Auto Express 1436

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news HERE’S a prediction for you: diesel engines will completely disappear from the line-ups of some major car makers in the next five years. Actually, it’s not me making that prediction – I met with the boss of one big car company this week who told me he thought that he wouldn’t have any diesel models in his brand’s range by 2021. A bold statement given that around half of the models his company is currently selling are diesel powered. Much has been written recently about the potential demise of diesel due to concerns over the local pollutants they emit compared with petrol engines. The car industry has been lobbying hard, especially encouraging politicians not to demonise diesel amid threats of punitive…

Essentials Porsche Panamera Turbo Price: £113,075 Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 Power/torque: 542bhp/770Nm Transmission: Eight-speed PDK auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.6 seconds Top speed: 190mph Economy: 30.4mpg CO2: 212g/km ON SALE November THE Porsche Panamera Turbo is one of the fastest saloons you can buy, but the new second-generation car has the same 190mph top speed as its predecessor. Still, just how fast do you need your sporting saloon to be? Auto Express got behind the wheel for the first time to discover that this car is about much more than three figures. The new Turbo betters the old one in every other way, and covers 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds when fitted with the Sport Chrono package. That’s due to an all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivering an extra 29bhp and…

“While a seven-seat Tiguan is VW’s priority, a coupé-style version is also on the cards” WE knew Volkswagen was up to something, but this is our first physical confirmation that a larger Tiguan XL is on the way. Previously caught testing under the disguise of a Passat body, the extendedwheelbase SUV can be seen without its camouflage in these new spy shots. The images show an extension of the wheelbase and rear overhang, which is expected to accommodate an extra row of seats for occasional use – turning the Nissan Qashqai rival into a competitor for the likes of the Land Rover Discovery Sport. The car was shot on European roads – hinting that, despite initial speculation, China might not be the only market where a bigger Tiguan is sold.…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE “Octavia hatch and Estate will continue as the mainstays of Skoda’s versatile line-up” THE Skoda Octavia range will benefit from a substantial mid-life update next year, to bring it into line with the upcoming Kodiaq SUV, Auto Express can reveal. Chief designer Jozef Kaban describes the Octavia as the “heart of the range”, emphasising that – despite a planned SUV boom over the next few years – the hatch and Estate will continue as the mainstays of Skoda’s versatile line-up. Our exclusive image shows how the new model will look, with an altogether different front end to the one seen on the Kodiaq. While the SUV will get a two-tiered set-up to emphasise height, the Octavia will use wider lenses as seen here – a trait likely to…

Special Edition gets Audi Q2 off to a flier AS we revealed in Issue 1,435, Audi has opened the order books for its new Q2 SUV. Now, the brand has revealed details on a plush Edition #1 version (above). The sporty model gets unique styling details, Quantum Grey paint and extra kit, while the contrasting black C-pillars carry Audi’s four-ring logo. Inside, there are part-leather seats and ambient lighting. It will be available to order in September, with deliveries before the end of the year. PAGE 36: Q2 1.0 TFSI driven Evora lightens up with Carbon Pack LOTUS has unveiled a new Carbon Pack for the Evora 400, which includes some lightweight components to reduce the car’s weight from 1,395kg to 1,353kg. It’s available now, and costs £6,500. Carbon parts…

FORD has announced plans to have a high-volume self-driving car on the road by 2021, operating an automated taxi service without a driver or a steering wheel. The brand has stepped up investment in self-driving technology and has doubled its workforce at its Palo Alto Research and Innovation Center in California to develop it. The test fleet has tripled in size, too, with around 30 autonomous Ford Fusion (Mondeo) models being used on roads in California, Arizona and Michigan. Ford’s self-driving car is set to have ‘level four autonomy’, which means it can drive itself on any road without input from a driver. It won’t even have a steering wheel or pedals. CEO Mark Fields compared the tech with the innovations of company founder Henry Ford in the early 20th…