Innholdsfortegnelse for 1447 i Auto Express

LET’S get one thing straight from the start: Auto Express is delighted that the future of Nissan’s Sunderland plant has been secured with the confirmation that the next Qashqai and X-Trail will be built there. It’s a huge relief for the workers and Wearside as a whole, and well deserved on account of the plant’s remarkable productivity. The aftermath to the announcement has been puzzling to say the least, though – in particular Business Secretary Greg Clark’s assertion that other car makers with UK operations, such as Vauxhall, Ford and Toyota, would benefit from the same assurances that helped make up Nissan’s mind to stay here following our vote to leave the EU. What this means is unclear, but it’s been widely interpreted that the Government may provide compensation for…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram BOSSES at Geely have hinted that the Chinese firm’s subsidiary Volvo could build more sporting versions of its cars in the future. Speaking at the reveal of the new S90 Excellence (right), Geely chairman Shufu Li confirmed recent speculation that his company had been in contact with British sports car maker Lotus, but denied suggestions it was ready to buy the brand from current Malaysian owner, Proton. “We never talked about acquisition,” Li said. “We have not made any arrangements and that is it.” However, he did add that he is building a circuit that will be up and running next year. When asked if it was purely for personal enjoyment, or whether Volvo could use the facility to test its cars, Li replied: “The race track is…

“The standard of the repair wasn’t good – the colour didn’t even match the rest of the car” GARAGES are busy places. A normal day will often see technicians hurrying around with tools and machines in constant use and cars reversing in and out of bays. This busy environment also means it’s easy for cars in the workshop to be damaged if technicians aren’t careful. It was this problem that caused David Davis from Worcester to get in touch. David had booked his Audi A4 Allroad in to Kwik Fit’s Barbourne branch for a straightforward tyre swap. However, when the car was raised on to a ramp, its nearside wheelarch was broken. “I was called and told the car had been damaged, but Kwik Fit was going to have it…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor “McLaren has built a car that’s as serene as a McLaren can be, while losing none of the drama” Verdict THE 570GT isn’t simply a 570S with a GT badge slapped on the rear. It shares similar bodywork, but has been extensively reworked to offer a different driving experience. McLaren has shown its true skill and expertise in taking a hard-edged sports car and softening it to make it easier to live with, but no less desirable or exciting. This is the most convincing road-biased car McLaren has made, and it’s highly impressive. THE acronym GT is probably one of the most commonly used badges attached to the rear end of a car. Manufacturers think that by adding it to one of their humdrum models, it immediately gives…

Jake_Groves@dennis.co.uk @_jakegrove Verdict THE handsome looks and practicality impress, but it’s on value for money that the i20 Turbo Edition plays its trump card. It has equipment and space that a similarly priced Ford Fiesta can only dream of. The claimed fuel economy figure of 72.4mpg could be difficult to achieve, so you’ll have to adapt your driving style to get the most out of the engine. But otherwise, this is a strong package. BEFORE anyone gets ahead of themselves, the new Hyundai i20 Turbo Edition is not some firebreathing hot hatch, nor a rival to the lavishly equipped Ford Fiesta ST Line. The Turbo Edition sits comfortably in the middle of the i20 line-up and its appeal is based around value rather than searing performance or a lengthy kit…

products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer MANY drivers believe all-season tyres are the perfect solution for the UK’s erratic weather. They can cope with the odd few days of snow, work well when it’s cold and wet, and are less of a compromise in the dry than a full winter design. That’s the theory; is it the reality? To find out, we put leading all-season tyres to the test – including, for the first time, the product that flies in the face of current thinking. Michelin calls its CrossClimate “a summer tyre with winter capability”, but it’s what it submitted for this all-season test, and it bucks the trend of all-season tyres that are hard to separate from winter rubber. As we saw in our Issue 1,443 winter tyre test, our all-season comparison…

2016 Results DS 3 Factfile Years: 2015 to present CO2: 87g/km Fuel economy: 83.1mpg (1.6 BlueHDi) Best options: Sat-nav, parking sensors, cruise control, Bluetooth/USB, heated seats Prices: From £9,490 OVERALL SCORE 89.01% Bars show where model finished out of 150 cars in our 2016 survey. The lower the rating the better GOOD “A FUN car to drive. It has a sporty feel to it, but it’s not too hard on fuel.” “Great dealer network. My DS was taken in, inspected and repaired within an hour.” “My DS 3 comes with zero road tax, is cheap to insure and is economical to run.” “The 1.6 diesel is torquey, has lots of power and feels well matched to the car.” “A great motorway car. It covers the miles easily.” “To me, this…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan Verdict THE Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is undeniably impressive off road. It’ll clamber across terrain that many premium SUVs would struggle with – but while that may hold some appeal with US buyers, it’s arguably of less importance to us Brits. The standard Grand Cherokee offers all the off-road capability you would need, and is better value, too. WE already know that the standard Jeep Grand Cherokee is a front-runner in the premium SUV class for its ability on rough terrain. So what’s the point of this new Trailhawk version, which claims to be even more adept when the going gets tough? It’s basically an attempt to offer buyers an even more rugged version of an already capable vehicle. The Trailhawk model gets a number of revisions to make…

SKODAKODIAQ Starting price: £21,495 Due: Early 2017 SKODA’S all-important first foray into the large family SUV sector, the Kodiaq, will arrive early next year with prices from £21,495. That significantly undercuts every rival, including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and even the Nissan X-Trail. Available with five or seven seats, the Kodiaq is a similar size to a Santa Fe but has a 91mm longer wheelbase, which should ensure plenty of space for passengers and luggage. The VW Group’s MQB platform keeps it lighter than rivals, too, while even base models have kit such as keyless start, a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Skoda’s ‘Smartlink’ phone connectivity, a DAB radio and autonomous emergency braking. The Kodiaq is available with a large range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, with power outputs…

What we tested THIS year we moved up to the big-selling 225/45R17 size for our all-season tyre test. The products we assessed are listed below, with their tyre label ratings for fuel economy (FE), wet grip (WG) and noise (N). The first two are rated from A-G, with A the best. Noise (in decibels) is measured as the car drives by. The lower the figure the better. We’ve also given their speed and weight ratings – essential for getting the right tyre for your car. These range from H (up to 130mph) to Y (up to 186mph). Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-2 94 V (FE) C (WG) B (N) 69 Hankook Kinergy 4S 94 V (FE) E (WG) C (N) 72 Michelin CrossClimate 94 W (FE) C (WG) W (N) 69…

MODERN cars have plenty of electronics on board, but as our Ford S-MAX has demonstrated, if they go wrong, they can spoil an otherwise enjoyable ownership experience. Now, I’m still a big fan of our Ford seven-seater, but one episode in particular briefly knocked my confidence. One morning, I came to the car as usual and pulled on the door handle to unlock it – keyless entry means this is a habit you easily get into – but this time, nothing happened. I checked my pockets in case I hadn’t picked up the key (I had), but even pressing the unlock button failed to unlock the car. Somewhat puzzled, and in a bit of a hurry, I borrowed my wife’s car for the morning and came back to the S-MAX…

BMW i3 Years: 2014 to date Drivetrain: 168bhp electric motor Ins group: 21 Official range/CO2: 100 miles/0g/km Why? BMW is good to drive, luxurious, spacious and has impressive performance from its electric motor. Prices from: £14,800 OF the cars here, the BMW is likely to be more attractive to owners used to internal combustion engines. Not only is the i3 also available in range-extender guise, with an engine kicking in to boost the batteries, it’s more grown-up and upmarket than the Kia. Those concept looks and the cutting-edge cabin design give it huge kerb appeal, while the powerful motor and light weight enable incredible performance. There’s a 125kW (168bhp) electric motor, single-speed box and a lithium-ion battery. It covers 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds – much faster than the Kia –…

All the action from the world of motorsport ■ Ex-Ferrari tech chief denies he’ll be ‘new Bernie’ ■ Ecclestone says no change Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ROSS Brawn has quashed rumours that he’s about to take over management of Formula One’s sporting affairs. The ex-Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes technical chief confirmed last week that he was engaged in consultancy work for F1’s new owner Liberty Media, but had not accepted a permanent management role. “Liberty have not got far enough down the road to make any commitments yet,” he told the BBC. “I’m doing some consulting to help them better understand F1, but that’s all. When the day comes that Bernie [Ecclestone] stops, there won’t be another Bernie. It’ll be a different structure and with Liberty involved there’s speculation about how things will…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “Citroen may choose the launch of the new model to remove the Picasso badge from the C3 altogether” CITROEN is gearing up for a radical overhaul of its Picasso sub-brand – and the transformation is likely to start when a more SUV-like successor to the current C3 Picasso arrives next year. The existing model is one of the dwindling number of small MPVs on the market – but recent spy shots (right) show that Citroen is working on a new car that will look more like a baby SUV based on the recently launched C3. Our exclusive images peel away the prototype’s disguise to show that key C3 styling elements – such as the split daytime running lights and headlamps, and Airbump protection strips – are likely to…

ATTRACTIVE finance packages are helping keep the UK’s new car market at a record high, with deals being pushed on everything. But what happens when the deal suddenly disappears? That’s what David Higham was left asking after trying to purchase a new VW Golf GTI from Vindis Bedford. He originally found the hot hatch available for £149 per month, but after enquiring, he was told there’d been an error and, in fact, he’d have to stump up payments of £183. David, from Rushden, Northants, took time to consider the offer before returning to the dealer to pay a £500 deposit and agree the sale. However, David found the deal had been pulled again, and VW now wanted £383 per month. He told us: “Who runs VW Finance? It looks very…

Joe_Finnerty@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer “Smells, sounds and tastes all provoke emotional responses within the brain and can have a positive – or negative – impact” MOBILE phones, sat-navs and infotainment systems all provide endless distractions to drivers who aren’t content to focus on the task ahead. However, even for motorists with strong concentration, there are plenty of things that affect our behaviour without us even noticing. Smells, sounds and tastes all provoke emotional responses within the brain and can have a positive – or negative – impact on how we act behind the wheel. Trouble is, we’re mostly unaware of these, and they can easily catch us off-guard and distract us against our will. It’s an area of driver research that’s never been tapped into before – until now. Expert consumer psychologist…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE Verdict WHILE there’s no Skoda Superb vRS in the range, this top-spec SportLine model happily fills the void. It’s handsome, fast and good to drive, yet remains efficient and practical. SportLine spec adds loads of kit and a racy look that’s not too outlandish, while the 188bhp diesel with 4WD has plenty of performance, whatever the weather. But unless you need the extra traction, it’s the cheaper 148bhp diesel that we’d spend our money on. “The SportLine upgrades haven’t been overdone; the car looks cool without being too extroverted” A NEW version of the Skoda Superb has arrived in the UK, and it’s hard not to notice. SportLine trim adds extra kit, and means the usually restrained Superb becomes a sporty-looking family car. Although SportLine spec is available…

TYPESOFFOUR-WHEELDRIVE 1.SELECTABLE IF you’re serious about heading off the beaten track, then it’s likely a selectable four-wheel-drive system will be best. Essentially the same system that made its debut on the forties Jeep and first Land Rovers, it features a dual-range gearbox that delivers ultra-low gearing for steep inclines and descents. Today, an updated version of this system is favoured by rugged pick-ups at one end of the market and luxury off-roaders like the Range Rover at the other. With its bulky transfer case and chunky components, this heavyweight system favours ultimate traction and toughness rather than efficiency. Most of the pick-ups have an option to run in rear-wheel drive only in an effort to boost fuel returns on the road, but the gains at the pump are minimal. Machines…

Peugeot 308 GTi DESPITE approaching the end of its time on our fleet, the Peugeot 308 GTi continues to fit seamlessly into everyday life – and this week it proved its credentials as a genuinely practical hot hatch. With our Volkswagen Passat Estate and Land Rover Discovery Sport otherwise occupied, reviews editor Richard Ingram had to compromise when he and his fiancée went to collect a tumble dryer from their family. Much to Rich’s surprise, the dryer slotted neatly in the boot without even requiring the rear seats to be folded. After laying down an old sheet to protect the bumper, the bulky machine was swallowed with ease. The huge 470-litre boot is among the biggest in the hot hatch class, while the large square shape and flat roofline allow…

EVER since the first Octavia arrived in 1998, it’s been a huge success for Skoda. But while that model isn’t exactly a large car, there was clearly a market for a smaller family hatchback below it in the range, sitting above the Fabia supermini. Skoda took more than a decade to introduce such a car, which it called the Rapid. When this five-door did arrive, it was everything you’d expect of the brand: keenly priced, smartly styled and available with strong, efficient engines. But the Rapid hasn’t had quite the impact its maker might have hoped for, with slow sales and owners seemingly less thrilled than with Skoda’s other products. That doesn’t make the Rapid a bad buy, though – far from it. History THE Rapid went on sale in…