Innholdsfortegnelse for 1507 i Auto Express

FORD CEO Jim Hackett took centre stage at the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas last week to give his vision for an autonomous future in the world’s increasingly densely populated cities. The tech showcase is becoming more and more important to car companies and their growing number of hi-tech suppliers, and Hackett (above) used his keynote address to introduce us to Ford’s vision of a Living Street. “We can redesign transportation in our cities,” Hackett told us. Ford is clearly pinning a lot on an autonomous future and Hackett proclaimed that his company wants to be a leader. Working with companies like Lyft on autonomous taxis and firms like Postmates and Dominos Pizza on driverless deliveries is a good start, but Ford is not alone. Rival car companies at…

• OFFICIAL Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle AFTER numerous teasers and leaked images, Mercedes has revealed full details of its new G-Class. According to the brand, the latest version of its iconic SUV is more comfortable, more spacious and more capable on and off the road. What will be immediately obvious is that Mercedes’ designers have hardly tinkered with the looks of the company’s longest-standing model. The G-Class (also known as the G-Wagen) has been on sale in pretty much the same form since 1979. It enjoyed its best year of registrations last year; and uniquely, more AMG G 63s are sold than other versions. This latest model – which made its public debut at the Detroit Motor Show – keeps many of its most famous features. That includes the characteristic door handles,…

FORD has unveiled a facelifted version of its Edge SUV at the Detroit show, while at the same time launching a hot ST version for the US market. While the updated styling will make it over to the UK for the standard Edge, the ST isn’t expected to come here. It features a 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine, which delivers 335bhp and 515Nm of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Performance figures have not yet been released. The ST variant also gains a unique suspension tune and the inclusion of a new sport mode. Elsewhere, the standard Edge benefits from post-collision braking and new evasive steering assist technology.…

VOLKSWAGEN and Toyota used CES to preview mobility ‘shuttles’ – with the German brand’s creation set to enter limited public use in an unnamed major city later in 2018. VW’s shuttle is tied to its new mobility brand MOIA, and the driverless vehicle is inspired by the Transporter panel van. It can accommodate up to six passengers, is fully electric and promises a 186-mile range. Toyota’s CES shuttle–the fully autonomous e-Palette –is based on a longer-term vision. It comes in different sizes, from four to seven metres long, and is designed to offer an easily configurable space – so in less than 24 hours, it could be switched from carrying people to be a mobile shop. Toyota may test a small fleet of e-Palettes at the 2020 Olympics.…

MEANWHILE, 48V mild-hybrid versions of the current Kia Sportage (above) and the next Cee’d have been confirmed by the firm’s research and development boss, as part of a move to meet tougher European emissions targets. Speaking to Auto Express at CES, Woong Chul Yang, head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division, said: “For Europe there is demand for mild-hybrid 48-volt technology, so we are working on that for the Sportage and for medium-sized SUVs, and we are working on that for the new Cee’d. This is to meet all those tough CO2 requirements.” Yang also confirmed the South Korean manufacturer has joined a long list of companies now working on solid state batteries: “Solid state is something we’re working on, an area all automotive companies are working on. But it…

IF you buy a new car, it often has to be built to order, so when Tom Chapman, from South Wales, placed a deposit for a new Mercedes C-Class Estate in April last year, he was happy with the September delivery date he was given. But Tom’s supplying dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Swansea, soon told him his delivery had been pushed back to February 2018, due to high demand for the petrol engine he’d specified. Tom turned to the Motor Ombudsman for help, and it judged the delays were outside the dealer’s control. Yet while Mercedes offered Tom his deposit back and also found him an alternative C-Class, cancelling his order would have caused further delays. Plus, the car the dealer sourced was a diesel. Mercedes then told Tom it would…

Running costs 37.7mpg (official) £49 fill-up “Performance is strong, going on ballistic for a car with a Yaris badge” mail@autoexpress.co.uk TOYOTA has never fully committed to the idea of making a bona fide hot hatchback before, preferring instead to deliver a series of competent but hardly mind-altering warm hatchbacks over the years. But this new limited edition, £26,295, 209bhp Yaris GRMN is the exception to that rule. And there’s one very simple reason why. The Yaris GRMN is effectively a precursor to a whole new range of fast Toyotas, all of which will be badged GR, which stands for Gazoo Racing. Think AMG and you’ll get an idea of where Toyota wants to go with the GR brand over the coming years. There will only ever be 600 Yaris GRMNs,…

“It feels at home on British roads, pulling off the delicate act of balancing solid ride quality at all speeds without feeling at all uncontrolled in bends” Running costs 56.5mpg (official) £74 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.7 seconds/121mph James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THE Skoda Karoq has already proven that it’s a contender in the crowded family SUV market, thanks to a blend of practicality and value for money; but it’s also a car Skoda has lofty ambitions for, hence the need for a generously specced flagship model. Step forward the Karoq Edition. It’s as lavish as the SUV comes, loaded with most of the tech you’ll find in the larger Kodiaq. The latest 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engine is available, too, but here we’re testing the 148bhp 2.0 TDI diesel. Although SUVs…

Running costs 45.6mpg (official) £65 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.2 seconds/127mph Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram “A new batch of rivals has highlighted the rather tired interior design of the Kadjar” TWO years ago, the Renault Kadjar was our favourite mid-size SUV thanks to its attractive blend of practicality, comfort and value. Since then, however, it’s been surpassed by a host of rivals including the SEAT Ateca and Peugeot 3008. That’s not to say the French crossover isn’t still a fine family car – it’s just that the segment has stepped up a notch and the Kadjar has been caught off guard. In an attempt to broaden the Kadjar’s appeal, Renault has added a new 163bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine to the range. It’s available on all models apart from the entry-level Expression+…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan “The new Leaf looks much improved. It definitely looks bigger and feels much more spacious”ANDY MALLETT-SMITH Police officer, Hertford ELECTRIC cars are becoming the new reality, and the original Nissan Leaf is widely credited with being the first affordable, mass-market EV to make an impact in Europe. Seven years since the launch, it has become the world’s best-selling electric car, with 283,000 finding homes globally. Many of those models have been built at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland. Now, the wraps are off the new, second generation Leaf – and as you’ve read in our first drive on Page 44, it’s arguably more ‘conventional’ as Nissan looks to tempt more buyers. Can it succeed? We assembled six Auto Express readers for an early preview of the car before it…

“Our Sunderland plant has been part of the country’s fabric since 1986. It now employs 7,000 workers, and all of them are dedicated to making the Leaf the very best it can be”COLIN LAWTHER Senior vice president of European manufacturing operations, Nissan SUNDERLAND is a master of reinvention. A century ago it was a thriving port, sending its coal and other goods around the world. Ships were even built and launched on Wearside to carry the city’s wares. But after World War Two, these industries began to decline. The last shipyard closed in 1988; the mines followed in 1994. So Sunderland decided to make something else – cars. When Nissan started building Bluebirds on an old airfield in 1986, few dreamed that, 30 years later, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMUK)…

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives AS diesel continues to be demonised, there’s a growing trend of buyers making the switch to petrol power. From superminis to SUVs, efficient, downsized turbo petrol engines are putting forward a case for themselves, but the evergreen family hatchback is one of the sectors where they make most sense. This is one of the most competitive areas of the new car market, and as a result the models available are constantly getting better – as proven by the trio of great cars we’re testing here. The latest Peugeot 308 is the newest of the three, and while its recent facelift was only mild, the French hatch continues to offer a top mix of space, comfort and equipment. Then there’s the Volkswagen…

MODELTESTED: Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo EX PRICE: £23,615 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 127bhp Running costs 44.1mpg (on test) £56 fill-up/£140 or 22% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 478/1,245 litres Performance 0-60mph/30-70mph 10.1/8.9 seconds Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 44.1/31.1/8.2m THE 10th-generation Honda Civic impressed in 2017 thanks to its engaging handling and spacious interior. The sporty Type R version is our favourite hot hatch, and its DNA filters down into this standard model. Here we’re testing the 1.0-litre version in EX trim, which starts from £23,615 (although our pictures show an SR model). Design & engineering AS we were testing the Civic, it drew many comments from onlookers about its size. It’s certainly larger than Civics of old, but at 4,518mm it’s also by far the longest car in this test; the Peugeot…

Dawn_Grant@dennis.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.9 seconds/113mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 355/823 litres Running costs 42.1mpg (on test) £48 fill-up Verdict OUR Spanish supermini has already impressed with its refinement and interior, both around town and on longer jaunts. Its excellent infotainment means it’s a hit with my daughter as well. Second opinion “The SEAT’s 355-litre boot is much bigger than the class-leading Ford Fiesta’s 292-litre load capacity. There’s not much of a trade-off inside, either, because rear seat leg and headroom are impressive for a supermini.” Sam Naylor Senior reviewer MY daughter Natasha has recently returned to the UK after living in Spain for a year – and I was there to greet her at the airport with the latest addition to our fleet, the SEAT Ibiza. The Spanish supermini…

NEW PRODUCT IFROGZ UniqueSync Premium Car Charger Price: £17.99 Rating: Contact: zagg.com/uk THERE’S a lovely, high-quality feel to this charger, with its brushed alloy casing and neat machined detailing, plus all-metal tip and connectors. Alongside plastic alternatives, it has a pleasing weight. When it’s plugged in, there’s also a subtle light blue ring on the top. The 3 and 2.4 Amp outlets are clearly marked, plus have different-coloured sockets. It fitted snugly in our test sockets as well. With the power-hungry iPad Pro in the 3 Amp version it added 12 per cent to the battery level in 20 minutes, and 23 per cent to the iPhone. Both figures were just up on the Ring, and that gap would grow over a longer period. Impressive stuff, and great if speed…

NEED TO KNOW Timing-belt tensioners can fail without warning on pre-facelift 1.6-litre petrol engines; if this happens, it wrecks the motor CO2/tax 149g/km £150 Running costs 51mpg (1.9 TDI) £68 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 12.2 seconds/112mph ABS CONTROL units for the ABS can fail on pre-facelift cars, so check for warning lights; replacement costs can be steep. Gearbox MANUAL gearboxes can get very notchy, sometimes because of an internal fault. This can require a complete rebuild. Cruise MANY Alteas come with cruise control. This can be temperamental, even once key parts have been replaced. Quality PATCHY build quality sees some materials marking easily and failed switchgear.Squeaks are common. Interior THE Altea’s cabin plastics are tough but look cheap in places, while creaks and rattles can manifest over time. Cubbyholes galore…

YORKSHIRE-based race-car constructor Ginetta has taken the wraps off its car for the top LMP1 class of the 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship. The withdrawal of Audi and Porsche in recent years has left Toyota as the only car brand in LMP1 for the coming season, but a raft of private teams have stepped up to fill the gap, aiming to challenge Toyota for overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in particular. TRS Manor Racing, run by the former Manor F1 team boss Graeme Lowdon, is set to run at least one Ginetta this year and the G60-LT-P1 was unveiled in the team’s colours. The full driver line-up is expected to be confirmed in due course. Speaking at the launch, which took place at the Autosport International…

• EXCLUSIVE IMAGES “T-Cross will be based on all-new Polo, but its bigger focus on practicality will mean the newcomer has slightly inflated proportions” • T-Cross could star at Paris in autumn; deliveries by end of year • Would sit below T-Roc, with platform allowing plug-in hybrid Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn VOLKSWAGEN has grand plans for a full range of electric cars in all shapes and sizes, but before they arrive at the beginning of the next decade, the German brand will address the gaping hole in its current SUV line-up. A new baby SUV, called the T-Cross, will arrive in the second half of this year and could make its debut at September’s Paris Motor Show, before going on sale in the UK towards the end of the year. VW has…

MERCEDES-AMG has bridged the gap between its hottest 63 variants and Mercedes’ standard models with a new ‘53-series’ model line-up. Featuring 48V mild-hybrid tech, the new engines will be added to the range later this year. The new motor designation will be introduced on the latest CLS saloon (right), plus the E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet range. All three models use a brand new 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, featuring two turbos: a traditional exhaust gas charger, and a new 48V electric compressor, the latter a Mercedes first. The new motor develops 429bhp and 520Nm of torque, with an ‘EQ Boost’ electric starter-generator able to add 21bhp and 250Nm of torque when moving off or to fill in the power gap until the turbocharger has spooled up. The result, Mercedes claims, is…

• OFFICIAL Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler CHINESE start-up Byton surprised visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with an electric SUV concept. The company, headed by former BMW man Carsten Breitfeld, will launch a production version to rival EV brands such as Tesla. The concept’s dash is dominated by a full-width, 125cm x 25cm screen, which Byton calls a Shared Experience display. Controlled largely by hand gestures, this shows everything from navigation to videoconferencing functions, and is designed to be shared between all passengers. This system can even monitor the driver’s health and offer fitness advice. There’s also a tablet-sized touchscreen just ahead of the steering wheel, while rear passengers have screens as well. To boost sociability, the front seats turn 12 degrees inwards to create a shared space. The…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy EV specialist Henrik Fisker made a major return at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – revealing not only his new car but also plans to use cutting-edge solidstate battery technology to power it. The new EMotion is effectively a Tesla Model S rival. Its multiple electric motors deliver 575kW – enough to take the four or five-seater from 0-60mph in “less than three seconds” and on to 160mph. Fisker claims a 400-mile-plus range for the car, which is being lined up for UK sales by 2020 at a likely £100,000. The EMotion is equipped with hi-tech Lidar sensors, allowing it to offer claimed Level 4 autonomous driving. The 5.1-metre EMotion’s looks use some cues from Fisker’s previous EV, the Karma, but incorporate new features, most notably…

• OFFICIAL Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer KIA will launch an all-electric version of its Niro hybrid crossover later this year, and it will be based on the Niro EV Concept seen at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Niro EV will be powered by a 64kWh lithium-polymer battery that will do a claimed 238 miles in a single charge. Kia also promises 115 miles of range from a 30-minute fast charge. While the Niro EV will be based on the Concept shown in Las Vegas, not all of the design details will be carried over. Seung Bin Yim, head of Kia’s advanced design, said: “There will be differences between the production and show car.” Yim said the futuristic light design that interacts with pedestrians won’t make it into production, and…

AFTERMARKET warranties can provide peace of mind for second-hand buyers, but what they do and don’t cover is often a matter of fine print and detail. That’s what Stuart King, from Thatcham, Berks, found to his cost, after he paid £200 for a 12-month Platinum RAC policy on a 2010 MINI Cooper D, which he bought from RAC Approved dealer Berkshire Specialist Cars in Sandhurst. After just 10 months’ ownership, the MINI’s timing chain snapped, causing catastrophic engine damage. With the cost of a new engine estimated at between £4,000 and £7,000, Stuart was initially glad to have his Platinum warranty to fall back on. To his horror though, the RAC rejected his claim on the grounds the snapped chain was judged to have reached the end of its “normal…

“Brands’ history is something to celebrate, but also differentiates today’s products from others”TIM HANNIG Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler HIDDEN away on an industrial estate on the site of the old Peugeot factory in Ryton, Coventry, sits another great automotive name – but it’s one that has made an even bigger impact on UK motoring history. Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works has many roles, including contributing to the brand’s bottom line. Auto Express was invited to look around what is claimed to be the largest classic car workshop in the world. Vehicles such as the fabulous Jaguar XKSS continuation model – recently crowned Car of the Year by our sister historic car title Octane – are handbuilt on the premises. The XKSS was originally made as a…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.7 seconds/142mph Running costs 43.5mpg (official) £73 fill-up James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods VOLKSWAGEN’S SUV offensive will continue in 2018, and joining a growing range is the Tiguan Allspace – a new sister model to the popular Tiguan. Compared with the regular car, the Allspace sits on a wheelbase extended by 109mm, and is 215mm longer overall. This helps to provide more legroom, a larger boot and up to seven seats. The new model also features a slightly bulkier design, thanks to several styling changes, including a taller-looking bonnet, extended rear doors, a tweaked C-pillar and a slightly altered roof. The Allspace is expected to account for around 15 per cent of all Tiguan sales in 2018, and will come in three trim levels: SE Nav, the mid-level SEL we…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.9 seconds/140mph Running costs 60.1mpg (official) £62 fill-up Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan BURIED among last year’s new car registration figures was an interesting stat for BMW: the brand sold more 4 Series than 3 Series models for the first time in its history. It appears the sleeker styling has driven buyers into two and four-door coupés, at the expense of saloons and hatchbacks. It’s handy, then, that we’re testing BMW’s updated 2 Series in coupé form for the first time. More than 180,000 have been sold since it was launched in 2014, and its appeal hasn’t dwindled yet. Nevertheless, the coupé gains some subtle styling revisions, including new front and rear LED light designs, beefier air intakes and a slightly altered grille. Some new colours and alloy wheel designs…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn NISSAN’S Leaf is the world’s best-selling electric car, so the pressure is on to get the all-new second-generation model right. Auto Express has been given exclusive access to the all-new model, the people who build it and the bosses who think this car can cement Nissan as the world’s leading EV manufacturer. Over the next 24 pages, we’ll give you a comprehensive overview of the Leaf, charting its journey to the showroom and driving it on UK roads for the first time. We’ve everything you need to know on this crucial new model.…

“We modified it slightly, adding extra ride height and putting a roof rack on. But even on the roughest roads the Leaf just breezed through”CHRIS RAMSEY Charity rally driver IF you are made redundant, most people would take some time to think and then look for work. But Chris Ramsey saw it as a chance for a real adventure, by driving 10,000 miles to Siberia in an electric car. We caught up with Chris and his wife Julie, who were the first people to complete the Mongol Rally in a Nissan Leaf, to find out why they went all-electric. The journey would be gruelling in any vehicle, but cars such as the Leaf are designed to be used on mainly short trips. Taking one far away from the comfort of…

MODELTESTED: Peugeot 308 1.2 PureTech 130 GT Line PRICE: £22,390 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 129bhp Running costs 38.5mpg (on test) £64 fill-up/£140 or 23% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 470/1,309 litres Performance 0-60mph/30-70mph 9.5/9.1 seconds Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 54.4/35.4/11.6m THE Peugeot 308 has been around since 2014, but a facelift in 2017 brought it back up to date with revised infotainment and some subtle exterior changes. Here we’re testing the 129bhp 1.2-litre petrol model in GT Line trim, which costs from £22,390. Design & engineering PEUGEOT has kept things simple with its most recent facelift of the 308, and the new grille, bumpers and tail-lights are the main features of the fresh exterior look. It’s not too different from before; and that’s no bad thing, because it’s still a distinctive and modern…

Peugeot 308 Connected 3D Nav Standard Key features: 9.7-inch screen, smartphone link PEUGEOT’S i-Cockpit set-up is standard on all models, so a 9.7-inch touchscreen is included even on entry-level cars. You also get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus sat-nav with live traffic updates. Although the 308’s bigger brother, the 3008, gets a display screen instead of traditional dials, unfortunately that’s not the case here. The large touchscreen display is used to control many of the car’s features, including the climate control, which ends up being one of the more frustrating things about living with the 308. The interface isn’t snappy enough to make changing the air-conditioning settings easy, so you end up fighting with the system to do a simple task such as increasing the fan speed. The screen…

THE battle for honours in the company car park changed with the arrival of family SUVs, because many buyers ditched their conventional saloons and hatchbacks for something with a little more style. But while fleet warfare might be fought in a different way these days, there’s still a group of large, practical and tech-filled hatches that’s perfect for business people or families wanting affordable transport. None is more cost-effective than Vauxhall’s Insignia Grand Sport. But while it has price on its side, it’ll have to offer more than just value for money to beat the talented Skoda Superb, which has ruled the roost here for years.…

Running costs 48.2mpg £77 fill-up/£140 or 29% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 8.4 seconds/140mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 490/1,450 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 44.8/33.4/8.1m IN an effort to compete against the growing group of SUVs, Vauxhall has redesigned its Insignia large family hatchback, offering buyers something that’s a little more stylish, without sacrificing the car’s trademark practicality. In the transformation to the Insignia Grand Sport, the brand has also updated the interior tech to bring the ageing previous Insignia bang up to date, placing the model on a level playing field with some of the best cars in the business. At the heart of the matter is the Insignia’s usability, and with 490 litres of luggage capacity with the seats up (underneath the load cover) there’s masses of space in the Vauxhall.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.1 seconds/174mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 335/1,175 litres Second opinion “Most hot hatches use four-cylinder turbos, so the creamy five-cylinder sets the RS3 apart wonderfully. It sounds sophisticated, because it is. This updated 2.5-litre has a new injection system and extensive use of aluminium brings the weight saving.” THE previous-generation RS3 was a fast, extremely well made and highly desirable car. But as with so many Audi RS models from the past, it never quite hit the sweet spot in terms of driver involvement. It was an effective enough machine, but not one that pulled hard enough on the heartstrings. This, at least, was the conclusion we reached after running one for six months a couple of years ago. Now, though, Audi has tweaked the RS3…

FIRST TEST Sealey LED360F Price: £99.95 Rating: Contact: 01284 757500, www.sealey.co.uk YOU won’t get far with car maintenance before you need extra light. The current solution is a cordless lamp, but what if you want to illuminate a bigger area? A floodlight is a good option, and Sealey has added the LED360F to its line-up. The 360? 36W SMD LED Rechargeable Portable Floodlight Lithium-Ion – to give it its full title – puts regular handheld lamps in the shade with an impressive 3,000-lumen output that can easily light a workshop without mains power. Just don’t look into those 72 LEDs! Mounting is restricted to the stand, which has a ball and socket joint that allows the light to be used upright or horizontally, and anywhere in between. It works well…

New and used buying advice from our team of experts 11th PLACE YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR CARS 2017 Results Fabia Factfile Years: 2015 to present CO2: 107g/km Fuel economy: 60.1mpg (1.2 TSI 90PS) Best options: Air-conditioning, alloy wheels, Bolero stereo, metallic paint Used prices: From £7,500 OVERALL SCORE 92.14% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2017 new car survey. The longer the bar the better • GOOD “FOR an affordable car, I am delighted with how quiet my Fabia is.” “Visibility is excellent thanks to the model’s boxy styling.” “The Skoda’s interior design is very clean and straightforward.” “The auto emergency braking set-up helped prevent an accident.” “I get 48mpg; not bad for a petrol car with decent performance.” “I find some cars hard to…

BMW X3 X3 xDrive20d M Sport Years: 2014 to 2017 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 190bhp Ins group: 31 Official econ/CO2: 54.3mpg/136g/km Why? It has plush build quality inside and out, and the X3 is great value on the second-hand market. Prices from: £24,079 AN all-new BMW X3 has just arrived on the scene, so used prices for the previous, second-generation model are more enticing than ever. While the X3 was once the benchmark for driving involvement in the SUV class, it’s been overtaken in this regard by sharper, fresher choices such as the Jaguar F-Pace. It trails on comfort as well, but the powertrain is still strong and economical. The X3 didn’t feature in last year’s Driver Power new car satisfaction survey, but BMW finished ninth overall. Jaguar F-Pace F-Pace 2.0d…

• OFFICIAL Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle THE iconic Land Rover Defender went out of production two years ago, but it’s not quite dead yet. To mark the company’s 70th anniversary this year, it’s launching the fastest and most powerful version it’s ever produced. The Defender Works V8 is a special model from the Land Rover Classic division, limited to just 150 examples. Starting at £150,000 – or £45,000 more than a Range Rover V8 Autobiography – it’s the first V8 Defender that Land Rover has produced for 20 years. The Works V8 is a comprehensively re-engineered Collector’s Edition that features a 400bhp 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8; a far cry from the 120bhp four-cylinder diesel engine traditionally offered. Paired with an eight-speed ZF auto box that includes a sports mode, it will fire…

• FIRST RIDE AUTO Express was invited to experience the Byton on a specially designed track at CES, and first impressions were that Tesla has a serious rival on its hands. From the comfort of our electrically swivelling leather chair, we were shown how the gesture control worked, using a finger to move a cursor around on the screen and execute commands. It’s intuitive, and the display’s clarity is impressive. On the track, the typically instant acceleration of an EV pushed us back into our seats. A low centre of gravity means there was little body roll, while we had no complaints about ride comfort. There’s also lots of space for two adults in the back. From this early experience, the Byton brand shows plenty of promise.…

AN Israeli start-up used CES to showcase its new sensor technology that could give cars a much better idea of who’s on board and what they’re doing. The Guardian Optical Technologies system uses infrared light and a single camera contained in a small unit sited in a car’s headlining or around the rear-view mirror. It builds a 3D image of the cabin, and uses micro vibration detection to ‘see’ movements as small as the pulse of a heartbeat. Guardian says that major car manufacturers are already interested in the tech, because it allows occupant detection – required for the likes of seatbelt reminders and airbag deactivation – without multiple seat sensors. The system could also potentially see whether a driver has turned away from the road ahead, and provide warnings…

ELECTRONICS company Panasonic could move into the field of vehicles if cities want mobility solutions based on its new scalable electric powertrain. The brand showcased its ePowertrain at CES. While it didn’t provide a power figure, it said the unit is half the size of its predecessor, 30 per cent lighter and five per cent more efficient. The set-up is modularly scalable, allowing a single example to be used for vehicles as small as a scooter or for combinations to drive larger models such as cars. A source told us Panasonic is already talking to governments about the tech, which could be used to power pure-electric ride-sharing fleets. The company could ultimately produce the models itself, using an engineering consultancy to help with development before making the cars under its…

TECH firm Harman used CES to preview new products developed in conjunction with the company’s new owner, Korean electronics giant Samsung. The brand showed a Maserati fitted with a redesigned instrument panel and infotainment system that makes use of Samsung’s expertise in QLED displays. The dash has a 12.3-inch digital instrument screen, a 12.4-inch curved portrait-layout display at the bottom of the centre console and a widescreen 28-inch QLED display that can operate in ultra-slim mode or extend upwards to show maps or streaming video. This set-up – which is powered by a single processor – was developed from scratch in just six months. Samsung’s input is said to have contributed about 70 per cent of the technology and resources required to make the design possible. A senior Harman source…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @JimmyBrods CHINA’S auto industry is a bit of a mystery to most of us here in the West, but it’s vast, growing, and becoming more relevant every year. No other country builds more new cars than China, with over 28 million new vehicles rolling off production lines there in 2016. Many of the key players contributing to the success are manufacturers most European motorists aren’t familiar with. A growing number of them harbour ambitions of cracking the Western market, but it’s a two-way street; many European brands have scrambled to get into China in recent times, commanding a respectable portion of the nation’s industry and even offering models we don’t get. We recently had the opportunity to test some Chinese cars – some from local brands, some from more…

Running costs 60.1mpg (official) £49 fill-up James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @JimmyBrods THE new year is kicking off with a major launch for car buyers, the sixth generation VW Polo. In 2017, the outgoing model was the UK’s seventh best-selling car, with almost 48,000 registrations. VW expects the turbocharged 1.0-litre TSI to be the most popular engine choice; it’s an engine we’ve already sampled, and driven here is one of its little brothers – the naturally aspirated 1.0 MPI. This 64bhp three-cylinder unit is as affordable as things get under the bonnet. It chalks up a £1,300 list price saving over the 94bhp 1.0-litre TSI, and is very cheap to insure with just a group one rating. On paper at least, it looks like the Polo to go for if being shrewd with cash…

Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ WINTER might not be the best time to test a 454bhp super-coupé, but with snow dusting the hills we headed towards them in the new BMW M4 CS. How does this latest model sit in the M Division’s two-door hierarchy? Like the hardcore, track-focused M4 GTS of 2016, this M4 CS is a limited run model (capped at 3,000 units). The difference is you can still buy one of these brand new. At £87,150, it’s not cheap, but for that sum you get a more focused chassis set-up and plenty of exclusivity, without any real compromise in terms of practicality. The engine’s power has been lifted to 454bhp, while torque is boosted to 600Nm; that’s 10bhp and 50Nm more than the M4 Competition Pack. This has a tangible…

“It’s a striking shape, the new Leaf; more conventional than the original model, but the lines still look hi-tech” John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE market for modern-day EVs is still pretty new, but even so, the Nissan Leaf is a big fish in a fast-expanding pond. In the UK, where the car was introduced in 2011 and where it’s been produced since 2013, the Leaf accounted for about half of the all pure-electric vehicles sold in 2017. So the stakes are high for the all-new model. High enough for it to have been developed with input from Nissan’s British engineering base at Cranfield, Beds. And for it to have been given dynamic settings that should suit our notorious roads. This EV will be built in the UK, so it’s been set up…

“We have got to make sure the latest Leaf works everywhere”SIMON MITCHELL Senior engineer Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle WHEN you see a Nissan, you probably assume it’s a Japanese car through and through. Well, nothing could be further from the truth: drive the new Leaf and you’ll be benefiting from years of work at a relatively unknown Nissan outpost in Bedfordshire. There, just a few minutes’ drive from the M1 in Cranfield, is the Nissan Technical Centre (Europe), or NTCE. It has been here for almost 30 years and its 1,000 employees work with other engineers all over the world to ensure that every Nissan is fine-tuned to appeal to the very different markets in which it’s sold. It’s a big challenge for Nissan to make a European Leaf that’s subtly different…

NISSAN started the EV revolution in 2011 when it launched the first mass-market family-sized electric car in the UK. Since then a lot has changed. What will the next few years bring? We spoke to Gareth Dunsmore, EV director for Nissan Europe, about how electric cars will evolve to become more than mere transport. “New Leaf’s increased range will hopefully give buyers confidence to make that first leap to EVs”GARETH DUNSMORE EV director for Nissan Europe BIG business doesn’t like taking risks. So when Nissan invested $4billion in launching an electric car in 2011, executives from rival manufacturers queued up to laugh at it. Those same bosses are now busy glossing over their past comments, while announcing their own range of electric cars. Meanwhile, Nissan has smugly been making the…

Top speed 89mph 0-62mph 8.6 seconds Torque 320Nm Power 110kW (148bhp) Boot capacity 435 litres (Tekna with BOSE 405 litres) Warranty 5yrs / 60,000 miles on EV parts and components; 8yrs / 100,000 miles on battery *Sales figures to end of 2017 **Prices including Government grant 300,000 *Number of Leafs sold worldwide 20,646 *Number of Leafs sold in the UK 73,942 Number of Leafs built at Sunderland 2,000 Number of UK jobs supported by new Leaf 7,000 Number of employees at Sunderland factory £21,990 **Starting price of new Leaf Visia 11.1hours How long it takes to build a Leaf 3,882,913,266 Total number of kms driven by all Leafs sold globally 235miles Range of new Leaf (NEDC) 634,247 Tonnes of CO2 saved 40mins Charging time up to 80 per cent (quick…

MODELTESTED: Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI EVO 130 SE Nav 5dr PRICE: £22,255 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 128bhp Running costs 35.4mpg (on test) £61 fill-up/£140 or 21% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 380/1,270 litres Performance 0-60mph/30-70mph 9.6/8.8 seconds Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 53.7/37.0/11.8m THE Volkswagen Golf was the second most registered car in Britain in 2017, and it’s easy to see why: the evergreen hatchback is as spacious, comfortable and good to drive as ever. Last year’s facelift added this new 1.5-litre engine, updated infotainment and more safety features. Here we’re testing the 1.5 TSI EVO 130 model in SE Navigation spec, which costs from £22,255. Design & engineering YOU might mistake the latest VW Golf for the previous version, because, as with the Peugeot 308, the changes for this Mk7.5 model are subtle.…

Running costs 51.3mpg £82 fill-up/£140 or 24% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 8.7 seconds/137mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 625/1,760 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 44.7/32.7/8.3m THE Skoda Superb is a firm Auto Express favourite, having picked up a hat-trick of Best Family Car titles at our New Car Awards. The combination of space, performance, efficiency and tech is convincing, and in Sportline trim the gloss black grille, window surrounds and 19-inch alloys mean it arguably looks even sportier than its Insignia rival here. While those 19-inch alloys give the Skoda plenty of appeal, they do affect the ride quality. The car isn’t as forgiving as the Insignia is. It crashes over bumps more and doesn’t have the same absorbent edge on the road. The £760 Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers help negate this…

IF you want to buy some perfume or a litre of gin, you can nip down to your nearest shop. Or you can get it at an airport and lug it around on holiday with you. That may make no sense, but some people do it to save a few quid in tax. Our MINI Countryman hybrid similarly involves compromises to help reduce bills – but they are compromises worth making. Company car users pay Benefit In Kind (BiK) tax based on the emissions of the vehicle, and the MINI has a really low official figure of 49g/km. Higher-rate taxpayers can save £292 per month over those choosing the diesel version. That’s pretty compelling, but it’s not the full story. Just like that duty free shopping, we’re finding you need…

NEW PRODUCT Car Cover Shop indoor and outdoor covers Prices: From £99 Contact: 01780 654088, www.carcovershop.co.uk GIVE your cherished classic or weekend fun car some additional protection by investing in a cover. And if your passion is for more compact models, the Car Cover Shop has responded to customer demand by introducing an extra-small version of its stretch indoor cover. The new size is ideal for modern cars like the Fiat 500 or classics such as the MGB. Models measuring 380x165x120cm are covered, but it stretches to fit cars up to 40cm longer and 40cm taller, so is ideal for protecting older vehicles with unusual or angular bodywork. This latest cover is available in four colours including the recently introduced dark grey, which stays cleaner for longer and doesn’t show…

• Two cars for British GT • Invictus Games tie-up Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk THE Jaguar name is returning to GT racing this season in the form of a two-car assault on the British GT Championship. The GT4-class F-Type was commissioned from Jaguar Land Rover’s SVO (special vehicle operations) division by James Holder, co-founder of clothing brand Superdry, who’s become a GT racing regular in recent years. Holder himself will not drive one of the cars, however. Instead, he’s stepped aside in order to give an opportunity to four wounded, injured or sick (WIS) former members of the UK armed forces as part of a three-year partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation. Each F-Type will have a professional driver racing for the full season, with a pair of ex-servicemen sharing the second seat…