Innholdsfortegnelse for 1451 i Auto Express

“MANY UK DRIVERS TOOK THEIR FIRST MOTORING STEPS IN A FIESTA, AND THE VARIETY OF MODELS MEANS THERE’S A VERSION FOR EVERYONE” AE 40TH birthday party is normally a pretty big affair, so it’s no surprise to find Ford has pulled out all the stops to celebrate four decades of its Fiesta supermini. In fact, it has gone as far as to launch an all-new version, which promises to set new standards for refinement, technology and upmarket appeal, while retaining the old car’s value and sparkling driving dynamics. We’ve got into the party spirit by bringing the newcomer face-to-face with its illustrious ancestors. Earlier this month we headed to Ford’s Go Further event to get under the skin of the exciting new supermini, before hitting the road in the models…

MODEL TESTED: Porsche 718 Boxster S PRICE: £51,105 ENGINE: 2.5-litre flat-four, 345bhp AS part of the updates to the Boxster and Cayman range, Porsche flipped its pricing structure, so the convertible is now the more expensive model. The 718 Boxster S we test here in manual guise costs £51,105 – not far off the TT RS Roadster. So which is the better sports car? score 4.2 DESIGN & ENGINEERING THE 718 Boxster is based on the same platform as its predecessor, but receives some significant upgrades, not least under the bonnet. Out went the old flat-six and in its place a 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four has been fitted for the S to improve efficiency. Suspension components ‘inspired’ by the scintillating Cayman GT4 have been added, plus the S gets bigger brakes…

£870 INSURANCE PREMIUM Highest average annual motor insurance premium found in the UK, in east London, at £870. However, drivers in Dumfries pay the least, at £265 a year. 379,925 BATTERY BOTHER Breakdowns caused by batteries in 2015. Every day saw, on average, 1,040 battery-related breakdowns. 6.1 million CAR RECALLS Number of vehicles recalled in the past five years, with airbag faults, fire risks and brake issues the most common causes for millions of UK car owners. NEWS Drop-top BMW i8 wows tech show THIS year we got a hint of what’s to come from BMW’s i sub-brand. The iVision Future Interaction concept was revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and previews a roofless i8, which we now know will hit dealers in 2018. This…

1 in 5 VAN MoT FAILURES Auto Express research found one in five new vans failed its first MoT after three years. Half of all vans in Great Britain failed the test last year. 950% RISE IN ECO-CAR COSTS The rise in ownership costs of some eco-friendly cars under new 2017 vehicle excise duty rates announced. £150million HI-TECH ROADS SCHEME UK Government investment into a four-year trial, starting in 2017, to include roads built with radar and Wi-Fi capabilities to support autonomous cars. DRIVES Jaguar F-Pace SUV is an instant hit THE F-Pace is one of the most important Jaguars in years, as it takes the brand into the SUV market for the first time. When we got behind the wheel in April, we found it every bit as capable…

£71.6billion AUTO SECTOR TURNOVER Record turnover reported by the automotive sector according to Society of Motor Manufacturers an £6 EV CHARGE Ecotricity announces EV owners will have to start paying to use its 300-strong network of motorway rapid chargers, with flat fee of £6 for 30 minutes. £14.5million LITTER CLEAR-UP Cost of clearing litter from England’s motorways and A-roads, according to our figures. A total of 364,000 bags of rubbish have been collected since 2013. NEWS Bold look for Citroen’s C3 supermini CITROEN unveiled its new C3 in July, giving us our first look at the supermini’s bold design. The Skoda Fabia rival is influenced by the C4 Cactus, with a distinctive nose and optional protective Airbump panels on the side. Inside it has a minimalist design, impressive levels of…

FEATURES SUV takes on a plane NOT content with wheels, we took to the air in 2016 as our man James Batchelor battled a stunt plane around a race track in Lincolnshire. Except he wasn’t behind the wheel of a Lotus or McLaren racer, but rather a two-and-a-halftonne SUV: the V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. His challenger? A 110bhp stunt plane flown by specialist aerobatic pilot Peter Wells. The shoot-out took place at Blyton Park race circuit in Lincs, where the 461bhp 6.4-litre SUV finished a whisker ahead of its aerial rival. TESTS MX-5 loses out to 124 Spider THE Mazda MX-5 has ruled the small roadster roost for decades, but this two-seat tearaway faced stiff competition as late summer allowed for a thrilling drop-top duel. The Fiat 124 Spider…

FIRST TEST Circu Bun Van Bed Price: 39,000 Euros (£33,332) Contact: www.circu.net WE’VE all seen racing car beds, but what about a campervan bed? That’s what you get with the new Bun Van from Circu, which is shaped like the iconic VW Campervan and offers up something unique in which to sleep. The classic shape is rendered in fibreglass, and accurately recreates a first-generation splitscreen Volkswagen bus, complete with twin ‘barn doors’ on the side. It sits on polished disc wheels and has chrome bumpers, mirrors and headlight surrounds. You won’t find an engine or a dashboard inside, but there is a double bed that, with a cunning rearrangement of the pillows, can also be used as a sofa. And what goes perfectly with a snug spot to lie down…

YOU TELL US... SUV is reliable and comfortable, but costly to run 2016 Results Land Cruiser Factfile Years: 2009 to present CO2: 194g/km Fuel economy: 38.2mpg (2.8 D-4D 179 auto) Best options: Sat-nav, 360-degree camera, sunroof, Bluetooth, adaptive cruise control Prices: From £16,750 GOOD “THE Land Cruiser is a good match to an Abram tank. It’s hard to scratch even when driving through the woods.” “A good car to go off-roading in. It’s big but very capable.” “It looks rugged, and has a modern interior with a decent amount of kit.” “The 2.8-litre diesel is capable of towing a caravan with ease.” “The most spacious car I’ve owned. It will easily support a family of four.” “A comfortable car for long journeys, and I’m really impressed by its turning circle.…

Audi TT RS Roadster Price: £53,550 Engine: 2.5-litre 5cyl turbo, 395bhp 0-60mph: 3.6 seconds Test economy: 23.0mpg/5.1mpl CO2: 189g/km Annual road tax: £270 Porsche 718 Boxster S Price: £51,105 Engine: 2.5-litre flat-four turbo, 345bhp 0-60mph: 4.8 seconds Test economy: 23.9mpg/5.3mpl CO2: 184g/km Annual road tax: £230 Testers’ notes Even though it's come towards the end of the year, this is one of the biggest road test battles of 2016. New versions of the Audi and Porsche have been released this year, and while we still rate the Boxster very highly, in the switch to a turbocharged engine there's no denying it’s lost a bit of its character. In contrast, the Audi’s unit has it by the bucket load.” AE IT’S been an unsettled year in many ways, with political shake-ups…

AUDI TT RS ROADSTER score 4.2 Virtual Cockpit Standard Key features: Widescreen nav, CarPlay AUDI revolutionised infotainment with its Virtual Cockpit, which made its debut on the TT. It’s standard on the RS, with the 12.3-inch widescreen display doubling as the dials and multimedia system. Sat-nav is included, so there are multiple views to either prioritise the map screen or the rev counter and speedo – or a large, sporty rev counter in the middle of the screen. You can control the infotainment set-up from the steering wheel buttons or the touch-sensitive rotary wheel and buttons on the transmission tunnel. The menu system takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’re familiar with the layout it’s easy to switch between the various displays. Audi’s smartphone interface adds Apple…

£5,000 ROADWORKS FINE Fine for councils and utility companies for leaving roadworks unmanned at weekends, under new Government plans to cut congestion. £7billion INSURANCE PROFITS Law firm Thompsons Solicitors accused insurers of raking this in since 2010 with higher premiums and lower payouts. £600billion TO LOWER EMISSIONS Taxpayers’ bill over 20 years to help lower CO2 emissions by having smoother roads, proposed by European Automotive Manufacturers’ Association. FEATURES A week with a hydrogen car WHILE electric cars are all the rage, it’s easy to forget manufacturers are also developing hydrogen vehicles. To find out what the future holds, Auto Express spent a week with a Hyundai ix35 FCEV. As an everyday car it makes perfect sense – it’s easy to drive, there are no emissions, and as the tech develops…

7.6million SPEEDING FINES Number of fines for speeding issued by police in UK since 2011. According to exclusive figures, 8.4 per cent of drivers successfully challenged their fines. £1,197 DRIVEWAY RENTAL Average annual amount a homeowner in a major UK town or city could earn from renting out their empty drive for parking. £71,000 EVOQUE OPTIONS To show how crazy it is possible to go on a configurator, we more than doubled the price of a Range Rover Evoque by choosing a host of options. NEWS From bulky MPV to cool SUV for 3008 OUR 32-page special in this issue follows the new Peugeot 3008 from sketchbook to showroom, but in May we got the first look at the bold SUVinspired model that’s replacing the MPVlike original and taking the…

67.2% L-TEST FAILURE RATE Average failure rate of learners in Wanstead, east London – the worst place to take your test. Most successes were in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. £1,000 CONSUMER COVER Customers covered by up to £1,000 under new garage guarantee scheme announced by the Independent Garage Association. 35% RENAULT SAVING Discount available on a new Renault Grand Scenic, as revealed by our investigation into the most discounted motors with Buyacar.co.uk. NEWS Mercedes spells out electric future MERCEDES uncovered its plans to battle Audi and Tesla with a range of future electrified vehicles in August. It starts with the Generation EQ: an electric crossover built on a platform that’s set to underpin a raft of new models in the next decade. Under its radical exterior styling, the Generation EQ features two…

1977 MoT CUT-OFF DATE Vehicles built in 1977 and before could become exempt from MoT testing after the Department for Transport announced a 40-year rule plan. 3mm TREAD DEPTH New minimum tread depth wanted by campaigners who believe legal limit of 1.6mm isn’t safe enough. 37 per cent BODILY INJURY COVER Percentage of insurance premium that goes towards bodily injury – the biggest slice. Annual policy costs have increased by 10 per cent over the past year. NEWS Countryman is the biggest MINI yet THE MINI Countryman proved such a surprise hit that the development of a successor was never in doubt. The second-generation vehicle revealed earlier this year is also the largest MINI ever produced – a model that can genuinely claim to be a family car. Inside, it…

Steve Fowler Editor-in-chief Meeting the team that builds F-Pace SOME cars are so good you remember precisely where and when you first got behind the wheel. That’s true for me with our Car of the Year, the Jaguar F-Pace. But great though that was, it wasn’t my highlight of the year. Nor was the moment I handed our ultimate accolade to Jaguar Land Rover chief exec Ralf Speth at our awards ceremony. For me it was re-presenting the award to the Jaguar workforce at the F-Pace factory in Solihull the next day. The team do a brilliant job, and it was clear the award meant a huge amount to them. Sam Naylor Staff writer Driving the breathtaking Clio R.S. 16 IT’S not often we’re invited along to see a top-secret…

Audi A6 44.7mpg (on test) £85 fill-up Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra S line Years: 2011 to date Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp Ins group: 33 Official econ/CO2: 67.3mpg/110g/km Why? Audi A6 is a great all-rounder and has the edge over its rival here in every respect. Prices from: £12,000 ALONG with the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, the Audi A6 is one of the longest established executive models, with this generation on sale since 2011. The car has a smart, well built interior, and updates in 2014 brought new engines that included the frugal 2.0-litre TDI diesel in the Ultra model. Its low CO2 and high fuel economy attracted company car buyers, and they make it a wise used option now. Sharp exterior looks and the Audi badge give…

MODEL TESTED: Audi TT RS Roadster PRICE: £53,550 ENGINE: 2.5-litre 5cyl, 395bhp THE RS is the flagship of the TT range, and this £53,550 Roadster version is also the priciest model in the compact sports car line-up. But it boasts junior supercar pace, so even at this level, it could well be something of a bargain. We find out whether the performance matches the price. DESIGN & ENGINEERING THE TT RS uses the versatile VW Group MQB chassis that underpins everything from the next Volkswagen Polo to the seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq SUV. But don’t think the chassis tech is compromised, because Audi’s engineers have had a hand in the joint project to ensure it’s capable of delivering the sports car thrills the brand’s RS badge warrants. As a result the…

DRIVES Sizzling 345bhp Ford Focus RS gets 2016 off to a flier THE Ford Focus RS was one of 2016’s most eagerly anticipated new cars, and we didn’t have to wait long for our first taste on European roads. The mega hatch didn’t disappoint when it arrived in January, thrilling chief reviewer James Disdale as soon as he took the wheel. He described Ford’s stunner as “hard to fault”, with “blistering performance” and “acrobatic handling”. A quick glance at the spec sheet reveals a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with 345bhp – enough power to worry many sports car rivals. The RS proved devastatingly quick on our first drive – it has an official 0-62mph time of just 4.7 seconds – and delivered grippy four-wheel-drive handling to bring a smile to…

£15,000 GAME SIMULATOR Cost of the simulator used by Codemasters to create DiRT Rally, the most advanced rally game ever, which was released in March. 2018 DAB SWITCHOVER The earliest we’ll see the digital radio switchover as the Government once more admitted to delaying the decision. £4.6million ABANDONED CARS BILL Annual cost for taxpayers and insurers to recover cars abandoned at the roadside. More than 565,000 have been dumped since 2004, costing £98 each. NEWS Maserati joins the SUV bandwagon AN SUV with a Maserati badge might have seemed strange a few years ago, but in 2016 it just had to happen – and the Levante was revealed at the Geneva show to fill the gap in the firm’s range. It has the same family face as the sporty Ghibli…

1 NO1 MEDIA BRAND Auto Express was crowned Consumer Media Brand of the Year at the 2016 PPA awards, beating titles such as NME, Vogue and Grazia. £344m COLLECTED BY NHS Total raked in by NHS Foundation Trusts in England from parking fees in the past three years. 53.5% MoT FAILURE RATE Percentage of MoT failures in Britain’s test failure hotspot: Dundee. The Isle of Man had the lowest failure rate; only 28.2 per cent failed the test here. NEWS Rolls-Royce’s wild vision of future ROLLS-Royce gave the world a dramatic insight into its future with the 103EX Vision Next 100 concept – a “visionary” look at how its models will evolve in decades to come, and a celebration of its 112-year history. The amazing car is roughly the same…

1,400 MICRO CARS Number of models on the Register of Unusual Micro Cars, as we caught up with the register’s founder and her collection of bubble cars dating back to 1954. £40m BENTLEY SPARES Value of spare parts in Bentley’s back catalogue from 1955 to today, stored at its 150,000 sq ft site in Crewe, Cheshire. 54,445 VEHICLE FIRES Number of vehicle fires in Britain over the past three years, according to Auto Express figures. A third of these were reported to be arson by fire services. NEWS Early look at bold BMW X2 BMW revealed how it’s set to plug a gap in its SUV range with the introduction at Paris of the Concept X2. The car is a thinly veiled glimpse at the X2 coupé-SUV that will arrive…

30,000 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS Number of queries The Motor Ombudsman expects to field per year. It’s the new free consumer resolution service that’s a first for the automotive industry. £1.1million MOTORWAY FINES Total amount raised from fines by cameras on smart motorways across England’s road network. 12 per cent NEW PREMIUM TAX Increased rate of Insurance Premium Tax announced by new Chancellor Philip Hammond in his Autumn Statement, as he also froze fuel duty. NEWS Alfa’s sexy Stelvio SUV breaks cover 2016 has been a big year for Alfa Romeo, with the new Giulia saloon being joined by the marque’s first-ever SUV, the Stelvio. So far, we’ve only seen the car in range-topping Quadrifoglio form. It will use the same 503bhp 2.9-litre turbo V6 found in the hottest Giulia, meaning it…

IT’S 200 years since the classic Christmas carol Silent Night was penned, and little did the writer know that, come 2016, we’d be applying its sentiments to a motor car. A visit to loved ones over the festive period meant Austrian priest Joseph Mohr needed a suitable horse and carriage – so he had a far from silent night on that journey. Now, though, the advent of electric cars means you can load up your presents and travel in near silence and perfect peace. With so many options available, EVs make an attractive prospect – even if they’re a little large for a stocking filler. Prices are low and they’re more usable than you may think. As long as you can easily charge the car and cover fewer than…