Auto Express 1425

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news WE’RE very mindful every week when putting your favourite car magazine together that our sole focus can’t simply be the cars. For many of you the ownership experience is equally important, if not more so. It’s one of the reasons we receive such consistently positive feedback about our industry-leading product pages. Now a new report commissioned by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has provided conclusive proof of just how important aftercare is for the millions of motorists on our roads. Published to coincide with Britain’s inaugural Automechanika aftermarket trade fair, held in Birmingham this week, the survey found that UK motorists splashed out an average of £695 every year looking after their cars. This is some 12 per cent…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ■ New Ka+ revealed; not much smaller than current Fiesta; starts at under £9k; “Ford believes it can attract buyers with mix of supermini space, big car safety and lower running costs” FORD is aiming for budget-conscious small car customers who would normally choose second-hand vehicles with its new value offering, the Ka+, which aims to serve up supermini space for city car money. Despite its name, the model you see here bears no relation to the diminutive Ka city car, which will be killed off as part of a realignment of Ford’s small car strategy. The new vehicle is almost as large as a Ford Fiesta, in fact, and uses many of that car’s components, including Ford’s global small car chassis technology. Ford believes it can attract…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “We know the new model would be lower and squatter than the existing 6 Series” “It’s likely that a firebreathing M6 would top the range with more than 550bhp” BMW is preparing a sports car rival for the all-conquering Porsche 911, Auto Express can reveal. The new car could launch before the end of the decade, and our exclusive images show how it might look. The German brand is hatching a radical plan to realign its current 6 Series model as a smaller, more agile sports car – allowing space at the top of the range for the return of the 8 Series (see panel, opposite), which ceased production in the late nineties. BMW has not contemplated a Porsche 911 rival before, but the arrival of Mercedes’ new…

“The challenge for the newcomer was to simply improve on the old model with some subtle tweaks” Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE THE new Audi A5 has been revealed at an event at the brand’s Ingolstadt home in Germany, with the sporty two-door coupé now based on the fresh A4 saloon and Avant. The A5’s grille is lower and wider than before, and creases that flow outwards above and below the headlights add muscle to the nose. A bonnet bulge combined with the wider air intakes and chrome detailing on the bumper creates a sportier look. Current A5 owners will be familiar with the rest of the car, however, as it shares similar design cues. Designer Frank Lamberty told us the previous model was considered a “masterpiece”, and the challenge for the newcomer…

Value Golf Estate has met its Match VOLKSWAGEN has launched a new Match version of the Golf Estate. Replacing the current SE trim level, the Match (above) adds 16-inch alloys, front foglights, electric door mirrors with puddle lights and rear parking sensors. The central screen is also upgaded to the 6.5-inch ‘Discover Navigation’ unit, while heated seats and a new allergy filter complete the extra kit list. The Match commands a premium of only £100 over the SE, however. The Golf R and Passat ranges also get uprated infotainment for a small price increase. Major increase in average speed cams THE number of road miles covered by average speed cameras in the UK has more than doubled in the past three years, new research reveals. According to the RAC Foundation,…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk SamNaylor_AE THIS is the new Skoda Kodiaq SUV, spied testing for the first time after the brand confirmed the car’s name last month. The Kodiaq was previewed by the Vision S concept at March’s Geneva Motor Show, and from these pictures it’s clear how similarly styled the two cars will be. The concept’s sloping roofline, large clamshell bonnet and wide grille are all present on the test car in our photographs, as well as new, sleeker headlights. Roof bars and the large tailgate mark out the car’s practical side, while bulging sills give it a more muscular look. It’s harder to distinguish rear end traits thanks to the masked-off lights and windows, but the Kodiaq is sure to have plenty of space in the back. There’s also a small…