Auto Express September 2, 2015

CITROEN will pull the wraps off a mysterious concept based on the C4 Cactus at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but all will be revealed online this week ahead of its world debut. It’s expected to be a wacky convertible version of the popular crossover, and a canvas roof and pick-up style loading area – as illustrated in our exclusive image above – will build on its quirky image. If it makes production, the current 1.2 and 1.5-litre engines could be adopted. For more visit autoexpress.co.uk…

CHATTING to some senior car industry execs this week, we got around to discussing the ebb and flow of success in the car business. Consistent brilliance is rare and even the mighty will occasionally produce cars that fail to impress. Take the two brands that are the subject of our Best of British series this week: Ford and Vauxhall. Vauxhall’s on a bit of a roll at the moment, while the Ford line-up isn’t as strong as it once was. Whether that reverses anytime soon I’m not sure, but you can count on the good times coming back for Ford at some stage – let’s hope so, anyway. Skoda is a brand that I’ve really enjoyed watching over the past 15 years. After initial success with a whole range of…

FOLLOWING a series of leaked images and hazy teasers, these are the first official pictures of Kia’s all-new Sportage. The SUV will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and go on sale at the end of the year, priced from around £18,000. For the moment we’re limited to three exterior images, but even from this initial batch the more athletic and muscular look of the Nissan Qashqai rival is apparent. The design has been heavily inspired by the KX-3 concept that was first seen in China at the Guangzhou Motor Show last year. It’s described as “bold and progressive”. The Sportage features a new version of Kia’s trademark ‘tiger nose’ front end, with a more prominent grille, chrome surround and sleeker headlamps protruding from the bonnet sides. The windscreen has…

AS we’ve already seen, the all-new Sportage has taken huge steps towards a more contemporary, European design, but can that be paired with big improvements to refinement and comfort? Before Kia showcases the Sportage at Frankfurt, Auto Express joined the Korean manufacturer in California’s Mojave Desert to sample an early prototype. As you can see, the pre-production model we tested was heavily camouflaged inside and out – the SUV had yet to be revealed when we got our hands on it. It feels familiar but more modern inside, thanks to the slicker dash architecture and larger integrated touchscreen. The 2.4-litre petrol auto we tried won’t make it to our shores, but as a package the marked step up in quality was apparent, as was a remarkably quieter ride. Acoustic shields…

WE’VE already reported on Skoda’s upcoming SUV boom (Issue 1,366), and now we can reveal an all-new coupé crossover is on the way from the brand, due in showrooms in 2017 – and our exclusive images show how it could look. The as-yet-unnamed competitor for the BMW X4 and forthcoming Mercedes GLC Coupé will get a swept-back profile and sloping roofline, plus tall suspension and a raised driving position. Expect big alloy wheels and a Superb-style front end, as well as sharp creases in the bodywork and a high boot lip for that coupé look. Inside, the new car will feel largely familiar to owners of current Skodas and other VW Group models, although we expect advances in technology to make it sharper and even more solidly built than any…

SEAT’S Ibiza Cupra is nearing its 20th birthday, and to bring the model in line with the rest of the updated Ibiza range, the firm has revealed a newly refreshed 189bhp version. Lightly revised on the outside, but with bigger changes beneath the surface, SEAT’s Ford Fiesta ST rival will be presented at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, before going on sale in January. With the exception of the addition of LED headlamps, the hot hatch is the mirror image of the model it replaces. As before, however, there are distinctive Cupra touches, such as the darkened rear diffuser and central exhaust, more aggressive bumpers and unique 17-inch alloys. More significant changes have been made under the bonnet. To replace the 177bhp 1.4-litre TSI turbo, SEAT has borrowed the larger and…