Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/10/2017 i Autocar

The Jaguar XJ will retain its place as the range-topping model in Jaguar’s line-up in its next generation, according to design boss Ian Callum. Callum said there was now a “consensus” within the company that the XJ, rather than a large SUV, will remain the firm’s flagship, even if such a model does eventually appear. To that end, a ‘J-Pace’ model, to sit above the F-Pace in Jaguar’s SUV range, is still expected, albeit with careful positioning. “An SUV was discussed but it’s not the mainstay of the brand,” Callum told Autocar at the Frankfurt motor show. “There’s more sophistication for a flagship sedan than a flagship SUV. Only one brand can have an SUV as its flagship due to its origins and that’s Land Rover.” Callum said the very…

“UK annual sales have slipped to ‘around 3500 units’ from a peak of about 12,500 in 1999” Subaru is to be relaunched in the UK after a number of lean years for the Japanese brand, according to Paul Tunnicliffe, managing director of IM Group, the UK importer of Subarus. Two all-new models based on the company’s new Global Platform – the XV crossover and the Impreza hatchback – are due in showrooms by the beginning of 2018 and an all-new Forester is expected to arrive in 2019. Tunnicliffe told Autocar that Subaru’s UK annual sales had slipped to “around 3500 units” in recent years, dropping from a peak of about 12,500 in 1999 – “although, admittedly, 6000 of that total was WRX Impreza models”, he said. Last year, Subaru sold…

Adopting solid-state batteries would be a potentially significant point of difference for Dyson Dyson, the vacuum cleaner maker, aims to go one step further than Apple and Google by making its own electric car – and claims that it will be in production in just three years. Dyson, which revealed the first details of its ambitious plan last week, will follow the example of Tesla in creating its own new model from scratch, developing the hardware and software without partnering an existing car maker. Both Apple and Google, the latter through its offshoot Waymo, have already abandoned plans to make their own cars as they believe the process to be too complex. Instead, they will develop self-driving car technology for existing car makers. Dyson’s switch from vacuum cleaners, hand dryers,…

We recently tested Vauxhall’s new mid-sized crossover with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol motor but this diesel, though 10bhp less powerful with 118bhp, could prove to be the more suitable powerplant thanks to its stronger mid-range torque, better economy and lower CO2 emissions. The car, a rival to the class bestselling Nissan Qashqai and the class best Seat Ateca, is available with six-speed transmissions with either two or three pedals. The test car came with the automatic gearbox and, combined with the diesel engine, represents a useful improvement on the manual 1.2. The petrol motor is quieter and makes a far sweeter sound, but these are poor substitutes for low-down grunt in a relatively heavy car like this. Also, these are cars that will be expected to do long distances and…

The first thing you notice, before you’ve travelled far, is how compact this new, small Jaguar SUV, the E-Pace, feels at speed. Compactness isn’t something you instantly associate with Jaguars so some built-in agility is especially welcome on this narrow, sinuous Welsh back road that connects the thriving border town of Welshpool to Bala, about an hour away in central North Wales. Much of that road is flanked by trees, abrupt drops, rocky banks and ancient, straggling fencing first put there when road users crawled past in Morris Minors. But the tarmac between those threatening verges describes one of the most exhilarating driving roads in Britain. We’re here because this is a favourite haunt for Mike Cross, the hugely experienced engineer in charge of ‘Jaguarness’, whose task is to polish…

“Naturally aspirated is part of the DNA of a super-sports car” “My dream is to maintain the naturally aspirated engine for as long as possible. It is a sense of emotion in a super-sports car.” Thank you, Maurizio Reggiani, the man in charge of development at Lamborghini, for giving us hope. In the world of supercars and hypercars, Lamborghini is alone in having so far resisted fitting even turbochargers to its models in the pursuit of lower emissions, let alone hybrid or electric power. Why so? Because of what’s in Lamborghini’s DNA, says Reggiani: “Our DNA is the design, emotion and performance, to make the experience of the car unique. These are conditions that define a new car. We then try to put them in a more scientific way, making…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 13,570 WHY WE RAN IT To assess whether Jeep, the grandaddy of off-roaders, can take a place at the top table of compact SUVs in 2017 A key reason for conducting long-term tests is because impressions and opinions of a car can change over time. What can seem like minor quirks on a first drive can grow into major irritations when you spend an extended period of time in a vehicle. And that’s exactly what happened with our Jeep Renegade. When I first jumped into it, I loved its character and some of its quirky features. But as the novelty and new-car smell wore off, many of those features became tiresome. My initial impressions were that the car might be worth more than the 3.5-star rating our…

Jaguar XK8 Andy Sharratt bought his XK8 on 23 December 2011: “With just under 90,000 miles on the clock, it was a great Christmas present to myself. At £10k, it was the most I’d ever spent on a car but I justified it on a Bangernomics-type principle of low depreciation and never mind the fuel bills. “I took it up to 176 400 miles drove it almost daily and went to France half-a-dozen times, including Le Mans. The XK8 got used at Harewood hillclimb for one event and also as a load lugger carrying wall insulation. “Overall, it was a very versatile and comfortable car. Depreciation? Much better than it would have been on a £10k hatchback. I eventually sold the XK8 to We Buy Any Car for just under…

Skoda Octavia vRS The Skoda Octavia vRS has always enjoyed Q-car appeal for its subtle looks and Golf GTI-like pace. We particularly like the estate version, but so do lots of used buyers and that’s keeping values very strong. So, if you don’t need that added luggage capacity, the hatch is a snatch from £3500 for a 2006 car with 75,000 miles. That bags you a cared-for example with 200bhp, a six-speed manual ’box and 0-60mph in 7.3sec. Check the ventilation controls work, the air-con is chilled and the gearbox slots smoothly between first and second, and then enjoy this sneaky treat. The best bit? Try to find a similar wagon and you’ll pay £2k more. Toyota MR2 A test drive in a third-generation Toyota MR2 the other day reconfirmed…

McLaren P1 From £866,000 McLaren set out to build the best driver’s car in the world and it came ridiculously close. A 903bhp go-kart. Porsche 918 Spyder From £674,000 Only in the hypercar category do ive stars not guarantee the class lead. The hybrid 918 feels built to rule, too. A mind-boggler. LaFerrari From £950,000 A more than worthy successor to the Enzo. Indeed, it makes the old-timer feel gruesomely under-achieving and is far sweeter to drive. Bugatti Veyron From £1.15 million A waning obsession with petrol power taken to its extreme limit. There are better cars, but few are quicker. Pagani Huayra From £1.4 million Last century’s idea of a hypercar. Staggering in almost every way, not least its looks. As exclusive as it gets.…

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA GSi | EARLY 2018 The hot version of the new Insignia has a 252bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine sending drive to all wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A lighter kerb weight, a twin-clutch rear differential and adaptive dampers should make it better to drive than the old Insignia VXR. Price from £30,000 (est) OCTOBER Aston Martin DB11 V8, Vantage AMR, Audi TT RS, BMW6 Series GT, Hyundai Kona, Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Kia Stonic, McLaren 570S Spider, Mercedes S-Class update, Porsche Panamera ST, Ssangyong Rexton (left) NOVEMBER BMW X3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Hyundai i30N, Jaguar E-Pace, XJ update, XJR 575, Kia Stinger, Nissan X-Trail, VW Tiguan Allspace DECEMBER Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi A8, Dallara Stradale, Honda CR-V, Jeep Compass, Kia Sorento update, Lexus CT and NX updates,…

“The plug-in hybrid is capable of 31 miles in electric-only mode” Land Rover has revealed a heavily updated Range Rover Sport with design changes, new powertrains and an interior overhaul to challenge rivals, including the new Porsche Cayenne. The highlights of the mid-life facelift, ahead of an all-new model arriving in 2020, are a hot SVR variant and a plug-in hybrid electric model. The flagship Range Rover Sport SVR, described by the car maker as “the ultimate performance SUV”, uses the F-Type SVR’s 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine with 567bhp – 25bhp more than the outgoing Range Rover Sport SVR – and 516lb ft. The new SVR shaves 0.2sec from its predecessor’s 0-62mph time, at 4.5sec. The SVR also uses more carbonfibre than previously, making it “faster and more agile…

“Beating the F1’s top speed or P1’s acceleration would require more than the P1’s 903bhp” The three-seat McLaren BP23, a new Ultimate Series grand tourer, will be “the fastest-ever McLaren”, the company has promised. McLaren has yet to clarify precisely what it means by “fastest”, but the BP23’s focus won’t be the track. “It’s just faster. That’s all we’re saying at the minute,” said Andy Palmer, McLaren’s Ultimate Series line director. “The goal of this car is to give customers the ability to have a high level of luxury, bespoke elements on the car, high performance, high speed, a very much road-focused grand tourer.” A modified 720S is currently being used as the development mule for the BP23 (bespoke project two, three-seater). The central driving seat, visible in the photographs,…

Suzuki’s e-Survivor — a small SUV concept — is a futuristic off-roader in the mould of today’s Jimny and Vitara but with electric power and all-wheel drive from four in-wheel motors. It will make its debut later this month at the Tokyo motor show. The e-Survivor is intended to be a true off-roader, with short overhangs, large wheel arches, knobbly tyres and huge approach and departure angles. The two-seater has a steering wheel and driver controls, a departure from the autonomous systems of many space-age concepts.…

The steady rise of Genesis continues with this new four-door saloon, conceived as a competitor to the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. Set to go on sale in Korea and North America in early 2018, the G70 is scheduled to enter Europe by the end of the decade. The G70 will offer three turbocharged engines in combination with either standard rear-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive, including the headline 3.3-litre V6 petrol unit tested here. The engine has a sporting edge that enthusiasts will appreciate. There is plenty of torque and a free-revving nature to its delivery means it can be worked hard without any undue harshness. The standard eight-speed gearbox, on the other hand, is a little slow to react both in automatic and manual modes, even if…

MODEL TESTED 330e iPERFORMANCE M SPORT Price £35,320 (inc £2500 government plug-in car grant) Power 249bhp Torque 310lb ft 0-60mph 6.3sec 30-70mph in fourth 8.8sec Fuel economy 40.6mpg CO2 emissions 49g/km 70-0mph 48.8m The choice for anyone looking to move their next executive saloon car purchase away from straight petrol or diesel power and into the plug-in petrol-electric hybrid fold has been somewhat slow to grow. Now, though, we can expect it to hit another gear, with so many European governments having announced plans to legislate for a mandatory hybridised motoring future. That may be good news for us; but it means life for this week’s road test subject, the BMW 330e iPerformance, may be about to get quite a bit tougher. This electrified 3 Series claimed the spoils in…

Now, if like Dan Prosser and his wonderful Lamborghini (page 44), I had a ballpoint and a sheet of A4 paper I wonder if I could fill a page with things that could be improved on the McLaren P1. I suppose I could use very big letters. It’s five years to the month since McLaren announced it was going to make the P1, this limited-run, hybrid-powered hypercar – hence they’ve just let us have another go in it. It’s four years since it was launched and three since we gave it the full Autocar road test, including a new dry handling circuit lap record, a 2.8sec 0-60mph time and one of the least hesitant five-star ratings we’ve ever given a car. And it’s still an absolutely exquisite machine from start…

“It’s very competitive. Despite what some lenders say, not all supercars are guaranteed to make money” My neighbour James Roxburgh has a problem: his 42,500-mile, 1997-reg Ferrari F355 Berlinetta manual is now worth so much money, he daren’t drive it. He paid £34,000 for the car five years ago in a private deal but has just been offered £80,000 for it by a specialist dealer. “When I bought it, I assumed it would never fall much below £35,000,” he says. “Now I daren’t take it out of the garage in case I damage it.” Welcome to the crazy world of used supercars, where prices for the best examples mean enthusiasts like James have cars so valuable, they’re terrified to drive them. Tim Marlow, head of the prestige division at Magnitude…

Current affairs It was interesting to read of Jaguar Land Rover s plans for a range of electric vehicles. I am, however, reminded of the last time I stopped to charge my BMW i3 at a motorway services, only to find both of the Ecotricity ‘pumps’ occupied. I looked over enviously at the eight Tesla Superchargers occupied by one car taking on charge, free at the point of use, as opposed to the £3 (plus units used) I would have been charged by Ecotricity. I do not criticise Ecotricity for this – after all, it must make a living – but I question whether the other luxury car makers have taken on board that their upcoming EVs’ 300-mile ranges might not be enough to reliably get their customers a some…

MILEAGE 7928 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if a hard-top makes the MX-5 more practical but no less fun When I joined Autocar around five months ago, I was struck by the friendliness of my new colleagues. In particular, they seemed incredibly interested in what I was doing with my weekends. It didn’t take long to work out it wasn’t my leisure plans they were interested in, but the long-term test car I was custodian of: our Mazda MX-5 RF. After all, the MX-5 has always been an excellent weekend getaway car (assuming your plans only involve two people and limited luggage), and the addition of a folding hard-top should, in theory, only add to its utility. In the past months, I’ve surrendered the RF’s keys to colleagues so…

QUESTION I’ve owned Citroën 2CVs in the past and loved them. I want another classic so am selling my BMW 330d – but is a 2CV as good an option as it was? David Ellis ANSWER We say go for it. This iconic French car remains extremely well supported and it is possible to get just about every single part to keep one running. A 2CV is an acquired taste and not for everyone, but most will love the quirky looks and the fabulously comfortable ride it gives. The2cvshop.co.uk is just one specialist company that provides excellent help for owners. QUESTION I’m thinking about buying a Saab 9-5 2.2 diesel as a daily drive, but I’m also quite tempted by the idea of a Vauxhall Omega. Thoughts? Carl Sampson ANSWER…

“There aren’t many LS400s left and those that remain have usually done starship mileages” It’s almost 18 years old, has done 220,000 miles and has just returned from a 3000-mile European road trip, during which, the seller claims, it never missed a beat – and it could be yours for £800. ‘It’ is a Lexus LS400, Japan’s first bullseye on the luxury car market. This one’s the Mk4 version – that is, the second-generation facelifted car. (There were two generations, each of them facelifted.) So it has the uprated 280bhp V8 engine with variable valve timing, and a five-speed automatic transmission and suspension tweaks. It has a sat-nav and parking aids, too. “They all work,” says the seller. So £800: not a lot, is it? Actually, you can get runners…

Porsche 911 Carrera  From £73,500 Delivered on the eve of its sixth decade, the 911 991 is as brilliant and distinctive as any before. Tweaked GTS is the best. Jaguar F-Type From £51,300 A full-blooded assault on Porsche’s back yard, with noise, power and beauty. As characterful as any Jag, ever. Aston Martin Vantage From £85,000 What the Vantage lacks in agility it makes up for in presence and grunty V8 power. The V12 S is something special too. Nissan GT-R From £80,000 Monstrously fast Nissanis more rounded thanbefore, but remainsa blunt instrument among sharper andmore charismatic rivals. Lotus Evora From £64,000 The ride andhandling put nearly everything elsein its shade. Shametheinterior doesn’t matchthe price tag.…

A Jaguar 2+2 sports car is back on the cards, and would sit alongside the brand’s next-generation F-Type. Jaguar design director Ian Callum told Autocar at Pebble Beach: “I want a two-seater [the F-Type] and a 2+2. “We’re working on something now. There’s nothing approved, but we instigate in design – that’s what we do.” Discussing the idea further at the Frankfurt motor show last month, Callum said he believed Jaguar could add an XK-like model to its range and would “like to get back to both”. To that end, Callum has some “quite different ideas… as to how to carry four people quickly around the world” with their luggage, suggesting if the XK were reborn, it would be as a true four-seat sporting grand tourer. The XK was discontinued…

A PERFORMANCE CITROEN C3, which would create a link between the brand’s road cars and World Rally Championship participation, is still in the frame, according to Citroën boss Linda Jackson. Talking at the Frankfurt motor show last month, she said she would “like to see some links between the C3 on road and track” but, until customers demand it, it is “not relevant for the positioning of the brand”. Despite Jackson’s caution, a Ford Fiesta ST rival is under serious consideration at Citroën. Jackson told Autocar earlier this year: “I would like to have something that links the investment and benefits from WRC and Citroën Racing and we currently have something in study.” She also said: “I don’t have the answer, I’ll be honest. It’s got to be a car…

In 2009, Autocar met Sir James Dyson to find out if he could reinvent the car. Here are some of the highlights of the interview: In Dyson’s car park, we have a new Toyota Avensis Tourer. So, Sir James, what do you think of this typical family car and how could things be done better? “The dashboard is a jumble of switches and buttons,” he says. “Everything looks the same and there seems to be no particular order. Yes, you would eventually learn your way around, but it should be more instinctive.” Perhaps by following JCB’s example of using brighter colours for important controls or the aviation industry’s use of colour-coding? “Yes, exactly,” he says. “The heater controls could be colour-coded in, say, red. Everything to do with audio in…

It’s not every day, year or even decade that a marque with a ticket to the World Rally Championship launches its first hot hatch. The i30 N, then, is something to be taken very seriously indeed. That Hyundai’s objective has been to cram in as much performance for the least possible outlay for buyers should also have your ears firmly pricked up. Why now? Well, the brand is on something of a roll, recording an 87% increase in European sales in the past five years. To build on that success and translate rally podiums into profit, it is launching a new performance arm: N. Enter Albert Biermann, the long-time chief engineer of BMW’s performance arm: M. He’s the kind of man who expects the ‘ESC off’ button in a car…

★★★★☆ BMW’s first attempt at a plug-in hybrid version of its venerable junior saloon is a success. The 330e captures the benefits of an electrified powertrain while, in the main, preserving the athleticism of the standard car. It’s certainly the most versatile 3 Series on sale and has enormous potential for future development. As far as this iteration of the 330e goes, its electric range isn’t as impressive as some rivals’ and the interior is starting to show its age. However, the powertrain’s blending of two energy sources is executed with class-leading elegance and yields diesel-like torque that makes light work of everyday driving. That the turbo engine returns good fuel economy even when used in isolation enhances this car’s substantial appeal as an all-rounder. The spec of our test…

Give me a Biro and a sheet of A4 paper and I’ll fill the page with ways in which the Lamborghini Aventador S could be improved. But nowhere on that list will you see anything to do with electric motors, stacks of batteries, regenerative braking or 15 miles of EV range. None of those things would make the big Lamborghini any more thrilling to drive and that, I reckon, is all that really matters. From start to finish, the Aventador experience is a very special one. When you see it parked at the side of the road, it looks too low to accommodate human beings and too wide to fit down a residential street. It’s just so mean, almost hostile. Then you open the doors and they rise upwards like…

COMPARISON Ford GT versus racers for the road Ford’s competition-derived supercar reaches the UK, where it meets a race-bred Radical and Porsche. Does the GT work on our roads? FIRST DRIVE New Rolls-Royce Phantom Is this really the best car in the world? Matt Prior finds out INSIGHT How to name cars Christening a new car model is hard. We discover how they do it EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE Kia Stinger GT Verdict on Kia’s first attempt at making a BMW 3 Series rival ROAD TEST Huracán Performante Our full set of test numbers on the record-breaking Lamborghini FIRST DRIVE Audi A8 Another big test: the first Audi from its new era of design and technology SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p28…

MILEAGE 9031 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Is there a better bargain driver’s car? We don’t think so but need to be sure… SKIDS ARE FUN, don’t you think? Over-rotate the rear and let the car slide along and – poof – a shot of adrenaline and an accompanying rush of endorphins are pumped into your brain and you feel exhilarated. Brilliant, isn’t it? Well, yes, it is, unless you pile the back end of your drift-mobile into something hard, like a kerb. Then it’s not brilliant. I can tell you that from first-hand experience. A wiser driver might be inclined to leave some form of electronic assistance on when they fancy ‘getting the rear out’, to prevent such a scenario. The BRZ can cater to this because, since the 2017…

MILEAGE 77,005 VOLKSWAGEN POLO The Toy Car, which no longer belongs to my teenage offspring, by the way, had been doing its stuff without any issues until the offside headlamp went on the blink. With the shorter days now upon us, a full complement of lighting is rather essential. I rooted around the garage for the spares I’d bought last year but couldn’t find them. At the local motor factors, the replacements were a tenner. Halfords, though, had a double pack for £10, so we bought those. My fat, experienced sausage fingers managed the job, but it was still fiddly.…

“The suspension’s give and softness make the BX unlike any other hot hatch to drive” Have you heard of the Citroën BX GTI 16v? I’ve no doubt that you, as an esteemed reader of this august publication, have. Time was, nevertheless, that you could ask that question even of a proud car enthusiast and be met with a blank stare, such was the obscurity to which the BX GTI 16v plunged at the nadir of its exile to the bargain bin. That it was even there is a pity. Numbers were culled drastically as the hot BX’s cheapness encouraged many a Peugeot 205 owner to buy one, strip the engine out and scrap the rest of the car. After all, taking a car with a suspension system optimised primarily for…

An expert’s view BARRY SANSOME, ENTHUSIAST OWNER “I’ve owned eight LS400s and five of the later 430s. The LS400s have been the most reliable. In fact, they’ve been so good I’ve never taken out breakdown insurance. The leggiest had done 379,000 miles and its engine was as sweet as a nut. Lexus dealers are the nicest I’ve ever met. I sold my latest LS just last night. I’ve replaced it with a 430 but already I’m sorry. My wife says she won’t be seen in anything else, so I’ve a bit of explaining to do…” Buyer beware • ENGINE If there are any noises, walk away. The timing belts and water pump should be changed every 100,000 miles. Check for oil leaks from behind the timing cover. It’s the cam…

Land Rover Discovery Sport From £32,400 Seven seats, lots of space, ine on-road handling and Land Rover’s usual off-road capability, plus new-found desirability. Jaguar F-Pace From £34,200 Credible irst SUV effort handles like a proper Jaguar. Deserves a better engine than the entry-level diesel. Skoda Kodiaq From £23,000 Does wonders for the Skoda brand, and brings seven-seater functionality to a new audience. Not as great to drive as some. BMW X3 From £31,300 A close match for the Land Rover in terms of practicality and dynamism but with better engines and equipment levels. Volvo XC60 From £31,300 Refreshing design now made more competitive by Volvo’s recent engine revolution. Not quite as spacious as some.…