Innholdsfortegnelse for 1694 i Auto Express

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods ● EV sits alongside the E-Class saloon ● Range is likely to be more than 400 miles THIS is the Mercedes EQE – an all-electric counterpart to the E-Class saloon and the second model in Mercedes’ EQ line-up to be based on a purpose-made electric car platform. Like the EQS, the EQE makes use of the EVA2 platform and will be built at the firm’s largest factory in Bremen from mid-2022. The EQE is slightly longer, wider and taller than the E-Class saloon, while its 3,120mm wheelbase is longer than that of the China-only E-Class Long Wheelbase limo. Allied to the aerodynamic four-door coupé shape, the EQE is more in line with the CLS than anything else in the brand’s combustion-engined line-up. It takes plenty of design inspiration…

THE European market version of the seven-seat EQB has been revealed, following its debut at China’s Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year. It’s an all-electric version of the brand’s versatile GLB small SUV, and Mercedes has revealed that two versions will be available from launch: the EQB 300 4MATIC and the EQB 350 4MATIC, both capable of 260 miles on a full charge, thanks to a 66.5kWh battery. The 300 model makes use of a 219bhp all-wheel-drive electric set-up, while the 350 uses a 288bhp version of the same drivetrain. Mercedes says that a long-range variant is coming. Max charging is capped at 100kW DC, meaning a 10-80 per cent recharge in 32 minutes. The EQB goes on sale next year.…

DRIVERS who don’t pay their parking tickets on time could be faced with an additional £70 fee under new legislation being drawn up by the Government. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is consulting on its Parking (Code of Practice) Act, which seeks to make private parking firms play by a set of rules that are fairer to drivers, with 10-minute grace periods and amnesty from minor keying errors written into law. Now, according to The Times, legislators are examining the idea of issuing an additional £70 debt collection charge for drivers who fail to pay a fine within 28 days, rising to £80 in London. David Carrod, chairman of the British Motorists Protection Association, said the rule would “open the door for dubious unlicensed debt collectors”.…

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.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.0 seconds/130mph Running costs 33.0mpg (official) £119 fill-up THE Westminster badge means one thing on a Range Rover: a particular model is coming to the end of the line. And so it is with this current car; it still looks desirable, but there’s an all-new Range Rover coming and we’re due to see it soon. As before, Westminster gives us more of what we love about the Range Rover for not a lot more cash in a very ‘special’ special-edition. But can you describe a car with a £86,980 price tag as good value? Compared with other luxury saloons and SUVs, yes, especially with what the Westminster offers. Take the already pretty glorious Vogue model, and the Westminster adds 21-inch wheels, silver ‘atlas’ panels at…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk “Being part of Land Rover gives us the scale and the access to systems, technology and development processes where we need them” CALUM McKECHNIE Bowler general manager WHEN talking about Bowler being fully brought into the Land Rover fold in late 2019, general manager Calum McKechnie says that this new Defender Challenge programme “wouldn’t have been possible without that”. The beauty of Bowler in the past was that it was a family founded and run business so retained a feel much the same; a small, tight-knit community of staff that knew how each other worked, strived towards a common goal and wasn’t bound by corporate legislation and red tape. Thankfully, just five minutes in the company of some of Bowler’s engineers, management and drivers shows that, while it’s now…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk CAR makers put in enormous effort when developing a new model, ensuring it meets or exceeds all the relevant safety requirements, emits as few pollutants as possible, performs well in all weather conditions and is a robust, reliable vehicle that’s good to drive and appealing to look at. All of this is done, firms hope, in the expectation that a new car will hit the spot with its target market and stand out from the competition enough to sell in good numbers. All of this takes many years and billions of pounds to achieve, yet it can seem almost all for nothing if the final link in the chain – the dealer – fails to fulfil its role properly. Because for many people, it doesn’t matter if a new…

MODEL TESTED: Genesis G80 2.5 T Premium Line PRICE: £43,150 ENGINE: 2.5-litre 4cyl, 300bhp Running costs 31.2mpg (WLTP) £86 fill-up/£485 or 37% tax Practicality Boot capacity 424 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.0 seconds/155mph THE Genesis G80 is an executive saloon that’s available in petrol and diesel forms. Here we’ve got the 2.5-litre petrol model that gets four-wheel drive as standard in Premium Line trim, which puts it at £43,150. The car in our pictures is a higher-spec Luxury Line car, which costs £47,950. Design & engineering LOOKS are subjective of course, but if you love or loathe the G80’s design, it’s hard to deny that its large grille, sweeping bodywork and long bonnet certainly attract attention. The G80 shares parts with the GV80 SUV, but it doesn’t have a platform that’s…

Genesis G80 Genesis infotainment 14.5-inch touchscreen Key features: Live weather and traffic data THE widescreen infotainment set-up in the G80 looks very smart, and doesn’t distract from driving, but is easy to glance at for directions. The interface is excellent, offering an easy-to-use menu layout that looks modern and has useful functions displayed by default, including the weather wherever you are, alongside the nav map. It’s a touchscreen, so typing in directions is easy enough, although using it on the move isn’t ideal because it’s quite far away and you need to reach forward. Another issue is the rotary dial controller. Usually we love these, but here, the dial is set deep into the centre console, so it’s controlled with a fingertip rather than grasping it with your fingers. It’s…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q The right way to store a car I’VE not used my car much since I’ve started working more from home and I’m thinking of taking it off the road. I’m planning to clean it and put it under a cover, plus take precautions to prevent damage to the tyres. Will this be enough? Neal Walker, E-mail A THERE are more extensive preparations you could take, but what you’ve planned should be fine for a few months. If you’re going to suspend or cash in the insurance, don’t forget to SORN (statutory off road notice) the car. Failure to do so will result in a fine, even if the car is kept on a drive or in a garage. A car must be SORN or insured.…

AS we all make the switch to electric and plug-in hybrid cars over the next few years, we’ll have to get used to topping up the batteries wherever we can. Most owners will have a home wallbox and will use the cable provided with the car to charge while out and about, but there are other places you could top up which might require a different type of lead. These vary from a simple three-pin socket you have at home right up to the 32A power supplies you’ll usually find in commercial buildings. Your car’s cable won’t be able to cover these multiple sources of power, so you’ll need to invest in a version which can make the most of every outlet. Both options here will allow you to plug…

THE WEEK Open. Everyissue. In a world where everyone shouts their opinion, it’s good to listen. That’s where TheWeek comes in – it’s a unique magazine that brings open-minded readers the best of all the world’s media, curated from over 200 news sources, into one balanced, concise and entertaining read. Join over 300,000 readers today and enjoy your first 6 issues (worth over £23) absolutely free. SCAN TO ORDER Try your first 6 issues for free Visit subscription.theweek.co.uk or call 0330 333 9494 Terms & conditions: Your first 6 issues are free, then £51.87 £38.75 every 13 issues for a print only subscription, saving 25% on the shop price. Direct Debit payment. For overseas prices see our website. Calls charged at your standard network rate. Your subscription is protected by…

CO2 /tax 139g/km £220 Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.9 seconds/118mph Running costs 46mpg (1.5 TGI) £74 fill-up NEED TO KNOW APART from equipment levels, the only significant difference between the various GS editions is the fitment of manual or automatic transmission. The latter offers better performance but is slightly less economical IN just three years MG will be celebrating its centenary, and the fact that it’s still here at all is nothing short of a miracle when you consider the twists and turmoil the brand has been through. For the first six decades of its life, MG was best known for its open-topped sports cars, but by the eighties the marque had become little more than a badge for Austin Rover’s most sporting models. Things took a turn for the better when…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk ● WRC back in Greece after eight-year hiatus ● Brit Greensmith targets stage wins THE 2021 World Rally Championship moves into the business end of the season as it reaches round nine in Greece. It’s the first time in eight years that the Acropolis Rally has featured on the WRC calendar, and its reputation for treacherous, rocky terrain and high temperatures make it a challenging event for cars and drivers alike. The tyre-shredding rocks that cover many of the roads will prove to be a disadvantage for those who start the event first – as per the rules, championship leader Sébastien Ogier will find himself clearing the worst of the loose surfaces for the drivers behind for both the first and second days of the event. Fortunately for the…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● Mégane family hatch enters the electric age in E-Tech Electric form ● 60kWh battery gives 292-mile range; on sale February 2022 RENAULT has revealed the all-new fifth-generation Mégane family car. Called the Mégane E-Tech Electric, the new model is an all-electric five-door crossover that’s set to rival the Volkswagen ID.3. It’s the first production car to make its debut following the announcement of the French firm’s Renaulution electrification strategy, and will go on sale next February. It’s also the first of Renault’s ‘Generation 2.0’ electric vehicles and is based on the brand’s CMF-EV platform, designed specifically for battery-powered models. The E-Tech Electric will be available with either a 40kWh or a 60kWh battery, offering a maximum range of 186 and 292 miles respectively. Rapid charging at 130kW allows…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Cupra concept is based on VW Group’s MEB Entry platform ● Signals Cupra’s future design language; likely to be £20k+ SPANISH performance brand Cupra has revealed the UrbanRebel, a dramatic-looking creation that’s a first glimpse of the model that will lead the VW Group’s push into more affordable electric cars. The concept is said to preview the design language that Cupra will use when it brings its smallest all-electric model to market in 2025. The show car is being introduced as a motorsport model – hence the enormous rear wing – but the overall shape is a guide to how Cupra’s designers will use the all-electric platform for a small car. The profile reveals a very low and short bonnet line, along with an extremely short front…

FORD has revealed a new concept car at the Munich Motor Show which it says is designed to take the stress out of journeys through ambience-setting technologies. Called the Mindfulness Concept Car, it’s a modified Kuga SUV. Features include measures taken to improve cabin cleanliness, including an ‘Unlock Purge’ that blasts fresh air around the interior when the car is unlocked. Ambient lighting adapts to the climate control settings, while the driver’s seat can lie flat for naps and actuators monitor the driver’s breathing and heart rate.…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods ● Zero-emissions model will use new EV platform ● Driving range of 250 miles is expected “Astra-e will use new Stellantis STLA Medium electric car platform” VAUXHALL has announced that it will add more electrification options to the new Astra line-up, with the arrival of a fully electric version in 2023. The Astra-e will sit alongside the plug-in hybrid option that will be available when the new family hatchback goes on sale in October. The new Astra-e will join the Corsa-e and Mokka-e in the brand’s line-up, which will have an electrified version of every model by 2024. The plan is for the Vauxhall range to be fully electric from 2028 onwards. Vauxhall hasn’t revealed any technical details for the Astra-e, but its arrival lifts the lid further…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram ● Faster-charging capabilities ● Excellent room in the rear DESPITE dabbling with coupés in the past, Skoda is now better known for its practical hatchbacks, cavernous estates and, more recently, spacious SUVs than anything really stylish or sporty. But in its quest for sales the Czech car maker is gearing up to launch a Coupé version of its electric Enyaq SUV this year. It’ll offer the same battery and motor combinations as the regular Enyaq, which means a choice of iV 60 (58kWh, 177bhp) and iV 80 (77kWh, 201bhp) models, plus a range-topping 261bhp iV 80x with all-wheel drive. A vRS version is planned, too. To get a taste of what’s in store, we were given the chance to try a camouflaged version of the 4.65m-long Skoda on…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars WHEN you’re a well established car brand, you need a performance vehicle to act as that all-important ‘halo’ model to grab people’s attention and drag them into the dealership. Even Skoda, perhaps the most sensible of them all, observed this unwritten rule when it launched the vRS line-up back in 2001. Attaching the Victory Rally Sport moniker to a Skoda might have raised eyebrows then, but vRS models have garnered a serious following over the past 20 years. There’s genuine motorsport heritage behind the name, and today one in five new Skodas wears the badge. Skoda entered rallying in the sixties, building on a series of cars competing at a national level. The Skoda 130 RS took a class win at the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally, and since…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 41.5mpg (official) £70 fill-up Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.2 seconds/139mph KIA has never quite ventured as far as a full-on performance car. Its upcoming EV6 GT will pack 577bhp and could change things, but for now, one of the latest additions to the Kia line-up – this updated Proceed GT – is still best classified as ‘warm’ rather than ‘hot’. Besides, in Proceed form the Kia’s estate body means it takes a more practical approach anyway. There’s still a respectable level of aggression from the engine, though, with the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit serving up 201bhp and 265Nm of torque for a 7.2-second 0-60mph time. In the sportiest setting the motor is surprisingly raucous, gargling through its exhaust, even droning at times. But that swell of torque is…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk WELCOME to the second of three major instalments in our Driver Power 2021 survey. Last time out, we covered the cars and the brands that you find most satisfying; this time, the focus shifts to the dealers you buy those cars from. With the proliferation in new-car buying options, the level of customer service you could – and should – expect from your franchised dealer has never been more important. And in this year’s survey we’ve split our results to clearly show how good dealers are when it comes to buying a car, plus the experience offered when you book your car in for servicing and maintenance. But customer service is only one part of buying a new car. You’ll also want to ensure you get the very best…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk IT barely needs saying that the past 18 months have been unusual, and one of the big changes we’ve seen has been a reduction in the amount we drive. With huge swathes of the population working from home and numerous events, leisure locations and other activities curtailed, many of us have spent less time on the road than ever before, with traffic levels dropping to 1955 levels during the first lockdown. Understandably, the number of people whose cars have malfunctioned when out on our roads has shrunk significantly in light of this (home breakdowns are not covered by many policies, while flat batteries are a DIY fix for many people), which is why we’re only able to bring you a rundown of four of the best breakdown firms. Last…

MODEL TESTED: Mercedes E 200 AMG Line PRICE: £42,760 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 194bhp Running costs 38.9mpg (WLTP) £87 fill-up/£485 or 36% tax Practicality Boot capacity 540 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.4 seconds/149mph THE Mercedes E-Class is the car to beat here. It represents the establishment in the executive saloon class, with one of the most recognisable name plates in the automotive world. While the model in these images is a diesel-powered E 220 d, we’re comparing the G80 with its closest match in the E-Class line-up: the £42,760 E 200 AMG Line. Design & engineering AS with virtually all modern cars, the E-Class uses a shared platform in its construction. Here it’s called MRA (Modular Rear Architecture), and it uses double-wishbone suspension at the front and a multi-link set-up at…

products@autoexpress.co.uk Practicality Payload/towing weight 1,024/3,500kg SOD’S Law was truly in play over the past few months, because, after years of running pick-ups on the Auto Express long-term fleet, when I moved house recently I was between trucks. As a result, all those trips to the recycling centre with the clutter built up after decades of product testing, motorsport and living in a house had to be tackled in the family SUV, and the interior trim is still bearing the scars. For load lugging there is little to beat a pick-up, with its near-indestructible load bed and car-like interior for more delicate items. So collecting our Ford Ranger, the magazine’s current pick-up of choice, from dealer manager Simon Lewis at Gates of Harlow FordStore in Essex couldn’t come soon enough. And…

Lotus Elite Matthew Vale (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk)) Price: £40 Rating: THIS is a detailed look at the handsome Lotus Elite, which occupies an important place in the marque’s history of lightweight performance cars. It’s quite crudely edited, looking more like a Haynes manual in places, but it’s interesting and thorough, with lots of images. Lotus fans will enjoy it and it’s a useful reference title, with detailed specifications. The Bluffer’s Guide to Cars Martin Gurdon (Haynes Publishing, www.haynes.com) Price: £6.99  Rating: A COMBINATION of interesting facts and lighthearted anecdotes all about motoring and cars, and ostensibly aimed at a non-car audience, although enthusiasts can enjoy it too. It’s compact and cheap, great for younger readers and good fun for all. Definitely a quick read though, with a little over 120…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● New family car will also be Dacia’s first hybrid model ● Prices to start from around £13,000, on sale in November DACIA has revealed its all-new Jogger seven-seat family car, which will be the budget brand’s first hybrid model. According to Dacia, the Jogger mixes the practicality of an estate car with the spaciousness of an MPV and the character of an SUV, and with prices to start from around €15,000 – or just under £13,000 – when it goes on sale in November, the Jogger looks set to be the most affordable seven-seater on the market. The Jogger has a clear lifestyle focus, with 200mm of ground clearance and SUV-inspired styling, which is matched by plenty of practicality. At just over 4.5 metres, it’s the longest Dacia…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● Concept has 800v architecture ● Level 4 autonomous tech AUDI has unveiled its Grandsphere concept, an all-electric luxury four-door saloon that previews design and tech details that could make it to the next-generation A8 limousine. The Grandsphere is the second car in Audi’s trio of fully electric ‘sphere’ concepts and has been designed as a study for the future of luxury automotive travel. As such, the concept features what Audi calls a new approach to interior design, made possible thanks to Level 4 autonomous driving technology. The 5.35-metre-long saloon’s steering wheel and pedals retract into hidden compartments in the dashboard and floor in fully autonomous mode, while a new infotainment system projects a full-width image onto the wooden surface under the windscreen in Level 4 mode. When the…

LOTUS has firmed up on its electric future by saying it will launch four EVs by 2026. A teaser image (right) previews the future Lotus line-up, which will consist of five models including the already-revealed Evjia hypercar. Joining it from 2022 will be a large SUV, code named Type 132, while a similarly-sized four-door coupé referred to as Type 133 will arrive in 2023. A mid-sized SUV, known as the Type 134, is slated to appear in 2024 as a BMW iX3 rival, while the brand will also launch a new, fully electric sports car in 2026. The latter won’t be a replacement for the petrol-powered Emira and could sit on Lotus’s ESCA electric sports car platform, while the other three models will use the British brand’s recently announced Premium Architecture, which…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Ford Fiesta facelift FROM: Ashley Davey IF we’re taking the term facelift literally, the Fiesta needs the opposite – it’s the rear end that looks bland and needs a redesign. The problem is so bad that, in my mind, the ST doesn’t even look like a hot hatch in its current form. FROM: Andy Davis IN order to stay competitive in this segment, Ford really needs to launch a whole new Fiesta rather than a facelifted model. The current car looks outdated, which is probably why the Vauxhall Corsa is now consistently outselling it. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “The Mk8 Fiesta doesn’t look as good as the Mk7 in any trim. This facelift should fix that.”Phil Dennis ■ “Fully digital dashboard will help, but…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 527/1,587 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.4 seconds/115mph HYUNDAI has really stirred things up with its first electric car on a bespoke platform, the Ioniq 5. Indeed, the oversized hatchback made enough of a splash to earn our coveted Car of the Year title. It did so in range-topping Project 45 specification, though – so we’ve been curious to see whether more modest versions have the same appeal. Now’s our chance to find out. There are seven versions of the Ioniq 5 on offer to UK customers, with a choice of three powertrains. This 73kWh Premium-spec car features a rear-mounted electric motor with 215bhp and 350Nm of torque, which means that it also offers the longest…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk THE world was a very different place 25 years ago, and Porsche was a very different firm. For a while back then, things looked so bad for the firm that we wondered if it would exist by the turn of the century. So when it came up with a masterplan to build not one but two different sports cars using the same parts – the 996-generation of its trademark 911 and the all-new Boxster – there was an outcry from the traditionalists. However, the smarter members of the crowd stood back and waited. And then applauded. The so-called Porsche cognoscenti might have found the idea of the sacred 911 sharing bits with a smaller, cheaper mid-engined sports car unpalatable, yet without the Boxster the 911 might well not have…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk There are plenty of great deals around, but it’s important to do your homework and run the numbers to access the very best new-car offers CHRIS ROSAMOND Consumer and features editor “HOW much will this cost?” may be an inelegant question, but it’s one of the more common queries people have when it comes to a number of decisions in life. It could apply to a holiday, a house, a meal out or a new car, but it’s arguably a key determining factor that forms the basis of a large part of our lives. Here, we’ve put together a rundown of the top 50 cars from our Driver Power new-car survey (Issue 1,688), where we attempt to answer this question. We’ve taken our prices from makers’ finance configurators and…

MODEL TESTED: Lexus ES 300h F Sport Tech & Safety  PRICE: £39,280 ENGINE: 2.5-litre 4cyl hybrid, 215bhp Running costs 54.3mpg (WLTP) £66 fill-up/£140 or 29% tax Practicality Boot capacity 454 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.9 seconds/112mph THE Lexus ES offers something a bit different, with its hybrid powertrain and a lower price than its rivals. It’s a natural competitor for the G80, because it’s another model with mainstream brand roots. It’s cheaper than its rivals in F Sport trim (with the Tech and Safety pack included), at £39,280. Design & engineering UNDER the skin, the ES uses Toyota’s TNGA platform, more specifically the GA-K architecture, so it shares parts with that firm’s Camry and RAV4 models, and is front-wheel drive. There’s only one powertrain option, which is called 300h. It has…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler Running costs 49.6mpg (official) £74 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 616/1,795 litres FOR this year’s summer holidays the Fowler family and the Hyundai Tucson criss-crossed the country rather than stay in one place. Part of that was down to not being able to book somewhere suitable for all of us to stay for a couple of weeks (must book earlier in future), but it also gave us a chance to take a trip down memory lane to Mumby in Lincolnshire. It’s been a while since I’d visited the On Your Marques model car museum, set up by my late Aunt Jane and her husband Chris, but it was great to get back up there to see Chris, his dog Spangle and one of the UK’s best model car…

THIS WEEK’S HOTKIT “The monitor displays footage from both cams when it’s operating” NEW PRODUCT Pioneer VREC-DH300D dash cam Price: £149.99 Contact: www.pioneer-car.eu/uk KEEP an eye on what’s going on in front and behind your car with the latest addition to Pioneer’s camera line-up. The VREC-DH300D is a two-channel set-up with a camera for the windscreen and a second one for the rear window, which is connected via a six-metre cable. The front cam boasts 1440p WQHD (wide quad-high definition) recording, while the rear unit captures footage in 1080p full HD. Pioneer says the front cam can read number plates day or night through its 135-degree lens. The rear cam has a 128-degree spread. Both record on a Sony CMOS sensor with Starvis technology storing the 27fps footage on the supplied…

High-end models honour Le Mans icons THE Amalgam Collection, manufacturer of high-end model cars, has partnered with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest with a focus on the iconic racers of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Scale replicas of some of the most famous winners of all time are already produced, including models from Bugatti, Ford (above), Ferrari, Jaguar and Porsche. If you’ve deep pockets, you can shop the Amalgam Collection models at www.amalgamcollection.com. Lego car sets jump in value by up to half COLLECTORS of automotive-themed Lego sets may be tempted to part with them, following research by Vertu Motors that found some sets can make up to 50 per cent more than their initial purchase price when resold. New, unopened versions of the 1960s Ford Mustang set, for example, can…

PRODUCTGROUPTEST 8|9|2021 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 AS some of us return to the office once again following the Covid-19 lockdowns, the grim realities of commuting are making a comeback. Driving will involve hours in traffic and expensive parking, while public transport is crowded and expensive. As a result, more commuters than ever are switching to bikes for their journeys. As well as keeping you fit, cycling to work is cheap and involves very little in the way of running costs. If you don’t live within practical cycling distance from work, then a folding bike will allow you to combine a drive or train journey with pedal power.…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Is it too soon to reject faulty car that’s awaiting repair? I TOOK delivery of a brand-new car, but after two weeks the engine seemed to start losing power. The dealer has taken it back to fix it, but is waiting on a part that could take “several weeks”. Can I reject the car? Name withheld, E-mail A REJECTING a car can be a long and complex process, so is best reserved as a last resort. As long as the dealer has provided you with a courtesy car for the time that it takes to get the new part fitted to your car, you may be better served by waiting and give them a chance to fix the car for free under warranty. You…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100kph), in seconds. ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, 12 months’ road tax, number plates and first…

WE all want a greener future for our kids, but how much are we willing to pay for it? Well, according to Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer, that cost, at least as far as new cars are concerned, could be £20,000. Such a price would lead to the demise of not only the city car class, but possibly superminis, too. The reason for this? The forthcoming Euro 7 regulations. They’re still to be fully defined, even though they’ll come into force in 2025, and they could make it extremely hard or even impossible for car markers to turn a profit on small, cheap cars. The brilliant global car industry is currently hobbled by an ever-moving target that will ultimately define what we can and can’t buy – or more pertinently –…