Auto Express 1424

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news WHAT makes a good-looking car? We’re frequently reminded that styling is subjective, and beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. But for many models, there is generally some consensus. Take this week’s cover star, the Audi Q2, for example. It’s the first car overseen and signed off by the company’s new design boss Marc Lichte, and it’s fair to say it’s been recognised by most as a welcome breath of fresh air after the company’s fairly sterile ‘Russian doll’ approach of recent years. The Ian Callum-penned Jaguar F-Pace and new Alfa Romeo Giulia (Page 38) are two other examples of recent designs almost universally well received. In contrast I don’t think I ever met anyone who had a kind…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler IF there are two things guaranteed to fly out of showrooms right now, it’s supermini-sized SUVs and premium small cars. So the Audi Q2, a combination of both, has to be a surefire winner, doesn’t it? At 4,190mm long, the Q2 is 217mm longer than an Audi A1 and 120mm shorter than an A3. Among SUVs, it’s a smidge longer than a Nissan Juke and a MINI Countryman, yet the best part of 200mm shorter than its big brother, the Q3. So we can safely say it qualifies as a small SUV. The biggest problem many small SUVs have is that they can look a bit dumpy, while the short wheelbase and high centre of gravity combination can play havoc with ride and handling. Thankfully, Audi seems to…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE “The new car is intended to showcase the link between Renaultsport’s F1 effort and its road cars” RENAULTSPORT is celebrating its 40th birthday in 2016, and to mark the occasion it’s revealed a concept designed to be the fastest road car it has ever built – and we’ve already had a ride in a prototype. The idea for the Clio R.S. 16 is simple: take the engine and gearbox from a Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R and fit it into a Clio’s body for the ultimate combination of low weight and high power. It’s named after the current Formula One car and shares its livery, too, celebrating the brand’s return to the sport. The project has been in development for just five months, with the deadline set for last…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE new Vauxhall Zafira Tourer has been unveiled, with revised looks and a host of new technology options. At the front, the MPV gets new headlamps with Vauxhall’s ‘double wing’ daytime running lights. There’s an updated grille, plus more muscular wheelarches. It looks wider, squatter and more like the new Astra than before. At the rear, it’s business as usual. Vauxhall vice president of European design Mark Adams said: “The front of the new Zafira Tourer takes the characteristics of the award-winning Astra, and anchors it in Vauxhall’s new portfolio. “This is also reflected in the interior by a redesigned instrument panel and dash. It’s purer, clearer and easier to use.” That’s where the biggest changes occur. There’s a new dash with a neat integrated screen replacing the…

Top-spec Touareg loads up on kit VOLKSWAGEN has launched a new top-spec Touareg R-Line Plus (above). It gets a load of extra kit and costs from £48,095 – with order books open now. As it’s based on the existing R-Line, the car has that model’s sporty bodykit, panoramic roof and xenon lights. It adds 21-inch alloys, a 360-degree camera, piano black trim and electric leather seats. VW says all the kit would cost £3,255, but the Plus is only £1,160 more pricey than an R-Line, starting from £48,095. French fuel rations hit holidaying Brits BRITISH motorists travelling in France are calling breakdown providers every nine minutes after running out of fuel. The problem is a consequence of the ongoing fuel crisis in the country, with more than 40 per cent…

CRASH-for-cash fraudsters, who engage in road accidents with the intent of gaining insurance payouts, are deliberately targeting company cars and filing bogus whiplash claims as they believe large, corporate insurers will pay out faster than private policies. Crooks are identifying company cars by looking for the names of leasing companies on the bottom of number plates and then crashing into them. Used car buyers could also be at risk from similar scams if they purchase a vehicle formerly owned by a leasing company and the number plates still bear the original logo, so new owners are being encouraged to invest in unbranded plates. Nearly-new ex-fleet and lease models are the most likely targets for scammers. “Criminals are picking on a type of fleet car because they’re easy to recognise,” Antony…