Innholdsfortegnelse for 1668 i Auto Express

Golf GTI Mk1 Power: 108bhp 0-62mph: 9.1 secs THIS is the car that helped define the hot hatchback. The original GTI created the niche when it comes to a quick, enjoyable family machine with an upmarket image. It handled like a sports car yet remained practical. Golf GTI Mk5 Power: 197bhp 0-62mph: 7.2 secs AFTER a few years in the doldrums with the Mk3 and 4 GTIs, the Mk5 was a real return to form. It was a great driver’s hot hatch with a sweet chassis and plenty of performance, while the design really moved the GTI into the modern era. Golf R Mk7 Power: 296bhp 0-62mph: 5.1 secs THIS wasn’t the first four-wheel-drive Golf, but it was the car that really made the formula appealing, with blistering performance and…

THE number of insurance claims for pothole damage increased 20 per cent year on year in 2020, says insurance firm Admiral. The average cost of a claim following a pothole strike was £2,700 last year, up from £1,700 in 2016, with Admiral blaming the rise on the increasing prevalence of tech such as tyre pressure-monitoring systems. Potholes are most commonly formed when moisture penetrates the road surface before freezing in winter months, expanding and cracking the road, with traffic making it worse. That sensitivity to cold weather means 2018’s Beast from the East cold snap saw a doubling in the number of pothole claims, according to Admiral and, while incidents declined by 42 per cent in 2019, since 2016 overall claims have risen by 30 per cent. Pothole strikes can…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • VW boss reveals drop-top ID.3 • Not confirmed for production VOLKSWAGEN executives could soon give the green light to a convertible version of the ID.3 electric hatchback, after the brand’s CEO, Ralf Brandstätter, released these official renders on social media of what an ID.3 Cabriolet could look like. Brandstätter hasn’t yet confirmed if or when we’ll see the finished car. For now, all he’s said is that the ID.3 convertible makes “a very tempting idea”, meaning the brand is still likely gauging public interest before throwing its weight behind the project. If Volkswagen can put the drop-top ID.3 into production before the upcoming Tesla Roadster, it’ll be the first four-seat convertible EV on the market. What’s more, MINI has already confirmed that its convertible won’t continue into…

THIS is the new Wrangler 1941, a special-edition version of the iconic off-roader designed to commemorate Jeep’s 80th anniversary, priced from £58,050. It gets a new suspension set-up with an electronically detachable anti-roll bar and a two-inch lift kit, plus off-road tyres from the Wrangler Rubicon and front and rear locking differentials. Design changes include black door sill guards, front and rear mudflaps, a black fuel filler door and a ‘1941’ bonnet decal. Jeep offers four paint finishes, while equipment levels mirror the Rubicon’s, and power comes from a 197bhp 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel.…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths RADIO-controlled (RC) cars come in all shapes and sizes and are made by countless companies, but one of the oldest and most respected players is Tamiya. Founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, Japan, by Yoshio Tamiya, the company began as a sawmill before producing wooden models in 1948. The sawmill shut in 1953, when Tamiya became a dedicated maker of models, moving into plastic kits in 1960. Tamiya sells myriad sets today – both radio-controlled and static – of cars, motorbikes, lorries, military vehicles, ships and aircraft, as well as all manner of tools and finishing materials. The firm is perhaps best known for its radio-controlled cars, though, the first of which appeared in 1976 in the shape of a 1/12 scale Porsche 934 Turbo. Faithfulness to the vehicles…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.9 seconds/155mph IT’S quite an occasion when a new BMW M car comes along, but the arrival of the all-new M3 and M4 have perhaps been the most anticipated in a generation. The design overhaul will be a topic that is unlikely to recede for some time, but viewed from a mechanical and marketing point of view, the latest M4 has undergone quite a shift. Let’s start with the cost. At a whopping £76,055 the M4 Coupé has moved quite some distance from the £56,356 charged for the previous generation in 2013. The M4 Competition in 2016 nudged that figure up to £60,055, but this all-new version is in another league entirely. That price tag means…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “Even on 19-inch wheels and low-profile tyres, the Formentor rides nicely” WE wouldn’t blame you if you were a little confused by Cupra. Spun off from SEAT as a more premium, sporty brand, the majority of its range is still shared with its parent – with the exception of this, the rather shapely Formentor coupé-crossover. There are obviously big plans ahead for Cupra, though. It’ll get its own version of the VW Group MEB electric car – the Cupra Born – before SEAT and, judging by the car we’re driving here, Cupra eventually replacing SEAT (as is rumoured) wouldn’t be a bad thing. Firstly, the Formentor is a seriously good-looking car. It’s a little longer than the Cupra (or SEAT) Leon, plus it’s a little bit taller and…

Running costs 48.2mpg (on test) £50 fill-up/£175 or 26% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 391/1,069 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 11.8 seconds/116mph MODELTESTED: Renault Clio TCe 100 Iconic PRICE: £17,595 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 99bhp WE’RE already pretty familiar with the latest Renault Clio. The current Auto Express Supermini of the Year sets the benchmark for a number of reasons, chief among which are its excellent value for money, its class-leading practicality, and its genuinely premium feel. In mid-level Iconic trim it’s the cheapest car of the three here, starting from £17,595 Design & engineering THE latest Clio marked a big departure from the model that came before it and key to that transformation was the switch to the Groupe Renault’s new CMF-B platform. It sits between the Rio and i20 in…

THIS WEEK’S HOT KIT NEW PRODUCT Kärcher pressure washers Prices: from £139.99 Contact: www.karcher.co.uk KÄRCHER has raised the bar in pressure-washer tech yet again with the launch of a range of smart machines. The first to get the new tech are its K 5 and K 7 washers that can be controlled by a smartphone app. The app connects to the new machines via Bluetooth and lets users control the pressure, as well as allowing customers to understand their washers better and get the most out of them. The app gives feedback on what they are cleaning and the correct pressures to use. The app also includes set-up advice and guides plus tips and tricks, and the information is available to all Kärcher users, not just those with smart machines.…

Tyre maker breaks new ground in Spain FINNISH tyre maker Nokian has taken the wraps off its new 740-acre proving ground (above) south of Madrid, Spain. This joins its winter testing site in Ivalo, Finland, and a smaller proving ground near its Finnish base, which have both hosted Auto Express tests. Unlike the existing sites, the Santa Cruz de la Zarza facility will be able to operate all year round. Sustainability has been key to the design of the 60m Euro project, which has 10 tracks primarily for developing car tyres. Michelin commits to a sustainable future MICHELIN has pledged that by 2050, all of its tyres will be 100 per cent sustainable. The firm promises its tyres will be made entirely from renewable, recycled, biosourced or ‘otherwise sustainable’ materials.…

ACCORDING to official figures, a car is stolen every nine minutes in Britain. The anti-theft technology fitted to some models might deter the casual thief or joyrider, but can actually give sophisticated criminals a way to steal your car. These types of electronic thefts mean your pride and joy could be stolen from your driveway in seconds while you sleep, leaving you with a lot of inconvenience and facing increased insurance premiums. This spike in crime has led to a resurgence in the use of steering wheel locks. These highly visible, physical blockers should help prevent a criminal from driving your car away, even if they have managed to bypass the car’s built-in security. A good lock will also prevent thieves stealing your airbag – another common crime. There is…

CO2/tax 124-164g/km £150 Running costs 37-44mpg (1.5 TSI) £61 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.4 seconds/127mph SKODA set up shop in 1895 and built its first car in 1905, but it would be more than a century before the Czech brand created its first SUV. That was the seven-seat Kodiaq, which arrived in 2016, and since then the Volkswagen subsidiary has launched two smaller SUVs, the Karoq and the Kamiq, in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The Kamiq is the smaller of the two, and the Karoq we’re looking at here is roughly the size of a VW Golf, although its SUV shape gives it more practicality. Effectively taking over where the Yeti left off, the Karoq brought a more restrained SUV look, and while it doesn’t have quite the charm or…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk All the action from the world of motorsport • Alpine, Williams and Haas also reveal 2021 cars • Testing starts on 12 March “Mercedes has concealed the car’s floor area in images and video” MERCEDES, Aston Martin, Alpine and Williams all took the wraps off their 2021 Formula 1 contenders last week, while Haas revealed its new livery for the season on a 2020-spec car. Reigning world champion Mercedes-AMG broadcast the launch of the W12 from its Brackley factory. The car sports an updated version of 2020’s black livery in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign, and is itself an evolution of 2020’s W11 machine, due to the significantly overhauled tech rules being pushed back to 2022. Unlike some other teams, Mercedes would not reveal where it had…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • GTI Clubsport offers a more focused drive than standard GTI • New Golf R adds four-wheel drive and extra power to the mix IT’S taken a few months, but the high-performance versions of the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf seem to have arrived all at once. If you want something a bit more potent than the regular GTI (itself the most powerful standard version ever), then there are now two options that are as intriguing as they are appealing: the four-wheel-drive R and the front-wheel drive GTI Clubsport. Which should you choose? We’ve brought them together for an intra-brand, intra-model twin test to find out. As our two cars get together on a cold March morning, despite the obvious similarities in the proportions,…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • Seven models comprise firm’s electrification plans • SUVs of all sizes, plus coupé-SUVs and estates planned “We have been known over the years for our responsibility, and our safety. Responsibility for the environment is a good match”HÅKAN SAMUELSSON Volvo CEO VOLVO will launch five more electric cars over the next four years as the company pushes towards its new goal of phasing combustion engines out of its line-up completely by the end of the decade. The Swedish brand announced the plan last week, ahead of the unveiling of its first ever electric-only model, the C40. Volvo had previously said that half of its sales volumes would be all-electric by 2025; now it has set a deadline, five years beyond that…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk • Taycan Cross Turismo revealed • Entire range comes with 4WD PORSCHE has revealed the Taycan Cross Turismo – a taller-riding, estate-bodied alternative to the Taycan EV – which is on sale now priced from £79,340. The car is based on the same J1 platform as the saloon, and every model has the 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus option from the Taycan, plus four-wheel drive. All Taycan Cross Turismos feature Porsche Active Suspension Management with three-chamber adaptive air suspension. With an optional Off-Road Package, the ride height can be raised by an extra 10mm for a total of 30mm extra ground clearance over the saloon. There’s also a Gravel driving mode. The higher roof means there’s 47mm more headroom in the back, while the hatch reveals 446 litres of boot…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Audi e-tron GT FROM: Nick Bell I’M no Audi fan, but I do like the look of this. The design is sleek and forward-thinking, but it has normal door handles and mirrors, and the interior even has some physical controls. Certainly a lot more desirable than the equivalent Tesla. FROM: Robin Gleave INTERESTING to see different VW Group brands competing for the same market segment at a high price point. In my experience, Porsche offers better customer service than Audi, which matters when spending big money. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Lose the back doors and this could be a new TT. Better if it looked more like an R8.” Luke Baldwin ■ “I hope its range will stand up to the enthusiastic driving this…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods NEW boss Thierry Bolloré’s battle cry to transform Jaguar into Britain’s answer to Tesla has seen the company plot a startling path forward from 2025 onwards. But until then, electrified cars from the old regime will need to keep the Coventry cat purring. Badged P400e, this is the first plug-in-hybrid version of the popular F-Pace, its introduction coinciding with a hefty midlife update for the brand’s biggest SUV. The powertrain uses a 296bhp version of JLR’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine, joined by a 17.1kWh battery pack under the boot floor, which sends power to a 141bhp electric motor driving the front wheels. The F-Pace P400e can be driven on pure electric power at up to 87mph, with Jaguar claiming the car can manage up to 33 miles…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Electric motor Power/range 120bhp/34 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.7 seconds/155mph COVID-19 has shuffled back the launch of Mercedes’ new E-Class slightly. We tried it last year in left-hand-drive form, but this is our first chance to sample a UK car, in what will no doubt be a popular spec: E 300 e EQ Power AMG Line. In fact, our car is actually in AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus trim, a bit of a mouthful that ups the price (to £55,040), as well as the equipment tally. However, the basics remain, including the E 300 e’s petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain. This consists of a 208bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine working in conjunction with a 13.5kWh lithium-ion battery and a 120bhp electric motor for a combined output of 316bhp.…

Running costs 39.7mpg (on test) £54 fill-up/£175 or 27% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 325/1,103 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.8 seconds/118mph MODELTESTED: Kia Rio 1.0 T-GDi 118bhp 48V 3 PRICE: £19,145 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 118bhp THE fourth-generation Kia Rio was launched in 2017, so this latest car is a thorough refresh rather than an all-new model. The big news is the arrival of a mild-hybrid 1.0-litre engine for the first time. Yet the engine is only offered in 3 trim and above, which makes the Kia the priciest of this trio, at £19,145. Design & engineering THE supermini class is so crowded it’s often easy to overlook some cars that have been around for decades; the Kia Rio is one of them. It first arrived back in 1999 but has…

Kia Rio 8-inch touchscreen Standard Key features: Live Telematics, CarPlay THE Rio’s eight-inch infotainment system is one of the easiest set-ups to get along with. The display is bright and sharp, all of the menus and sub-menus are clearly labelled, and the screen is quick to respond to your inputs. It’s just a shame there are no digital dials to finish it off; they’re not even an option. Whereas a lot of car makers are ditching physical buttons and relying on touchscreens only, the Rio has a strip of buttons beneath the lower edge of the display that allow quick and easy access to key functions such as nav and media systems. This makes using the system while driving a lot easier and safer. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 500/1,720 litres HOW good is BMW’s biggest plug-in hybrid? It was actually my wife who summed it up perfectly: “This could be a Rolls-Royce,” she told me. I’ll be honest (and so would she), while she gets to go in many of the test cars that pass through my hands, for the most part if it has heated seats she’s happy. She didn’t realise the significance of the statement she made with BMW owning Rolls-Royce, but I reckon she was spot on. Life in the X5 45e has been, well, sumptuous. I’ve plugged the car in as often as possible at home, which means an overnight charge to fill the sizeable 24kWh battery pack, so I’ve travelled on electric power alone as often as…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Should air-con always be on? I’VE been switching off the air-conditioning when I don’t need it in my Ford Focus because I always thought it used more fuel, but I read online it should be on all the time. Is this right? Nick Powell A YOU are correct that having the air-con on uses more fuel, because the engine needs to spin the compressor – but the money saved turning it off is small next to the cost of air-conditioning repairs. The systems are self-lubricating so need the refrigerant to circulate, ensuring parts are moving as they should and seals do not dry out. Q Is it worth covering tyres? MY parents are shielding and have hardly used their car for months. I have started…

FAST-moving battery technology has seen a steady stream of new products arriving on the scene – from worklights to power banks and jump starters. Ring and Clarke have just launched new designs of the last category, so we put them up against our reigning champ from MSC to see how they fared. We tested each jump starter on a failing 12-volt battery on a 1.6-litre petrol engine, turning it over for five seconds, five times with two minutes in between attempts. We logged the charge state of the jump packs at the end plus allocated points for USB charging sockets, cable length, safety, instructions and build quality. The MSC matched the Clarke’s incredible performance and, although it lacked many of the accessories, it was almost £30 cheaper, so it remains…

WHEN it comes to the clean-air credentials of new cars, it’s simple, right? Pure electrics rule, followed by part-electrics (hybrids), then come pure petrol models, with diesels rooted to the bottom of the pile as they’re deemed dangerously dirty. That’s more or less the line we’ve been fed – but is it true? Maybe not. Make that probably not, if a shocking set of figures I’ve just seen from a respected, clean-air-obsessed vehicle monitoring and testing organisation is anything to go by. As far as I can tell, Green NCAP really does know its technical stuff, and appears to go out of its way to be impartial. It distances itself from vehicle manufacturers and quietly hires the test cars it needs from unsuspecting rental companies, before wheeling the vehicles into…

THE GTI Clubsport is around £2,000 cheaper than the R on list price, but going beyond that and looking at finance figures shows how these numbers can ebb and flow depending on offers and deposit contributions. On VW’s PCP (36 months/10,000 miles per year), you’ll need a £5,771 deposit to get into a Clubsport, with monthly payments of £446 (a total of £21,382). The R requires around £700 extra up front, and a further £33 a month, so over the three years, the four-wheel-drive model will cost you an extra £1,621 – still less than the gap in list price. Switch to VW’s Personal Contract Hire and the Clubsport’s price advantage widens. Indeed, give up the PCP’s flexibility, and the option to buy at the end of your contract, and…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy VOLVO’S push to electrification will be accompanied by a move to digital sales, with plans to offer its EV-exclusive models through its digital platforms. The firm has announced that for the EVs, starting with the XC40 and C40, customers will have to order through the Volvo website, and that by 2025 it hopes half of all its sales will be online. However, Volvo’s global head of commercial operations Lex Kerssemakers has said that dealers will still play a key role in the customer experience. “Not everybody will sit on their sofa or behind a screen,” Kerssemakers said. “Many people will want to go to a dealer, to talk to a salesperson, or just to touch and feel the cars. And then that car will still be ordered online…

UK’s Mustang line-up cut to only V8 engine FORD has dropped the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo Mustang (above) from its UK line-up, so the only engine option that now remains is the 5.0-litre V8. The 2.3 EcoBoost was never a strong seller, but made the Mustang’s entry price more affordable. The nameplate is being re-imagined for an all-electric future, so even the V8 may not be sold much beyond the current car’s lifespan. Honda joins partners for battery-swap plan HONDA has formed a partnership with Yamaha, KTM and Piaggio to develop swappable batteries for light electric vehicles. The ‘Swappable Batteries Consortium’ launches in May and will work to define standardised specs for batteries to go in electric motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles and quadricycles. The brands will work together to extend battery range,…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths PROJECT Kit looks daunting at first, but chassis assembly is straightforward if instructions are followed closely, while radio gear is checked prior to installation I WAS terrible at staying in the lines when colouring in at school and have no mechanical qualifications, so don’t think turning the kit above into a finished radio-controlled car requires innate artistic or engineering talents. It does require patience, a methodical approach, 30 or so hours of your time, plus some rudimentary tools, though. With these provisions, making the most of the extended time so many of us are spending at home has rarely been more rewarding. The following guide is intended to demonstrate the appeal of RC cars and give a few pointers for anyone daunted by where to begin. It’s geared…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk@jimmybrods IT’S not just the F-Pace (left) that finds itself with new plug-in hybrid power for 2021. Its smaller E-Pace sibling adopts a plug socket and battery too. Badged P300e, this version has been made possible by the radical decision to give the E-Pace a mid-life facelift that introduces not just fresh interior tech and a slightly revised look, but also an all-new platform. Jag has swapped the ageing D8 underpinnings for JLR’s PTA architecture, and this P300e borrows its drivetrain from the plug-in version of the Range Rover Evoque, a model that impressed us. In practice, it’s a similar story here. The Jaguar combines a 197bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with a 15kWh battery and a 108bhp electric motor. Total power stands at 305bhp with 540Nm torque, making…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Electric motor Power/range 134bhp/180 miles Performance 0-60mph/top speed 9.5 seconds/96mph THE e-Niro was the start of Kia’s EV revolution. There had been electrified versions of the Niro SUV before this, but as a full EV is where it made most sense. Up until now, the e-Niro was only available in 64kWh big-battery form, which made it pricey, even with a choice of trims. However, with the addition of this ‘Mid Range’ e-Niro model, which packs a 39kWh battery and is only available in ‘2’ spec, there’s now a more affordable option. It’s the only e-Niro to dip under the £30,000 mark, so it could appeal to a new group of buyers with a lower budget. Of course, a smaller battery means range is down from a claimed 282 miles…

Running costs 45.2mpg (on test) £48 fill-up/£175 or 26% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 352/1,165 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/117mph MODELTESTED: Hyundai i20 1.0 T-GDi 100 Hybrid SE Connect PRICE: £18,595 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 99bhp HYUNDAI really upped its game with the latest i20, taking what was a forgettable supermini and transforming it into a challenger in this class. Here in entry-level SE Connect specification it’s also great value, starting at £18,595, and comes fitted with the same mild-hybrid technology offered in the Kia. Design & engineering ALTHOUGH they look very different, the i20 and Rio share a lot in common. They use the same basic architecture, the same 1.0-litre engine and six-speed iMT manual gearbox. Yet Hyundai has managed to use the tools at its disposal to produce…

Ford Fiesta Titanium 1.0 EcoBoost PRICE: £20,060 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 125bhp STILL the class benchmark for ride and handling, the Fiesta remains a cracking all-round supermini. Improved tech inside and new mild-hybrid powertrains bring it bang up to date with its newer rivals here. Yet the list prices are steadily increasing. Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Comfort PRICE: £11,595 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 90bhp THE new Sandero could spell big trouble for established rivals, because while it’s gone upmarket with new tech, engines and infotainment, its price tag hasn’t. It’s almost half the Rio’s cost and a lot cheaper on a monthly PCP deal.…

Volkswagen Beetles and Buses Russell Hayes (Motorbooks, www.quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £28 Rating: THIS is colourful, beautifully printed and stuffed with loads of great pictures. It’s far from an exhaustive history, but it’s great for those who want to build a solid foundation of knowledge and it’s a beautiful addition to any VW library. A really enjoyable read. Mr Le Mans Tom Kristensen with Dan Philipsen (Evro Publishing, www.evropublishing.com) Price: £40 Rating: THIS is the memoir of Dane Tom Kristensen, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours a record nine times. An award-winning book in Denmark, this English version reads very well, and although it’s quite a porker, it’s engaging, at times fascinating, and comes with a hefty dose of life advice from the champion himself. Le Mans fans will approve. Rush…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q The wheels on UK trucks go round and round, and round I HAVE recently noticed that the majority of European HGVs only have five axles (two on the tractor unit), whereas British ones have six (three on the tractor). Is there any reason for this that you might know of? Alan Jones, E-mail A WE sought the advice of the experts at Mercedes Trucks on this. They said that you are correct to note that most European HGVs have five axles in total, while the majority in the UK have six (three on the tractor unit, three on the trailer). Around 80 per cent of UK articulated lorries have six axles and the rest have five. In Europe, the ratio is vice versa, and the…