Innholdsfortegnelse for 9/11/2016 i Autocar

TOYOTA IS CONSIDERING transforming its Gazoo Racing motorsport arm into a performance road car brand to rival the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. In addition to co-ordinating Toyota’s international motorsport activities in, for instance, the World Endurance Championship and World Rally Championship, Gazoo Racing fettles road cars that are sold on the Japanese market. It sells limited-edition machines under two banners: GRMN (Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring) and G’s. Koei Saga, the boss of both Gazoo Racing and Toyota’s powertrain division, said it “is my intention” to increase Gazoo’s presence in road car markets other than Japan to promote the link between its racing and road car activities. He said: “In Europe, the challenge is bigger because we have more competitors here, and it is also an issue of…

NISSAN’S SUNDERLAND plant would have closed if the car maker hadn’t struck a deal with the government following the UK’s vote to leave the EU. A report by Bloomberg alleges an insider revealed that Nissan told officials the plant would eventually close and that construction of the next-gen Qashqai and X-Trail would have moved elsewhere. The plant employs more than 7000 people and is the UK’s largest car making plant. It was recently announced that the factory would build the two new models following negotiations with the government. Greg Clark, the UK business secretary, is under pressure to publish details of the negotiations with Nissan, but he has so far refused to do so, saying they would contain “sensitive commercial information”. BMW/Mini and Honda have said they see no reason…

Volvo is targeting wealthy Chinese customers with its new S90 Excellence, a three-seat saloon that swaps its front passenger seat for an infotainment system and extra rear leg room. The S90 Excellence is based on the stretched underpinnings of the S90 L — a long-wheelbase S90 unveiled alongside it in Shanghai — and is 120mm longer than the regular car. It’s designed specifically to cater for the unique demands of wealthy Chinese customers, who often prefer to be driven rather than drive. Along with the extra space, the Excellence gains a standard-fit panoramic roof, fold-out work tables and a heated and cooled cupholder. The cabin also features the technological features of the regular S90, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. The driver is assisted by Volvo’s Large Animal…

MG has released a sketch of its upcoming Nissan Juke rival ahead of its public debut at the Guangzhou motor show in China next week. The new compact crossover is set to slot into MG’s line-up beneath the larger GS and will go on sale in the UK in 2019. Codenamed ZS but expected to have a different name in production, the new crossover differs dramatically in looks from the GS and is intended to give it a more upmarket appearance.› Among the engines planned to power the ZS is MG’s turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit, with 164bhp and 184lb ft of torque. It will be offered with the choice of either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.…

For the past 10 years, the Honda Civic has provided a handy reference point for anyone shopping for a new hatchback. Family five-doors simply haven’t come any more wonderfully weird. When the eighth-generation Civic was unveiled in 2006, it challenged accepted norms on mechanical layout, as well as what constituted appealing styling and a tolerably comfortable ride and handling compromise. And when the ninth-generation car followed, the daring styling and innovative packaging (fuel tank located under the front seats, making room for the cleverest and most versatile rear seats of any hatchback) were carried over, and the jostlingly firm ride and rapier steering toned down. Now it’s all change. Civic generation 10 trades ‘alternative’ for ‘competitive’ in so many ways. In a switch that bears witness to how difficult it…

MODEL TESTED 1.4 TFSI SPORT Price £23,930 Power 148bhp Torque 184lb ft 0-60mph 8.1sec 30-70mph in fourth 12.4sec Fuel economy 45.3mpg CO2 emissions 124g/km 70-0mph 45.5m Having proven how successfully it can do small, medium and large conventional SUVs, Audi’s Q family is about to get a whole lot more stylish and exciting. Over the next few years we’ll see some even-numbered Q models, with coupé-aping styling, steadily slotting in next to their existing odd-numbered equivalents and offering more dynamic driving experiences as well as the sharper looks. Next to the new Q5 will be a BMW X4-rivalling Q4, and alongside the seven-seat Q7 will be an X6-chasing Q6. There are even murmurs that a new range-topping Q8 is currently under consideration at Ingolstadt. But ahead of them all comes…

“Fuel cell stacks are getting smaller, cheaper and easier to accommodate” It was that word ‘rally’ that caught our attention. Come to a rally for hydrogen-powered cars, said the invitation from ITM Power, the UK’s only specialist in the production and storage of hydrogen. Join us at one of our existing filling stations, drive to a new one we’re opening in Rainham, Essex, and see how it feels not to emit a single molecule of noxious gas on along the way. We were hooked. Previous contact with ITM’s boss, Graham Cooley, had convinced me that hydrogen cars were credible and supply of the fuel was expanding. I’d read forecasts of a critical mass of 65 UK hydrogen stations in the medium term, while a drive in the new Toyota Mirai…

“Hillclimb courses have many hard obstacles to hit, which makes them daunting but rewarding” In Britain, one of the easiest – and certainly one of the most traditional – ways to start competing in motorsport is by doing hillclimbs. With no need for a race licence and a huge variety of categories in which to compete, everyone from beginners to professionals can regularly take part, driving anything from completely standard road cars to F1-engined single-seaters. The UK has more than 25 established hillclimb clubs scattered across the country, with some of the most popular including Shelsley Walsh, Harewood and Prescott. To get a flavour of this incredibly old but still very popular form of motorsport, we entered our Seat Ibiza Cupra long-termer into an autumn hillclimb at Prescott in Gloucestershire.…

Stag party I was amused to see a publicity shot of the new Mini Countryman showing the car mere feet from away a stag. Are we to assume that this is a picture of the hybrid model, operating in electric mode? Stags normally shoot off at the sight of a car. Perhaps this is simply an attempt to make the Countryman seem more, well, country. Huge improvement though it is aesthetically over the Mk1, Countryman is more of a misnomer than the Mini name. I’d wager most of these cars live in urban areas and that others don’t go too far off road. Cityman or Suburbman would be better. Will Chalkley Ashford, Kent WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

GIVEN SSANGYONG’S FLEDGLING status in the UK, it’s not every day that someone gets to experience one from behind the wheel, let alone more than one. Our Tivoli’s teething problems with its engine warning light meant that I spent a decent amount of time in its crossover estate stablemate, the XLV. At £2000 more than the standard Tivoli (£19,250 to start and £20,266 as tested), there’s a premium to pay for the extra space. But with Ssangyong’s generous equipment levels, you get a lot for your cash. It’s safe to say that the extra boot space in the XLV is its raison d’être. When driving, a more noticeable bounce over bumps is evident, but overall the XLV is a touch more grown-up than its standard counterpart. Think of it like…

The best is Yeti to come When all you need is a funky little family carrier, there’s nothing better than a Skoda Yeti. Here’s a five-year-old, 52,000-mile, front-wheel-drive example in S trim with a 1.2-litre petrol engine. The heated door mirrors will come in handy over winter and the traction control should keep you on the straight and narrow. The asking price is £6488. No business like snow business Should you want to get more serious than a Skoda Yeti (see above) about dealing with the supposedly upcoming snowmaggedon, buy a four-wheel-drive Ssangyong Korando. They’re just as good value second-hand and the equipment you get as standard is outstanding. So here’s an 86,000-miler with leather upholstery and electric front seats. It’s a 2.0-litre diesel and is priced at £8950. Blackpool…

1 Honda NSX Prices have soared in recent years, so the original NSX is no longer the relative bargain it once was, but automatics and high-mileage manuals can still be found for less than £30,000. Even so, we’d step up to £45,000 for a tidy, low-mileage manual with the right service history and made after 1992, thus avoiding the potential for expensive transmission trouble — and we’d be safe in the knowledge that we’d see at least the same money back come resale. Be aware that some jobs, such as the clutch and timing belts, aren’t cheap to do, so make sure they’ve been done recently. 2 Audi R8 V8 Prices for Audi’s usable supercar now start at £40,000, and while early examples are nearing 10 years old, they look…

1 Volkswagen Sharan From £25,500 Full-sized seven-seater offers outstanding versatility and space with tidy handling and VW-brand desirability. 2 BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer From £24,200 Brings a proper premium brand badge to the MPV table but appeals for more reasons than that. 3 Ford S-Max From £23,300 Better looking and better to drive than most but not quite the class leader its predecessor was. Cabin a bit plain. 4 Volkswagen Touran From £22,200 The medium-sized people-carrier done conservatively. Refiined and wieldy, with excellent infotainment options. 5 Seat Alhambra From £24,900 A cheaper, plainer and less desirable sister for the Sharan. Spacious, versatile and decent to drive…

“The Supra’s development is being overseen by the man responsible for the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ project,, The highly anticipated all-new Toyota Supra has now reached a final phase of development and is destined to form the basis of a newly created Toyota performance sub-brand. Lightly veiled prototypes of the sleekly styled coupé are now seen frequently on the roads around the vast R&D operation of Toyota’s project partner, BMW, in Munich, Germany. The new Supra is being developed in a joint engineering venture with the upcoming BMW Z5. It will resurrect one of Toyota’s most highly treasured performance models following a 14-year hiatus for the Supra, which was first introduced to the Japanese car maker’s line-up in 1978. The upcoming, fifth-generation Supra was first previewed by a pair…

Renault is planning to launch an expanded range of Alpine sports models once its first two-seat coupé, strongly tipped to be called A120, has begun a new era for the marque early next year. The transverse mid-engined A120 is likely to cost around £50,000 and is expected to be followed by a convertible and a more performance-focused coupé variant, both of which are already well advanced. Alpine bosses are keen to offer a range of cars as soon as possible but say later models must share the original architecture. The coupé will be revealed at the beginning of next year at a dedicated launch event, according to Alpine managing director Michael van der Sande, who arrived at the French firm from Aston Martin earlier this year. The first production cars…

SSANGYONG WILL LAUNCH electric variants of its models by 2020, according to UK boss Paul Williams. Williams revealed that battery-powered Tivolis are currently being tested and hinted that a partnership with a bigger brand would be the best strategy for Ssangyong’s EV future. “Ssangyong has got a strategy for hybrids and EVs, and the next generation of models will show this,” Williams said. “I have seen the plans for electric vehicles and we will see them on the market around 2019 or 2020.” The manufacturer is set to launch three new models over the next three years, and all could eventually feature electric powertrain options. A production version of the SIV-2 concept, a Nissan Qashqai rival shown at Geneva, is expected to be one of those cars, but its release…

AMG’s new ‘43’ performance series has, thus far, been something of a disappointment. The SLC43 we tested earlier this year offered plenty of punch but lacked the raucous AMG magic of old, and the C43 4Matic Estate – a semi-skimmed alternative to the full-fat C63 – was denounced for its uncommunicative steering and compromised body control. So we were apprehensive about the least focused 43-badged model yet, the GLC43. Like the cars above, the GLC receives a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, a nine-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased four-wheel drive system. Mercedes claims a 4.9sec 0-62mph time and an electronically limited 155mph. However, straight-line pace has never been an issue for AMG. Ultimately, the GLC43 needs to excel with its ride and handling, especially given the quality of the…

Cannily sized, credible to drive and pleasant to sit in, the Q2 is likely to win plenty of admirers. Most will flock to it for the look – and it is convenient to grade the car on that basis. If you appreciate Audi’s time and effort with the modelling clay, we have no significant reason to dissuade a would-be buyer. The Q2 is sufficiently practical, comfortable and economical for it to persuasively fill the driveway of anyone already convinced by the desirability of a premium-branded compact crossover. Conversely, if, for all its implied heftiness, the Q2 appears no more interesting than a hitched-up hatchback, there’s little here to otherwise convince you of its worthiness. It drives competently but no more convincingly than the better prospects among its rivals and, like…

There’s a traffic jam of humongous trucks in front of me, and I’m teetering between a landslide of rocks and a sheer drop off a towering cliff, adamant that I won’t be reversing. And so begins my journey in the Kingdom of Bhutan, at which we arrived by the most grandiose border point I’ve ever seen: a golden gate befitting a kingdom, opened on command to let our convoy of Skoda Yetis through. You’ll be familiar with the Yeti, that boxy, Marmite-styling SUV launched in 2010 and one of the early contenders in a now swamped segment. But despite fresher cars such as the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai, Skoda is still keeping up; it sold more Yetis in the UK in 2015 than ever before. Next year we’ll see…

The other day I photographed some big executive estates for a comparison: a Mercedes, an Audi and a Volvo. Now, I’m not about to suggest that they’re an extravagance, because they’re all lovely inside and everything, but you know what? At nearly twice the price of the Skoda Superb SE L Executive I’ve been running, they should be. The Superb is one of those cars that makes a massive amount of sense. In any market segment there’s a standout model that nous suggests you should buy: a Volkswagen Up, a Ford Fiesta, a Volkswagen Golf R, a Porsche 718 Cayman. Well, for my money the Superb Estate is right up there with them. For a start, it’s massive. If you want an estate car to be an estate car, look…

When I rocked up to my first MSA hillclimb event at Prescott in the Cupra, it took me a whole minute to convince the entrance security staff I was a competitor. “What, you’re going up the hill in this?” asked the gatekeeper after I’d said we were car 51. I could see his colleague peering through the window at the completely standard and luggage-filled interior. “Yeah, we’ve got paddock passes,” I replied, slightly bemused by their doubts. In the paddock, it soon became clear why the entrance staff were surprised to see an unmodified 16-plate Ibiza Cupra turning up to compete. Specialised single-seaters, classic formula cars and other highly modified racers sat side by side in their paddock slots. Roll cages and semi-slick tyres abounded. I’m going to come plumb…

First off, let’s say full marks to Her Majesty’s AA service for coming to the rescue so quickly and then not going with the easy option. It may have been the distance involved but, exceptionally, the AA bloke was prepared to dig in. It was clear that all of Shed 5’s coolant had gone south. The old girl had overheated and expired. The top hose, which in the old days was attached to the radiator, had blown its seal. Said AA chap performed a surgical Super Glue operation. I drove on at my own risk, according to the official report. Final instalment next week.…

“The standard RS was well engineered and could easily handle a few extra horses” Nothing turns up the heat on an old Focus RS like the arrival of a new one. Comparisons are drawn from which, fortunately, the Mk2 of 2009-2011 emerges head held high. It has an involving front-wheel drive chassis, big reserves of tweakable power and – important, this – three doors, not five. If you’ve just spent £23,000 acquiring one, take a bow. That’s right: £23,000. You can spend a lot less, of course, or a bit more, but this is the going rate for an honest, late-plate Mk2 RS with Lux Pack 2. It’s also about £4000 shy of what it cost new. At the cheap end, the RS’s stubborn refusal to slip much below £19,000…

1 Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy From £30,000 Turning the Mégane into a 271bhp world-beater might just be Renault Sport’s crowning achievement. Stellar car. 2 Ford Focus ST From £23,000 If you’re looking for a better-value hot hatch, the latest ST is still the benchmark. Agile, supple and practical. 3 Seat Leon Cupra 280 From £28,000 Quickest Leon yet easily knocks the Golf GTI into touch. More power and sparklier diff response are the keys. 4 Volkswagen Golf GTI From £27,000 Overshadowed by the better Leon (and the much faster Golf R), but the GTI is still a touchstone. Quality in spades. 5 Skoda Octavia vRS From £24,000 Stretches the class description somewhat — but it’s a ›ine mix of practicality and performance.…

RANGE ROVER SPORT COUPÉ | LATE 2017 Range Rover will enter the SUV-coupé market next year with its most road-biased model yet. The Sport Coupé will share its architecture with the Jaguar F-Pace and be powered by six and eight-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, while a hybrid version is likely. The cabin will feature an ‘intimate’ cockpit layout. Price£60,000 (est) NOVEMBER 2016 Audi A5, Q5, R8 Spyder, S5, Dacia Logan MCV facelift, Sandero facelift, Sandero Stepway facelift, Kia Carens facelift, Optima Sportswagon, Soul TGD-i, Koenigsegg Regera, Mercedes-AMG GT R, Nissan GT-R Nismo, GT-R Track Edition, Noble M600 Speedster, Renault Grand Scénic, Scénic, Zoe facelift DECEMBER 2016 Lamborghini Centenario, Mini Clubman JCW, Tesla Model X EARLY TO MID-2017 Alpina B5 Touring, D5 Touring, Alpine A120, Audi RS1, RS3 saloon, BMW 5…

Uber is planning an electric flying taxi in the next decade. The firm said the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL ) aircraft would enable “rapid, reliable transport between suburbs and cities and, ultimately, within cities”. Uber said the autonomous electric aircraft would be safer, cheaper, quieter and cleaner than helicopters, and that VTOL flying cars could even become more affordable than running a car. “If VTOLs can serve the on-demand urban transit case well, there is a path to high-volume manufacturing and dramatically lower costs,” it said. Uber acknowledged that its vision is “ambitious” but said it was achievable “if regulators, vehicle designers, cities and network operators collaborate effectively”. FORD DEVELOPS SMARTER STEERING Ford is working on a collision avoidance system, called ‘evasive steering assist’, which decides if there’s room…

VOLKSWAGEN WILL withdraw from the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the end of the 2016 season. The announcement, made by VW R&D boss Frank Welsch last week, brings to an end the most successful chapter in VW’s motorsport history. “Volkswagen is facing enormous challenges,” said Welsch in an address to employees at Volkswagen Motorsport. “With the expansion in electrification of our vehicle range, we must focus our efforts on future technologies.” Welsch also confirmed a shift in focus towards customer racing programmes. “As well as the Golf GTI TCR for the track and the Beetle GRC in rallycross, we want to develop a new Polo to R5 rally regulations,” he said. Since entering the WRC in 2013, VW has won four successive manufacturer and driver titles. Commenting on the withdrawal,…

Peugeot is primed to launch a Ford Focus RS rival that will become the halo model for the range in place of a dedicated sports car, a role previously occupied by the discontinued RCZ coupé. Speaking to Autocar, new brand boss Jean-Philippe Imparato said he would “love to launch something even faster” than the 308 GTi hot hatch. When asked whether there was room for a model above the 308 GTi, Imparato said there was. “There is space for something,” he added. “I don’t have a solution but I am on it. “We are very involved in competition sport, like Dakar, and we don’t want to lose this space with our cars. I don’t think we will develop an RCZ replacement. On each level of our range — 308, 208…

Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson believes the growth in car sharing will cause the world’s car market to split into four main sections. Speaking at the launch of the Volvo S90 L in Shanghai, Samuelsson said the most popular form of car usage in the near future will be short-term rental. “Like [taxi hail services] Uber and Lyft, our role will soon be to provide autonomous-driving cars that are part of that sort of mobility,” he said. “That’s why Volvo has partnered with Uber to grow in this area of the market.” Samuelsson said the second most popular form of car usage would be peer-to-peer sharing. “If you need mobility for a longer time, maybe a week, we think there will be a market for car sharing, which we are already…

The BMW naming convention music has stopped once again and, in this year’s scramble for a seat, the M235i has been elbowed aside by the new M240i and made to sit in the corner. But in truth, there is more to this replacement than just a bigger-numbered badge affixed the compact two-door coupé’s bootlid. In the same vein as the new M140i, BMW has tickled its twin-scroll-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six petrol engine to produce an extra 14bhp, bringing the new total to 335bhp at 5500rpm, and it now offers 369lb ft between 1520rpm and 4500rpm, some 37lb ft more. Naturally, the M240i is quicker in a sprint than the M235i. Our manual-shifting car is capable of 0-62mph in a claimed 4.8sec, 0.2sec faster than before. And in yet more Bavarian…

“Like the 570S, the 540C surprises you with its agility in tight spaces. It feels compact and capable” Car buyers come in all shapes and sizes, but you’ll search a long time before you find a supercar owner whose proud boast is that he chose the cheapest model going. In my experience, a person who buys something as gloriously unnecessary as a Ferrari, Lamborghini or McLaren belongs to one of two types. They’re either so passionate about performance, driving and fine engineering that they’ll shell out whatever it takes to get the best car going. Or they simply want to demonstrate to you and everyone watching that they can afford the ultimate toy. The first of these two supercar shoppers may be the nicer to know, but for either case,…

Schreyer’s recruitment was an undoubted coup and a source of regret for the VW Group Kia. A decade ago it made cars distinctive only for their keen prices, I-didn’t-noticeit styling and a slightly unusual name. Before that, many of its cars were shortfalls on wheels. They were even cheaper, some had names redolent of unmentionable diseases (Sephia, anyone?) and if you’re old enough, you’ll recall that the name risked confusion with an orange juice product – Kia-Ora – popularly sold in cinemas. But a decade ago it certainly wasn’t an unsuccessful brand. In 2006 its worldwide sales totalled 1,141,000, with 36,000 buyers in the UK. There was one model in particular, the Sorento, that was not only mildly handsome but, as an SUV, was right on trend, too. This was…

The Focus RS is already approaching 12,500 miles (and therefore its first service). It has been accruing miles rapidly largely because a couple of colleagues have long-distance commutes but also because most of the office still wants a go. It seems to make no difference what they’re currently driving, what sort of cars they usually like or even what kind of journey they’re doing: people want a go in the Focus RS. Same goes for the general public. Certainly, the Nitrous Blue paint helps, but there have already been plenty of occasions where people have pointed, waved or flashed their headlights. The inevitable petrol station conversations (the average dipped below 30mpg last time I looked) have happened, too, with fans keen to know every detail. What to tell them? Broadly…

Muiris Moriarty tells me he’s a big fan of getting a good deal. This 2008 Subaru Impreza wagon with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and automatic gearbox “has done only 68,000km [just over 42,250 miles], has had two previous owners and came with a full service history”. Moriarty, who lives in Ireland, says: “I paid €2150 [£1935 at the current exchange rate]. It was just needing a new driver’s window motor, which was €70 [£63] second-hand and four tyres. I stretched to all-weather Dunlops for €400 [£360]. It passed the NCT [Ireland’s equivalent of the MOT test] with flying colours. Happy winter motoring ahead.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com ,…

An expert’s view ALASTAIR MAYNE, GRAHAM GOODE MOTORS “The RS is reliable but thrives on expert servicing. Main dealers are great, but consider a specialist for the ultimate care. Like RS owners, they’re enthusiasts, and they also understand the tuning scene — what’s possible and what isn’t. Driveability, as well as reliability, is the hallmark of a good modification. Anyone can squeeze a few extra horsepower out of a turbo, but the key is knowing how to upgrade the fuelling, induction and exhaust. Some sellers swear their car has been modified by an expert. Ask to see invoices for proof; there could be problems waiting in the wings.” Buyer beware… • BODY Rust isn’t an issue yet, but check the quality of any repairs, especially behind plastic trims where corrosion…

1 Elemental RP1 From £75,000 A tweaked Ford Ecoboost engine makes it fast, but it’s the beautiful handling that leaves a lasting impression. 2 BAC Mono From £79,000 A sublime attempt to recreate the single-seater driving experience for the road. Utterly incomparable. 3 Radical RXC500 From £143,000 Radical’s revision of its road car delivers the power previously missing. A Nürburgring record holder in waiting. 4 KTM X-Bow From £143,000 Austrian motorcycle maker’s take on a track day special. It’s hard not to fall for the wonderful driving manners. 5 Vuhl 05 From £60,000 Mexican track day car has a pragmatic and forgiving chassis Turbocharged engine isn’t the most characterful.…