Auto Express July 15, 2015

HIDDEN under the camouflage above is the most advanced car we’ve ever encountered – a car that you’ll be able to buy within the next 12 months. And it should come as no surprise that there’s a three-pointed star on the bonnet. Over its long history, Mercedes has registered more safety patents than any other car company and has been first to market with everything from diesel passenger cars to ABS and airbags. The new E-Class that’s hidden by the swirly camouflage above will blow you away with the technology on offer, almost making its bigger, more luxurious brother, the S-Class, seem old-fashioned! Mercedes usually rolls its new kit down from bigger models to small ones, but such is the speed with which tech is developing, it can’t wait –…

THE NSX and Civic Type R may well be the cars whipping up some much needed excitement around the Honda brand at the moment, but the model that has the job of selling in large quantities to the average person on the street is the new HR-V. The last time we saw these three letters on a Honda was the quirky HR-V of 1999 – part estate, part sporty hatch and part SUV. This time around, it’s something a bit more conventional, albeit sitting between the established competition. It uses the same platform as the next-generation Jazz supermini, but with a length of 4,294mm it’s 159mm longer than a Nissan Juke. However, it has the interior space to rival the likes of the larger Nissan Qashqai. Honda has form here,…

THE pieces of Mercedes’ seventh-generation E-Class jigsaw are beginning to come together. Set to be launched in the spring following a world debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the BMW 5Series-rivalling saloon and estate models will become the most technologically advanced cars that Mercedes has ever produced. The release of the new E-Class will see the brand move a step closer to autonomous driving, with nine all-new or comprehensively updated driver assistance systems in place, including remote parking pilot and steering pilot functions. The car will also adopt many of the features seen in the latest S-Class, but take them on to a new level. Key to the E-Class’ talents is a labyrinth of next-generation sensors, cameras and radars, which has enabled Mercedes to take the next step…

THE Divine DS first appeared at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, and bosses stressed from the outset that such a car would never make production. However, they did confirm that aspects of the design will make their way on to new DS models in the future. Nearly 10 months later – and only weeks after the Divine was showcased on DS’s stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – Auto Express has been given the chance to drive it. The first thing you notice is how small the car is. Forget the show pictures – this is a beautifully proportioned Ford Focus rival whose footprint more closely resembles the DS 3 than the DS 4’s. However, opening the scissor doors reveals a cabin like no other. There’s an aeroplane-style squared-off…

HOT STUFF Our spy shots show that the faster i30 could get a larger bodykit, bigger alloy wheels and a bigger exhaust HYUNDAI is aiming to cash in on its World Rally Championship programme with a new, hot series of ‘N’ models – and Auto Express has caught the first car testing. The i30 N is due in 2017 and has a larger bodykit, bigger alloys and room for a meatier exhaust. It’ll use stiffened suspension and possibly a tweaked version of the i30 Turbo’s 184bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with enough power to take on current hot hatch heavyweights. Whether that means an out-and-out racer like the Ford Focus RS, or a more usable everyday car like the ST, remains to be seen. Since hiring former BMW M boss…

HOW do you fancy getting your hands on a stylish new hatchback that celebrates an important landmark for Kia? As we reported in Issue 1,376, the brand recently built its millionth Cee’d at its Slovakian factory, and we were on hand to get the next million on the way – by helping to build number 1,000,001. And now you can win that car, a stylish 98bhp 1.4-litre pro_cee’d SR7 in Fusion White paint (below). Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk/winakiato enter and for full terms and conditions.…