Innholdsfortegnelse for 1528 i Auto Express

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram “Electric Aicon showcases Audi’s future styling and fully autonomous driving” AUDI will launch a pilot fleet of autonomous cars in 2021, based on the Aicon concept first displayed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The news was confirmed by company boss Rupert Stadler and represents a significant step in the move to fully autonomous vehicles. “Our vision of the new premium is why – in just three years from now – we will present our first autonomous pilot scheme,” Stadler said. “This fleet will be based on the Audi Aicon.” The number of vehicles to be launched under the pilot scheme has not been confirmed, but every Aicon will feature advanced Level 4 ‘mind-off’ autonomous technology. The Aicon is a fully electric four-door 2+2 designed to showcase the…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP FROM: antonyr THE I-Pace shows that Jaguar has industry-leading relevance. The company has beaten both the Germans and Japanese in bringing this car to market, which is amazing when you consider it is a medium-volume manufacturer. FROM: Paul JAGUAR has managed to produce an electric car that is beautifully designed, comfortable, fast and practical. Only time will tell as far as reliability is concerned, but I’m running my second XF and both cars have been faultless. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▪ “The fact that a 240-mile charge will take 85 minutes means I will not be buying one of these.” Warren Teague ▪ “A landmark car, which may well prove to be the…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE new Lexus ES marks a radical departure for the Japanese brand in Europe and the UK. It replaces the GS, which tried hard (but ultimately failed) to take on the Germans at their own game: a rear-drive executive saloon. So the GS is being dropped and the ES is becoming a global car. It’s not a new badge elsewhere – this is the seventh-generation ES – and it’s Lexus’s best-selling saloon worldwide, second after the RX SUV in its overall sales chart. It’s a different car to the GS, too – not least because it is based on the latest Toyota Camry and is front-wheel drive. It’s closer in principle to the Audi A6, then, than it is to a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class. The…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.2 seconds/118mph THIS is the revised-for-2018 Hyundai i20. The supermini has been around in its current form since 2014, but a midlife refresh has brought a few updates. It’s an important car for the brand, and in Europe only the Tucson SUV sells in bigger numbers. So what’s new? Hyundai’s signature ‘cascading’ front grille now appears on the car, while the bumper is subtly revised to boost aero efficiency. At the back, the number plate has migrated to the bootlid, and the taillight graphics have changed, too. There are three new colours, two new alloy wheel designs and, later in the year, a contrasting black roof will be offered. Save for some new seat fabric and a panoramic glass roof for the top-spec Premium SE…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler AS time drew to a close with our Land Rover Discovery it seemed appropriate to get it dirty. So I enlisted the help of colleague Patrick Cruywagen (far right), editor of our sister title Land Rover Monthly, and Richard Arrowsmith, who let us loose on his fabulous Billing off-road track in Northamptonshire. What Patrick doesn’t know about Land Rovers and off-roading hasn’t been written, so his view was worth getting. “The new Discovery is without a doubt the most capable Land Rover currently on sale,” he told me. “You could drive it off the dealership floor and then carry on to Cape Town. Off-roading has never been simpler.” High praise indeed, and another reason why the Discovery is our reigning Car of the Year. I put my car…

Alfa Romeo Giulia Issues 1,515, 1,526 Audi A7 Sportback New arrival Citroen C3 Aircross Issue 1,526 Honda Civic Type R Issues 1,512, 1,524, 1,527 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Issues 1,514, 1,523 Land Rover Discovery Issues 1,506, 1,510, 1,519 Mazda CX-5 Issues 1,503, 1,512, 1,521 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Issues 1,509, 1,521 Peugeot 5008 Issue 1,523 SEAT Arona Issue 1,524 Skoda Kodiaq Iss 1,501, 1,508, 1,516, 1,522 SsangYong Rexton Issues 1,516, 1,525 Toyota C-HR Issue 1,527 Vauxhall Insignia Issues 1,510, 1,520, 1,525 Volkswagen Arteon Issue 1,520 Volvo XC60 Issues 1,523, 1,527…

BUMPER shines have long been seen as the long-distance runners of the car protectant world, still working after most waxes have disappeared. This year we were able to let them stretch their legs as our test ran over no fewer than 10 weeks, including some under a thick layer of snow, plus weeks of heavy rain. The weather and longer exposure didn’t suit some contenders. The 10-week test meant we also had to revise our criteria as several of the 15 contenders went grey – while still beading water. But the heart of the test remained the same: water beading, which we checked throughout. We also factored in ease of application, initial finish, plus that last check on how each section looked at the end. Price was the final factor.…

DRIVERS have long exploited the load-lugging potential of their car’s roof, from roof racks grasping gutters to today’s rails and bars. The current preferred way of mounting bars is flush mounts, so our latest test of eight sets focused on bars suitable for these. Convenience is king, from initial assembly to fitting and removing from the car. We rated bar weight because this affects what you can carry (all roofs have a limit), plus security and noise at speed. Price was our final factor. The best Summit SUP-957 Price: £90 Contact: www.mountneyltd.com THESE Italian aero bars from Mountney performed well over all our test criteria without really starring in any particular area. They come pretty much fully assembled and are easy to secure to the car with the supplied hex…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler NISSAN’S next-generation Qashqai, due in showrooms in 2020, will feature two new hybrid systems plus a sleek design makeover, Auto Express can exclusively reveal. However, there won’t be a pure-electric version, while Nissan is also considering ditching diesel from what is currently the UK’s third best-selling car. Full electric power will be reserved for a separate SUV model based on an all-new platform. It’s likely to underpin a whole family of electric cars spanning B, C and D segments (everything from Juke to X-Trail) for Nissan and its Alliance partners Renault and Mitsubishi. The next Qashqai, previewed by our exclusive images, will be based on a new version of the Alliance’s CMF (Common Module Family) platform architecture that can accommodate hybrid tech. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Ponz…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods JEEP has fully revealed its refreshed Renegade, and the facelifted model goes on sale in Britain later this year with a sharper look and a trio of all-new petrol engines under the bonnet. The Renegade’s chunky, Wrangler-inspired design has been refined with a series of minor styling revisions. On the sporty Limited model, the changes inject a more upmarket image into the company’s Nissan Juke rival. At the front end, the Renegade gets new headlamps with LED daytime running lights, while the bumper has been redesigned with a more aggressive front apron and repositioned foglights. New X-patterned tail-lamps are the highlight around the back, with LED clusters available on high-spec models. You’ll have to look hard to find changes inside. The only design tweak here is a new…

McLaren teases racy new model A NEW McLaren is on the way. The British supercar maker has teased its next creation (above), confirming a 28 June reveal and a first public outing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month. Two images suggest that it’ll be a track-biased variant of the 570S stripped of weight, with added downforce and possibly up to 600bhp. Likely to be a ‘Longtail’ variant like the 675LT, it’ll be produced in limited numbers. Registrations pick up again in May FIGURES from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal that new car registrations rose by 3.4 per cent in May, following a 10.4 per cent growth spurt in April. Year-to-date registrations are still down 6.8 per cent, however, with 1,079,049 vehicles registered so far in…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram THIS is the new Aston Martin Rapide AMR, which can lay claim to the crown of the world’s fastest four-door coupé. Only 210 examples will be made, each carrying a price tag of £194,950. Upgrades to the 6.0-litre V12 consist of an enlarged inlet manifold, revised engine mapping and a quad tailpipe set-up. The result is a 43bhp hike over the Rapide S, taking total power up to 595bhp, while peak torque is unchanged at 630Nm. This is channelled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and means the AMR covers the 0-62mph sprint in 4.2 seconds on its way to a 205mph top speed. The tweaks aren’t just about straight-line performance, though. A new front splitter, deeper side skirts, an aggressive rear diffuser and small…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor First taste of BMW’s all-new Z4 roadster IT’S easy to forget BMW still builds a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car. Over the years, the Z4 has faded into obscurity, overshadowed by the better-handling Porsche 718 Boxster. But that may change with the new Z4. Steve Sutcliffe has had an early drive; see what he thinks in his video. In depth with the mega Maybach SUV MERCEDES is pushing the premium envelope with its Maybach brand. Not content with its ultra-luxurious S-Class, it has now revealed the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury. It’s a tantalising glimpse into the future – not least one that doesn’t just consist of blinged-up Mercs. See our walkaround video. You can watch any of our videos on your phone Simply scan this QR code.…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer LOOK out of the plane window when approaching Beijing from the west, near Ulanqab, and on a clear day you’ll notice the desert is broken by black squares. Were the plane to lower its altitude, the shapes would identify themselves as industrial solar farms, generating millions of kilowatts of electricity to power homes. For years, China has been the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and a leading investor in renewable energy. The economic superpower has now set its sight on electric cars, with the aim to become a global leader in the sector. To see how the largest car market in the world is gearing up for an electric revolution, Auto Express travelled to Beijing and spoke to some of the country’s biggest and newest players. China’s…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Running costs 47.1mpg (official) £84 fill-up THE ES (Page 30) isn’t the only new Lexus arriving in the UK in the coming weeks. While the RX L you see here will look familiar, it’s actually the firm’s first seven-seater, and it hopes to capture the imagination of growing families in search of a luxury hybrid SUV. The Lexus RX L’s headline is that third row of seats, squeezed into a car just 110mm longer than the standard model. It’s a subtle redesign, with the only real changes made at the rear of the SUV. The wheelbase is the same, but there’s a slightly longer overhang and a more upright rear windscreen, creating a taller roof for occupants right at the back. Lexus says that children should be comfortable…

Steve_Walker@dennis.co.uk THE winds of change are giving the car industry quite a buffeting just now and it seems highly likely that once the turmoil has subsided, the big change motorists are going to have to get used to is the simple act of plugging their cars in. I’m getting into the groove with our Hyundai Ioniq, one of the small but rapidly growing number of models on sale today that will let you practice for the electric revolution. Our Ioniq is a plug-in hybrid; we haven’t gone full EV and neither should you unless you’re sure it suits your lifestyle. We haven’t been religiously topping up the battery every night, either, mainly due to the lack of off-street parking, scarcity of charging points and time constraints that are central to…

products@autoexpress.co.uk AUTO Express has been testing aftermarket products for over 20 years, and here our experienced team brings together the cream of the crop from the past 12 months. With that depth of knowledge, you can trust what we say works will be worth buying. Such advice is valuable given the choice the internet now offers anyone looking to clean, protect or improve their car. Our testing programme focuses on products readily available in the UK, and we’ve gathered the best in 20 categories from safety items like bulbs and wipers to car care, plus electronic kit that’s now key to drivers’ lives. Whatever your budget, there will be something for you in the next 20 pages of Product Awards 2018 winners.…

AN interior trim cleaner is an essential part of your car care armoury because even when you’re sitting still behind the wheel, the cabin will be collecting a layer of dust over time. A good cleaner will be tough enough to lift those inevitable dirty boot marks from kick panels, as well as remove unsightly dust and fingerprints from the dashboard and facia. Our search to find the best involved a sectioned-off plastic trim panel that we marked with margarine, chocolate and dried fruit juice. Masking off adjoining panels, we sprayed on each of our 17 contenders to the manufacturers’ instructions. We then used limited wiping in two attempts, assessing progress on the marks after each one had dried. Cost was the final factor we took into account. The best…

KEEPING your windscreen wipers in decent condition is a fundamental part of basic car maintenance, and if you notice the performance from your blades starting to slip, there are a vast number of companies competing for your business. To see which blades you should pick, we selected 10 sets from a range of manufacturers. Each one was inspected closely for build quality. We also looked at the clarity of the instructions, before considering how easy they were to install on our 2011 Skoda Superb test car, rating how snugly they fitted into the wiper arms. Once they were securely in place, we looked at how cleanly each set of blades cleared the windscreen, how effective they were at dispersing screenwash and made a note of how noisy they were in…

THE sat-nav sector has been shaken up of late. Portable devices are facing tougher competition than ever from apps. This has led to traditional mapping companies like TomTom and HERE joining the party with their own smartphone applications. But portable sat-navs still have their place – regular drivers wanting great map coverage without worrying about phone signal or data costs will find them a safe bet. We assessed four apps and four portable units to find the best one. Accurate instructions and a simple-to-follow map interface were central to our test, as was overall ease of use. Traffic alerts scored marks, especially if they were accurate and the navigation system came up with clever alternative routes. The final factor in our test was prices from online sources (where applicable). The…

THE latest cycle technology has made bikes lighter than before, reducing the main drawback to roof-mounted carriers. Even modest machines are now easier to place on the roof, so more drivers can benefit from easy access to the boot or tailgate and not have to invest in a light board. To find a winner from eight top sellers we wanted ready-to-go carriers that work with a range of bikes and bars with good security. Also taken into account were ease of use and price. The best Atera Giro AF Price: £79.95 Contact: www.roofbox.co.uk THIS is really easy to use and works effectively. It is versatile and compatible with most common types of roof bar, plus it can accommodate a range of bikes with different frame and wheel sizes. Set the…

YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR CARS 2018 Results Sandero Factfile Years: 2012 to present CO2: 109g/km Fuel economy: 57.6mpg (TCe 90) Best options: Electric windows, air-con, DAB radio, body-coloured bumpers Used prices: From £3,000 OVERALL SCORE 85.95% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2018 new car survey. 85.95% The longer the bar the better • GOOD “USING Eco mode helps give the Sandero good fuel economy.” “Soft suspension absorbs even the largest potholes.” “The heating and air-con are both effective.” “Brakes are easy to modulate and resist fade well.” “It’s relatively cheap, but it doesn’t look it from the outside.” “The DAB radio and Bluetooth connection work reliably.” “No new car of a similar size can compete with the Sandero’s value.” • NOT SO GOOD “ACCELERATION from…

Dear Alex, I need a tough pick-up workhorse that’ll be capable of getting into and out of town. What should I choose for £9,000? Contact: Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk • THE PRACTICAL CHOICE Mitsubishi L200 FOR: Great turning circle, lots of cabin space AGAINST: Noisy diesel, smallest payload here FOR those times when you need to turn your pick-up from a reliable workhorse into a town runabout, the Mitsubishi L200 should offer the fewest headaches. While its 5,185mm length is still vast by family car standards, it’s the shortest choice of this trio, and any concerns about fitting in parking spaces will be eased by a class-leading 5.9-metre turning circle. The 2.5-litre diesel is available with up to 178bhp, although it’s noisy regardless of output. For £9,000, you can buy a 2013 L200…

WILLIAMS has confirmed that test and reserve driver Robert Kubica and young talent Oliver Rowland will handle driving duties at the Formula One test session which is scheduled to take place after the Hungarian Grand Prix on 31 July-1 August. The announcement has fuelled speculation that the team could replace one or both of its current race drivers, Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll, after a disappointing start to the season.…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “When councils make car park bays too short, isn’t it attempted robbery to fine drivers whose vehicles exceed the footprint?” MOST seemingly squeaky-clean companies or state-run organisations have been found guilty of no crimes – yet sometimes sail perilously close to the wind when endeavouring to empty the pockets of unsuspecting car drivers. They push their luck, adopt iffy pricing and charging procedures, use dubious methods to grab every penny they can – or not pay out when they should, which is equally unforgivable. Technically, they’re doing nothing illegal. But that doesn’t make their antics right or morally justifiable, does it? The latest local authority scam is a perfect example of motorists being hit with charges that aren’t unlawful, but should be.…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths “EU car companies could stop using UK parts to avoid tariffs, if the UK doesn’t get a favourable trade deal” THE UK’s car industry is facing further post-Brexit uncertainty, following warnings from Europe against using British-built parts. The Dutch Government’s newly announced Brexit Impact Scan service asks businesses: “Do you want to be less dependent on the British market? Consider focusing your activities on other countries.” Dutch authorities advise that “after Brexit, parts made in the UK will no longer count towards minimum production in the European Union”. Goods made in the European Union can pass across EU countries without facing tariffs, as long as a proportion of their components – typically around 55 per cent – have been made within the EU. If the UK leaves without…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn SKODA’S team of engineers has been busy at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, with this hazy spy shot (right) finally confirming that a hot Kodiaq vRS is on the way. Insiders working on the project have told Auto Express the car will be powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine developing 237bhp. A seven-speed DSG gearbox and four-wheel drive will be standard. The newcomer will arrive towards the end of this year, with a possible public debut at September’s Paris Motor Show. It’ll hold an exclusive spot in the market when it arrives as the only performance-based, seven-seat SUV. Despite the heavy disguise of the prototype at the Nürburgring, you can make out the vRS’s more aggressive look. Our exclusive image (above) gives you a better…

Martin Saarinen New-look section fights your corner on key issues WELCOME to the second instalment of our four-week campaign on driving offences and standards on UK roads. This week we spoke to three former traffic officers to get their views on the budget cuts, driving standards and the direction in which road policing is currently heading. All three highlighted that a dedicated traffic officer on the road can do far more good than a camera. Tech plays a role in road safety, the police agreed, but so do traffic officers. When asked how they’d improve road safety and driving standards, their answer was the same: more officers on the road. Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer “Speed cameras have become a very blunt, non-discriminatory instrument that doesn’t rely on any officer discretion”DEREK WALKER Former…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ FERRARI’S special-series mid-engined models have an illustrious history. From the 360 Challenge Stradale to the 430 Scuderia and 458 Speciale, each one enhanced the performance on offer in the standard cars. But, even by Ferrari’s levels, the 488 Pista is something else. Firstly, the name: ‘Pista’ means ‘track’ in Italian – and Ferrari claims the car encompasses “all of the experience built on the world’s circuits by the 488 Challenge and the 488 GTE” racing cars, with many parts donated by the former. Power is up from 661bhp to 710bhp, with 770Nm of torque. The result is a faster 0-62mph time of just 2.85 seconds while top speed now exceeds 211mph. This is so much more than a numbers exercise, though – the engineering that’s gone into achieving…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram THE Mercedes A-Class has come a long way in 21 years. It started life as a mini-MPV, but the fourth generation cuts a sharp figure that bosses hope will entice younger buyers to the brand. We drove the car in Europe earlier this year (Issue 1,520), but this is our first chance to try it on UK roads. Here, we’re looking at the A 180 d which, despite many buyers ditching diesel engines, is still likely to remain the biggest seller. Save for a slight rattle at start-up and at high revs, it’s hushed and, with barely a whisper of wind noise, the latest A-Class is wonderfully quiet on the move. The seven-speed DCT is slick and responsive, and likely to be a better match than the manual…

Peugeot 5008 GT Line Connected 3D Nav Standard Key features: Digital dash, touchscreen THE standard 12.3-inch dash display and eight-inch touchscreen mean the 5008 scores well. All models get these displays, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while GT Line cars add sat-nav with three years of updates. Connected apps include traffic info, local search and weather forecasts. There are piano key-style buttons to access menus more easily, but these highlight one of the system’s failings: there are no physical climate controls. It’s hard to use on the move because there’s no feedback from the display, and the screen can lag at times. It’s also annoying to switch from the nav screen, although you can still see directions on the i-Cockpit display. The graphics are sharp but not…

SEAT Arona RECALLS are nothing new in the car industry and even new models are sometimes called back by manufacturers. That’s what’s going to happen to consumer editor Martin Saarinen’s SEAT Arona after Tekniikan Maailma – a motoring magazine from our man’s home country, Finland – found a flaw in the left rear seatbelt system in the Arona, Ibiza and VW Polo models. If all the back seats are occupied, including the middle seat, and the car is cornering, there is a risk of the left rear seatbelt unbuckling. The recall will add a redesigned belt lock. Both SEAT and Volkswagen are contacting owners directly, but because our loan car is owned by the Spanish brand we have yet to receive the usual recall letter. Instead, we’ve been advised not…

Got any car queries? Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Box clever with dealer help MY car’s automatic gearbox failed just outside of warranty. The manufacturer is supplying a new gearbox for free, but I have to pay £1,250 to have it fitted. Is this fair? Malcolm Masters, E-mail A WHILE it’s unfortunate that your gearbox failed so soon after the warranty ended, the manufacturer isn’t obliged to help, so it’s good to see it offering to assist. If you’ve used the dealer for your previous servicing, it’s worth asking for a goodwill gesture or reduced labour, but this comes at the discretion of staff. Q What do blank plates hide? I’M in the market for a second-hand car and keep seeing adverts in which the vendor has blanked out the car’s number…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk “I’m surprised at how challenging it is – it’s not easy”Juan Pablo Montoya United Autosports THE eyes of the motorsport world will be on Le Mans, France, this weekend as Fernando Alonso bids to win the 24-hour race with Toyota. Sharing the #8 TS050 with his ex-F1 grid mates Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, the double F1 champion will first and foremost have to head off the challenge posed by Jose Maria Lopez, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi in the sister #7 Toyota entry. Alonso set the fastest time around the Circuit de la Sarthe at the pre-Le Mans test day held the week before last, and is full of confidence heading into the race. “It was a very good day for us as a team,” he said afterwards.…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk THE FIA Formula E championship has confirmed a 13-round calendar for 2018-19, visiting 12 cities. This fifth season will see the debut of the second-generation car and a move to 45-minute races with no car changes mid-way. The championship will kick off in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on 15 December before visiting Marrakech in Morocco on 12 January. A race in a to-be-confirmed city will take place on 26 January, before visits to Mexico City, Hong Kong, a second Chinese race, Rome, Paris, Monaco, Berlin and Zurich from February to June 2019. New York will again host a double-header finale in July. As well as the calendar, the FIA has confirmed changes to the race format, which take into account the increased power and energy storage of…