Innholdsfortegnelse for 7/6/2017 i Autocar

Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess has quelled speculation that the brand’s range of GTI-badged cars is set to grow, including an SUV model in the immediate future, stating that the Golf GTI, recently revealed Up GTI and next Polo GTI have completed the range. “I think with the three [GTI models] we have now, we are set,” Diess said. “GTI for us is ‘the’ hot hatch: a sporty car, classless, with potential for everyday use and accessible for many. It should be this car – a hot hatch.” This approach to the GTI badge does leave scope for an GTI ID electric car, although Diess said that including a performance model was not the idea behind the forthcoming all-electric hatchback. Instead, Diess hinted that Volkswagen could grow its range of sporty…

Horbury has shed some light on why China produces copycat designs, such as LandWind’s Evoque copy. “Whereas in the West we would see copying as almost criminal, the Chinese see it as a compliment,” says Horbury. “The tradition of craftsmanship in China flows from the idea of master and apprentice. The latter had to learn everything by copying the master.” He points out that the Chinese culture tends to look back, and not forward: “There is no Chinese science fiction writing. It’s all looking back. They tend to look back from inspiration, which is why there often isn’t originality.” Significantly, he believes that attitudes are changing fast as Chinese design students graduate from Western colleges and bring a fresh approach back home: “Their students’ creativity is fantastic. It’s only a…

TESTED 30.5.17, MUNICH ON SALE NOW PRICE £51,200 Assertively creamy growl or gently mellifluous gargle? You can hear either in Audi’s new high-performance SQ5, the growl loosened off in dynamic driving mode, the gargle your accompaniment for the rest of this Audi’s settings. The growl is not misplaced. This turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol crossover will score 62mph in 5.4sec, ahead of an eventual tethering to 155mph. Eight automatically selected gears will get you there, with quattro all-wheel drive dispensing 349bhp and 369lb ft. This SQ5 is the hottest version of Ingolstadt’s recently replaced Q5, the changes including reduced weight, slightly more room in the rear seats, improved powertrains and the latest suite of electronic driver aids. The petrol V6 is extensively revised, the previous supercharger traded for a twin-scroll turbo…

MODEL TESTED 1.2T 130 ELITE Price £19,395 Power 128bhp Torque 170lb ft 0-60mph 9.8sec 30-70mph in fourth 10.8sec Fuel economy 39.9mpg CO2 emissions 116g/km 70-0mph 48.2m Vauxhall took its time introducing a crossover when its rivals were busy launching theirs. But after bringing the Mokka – since updated and rebranded as the apparently more rugged sounding Mokka X – to the market, the company has found its feet. Since 2012, more than 120,000 Mokkas have been sold and now Vauxhall just can’t help itself, to the extent that it will put two more relatively compact crossovers on sale this year. This, the Crossland X, is the first. The second, the Grandland X, will be larger than its siblings. Market overkill? No, says Vauxhall, but on paper the space between the…

You will know, of course, about elephant graveyards: the sites on the Savannah to which these great beasts are instinctively drawn in their final hours, a place to lie down, die and decompose. There is but one problem with these graveyards: they don’t exist. The automotive equivalent, however, does. On an industrial estate outside Nuneaton you will find Flying Spares, where for the past 22 years Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars have come to breathe their last. It’s a strange place to spend a morning, surrounded as you are by once-gleaming limousines now reduced to scrap, sitting in gently rusting rows while waiting for their still-serviceable components to be harvested before that final journey to the crusher. Here a Silver Shadow, headlights removed, gazes blindly out at you; there a…

There have been plenty of attempts to revive dead brands in the past, most of them failing. Revival is a difficult business, which is why plenty of other marques haven’t attracted any attempts at all, despite their one-time successes. So which are some of the more intriguing brands to have disappeared, who owns the rights to their names and is there any chance that, one day, they could be revived? Austin 1905-1987 Once one of the UK’s biggest makers, doing much to motorise Britain with the 1922-1939 Seven and later the 1959 Mini. Other big hits included the 1100/1300, Metro, A40 and A30/35, for which there’s still a popular one-make race series. A significant miss was the Allegro, and the name was discontinued in 1987, under Rover. WHO OWNS THE…

“Driving it is rarely less than fun. It’s everything you want an MX-5 to be” Our new Mazda MX-5 RF has a hard act to follow. The last time Autocar ran an MX-5 as a long-term test car, editor-in-chief Steve Cropley was so impressed that he bought it. He still owns it, too. No pressure, then. So how can the MX-5 RF top that? The answer is with several carefully sculpted pieces of steel, aluminium and plastic, and a clever electrical motor that folds them all up and tucks them neatly away. That would be the Retractable Fastback – or folding hard-top, if you prefer. Hold down a switch on the dashboard and in around 15sec the three parts of the roof will be raised, folded and tucked into a…

WHEN FACED WITH a week’s holiday with my parents in the rural Lake District, ideally I would have sought out a rugged diesel SUV rather than the Niro, which is described by its maker as an ‘urban crossover hybrid’. In fact, the Niro was a qualified success on our trip. As I found with the Toyota Auris Hybrid I once ran, long motorway journeys at a constant cruising speed don’t really offer a chance for the electric motor to deploy so you end up lugging around heavy batteries that are largely redundant. In the Lakes, though, the Niro was more proficient. I soon realised that, in some ways, Lakeland roads aren’t too dissimilar from urban areas: your average speed is fairly slow because space is tight and there’s plenty of…

An Abarth that’s worth a punt-o The Abarth Grande Punto 1.4 is often overlooked but this 2008, 115,000-mile example has been breathed on. It’s a 155bhp model that has had an induction kit and a Bluespark tuning box and now has 180bhp. The tweaks are reversible if required because the seller still has all the standard parts. There are the usual Abarth bits, including bucket seats and Brembo brakes. It’s up for £3000. High-spec Audi gets V10 out of 10 Here’s a 2007 Audi S8 that has done 107,000 miles and is priced at £11,500. It’s hard to argue with a V10. It has also had mapping courtesy of AMD, so there’s more than 483bhp at the wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes to slow it down. The last service was a…

SUBARU XV | EARLY 2018 Subaru’s revamped crossover gets new underpinnings aimed at improving the ride comfort, refinement and steering and reducing body roll. Other changes to the XV include a revamped 2.0-litre diesel engine, a new driving mode – called X-Mode – for slippery surfaces and more standard kit. Pricefrom £25,000 (est) JUNE Audi RS5 Coupé, BMW 2 Series update, Dacia Logan MCV Stepway, Jaguar F-Type four-cylinder, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes-AMG GLC63 (right), GLC63 Coupé, Mini Countryman S E hybrid, Porsche 911 GT3, Renault Koleos, Suzuki Swift, Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer, Insignia Sports Tourer Volkswagen Arteon JULY Alfa Romeo Stelvio, BMW M4 update, Bristol Bullet, Fiat 500L update, Jaguar E-Pace, XF Sportbrake (left), Kia Soul EV, Land Rover Range Rover Velar, Lexus NX update, Maserati Ghibli update, Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain, SLC…

“The new A45 will have at least 369lb ft and crack the 4.0sec mark for the 0-62mph sprint” Mercedes-AMG will ramp up the already heady performance and dynamic ability of its A45 4Matic with a new second-generation model. Dubbed ‘the Predator’ by company insiders, the new all-wheel-drive hatch will have at least 400bhp and its own unique chassis developments. The car is currently being readied for a launch in 2019. Today’s four-year-old 376bhp first-generation A45 is capable of 0-62mph in 4.2sec, but AMG is planning to turn up the wick up further still. That’s a reflection of the threat from mega-hatch competition, which comes from the recently upgraded Audi RS3, plus the M2 CS being considered by BMW. The A45’s M133 turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine has been comprehensively reworked to…

BELT-DRIVEN ALTERNATOR-STARTER (BAS) 1 The 48V electrical system enables the 10kW starter-alternator to restart the engine at the high revs necessary when the car has been coasting at speed. The BAS can also assist the petrol engine. 48V BATTERY PACK This rechargeable lithium-ion, air-cooled 10Ah battery is about the same size as a conventional 12V battery and lives under the boot floor. It provides the main power source for the entire car. BELT-DRIVEN ALTERNATOR-STARTER (BAS) 2 A heavy-duty belt links the BAS to the crankshaft. It’s supplemented by a conventional 12V starter, used in cold conditions when viscous engine oil could cause the belt to jump. Audi will shortly launch a series of mild hybrid models, trailblazed by a version of the new A8 luxury saloon, which goes on sale…

Volkswagen will consider adding a estate body style to its new Arteon range if the hatchback version of the new car is well received in European showrooms, company sources have revealed. The Arteon hatchback – a rival to the Audi A5 Sportback that is expected in UK showrooms in October – will take VW into a part of the executive car market it hasn’t occupied since the Phaeton saloon was discontinued in the UK in 2015. “It’s our intention to turn the Arteon into a model family,” said VW product boss Elmar Licharz. “Right now we have a proposal on the table for a stylish wagon version to compliment the hatchback.”…

THE UPDATED NISSAN X-Trail will launch later this year with the brand’s first phase of autonomous technology and a refreshed look. Due on sale in August, the facelifted Honda CR-V rival will be available with Nissan’s ProPILOT 1 system, which can control the vehicle’s throttle, brakes and steering on the motorway. There’s a choice of three engines, all retained from the outgoing model. These are a 1.6-litre diesel, a 2.0-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre petrol. They come mated to either a six-speed manual or CVT gearbox and produce between 45.6 and 57.7mpg. Nissan has also tweaked the design of its best-selling SUV model, giving it a sharper face with a new V-shaped grille surround and angular daytime running lights. Adaptive headlights are available. Cabin materials are smarter, DAB is now…

TESTED HANOVER, GERMANY ON SALE OCTOBER PRICE £38,000 (EST) You’re looking at the new face of the Volkswagen brand. Even more importantly than being a rival for added-desirability executive options such as the Audi A5 Sportback and a replacement for the old Passat-based VW CC, that is what the Arteon five-door hatchback represents. Except that Volkswagen refers to this as a ‘fastback’, because hatchbacks are, by and large, smaller, cheaper and far more ordinary. Of course they are. ‘Fastback’ executive cars are special and much more appealing than a saloon with an otherwise mainstream badge might be. Remember the Rover 800? Where the Arteon leads, at least in styling terms, much of the rest of the Volkswagen passenger car range will follow. Let’s wait and see if that’s necessarily good…

There is no consensus as to what a supercar even is, let alone when the first one appeared. Recently, I found the term in a test of a V12 Lagonda printed in a 1938 issue of The Autocar, but some reckon it’s older even than that. Others, however, claim that its use in the sense we understand today is far more recent, becoming part of common speech only in the 1970s and referring only to cars built from the mid-1960s. But my sense is that the car with the best claim to being the first true supercar is Mercedes-Benz’s 300SL ‘Gullwing’, an immaculate example of which you see on these pages in company with its latest offering to the breed – the 63-years-younger Mercedes-AMG GT R. So far as I…

“I wanted it to be about more than simply car storage” They call it ‘the Batcave’ because of the amazing cars it contains, and because you could be standing within two feet of it and not know it was there. I can’t tell you precisely where it is except that it’s in an underground car park in central London, shielded from view by thick walls. Fortunately, one of them has a door. My guide punches in the security code, the door swings open – and the Batcave’s treasures are revealed. Under strip lights and standing on a spotless floor are rows of cars concealed under identical branded dust covers. I’m told the atmosphere is climate-controlled, and maintained at precisely 15deg C. Under the covers are around 100 ultra-expensive motors including…

Where’s the emotion? I’ve just watched – or attempted to watch – the manufacturer’s video of the Nio EP9 electric car setting a lap record at the Nürburgring but, whilst the car’s acceleration is awesome, I lasted only two minutes before the white noise became unbearable. A naturally aspirated multi-cylinder engine paired to a manual gearbox will always be more enjoyable at all speeds than the soulless, but very fast, electric machines. Speed is great fun when used correctly, but surely to us petrolheads the whole experience of a great engine with a great note, as well as being in charge of the gears and so on, must bring more pleasure than a warp-speed time machine. I appreciate what electric cars can do, but I will be happier (and most…

On paper, the Suzuki Baleno seemed to suit my requirements down to the ground. Launched last summer, the hatchback is a rival to the Skoda Fabia and designed to be a more sensible, spacious and competitively priced alternative to Suzuki’s smaller but more fun-to-drive offering, the Swift. The Baleno is only available in a five-door bodystyle and is aimed at families like mine. I need something that’s affordable, practical and spacious. My two boys, aged 10 and eight, are getting taller, so rear leg room is an increasingly important factor when I contemplate a new car. The Baleno delivered on that score because it’s bigger than your average supermini. Ours also had an efficient new 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo engine and came with an impressive kit list. We chose the…

If you swap cars reasonably often, or have done so recently, you’ll be familiar with the sensations of getting comfortable with a different vehicle over time. A gearshift that at first seemed too long soon becomes second nature, for instance, or a grumbly engine that shocked you moves to being background noise. Never is this more true than when you jump in an electric car. Suddenly, you can hear the rumble of tyres on the road for the first time, because it isn’t drowned out by engine whine, for instance. You can pull out of junctions where you’d not even have risked it in a sports car, such is the instant torque. And, I must admit, in my case there’s an undoubted calmness and composure that descends on my driving,…

MILEAGE 1291 MINI COOPER I’ve experienced rather a lot of MOT tests recently and there are a couple more to come. Essentially, it could not be any worse than the spectacular failure of the Land Rover (see this slot in last week’s issue). That story is to be continued. Meanwhile, the Mini Cooper has been pin sharp and never misses a beat. Regular usage seems to keep it sweet. As a result, I got the MOT I wanted, which is one without any advisories, so another year of super fun motoring without any issues beckons. I’ll leave the issues to all of my other cars...…

‘Future classic’ is a phrase this most sober of buying guides likes to avoid, but in the case of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, we’ll make an exception. The model has all the ingredients for a healthy pension fund: scarcity (around 500 on the road or SORNed), desirability (an active fan base keeps the flame alive), pedigree (Evos were frontrunners in the WRC from 1996-99), technology (four-wheel drive with active yaw control) and performance (0-62mph in 4.4sec). All this and, thanks to a four-door body, room for the family. It arrived in 1999 priced at £31,000 and bowed out just two years later. Since then, used imports (in truth, even official Mitsubishi Ralliart cars required single vehicle approval) have continued to pitch up. They make excellent buys but good ones…

Mitsubishi’s acquisition by Renault-Nissan has drastically improved the chances of a new Evo performance model making production, according to the brand’s UK managing director, Lance Bradley. The added financial security and expanded engineering base resulting from the takeover — announced last October after Mitsubishi admitted to falsifying fuel economy figures — has made justifying a new halo product much easier, said Bradley. “There wasn’t a definite Evo in the Mitsubishi plan [before the purchase], but one of the many advantages of joining the alliance is that more platforms are available,” he said. Mitsubishi’s last Evo, the Evolution X, went out of production in May 2016. Like its forebears, it was a four-wheel-drive performance saloon, but a future Evo would almost certainly be based on an SUV. Bradley didn’t rule out…

Rolls-Royce’s director of design says it’s unlikely any customer will be as involved in the design of a car as they were with the bespoke Sweptail machine. However, the company may make more one-off ‘coachbuild’ specials in the future. The Phantom VII-based Sweptail, which was revealed at the end of May, took four years to develop and may be the most expensive model ever sold, according to CEO Torsten Müller-Otvös. The firm’s director of design, Giles Taylor, explained that the risks associated with such a closely arranged process mean it’s unlikely to be repeated. “We will probably never repeat the level of involvement we had with a customer for this car, not because we don’t want to but because it’s always fraught with risk that someone may misinterpret the end…

“It strikes just the right balance between hardcore purpose and pragmatic real-world usability” TESTED NURBURGING, GERMANY ON SALE JULY PRICE £89,130 So here it is: BMW Motorsport division’s definitive take on the performance 4 Series Coupé. Maybe. And if so, only at the fifth time of asking if we include the late DTM Champion Edition in the list of M4s we’ve been treated to already. Well, it’s no more cynical than Porsche’s profiteering with the 991-generation 911 GT3, is it? Where desirable performance derivatives are concerned, it seems anything goes. The M4 CS comes to market about a year after the even more expensive and specialised M4 GTS. It will be in production for the thick end of two years and officially it’s not a limited-series car: BMW M says…

“Fans arrive early to build multi-storey edifices from wood, steel, scaffolding – and tractors” The Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race, held over the last weekend of May at the German motorsport Mecca, may be the world’s most outrageous racing event. It’s made unique by the punishing 15.5-mile circuit it’s contested on; by the 200-strong, borderline-dangerously varied field of cars entered; by the incredible bravery and skill of the drivers who tackle it; and not least by the hedonistic commitment of the hundreds of thousands of fans who descend upon this corner of the Eifel mountains. This year’s race was won by the Land Motorsport Team’s Audi R8 LMS driven by Connor De Phillippi, Christopher Mies, Markus Winkelhock and Kelvin van der Linde. One hundred and nine cars finished the race,…

FEATURE The top 50 cars on sale The best cars on sale today, as ranked by our expert testers, complete with curveballs and controversial choices REVEALED New Jaguar XF Sportbrake Our first look at Jaguar’s answer to the new BMW 5 Series Touring INTERVIEW Lee Noble Steve Cropley asks the returning Lee Noble about his latest project EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Mercedes E-Class Coupe Luxurious new two-door Merc is subjected to our thorough road test FIRST DRIVE Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Andrew Frankel assesses Ferrari’s replacement for the FF on UK roads LONG-TERM TEST Honda Civic British-built hatchback joins our fleet. Is it finally a true VW Golf rival? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see 24…

Service intervals get ever longer but they’re still a pain when they run out – especially when your car is a mile-muncher like our Bentley Bentayga. And extra-especially since nowadays there’s absolutely no indication from the way a car drives that it needs attention. A 1990s Bentley might have given a hint or two along the way: the Bentayga just drives the way it left the showroom. As the 10,000-mile cut-off approached, I started counting down from 9200, meaning to make an appointment every day. But I still overshot. And at 10,200, I suddenly discovered an urgent 600-mile errand. Would it be okay to add that extra mileage? We decided it wouldn’t, so contacted HR Owen’s Bentley service people in a bit of a panic, knowing demand is often so…

Volkswagen Bora Used Volkswagen and Audi dealer Andrew Chapple bought this 130,000-mile VW Bora TDI 130 from a customer who had just acquired a £10,000 Golf GTI and was going to leave it on the road to be collected by a scrapyard. Andrew says: “I quickly amended the sale receipt to include the Bora. The customer was going to accept £100 from the scrapyard, so I gave him that off his new car. Some simple DIY work was needed, including a new wing (at £120) to replace a rusty one, a cambelt change, service, exhaust repair, brakes and CV boot. However, the Bora owes me only £600.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

1 Mercedes-AMG C63 S From £66,800 Mercedes-AMG’s best hot four-door. Chassis is uncompromising but engaging with it. Wonderfully tactile and playful. 2 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio From £59,000 Hot Giulia’s handling dynamism is unmatched, but engine, gearbox and interior aren’t on the same level as the Mercedes-AMG. 3 BMW M3 Competition Pack From £56,600 Sharp, lean and as precise as a surgeon’s scalpel. Incredibly well mannered but a bit reserved at low speeds. 4 Audi RS7 Performance Pack From £94,500 Titanic V8 engine and four driven wheels makes this a genuine sub-4.0sec 0-60mph prospect. Handling not as natural as some. 5 Jaguar XJR From £92,400 Doesn’t quite ape the bang-for-buck value of the XFR, but has chiselled style and performance kudos to burn.…