Auto Express 1420

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news THE Chinese are coming! It’s been the cry of many a manufacturer over the past decade, especially the old ‘value brands’ (hello Kia, Skoda, Hyundai) that have been edging upmarket and wanting to put clear space between themselves and what they expect to be new budget contenders from the Far East. This week, we can reveal that the Chinese are, indeed, coming. And how exciting it is, too. Geely, owner of Volvo and the London Taxi Company, will be selling cars in the UK ‘within the next two years’. Whether they’re wearing a Geely badge or under the Emgrand brand or another new name, we don’t yet know. But talking to Geely folk and its Brit chief designer Peter Horbury this…

mail@dennis.co.uk “It’s rapid if you bury the throttle; the V12 really does sound magnificent” “It feels like an Aston of old – but better at everything it does, full stop” IT’S not often that we get to drive cars as important as this as early in their development process. But for one rather memorable afternoon, Aston Martin threw us the keys to its new DB11, months before it’s due to hit showrooms. The DB11 is the replacement for the excellent but ageing DB9. It’s a vital car for Aston, not least because it heralds a new era for the famous sports car company – created under a new boss, by a new engineering team, with a new set of goals. It also happens to feature a brand-new twin-turbo V12 engine.…

“Focus will be on a more upmarket experience when the new SUV arrives in UK showrooms” Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn HONDA’s largest European SUV is about to become even bigger. The fifthgeneration CR-V will be based on a new platform and is set to be powered by a range of new engines. The focus will be on a more upmarket experience when the new SUV arrives in UK showrooms in 2018, and our exclusive images preview how it could look. Prototypes have already been spied testing in the US (opposite, bottom), and despite the heavy disguise, one thing is clear; the CR-V will significantly grow in size. With the Jazz-based HR-V muscling into Honda’s SUV line-up, the Japanese maker is bulking up the larger CR-V and possibly fitting a third row of…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler JAGUAR’S highly acclaimed XF saloon will spawn an estate version – and it’s likely to debut towards the end of next year. Jaguar design director, Ian Callum, had previously been reported as saying that the firm would not build another estate, but he was keen to put the record straight in an exclusive interview with Auto Express. “I was misquoted saying we’d never build another wagon,” Callum told us. “I was asked if we’d ever build an XE wagon – and we won’t.” When asked about an XF estate, he added: “That would be a very pretty car.” Auto Express understands the new estate has already been signed off and could debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017, before going on sale later that year. Our…

Tesla boss hints at sub-£30k Model 4 TESLA CEO Elon Musk has hinted at plans for a cheaper electric car – after the £30k Model 3 (above) launches next year. Speaking at a conference in Norway, Musk said: “There will be future cars that are even more affordable. “With the fourth-generation and smaller models, we will be in a position where anyone can afford the car,” he continued. Rumours suggest a small EV could be badged Model 4. A ‘Model Y’ small crossover is also on the cards. VW revs up torquey new turbo engine VW has revealed tech details for its new EA211 evo petrol turbo. Set to replace the current 1.4 TSI, the 1.5-litre fourcylinder gets a variable geometry turbo to allow maximum torque from 1,300rpm. A high…

Joe_Finnerty@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer TOP FIVE MISFUELLING UK POLICE FORCES We reveal the forces with the biggest repair bills for misfuelled cars in the last five years. The Met Police tops the table but it also spends the most on fuel. 1. Metropolitan Police Total repairs £167,118.00 2. Kent Total repairs £25,629.00 3. Derbyshire Total repairs £16,078.53 4. Hampshire Total repairs £14,070.64 5. Devon and Cornwall Total repairs £13,118.00 POLICE forces in the UK have spent nearly £400,000 in the last five years on repairing their fleets after officers filled patrol cars with the wrong fuel, according to an exclusive Auto Express investigation. Since 2011, there have been 2,147 incidents of an officer putting the wrong fuel in their vehicle while on duty – more than one every day. And the problem…