Innholdsfortegnelse for 1443 i Auto Express

I’M fast becoming an electric car fan. Of the many cars I drove this week during our sister publication Auto Bild’s Golden Steering Wheel test session (results on 8 November), it was the Hyundai Ioniq, BMW i3 and Tesla Model X that stood out. We’re at a turning point when it comes to the range of these cars, too. The BMW came with the new 94Ah battery pack which gives the car a theoretical 195-mile range. And at last week’s Paris Motor Show, Renault revealed a new version of its all-electric ZOE that will go for 250 miles. I’m still enjoying the electric power in my current car, a Volvo XC90 T8. Sure, its range is only 21 miles, but the smooth, silent, swift power delivery is a real joy.…

THE UK’s slowest motorway has been named, with a threemile stretch of the M606 leading into Bradford, West Yorkshire, clocking a dismal average speed of just 24.62mph. A total of six other motorways recorded average speeds below the standard urban limit of 30mph, according to the data released by vehicle tracking firm RAM Tracking. Second worst in the data was the M32 in South Gloucestershire (26.15mph), followed by the M9 between Edinburgh and Dunblane in Scotland (26.74mph). Three of the seven slowest motorways highlighted serve Manchester, whereas many highways around London – often deemed the worst – actually recorded faster speeds than most. The M40, M4 and M25 were rated as some of the quickest, although even these averages hit a peak of 40mph – just over half the actual…

“When the Veyron went up for auction in 2010, it sold for £625,000 – a record for the UK” AUCTIONS offer a fantastic opportunity to score a bargain on a used car, but they’re also the outlet for more expensive, rare and high-profile models. One of the most famous auction houses – British Car Auctions (BCA) – is celebrating 70 years of service this year, having made its first sale in a Surrey marquee in 1946. That auction at Frimley Bridges comprised of only 14 cars, but now BCA sees 3.5 million vehicles go through its doors each year, with bidders in the hall competing against online buyers, too. With such a great reputation, BCA has been privileged enough to sell some famous cars in its time, and we’ve rounded…

“The all-wheel-drive Spyder has more than enough performance to please" “On the move there is accuracy and precision by the bucket load thanks to the Dynamic steering” Essentials Audi R8 Spyder Price: £129,990 Engine: 5.2-litre V10 petrol Power/torque: 533bhp/540Nm Transmission: Seven-speed auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.6 seconds Top speed: 197mph Economy: 24.1mpg CO2: 227g/km ON SALE November Verdict AS lovely to drive as it is to look at, the Spyder is the new R8 to go for. With the hood down, the sun on your face and that V10 screaming its heart out, experiences on four wheels don’t get much better than this. Refined with the roof up or down, the compromises over the coupé are almost impossible to spot. Despite only being available with the entry-level 533bhp engine, this…

“The Astra provides inspiration, so the Mokka gets the same clean looks” Testers’ notes “The new dashboard is a massive improvement and helps add a touch of class to the cabin. Elsewhere, Vauxhall could have tried harder. Our car’s dull grey finish was at odds with the colourful approach of the 2008.” Sean Carson Senior staff writer MODEL TESTED: Vauxhall Mokka X 1.6 CDTi Design Nav PRICE: £19,565 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 108bhp THE Mokka has proven a hit for Vauxhall, so it has tried not to mess with a winning formula for this revised X model. There’s a slimmed down model line-up, fresh looks and an upgraded interior, but underneath, it gets the same choice of turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines. There’s also the option of four-wheel drive…

MODEL TESTED: Skoda Citigo 1.0 75 SE L GreenTech PRICE: £10,760 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 74bhp SKODA’S Citigo debuted slightly later than the up!, but it’s also been a phenomenon. Not only has it romped to numerous road test victories, it has scooped the City Car crown at the past five Auto Express New Car Awards ceremonies. Essentially a rebadged up!, it mixes the Volkswagen’s comfort, space and grown-up driving dynamics with a price that’s often thousands less. There’s a choice of three and five-door bodystyles, four trims and a 1.0-litre engine in two states of tune. Here we test the flagship five-door £10,815 SE L 1.0 75 GreenTech – although the car in our pictures is a three-door. Styling 3.9/5 IT’S no surprise to find our test cars look similar,…

How our tests were scored THE top-performing tyre in each of our individual tests – apart from price – is given a score of 100 per cent, with the rest rated relative to this. This is a similar formula to our other tyre tests, and ensures a category where the differences between the best and worstperforming products are large will have the same effect on the overall score as one where the gap is small. To get a winner, we add the percentages together. Snow and wet tests each count for a third of the overall result, with the other factors making up the remainder. Snow braking AVOIDING that dreaded moment when you hit the brakes on snow and the car barely slows is a key draw of winter tyres.…

SEAT Mii by Mango Years: 2011 to date Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 74bhp Ins group: 4 Official econ/CO2: 60.1mpg/108g/km Why? The best small car to wear a SEAT badge, the Mii is refined and perfect for city driving. Prices from: £3,500 Twingo SCe 70 Dynamique Years: 2014 to date Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 69bhp Ins group: 3 Official econ/CO2: 67.2mpg/95g/km Why? Quirky styling and rear-engined set-up make the Twingo an interesting option in a competitive class. Prices from: £3,875 1 SEAT Mii by Mango SEAT’S link-up with Mango has given its sensible city car some fashion-inspired style. The special edition won’t be to all tastes, but even so, whichever Mii you choose is a great option. 2 Renault Twingo THE Twingo is funky, affordable and likeable. While it’s cleverly packaged with plenty…

CITROEN is gearing up to sell cars online in the UK from next year – and the new customer experience could include fixed prices designed to give buyers a fair deal without any haggling. It’s part of the brand’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ ethos, which is designed to extend beyond the compliant suspension for which Citroen is known to incorporate things such as customer experience. Boss Linda Jackson has revealed to Auto Express that one element of Advanced Comfort will be a simpler, less pressurised purchase process. Customers will be able to choose and configure their cars – to order or from dealer or central stock – and then finance them and place a deposit online. She said: “E-commerce is being rolled out in selected markets, and will eventually get to…

“Allan had his M-Class inspected by a leather specialist, which confirmed the seats were faulty” WEAR and tear items like clutches, interior trim and tyres are regularly a source of heated debate between owners and manufacturers when repairs are needed. Often a verdict from a dealer or independent inspector can resolve the issue, but a manufacturer may still dig its heels in. That’s what Allan Christopher from Kittle, Swansea, found after nearly two years of owning his Mercedes ML350. He bought the SUV from Mercedes-Benz of Bedford in September 2014, but earlier this year, Allan found the condition of the driver’s seat had deteriorated significantly. The Artico leather had started to crack, and he said it now looked as if the car had done far more than the 20,000 miles…

Essentials Citroen C3 1.2 PureTech 110 Flair Price: £15,995 Engine: 1.2-litre 3cyl petrol Power/torque: 109bhp/118Nm Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 9.3 seconds Top speed: 117mph Economy: 61.4mpg CO2: 103g/km ON SALE Now “The C3 sticks a cheeky two fingers up at supermini convention, with a mix of style, tech and comfort” REMEMBER the old Citroen C3? Probably not – it’s one of a series of fairly forgettable cars from the brand over the past decade. The all-new C3, however, is among a raft of Citroens that’s a whole lot more memorable. It’s a breath of fresh air in an ultra-conservative market dominated by Ford’s Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen’s Polo. The C3 sticks a cheeky two fingers up at supermini convention, with a mix of style, tech and…

IT’S not easy to keep up with everything that’s going on in the motoring world, such is the frantic rate of development. Every manufacturer appears to be launching an SUV or two at the moment, while an increasing number of electric cars are making their way on to the market. But Auto Express is here to help, as we’ve rounded up all you need to know about the most important new metal coming in 2017 and beyond over the next 26 pages. From Alfa Romeo to Volvo, and city car to supercar, our guide gives you the inside line on the new models worth waiting for. Don’t put down a deposit until you’ve read it. “Skoda’s SUV is lined up to take on the Land Rover Discovery Sport, with five…

“It’s smaller than most family cars, but the 2008 has real road presence” Testers’ notes “This Allure model is available with the brand’s Park Assist system. It uses parking sensors to automatically guide the 2008 into a space. The driver just operates the accelerator, brake and clutch.” James Disdale Chief reviewer MODEL TESTED: Peugeot 2008 1.6 HDi Allure PRICE: £19,820 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 118bhp THE jacked-up Peugeot 2008 made its debut in showrooms back in 2013, and proved an instant hit thanks to its combination of practicality, an upmarket interior and low running costs. A facelift earlier this year further boosted the model’s appeal by improving its stylish looks and subtly altering the line-up. Buyers can choose from Access, Active, Allure and GT-Line specs, while the engine range consists of…

THE original Volkswagen up! rewrote the city car rulebook when it hit the road in 2012. The tiny German machine combined compact looks and low running costs with surprising space and impressive refinement, and in the process it redefined what was a possible for a small car. Yet its reign at the top was shortlived, because only a few months later it was joined by its Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii identical twins, which were every bit as talented as the up! yet cost a fair bit less. In an effort to reposition the up! at the top of the city car tree, Volkswagen has treated its tiny tot to a mid-life facelift. Tweaked looks, a more upmarket interior and cutting-edge technology are added to the car’s existing strengths to…

Audi A4 IN the pursuit of sleeker lines, many cars no longer have rain gutters running along the roof. If you want to attach a pair of roof bars, you need to open the door and locate the rack’s pegs into holes in the door jambs. That means there’s now no need to have gutters with plastic covers and panels covering the mounting points. But in our Audi A4, Carbuyer editor Stuart Milne has discovered the removal of the roof gutters has another, unexpected effect. Climbing into the back seats, or putting his daughter in her child seat after a rain storm, means the water runs along the roof and drips on to his back. This is caused by the way the roof curves across the car and slopes down…

HANKOOK has made good progress with its summer tyres, but its winter offering needs work, even though it was in no way disgraced. Dunlop, meanwhile, has gone from hero last year to zero this, and its final placing of seventh is certainly not what you would expect from a podium finisher just 12 months ago. Just as with the final two there is little to choose between our pair of ex-F1 suppliers, Bridgestone and Michelin, with the former having the advantage in the wet and the latter excelling on snow. The top four were closely matched, with past winner Goodyear only being beaten by newer designs. Pirelli seems to have found some extra performance with the new Cinturato, but the poor economy is a concern. It’s the same for the…

“The TT is arguably the most usable sports car on a year-round basis due to quattro four-wheel drive” Contacts Official www.audi.co.uk Forums www.ttoc.co.uk www.tt-forum.co.uk www.audi-forums.com www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower OUR VIEW THE TT Mk2 didn’t feature in this year’s Driver Power survey; last year it was in 183rd place, in 2014 it was 104th, and the last time it was in the top 100 was in 2013, when it managed 96th place. Owners ranked handling, braking and performance highly back then, but were critical of running costs and ride quality. YOUR VIEW CHRISTOPHER Serafina from Gloucester owns a 2010 TT 2.0 TFSI coupé. He told us: “It still looks distinctive, and is fast, sure-footed even in the snow and fairly economical, too. I love the carrying capacity, while the cabin design and quality…

Essentials Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Sport Price: £42,000 (est) Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel Power: 282bhp Torque: 620Nm Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive 0-62/top spd: 6.0 secs/145mph (est) Econ/CO2: 50mpg/145g/km (est) ON SALE January 2017 “The chassis compromise is best described as safe rather than involving” Hot new multi-turbo SQ5 around the corner SENIOR engineers at Audi have confirmed to Auto Express that a hot SQ5 is due within 12 to 18 months. It’s likely to feature a more extreme version of the new 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel from the regular Q5. One engineer admitted: “The engine can run with two or even three turbos, and one of those turbos can be electric.” That’s a hint that the SQ5 could get the 48-volt electrics-based compressor from the SQ7; it operates at low…

“Small steering wheel means it feels lively in corners, and it’s fun, if not hugely engaging” Essentials Peugeot 3008 1.6 BlueHDi Allure Price: £25,000 (est) Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl diesel Power/torque: 118bhp/300Nm Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 11.2 seconds Top speed: 117mph Economy: 70.6mpg CO2: 104g/km ON SALE December Verdict ON our first test, the new Peugeot 3008 has impressed: it’s a stylish compact SUV with a practical, superbly built interior and a composed ride. The in-car tech and high-quality materials mean it feels much more upmarket than before, and it’s not bad to drive, either. We’ll reserve judgement until we see how the price compares with rivals – plus how it rides on UK roads – but early signs are that the 3008 is better than ever. PEOPLE around…

Verdict IT’S not the cheapest or most practical hatchback around, but the Mazda 3 has been improved by these incremental tweaks, which build on an already strong package. The combination of an enjoyable driving experience, attractive design, and decent efficiency makes it a credible alternative to a new Vauxhall Astra or SEAT Leon. This top-spec diesel is near the top of the class in terms of price, but it’s fast, frugal and well equipped enough to justify it. IN Issue 1,436 we drove Mazda’s refreshed 6 for the first time – and now it’s the turn of its smaller sibling to benefit from a range of 2017 model year changes. Updates to the new 3 are towards the more minor end of the scale, but there are a few noticeable…

SALES of compact crossover models are booming, so it’s no surprise to find Vauxhall has treated its Mokka to a mid-life refresh. The rugged family model is already one of the brand’s most popular cars, but a new look, updated technology and a name change to the Mokka X aim to broaden its appeal even further. Vauxhall has also simplified the range to include just three models – Active, Design Nav and Elite. There’s a line-up of punchy petrol engines and efficient diesels, plus the option of four-wheel drive. However, the Mokka X will need to be on top form to succeed, as this sector has exploded in size since the original made its debut in 2012. One of our favourite models is the recently revised Peugeot 2008. Stylish, well…

MODEL TESTED: Honda HR-V 1.6 i-DTEC S PRICE: £20,445 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 118bhp THE second-generation Honda HR-V made its debut last year, nearly a decade after the original version disappeared from price lists. Slotting into the increasingly popular compact crossover class, the British-built machine gets bold looks, a versatile interior and a top-quality finish. However, all this comes at a price, with the entry-level 1.6 i-DTEC S tested here weighing in at a hefty £20,445, although the car in our pictures is a flagship EX. Styling 3.9/5 WHILE the original HR-V looked like a jacked-up estate car, the current model is a much sleeker affair. In fact, Honda claims it blends the best bits of an SUV and a coupé, which means you get a raised ride height and tough-looking…

“Smooth, thrummy threecylinder engine in the VW relishes being worked hard” Testers’ notes “The up! Beats model comes with a powerful 300W sound system that features seven speakers, including a subwoofer for improved bass, and a digital sound processor. This new model also gets a choice of black or red finishes for its alloy wheel centre caps, door mirrors and bold body decals.” Sean Carson Senior staff writer MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen High up! 1.0 75 PRICE: £12,280 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 74bhp THE little up! has been the entry point to Volkswagen ownership since it made its debut in 2012. As before, this facelifted model gets a choice of three and five-door bodystyles, plus the option of Take up!, Move up! and High up! trim levels. There’s also a new up!…

“It’s easy to relish the roof-down appeal of the Mazda MX-5” Second opinion “Despite its size, the Mazda is surprisingly usable. There’s decent head, leg and elbow room, while the boot is wellshaped. But there’s a lack of cabin storage. There’s a lidded cubby between the seats, but there’s no glovebox and the doorbins are essentially small bottle holders.” James Disdale Chief reviewer Verdict OUR 1.5-litre MX-5 might not have the outright punch of its bigger brother, but it’s still just as fun to drive, offering everything you could possibly want from a compact convertible. We’ve loved our time with it so far – but the arrival of Fiat’s 124 Spider will make things interesting for the Mazda. SUMMER has drawn to a close, but my patience has paid off…

EVEN after a few fairly mild years, deciding whether to switch tyres for winter doesn’t get any easier. While some drivers won’t head to a fitter until they see snow, it’s safest to invest in winter rubber now. Even if snow doesn’t fall, winter tyres perform better than conventional ‘summer’ designs below about seven degrees Celsius – a certainty in a typical British winter. New designs and technology are arriving every year, and switching has never been easier, with car manufacturers offering wheel and tyre packages and dealers setting up ‘hotels’ to look after your ‘summer’ tyres when they’re off the car. But which winter tyre should you buy? We returned to the 205/55 R16 size found on a range of big-selling family cars and headed to the Test World…

2016 Results Soul Factfile Years: 2014 to present CO2: 132g/km Fuel economy: 56.5mpg (1.6 GDi) Best options: Sat-nav, parking camera, keyless entry, stop/start, heated seats, USB Prices: From £8,890 OVERALL SCORE 89.83% Bars show where model finished out of 150 cars in our 2016 survey. The lower the rating the better GOOD “THE diesel engine delivers incredible fuel economy. I can easily get over 500 miles per tank.” “The automatic transmission is smooth. It always shifts at the correct point.” “My turbodiesel Soul feels very nippy and is comfortable on motorways.” “Kia’s seven-year warranty is such a nice safety net.” “The fully electric version is great. You pay zero road tax and the fuel bills are very low.” “A comfortable car. I have a sensitive back, but it is never…

Porsche Macan Turbo Years: 2014 to date Best engine: 3.6-litre V6, 395bhp Insurance group: 44 Economy/CO2: 31.7mpg/208g/km WHY? If you think a compact SUV can’t be a fast, fun car, then think again. The Porsche Macan combines the everyday usability of a five-door SUV with the handling and performance normally associated with the sporting brand. The flagship Macan Turbo gets a 395bhp twin-turbo V6, with plenty of power across the rev range. It’s connected to a seven-speed PDK twin-clutch auto gearbox, which delivers smooth, rapid shifts even at full throttle. The four-wheel-drive system, standard adaptive dampers and clever Porsche Traction Management electronics mean the Macan Turbo is able to put a smile on your face, even on roads you don’t expect an SUV to. From £59,300 (new) SEAT Leon Cupra…