Innholdsfortegnelse for 1544 i Auto Express

Q What was the main focus with the new 3 Series? A “It’s one of the main pillars of BMW, the core of the brand. It has to be the ultimate sports sedan because the competition is getting better, so we wanted to make a major step with this car. Driving dynamics were key; we have a new lightweight construction and we’ve managed to lose 55kg and increase the stiffness for better responses.” Q What did 3 Series customers want with the new model? A “A criticism was the interior. Buyers liked the great standard features, but the cabin was too cluttered, they told us. The design is much smoother and calmer now. The quality of the leather has improved, and all the buttons and switches are now grouped into…

MERCEDES has confirmed the official name of its upcoming £2.4million, Formula One-engined hybrid hypercar: Mercedes-AMG ONE. The naming announcement is the next step in the programme formerly known as Project ONE, which features a 1.6-litre hybrid V6 engine adopted from the Mercedes F1 car driven by Valtteri Bottas (below). The German firm is currently working on honing the car’s active aerodynamics at the F1 team HQ in Brackley, Northants, before it hits the road next year.…

ALSO in Paris, Peugeot launched a trio of plug-in hybrid models. The 508 saloon and SW and 3008 SUV are the brand’s first plug-in hybrids, but you will have to wait until autumn next year to order them. The 508 variants have a 1.6-litre PureTech four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, giving a total of 222bhp. Up to 30 miles of range is achievable on electric power, Peugeot claims, while the drivetrain emits less than 49g/km of CO2. Meanwhile, the plug-in 3008 uses a slightly different and more powerful all-wheel-drive set-up called HYBRID4. It features two electric motors, and total system output is rated at 296bhp. Peugeot claims a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds for the plug-in hybrid crossover, while it also has an official maximum electric range of…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC DS 3 Crossback FROM: P.T. Cristo WHILE I love the way the interior looks, I can’t help thinking all those unusually-shaped buttons will be fiddly to use on the move. Still, the outside is genuinely interesting, even if the surfacing on the doors is a bit over the top. FROM: Wayne Alexander THE front is a bit awkward, but the cabin is amazing. And you have to respect DS for trying something different, as Lexus has been doing recently. I just hope it does another hatchback, rather than limiting itself exclusively to SUVs. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “This looks beautiful. As lovely as the bigger DS 7 is, I think…

MODEL TESTED: Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 100 Zetec 5dr PRICE: £16,465 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 99bhp THE Ford Fiesta is Britain’s most popular car and routinely tops the chart of best sellers. It’s also our favourite supermini, so in every sense this is the model the new Fabia has to beat. We’re testing a 1.0 EcoBoost 100 version in five-door Zetec trim (although our pictures show a three-door ST-Line). Design & engineering STYLING is subjective, but the new Fiesta’s exterior looks sleeker than the Fabia, which has a more practical, rational shape. Beneath the Ford’s skin is the same global B small car platform that underpinned the last Fiesta; it’s just been tweaked and fettled to improve handling and comfort. This is most definitely a good thing, because its predecessor was…

Hyundai i20 1.0 T-GDi SE PRICE: £14,680 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 99bhp THE updated Hyundai i20 gets more standard safety technology, as with the revised Skoda Fabia, but its infotainment is even better. It’s not the most exciting car to drive, but on offer at £14,680, it’s really well priced, too. SEAT IBIZA 1.0TSI 95 SE PRICE: £15,595 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 94bhp LATEST MQB chassis under the Ibiza’s skin shows what the Fabia is missing out on. The SEAT is even roomier as well. Its engine is the same as the Skoda’s, but SE trim gets a great level of standard equipment with better infotainment..…

Renault Koleos ART director Darren Wilson borrowed our Renault for the weekend recently for a spot of SUV comparison. Darren is currently running our seven-seat Peugeot 5008, and while the Koleos seats only five, it’s similar in size to the 5008 and close on price, so some buyers might be cross-shopping. There were no complaints on rear leg or headroom from Darren’s tall teenage boys; in fact, his sons noticed space to spare. The boot had plenty of extra room when tasked with carrying a weekend supermarket shop, too. Darren also liked the change to using an auto box, which made traffic-heavy town driving simple, but with the promise of plenty of power when heading up the steeper hills near his home. However, the diesel engine’s industrial sound wasn’t great,…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q How best to load roof box I’M borrowing a roof box for the first time for a half-term family holiday. But I’m worried about making a mistake when loading it. Any tips? Simon Wood, E-mail A FIRST, check the roof carrying capacity of your car because it can often be less than the limit for the bars. Then measure the height so you don’t get caught in a multi-storey car park, for example. Follow the fitting instructions and try to put bulky, light items in the box (above) and heavier baggage in the car. Q Advise me on French fine WHILE on holiday in France, I think I was caught speeding by a roadside camera. Will I get a fine and, if I do, will I have…

IT seems that drivers love or loathe rain repellents, but this hasn’t prevented two new products being introduced to the market in time for the autumn showers – both from US brands. First up is Meguiar’s with its Perfect Clarity Glass Sealant. This is being launched as part of a new range including microfibre cloths and a glass polishing compound. The second new product comes from the lesser-known Dr Beasley’s, and is part of a freshly imported line-up. So how good are they? We put them up against the Best Buy in our most recent rain repellent test, Dodo Juice’s Supernatural Glass Sealant Kit. Each product was applied to a sectioned-off screen under the wiper sweep – to accelerate wear – that had been clayed and cleaned. Water beading was…

Dear Alex, I’m looking for a small car that’s really reliable. What’s the best option on a budget of around £8,000? Reg Philpott, E-mail Contact: Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk • THE FUN CHOICE Suzuki Swift FOR: Fun handling, class-leading reliability AGAINST: Cheap interior plastics, thrashy engines THE Swift shows you can have fun and be sensible at the same time. It’s one of the sharpest-handling superminis, and in our latest Driver Power used car survey, for models between three and six years old, just seven per cent of owners reported faults, ranging from trim defects to mechanical troubles. While the lively 1.2-litre petrol engine is pretty efficient, it can sound a little strained at times. Still, kit levels impress, and we saw a high-spec 1.2 SZL on a 16-plate with fewer than 15,000…

OVER at Smart, Mercedes’ city car brand has marked its 20th anniversary by showing off the Forease concept. It’s a fully-functioning prototype which does away with a roof completely. In its place sits a pair of roll hoops behind the seats, complete with an integrated ducktail spoiler. There is still a windscreen, but it’s been chopped down to provide the car with a more dramatic profile. The brand has previously announced that it’s ditching the combustion engine in Europe in favour of electric power – as it has in the US – so predictably, the Forease is an EV. It’s driven by an 80bhp electric motor, which gets its power from a 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery.…

Geely prepares to revamp Lotus HQ PLANS have been revealed to give the headquarters of Lotus a grand makeover in celebration of its 70th anniversary. The proposals (above) mark the latest investment in the brand by new parent Geely. Existing and historic facilities in Hethel, Norfolk, will be renovated, and new buildings, such as a customer experience centre and museum, are to be built. New 1.3 petrol for Qashqai blows in THE Nissan Qashqai is now available with a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine. The fresh unit, developed by Renault, is available with either 138bhp or 158bhp and replaces the 1.2 and 1.6-litre options previously offered. Both versions are equipped with a six-speed manual as standard, while a seven-speed dual-clutch auto will be available with the 158bhp engine from next month.…

Electric supercar makers join forces PININFARINA’S upcoming electric supercar, the PF0 (above), will use battery technology from Croatian EV company Rimac. Due to be fully unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next March, the PF0 is claimed to develop 1,900bhp and 2,300Nm of torque. That could mean a 0-62mph sprint time of less than two seconds. The company has also signed ex-Formula One star Nick Heidfeld as a development driver for the project. Seatbelt shock in UK road deaths ONE in four people who died on UK roads last year was not wearing a seatbelt, the Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed. Official figures show that of the 1,793 people who were killed on the UK network in 2017, 27 per cent were not strapped in – up from 20…

FOLLOWING the new 3 Series (Page 8) into showrooms in around 18 months’ time will be BMW’s 4 Series Convertible. Our spies have caught the car testing for the very first time, and it looks set to take many styling cues from the new saloon. But these pictures show that the newcomer will ditch the outgoing model’s metal folding hard-top in favour of a fabric roof. The move will help to reduce the car’s overall weight and it follows in the footsteps of the recently revealed BMW Z4 roadster, which will also switch to a textile roof. It will aid engineers in their bid to lower CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy and performance, while also cutting the amount of space taken up in the boot when the roof is…

MODEL TESTED: Citroen C3 PureTech 110 Feel Nav Edition PRICE: £16,750 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 108bhp THE C3 fired Citroen towards the front of the supermini sector at launch, but while newer models have usurped its position, the car we’re testing is a relatively new trim level. With the PureTech 110 engine this Feel Nav costs £16,750 (our pictures show a Flair), so it’s the priciest choice here, but it gets lots of kit and is similar to the Skoda in many ways. Design & engineering BENEATH its modern design, the C3’s underpinnings stretch further back than you might imagine, as is the case with the Fabia. The pumped-up supermini body sits on Citroen’s older PF1 platform. However, it’s had plenty of development, so for this third-generation C3 the French brand…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor AS the weeks roll by as the custodian of the Auto Express Giulia, I’ve discovered something quite charming about it that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s the realisation Alfa Romeo drivers are petrolheads. Deep down I’ve known this all along, but it’s only when you spend time in our Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce that you really notice it. There was a perfect example of this last month, when I had a go in the new, facelifted Mercedes C-Class. I liked the new infotainment system and the digital dials, and the new hybrid version was quite impressive, but driving round in the baby Benz, no one really gives you a second glance. You just feel like yet another executive rushing around to get to their next business…

Alfa Romeo Giulia Issue 1,534 Audi A7 Sportback Iss 1,529,1,536, 1,539,1,542 Citroen C3 Aircross Issues 1,526,1,532, 1,537 Kia Stinger Issues 1,533, 1,537 Mazda 6 New arrival MINI Cooper 5-door Issue 1,538 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross New arrival Nissan Leaf Issue 1,533 Peugeot 5008 Issues 1,523, 1,531, 1,539 Renault Koleos Issues 1,530,1,542 Skoda Karoq Issue 1,536 Suzuki Swift Sport Issues 1,532, 1,541 Toyota C-HR Issues 1,527, 1,535, 1,543 Vauxhall Grandland X Issues 1,536, 1,540 Volvo XC60 T8 Issue 1,541…

Enzo Ferrari Luca Dal Monte (David Bull Publishing, www.bullpublishing.com) Price: £35 ENZO Ferrari is a legend in the automotive world. And while this book is a translation from Italian, it reads well and is a fine feat of research. Ferrari fans will love sinking their teeth into the 900-plus pages covering most aspects of the great man’s life. Volvo P1800S, E and ES Neil Murray (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £12.99 IT’S the usual straightforward and easy-to-follow buying advice in this guide to the P1800. There are tips and tricks to navigating common issues, plus a good range of photos showing what to look for. Worth buying if you’re considering one of these cars. Car Driving School Simulator Available for: Android Price: Free ALTHOUGH it looks bootleg, Car Driving Simulator is…

Sponsored by Got any car queries? Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Insurance for test drives I WANT to sell my car privately, but am worried about letting a potential buyer take a test drive. How can I ensure they are comprehensively insured to drive my car? Warren Gifford, E-mail A THE buyer may claim they are insured to drive your car through their own policy, but this will probably only be third-party cover; ask for proof either way. For ultimate peace of mind, add a potential buyer to your own insurance for a day (or as short a period as your provider offers), and negotiate the cost of this with the buyer. Q Best way to deal with dent MY neighbour has offered to fix some damage he did to my car. His garage can…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk TOYOTA’S Ott Tanak is closing in on Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville at the top of the World Rally Championship (WRC) points table ahead of this weekend’s UK round of the series in Wales. Tanak has won the last three events on the trot in his Yaris WRC, giving him a total of 164 points to Neuville’s 177, with just two rounds of the championship left after Wales. Another strong result for Tanak, in combination with more misfortune for Neuville, could see the Estonian top the standings after this weekend. Ford’s Sebastien Ogier, meanwhile, is third in the standings on 154 points, with Toyota’s Esapekka Lappi and Jari-Matti Latvala a distant fourth and fifth on 88 and 75 respectively. The UK round this year will feature a mix of the familiar…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “Why don’t all car firms donate £5 to good causes every time they make a sale? Imagine what a difference it would make” ASTON Martin boss Andy Palmer’s decision to form, fund and front his own foundation serving much-needed apprentices and apprenticeships is unusual and inspired. Also doing their bit are lesser-known UK motor industry organisations such as Women on the Move Against Cancer (WOMAC) and BEN, which is part-funded by the UK automotive industry; both merit praise. But why aren’t more leading car companies stepping up to the plate and publicly vowing to, for example, give a tiny percentage of their multi-billion-dollar profits to good, worthy, life-saving causes that are determined to spend their funds on the people who matter most:…

DAIMLER and Mercedes-Benz Cars boss Dieter Zetsche has announced that he will step down from his roles in 2019. The 65-year-old (right), who has been in charge of Mercedes since 2006, will move up to a position on Daimler’s Supervisory Board. His places at the helm of Mercedes’ car division and as chairman of the Daimler board of management will be taken by the company’s current R&D chief, Ola Kallenius. The Swede will become the first non-German to have the top job at the company.…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn RENAULT is marking its 120th anniversary with the EZ-Ultimo concept, which has been revealed at this week’s Paris Motor Show. It’s the third in a series of concept cars designed to preview the firm’s vision of how autonomous vehicles will look and operate in 2030 and beyond. The EZ-Ultimo showcases how Renault could perform in the luxury segment. Rather than being owned by a single user, the EZ-Ultimo would be run by a business, such as a hotel or taxi firm, which would then sell on the use of the vehicle for a specific purpose. At 5,800mm long, the EZ-Ultimo is as large as a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but it’s lower than a MINI. Speaking with Auto Express, Renault design director Laurens van den Acker (right) emphasised how design…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk. @JRRBatchelor Paris opens its doors to the world LAST year it was Frankfurt, this year it’s Paris. The two cities alternate motor shows every year, so in 2018 home makers will be vying with other nations for star of the show. Some firms, like Ford, Nissan, VW and Volvo, won’t be there, but plenty will. Join me on a tour of the halls. Hands on with the all-new Audi Q3 AUDI has finally updated the Q3. After at least two facelifts, the ageing small SUV has been replaced by an all-new model. It not only looks better, but the interior – as in all Audis – also grabs the headlines, thanks to its modern design. Our staff writer Alex Ingram decides if it’s the new class leader. You can watch…

CRIMINALS of the future could be charged, convicted and sentenced in autonomous police cars, after US telecoms company Motorola filed a patent for a cruiser-cum-courtroom. The application describes a “mobile law enforcement communication system” that would see suspects placed in the vehicle by a police officer, who could then return to their beat. Once in the car, suspects would be scanned for alcohol, drugs and weapons, and identified using facial recognition software. Potential crooks would receive confidential legal advice before being judged and sentenced, all via videolink. Convicts could then be driven to prison, or released at their home, having paid any fine or bail via an on-board payment system.…

MODEL TESTED: Skoda Fabia 1.0TSI 95 Colour Edition PRICE: £15,395 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 94bhp EVEN though a new 1.0 TSI engine joined the range last year, the Skoda Fabia has received another update, with subtly-tweaked styling and more kit throughout. How does the improved car fare against the competition? We’ll find out with this well-priced £15,395 1.0 TSI 95 Colour Edition. Design & engineering THE third-generation Skoda Fabia has its roots back in an era before its latest supermini siblings from the VW Group, the SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo. The Skoda sits on the older PQ25 chassis. However, it does use elements of the VW Group’s MQB architecture to improve safety, and there’s more technology in this area available for this new hatchback. The 94bhp 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder turbo…

Skoda Fabia Amundsen Nav £570 option Key features: Smartphone tech AS standard the 6.5-inch set-up here boasts Skoda’s SmartLink+ package, which supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink to improve the interface between smartphone and car, but the screen size and resolution make the unit look old. Upgrading to the £570 Amundsen system adds sat-nav, but you don’t get a larger screen as part of the deal. One year’s online infotainment subscription is included, although if you want voice control, for example, you’ll have to pay an additional £35. Safety levels can be improved through the infotainment, too, with Skoda’s £400 CareConnect system. This will call the emergency services after a crash and sends other data to your smartphone, such as when your car needs a service. However, compared with…

OF the established conventional motor manufacturers, Jaguar beat all of its rivals to market with a pure-electric vehicle. The brand has been first with many innovations over the years, including disc brakes back in the fifties, so the I-Pace’s arrival shouldn’t really come as a shock – and Jag has backed up its speed of development with impressive execution. If you’ve never driven an EV before, it’s easy. The lack of gears and engine noise is a novelty at first, but it quickly becomes natural – especially with 395bhp and 696Nm of torque on tap. The I-Pace weighs 2,133kg due to the big 90kWh lithium-ion battery, so acceleration is dulled a little, but at our test track the SUV still sprinted from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds, which is a sports…

Keep car documents secure with Carvault ANEW UK start-up aims to simplify the process of maintaining a car’s history. Carvault is a web-based subscription service (above), which allows owners or dealers to upload a vehicle’s paper-based history for safekeeping on to a secure platform. Carvault can preserve invoices, certificates, historical V5s and tax records, and once subscribed, owners also benefit from a number of discounted services such as car storage or event insurance. Users can sign up at www.carvault.io. Amazon makes in-car Alexa easier ADDING Amazon Alexa voice control functionality into cars may have just become easier for manufacturers, because the American e-commerce giant has just launched a developer kit, allowing integration with car infotainment systems. Once installed, Alexa can change music stations and answer questions without the driver having to…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 3|10|2018 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive NEW tyres can be expensive, especially if you have to replace the whole set at once but, as we always stress in our comprehensive tests, you can’t put a price on these safety essentials. Not only is driving with worn rubber illegal, it’s also dangerous for yourself and other road users. Yet while you shouldn’t choose new tyres on price, once you’ve selected the right design for your car, you can save a small fortune by shopping around. And, as with most things these days, one of the easiest ways to do this is to log on to the…

ITALIAN Antonio Giovinazzi has been confirmed as Sauber’s second driver for 2019, joining Finn Kimi Raikkonen and relegating Swede Marcus Ericsson to the role of test and reserve driver at the Alfa Romeo-backed, Switzerland-based team. Ferrari junior driver Giovinazzi already has a pair of Formula One starts to his name. He stood in for an injured Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber during the first two races of the 2017 season. He finished in runner-up spot in the 2016 GP2 Series and also contested the GT class at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Ferrari this year. After his deal with Sauber was announced, Giovinazzi said: “This is a dream come true, and it’s a great pleasure to race for this team. “As an Italian, it’s a huge honour for me to…