl
135/109g/km/16%
Six/yes/no/yes
No/yes/yes
Yes/no/no
£500/no/no
Yes/yes/yes/yes
Ford B-MAX 1.0TEcoBoost Zetec
£16,095/£17,465£6,803/42.3%
£9,292
£545/£1,091
£1,521/£2,534
13/£273/C/£30
£550(3yrs)
4,077/2,489mm
1,604/1,751mm
3cyl in-line/999cc
123/6,000 bhp/rpm
200/1,400 Nm/rpm
5-spdman/fwd
48 litres/repair kit
318/1,386 litres
1,279/481/750kg
10.5metres/N/A
3yrs (60,000)/1yr
12,500(1yr)/781
25th/27th*92/84/67/71/5
9.9/9.2 secs
4.8/6.4 secs
7.5/8.8 secs
117mph/2,950rpm
48.5/36.5/8.8m
70/52/65/71dB
41.3/9.2/436 miles47.1/67.3/57.7mpg
10.4/14.8/12.7mpl
158/114g/km/17%
Six/yes/£300^/no
No/yes/no
Air-con/no/£175£495/no/yes
£400/yes/yes/yes
Kia Venga‘2’ ISG 1.4
£13,895/£13,895
£5,775/41.6%
£8,120
£584/£1,167
£1,648/£2,7479/£265/D/£110
£339(3yrs)
4,075/2,615mm
1,600/1,765mm
4cyl in-line/1,396cc
89/6,000 bhp/rpm
137/4,000 Nm/rpm
5-spdman/fwd
50 litres/space-saver
440/1,253 litres
1,253/457/1,300kg
10.4metres/0.31Cd
7yrs (100,000)/1yr
10,000(1yr)/170
19th/10th*
89/85/64/71/5(2010)
11.7/11.9 secs
6.0/8.8secs
8.7/12.2 secs
104mph/3,200rpm
48.5/33.5/9.1m
66/52/63/73dB
38.1/8.5/419miles
42.8/55.4/50.4mpg
9.4/12.2/11.1mpl
171/130g/km/21%
Six/yes/yes/no
No/yes/no
Air-con/no/no
£490/no/no
No/yes/£250/yes
NISSANLOWERrunning costs,
moreequipment and
competitivepracticalitysee the Nissan
Note take thevictory. Its1.2 engine
isn’tfast, butit does thejob sufficiently,
while it’s refinedenough fortownand
motorwaydriving.The Note’s strength,
however, is itspackagingand versatility,
with a roomycabin andboot that offer
more spaceforpassengers andluggage
thaneithersupermini-MPV rival.
★★★★ ★
FORDIF you’reaftera drivers’
carwitha sensible side,
then the B-MAX isyour bestbet.
Its perkyengine and Fiesta-based
chassisarethe most fun, butthey’re
not enoughto top thistest. It’s too
expensive in this company,the dash
designis confusingand theFord isn’t
practicalenough, either – although its
party piecedoorswill make family life
andloadingthe cabin extremelyeasy.
★★★★ ★
KIA IF theVenga’sengine
was cleaner andmore
willing, it’d be a differentstory,
as theroomy, comfy andrefined Kia
wouldbe more appealing. Buteven
at this ‘2’version’s budgetpricepoint,
you can’t get awayfrom the highCO2
outputand dearth of interior tech.
Theextremelymild facelift means the
Venga justdoesn’t feel likea new car,
butone that’sstuck in the last decade.
★★★ ★★
27May20 5
ancy somet ng w t more oman s
oty,ilert-
EstateSE 1.2 TSI.2-litre4cyl,89bhp
uge y pract ca , oast ng a 530- trengour
h
IF yre
w thea
utCoo
eat
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Our cars Livingwitha BMW i3
THISpictureprettymuchsumsupmyfeelingsfor theBMWi3, butI’llmake
thingsevenclearer:it’smy favouritecareverto featureontheAutoExpressfleet. Infact,t’soneof the bestcars I’ve everdrivenin
myentirecareerasamotoringjournalist.
Onereason is that itfitsmy lifestyleperfectly. Living anddrivingin LondoncanbepriceywiththeCongestionCharge, butthei3RangeExtendermodelis exemptfrom
the£11.50daily fee.Plus,my parkingspaceathomehasaccessto a socketfor charging,sothecarhasbeenultra-cheap torun.Youdon’tbuythis BMWtosavecash, though;instead,t’smore like theAppleiPhoneof thecarworld– there arealternatives, butnothing
sasstylish,desirableor asgood touse.Intown,thei3 comesinto itsown.Yousit
high andthehugewindscreengivesa clearview ahead.Awayfromthe lights, ithas thebeatingof anything,includingBMW’s own
Mcars,thenthere’s theregenerativebraking.
Lift offthe throttle,andthecarslowsasthe invertercharges thebatteries. It takessomegettingused to,butoncemastered,youneverreallyusethebrakes– Iwouldoftenchallengemyselfnotto usethe left
pedal.That’s noteasywhenrunning thegauntletofLondontraffic,butmy littlegame improvedmyabilityto look furtheruptheroadand anticipate traffic.Obviously, thei3won’tbe foreveryone,
butits appealis probablya lotbroaderthanyou think.For starters,there’splentyof spaceinside, andyougeta flatloadbaywhenthe back seatsare folded.Our carhad a range ofoptions tomake
ifeeasier, includingtheProfessionalsat-nav
withreal-timetrafficalerts anda chargepointfinder. I didn’tevenhavetoprogramtmyself, asour car camewithBMW’sConciergeservice.Simplypressa button tocontacta callcentre,and a representative
FINALREPORT
Love affair is over as ourman bia fond farewell toelectricpione
“BMW i3 is one ofthe best cars I’veever driven in myentire career as amotoring journalist”
INTERIOR
Load bay is totally
flat when you fold
the rear seats, while
screen on top of
luxury dash boasts
ConnectedDrive,
which allows you to
stay in touch with
the outside world
willadd yourdestinationremotely. I evencalled tofindout thefootball scores! Theseextras arepricey,but theonlyone
I’ddo without is the£780sunroof,as itdoesn’t brightenupthecabinmuch.DuringmytimewiththeBMW,Imanaged145mpg,whichiswayofftheclaimed471mpg,butit’sbeensoenjoyableto runthatI can’tcomplain.I also forgive thei3 fordevelopinga fault
wherebythecardisplayeda sinisterwarning
BMW i3
message,althoughit wastougher toexcusethepoorservice I received fromSpireBMW ofHighgate,northLondon,duringtherepair.
However,itmadeamendson a secondvisit.Plus,I’m nottheonlypersonwho’s
attachedtothecar. Even thoughlessthan1,000havebeensold intheUK, I’vehadcontactwithmore i3owners than foranyothercarI’vehadduringmy13 yearsatAuto
Express.Needless tosay, it’ll besorelymissed.
Second opinion“If I have a criticism of the i3, it’s thatit doesn’t handle with the poise andprecision you’d expect of a BMW.With its tall body, narrow stance andskinny tyres, it feels more at homecruising than attacking back roads.”
Dean GibsonDeputy road test editore
De
@mat_watson
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Livingwitha BMW i3 Our cars
27May201
We’ve told you about our carsNow tell us about yours www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower
Fleetwatch
Our fleet
INDEX
FordMondeoIT’S been a busy few weeks in the Auto Express car park, as wewelcome not one, but two new cars to the fleet. The first is thisRuby Red Ford Mondeo Titanium, complete with the frugal-but-fast178bhp 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox.
Our car is loaded with kit, including 17-inch alloys, DAB radio, sportsseats and auto lights, as well as a glorious eight-inch sat-nav, dual-zoneclimate control and Ford’s excellent Quickclear heated windscreen.
On top of that, our hatch also comes with over £7,000 worth of options– taking its total price to £31,590. Can the panoramic roof, leather seatsrear view camera and LED lights transform this into a 3 Series beater?
First impressions are good. Fuel economy is averaging a respectable43mpg and the huge boot has swallowed everything we’ve thrownat it. We’re looking forward to piling on the miles and puttingthe plush newcomer through its paces over the coming months.
AlpinaD3Issue1,366AudiTTIssues 1,359,1,365BMWi3Issues 1,338, 1,353, 1,362CitroenC4CactusIssue1,365
FiatPandaCrossIssues 1,359,1,369
FordMondeoNewarrival
FordTransitIssues 1,363, 1,371
KiaSoulEVIssues 1,350, 1,360LexusNX300hNewarrival
Mazda2Issue1,370
Peugeot308SWIssues 1,342, 1,356, 1,368
RangeRoverSportIssues 1,356, 1,363
RenaultTwingoIssue1,368
SEATLeonX-PerienNewarrival
SkodaOctaviaScouNewarrivalSuzukiSwiftIssues 1,358, 1,370
Vauxhall CorsaIssues1,354, 1,361 VolkswagenGolfGTIssues 1,320, 1,332,1,341, 1,352, 1,364
SEAT LeonX-PerienceTHE jacked-up SEAT Leon X-Perience – basedon the standard Leon ST Estate – has alsojoined our fleet. It adds 15mm extra groundclearance and four-wheel drive to the practicalbody, but it hadn’t even had time to warm upbefore deputy news editor Richard Ingramtook it away on a 500-mile round trip to Devon.
With all the added versatility, Rich thoughtit was only appropriate to give the X-Perience
a proper countryside induction. But instead oftaking it green laning or hiking on Dartmoor,our man used the Leon to collect three newchickens from a small farm outside Exeter.
The hens were calm thanks to the cushionedride and raised suspension. They were justhappy to get out, sure, and that had somethingto do with swapping a cramped pet carrier forour new SEAT. With its first test comfortablypassed, we’re sure the Leon will go on to be abig hit with its huge 1,470-litre boot, frugal 2.0TDI engine and standard four-wheel drive.
PracticalityBoot (seats up/down)
260/1,100 litres
Essentials
Verdict
BMWi3RangeExtenderOn fleetsince: September 2014
Pricenew: £29,130 (including £5,000Plug-InCar Grant)
Engine: Electric motor 168bhp,
plus0.6-litre2cyl generator
CO2/tax: 13g/km/£0
Options: 20-inch alloys (£1,080),
DCrapidcharge kit(£560), Driving
AssistantPlus (£790),sunroof (£780),
enhanced Bluetooth (£350), Information
Plus (£215),HarmanKardon audio
(£640),SolarOrange paint (£530),World
Lodge trim (£1,500), Park Assist(£790)
Insurance*: Group:21 Quote:£383
Mileage/mpg: 8,863/145.0mpg
Any problems? Mystery warning light
*Insurance quotefromAA (08001070680)fora42-year-oldin Banbury,Oxon, withthree points.
IF this is thefutureofmotoring,thencountmein.The i3hasit all – strong performance,cutting-edgedesign,innovativeengineering, low running
costsandan upmarket interior.Inyearsto come, we’ll lookbackon thiscar andmarkit out asthemodel thatkick-started amotoringrevolution.
★★★★★
WEDON’T Range Extendermodel is well worth spending£3,150 extra on for those
with range anxiety, but thepetrol engine is a bit noisy
WELIKEFront legroom isimpressive thanks to the lack
of a prominent centre console,while the car’s striking, futuristicdesign turns plenty of heads
CO2/tax13g/km
£0 or 5%
Mondeo looks strikingin Ruby Red paint
P e t e G i b s on
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Q
Q
Q
A
A
Visit autoexpress.co.uk for our extensive product arch v
Henry Willis
Got a [email protected]@WineryHills
Products
THISW K’S
HOTKIT
NEW ACTIONCOVERS ALL ANGLES
SAT-nav giantTomTom is takingon rivals
GoPro,Garminand Sony with itsBanditaction
cam,whichwaslaunchedearlier this week.
Potentially a perfectpartner fortrackdayso
off-road driving, thedevicehas a built-in mediserver,claimed to make editing andsharing
videoeasier than ever.A smartphone pairsto
theBandit, sofootage can bepostedon the g o
It’sable to recordin various modes,includin
standardvideo,timelapse andslow motion. T h
Bandit can film in great 4K/15fps quality,whil
smoother frame ratescanbe captured in 1080p
high definition. Itsstillcam is rated at 16MP.
Battery life is claimed at three hours when
filmingin 1080p, andcharging is easy as the
Bandituses USB power.A splash-prooflens
cover is included with the £299.99model, plus
a few handy mounts. Thepremium packis rat
at £499.99andadds a remotecontrol,power
cable, 360-degreeuniversalmountand more.
NEW PRODUCT
TomTom BanditRRP:From£299.99 Contact:www.tomtom.com
SortingbirddroppingdamageMYcar was leftunder a tree for a coupleof
weeksand it gotcoveredin bird droppings.
I’ve managed to removethem all, butthe
paintworklooks damaged. What canI do?
GailHillier, E-mail
BIRD droppingsneed to be removed assoon as possible.Autoglym’sBirdDroppingWipes(bes price£5.49, www.autoglym.com)should get theworstof themuck off. A colourrestorer
could removeevidence of droppingdamage.Meguiar’sUltimate Compound (£10.99,www.meguiars.com) is our test favourite.
Sat-nav forhousenamesI USEmy sat-nav to getaround everywhere,
butit comes unstuck when I have to navigate
toa house name, asopposedto a number.
Is there a unit thatrecognises names?
JohnWilson,E-mail
UNFORTUNATELY,none of thesystems– apporhardware– in ourmost recentgrouptest were capable of findinghouse names.We
hope it’sa feature more manufacturers will add in the future, though. Fornow, check your routebefore setting off – GoogleMaps is ourbest-ratedrouteplanner.
Hard-wearingmatsneededTHEoriginal mats in my 2009FordFiesta have
worn through. I’m keepingthemin mycar to
protect the footwell,but they lookunsightly.
Canyou recommenda hard-wearing set?
FreddieParker, E-mail
RING’SDuraShield 3000universalmats wonourIssue1,330test. They’re made of thick
rubberso should last foryears. Cutthemto shapealong the channel guidesand they‘ll makefor a snug fitin yourFiesta. Visit www.ringautomotive.co.uk for info.Thebest
pricewe foundfor themonlinewas£20.39.
s o o various
m ncluding standard
v ideo, timelapse and slow mot
p
y
w s
s g ge
g d
K’S
odes, in
ion”
r
a
.
g
e
e
p
s
d
an t pa rs to
your smartp one,
which makes
haring footage
straightforward
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Products Newon the shelves
64 27May2015
Knowan event comingsoon?
news,deals&events
New DAB adaptor for VW Group cars
IN-car tech firm Pure hasteamedupwith Volkswagen tobring outadigital radioadaptor exclusively
forvehicles from theVW Group.Much like thePure Highway
300Di, winnerof previousAutoExpress DABadaptor tests,theDigital Drive (above) isa smallcontrol box that sits on a vehicle’sdashboard.Station information is
shown onthe display ofthe box.It’savailable through VW, Audi,
SEAT andSkodadealers andwillcost from£279.50,with fittingextra
Double A rating for Nokian’s SUV tyre
FINNISH tyre firmNokian claimstohave gainedapproval forthe first
ever double‘A’-ratedwinter tyre.TheTwinTracSUV tyreis said to
score topmarks inbothwet grip andfuel efficiencytests, earning thetop‘A’ rankin European label ratings. A 265/50R19 tyrewasused,
butmore sizesareexpected to beavailable forcars such as thePorscheCayenneand BMWX5.We’ll have full details about theTwinTrac nearer itsautumnlaunch.
Monster truck funon the south coast
THE second Bournemouth
WheelsFestival rolls into actionthisweekend (29-31May). Amongthehighlightswill
bea monster truck arena on thebeach,with carcrushing events
aswell aspower demos.Passenger rideswill beavailable,too.There will also be stalls selling
auto accessories and live musicbetween Bournemouth’stwo piers.
Formore information, logon to
www.bournemouthwheels.co.uk .
EVER since thePS4and XboxOneconsoles launchedat
the end of2013, gamershavebeencryingout for a topracinggame. Fewtitles have managed to fitthe bill,butProject CARScouldbe the firstmulti-platformhit.With scoresof realistic, exciting and fully licensed
cars onoffer,ProjectCARSis a racingtitle thatwillpleaseeven themost experienced of driving simulationfans.
An immersive careermodefollows the genericformula with players starting with littleand working their wayto thetop. Where Project CARSdiffers
isthatit’sup toyouhow tough tomakeraces.This meansgamerswon’tbe turnedoffplaying
when itgets toohard, like some rival racingsimulators.Thiscustomisationmakesit themostuser-friendly
racinggamewe’ve playedon next-gen consoles.Beginners or racinggame veteranswill enjoy itsaccessibility,withhundredsof othersettingsavailableto tweak to suit, too.
Onscreen, thecars look stunning and themix of real-world and fictionalrace tracksis a healthy balance that keeps thegame fresh.Gameplay is excellentand addictive – wecouldn’t stop going backto tryto win moreraces.There’sno doubt
this is thebestmulti-platform racinggame of recentyears, andwecan’t wait formore contentandcars tobe releasedwhenit isupdated.
Fyour smartphoneiscapable ofwireless chargingasstandard,
Olixar’snew car kitcouldmaketopping up itsbattery
on thego a doddle. It’s billed asa phoneholder, so a
handsetshouldstart chargingas soon as it’s in the cradle.
Wegaveit a gowitha HTC One M9.After initialconfusion,
andhaving to place the phone exactlyin the mount’sgrasp,
charging began.The Olixarholderheld firm throughout
our journeyand we didn’tsee anyinterruption in charging
which was impressive. But it doesn’tworkwith an iPhone
or many other popular handsets, and it’squite pricey, too.
FIRST TEST
Olixar QiWireless Car Charger Price: £49.99 Contact:www.mobilefun.co.uk
Rating:★★★
FIRSTTEST ProjectCARSBestprice: £44.99 Contact:www.bandainamcoent.eu
Rating:★★★★ Available for:PS4, XboxOne, PC
SMASH HIT FOR GAMERS
Project CARS gives gamers
immediate access to most
cars, and it’s up to players
to pick level of difficulty
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Products Tyre pressure monitor mini test
66 27May2015
Minitest
THERE arefew differences between the
TyrePal andFOBO’s designs, but younstall a screen inside the car with
heTyrePalmodel. This shows key
yre pressure figures andalertsyou
when they stray outside set limits.
TheTB99 is reliable in itsfeedback.
t was exactly right ontwo of the four
yres we verified, while the other two were
mpressively outby less than 0.5psi.
Plus, thesystem is simpleto use, with
big buttons and an easy-to-read display.
While we wondered if the FOBO’s app
would giveit the edge, theTB99 still
performed well. Installation was easier
han the FOBO,too, which hadproblems
n linking the control box to the app.
Rating:★★★★
Appof theweek
books,dvds&appsBEST PRICE £149.99
BEST PRICE £135
Hi-tech gauges willkeep you pumped up
Stirling Moss:
My Racing Life
Cars We LovedIn The 1950s
Complete Speed with Guy Martin
Nascar Mobile
Moss and Taylor (Evro Publishing,evropublishing
Price: £50 (hardback) Rating:★★★★★
GilesChapman (The History Press, thehistorypress
Price: £8.99 (paperback) Rating:★★★★
Available for: DVD,Blu-ray Price: £16.99 (DVD)
Rating:★★★★
Available for: iOS, Android
Price: Free Rating:★★★
FROM the publishing company that
brought us theexcellentJohn
Surtees: My Incredible Life (Issue
1,327), SirStirling Moss gets the
same treatment with another great
autobiography.The legendary
racingdriver tells thestory of his
career, with fascinating accounts of
his heyday. Foreword from Lewis
Hamilton,and a brilliant setof
pictures, makethis a must-buy.
IN this pocket-sized
publication, memorablecars
of the late 1940s and all of the
fiftiesare relived in print and
picture by authorChapman.
The range of cars featured is
sureto appealto a variety of
readers,from theBond
Minicar, to the Land Rover
SeriesI andthe stunning Aston MartinDB4. Random facarefun andwell chosenimages make the book look grea
THE recent TV series, Speed, is now
onDVDand issure to appealto
fans of anything fast. Ourfavourite
moment of the round-up is Martin’s
hill climbin an EmpireWraith. All
eight episodes areshown in full
over two discs and include Martin’sattempt to ridea bikeon openwater.
FANS of the all-American race serieswill
be pleased to seethe official app has been
updated. Selected news items, leaderboards
andcalendars areall available for free –
but you’llhave to pay for video and other
content, which can make it expensive. It’s
stilla great way to keep tabs on races, though.
WITH a main control box andfour valve
capsensors,FOBO links with an Android
or Apple smartphone to display tyre
statuson an app, rather than LED display.
We like this connectivity andthe free app
workswell, showing pressure in preferred
units, such as common psiand bar readings,
as well as temperatures. The control box
sounds alerts if there’stoo much or too little
air, andalsoif the tyre’stoo hot or cold.
Most cars arelisted in theFOBO’sguide
with recommendedtyre pressures, which
willsave drivers hunting for thisdata.
It’s veryimpressive – as long asyou
have a smartphone. The biggest issue,
though, was itsrating wasout by 2psi.Rating:★★★
NEW PRODUCT
FOBO TireBest price: £149.99
Contact: my-fobo.com
RELIABLE READER
TyrePal TB99Best price:£135
Contact: 01543 870170, www.tyrepal.co.uk
IFyou run yourcar with under-
nflated tyres,you’ll getpoor fueleconomy andgrip will suffer, too.
A tyre pressure monitoring system
(TPMS)can help ensure tyres are
opped up sufficiently, and FOBO Tire
s thenewest product on themarket.
It displays tyre pressures and
emperatures on a smartphone app,
nstead of on a screen, which gives
the FOBO a modernedge over systems
we’ve tried before. But we were still
keento see how itcomparedtoan old favourite, TyrePal’s TB99.
Each modelperformed well,
although FOBO isn’t without its
flaws as it hadissues in linking
the app andcontrol box. Butit’s
a tool that will pleasetech fans.
However, theTB99 remains our
consistently reliablerecommendation.
“A tyre pressuremonitoring system can helpensure tyresare topped up”
HenryWillis
ences between the
designs, but youe the car with
his shows ey
andalertsyou
side set limits.
lein its eedbac .
n two o the our
ile theother twowere
less than 0.5psi.
is simpleto use, with
asy-to-readdisplay.
i the FOBO’sapp
ge,the TB99 still
allation was easier
which had problems
l box totheapp.
Appoft
BESTP I £135
Nasc
Rat ng:
Available for:
Pr ce: ree R
THErecent TV series, S
n DVDandissure toa
anso anything ast. O
momento theround-u
hill climb in an Empire
eight episodes aresho
vertwo discs andinclttemptto ridea bi e o
FANSo the all-America
bepleasedto see theo
updated. Selected new
nd calendarsare alla
but you’llhave to pay
content, which canma
stilla great way to keep
DER
, www.tyrepa .co.uk
en, which gives consistentlyreliable recommendation.
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Products Picnic sets tested
68 27May2015
20
BEST BUY YOUneedn’taskfor more
withthisgreat backpack fromtoolspecialist Draper. It’sideal formealswith children, as it includesmugs rather thanplasticglasses,but there’saninsulated bottleholder tokeep the wine
BIGfamilies or bigeaters will lovethis coolbag fromNext,whichhasawhopping28-litrecapacity. There’snobottlestore, butthemain section cantake severalbigdrinks containers
andstillhaveplenty of room for food
RECOMMENDED IFyouprefer goblets
tomugs,thenoptfor this Next backpack.Like ourDraper winner, it includesa largerugwithwaterproofbacking, plusthecutleryandcrockeryessentials, such asa wood choppingboard. It also features
RECOMMENDED IF chilleddrinks aremore importantto youthana rug, thenthisGreenfield backpackhamperis theonefor you, with itstwin,foil-lined,insulated holders. Ifyoudo want a rug,
thereareclipsin the front compartment
Draper4PersonBackPackPicnicSetPrice:£36.71
Contact:0238049 4333,www.drapertools.com
Next4PersonStripeCoolBag Price: £36
Contact:0333777 8000, www.next.co.uk
Next4PersonStripeBackpack Price: £38
Contact:0333777 8000, www.next.co.uk
GreenfieldCollectionDeluxeTwoPersonBackpackHamper Price: £37.99
Contact:www.picnicware.co.uk
chilled, too.There’salso our
preferredplastic cuttingboardandplenty of compartmentsto keepitemsapart.A pricedrop sinceourlasttest(Issue 1,275) helpsto securethewin.Rating:★★★★★
a zip-upbottle store. It’s looserthan
mostwith thinner insulation, but itwill accommodate a biggerrange of bottles.Wealso liked theinternalpocketsin the frontcompartment.Rating:★★★★
andsnacks. Thesidesection heldoureating essentialswithspace tofit inmore. It’snot aseasy tocarryasa backpack, but theshoulder strapis soft anddoesn’t digin.
Rating:★★★★
to carryoneas a £14.99 extra,whilea tablecloth is included.There’sa qualityfeel to this set, whichis clearly thebestfor twopeople only. A four-personversionis£42.99andwellworthconsidering.
Rating:★★★★
2
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Picnic sets tested Products
27May2015
Kim Adams
Verdict
PICNIC SETSWhich of eight ticks all the boxes for open-air dining?
PRODUCTGROUPTEST 27 |5 |2015Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kitfromt yres to trim cleaners.Logon to www.autoexpress.co.uk to lookthrough our huge online test archive.
THERE’S lotsto like about thisSummerhouse
backpack. It’swell made, plus it includes ourdining
essentialsand an easy-clean cheese board.There’s
also an insulated bottle holderandwaterproof rug.
storage itself is largerthan most, yetit’s noticeably
heaviest seton testeven when unloaded,andit’s h
to justify the higherprice.Rating:★★★
IT’Spartytime with thismonster hamper from
Mountain Warehouse.The tophousesthe usual
crockery, cutleryandcondiments, plus a chopping
board that’sbigger than normal. Underneath,there
massesof room yetno wayof keeping items separa
while it’snot the easiestto carry,especially when
full. Currently reduced from £59.99 to £29.99.Rating:★★★
IFyou want to spend yourcashon food and drink
rather than a picnicset,then this cut-priceAmazon
backpackmaybe exactlywhatyou’reafter.Cutlery
crockeryare thesameas in othersetshere, but you
need to add your own sharp knife,cutting board an
rug. The rear coolbag sectioneasilytook our test
bottles, yet the meshside pockets aretight forwine
Rating:★★★
ANOTHER fromthe bargain basement, but unlike th
Trespass, this is just for two. ThisArgosset also lac
a sharpknife,yetdoes have a plasticchopping boar
It’s light and seems to have lesspadding than mos
we could feel sharp edges when carrying it.It doest
job ata goodprice, but you can seewhere themon
hasbeen saved, so there arebetter options around
Rating:★★
Summerhouse Coastal4Person Picnic Backpack Price: £59.95
Contact:01273483300,www.steamer.co.uk
Mountain Warehouse36l 4PersonPicnicHamper Price: £59.99
Contact:0207808 4606,www.mountainwarehouse.com
TrespassNicpicPicnicBag Price: £24.19
Contact:www.amazon.co.uk
Argos CampingPicnicSet withCoolBagBackpack Price: £16.99
Contact:www.argos.co.uk
AS the weatherimproves in theUK,
thoughts turn todaysout in the car and
meals al fresco.You could raid thekitchen
and pile cutlery,crockery and food into a
bag for a picnic, but the easyoption is
tobuya hamperandstickit intheboot.
Thebestprovideinsulated storage,plus
unbreakable cups andplatesalongside
cutlery, allin an easy-to-carrybag or
backpack.Topmodels alsoadd a picnic
rugor tablecloth. There’s a wide range
available, soweunzipped eight to findyour ideal travel companion this summer.
How we
tested them
OURwish list includedplates, cutlery,
cups,a chopping board and a sharp
knife. Wealsowanted to seea bottle
openerandcorkscrew, pluscondiments
and insulated storage forbottlesand food.
Rugs and tableclothsearnedextra marks.
Storagealso hadto accommodate
bottlesas bigas two litres, while we
ooked forseveralcompartments to
keep items separate. Carrying comfort
andbuild qualitywerechecked before
factoring in price fromvarious online
sourcesatthe time of goingto press.
THEwhole test was close,with makers
argely agreeing on what makes a good
set.However, Draper’s kitemergedon
top, ticking prettymuch allof ourboxes.
Previous winnerNext hasto settle for
runner-up this timearound, with the
Greenfield Collection taking third
andour two-person pack crown.
1. Draper4 PersonBack Pack PicnicSet
2. Next 4 PersonStripeBackpack
3. Greenfield Collection DeluxeBackpack
2
R
rat
ba
ro
ne
rug
bot
Rat
T PPr
o
Ar w
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warrantywise.co.uk
JoeFinnerty
NOT SO GOODGOOD
37th PLACE
BuyingcarsNew and used buying advice
YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR CARS
2015 Results
CT Factfile
Bars show where modelfinished out of 200 cars inour 2015 survey. The lowerthe rating the better89.96%
OVERALL SCORE
Years: 2011 to present CO2: 94g/km
Fuel economy: 68mpg (200h 1.8 Luxury)
Best features: Keyless entry, reversing camera,
climate control, Bluetooth, DAB radio
Prices: From £10,650
RELIABILITY
BUILD QUALITY
RUNNING COSTS
PERFORMANCE
ROAD HANDLING
RIDE QUALITY
EASE OF DRIVING
SEAT COMFORT
PRACTICALITY
IN-CAR TECH
12
8
34
141
68
154
21
49
152
39
200 150 100 50 1
Lexus CTYOU TELL US... Hatch is brilliantly built, but ride could be better
Got any car queries [email protected]
@AE_Consumer
How do you rate your car? Tell us what you think www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower
“EXCELLENT buildquality,
solid reputationand
reliable. It gets plenty
of admiringlooks, too.”
“Qualitythroughoutwith
every feature youcouldwant
in a compactpackage.”
“It’s quiet, smoothand
a joy tobe inanddrive.”
“Looksgreat and is relaxing
todrivewitha luxury interior.”
“Smoothandquiet. Plus,
it’seconomical with top-
classdealer service.”
“Easy toparkand fuel
consumption is brilliant.”
“Beautifully finishedwith a
high level of quality trim.”
“NEEDSmorepower
anda restyledrearend.”
“Ithasa harshrideand lack
of rear passenger space.”
“I don’t like the low-profile
tyres. It’s too easyto
scratch the alloys.”
“Insurance is still quite
expensive fora small car.”
“A biggerbootwould
be a big improvement.”
“Windows anddoor
speakers both rattle.”
“Handling is lacklustre,
plus theengine isnoisy
andharsh. Fuel economy
doesn’t even get close to
thebrand’sclaims, either.”
Q
Q
Q
A
A
A
MokkakeepscuttingoutTHEturbodiesel engineon myVauxhall Mokka
cuts outat lowspeeds.Vauxhall hasn’t
flagged up anyfaults,but I’mveryconcerned
as it couldbe dangerous. What could it be?
PeterJacobs, E-mail
WE dealt witha similar query in January
last year,when a reader’s carstalled when
changing down to lowergears. Vauxhall told
usit was thewaythe engine is gearedwith
the turbodiesel engine.You’ll need to revit higher to avoid theproblems you’rehaving.
CanI reject faultySorento?WITHIN a day ofbuyinga 57-plate Kia Sorento,
it developedproblemsstarting and running.
Thedealer diagnosedair in thefuel system,
yet I’vebarely drivenit. Can I reject it?
PaulHobson, E-mail
THE simple answeris yes – you can rejectit
if the car is not fit forpurpose, and itsounds
likethatis thecase atthe moment. Give the
dealerfair opportunity to fix the fault, but if itcan’t,senda letterof rejectionto
thedealerand your finance company.
AnnoyingrattlingonA3I’VE gotan Audi A3 Sportbackthathas started
makingstrange noisesat thefrontafter just
30,000miles. It soundslike loose change
rattling.Anyideaswhat I shouldcheck?
DavidCowe,E-mail
THE main areas to lookat are brake pads, the
steering rackand suspensionbushesand
springs. Damageto any of these couldmake
thenoise. Externally, check your wheels.Potholes caneasilybucklewheels, andthis
maybe the reason foryour rattling A3.
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Buyingcars Toyota RAV4Mk3
72 27May2015
FROM£5,000 Long-established SUV still makes a fine second-hand buy
BUYER’S GUIDE: ToyotaRAV4MTHERAV4 introduced usto the ideaof
a compact SUVin 1994. In theintervening
wodecades Toyota has refined theformula,
whilea huge numberof rivalshaveappeared
– someof which put the RAV4in theshade.
ButToyotahasnever lost sightofwhatmakes
tsSUV such a great choice; it’s reliable,
practical, well equippedandeasy to own.As the third-generation car launchedin
2006, it’s nowgetting ratherlong in the
tooth,and therearebetter smallSUVs
around. Itsshowing in this year’sDriver
Power survey, where it finished130th,
ndicates that alltoo well. But asyou’d
expect of a Toyota, reliability is still a strong
point, even if runningcosts can behigh.
HistoryTHERAV4Mk3hit dealers in February
2006 in2.0VVT-i (petrol)or 2.2 D-4D
(diesel) forms.The petrolenginewas
offered with five-speedmanualor four-
speedauto gearboxes;the dieselcame in
140(134bhp) or 180 (175bhp) forms,both
with a six-speedmanual. A high-spec
XT-R edition arrived in January 2008, six
monthsbefore thesporty2.2D-4D SR180.
FromSeptember 2009 the2.2D-4D engine
gotan automaticoption, plus a boost to
148bhp, while the2.0VVT-iwas replaced
byamore efficient2.0 Valvematicunit,
offered in4WDCVT or FWDmanual forms.
A 2010 facelift brought styling changes,and thetrim optionswerecut toonly
XT-RandSR, withextra kit forthe former.
Which one?TOYOTAhasonlyofferedthis RAV4asa five-
door,with most buyers choosingthe 2.2
diesel.Thismuscular, frugal engineprovides
towing andcruisingabilities the petrol
unitscan’tmatch, butit’snotgenerally as
reliable.Themanualgearbox isnicer to use
than theV-matic’sCVT, although theregular
auto (2.0 VVT-i and2.2 D-CAT) isokay.
All RAV4sget alloys, heatedmirrors,air-
con, electricwindowsanda CD/tuner. XT4
trimaddsan electricsunroof,dual-zone
climate control,multifunctionsteering
wheelandleather trim,while theXT5 also
hassat-nav,cruise control, automatic lights
andwipers plus heatedfront seats.The
range-toppingT180brings sportier trim
with run-flat tyresand18-inch alloys, so
it ridesmore firmlythan lessereditions.
AlternativesTHEQashqai’sbeenan incredible successforNissan thanksto its reliability,easeof
driving anduser-friendliness. If youneed
something bigger, simply lookat thebrand’s
X-Trail. OtherSUVsyoushould consider
include Honda’s CR-V, which isvery easy to
live with ifa bitsoulless.Ford’s Kuga ismore
funand it’s tremendous valueandplentiful.
VW’sTiguan is clinical, efficientand
highly capable.Also, theoften-overlooked
Volvo XC60 isworth a glance, as it’s safe,
stylish andwellequipped.Finally, don’t
forgetthe Land RoverFreelander 2.Whil
doesn’t have thebest reliability record, i
offersa strongimageand issuperboff-ro
VerdictFEWpeoplebuyan SUV ofany sizeto tak
it off-road, but ifthat’swhatyouwantto
theRAV4makesmore sense thanmany
its rivals as it’ssurprisingly accomplishethe rough. If youtake this route,make su
youbuy oneof the torquey diesel-engine
versionsand opt forfour-wheeldrive
insteadof a front-wheel-drive example.
We’vealways liked theRAV4’s blendo
usability andreliability,yet it’s never be
pacesetterwhen itcomestodrivingpleas
or used value.Strong residualsmeanyo
paymore fora second-handRAV4 than f
manyof thealternatives.But if youwant
car that’seasy to own, lookno further.
“RAV4 is reliable, practical and easy to own; Toyothas never lost sight of what makes it great to buy
NEEDTO KNOW
Thetailgateis hingedto thedriver’ssideratherthan thetop,whichcan make itharderto open in tight parking spaces.
NEEDTO KNOW
While ESPwas standardonmost RAV4s,it
wasintroducedmerelyas an optionon theentry-levelXT3 fromMarch 2007.
Richard Dredge
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Toyota RAV4Mk3 Buyingcars
27May201
www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower
Recalls
122012
602010
092009
572008
062006
OUR VIEW
YOUR VIEW
CO2/tax173g/km
£205
Performance0-62mph/top speed
10.0 seconds/118mph
Running costs42mpg(2.2D-4D140 4WD)
£69 fill-up
How much?
Partwatch
Running costs
ALL RAV4s need some maintenance every12 months o10,000 miles,with services generally alternating betweminor andmajor. However, there’s also a major+checkevery four, sixor eight years dependingon spec. A minservice is peggedby Toyota at £149, a major at £239 a
a major+ at£299; dealers can charge lessif they want t As all RAV4engines are chain-driven, there are notimingbeltsto replace. However, thebrake fluid shouldbe renewed every other year at £39, while theair-conshouldbe cleaned each year for£15; a full refresh of thesystem every twoyears is recommended,at £60.
Fresh coolant is required every 10 years, at £80.
YOU can pickup an earlyRAV4 for lessthan £5,000 if yobuyprivately; this will be an entry-level XT3or a petrol
example.Few of thesecars have done more than 100,00miles– most have covered less than 70,000, asthe RAVis popular with private buyers rather thanfleets.
For£8,000 youcan secure a 50,000-mile20082.0 VVT-i or a 70,000-mile 2007 2.2D-4D, bothin XT-R trim.£10,000 budgetbrings a 35,000-mile20092.2 D-4D XT
into reach. Around onein three RAV4sis an auto; theodonecrops up at under£6,000, butmostare £7,000-plu
THEREhave been four Mk3 recalls, the firstin February2010. Cars from February 2009 to January 2010 couldsuffer from thethrottle pedal notreturning to idle; therwere no crashes,though.Some pre-August 2010 RAV4s
had a faultyrear suspension arm; Toyota recalled themSeptember 2012.A windowswitch short circuit inSeptember 2006-December 2008 carsled to an Octobe2012 recall. The most recentaction came in April 2014;someRAV4smade up to November2008 hadfaultyairbag
InteriorTHERE’S plentyof room for four
(five if kids are in theback), and
thefrontseats aresupportive with
plenty of adjustment. The steering
adjusts forreach and rake, too, and
the rear seats foldflatto createan
even load bay. Boot space is good
at586 litreswiththe seats up, or
1,469 litres when they’re folded.
GasketsHEADgasketscan
failonthediesel
engine,socheckfor
misfiringalongwith
signsofawhite
emulsionon the
undersideofthe
oil-fillercap.
EngineOILconsumption
canbeveryhigh
beforeToyotawillsaythatthere’safault
withanengine–
asmuchasone
litreevery1,000
milesis acceptable.
HeadlightsALOTofowners
aren’timpressed
withthestandard-
fitheadlights– which
iswhymanyhave
switchedto Osram
NightBreakerbulbs,
asthesearebrighter.
SteeringCLONKING fromthe
steeringsuggestsa
worn intermediate
shaft. However,
itcould also be
aslightlyloose
wheelnut,so
trythese first.
ContactsOfficial
www.toyota.co.uk
Forums
http://RAV4world.com
www.RAV4driversclub.com
www.toyotadriversclub.com
FOR a car that debuted nearly a decadeago, a 130thplacingin this year’s Driver
Power survey shouldn’tbe a surprise.Build quality andreliabilityare theundoubted highlights (48th and 59threspectively), but 162nd for running costs,129th forride quality and136thfor handling are disappointing.
SIMONHarrington from Welshpool,Powys,ownsa 2010 RAV4 D-4D. Hesays:“I boughtthe car new, andplan
tokeep itfor a while yet.After 70,000milesit’s always been completelyreliable, carrying the family and towing a smallcaravan. It’s roomy, wellequipped and comfortable, which
makes it theperfect familycar.”
NEEDTO KNOWTheRAV4 cansuffer
dual-mass flywheel failure, so
feel forvibrations andlistenforjingling noisesat idle.
For2011RAV42.2 D-4D.DealerpricesVantageToyota TamworthStaffs ( vantagetamworth.toyota.co.uk ). Indep.pricesEuroCar Parts( www.eurocarparts.com ) *Pricewww.wingmirrorshop.co.u
Fuel CO2 Annualeconomy emissions roadtax
Model2.0 V-matic CVT 22 37mpg 177g/km £2252.0 VVT-i 20-22 32mpg 202g/km £2902.0VVT-iauto 20-25 31mpg 212g/km £2902.2 D-4D 140 20-26 42mpg 173g/km £2052.2D-CAT150 25-26 48-49mpg 150-154g/km £145-£182.2D-CAT150auto 25-26 39mpg 186-189g/km £2652.2 D-4D 180 27 40mpg 185g/km £225
Dealerprice Independentprice
PartFront brake pads (axle set) £54 £44.87
Brakediscs(pair) £129.07 £98.28Doormirrorglass(electric) £59.26 £12.33*
Front wiper set £97.08 £20.10
Model2.0VVT-iXT-R N/A £9,095 £7,650 £6,995 N/A2.0VVT-iXT-Rauto £16,095 £12,095 £8,995 £7,450 N/A2.0 VVT-i XT3 N/A N/A £8,625 £7,350 £5,722.2D-4DXT-R £16,095 £13,195 £10,550 £8,650 N/A
2.2D-4DXT-Rauto £16,795 £13,795 N/A N/A N/A2.2 D-4D XT3 N/A N/A £9,950 £8,650 £6,952.2 D-4D XT5 N/A N/A £10,295 £8,975 £ 7,19
Photos by John Colley.Thanks to AndrewMackayfor the loan oftheRAV4in ourpictures.Own a usedcarin greatcondition andwant it featuredin an Auto Express buyer’sguide?Get in [email protected].
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Buyingcars Best buys
74 27May2015
FordFiestaFOR:Great rideandhandling,punchy petrol
AGAINST:Least spacioushere, highemissionsVolkswagenPoloFOR:ExcellentDSGbox, solid andrefined
AGAINST:A bitdull todrive, vaguesteeringHondaJazzFOR:Spacious,top value,reliability record
AGAINST:Least refined choice,firmride
£8,000 for an auto supermini, but which one?Contact:[email protected]
Dear Lawrence, I often drive around town and am
fed-up with changing gear in traffic. What are the
best small automatic hatchbacks for around £8,000?
Isobel Darrington, E-mail
Carhunter C A R S
I
N T E R I O R
R E L I A B I L I T Y
THE Ford’s interior is fine in isolation, but it can’t match
the VW for trim quality. Space is adequate, but the Jazz
is superior in this respect, and has a bigger boot, too.
The layout is slightly flawed, too; the stereo is fiddly.
THERE’S no doubt that the Polo has the best cabin
here if you’re looking for a quality feel. Build quality
is superb, and the layout is as intuitive as that of the
Jazz. There’s also plenty of space for four passengers.
THE Jazz majors on durability and practicality rather th
outright comfort. There are no premium materials and
seats are firm, but the layout is at least versatile as th
seats split, fold and tip. The 399-litre boot is huge.
THE Fiesta finished a reasonable 52nd in our Driver
Power 2015 satisfaction survey. Owners rated reliability
well, but marked the model down for build quality, so
make sure everything works and is solid inside.
THE Polo Mk5 came in a disappointing 167th in Driver
Power 2015, despite most other Volkswagen models
doing well. The DSG gearbox is complex and repair bills
are big, so it’s worth investing in a used warranty.
HONDA’S reputation for reliability is excellent, and to
prove it the Jazz finished a fine fifth in this category
in our most recent Driver Power survey, and was 84th
overall. Owners criticise sluggish performance, though
THE latestFiesta is still thebest-selling car in
Britain,and with good reason.Some rivalsmight
better it for interiorquality or space, butnone
canmatch itsdriver appeal.Its six-speedPowerShift
auto boxis smooth,with quick changes,while it
combines comfortwith engaging handling.
Thedownside is thedated 1.6-litre petrol engine;
while it’s punchy, it has high CO2 emissions.We
founda 62-plateZetecwith 14,500miles for£8,279.
WHILE the Polomightnot be the mostexciting
superminion themarket,its talents are hard to
ignore. It’sgot excellent fit and finish,a comfortable
ride and low noise levels.But theFiestais more
fun todriveand theJazzbeats it for versatility.
However,while the1.4-litre engine isn’t the
quickest, theexcellentDSGgearbox is thebest
here. Our classifieds searchunearthed a 20111.4
DSGin Match specwith24,000miles for £7,496.
HONDA’S Jazz doesn’thave themost youthful
image, butit’sveryeasyto drive, thedashis
sensibly laidoutand there’s a lotof room.The
big sellingpoint is practicality, and that shows
with a functional cabin rather than a premium on
The ride isn’t assmoothasrivalshere, and it is
a fun drive,butthe CVT autoboxis fineif you’ren
in a hurry. The Jazz iseconomical and reliable,too
2011 1.4 ESwith14,000milesis yoursfor £7,59
THE DRIVER’S CHOICE THE REFINED CHOICE THE PRACTIC AL CHOICE
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Buyingcars Used twin test
21
Thespace raceWhich second-hand estate offers a better blend of comfort, class and practicality?
Build qualitgood, but cont
are fiddly to
RenaultMéganeSTGT-LinedCiYears:2012 to date Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl,128bhp
nsurancegroup: 20E Econ/CO2: 71mpg/104g/km
Why?Mégane offersefficiency,space and style
n a great value andwell equipped package.
Prices from: £8,379
SEATExeoST2.0TDI120SE Years:2012 to date Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl,118bhp
Insurancegroup:21E Econ/CO2: 56mpg/132g/km
Why? Exeo is a rebadged Audi A4 so appeals,
with a premiumfeel andcomfortable drive.
Prices from: £7,750
Renault Mégane70.6mpg(official)
£69 fill-up
SEAT Ex56.5mpg(off
£81 f
Well built cabinboasts plenty of equipment
RENAULT’S Mégane received minor tweaks
n 2012to make it more competitive,with
he keyadditiona new1.6-litrediesel
engine. It’s still oneof themore attractive
estates in the classand hasthe measure
of the conservatively styled SEAT Exeo.Inside, the 2012 updatebrought better-
quality materials, plus there’s plentyof kitand
design flair, but the Renault’s standout feature
sspace. There’s more passengerroom than
nthe Exeo, and theboot ismuch larger, too.
That new dieselis far better thanthe old
1.9-litreunit,with itsstrong 320Nm torque
outputenough to outpace theExeo.It’s also
more efficient, partlydue to the fact it’s lighter.
The Méganeis more agile as a result,
but there’s a trade-off inthe formof a rather
ittery ride on the bigGT-Line wheels. This
sa realpity, asit’squieton theroad.
The carfinished94th in ourDriver Power
2015 satisfaction survey, butowners criticised
electrical glitchesand itsease of driving.
THESEAT Exeo is thevery definition of badg
re-engineering. It’sbasically a mid-noughtie
Audi A4 underneath,with revised stylingfro
andrear anda tweaked cabin.Neat LED
headlampsgive it an executive air, butit
doesn’t lookor feellike a new car insideorIt feels better builtinside than theRenau
but it’s dated andthecontrolsare quite
fiddly. Rear legroom is tight, too, plus
boot capacityis less with the rear seats up.
TheExeo uses Audi’scommon-rail 2.0TD
dieselengine, which fails to getanywheren
thefuel economyfigures of theMégane. It’s
reasonably refined, but in-gear performance
feels a bitsluggishcompared to its rival. It
does beat the Renault in terms of comfort, w
softsuspension makingfor a smoothride.
It’s a much heavier car, but while body
control is okay, thesteering isvague.The
Exeo didn’t feature in DriverPower 2015, b
SEATfinisheda reasonable 15th, andthe
mechanical parts from the A4 areproven.
SEAT Exeo
★★★
THERE’Snothing wrong with the
Exeo,but it’s feeling itsage. It’s
well built, like theAudi A4 it’s
basedon,but the dirty diesel,
lack of spaceand vague steering
letit down against the Mégane.
RenaultMégane
★★★★
THEMégane takes the win asit
feels far moreof a moderncar.
It’s notwithout itsflaws, but its
punchy and efficientengine,
agility on theroad andpassenger
spacemakeit thebetter buy here.
Mégane’s 479-litre boot is far larger than the SEAT’s offering, while it ’s agile on the move
Exeo’s boot capacity is smaller,at only 442 litres, plus in-gear
performance feels a bit sluggish
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Sp t
StephenErrity [email protected]
All the ac tion from th worl of motorsport
Countdown to Le Mans kicks off
Drivers back F1 revamp plans■ Return of refuelling, improved tyres and better engine noise proposed by Strategy Group ■ Button, Ricciardo and other drivers in favo
Green looking fosecond Audi wBRITON JamieGreen(right) is looking toscore anotherwinfor AudiastheDTMGerman touringcar championship hits
theLausitzring track thisweekend.
The 32-year-oldclaimedhis firstvictory forthemarque at the season
opener in Hockenheim,butsitsjointsecond in thestandingsafter finishinoutside thepoints in thesecond race
BritsGary Paffett andPauldiRestawill also be inactionfor Mercedes’
DTM teamsat theweekend.
THEofficialtestday fornextmonth’s Le
Mans 24Hourstakesplace thisSunday. All 56 carsenteredfor theendurance
classicwillbe present, includingthefullfactory line-upsfrom Audi,Porsche,ToyotaandNissan in thetop LMP1 class.
Teams on thereservelist forthe race
will also runat thetestday,alongwitha pair ofGinetta-Nissan LMP3 cars. Althoughthese areusuallyseenin the
European LeMansSeriesandnoteligibletorace in the24 Hours itself, members
of theNissandriving squadwhohaven’tracedatLeMansbeforewill use themtocompletetheir mandatory‘rookie laps’.
Olympic cyclingmedallistChrisHoywillalso driveanLMP3 toget experience ahead
ofhisplanned LeMans debutnext year.
DRIVERShave backedrecent proposals
from theFormulaOne StrategyGroup
to reigniteinterest in the sport, including
the return of in-race refuelling stops for the
first time since the end of the2009season.
Theproposals arethe result of a recent
meeting between FIA president Jean Todt,
F1 commercialboss Bernie Ecclestone and
team representativesfrom Ferrari,McLaren,
Mercedes, RedBull, Williams andForce India.
Laptimes from five to six seconds faster
than those currentlybeing recordedare the
target,with reducedweight, revisedtyre
compounds andbetter aerodynamics all
being consideredasways ofachieving this.
Themeeting alsodiscussed improving the
noise of thenewV6 hybridengines,following
continuedcomplaintsfrom fans thisyear.
Most of thesport’sdrivershave welcomed
thesuggestion ofbringingback refuelling,
asit wouldallow them toget closerto the
cars’ ultimate performancein races.
“I thinkif itmakes therace faster andlap
timesquicker and wedon’thave to drive
around atnearly GP2 paceatthe start, that’s
good,”said RedBull’s Daniel Ricciardo. “I
think therace pace needs to be increased.”
McLaren’sJensonButtonadded:“I think it
was greatwhenwehad refuelling.If you had
an issueon lap one,you couldchange your
race aroundanddo something different –
whereasnow it’svery difficult.”
Lotus’PastorMaldonado pointed
outthat bringingbackrefuelling
would givethe midfield
teamsmoreof a chance
to competewith the
established front-runners
by usingunconventional
pitstopstrategies.
Refuelling wasbanned or
thestart ofthe 2010seaso
onboth safety and
cost-reduction
grounds– there
was anever-presentriskof fire in thepitla
while transportingthe refuelling equipme
andthe team ofpersonnel neededtooper
it to everyroundproved quite expensive.
FULLHOUSE All 56 cars that
are entered for
the Le Mans 24
Hours will test
at the circuit
this Sunday
Drivers say refuelling
is key to faster F1
lap times
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next week
onsale Wednesday 3 June
●News● Product testsDrives● Features & Sport
TESTED
DRIVEN
DRIVEN
Do you agree with Mike?Have your say at facebook.com/autoexpress
Motoring’s most outspoken andopinionated columnist sounds off
Toyota’s $19.1bn ofannual profit comesfrom just two seriousmakes – Toyota andLexus – plus Scionand Daihatsu New Aventador S
New Vauxhall Viv
228bhp MINI vshot hatch rivals
We get behind the wheel of Lamborghini’sensational 740bhp Superveloce superca
All-new cut-price supermini revives famoname of seventies. But what’s it like to drive
Who’ll come out on top as new MINI JCW
takes on new Corsa VXR and Fiesta ST?
ASIAis thenewandundisputedkingof car-makingprofitability – thanks
to themoney-makingprowess of Japan,Korea, ChinaandIndia.
Mostof thefirmswhoenjoy profitsof billionsofdollars annuallynowhail fromthis region.Subaru boastedaprofitfigureof $2bnlast year.Comparing like with like,TATA’sprofit was$2.7bn, andKiawasjustahead of the Indianfirmon$2.8bn.
Nissan($4.3bn)waspippedbyup-and-comingSAICofChina ($4.4bn),whichalreadyhasHonda($5.6bn) initssights.AndHyundaihas becomethesecondmost profitablecarmaker
inAsiaon$7.0bn– or$9.8bnif theprofitsof itsadopted childKiaareincluded.
But Toyota takes thebiscuit (orshouldthatbethe ricecracker?)withanannualfigureof$19.1bn,making it theworld’smost profitablecarcompanybya longway.
InNorth America, Ford ($3.2bn)andGeneralMotors ($3.9bn)must bewonderingwhere itallwentwrong.Betweenthem, these two areonlymakingabout asmuchas littleol’ Hyundai ofKorea
thesedays.Who’dhave ever thought it?Over inEurope,Renault ($2.5bn) seemsinsurprisinglygoodnick
given thepolitical andother woesofFrance. And theBMW ($7.7bn)andMercedes($9.2bn) empirescan’t complain.
Inone sense, neither canthe VolkswagenGroup($14.4bn),whichis the mostprofitablemotor manufacturer inEuropeandsecondglobally. But thebean counters inWolfsburgmustbemiffed, becausealthoughthe VWGroup israkinginmorethanToyota inannualgross revenue($268bnvs. $252bn), itsprofitsareconsiderablylower. Andanotherthing thatirksthemeninsuits at theGroup is that
inorder tomakeits profit of$14.4bn, ithad torelyona colossalportfolio ofmarquesincludingsupercar(Lamborghini andBugatti), luxury (Bentley), sports (Porsche), premium(Audi),business class (Volkswagen), fun(SEAT) andvalue (Skoda)brands. YetToyota’s$19.1bncamefromjust twoseriousmakes – Lexus
and Toyota– plustheunlikelyduo thatgobythe nameofDaihatsuandScion. VWGroupmighthave the moreglamorous,desirableandwidermodel range.But Toyotahasclearly put one overitsGermanrivalwhen it comestoearninga shilling.
Join the debate now... www.autoexpress.co.uk/opinion
Backchat
MikeRutherford
TESTED
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