Innholdsfortegnelse for 1431 i Auto Express

AS more car brands offer an increasing array of personalisation options – bespoke equals luxury (and more profit!) – there’s a real danger customers could be making choices they’ll regret. This week I was invited to Ingolstadt to give Audi’s chassis experts feedback in some backto-back tests. One of which was with the TTS. We’re big fans of the TT here; it was named Coupé of the Year at the Auto Express Awards just a few weeks ago. And I was asked to drive one with 19-inch wheels and another with some truly gorgeous 20-inch rims. Gorgeous, that was, until I drove the car. Here were two identical TTs with only an inch of difference in wheel diameter (and tyre brand) between them. I loved the car on 19s, but…

More dramatic look and tech for new executive models Exclusive image reveals how A6 will take cues from Prologue concept Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler AUDI will overhaul all of its big saloons over the next two years, bringing hi-tech developments to the A8 and A7 and making the next generation of A6 one of the most radical offerings in the large executive class. Our exclusive preview of the A6 shows how Audi is planning to make its saloon car styling more emotional, drawing inspiration from everything from racing yachts to 2014’s Prologue concept. Design boss Marc Lichte has been briefed to deliver a range of cars that are still clearly Audis, but which have greater differences between them. The first of the trio to break cover will be the new version of…

“This latest mule has been registered as a diesel-electric, hinting that JLR is working on alternative powertrains” New smaller SUV spied on test Choice of front drive and 4WD Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram HERE’S the proof that Jaguar has taken development of its baby SUV to the next stage – by running a shortened version of its F-Pace as a test mule on UK roads. In February this year (Issue 1,408), our spy photographers caught what looked like a modified Range Rover Evoque testing on roads near Jaguar Land Rover HQ in Gaydon, Warks. However, a DVLA plate check revealed the model in question was in fact registered as a Jaguar, not a Land Rover. The car seen here is a later development mule of the new sub-F-Pace model, now with a…

INSURANCE policies for driverless cars will need to have hacker protection, a new report has warned. AXA Insurance predicts the high reliance on computerised systems puts autonomous vehicles at greater risk from hacking. The report said: “Potential claims could include cases where hackers break into and steal a vehicle remotely.” Researchers have already shown that this is possible with non-autonomous vehicles, previously demonstrating how a UK-spec Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV could be hacked and stolen using a laptop. The report also highlights the possibility of hackers holding a car for “ransom”. The report added: “These are all new risks which insurers will need to consider as society moves towards autonomous vehicles.”…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn YOU wait 17 years for a hybrid to come along and give the Prius a run for its money, and then two arrive at once. The Hyundai Ioniq shares its hybrid powertrain with the Kia Niro (Page 28) and aims to steal sales directly from Toyota’s big seller. As well as a hybrid, the Ioniq is also available as a pure EV (driven in Issue 1,430) and a plug-in hybrid; it’s the first car ever to be offered with a choice of three electrified powertrains. However, the hybrid model driven here is the one that matters most, as it will make up around 50 per cent of Ioniq sales in the UK. Hyundai claims it will return over 83mpg and emit 79g/km of CO2. Along with rock-bottom running…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE THE CT6 is Cadillac’s answer to the German luxury elite, made up of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class. It’s a little bigger than an E-Class, but smaller than an S-Class. The only version available in the UK is the top-spec Platinum model, and it’s priced to match the biggest Mercedes. It feels wide and spacious from behind the wheel and easily as big as an S-Class. Hop in the back, though, and the CT6 is more like an E-Class. There’s a sufficient amount of legroom, but it’s nowhere near as roomy as the flagship Mercedes. In the UK the Cadillac is only available from one dealer in left-hand-drive guise, so it needs to be very special. You might expect it to roll a lot in corners,…

OUR C 250d test car is the most potent Mercedes C-Class Coupé diesel available; in sporty AMG Line trim, it costs £38,245. As with many other models in the German brand’s range, it’s fitted with a nine-speed automatic transmission as standard, while our car also featured the Premium Plus package, costing £2,995. Styling 4.2/5 TAKING design cues from the manufacturer’s flagship S-Class Coupé and featuring sleek and elegant styling cues, the smaller C-Class Coupé is easily recognisable as a Mercedes. There’s a large front grille, with a heavily sculpted bumper lower down on this AMG Line model. Chrome edging gives the C-Class a large, jutting lip and picks out the detail in the grille. More bright work features at the back, in the form of a silver insert between the…

Audi A3 Sportback S line Price: £27,285 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 148bhp 0-60mph: 8.7 seconds Test economy: 52.3mpg/11.5mpl CO2: 109g/km Annual road tax: £20 Volkswagen Golf R-Line Ed. Price: £26,370 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 148bhp 0-60mph: 8.8 seconds (wet) Test economy: 46.5mpg/10.2mpl CO2: 112g/km Annual road tax: £30 Volvo V40 R-Design Price: £25,345 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 150bhp 0-60mph: 9.0 seconds Test economy: 53.9mpg/11.9mpl CO2: 99g/km Annual road tax: £0 THE current Audi A3 marked a new era for the VW Group at launch in 2012. It was the first car to use the new MQB chassis, while Audi injected it with a premium feel and sporty drive that have become familiar from the brand. Now the A3 has been given a mid-life facelift with an enhanced look, new kit…

James Disdale James_Disdale@dennis.co.uk CAN the colour of your car really make a difference to the ownership experience? If you own a Land Rover Discovery Sport, then the answer is a resounding yes. Our off-roader’s bright and cheery Phoenix Orange finish gives the car a real feel-good factor every time you approach it. Even on the greyest of days, this Land Rover still feels like a ray of sunshine. Yet it’s the reaction it gets from other motorists that really lifts your spirits, especially drivers of other Phoenix Orange Discovery Sports. If there’s one coming in the other direction, you can guarantee there will be a flash of lights, some wild waving and a big grin. It’s certainly an exclusive society, as out of the nearly 70,000 Disco Sports that Land…

Picking our champion WE tested our tyres in a variety of situations at Pirelli’s track in Vizzola, northern Italy, and headed to the nearby Circuito Tazio Nuvolari for the dry handling assessments. We converted our results to percentages, before adding up the figures to find our overall winner. Our scores were weighted to ensure each performance counted the same overall. As we believe tyres should be chosen primarily on performance, price played a small role in the overall result. In individual categories, the winner was rated at 100 per cent and the rest were ranked relative to that performance. Wet handling UNLIKE any other wet handling track we’ve used, Vizzola is a figure of eight circuit, with the crossover resembling a hump-backed bridge. It’s a short route with lots of…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Exclusive images show evolutionary look for Mk2 Juke ■ New platform, step up in quality; hybrid version as well THE Nissan Juke was the pioneer of the baby SUV class, leading a wave of new models as rival manufacturers scrabbled to get their own offerings into showrooms. And now Nissan is almost ready to unleash the second generation of its trend-setter, bringing more refined and efficient engines and a much-needed hike in cabin quality. Our exclusive images show how the next Juke could evolve from the current model, instead of taking a completely different path. Well placed sources within Nissan point out that the car still sells over 100,000 examples a year globally. Nissan’s chief creative officer Shiro Nakamura has revealed the next generation will remain “edgy and…

AS well as testing the new baby F-Pace, Jaguar Land Rover has revealed plans to create a fleet of more than 100 autonomous research vehicles – with testing on public roads starting later this year. The tests will involve vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication tech that will allow cars to talk to each other by reading signs, gantries and traffic lights. Research will take place on a new 41-mile route across motorways and urban roads around Coventry and Solihull. Head of research Tony Harper said: “Our connected and automated technology could help improve traffic flow, cut congestion and reduce the potential for accidents.” Features such as Roadwork Assist use forward cameras to generate a 3D view of the road ahead. It can recognise cones and “This latest mule has been registered…

Reader’s fury as tow bar can’t be fitted to special-edition Merc HAVING the option to tow a trailer or a caravan is paramount for many drivers when purchasing a new car. So the news that you can’t retro-fit a tow bar to a specialedition Mercedes E-Class has left some confused owners unhappy. Angela Young, from Truro, Cornwall, bought a 2016 E 220 AMG Night Edition Estate and had planned to fit a tow bar just as she had done on her 2013 E220. However, companies told her as there’s no towing weight on the VIN plate, they can’t legally fit one. She said: “We use the car for towing a trailer as part of our business which the dealer was aware of prior to purchase. I’m looking at being seriously…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/124mph Running costs 53.3mpg (official) £49 fill-up Essentials Renault Clio 1.2 TCe Dynamique S Nav Price: £16,655 Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl turbo Power/torque: 118bhp/205Nm Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 9.0 seconds Top speed: 124mph Economy: 53.3mpg CO2: 118g/km ON SALE September Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan RENAULT knows as well as anyone that you don’t need to fix something if it isn’t broken. Why mess with a formula if it’s delivering success? With more than 400,000 Clios sold globally in 2015 alone, the fourth-generation model remains the French brand’s strongest seller. That’s why the supermini’s mid-life updates are subtle to say the least. At first glance, this ranks among the least noticeable facelifts of the year so far – perhaps because the Clio looked fresh already. But subtle tweaks…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.5 seconds/103mph Essentials Smart Brabus ForTwo Price: £16,000 (est) Engine: 898cc 3cyl turbo Power/torque: 108bhp/170Nm Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch auto, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 9.5 seconds Top speed: 103mph Economy: 62.7mpg CO2: 102g/km ON SALE September Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE philosophy of speed, handling and performance is part and parcel of sports car ownership. Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini have been nailing the formula for decades, while even the likes of Renault, Ford and Peugeot now have a credible range of hot hatchbacks. But up to now, such attempts by Mercedes’ subbrand Smart to tune its dinky city cars have somewhat missed the point. The manufacturer’s connection with Brabus stretches back to 2002. The tuner has long been fettling ForTwo and ForFour models with subtle tweaks to the engine, suspension and…

MODEL TESTED: Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI S line PRICE: £27,285 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 148bhp THE A3 has been an Audi staple since 1996, and it’s hoped that this facelift will keep the thirdgeneration model at the front of the premium small car sector. As before, there’s a three-door, five-door Sportback, four-door Saloon and a Cabriolet, with a variety of petrol and diesel engines, as well as manual or S tronic auto gearboxes, plus front-wheel drive or quattro 4WD. The range starts at £21,515, and we test the £27,285 2.0 TDI S line in Sportback guise here – although the car in our pictures is a quattro model. Styling 4.4/5 AUDI’S ‘Russian doll’ approach to car design means that a lot of its models look alike. At a distance the…

THINGS move fast in tyre development, and it’s no surprise to see the two oldest designs at the foot of the table. Neither the Vredestein nor the Yokohama is awful, but the new designs just do things that little bit better. Falken and Hankook would liked to have finished higher up the rankings, but the performance gaps were small and they make good alternatives to premium brands and prices. It’s a similar story for Goodyear with its new design, although as it couldn’t quite keep up with those on the podium in our wet tests, it had to settle for fourth. The next three tyres are extremely closely matched, so narrow are the gaps between them. The Continental is the best tyre to drive, but not the cheapest to run.…

AUDI’S first foray into the SUV market was the Q7, which proved to be a king-sized success for the company. When the smaller Q5 came along, buyers couldn’t get enough of this stylish and capable mid-sized SUV. So why stop there? With drivers wanting compact cars that are just as luxurious yet more economical than range-topping SUVs, an even smaller car was called for, and that’s exactly what Audi delivered with the Q3. Shorter than the Q5 by 250mm, the Q3 is also lighter and more frugal, while most examples still come with the security of quattro four-wheel drive. Predictably, the smaller Audi went on to become another hit with buyers, so bargains are rare, but sometimes it’s worth digging a bit deeper. History THE Q3 reached showrooms in November…

Passat’s upmarket interior is well built and roomy VW Passat Alltrack 2.0 TDI 177 Years: 2012 to date Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 175bhp Insurance grp: 26 Official econ/CO2: 48mpg/155g/km Why? Volkswagen’s jacked-up estate is a compelling package. It’s solid, spacious and good to drive. Prices from: £11,595 VOLKSWAGEN took a leaf out of Audi’s longstanding ‘Allroad’ brand when it launched the rugged Passat Alltrack, and that was a wise move. You’d struggle to tell much was different from the outside, as other than some lower-body cladding and new badging, it looks much like the regular Passat. Little has changed inside, either, but that’s no bad thing – it’s better built than the Vauxhall, feels upmarket and offers plenty of leg and headroom, plus a bigger boot. On the road, the VW…

NISSAN has announced that its first vehicle to offer autonomous driving technology will be the Serena, due to go on sale in Japan next month. It’s expected the driverless tech will also be introduced on the updated Qashqai, which is set to arrive in the UK next year, as well as on Infiniti models. Called ProPILOT, Nissan’s autonomous tech will assist with acceleration, braking and steering. The Japanese maker says this will offer “convenience and peace of mind” to drivers. It’s controlled by a small camera equipped with image processing software, which can recognise vehicles and lane markers, as well as traffic activity. By 2018, Nissan hopes to have multi-lane autonomous driving technology fitted to its vehicles, while autonomous tech that will deal with urban environments and junctions is planned…

CASE STUDY Reader’s SEAT Ibiza spent months in garage, but damaged fusebox was an easy repair ELECTRICAL gripes can range from faulty headlights to dodgy sat-navs, and from corroded batteries to glitchy reversing cameras. And these types of problems are growing as more kit is loaded on to cars. That makes diagnosing exactly what’s wrong with a car harder than owners would like – and sometimes means that issues can rumble on for longer than is acceptable. That was certainly the case for David O’Dell, from Leighton Buzzard, Beds, who hadn’t seen his 2012 SEAT Ibiza for five months when he contacted us in May. David had taken his car into Lancaster SEAT in Milton Keynes, Bucks, after the headlamps, brake and indicator lights all failed. The body control module…

Dean_Gibson@dennis.co.uk HYBRID technology is being rolled out by more and more manufacturers, as they strive to make efficiency gains that petrol power alone can’t manage – and the latest firm to embrace electricity is Kia. But rather than simply bolt a hybrid system into an existing model, Kia has produced a whole new car, in the shape of the Niro crossover. However, in a somewhat contradictory fashion, Kia is marketing the Niro as a family car that just happens to have a hi-tech drivetrain, rather than championing its hybrid tech. It comprises a 1.6-litre GDi petrol alongside a 32kW electric motor, while energy is stored in a lithium-ion polymer battery. This configuration is similar to the one you get in a Toyota Prius, but even the most efficient Niro claims…

BUYING a coupé doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice efficiency for style, nor must you prioritise performance at the expense of practicality, either. A growing band of sleek four-seaters balances relatively small bills while attempting to deliver driving thrills, too. The latest is Mercedes’ C-Class Coupé, and here we’re testing it in C 250d form. With the maker’s 2.1-litre diesel engine, it serves up svelte styling, punchy performance and sound efficiency. You might not think diesel goes handin-hand with the image of a premium coupé, and neither does Lexus. Instead of developing these engines, the brand uses its petrol-electric hybrid powertrains to achieve impressive on-paper efficiency. We’ve lined up its RC 300h coupé in racy F Sport guise for a head-to-head battle with our AMG Line-spec Mercedes. To take road…

Results 1st MERCEDES VICTORY is snatched from the Lexus by a convincing margin here. Neither car is brilliant to drive, but the C-Class gets more equipment, will be cheaper to own and run plus offers extra practicality over the RC. Also, its diesel engine serves up more performance, while the smooth nine-speed auto is better suited to this type of car, aiding both long-distance cruising and driving around town. 2nd LEXUS THE RC proves Lexus is as competitive as it’s ever been alongside its German rivals, yet even with these frugal two-doors the model is lacking a depth of ability compared with the Mercedes. The powertrain is refined but loses out to its competitor on efficiency and performance, while the cabin isn’t as versatile, either. Also, its fussy looks won’t…

Results 1st AUDI IT’S a subtle update of a proven formula, but the new A3 Sportback does enough to come out on top in this test. It has a premium feel that its rivals can’t quite match, while S line trim now delivers a great mix of sporty handling and comfort that its predecessor struggled with. If you’re buying on finance, the extra monthly outlay over the Volvo is well worth investing in. 2nd VOLVO LOW emissions place the V40 ahead of the VW here, but the update doesn’t quite go far enough for it to overcome the Audi. From behind the wheel little indicates you’re in the new car, while R-Design trim delivers a firm ride that isn’t backed up by a sporty drive. The Volvo is still a…

95th PLACE 2016 Results GT86 Factfile Years: 2012 to present CO2: 181g/km Fuel economy: 36.2mpg (2.0 200 Primo) Best options: Sat-nav, keyless entry, cruise control, USB connectivity, heated seats, brake assist Prices: From £14,250 87.94% OVERALL SCORE Bars show where model finished out of 150 cars in our 2016 survey. The lower the rating the better GOOD “A TOTALLY and utterly awesome car to drive. The GT86 handles brilliantly.” “A car that you can enjoy even when you’re not driving very fast.” “The GT86 is great looking, and with the fold-down back seats, there is plenty of room in the rear.” “Boxer engine is a real joy to play with.” “The automatic gearbox really suits the GT86 – there’s no lag whatsoever.” “A surprisingly economical car when driven the right…

1st NON MOVER Volkswagen Polo Years: 2014 to date Best engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 108bhp Insurance group: 19 Economy/CO2: 59mpg/110g/km THE Volkswagen Polo has always been reasonably cheap to run, very well built and extremely practical, and the latest model maintains those strengths. It might not be particularly exciting to look at, but the fifth-generation Polo feels thoroughly modern inside, with materials that rival cars from the class above and a perfect fit and finish. Under the bonnet, Volkswagen offers its supermini with everything from a 59bhp 1.0-litre petrol to a 189bhp GTi, but the superb new 1.0 TSI turbo unit provides the best balance of performance, efficiency and price. From £11,250 (new) 2nd RISER MINI Hatch Years: 2014 to date Best engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 135bhp Insurance group: 20 Economy/CO2: 52mpg/105g/km…