Innholdsfortegnelse for 1657 i Auto Express

WHAT better way to sign off for Christmas than with a drive of an all-new Ford – a car that’s important not only for Britain’s biggest-selling auto brand, but also for all our motoring futures as we move through this decade. Ford is back again producing some great models these days. We’re big fans of its latest Puma and Kuga SUVs, while the Fiesta remains one of our favourite superminis, and even the Focus has won a group test this year. And it’s great to report that the new Mustang Mach-E is, in the words of John McIlroy, a cracker. I was able to have a quick spin in the car, too, and really enjoyed the range (up to 379 miles) and performance (0-62mph in as little as 3.7 seconds),…

OFFICIAL AUDI has added a performance focused plug-in hybrid to the A3 line-up, badged the 45 TFSI e. It’s due to go on sale in the UK in the spring and uses the same running gear as the Volkswagen Golf GTE and Skoda Octavia iV vRS. The powertrain combines a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a 107bhp electric motor and a 13kWh battery pack. Audi says its hot plug-in generates 242bhp and 400Nm of torque, which is 41bhp and 50Nm more than the entry-level A3 PHEV, badged 40 TFSI e. As a result, Audi says that the 45 TFSI e can sprint from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 144mph. Fuel economy of up to 201.8mpg is also claimed under WLTP test conditions, while up to…

MkI Comparing the original Clio with the current car on our special photoshoot, the jump seems like light years – and it is. But viewed as a logical progression with all five generations of Clio lined up, you can see how the model has evolved. The original – an automatic, no less – still feels roomy inside, especially when viewed in context of the times in which it was released. True, the engine drums away in front of you, yet the automatic box’s take-up is swift and responsive, even if it hangs on to gears a little too long before labouring its changes. But we’re viewing this through contemporary eyes; at its 1990 launch the Clio was advanced, and the way it rides, steers and handles – even the straight…

“AFTER 60 minutes on these roads you know if you’ve got a good car,” Gavan tells me during a pause in driving. It’s hard to disagree. Norfolk’s B-roads range from long, clear straights to tight, narrow bends, while crests, cambers and poor surfaces litter our route; yet the Elise shrugs off road imperfections, and rewards regardless. Gavan started as a Lotus apprentice in 1988, and had a “reasonable amount” of involvement with the Series 1, working closely on the Sport 190 of 1999. “The spirit of the Elise for us was ultimately engaging, fun, agile – a car you wanted to drive from A to B,” Gavan says. “You wanted it to feed back all the road conditions. So many cars then were starting to become muted, comfortable and bulky.…

Steve Fowler Editor-in-chief Fiat 500 Turin drive ISSUE 1,642 UNDER normal circumstances, the Auto Express team frequently finds itself abroad; it’s always easier for car manufacturers to set up shop in one place and let journalists come to them. Lockdown changed that, but in August I joined Fiat in Italy for an early drive in the all-new, all-electric 500. So it was off to Turin and the old Mirafiori factory that’s been revamped to build the new 500, to speak to the team behind the new car, including FCA chief designer Klaus Busse, who showed me around his new pride and joy. It’s a very clever update that takes full advantage of the benefits an electric car can bring, with more than a nod to the original 500. In Fiat’s…

As Covid-19 takes hold in Europe, car makers are forced to adapt their plans THE pandemic was beginning to hit Europe hard by the time the car industry was preparing to head to the Geneva Motor Show – and in an unprecedented move, the event was cancelled at just four days’ notice. Some manufacturers elected to put their show stars on ice for a month or two, but plenty went ahead with reveals, carried out via a mixture of plain old press releases and more sophisticated ‘digital events’. There was, however, an extra dose of realism to these launches – perhaps because more of the cars that were shown were already too far down the production pipeline to be delayed any further. Fiat scored big with the reveal of its…

We get behind the wheel of some of the most important EVs coming to the UK soon TESLA’S core model range was completed this year with the introduction of the Model Y. Now the brand has models in all of the key premium car markets: a large saloon (Model S), a large SUV (Model X), a compact executive saloon (Model 3) and now, a medium-size SUV. Our first chance to try the car in Europe arrived in June. The Model Y that we drove featured a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive set-up, and the incredible power (no figures were quoted by Tesla, but it was clearly potent) was able to mask the Model Y’s weight and size well. We said that no other SUV of a similar size would be able to get…

BMW gets a grilling over new M cars, while fresh EVs from Fiat and Skoda are unveiled BMW gave us two brand-new M cars in September, when it revealed the M3 saloon and M4 coupé – and both got a mixed reaction from you, our readers. That’s because it’s almost impossible to start anywhere else but with the styling of the new duo, which feature a prominent set of kidney grilles as the defining feature at the front. It was expected on the M4, but the transplant onto the M3 saloon was a big surprise. Combined with incredibly aggressive, angular frontend surfacing, BMW had transformed its sleek superexec into something more brash, while keeping it closely aligned to the design of its coupé sibling. Compared with the wild exterior redesigns…

The Government shortens the life expectancy of conventional cars, and hot Yaris shocks us NOVEMBER saw one of the year’s biggest stories, as the Government said it was moving the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2030. The ‘ban’ was initially announced in 2017, but since then environmental groups and politicians have called for the date to be moved forwards. A consultation into this was announced in February, which resulted in the decision that new conventional cars, plus vans weighing under 3.5 tonnes, would be banned from sale from 2030. The Government left the door open for hybrids for five years, however, allowing the sale of cars with the ability to travel “a significant distance without emitting carbon” to continue until 2035, after which…

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THE word Clio is derived from the Greek ‘made or to make famous’, and there’s an element of the car’s history that catapulted it to fame: Renault’s TV adverts. Many will remember the original campaign. ‘Clio, Nicole and Papa’ had thousands of us joining in every time it hit our screens with “Nicole?” “Papa?”, as the characters snuck out to meet their respective partners. The ad evolved, though, with a ski-themed campaign and one for the sporty 16V Clio. It even stretched to the second-generation car, when comedians Vic and Bob got involved. This Clio was also known for its TV advert by then superstar footballer, Thierry Henry. It gave the Clio a little more je ne sais quoi, and saw the then-Arsenal striker laying out the rules for what…

FORD FIESTA Price from: £16,840 (5dr) STILL the best supermini for keen drivers, the Fiesta nevertheless looks mightily expensive compared with the Sandero, which all but matches the Ford on performance and is no longer in a lower league for interior tech. Where Dacia may struggle to beat the Ford favourite is monthly costs, because Fiestas are often punted out on extremely tempting PCP deals. RENAULTCLIO Price from: £15,895 OUR favourite supermini shares much with the Sandero – not least its CMF-B platform, as well as some key mechanical components. But the Renault’s trump card remains its cabin, which is packed with tech and features a neat layout and excellent choice of high-quality materials. It’s this that sets it apart from all other superminis, including the Sandero. VOLKSWAGEN UP! Price…

The new year starts like any other, with the usual round of new cars brightening our world “Sony sources were quick to play down suggestions that it could be about to take on Tesla” THE 2020 automotive year started in relatively routine fashion, with yet more proof of the increasing importance of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Several manufacturers fronted up fresh concepts, some of them more future-gazing than others (Hyundai’s autonomous flying car, anyone?). The biggest surprise of CES probably came from electronics giant Sony, which reversed the trend of manufacturers creating cars for its PlayStation games by unveiling its own physical vehicle. Called Vision-S, the concept was designed to show off Sony’s latest in-car tech innovations and safety kit. Even so, the smart-looking four-seater had…

A vital hatchback group test and an electrified Nissan SUV led the summer highlights IN one of our most important tests of 2020, we put two all-new hatchbacks – the SEAT Leon and Volkswagen Golf – up against the popular Ford Focus. The SEAT Leon was first under the microscope. This model still uses the same MQB platform as the Golf, so it felt like a less extensive evolution than the previous-generation Leon. We found plenty to like about it, though. A new 10-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up and 10.25-inch digital dash were immediately impressive and gave the cabin a modern feel, while there was plenty of standard kit inside our FR-spec test car. But, we discovered that quality was a little lacking, with cheap-looking materials in places. At least the…

Awards time arrived a little later in the year than usual, while VW’s EV met a key rival IT’S been a tough year for the motor industry; the spring lockdown saw dealers shut and manufacturers put all their plans to launch new cars on hold, so we’ve seen a flurry of new metal in the second half of the year. For that reason, we delayed the Auto Express New Car Awards until October. This year’s ceremony covered 24 different classes, plus the overall Car of the Year for 2020. The categories took in everything from city cars to luxury models, mild-hybrid, hybrid, plug-in and full-electric models, sports cars, family cars, SUVs and even pick-up trucks and vans. Each winner was selected by our expert team of reviewers, who have decades…

TOYOTA’S GR Yaris emerged as one of the stars of 2020 when we finally had the chance to get behind the wheel of the tiny hot hatch for a first drive. The car was intended as a homologation special to support Toyota’s effort in the World Rally Championship in 2021. But while the GR Yaris rally project was scrapped, 25,000 road cars will still be built. Power is provided by a turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine developing 257bhp and 360Nm torque, while drive is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual’box. Toyota says 0-62mph takes 5.5 seconds, and top speed is 143mph. It’s fair to say the special Yaris left a big impression on tester Steve Sutcliffe. He called it “a car that will be written about…

“The MINI was far from a one-trick pony; our hatch has lost none of that traditional go-kart handling in the switch to electric” MINI Electric Mileage 3,127 Miles/kWh 4.2 Richard Ingram Carbuyer and DrivingElectric editor ISSUE 1,643 WHEN Richard took delivery of our new MINI Electric back in March, he was looking forward to testing its credentials as the perfect commuter car. With a short nine-mile journey from his home to our offices in central London, the Congestion Charge-exempt supermini seemed like the ideal companion for nipping in and out of the city three or four days a week. But when Covid hit, the MINI turned into a glorified shopping buggy – albeit one that allowed Rich to smugly collect his weekly essentials without spending a penny on fuel; his…

2020 Results XF Factfile Years: 2015 to present CO2: 114g/km Fuel economy: 49.9mpg (2.0d 180) Best options: Meridian stereo, reversing camera, adaptive cruise, LED lights USED PRICES: From £9,500 OVERALL SCORE 89.49% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2020 new car survey. The longer the bar the better WE SAID “While quality gets so-so marks, the Jaguar XF shines in many areas. It offers strong safety features and fantastic handling, together with impeccable ride quality, an area where only one other car scored more points.” GOOD “A WONDERFUL car. Space, grace and pace were once Jaguar’s watchwords, and the XF offers all three.” “Auto gearbox moves up and down the ratios so smoothly as to be almost imperceptible” “The best-looking car in its class. I considered…

THE popularity of coupés is dwindling across Europe and beyond, so it should be celebrated that manufacturers continue to produce them. Performance variants of coupés sell in even smaller numbers, so the fact we have three examples to sample here is a blessing. Hailing from various parts of Germany, the Audi RS 5 Coupé, BMW M4 Coupé and Mercedes-AMG C 63 S are pitched against each other in a battle of wits, speed, and handling. Each car takes a different approach to blending near-supercar performance with premium and relatively practical coupé comfort. The RS 5 switches from the 4.2-litre V8 of its predecessor to a 2.9-litre V6, together with quattro four-wheel drive. The M4, meanwhile, is the Competition variant, with a number of handling and chassis tweaks over the standard…

MkIII Moving on to the third incarnation, in some ways it’s easy to forget that this car made history. The Clio MkIII took a second European Car of the Year crown, in 2006, becoming the first model to do so. The technological revolution in the supermini sector hadn’t quite begun by this point, so this model only evolved the game further. It boasted a few more big-car features, but the main focus was on refining the recipe. This meant the MkIII was yet again quieter, smoother, more comfortable, roomier and more practical – and safer, too. In fact, it was the first supermini ever to be awarded a full five-star Euro NCAP crash-test safety rating – something many bigger Renaults achieved in the 2000s. Aside from its improved efficiency, you…

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives Lotus Elise Cup 250 Engine: 1.8-litre, supercharged Power: 245bhp 0-60mph: 3.9 seconds Top speed: 154mph Weight: 931kg Price: £49,595 Lotus Elise Cup 250 Engine: 1.8-litre, supercharged Power: 245bhp 0-60mph: 3.9 seconds Top speed: 154mph Weight: 931kg Price: £49,595 Lotus Elise Series 1 Engine: 1.8-litre Power: 118bhp 0-60mph: 6.1 seconds Top speed: 126mph Weight: 725kg Price (1996): £18,950 (c£36k today) A QUARTER of a century is a long time in the world of motoring, the past 25 years seeing more technological developments with a switch towards electrification. Just ask Lotus – it knows exactly how far the industry has moved on, given that it’s working furtively on development of its 1,973bhp, £2million-plus all-electric hypercar, the Evija. And – shock horror – an…

Glimpses into the future of motoring, more new models and the return of a legend POLESTAR made a solid start with its 1 – a hi-tech hybrid coupé – and the 2, a pure-electric hatchback. But both cars were clearly influenced by the electric vehicle-focused brand’s Volvo parentage. So it was a significant moment when the Geely-owned manufacturer revealed its vision for how its models’ looks and execution could evolve as the Swedish company moves further towards being a brand in its own right. And it did this through the Precept concept. The dramatic fastback is around 4.7 metres long, but has a 3.1-metre wheelbase that’s closer to that of a Mercedes S-Class limousine. It also has spectacular ‘suicide’ rear doors that combine with the two at the front to…

Aston’s SUV leads the way, as we celebrate the best of British while new Yaris impresses SPORTS car makers are increasingly unable to build a business on niche cars aimed at enthusiasts, so brands like Aston Martin need to build practical models to sell in big numbers and balance the books. This year the British firm brought out the DBX, its first SUV and the car that it hopes will bring financial stability in the future. We drove the production car for the first time in 2020’s hot summer. The DBX was clearly an Aston from outside – its design echoes the brand’s sports cars and the grille is the most obvious family link. We found that it was actually bigger than it looked, because Aston’s designers wanted it to…

THE launch of a new Mercedes S-Class has become an event that the whole industry pays attention to, because the limo always comes packed with cutting-edge tech that will make its way into humbler Mercedes models. The arrival of 2020’s new S-Class was exciting, despite the fact that it looks so similar to the previous generation. For a start, the S-Class is the first car to have Level 3 autonomous driving, which means it can assume full control on motorways during daylight hours, where legal. We found that it might need some fine-tuning when we tested it on a track, but it’s clear this technology is on the way. The S-Class proved to be incredibly quiet inside; apart from a rustle of wind we noticed around the door mirrors at…

WITH everything that 2020 has thrown up, it was amazing that any new cars saw the light of day. But huge manufacturer effort gave us plenty to cover on the Auto Express YouTube channel. Here are our highlights, including one serious and one silly EV, a pair of brilliant sports cars, plus two of Britain’s best new models. Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 Head to youtube.com/Autoexpress and search for ‘Cayman GTS’ WE could watch Steve Sutcliffe throwing a sports car around a track for hours, but seven minutes and eleven seconds is enough for him to tell us how special the new Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 really is. While the chassis in the regular models certainly delivered, the four-cylinder turbo engine lacked character, so the flat-six has returned to…

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for our extensive product archive NEW PRODUCT GO car care Prices: From £7.50 Contact: www.godetailing.co.uk THE stream of new car care producers shows no signs of stopping, with the arrival of GO. Much like other recent arrivals, it’s the creation of a pair of enthusiasts with huge experience in the sector who’ve switched from buying products to producing them. Unlike some rivals, though, GO has launched with a full range and a ‘we make it simple, you make it shine’ mantra. The range is available online and is split into the familiar wash, clean and protect categories. The decontamination and wash section includes eight products, spanning £8-£9.50 for 500ml bottles. It features Iron Decon to shift particles from paint and wheels, traffic film remover, tar and glue shifter,…