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Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler ● New version of big seller ● On sale soon, from £79k “At first glance, the new car is still clearly a Range Rover Sport, both in proportion and detail” WHERE a new Range Rover leads, a new Range Rover Sport will surely follow, and only a matter of weeks after our five-star verdict on Land Rover’s new range-topper, along comes its bigger-selling, slightly smaller brother. It’s on sale soon and set to be in showrooms this September. Like its sibling, the Range Rover Sport features familiar styling cues, but with a new sense of minimalism and modernity – so it’s no surprise that Jaguar Land Rover creative director Gerry McGovern says the new model follows his modernist design philosophy: “It blends Range Rover luxury and capability with…

First Genesis EV to cost from £47k in UK GENESIS has announced prices for the all-electric GV60 (driven on P28). It’s priced from £47,005 for the Premium model, with a single 225bhp electric motor and a claimed range of 321 miles. Four-wheel drive is offered from £53,605 in the GV60 Sport, which uses a 314bhp set-up with a claimed range of 292 miles. The flagship model is the £65,405 GV60 Sport Plus, with a 429bhp all-wheel-drive drivetrain that can power the car from 0-62mph in four seconds. Noise cameras on trial in England and Wales THE Government is investing a further £300,000 into trialling noise cameras that can detect illegally modified exhausts. The technology will be tested in four areas across England and Wales. The devices can automatically tell when…

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…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk ACCORDING to Aston Martin’s now outgoing boss, Tobias Moers, this is “the fastest, most powerful and most dynamically capable V12 Vantage ever”. It’s also “an embodiment of Aston Martin’s intensifying focus on driving dynamics, which ensures it will go out on the highest of highs”. The 690bhp, £265,000, twin-turbo V12 Vantage is one heck of a last hurrah for Aston Martin’s most cherished 12-cylinder sports car. Beneath its lightweight carbon-composite skin, the V12 Vantage has embarked upon a serious exercise regime to help preen its kerbweight to “just” 1,795kg. Its bodyshell also boasts new strut braces front and rear that help stiffen it by almost 10 per cent compared with the V8 Vantage, while its suspension is some 50 per cent stiffer at the back and 40 per cent…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale YOU might think you’ve been in your job a long time, but chances are you haven’t been as long-serving or loyal as Bryan Webb. That’s because last year, the 90-year-old retired after 75 continuous years of employment at Gloucester’s Vauxhall dealership. Bryan, who’d spent the past 34 years as the dealer’s warranty administrator, was given a big send-off and lots of gifts, including a ceremonial spanner. But just before he said his final farewells, we sat down with him to hear about his time with Vauxhall and the changes he’d seen. “It was 1946 when I started,” Bryan said. “I was still in school and looking for a job in town; someone suggested I try the garages. I was offered two jobs, one of which was with Hough…

Running costs 3.6mi/kWh (on test) £19 to charge/£0 or 2% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 340/1,320 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.9 seconds/99mph MODEL TESTED: Mercedes EQA 250 AMG Line PRICE: £48,150 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 66.5kWh battery, 187bhp THE EQA is the entry point to Mercedes’ evergrowing range of EVs, which includes four SUVs, two saloons and a van-based MPV. The EQA 250 AMG Line tested here is priced from £48,150, while adding the £1,495 Driver Assistance Package brings the total to £49,645 Design & engineering MUCH like the Lexus, the EQA doesn’t use a bespoke electric-vehicle platform. Instead, its architecture is adapted from existing combustion technology – in this case Mercedes’ small SUV, the GLA. Unlike the Lexus, however, Mercedes offers the EQA with three powertrain options, each with different…

MERCEDES 1st THE EQA is one of our favourite compact EVs, and comfortably holds off the Lexus here, because it’s the better option for charging, range and in-car tech. It’s more efficient, which makes it cheaper to run, while the cabin is much more spacious in the back. It’s not as sharp to drive nor quite as refined as its rival, but they’re only minor complaints for an otherwise very accomplished EV. LEXUS 2nd WITH its first EV, Lexus has produced a mixed bag. In some areas, it’s brilliant; the cabin quality is at least a match for the Mercedes, and it’s more fun to drive while being quieter and every bit as comfortable. However, it’s compromised in other areas. The rear seats are cramped and the infotainment is poor.…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 27.2mpg (official) £90 fill-up/£520 or 37% tax Practicality Boot 480 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.9 seconds/191mph I’M not the type that’s prone to grand displays of affection. Just ask my girlfriend. But I’ll make an exception for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio I’ve started running on our fleet, because I’ve already entered into a whirlwind romance with this Italian sports saloon. It’s fantastic. There are some things that the Alfa Romeo doesn’t do well, but I’ve been able to see past these points for now, because the Giulia is so good when it comes to what I like in a car, I don’t mind. When the world goes all-electric, we’ll miss engines like the Alfa’s 503bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6. It blares and barks and is revhungry for…

Large-screen home charger now on sale A NEW British company has launched what it says is “the smartest and most intuitive EV home charger”. The EVIOS One (above) has the largest colour screen of any home charger plus an app that allows users to charge prioritising price, sustainability or speed. It can integrate with home energy tariffs and supports separate user profiles, so it could be used in shared residential or business parking spaces. The EVIOS One starts from £1,195 (with installation) and can be purchased from myevios.com. New Hot Wheels film is in the works ONE of the most iconic series of model cars, Hot Wheels, will soon be coming to the big screen. Mattel and Warner Bros. Pictures have announced a liveaction motion picture featuring the iconic toy racers,…

WINDSCREEN wiper blades are vital to safety and comfort, yet we tend to neglect and ignore them until they fall apart or an MoT tester condemns them. These thin strips of rubber are expected to keep your car’s windscreen clean in conditions ranging from subzero winter frosts to the baking sun in the height of summer. They degrade slowly, so you may not notice as they gradually start to smear, squeak and shudder. For less than the price of three gallons of fuel, you could upgrade to new blades, which will make driving in rain far more pleasant, and safer. We tested eight pairs of wipers on a Nissan Qashqai, which uses a 26-inch blade on the driver’s side and a 17-inch one for the passenger’s half of the screen.…

CO2 /tax 128g/km £155 Running costs 57mpg (dCi 130) £106 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 11.4 seconds/115mph EVER since it was founded at the end of the 19th Century, Renault hasn’t been afraid to be bold with its cars. In some cases it has reaped rewards, but on other occasions the losses have mounted because customers weren’t interested. The original Koleos SUV is a good example of where things went wrong, because even though it was a mainstream model in a growing segment, it was something of a sales disaster in the UK for Renault. That didn’t stop the company bringing the second-generation Koleos here though, and while this also failed to make its mark, it wasn’t a bad car as such; it was simply up against some more accomplished rivals, many…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● On the road in the compact SUV that’s aiming to put Alfa back on the map ● Petrol hybrid models offered at launch, plug-in model coming at a later date BETTER late than never? That’s certainly an adage that Alfa Romeo is pinning its hopes on with the Tonale. It’s the brand’s first entry in the compact SUV sector, rivalling the likes of the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, Volvo XC40 and Audi Q3. Presented in concept form more than three years ago at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the production version you see here has been developed during a change of ownership for Alfa, bringing with it a new boss with a grand plan to turn the marque fully electric by 2027. As a result, the car…

CROWNING the new Range Rover Sport line-up in time will be a high-performance SVR model, and we’ve already spied the vehicle undergoing final testing. These shots of a camouflaged car taken in Germany by Instagram user ro.casp show the new Range Rover Sport SVR will get plenty of visual tweaks, including a new roof spoiler, quad exhausts and a unique diffuser. A more aggressive front grille will also be added to help cool the SVR’s more powerful engine. It will use the same basic 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 as found in the regular line-up, which will also be shared with the BMW X5 M Competition, and the unit could be tuned to produce as much that car, at 616bhp. We can also expect the new SVR to use the same eight-speed…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk FUEL price data for April offered no relief for drivers struggling with the cost of filling up, while it’s claimed retailers have pocketed nearly all the cash earmarked for drivers in the spring budget statement. In March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a tax reduction on petrol and diesel. At the time, the Government said: “Unveiling a Tax Plan to give families further help with the cost of living, Rishi Sunak reduces fuel duty on petrol and diesel by 5p per litre for the next year.” But RAC Fuelwatch estimates suggest April saw filling station bosses boost their margins by 4p per litre, in effect soaking up most of the cash earmarked for motorists. The latest retailer margin estimates add weight to criticisms of Sunak’s approach, because the…

ABARTH’S long lineage of special-edition models has a new member, with this 695 Tributo 131 Rally. It’s a limited-run version of the brand’s flagship hot hatch, the 695 Tributo, and pays homage to the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally racer. The new model will be limited to 695 units worldwide, but has been confirmed for the UK. Under the bonnet, the 695 Tributo 131 Rally is powered by the same turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the regular 695, developing 178bhp and 250Nm of torque. The 0-62mph sprint takes 6.7 seconds. There’s a dual-twin sports exhaust, Koni suspension dampers and Brembo brakes. A large bootlid spoiler and 17-inch alloys are also included, and prices start from £32,325.…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE Genesis story started in Europe less than 12 months ago. It’s a new brand here, and already the line-up consists of five models. Up to now, though, every Genesis in the UK has been petrol or dieselengined, but that changes with this GV60. While the car itself is new, the platform that underpins it is a bit more familiar. The GV60 sits on parent company Hyundai’s E-GMP architecture, including the same 800-volt charging that allows for a 10-80 per cent top-up in as little as 18 minutes. This is our first chance to try the more affordable rear-wheel-drive Premium model, which will be the cheapest (and longestrange) version available in the UK. Choosing your GV60 is pretty simple. You pick a trim – Premium, Sport or Sport…

CHARGING WHILE the overwhelming number of EVs on the market use CCS charging connectors, some Japanese manufacturers instead use the less common (in the UK at least) CHAdeMO connection, and that’s the case for the UX. On the one hand, it means you’ll be less likely to find yourself fighting other users for connection to a chargepoint, but on the other hand, they’re harder to find than the more common CCS connectors used by the Mercedes. Beyond CHAdeMO’s relative scarcity, the main disadvantage here is slower charging rates. The UX peaks at 50kW, so a 10-80 per cent charge takes 30 minutes. The EQA is compatible with chargers at twice that speed, but a 10-80 per cent charge at 100kW also takes 30 minutes. However, since it has a bigger…

products@autoexpress.co.uk THERE’S nothing like a road trip to reveal the best and worst aspects of a car. Hours and hundreds of miles behind the wheel exaggerate those plusses and minuses that can be tolerated or missed on a short commute or supermarket shop. We’ve already completed several lengthy trips in our Ford Ranger, including a week’s holiday in Wales. But none has been as long or as intense as the haul to the German GP venue at Hockenheim for a track day in my Honda-engined Elise. The trip started at Donington Park, where I was competing in the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship, before heading to Folkestone, near the Channel Tunnel terminal, overnight. Despite a 7am start, the terminal was rammed, with the queue for passport control looping around the…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Can I make cleaning easier? SINCE developing hip and knee trouble I’ve found cleaning my car increasingly difficult. Can you recommend ways of making it easier? John Paul A REACHING the lower parts of the car is usually the problem. Professionals often lift the car a foot or so with something like a QuickJack, but you can expect to pay around a £1,000 for one. A cheaper option is a mechanic’s seat, which eliminates most of the need to bend down, while giving access to sills, wheels and the like. Our test winner is the Hilka Pro-Craft Mechanic’s Seat (above), which costs around £50. Q Is flashing oil light a worry? SHOULD I be worried if the oil light flashes on sometimes when at high…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk ● Vandoorne leads for Mercedes ● ABT team to return next year “Berlin was the venue for Mercedes’championship triumph, hosting season seven’s finale double” MERCEDES’ Stoffel Vandoorne leads the FIA Formula E drivers’ championship standings as the series heads to his team’s home track in Berlin for a double-header. Vandoorne secured victory last time out in Monaco to lead on 81 points, with his fellow podium finishers in that race, Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Techeetah) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar), second and third on 75 and 72. Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns completes a tightly packed top four with his tally of 71 points, while Mercedes EQ, DS Techeetah and Jaguar TCS Racing are also first, second and third in the team points post-Monaco. “It has not been an easy start to…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars ● Four-door convertible due in 2024 ● Targets a range of 660 miles “A four-door, fourseat layout will put the car in a class of its own” AMERICAN EV firm Fisker has lifted the lid on its forthcoming Ronin high-performance flagship, an all-electric four-seat, four-door convertible. The new car’s unique layout will put it in a class of one when it arrives in 2024 to sit alongside the brand’s Ocean electric SUV. Initially teased as what looked like a four-door coupé earlier this year, a new image shows the Fisker is actually a convertible. There’s no word on a power output yet, but the company has revealed the car will have three motors and be capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in less than two seconds. Designed by the…

SCIENTISTS have analysed bug splatters on car number plates to measure a fall in the numbers of insects essential to the UK’s biodiversity. The latest Bugs Matter research shows numbers have dropped by 59 per cent since 2004. England’s flying bug population has suffered the most, with a 65 per cent drop, while Wales has 55 per cent fewer flying insects, and Scotland’s count is down by 28 per cent. The project leader, Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife, points out the trend has dire implications. “The results from the study should shock and concern us all,” says Paul Hadaway, director of conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust. “We are seeing declines in insects, which reflect the enormous threats and loss of wildlife across the country.” Anyone who wants to participate in…

IT’S not just petrol and diesel car drivers facing the squeeze. We’ve reported on the high cost of charging on a motorway (Issue 1,724) and the energy price cap rise caused home EV charging costs to increase by as much as £192 per year. There could be more bad news on the way, with energy consultancy Cornwall Insights estimating that the next Ofgem review in October could see the price cap increase by a further 32 per cent. Some electric vehicle charging firms have been putting their prices up, too. One such company is Ubitricity, which is owned by Shell and is one of the biggest EV charging operators in London. The firm has raised its rate from 24p per kWh to 32p per kWh, adding a few quid to…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Future of e-scooters FROM: John Minshall WITHOUT any registration, insurance or excise duty, privately owned e-scooters should be banned from our increasingly congested and unsafe roads. Only vehicles that can be tracked to an owner should be used on the road. FROM: David Watson I CAN reach almost 40mph on a bicycle with no mandatory safety equipment, no formal testing – theory or practical – and no insurance. Most e-scooters can only manage 20mph, but are treated differently for some reason. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “If riders are required to get insurance, then I would support e-scooter legalisation.” Richard Booth-Trussell ■ “E-scooters are a menace.…

Alastair_crooks@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/130mph Running costs 43.5mpg (official) £85 fill-up THE humble family hatchback has fallen out of favour with buyers craving an SUV, but all the major brands still have something to offer in the segment – not least because hatchbacks still sell in reasonable numbers. Which is why Peugeot has introduced a new 308. We’re driving the 1.2-litre PureTech here, which is likely to be the best-selling model. We won’t dwell on the car’s looks for too long, although Peugeot has worked hard to give the 308 a distinctive style that makes some of its competitors look a tad dull. The firm’s trademark ‘fang’ daytime running lights sit astride pinched LED headlights that flow into the grille, and there are plenty of creases and slashes in…

Running costs 3.3mi/kWh (on test) £15 to charge/£0 or 2% tax Practicality Boot (seats up) 367 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/100mph MODEL TESTED: Lexus UX 300e Premium Plus PRICE: £46,145 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 54.3kWh battery, 201bhp HERE, we’re testing the UX 300e in Premium Plus trim, which is in the middle of a three-strong trim line-up. It’s priced at £46,145, with our car’s optional Terrane Khaki paint bumping that figure up by £570, to £46,715. Design & engineering THERE’S not much to set the all-electric UX 300e apart from the hybrid UX 250h on the outside. The keenest of eyes will spot a gently tweaked grille, which sits within a sleeker front bumper with smaller air intakes. Otherwise, it’s only the badges and wheels that provide much in the…

Lexus UX Lexus Media Display Key features: Trackpad, 7.0-inch display RECENTLY we’ve tried Lexus’s attempts at improving its infotainment tech, from the brilliant new system in the NX to the mildly patched system in the ES. Improvements for the UX can’t come soon enough because the system that’s installed here is well below the standards of premium rivals – and many mainstream options, too. A seven-inch display is largely taken for granted on a mid-spec supermini these days, and the majority of those cars will have screens with a higher resolution than this, too. The rear-view camera, for example, has a poor resolution, so in anything other than perfect weather conditions it’s hard to pick out much detail when backing up. The hardware woes don’t end there, because the odd…

SAVE 43% ON THE SHOP PRICE After your initial 6 issue trial, your subscription will continue at £26.99 every 13 issues representing a saving of 43% on the shop price. FREE DELIVERY Never miss an issue with every copy delivered straight to your doorstep. FULLYFLEXIBLE You are able to cancel at any time using a dedicated customer portal or by getting in touch. There are more options than ever to subscribe to Auto Express with both print and digital versions available, or perhaps you’d like a combination of both, the choice is yours OK I’M IN! HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE? 1 ORDER ONLINE AT autoexpress.co.uk/subscribe (or call 0330 333 9491 if you prefer the human touch). 2 ENTER THE OFFER CODE DMAY22 and select the offer you’d like to take. 3…

Inside the Machine David Twohig (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £16.99 Rating: A VERY interesting look at the last few decades. Twohig shows the toil behind some significant cars, as well as the practices and traditions of the firms that made them. He doesn’t skimp on detail and tackles drier areas by skimming over them or making them really interesting. Secrets of the Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £22 Rating: READ this book and you’ll be fighting the urge to hunt in every barn, back garden or storage unit in the country looking for rare classic cars. Luckily, in among the great stories, there are tips on doing just that. It’s the human interest that’s arguably more engaging than the cars, though. Kartrider Rush+ Available for: iOS, Android…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q What’s my best bet to get failed clutch sorted out? THE clutch failed on my three-year-old, 33,000-mile car and the dealer wants me to pay for the repair. The manufacturer’s customer services told me a clutch’s life expectancy is 60,000 miles. What can I do? JC, E-mail A UNFORTUNATELY, manufacturers tend to class clutches as wear-and-tear items and, as such, don’t replace them under warranty. The only exception is when it can be proven the clutch failure was the result of a manufacturing defect, which is easier said than done. Because your car is out of warranty anyway, your only real option is to shop around for a cheaper replacement quote from an independent. Q EV charging at a retail park had a nasty…

Lotus Emira GT4 racer is unveiled at Hethel THE new Lotus Emira GT4 racer (above) has taken to the firm’s Hethel circuit in Norfolk for its public debut. Director of vehicle attributes Gavan Kershaw drove the car, which has already sold out its initial production run, taking VIP guests for some passenger laps. Testing of the car was also carried out at Portimão in Portugal; there’s no word yet on which team or teams will give the Emira its first official race appearance. New two-car team for World Rallycross A SIXTH team has been announced for the electric-only 2022 FIA World Rallycross Championship, which will kick off at the Nürburgring on 31 July. The Construction Equipment Dealer Team (CE Dealer Team) will field a pair of unbranded rallycross supercars built…

YOU’VE seen and felt it all in recent months – prices going through the roof, the life-altering pain of Britain’s cost of living crisis, a dramatic drop in your disposable income. And although there’s no point in beating yourself up over out-of-control inflation, you at least need to be better tuned into the financial realities of motoring life in 2022. For those keen to buy a factory-fresh vehicle for the first time, the new car at less than £10,000 is now toast. Dacia’s bog-standard Sandero recently became an £11,495 car, while Ford says its cheapest Fiesta is £17,905 and Volkswagen has decided its most basic Polo is worth almost £19,000. Such price tags are simply too high for entry-level superminis largely driven by youngsters in modestly paid jobs or earning…