Auto Express October 21, 2015

I’VE long been a fan of Daytime Running Lights. The safety benefit of being illuminated at all times is clear, but I’m also enjoying the added sense of style they bring to some models. DRLs have been mandatory on all new cars that have gone on sale since February 2011, but I reckon we should go a step further and call for automatic headlights to become standard on all new cars. All too often, you see cars being driven at night or in poor weather without lights on. And as the clocks go back and the weather takes a turn for the worse, it’ll become all too commonplace. In fact, DRLs have posed something of a problem here, too – I often spot someone who obviously thinks their lights have…

Essentials McLaren 570S Price: £143,250 Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 Power/torque: 562bhp/600Nm Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive 0-60mph: 3.1 seconds Top speed: 204mph Economy: 26.6mpg CO2: 249g/km ON SALE Now DESIGN Shape of tail-lamps mirrors the headlights, and mimics the McLaren company logo. The lights are surrounded by carbon fibre in rear end that’s carefully designed to deliver maximum downforce BRAKES Bright yellow calipers stand out behind the huge black alloy wheels, and they grip the massive carbon ceramic discs to provide stopping power to match the incredible straight-line performance THE 570S is the first sports car that McLaren Automotive has ever made. That’s not merely some leftfield observation made by someone who’s just been knocked sideways by the car at its international launch; it’s a clear statement of intent from…

IT’S no secret that BMW has big plans to expand its range of SUVs over the next three years, and arguably the most interesting is the X2, revealed for the first time here in our exclusive main image. BMW intends the newcomer to sit perfectly in the middle of an array of new SUVs – ranging from a Nissan Juke-sized X1 Sport Cross right up to a Range Rover-baiting X7. Auto Express first revealed that BMW was eyeing up the compact coupé-SUV niche last year, and this is our first evidence that it’s serious in its intentions. Unsurprisingly, the X2 will join the X4 and X6 in being the more sporty and daring version of a straight-laced SUV – in this case the X1. Under the skin, it’ll be identical…

VOLVO will have a full range of plug-in vehicles by 2020, led in 2019 by an all-electric, Tesla-rivalling S60-sized car. The new car will sit on Volvo’s Scalable Product Arcitecture (SPA). This underpins the new XC90 and forthcoming S90 (below) and was designed from the start for full electric power as well as plug-in hybrids. The new model is expected to be pitched head-to-head with Tesla’s Model 3, which is due to be launched in 2017. Volvo is confident the new electric car will have a range of over 300 miles, while performance should be Tesla-rivalling, too. Although a saloon is the most natural first fit for an all-electric model, Volvo hasn’t ruled out an XC60-sized SUV to provide a rival for the new Tesla Model X. Håkan Samuelsson, president…

WHILE Volvo is revealing its exciting electric future, its next conventional model has broken cover – in the form of grainy, secretive pictures of a diecast model. These images from Carnewschina.com show a 1:43-scale model of the brand’s new BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 rival, the S90. Naturally, being part of the 90-series of Volvos, it shares key design cues with the XC90 SUV, such as the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlamps and large grille. From the side, it’s more Audi A7-like than an executive saloon, and a firm departure from the current Volvo S80. At the rear, the stand-out feature is the C-shaped tail-lights, with prominent badging across the bootlid. The newcomer is expected to get the same range of four-cylinder diesel and plug-in hybrid engines as the XC90,…

CAR headlight technology is becoming increasingly complicated. It’s no longer just a case of remembering to turn off your lights when you park to avoid a flat battery. There’s now a baffling array of tech – bending light round corners, automatically dipping beams for oncoming cars, even spotting pedestrians – and it’s your job to know which to use when. That’s crucial at this time of year, with the clocks going back on 25 October, as when the light fades, the accident odds stack against you: 40 per cent of fatal and serious injuries reportedly happen at night, even though only 25 per cent of car journeys are made then. That’s why Auto Express is asking if automatic headlights – which can make those lighting decisions for you – should…