Innholdsfortegnelse for September 25, 2019 i Autocar

ONE OF THE most common topics in the correspondence we get concerns how wide cars are getting, more examples of which you can read on this week’s letters page (page 64). Richard Bremner researched the topic for us (Autocar, 24 July). He revealed why cars are getting wider: more stringent safety requirements, people getting bigger and the need to house ever wider tyres to deal with ever greater performance, among other reasons. The science might be sound and reasonable, but so is the reality: cars are getting too wide for the roads they inhabit and their parking spaces. But are the tables about to turn? Mini has vowed its next-generation three-door hatchback will shrink thanks to some clever packaging, reversing a worrying trend for that brand in particular (page 10).…

MAZDA HAS FILED a chassis design patent that suggests a successor to the RX-8 sports car is on the way. A ‘Vehicle Shock Absorption Structure’ patent drawing shows a spaceframe-style structure unlike any current Mazda’s. It also has double-wishbone front suspension, used primarily by sports cars, and a prominent crossmember that implies a front/mid-engine layout. Carbonfibre-reinforced plastic and aluminium also feature. It’s the latest in a long line of patent filings and reports that suggest Mazda is developing a “premium sports car” above the MX-5.…

Ineos Automotive, founded by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffie to create an “uncompromising 4x4” in the mould of Land Rover’s outgoing Defender, has confirmed that its new vehicle family will carry the name Grenadier and will be built in an all-new plant in Bridgend, South Wales. The £600 million project will utilise body and chassis parts sourced from – and painted in – a second new Ineos car plant being commissioned in Estarreja, Portugal, close to many automotive suppliers. The Grenadier name, which was chosen from a web-based poll of 6000 fans and followers, invokes the name of the Knightsbridge pub where Ratcliffie, a lifelong Land Rover fan, first hatched his plan to build his own no-frills 4x4. The project has been live since early 2017. The company will unveil the…

A year ago, one noted automotive analyst admitted privately that he thought Tesla might have effectively gone bust. He had good reason: the link between Tesla’s share price and its financial performance had long since been severed. The reason a banker with huge experience would have questioned Tesla’s viability is simply that the stock market valuation was detached from the real value of the business. This detachment peaked in 2017, a year in which Tesla delivered around 103,000 cars globally. Ford, by comparison, delivered around 6.5 million cars. In June 2017, the market valued Tesla at $64 billion, rather more than Ford and GM. Today, Tesla remains highly valued despite very significant losses. Even with the Model 3 rolling off the production line, Tesla lost $710m in the first quarter…

I think this handsome thing is the world’s best electric car. I suppose it should be, because the new Porsche Taycan, in toppermost Turbo S form, costs £138,826 before options – and you’ll need to specify some of those, as we’ll come to. First, though: this electric car/Turbo combo. There’s something not quite right there, wouldn’t you say? Although Supercharger and Autopilot don’t seem to mean what I thought, either. Look, we all know Turbo is a sub-brand, not a literal thing, says Porsche. It means souped up, which is why there are Turbo versions of vacuum cleaners or already turbocharged 911s. Figuratively, Turbo means chuffing powerful. The Taycan Turbo S figuratively and literally is that. It has 751bhp, albeit on overboost, for a few seconds, during launches, when it…

In a performance car market in which supercar-fast, four-wheel-drive executive cars are now much more common than they ever used to be, Audi is about to bid to reclaim its familiar old perch. A new generation of big, luxurious, V8-engined RS models is imminent, bringing with it powertrain and suspension technology that no fast Audi has had before – and this RS7 Sportback will be part of it. Despite its punchy styling and mild-hybrid propulsion, however, this isn’t a car that much alters the time-honoured, measured dynamic character of the big Audi ’bahn stormer. The RS7 is rapid without being raucous or raw; involving up to a point, but almost too refined and reserved to be that exciting. It’s the modern fastback GT for those who want a car that…

VERDICT With the original X5, BMW showed the world that an SUV could be made to handle properly, but this new clique of performance crossovers is arguably a harder nut to crack. Powerful but efficient small-capacity engines and an architecture akin to that of a traditional hot hatch make them relatively unfamiliar territory for the company and it joins the race not because it wants to, but because it feels it has to from a commercial standpoint. On the one hand, the X2 M35i wants nothing for performance and its new four-cylinder powertrain is a highlight of the package, operating with muscular refinement and no small amount of character. On the other, its low-speed ride quality is simply not good enough to support the case for everyday use. In the…

Enough tributes have been paid to the Ford Fiesta ST of 2013-18 for us not to add to them here, save to say that if you’re looking for a class-leading hot hatch that’s also great value for money, you’ve just found it. Prices start at around £6000 for the first cars and go all the way to £14,000 for the last ST-3s with low mileage. All are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 180bhp and, thanks to an overboost function, 197bhp for a maximum of 15sec under full throttle. Lifting off briefly is sufficient to reset the timer and away you go again. This generation of Fiesta ST was the first to use torque vectoring, a system that brakes the front wheels individually to tame any incipient understeer.…

HYUNDAI PONY 1.3 PRESTO The sales brochure describes this 1989-registered Pony as a modern classic, and why not? After all, it dates from Hyundai’s first years in the UK (the brand set up shop in 1982) and, thanks to the talents of the British engineering team behind it, Italdesign’s styling and its Mitsubishi powertrain, the model helped to establish the brand here for good. Its encouraging reception would give the green light to fellow South Korean car maker Kia, the pair of them helping to raise standards of quality and reliability across all car makers. This mint 7000-mile example made £1450.…

Set against today’s cutely styled SUVs, the Land Rover Freelander 2 of 2006-15 looks tough and ready for a dose of hard work, be that towing a horsebox, wading through a river or rounding up sheep. In fact, thanks to its on-demand, four-wheel-drive system and other traction trickery plus a choice of lusty diesel engines, it can do all of these things and more. One specialist regards the model as a kind of mini Range Rover: it’s that comfortable and capable. It arrived with a choice of two engines: a thirsty but sweetly powerful 230bhp 3.2 auto petrol badged the i6 and destined to be a poor seller; and a 158bhp 2.0-litre diesel manual called the TD4, which was the mainstay of the range. An automatic version arrived soon after.…

No one produces as thorough a judgement on a new car as Autocar. As well as acceleration, braking, fuel economy and noise tests, we carry out benchmark limit-handling tests, setting lap times if appropriate. But we don’t just drive at the track, essential as it is for finding the limits of performance. We also drive on a wide range of roads. Where we have tested more than one model in a range, the rating is for the range overall. Where a model within the range meets our coveted five-star standard, it is highlighted in yellow. » 30-70MPH Indicates overtaking ability through the gears. » 50-70MPH Recorded in top gear (*kickdown with an automatic) and demonstrates flexibility. » FUEL ECONOMY Figures quoted are the average and touring fuel economy as tested.…

“Mini will continue to offer internal combustion engines alongside battery-electric versions” Mini is seeking to reduce the size of its core three-door hatchback model when it enters its fourth generation under BMW ownership. The fourth-gen BMW Mini range, due in 2022 or 2023, is also set to expand to include a new compact crossover model, as first revealed by Autocar in August. Speaking to Autocar at the recent Frankfurt motor show, Mini boss Bernd Körber said he’d like to see Mini “grow in some aspects” while he’d also “love to see the core Mini shrink again”. That latter point is currently the focus of the new car’s early development. There is an acknowledgement within the company that the core three-door hatchback has grown too large and its proportions lack the…

BMW HAS EXTENDED the X1 line-up with a new xDrive25e plug-in hybrid. A turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine powers the front wheels and an electric motor drives the rears. Combined system outputs are 217bhp and 284lb ft. A 9.7kWh lithium ion battery is claimed to give the car a WLTP electric range of 35.4 miles. Top speed in EV mode is 84mph. BMW quotes a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec and an overall top speed of 119mph, alongside 143.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 43g/km.…

Aston Martin has finally confirmed the launch powertrain of its DBX crossover ahead of a full unveiling in December. The Bentley Bentayga rival will be powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the same Mercedes-AMG-sourced unit found in the DB11 supercar and Vantage sports car. However, for the DBX, power has been boosted beyond the 503bhp of both of those cars to 542bhp. The highest-performing Aston V8 also makes 516lb ft of torque in the DBX, 19lb ft more than usual. Aston has yet to reveal the car’s performance stats but claims testing has already proven that it can “repeatedly exceed 180mph”. Said to have undergone the most comprehensive test regime of any Aston Martin to date, the DBX is also claimed to have “regularly achieved” sub-eight-minute lap times of the…

The rapid expansion of Volkswagen’s new electric ID range will ramp up in 2020 with the launch of two SUV-based models – both of which will be offered exclusively in China. The country will play a key role in VW’s ambitious goal to sell one million ID-branded electric cars per year by 2023. Stephan Wöllenstein, VW’s China boss, said the country is “the driving force” behind the firm’s electric offensive, which began with the launch of the ID 3 hatch at the recent Frankfurt motor show. In fact, the success of VW’s heavy investment in full-electric technology is likely to depend on the country – and China poses several major challenges. About half of VW’s 6.2 million car sales were in China. With Chinese government incentives heavily pushing electric vehicles,…

BMW’S NEXT-GENERATION 2 Series Active Tourer has been caught in prototype form ahead of an expected unveiling next year. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class rival, caught on the back of a trailer outside a BMW facility in Germany, can be seen sporting an evolutionary look more closely aligned with the new 1 Series, on which it is based. It also appears to feature shorter overhangs than the outgoing model, suggesting BMW has worked to improve interior space and packaging. The engine line-up is likely to include a base 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol available in a number of different power outputs. A full range of diesels spanning 118bhp to 188bhp will also feature. The expectation is that a new plug-in hybrid variant will be offered, given the necessity of such…

Porsche’s 919 Le Mans racer ran an 800V electrical system from the first stages of its development in 2011 and, pretty much from then on, that’s what Porsche had in mind when it came to developing its first full-electric car. It lets 270kW flow from a high-output charger but also a similar amount consistently under regenerative braking, so Porsche estimates almost 90% of all braking will be done electrically, rather than via physical discs. That’s why there’s a tungsten-carbide coating for the brake discs on iron-disc Taycans: they might get so little use that they’ll fur over otherwise. Interesting times for customers, manufacturers and dealers, though: fewer moving parts means an EV can require 30% fewer people to assemble it and less servicing, meaning, according to Porsche’s deputy chairman, Lutz…

Volvo’s very modernist approach to the performance saloon is a direction that the established elite in this segment will have to follow as the electrification ramp-up marches on. This S60 is Volvo’s fastest-accelerating production car, but it does things a little differently from the Germans. That’s why it has no big wing, no flared arches, no giant air intakes and no shouty, quad-tipped exhaust. It’s aiming for a customer who wants versatility, a better balance of performance and economy, and subtlety. We’re familiar with Volvo’s Twin Engine T8 system in its larger cars. It’s a complex-sounding combination of a turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder petrol engine powering the front wheels and a rear-mounted electric motor supplied by a (larger for 2019) 11.8kWh battery. Volvo claims up to 30 miles of electric…

1 PORSCHE MACAN It’s more expensive than others but it handles remarkably well and reeks of perceived quality. Basic petrol version could be quicker, though. 2 AUDI SQ2 Sure-footed handling and serious straight-line poke marred by mute steering and a serious demeanour. Rides better than the X2. 3 JAGUAR E-PACE P300 Greater handling panache than you might have read, if not as agile as some here, and with ride quality easily good enough to live with. 4 BMW X2 M35i Hit and miss M-division product goes well and handles accurately, but it’s expensive and lacks the finesse that we’d expect. 5 CUPRA ATECA Not quite the driver’s car that we’d hoped it would be. That engine is impressive and tough, though, and the cabin is plenty spacious enough.…

Performance cars in all their forms are usually pretty well-defined machines. Whether it’s through their looks, badging or the clearly prescribed market sector they fall into, they leave you in no doubt about their intentions. Yet sometimes there are fast cars that catch you by surprise. These aren’t Q cars as such, more machines that, you sense, have been developed without the engineering and marketing departments getting together before, during or after the process. They’re the models that, ordinarily, a company insider might have asked: “Hmmm, okay. But who’s actually going to buy it?” As a result, they fall outside of the normal categories, which means they weren’t bought in big numbers new and, crucially, their values have tumbled since. That’s excellent news for us because it means there are…

The tribal nature of motorsport means it always feels odd to cross the streams. The tree-lined roads leading to Oulton Park make me remember youthful visits during the heyday of the British Touring Car Championship’s Super Touring era, but today’s trip is to celebrate a far muddier form of competition – one that’s also more appropriate to the Yaris GRMN that has been my not-especially-civilised companion for the journey here. Because Wales Rally GB is set to return to both England in general and the Cheshire circuit in particular this October. Although super specials are often looked down on by hardcore fans, who regard rallying as something that happens in forests, they have long offered a way for less dedicated fans to get close to the action without the need…

There’s clearly a conflict between what could be called extravagant hypercars and large luxury SUVs and the need to reduce emissions from vehicle manufacture and use. I’m increasingly finding myself admiring the design, engineering, technology and level of quality that go into these cars, but concluding that they’re really no longer desirable because of the global threat to our future. My initial reaction to the news that a Bugatti Chiron had broken the record for the fastest road-legal car (News, 4 September) was ‘Wow’, followed by ‘What on earth is VW doing?’. The Chiron is certainly a beautiful car, beautifully engineered, but this seems an unworthy stunt in today’s environment. Perhaps Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann was feeling the same. He couldn’t say they’d made a mistake, so very cleverly stated…

MILEAGE 4407 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT The sporting appeal of BMW’s roadster has diminished over generations. We want to find out if it’s back Earlier reports of our time with BMW’s new Z4 have attempted to come to terms with the fact that it’s less a bona fide sports car and more an entry-level grand tourer. So, as the sun came out for the very last weekend of summer, that’s exactly how I treated it. The Z4, it would seem, is not so easy to pin down, though. My ‘grand tour’ began with a 50-mile jaunt from Autocar’s London barracks out to deepest, darkest Kent, and by about the midway point, I’d decided the seating position was not going to encourage many owners to strap their skis to the back…

MILEAGE 83,587 BMW 320 The saga continues. The impossible-to-start Baby Shark drove me to phone the AA. I could not smell petrol, so clearly it wasn’t getting there. My local garage no longer has recovery facilities, which is a pain as they used to sort out non-start scenarios. Anyway, my experience of the AA has been excellent. They want to sort it out rather than tow you to a garage. Manually pumping fuel took ages and suggested the new vacuum pump could not handle it. Once primed, the engine ran and it got me to the garage. We need more pumps. Stay tuned.…

An expert’s view SUE MADDOCK, CO-DIRECTOR, FREELANDERSPECIALIST.COM “The Freelander 2 is very different from the original model – much more reliable and higher quality. The diesels are very good but the rare 3.2 petrol is a dream to drive. If its economy bothers you, have an LPG conversion fitted. We rarely see the eD4 because its drivetrain is so much simpler and that’s the real issue with four-wheel-drive 2s: the drivetrain. It’s very sensitive to tyre condition, quality and pressure. Any issues here and the system thinks it has detected wheel slip and engages four-wheel drive. You might be doing 60mph and suddenly it kicks in, when it can cause all sorts of damage.” Buyer beware ◼ ENGINE Watch for oil leaks around the intercooler, and when switching off the…

Porsche’s SUV boss has confirmed more details of the next-generation, all-electric Macan, first revealed by Autocar in October 2018. The new model will feature an entirely different bodystyle from the existing Macan to reflect its status as a reinvented model for the brand. Speaking to Autocar at the recent Frankfurt motor show, Porsche’s director of SUVs, Julian Baumann, confirmed that the existing, internal-combustion-engined Macan will remain on sale alongside the new Macan during a transitional phase. The offering will broadly mirror that offered by the Taycan/Panamera duo. The electric Macan will arrive in 2021 and initially be a high-performance model in the mould of the Taycan, carrying the same Turbo badging to identify it as the top-of-the range version. The current Macan will be offered alongside it partly because “some…

Internet giant Amazon has placed an order with EV start-up Rivian for 100,000 electric delivery vehicles. The US maker will produce the vans for service to start in 2021, with a plan to have 10,000 on the road by 2022 and 100,000 in operation by 2030. The retailer previously invested £350 million in Rivian, which aims to make a range of EVs on a bespoke modular platform. Ford is another high-profile investor. Rivian’s factory in Illinois has a capacity of 350,000 units per year.…

BMW’S DESIGN BOSS has again defended the brand’s controversial new styling direction, continued in earnest by the recently revealed Concept 4 Series Coupé. After it was unwrapped at the Frankfurt motor show, Adrian van Hooydonk was asked about the polarising views of BMW’s recent design debuts. He told Autocar: “I’m not a psychologist but I know BMW is a brand that not only has customers, it has fans. They know our entire design history and have strong opinions on that. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it means we have really connected with these people on an emotional level. Okay, I know that there might be some discussion with fans because they’ve grown to love what you’ve just done and you’re changing it already. “As a company, you have…

DS will reveal a flagship saloon next year, and the first prototype images have emerged. The new model – likely to be named DS 8 – shares many design features with the DS 7 Crossback SUV, including its front and rear light designs. The saloon is based on the same EMP2 platform as its sibling, and will be the third of six new DS vehicles launched over six consecutive years. A company source told Autocar that it will be “comparable in every way to the BMW 5 Series”.…

THE BATTLE AGAINST drag isn’t only about what happens on top of the car: there’s plenty going on underneath as well. Originally, most manufacturers considered the underside of cars to be out of sight and out of mind, a confusion of ugly nobbly bits not worth any attention. Today, most cars are equipped with expansive undertrays to offer a smooth surface to the airflow. It’s an effort to make the underside as slippery as the upper surfaces, but there’s more to it than that. The space beneath the car has another important role as well, that of reducing or increasing lift. When the speed of air increases, the pressure drops, and if that happens on top of an object, it generates lift. It’s how wings work and what makes an…

Mitsubishi will use the Tokyo motor show in October to reveal a new compact plug-in hybrid concept. Previewed in this image, which shows a distinctive split roof design with what appear to be cooling fans mounted within, it’s said to showcase the maker’s next generation of all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid tech for models smaller than the Outlander. The firm will look to split the Outlander, Eclipse Cross and ASX further from each other in terms of size in future.…

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The 8 Series Gran Coupé is the latest attempt by BMW to muscle its way into a market for luxurious grand tourers – a particularly hard-fought segment that includes stiff competition in the form of the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera. Replacing the undistinguished 6 Series Gran Coupé, it is the third and final instalment in the reborn 8 Series line-up, following the more overtly sporting coupé and cabriolet. Together with the price-leading rear-wheel-drive model driven here, the initial range also includes the four-wheel-drive 840d xDrive and M850i xDrive Gran Coupé models. In coming weeks, we’ll also see the heavy-hitting M8 Gran Coupé. Styling-wise, BMW’s upmarket four-door mimics its two-door siblings but features a 201mm longer wheelbase. Like the CLS, it has a traditional notchback-style boot for added…

What difference can 1g/km of CO2 make? To the planet, it’s a step in the right direction. For company car drivers, it’s a significant financial saving when – as here, with this first in a soon to be long line of new Audi plug-in hybrids – it dips official emissions below 50g/km. In top-level technical terms, this Q5 55 TFSIe (there’s also a less performant 50 e) mates a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine to an electric motor powered by a 14.1kWh lithium ion battery. On paper, working together, the two units can deliver 362bhp, with a top speed of 140mph and a 0-62mph time of 5.3sec. The TFSIe can also travel a claimed 26 miles on electric-only power. Only if you really push do you notice the added weight…

MODEL TESTED M35i Price £44,235 • Power 302bhp • Torque 332lb ft • 0-60mph 5.0sec • 30-70mph in fourth 6.7sec • Fuel economy 31.0mpg • CO2 emissions 157g/km • 70-0mph 46.4m There is a reasonable chance that you won’t like the look of this week’s road test subject: the new top-of-the-range performance version of BMW’s X2 designer crossover hatchback. The Munich firm knows that. You might even say it was counting on it. ‘Polarising’ is how BMW chooses to describe the appearance and positioning of this £44,235, 300-horsepower, four-wheel-drive, high-rise family five-door, which is the new star attraction of a model range that we’ve yet to run the road test ruler over in any form. The X2 is a car intended to be either loved or hated, then; to trade in…

On the Hill Route at Millbrook proving ground, the X2 M35i didn’t show quite the level of agility we’d expect of a hot hatch built to similar specifications, but its raised centre of gravity barely held it back in terms of cold, hard pace. The limited-slip front differential helps the car to resist understeer effectively and lays the foundation for an enjoyable sense of balance through tighter corners, where the X2 M35i stays doggedly true to one’s desired line and tracks rapidly from entry to exit with little body roll. That said, approach the limits of this chassis and the electronics – predominantly the ABS and ESP system – begin to become too dominant, which is perhaps an admission that the car isn’t entirely comfortable being wrung out. The steering…

We’ve all read about downforce, but photographer Max Edleston and I are now experiencing the phenomenon. It becomes noticeable at 180mph, when our Lamborghini’s gobsmacking Rosso Bia body begins to squeeze high-frequency suspension vibrations into submission, smoothing the flow. At 195mph, the force exerted on the front apron means effort is required to make tentative steering corrections. At 210mph, 10 screeching cylinders are all but drowned out by torrential oncoming air, which isn’t surprising because the Huracán Performante is now making almost eight times the downforce of a basic Huracán. Less than 1400kg of aluminium, plastic, ‘forged’ carbon-composite, Alcantara and ego has bolted itself to the road with a resolve that messes with your head. Only a moment ago, this thing seemed one of the most agile, flickable supercars out…

SPECIAL FEATURE 100 years of Citroën: the best, the most innovative and the future We head to Paris to celebrate the very best of Citroën, and meet the team running the company to discuss – and drive – what’s coming next DRIVEN New Renault Zoe The first verdict on Renault’s second-gen electric supermini DRIVEN Dallara Stradale Legendary race team makes its first road car. To Wales to drive it EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Audi A1 Audi’s second attempt at a plush supermini gets the full treatment LONG-TERM TEST Mercedes-Benz E300de Does diesel-electric tech offer the best of both worlds? We find out USED BUYING GUIDE BMW 1 Series M Coupé M made its first 1 Series in 2011 – with explosive results. How to buy one now SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or…

MILEAGE 5543 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Peugeot’s smart new generation of saloons really do offer a viable alternative to premium rivals They used to call it ‘The Burma Road’, such were the size of the potholes and puddles. But Brands Hatch today is a very different place than how it used to be and the access road from the main entrance to South Bank is now smooth asphalt. Clearly a vast improvement – although on a recent visit to the Kent circuit, I had cause to wonder how the Peugeot 508 would have coped back in the days when all this was mud. The race meeting was a big international affair on the full (and wonderful) Brands Grand Prix circuit, one of my favourite places in the…

As summer fades to grey, there’s just time to grab a soft-top such as this, a Lexus SC430. It’s not the prettiest on the block but you won’t fault its quality, especially if you buy a facelifted one such as the 2006/06-reg we found for £10,495. (It cost around £60,000 when new.) Earlier cars had a brittle and lumpy ride and mediocre handling, partly cured by changes to the suspension in 2002 but properly fixed in 2004. Then in 2006, the model was treated to fresh bumpers and new 18in alloy wheels. The SC430 was launched in 2001. It’s powered by a silky 4.3-litre V8, producing 282bhp and driving the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic gearbox. The folding roof is aluminium (it takes a yawning 25 seconds to do…