Auto Express 1419

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news WAY back at the start of the year, I appeared in front of the Transport Select Committee discussing the Type Approval system. As I reported on these pages, the line of questioning was erratic, but it was generally accepted that the current emissions testing regime was wholly inadequate as the results it delivered were in no way reflective of what cars produced in real-world daily conditions. Last week, a Department for Transport report concluded exactly the same thing, at a cost of £1m to the taxpayer. Great! Glad we cleared that up then. Flippancy aside, there’s no denying emissions remain a hot topic. In the last week alone, we’ve seen Dutch MPs pass a motion to ban electric and diesel car…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram “New car will sit above Captur and Kadjar, and put focus on practicality and rear-seat space” RENAULT’S new Kia Sorento-rivalling Koleos SUV has been revealed at the Beijing Motor Show. It will launch globally with five seats this year, with the possibility of a seven-seat version following later. Renault has chosen to stick with the Koleos name for its flagship 4x4 because while the previous-generation version of that car was axed in the UK in 2010, it continued to sell strongly in China. The new model will sit above the Captur and Kadjar, with a focus on practicality and rear-seat space. It represents the final piece in Renault’s regeneration plan, which began in 2012 with the new Clio. Design boss Laurens van den Acker said the Koleos is…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn “New lightweight rear-drive platform will mean a slight increase in length and a small boost in practicality” THE BMW X3 had the mid-sized SUV market to itself when it arrived back in 2003. But 13 years down the line, its place at the top of the class is under threat. Competition from Audi, Mercedes and now Porsche will see BMW completely overhaul its Q5 rival for its third generation, due on sale in the middle of next year, and our exclusive image shows how it could look. Development of the new model has been under way for several years, but engineers have recently been spied applying the finishing touches to the new X3 at Germany’s Nürburgring race track. Spy shots indicate BMW won’t dramatically alter the current car’s…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “T-Prime showcases new plug-in technology, combining a 248bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine and a 134bhp electric motor” AND VOLKSWAGEN 4x4 FAMILY IS BOOMING Golf and Polo SUVs at double VOLKSWAGEN has also confirmed that it will launch SUV variants of its Polo and Golf “simultaneously” – causing a huge shakeup in the crossover market when the new cars make their debuts in 18 months’ time. Previewed by 2015’s T-Roc concept and this year’s smaller T-Cross Breeze drop-top respectively, and revealed in our exclusive images (right), the models had been tipped to appear within the next two years. Now, the company has said for the first time that they will “make their debut simultaneously” – giving its SUV line-up a shot in the arm at a time when the small…

AUDI has fired the TT RS into supercar territory with a thumping jump in power and speed. On sale in the autumn, the RS will cover 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds – only two-tenths slower than an R8 – and hit a maximum speed of 174mph. Power from the reworked 2.5-litre fivecylinder turbo has been upped from 335bhp to 394bhp and it now uses both direct and indirect fuel injection, along with variable valve timing. An even faster Plus version of the new car could be on the cards, too. The TT RS will launch as a coupé and Roadster at the same time, with Audi claiming even the heavier convertible will do 0-62mph in less than four seconds. A huge diffuser is built into the rear bodywork with two elliptical…

“First in plan for SsangYong is Tivoli XLV – an elongated version of the crossover due later this year” Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan SSANGYONG will continue its new car offensive over the next five years, with a different model set to launch every year until 2021. There will be a strong focus on alternative powertrains, too. Anand Mahindra, boss of the Mahindra Group, which owns SsangYong, told Auto Express that strong recent sales growth will bolster a range overhaul. “There is a great pipeline ahead, so expect a new model each year for the next five years,” he said. Mahindra elaborated by saying the brand’s improved UK sales mean a bigger commitment to the market here. “The Tivoli has been a real success story, and as a result you [the UK] will…