Auto Express May 27, 2015

I’VE been looking forward to driving the new Volvo XC90 in the UK since last summer, when it was first revealed at a huge event in Sweden. I loved it when I drove it on the launch in Spain, and you can now read how it fares over here on Page 42. It’s an important car for Volvo – the first of a new breed under Chinese ownership. But I’ve written enough about that car on this page over the past year. This time, I’m going to concentrate on the car it has to beat in its first UK test: the Land Rover Discovery. The current Disco, like the XC90’s predecessor, has been around a while. In Discovery 3 form we first saw it in 2005. It’s been tweaked and…

• Carbon fibre beauty points to ultimate version of M4 Coupé • Combines classic styling with i Division materials and tech BMW has taken the wraps off a sensational new concept at the exclusive Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show in Italy. Called the 3.0 CSL Hommage, it’s a spiritual successor and design tribute to the iconic 3.0 CSL from the seventies. The 3.0 CSL Hommage – CSL stands for coupé, sport, lightweight – makes use of the sophisticated modern day technology and materials BMW has begun to use in its i Division production cars. Crafted from lightweight carbon fibre, the newcomer is believed to be based on the M4 and uses a six-cylinder in-line engine with eBoost. Despite the advances in technology, the Hommage sticks to the recipe of the…

WHILE BMW is usually forward-thinking with its design, this isn’t the first time it’s paid tribute to its past. Here are a couple of other bold reinterpretations of its back catalogue from recent years. BMW 328 HOMMAGE Designed to mark the 75th anniversary of the lightweight 328 sports car in 2011, this was made from carbon fibre coupled with a stripped-out, but leather-lined cabin. BMW M1 HOMMAGE This reimagining of the iconic supercar sparked rumours of a new M1 when it was revealed in 2008. However, design cues can be seen in the current i8.…

• Joins impressive hatch in range • Offers class-leading practicality EXACTLY one month ago (Issue 1,369), we got behind the wheel of the all-new Skoda Superb hatch, and were impressed by its civilised road manners, gargantuan boot and luxurious rear passenger space. But Skoda is already looking to extend its lead over rivals with the even bigger Estate model, revealed here for the first time. It’s a significant car for the brand, perhaps even more so than the hatchback in the UK, because across its lifespan, the outgoing Estate accounted for around 70 per cent of Superb sales here. This time, the ratio is expected to shift slightly, as Skoda says the hatch’s bigger boot and more stylish design will boost its popularity, but it will still be 60:40 in…

SKODA is clearly thinking big, because the next thing on its busy agenda is a seven-seat SUV. Caught by our spies testing at Germany’s Nürburgring, the car is covered with a stretched Yeti body, keeping its design under wraps. Look closely, and it’s obvious there’s something much bigger underneath – the flared wheelarches, for example, are there to accommodate the new SUV’s wide front and rear tracks, while a lengthened rear door is proof of a longer wheelbase, needed for three rows of seats. Expected to be based on the largest version of the VW Group’s MQB architecture (already seen on the Volkswagen CrossBlue concept), the new Skoda will take on the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento in the growing large SUV market, which continues to steal customers away…

DRIVING a diesel is about to get a lot more exciting – and kinder to the environment – thanks to Bosch. The tech giant has created a highly efficient mild hybrid engine that aims to improve the reputation of diesels – currently under attack from new legislation – and Auto Express has had an exclusive first drive. While the car has all the hallmarks of a Golf GTD, Bosch’s prototype is no normal Volkswagen. Instead of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine packing 181bhp and 380Nm of torque, under the bonnet lies a brand new diesel engine. The 1.7 litre four-cylinder turbo has 148bhp and 340Nm – but it’s far more technical than that. It’s fitted with Bosch’s Boost Recuperation System (BRS). The company says the set-up aims to close the large…