Auto Express September 30, 2015

SUBARU is pitching the new Levorg against the likes of the Mazda 6 Tourer and Volvo V60, and this week we’ll drive it in the UK for the first time. The Levorg sticks to Subaru’s rugged roots and comes fitted as standard with symmetrical all-wheel drive. It also features a new 168bhp 1.6-litre boxer petrol engine, paired with a CVT automatic transmission. Has Subaru created a winner? Log on to our website to read our definitive verdict. For more visit autoexpress.co.uk…

THE sense of anger and disappointment at the VW Group following last week’s revelations of cheating in emissions tests will take time to subside. At the time of writing, the story was still evolving with some respected individuals rumoured to be losing their jobs alongside departed CEO Martin Winterkorn (above), and revelations about precisely which models were affected still coming out. The level of a car’s emissions are an important part of the buying process – and of our own reviews. We’ll be waiting to see what the full picture is before we make a decision on reviewing the ratings we’ve given to affected models. But the knock-on effect to the rest of the car business is huge – VW has done the whole industry and its employees a disservice.…

THE all-new Clubman is the largest car MINI has ever produced, and Auto Express has got behind the wheel. This second-generation model signifies the brand’s push into a more premium market where buyers are asking for bigger and better without any compromises. And that neatly sums up the previous Clubman: it wasn’t without its charm, but a cramped cabin, impractical bodystyle and hard ride rather contradicted everything it was designed to achieve. At almost 4,300mm long and 1,800mm wide, the all-new model is 270mm longer and 73mm wider than the MINI five-door hatch, with 100mm added to the wheelbase. However, while the Clubman may have conformed in terms of size – now rivalling the VW Golf and Audi A3 – it has still gone about it in its own unique…

VAUXHALL looks to be back firing on all cylinders with its new, five-star Astra (Page 36) and rejuvenated small car range. A fresh Insignia is on its way, too, and there are rumours of a replacement for the ageing Antara mid-size SUV. But arguably the most exciting news is that the brand (along with its European sister company, Opel) is planning a new two-door, 2+2 coupé called the GT – to rival Audi’s TT and the VW Scirocco – and our exclusive images show it could look. A source close to Vauxhall confirmed the car is under consideration, and that we’d see a concept at next year’s Geneva Motor Show. It’s likely that GM bosses will assess the model’s feasibility following press and public reaction to the show car. The…

BENTLEY’s model range will expand in the coming years to include “more coupés, more SUVs and more convertibles”, according to the company’s sales and marketing boss, Kevin Rose. “You resist the market at your peril,” he said. “The important thing is if you go into the segment, you make a car that is true to your brand.” Speaking on the first day of the recent Frankfurt Motor Show – and less than 24 hours after the Bentayga SUV’s public unveiling – Rose exclusively told Auto Express that while the Continental GT is likely to remain Bentley’s best seller, the brand is looking at other models to join the profitable product range. As we reveal on Page 24, Bentley boss Wolfgang Durheimer says a decision on which Bentleys we’ll see in…

THE VW Group could face a £12billion lawsuit in the US after being caught cheating on diesel emissions tests, with further fall-out in Europe and the UK. The worldwide scandal, with Volkswagen at the centre, has rocked the industry and seen the top boss lose his job and other associated manufacturers become embroiled. Authorities in the UK have also announced cars will be retested to compare lab results with real-world emissions data, and there are calls for an EU-wide investigation into the industry. The EA 189 engine which was fitted with a “defeat device” features in more than 11 million cars across the globe and in most diesels in the VW range, including the 1.6 and 2.0-litre models. VW Group brands Skoda and SEAT confirmed they’d used the EA 189…