Innholdsfortegnelse for November 4, 2015 i Auto Express

I’VE always enjoyed attending the Tokyo Motor Show. It’s a great chance for the Japanese brands to showcase their cars to a home audience – and there are two stands in particular I look forward to seeing. I’ve long had a soft spot for Mazda and Subaru, two of the smaller Japanese makers who have both demonstrated a desire to do things on their own terms that has bordered on the maverick at times. Successfully, too, as it’s led to some great cars, like the MX-5 and Impreza Turbo of the mid-nineties. At this year’s show, Mazda stole the headlines with the announcement of the return of the rotary engine in the RX-Vision concept (above). Yes, there are challenges to rotary power, not least making it more efficient, but speaking…

IN March, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the firm would have a fully autonomous car in its line-up by 2020, and this Leaf Intelligent Drive prototype points the way. Apart from a few stickers, it looks like a regular Leaf. But the camera pods and radar devices hint at the tech under the skin. It’s a similar story inside – until you push the power button. While Audi’s A7 Piloted Drive (Issue 1,369) is restricted to motorway driving, you can programme this Leaf’s satnav and switch to fully autonomous mode so the car will drive itself, even round town. And as Nissan’s Tetsuya Iijima hands over control to the car’s electronic brain in the traffic around Tokyo Bay, it feels surreal. The ECU uses data from 12 cameras, four radar…

LEXUS stormed the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show with its new LF-FC concept. The luxury saloon previews both a new hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrain and the styling of the next-generation LS luxury car. The bold four-door uses an exaggerated version of the brand’s striking spindle grille at the front, and adopts styling cues first seen on the LF-LC coupé concept. The angular front end contrasts with a curvy side profile, while the rear gets large three-pronged tail-lights. It’s also a chunky 5.3 metres long, two metres wide and 1.41 metres tall. That’s a substantial 120mm longer than even the current long-wheelbase LS, as well as being 125mm wider but 71mm lower for a sportier, more aggressive profile. It looks radically different to the existing model, but the concept is said to showcase…

Road smashes on the up for winter MORE than a third of British drivers are involved in unreported accidents during the winter months, new research has revealed. The accident rates reflect an 18 per cent rise from the lighter summer months, when roads tend to be drier, too. It isn’t only motorists on the move who need to be more careful, either – the study by LaptopsDirect.co.ukfound one in five parked cars is hit by traffic. The study concludes that more than half of British drivers have a near-miss during the winter months, too. Volvo jumps at ’roo safety testing VOLVO has announced it’s trialling new ‘kangaroo detection’ collision-avoidance technology on Australian roads. A number of XC90s will have their current camera and radar safety system updated to detect and…

POLICE forces have carried out more than 2,000 roadside drug tests since new laws were introduced in March, and drivers have failed 53 per cent of them, according to exclusive Auto Express figures. A total of 2,038 tests have been conducted, with 1,080 coming back positive. Cannabis was the most common substance detected (854), while 150 drivers were caught on cocaine. Sixty-six drivers had a mix of both. Yet not all forces are using the new legislation brought in six months ago in England and Wales. Half of them couldn’t provide results as part of our Freedom of Information request, as they’re either not using the new drugalyser or not digitally storing data. The Home Office confirmed to Auto Express that drug-driving figures aren’t collected centrally, so there’s no Government…

Essentials Ford Focus RS Price: £28,940 Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo Power/torque: 345bhp/440Nm Transmission: Six-speed manual, four wheel-drive 0-62mph: 4.7 seconds Top speed: 165mph Economy: 36.7mpg CO2: 175g/km ON SALE Spring 2016 THE wait is almost over for fast Ford fans. After seeing the spy shots, the video teasers and motor show debut, the Focus RS has taken a big step towards showrooms. We already know about the 345bhp output, the clever four-wheel-drive system designed to deliver engaging handling and the aggressive looks, but what is it like on the move? To find out, we headed to Ford’s Lommel test track in Belgium for a thrilling passenger ride. Our chauffeur was electronic systems engineer, Thomas Biney-Amissah. Ford claims the Focus RS will sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds, and it…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m). Legal AA: 0906 010 1300 (p) RAC: 0870 5533 533 (m) Which?: 01992 822 800 Consumer Direct: 0845 404 0506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 085 3007 RAC: 0800 085 2529 Technical advice AA: 0870 606 1619 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0800 975 5867 Traffic information AA: 09003 401100 (p) RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers Motor Codes: 0800 692 0825 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 839 9205 (m) Scottish Motor Trade Association: 0131 331 5510…

THE driving test turned 80 this year, and since 1935, over 46 million drivers have taken their exam across the UK. Back then, the pass rate was 63 per cent – 16 per cent higher than it is today. The fact the Highway Code was just 18 pages thick in the thirties compared to the 152-page guide it is today might have something to do with that. However, it’s not just the Highway Code that has grown in volume in the past 80 years, as traffic levels have spiked, along with car performance and variety. It’s therefore important to keep up with the times, although some motorists won’t have had any extra tuition since passing decades ago. So, the question is, can you still pass your test today? To find…

Essentials Infiniti Q30 Premium Tech Price: £26,430 Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbodiesel Power: 107bhp Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 12.0 seconds Top speed: 118mph Economy: 72.4mpg CO2: 103g/km ON SALE Now INFINITI has been trying to establish itself as the alternative luxury brand for some time, but despite its best efforts, it hasn’t exactly shaken up the market just yet. However, with its new Sunderland-built Q30 compact hatch, bosses expect total sales to double over the next few years. First impressions of the Q30 hint that we’ve seen this somewhere before. It’s based on the pre-facelift Mercedes A-Class, and while it appears a little more pumped up, it definitely isn’t an SUV. In fact, the new car has been designed to sit between the hatchback and crossover sectors. The important…

Essentials DS 4 Prestige THP 210 Price: £22,995 Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo petrol Power: 208bhp Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 7.8 seconds Top speed: 146mph Economy: 47.9mpg CO2: 139g/km ON SALE Now THE DS 4 hasn’t had it easy since launching in 2010. Tasked with taking on the cream of the premium hatchback crop – but originating from the mainstream Citroen C4 – it stumbled out of the blocks. Yet this is the new, fresher-faced version and big changes have not only been made to the car, but also to the DS brand itself. This DS 4 is only the second model from DS since it was separated from Citroen last year, following the larger updated DS 5. The facelifted car now has a bolder, more distinct image, adorned…

Essentials Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S line Price: £38,430Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turboPower/torque: 249bhp/370NmTransmission: Seven-speed S tronic,four-wheel drive0-62mph: 6.0 secondsTop speed: 155mphEconomy: 44.8mpgCO2: 144g/km ON SALE Now WHILE the S8 Plus may be the ultimate expression of understated wealth, not all of us can justify a 597bhp super saloon – especially those with a growing family. Our first drive of the Audi A4 Avant (Issue 1,393) proved that the load-lugger offered everything the saloon did in a bigger and more practical package. We tested the frugal TDI Ultra in mid-spec Sport trim, but what if you want a petrol-powered exec? The line-up is carried over from the saloon, so there’s a pair of 2.0-litre TFSIs and a single 1.4, and it’s the most powerful 249bhp 2.0 S line we try here.…

Space OUR three contenders are closely matched on interior space, but surprisingly it’s the Audi that has fractionally less rear legroom – our figures show it trails its rivals here by 30mm. Still, the A4 hits back with its well shaped 480-litre boot, which matches the 3 Series’ and is a useful 25 litres ahead of the Jag’s. All three cars feature a split/fold rear bench. LED lights LED running lights feature on all the cars here, but only the Audi gets LED technology as standard for the headlamps, too. The Jaguar is fitted with bi-xenons, while the BMW makes do with traditional halogen units – although our test car had the £710 optional LED set-up. Four-wheel drive AUDI’S Torsen-controlled quattro all-wheel drive is available on the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol…

Practicality IT’S clear that Renault has taken the Qashqai formula and tuned it to make the Kadjar more versatile. As well as having a larger boot, the car gets a retractable load cover that’s easier to work with than the Nissan’s parcel shelf. It’s simple to store when you need to load above the window line, and it feels better built than the Nissan’s flimsy shelf. Noise OUR test cars feature the same 1.5 dCi diesel engine, but our noise tests revealed that the Renault was louder at idle. It registered 71dB outside, compared to 66dB for the Nissan. However, climb into either car, and engine noise and vibrations are well isolated. Efficiency THE Qashqai emits 103g/km, but higher price means it costs more to run than its rival as…

SEEN the weather forecast for this winter? It’s apocalyptic. “Worst in 50 years,” screamed the headlines in mid-October… so I’ve been getting some preparation in. As well as looking out the family’s winter woollies, I’ve taken delivery of a Kia Sorento, which will hopefully provide some all-wheel-drive reassurance should conditions get tricky. Of course, SUVs make a lot of sense in extreme conditions, which is why we’ll be rating every one on sale in Britain in next week’s Winter Special issue of Auto Express. But for the time being, I’ve been familiarising myself with the Sorento. Having run – and loved – sister brand Hyundai’s Santa Fe seven-seater a couple of years ago, I am keen to see if the latest Sorento moves the game on significantly. First impressions are…

FIRST TEST Motor Checkup Oil Test Price: £9 (plus £3 P&P) Rating: Contact: www.motorcheckup.com WAXES, polishes and cleaners all give your car the TLC it deserves, but how many of us look after the engine quite as well? Most probably only get a health check during a service or an emissions test as part of the car’s annual MoT. That’s where German company Motor Checkup can help. Its test kit lets you monitor the health of your engine, using oil from your dipstick. And to see whether the kit would work, we ran our car temporarily on oil with the wrong viscosity. We used the test paper provided and put a droplet of our oil on the dipstick as instructed. It took a few minutes to soak into the paper,…

Ring Xenon HID Best price: £64.99 Beam: 269.7 Rating: Contact: www.ringautomotive.co.uk WE ordered the Ring Xenon HID bulbs for our test through an online retailer, and identical boxes were delivered, but they contained different bulbs. The GE-made burner was clearly the better performer, and if we’d had two of these it would have been our pick of the standard bulbs. Sadly, the Alite bulb in the other box was less effective, and we had trouble connecting it to our BMW test car’s electrical socket, suggesting a build problem. The beams were also different to the eye, with the Alite focus more to the left than the better GE bulb’s. Halfords HID Xenon Bulb Best price: £59.99 Beam: 230.5 Rating: Contact: www.halfords.com HALFORDS’ HID Xenon Bulbs suffered from the…

LEWIS Hamilton joined an elite group of drivers when he clinched his third world championship with victory in the United States Grand Prix the weekend before last. Scot Jackie Stewart is the only other British Formula One driver to have achieved this feat, and it puts Hamilton level with the likes of Ayrton Senna, Jack Brabham and Niki Lauda (his boss at Mercedes) in the all-time rankings. So can the 30-year-old from Stevenage in Hertfordshire now be called Britain’s greatest-ever grand prix driver? To find out, we put the question to eight leading Formula One experts, including three British racing world champions. Comparing sporting feats across different eras is always difficult – and factoring in the car makes it doubly so for Formula One – but there’s definitely no denying…

WHILE Land Rover is calling time on the ageing Defender, it’s also readying the next chapter for another of its icons – the Discovery. And our exclusive images reveal how the new model is set to look. It’s due to be revealed in late 2016, and as you’d expect it’ll be festooned with clever technology – as well as being more spacious and better both on and off-road than ever before. That’s not forgetting the fact that it’ll be noticeably posher inside, too. There’s huge responsibility resting on the shoulders of the fifth-generation Discovery. Aside from having to tread a path so successfully dominated by its four predecessors, it’ll also headline one of Land Rover’s new brand ‘pillars’. Family The Disco and the family beneath it will represent the ‘leisure’…

TESLA recently released its new Version 7.0 software package, allowing existing Model S owners to download an update and enable a variety of Autopilot features on their cars. We were among the first to get to grips with the latest installment, downloaded overnight via the car’s built-in Wi-Fi. The set-up includes auto-steer, lane-change and parallel-park tech. That’s in addition to the ‘traffic aware’ radar cruise system already available for the Model S. Essentially, it lets you maintain a constant speed on motorways, with no driver throttle, steering or brake inputs. It uses a combination of cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and owner-captured data to autonomously guide the car along the road. We tried it out on the M4 in Berkshire. It’s incredibly easy to use. While it’s not always on, it’s…

WHEN you’re learning to drive, the most important thing is to be taught right. Not just in order to pass the test, but to avoid picking up bad habits from the start. That’s why it’s imperative that you take some lessons with a qualified instructor armed with the latest curriculum and safety guidance. Yes, they’re expensive, but it ensures you’re driving the right way. It’s not the only answer, though. Spending some time on the road with a parent can be invaluable as part of the learning process, as you’ll gain miles of experience that can only serve to make you a better driver. However, you need to be careful, as it can be counter-productive. If parents aren’t up to speed on the latest test procedures or are unwittingly passing…

IT may not seem like a real threat, but more than 41 cars a day, checked by HPI, are identified as being recorded by the police as stolen. Fortunately, these checks prevented drivers handing over cash, but if you do buy a vehicle that turns out to be stolen, the police may come knocking at your door to reclaim the car and return it to the rightful owner. The harsh truth is that you’d be left with no car, while the fraudsters are long gone with your money. The real snag is that car criminals are good at covering their tracks using clever scams such as vehicle identity fraud. They mask the true identity of a car by giving it a false Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) and then disguising the…

Essentials Honda Clarity FCV Price: £42,000 (est) Engine: Hydrogen fuel cell stack with lithium-ion battery Power: 134bhp Transmission: Single-speed fixed ratio, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 11.0 seconds (est) Top speed: N/A Economy: N/A CO2: 0g/km ON SALE 2016 THE Honda Clarity is more than just an innovative concept. This is a production version of the Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) the brand has been tinkering with for years, and one that you’ll be able to buy in the UK next year. It’s actually Honda’s third attempt at developing an FCV, following the 2002 FCX and the FCX Clarity from 2008. The issue with the original Clarity was that Honda only ever built 72 examples, and all of them were sold in California. This time it’s different, as following initial sales and leasing…

Essentials Volvo XC90 D5 R-Design Price: £49,285 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel Power: 222bhp Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 7.8 seconds Top speed: 137mph Economy: 48.7mpg CO2: 152g/km ON SALE Now MANUFACTURERS know that sport sells, and buyers wanting a racier look for their new car are well catered for. While some makers hang their sport trims on the coat tails of performance models, Volvo hasn’t got that luxury. But that doesn’t stop it from offering its sporty R-Design trim across the range, including on the new XC90 SUV. Like other R-Design models in the line-up, the XC90 gets unique styling touches inside and out. There are matt-silver wing mirrors, a subtle bodykit, a gloss-black grille and matt trim around the grille and windows. You also get a set of…

Lexus IS 300h F Sport PRICE: £32,495 ENGINE: 2.5 4cyl/electric, 220bhp THE petrol/electric IS makes an interesting alternative to the usual European suspects. It’s not as fun to drive as the BMW, but its smooth powertrain is cleaner than a diesel. The car is also well equipped, beautifully built and hassle-free to own. Mercedes C 220d Sport auto PRICE: £33,670 ENGINE: 2.1-litre 4cyl, 168bhp SLEEK looks, a stunning interior and a solid gold image make the C-Class a desirable addition to any corporate car park. It also emits a mere 109g/km of CO2. Yet the clattery diesel undermines the package.…

NEW: Honda HR-V 1.6 i-DTEC SE Navi PRICE: £22,105 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 118bhp HONDA’S HR-V isn’t quite as big as the Kadjar or Qashqai, but flip-up Magic Seats in the back and a split-level boot boost practicality. It’s reasonable to drive, too, while the 1.6 diesel is smooth, punchy and economical. USED: Land Rover Freelander TD4 HSE PRICE: £22,995 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 148bhp BUY used, and you can stretch to a 2013 Freelander HSE with around 10,000 miles. The 2.2 diesel isn’t the most efficient engine, but you get the bonus of go-anywhere 4WD ability, plus lots of kit for the money.…

Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi KX-3 Auto AWD On fleet since: September 2015 Price new: £37,600 Engine: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 197bhp CO2/tax: 174g/km/£205 Options: Metallic paint (£575) Insurance*: Group: 26 Quote: £731 Mileage/mpg: 1,963/35.6mpg Any problems? None so far *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points. WE LIKE Weekend in Cheshire proved first test of Sorento’s 605-litre boot and it passed with flying colours, easily carrying two buggies, a couple of bags and two small cases. 4WD should offer extra reassurance in winter WE DON’T It’s a minor point, but the low-res, blocky graphics on the radio station logos are at odds with the generally upmarket ambience of the car Verdict THE Sorento has made a pretty convincing case for itself so far.…

Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC EX 9AT 4WD On fleet since: August 2015 Price new: £34,120 Engine/torque: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 158bhp CO2/tax: 139g/km/£130 Options: Metallic paint (£550) Insurance*: Group: 25 Quote: £562 Mileage/mpg: 4,781/35.2mpg Any problems? None so far *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxfordshire, with three penalty points. WE LIKE There’s plenty of space for passengers and luggage, while Honda’s Magic Seats are easy to fold completely flat with the pull of a single lever WE DON’T Nine-speed auto shifts through gears smoothly, but it can be hesitant with its power delivery. It’s disconcerting when pulling out on roundabouts Verdict SO far, so good for the Honda CR-V. It was the perfect family car for my holiday, with plenty of boot and passenger…

NEW PRODUCT QUIXX car care range Price: From £15.49 Contact: www.quixx.com THERE’S an array of products on the market to care for every area of a car, from the tyres to the dashboard, but QUIXX has combined many popular cleaners into just a few solutions to help simplify the process. Grabbing the headlines in the range is a 9-in-1 Cleaner that claims to work on surfaces inside and outside the car, sprucing up everything from paintwork to plastic. QUIXX also offers a 7-in-1 Wax, made for a similarly diverse range of surfaces, including the headlights and even the tyres. Plus, the 3-in-1 Polish works on paint, metal and lights. The company claims the new products introduce plenty of innovations. These include hydrophilic cleaning technology, which QUIXX says prevents future dirt…

DeLorean: Celebrating the Impossible Chris Parnham, Andrew Withers (DMCL, deloreans.co.uk) Price: £75 (hardback) Rating: THE DeLorean DMC-12 gained cult status with its role in the Back to the Future films and the scandal of John DeLorean. But as we revealed in our Issue 1,393 feature, in this book Parnham and Withers focus on the car and the factory staff behind it. An interesting read with plenty of photos, and the authors’ passion for the car really shines through. James Bond Cars Frederic Brun (Aurum Press, www.aurumpress.co.uk) Price: £25 (hardback) Rating: THERE are few greater loves in the world than between James Bond and his cars – and this book details every major vehicle featured in the series, from the Blower Bentley 007 drove in the novels to the Aston Martin…

CARS THE VALUE CHOICE Skoda Octavia FOR: Easy to drive, reliable, cheap to run AGAINST: Bland styling, noisy on the move IN Scout trim, the Skoda Octavia Estate is the perfect all-rounder. The solid, spacious standard load-lugger gains extra ride height, rugged body cladding and four-wheel drive to make it usable in the rough stuff. It’s not exciting to look at or sit in, but the layout and execution of the cabin is good. It’s also pleasant and easy to drive and it’ll be cheaper to run than either rival here. We found a 2012 Scout Elegance 2.0 TDI with 52,000 miles for £11,795. INTERIOR RELIABILITY CARS THE COMFY CHOICE Volvo XC70 FOR:Classy image, safe, comfortable AGAINST:Old-fashioned, pricey to run THINK estates for towing, and Volvo naturally springs to mind.…

ANTHONY DAVIDSON Drove for Super Aguri in F1; became World Endurance Champion for Toyota in 2014 “CONGRATULATIONS Lewis on what is a phenomenal achievement. He’s an incredibly talented driver who deserves another title. He always seems to find a way to harness his tenacity, using it to go even faster instead of over-driving. “Constantly driving an F1 car on the knife-edge of grip and balance demands huge concentration and natural ability – something only a few drivers on the grid can manage on a consistent basis. Lewis is one of those. The best example of this was Silverstone in 2008, where he was able to drive at another level compared to the competition in wet conditions. “It’s always hard to compare different eras in sport and F1 is no exception.…

MAZDA has signalled its intent to re-embrace rotary engine tech with a sports car concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The sleek RX-Vision is a front-engined, rear-drive two-seater that points to a possible future production range-topper wearing the brand’s famous RX-7 badge. It’s sure to be welcomed by fans who lamented the axing of the RX-8 four-door coupé in 2012. That car was hugely popular and great fun to drive, revving to 9,000rpm, but it was hobbled by poor efficiency and high running costs. Mazda says addressing concerns about “economy, emissions and reliability” will be key to how its rotary tech now evolves. It’s issued only sketchy details about the RX-Vision – and none about the SkyActiv-R engine. But the car looks striking, with a long, low bonnet made possible…

Essentials Civic 1.0-litre VTEC Turbo Price: £21,000 (est) Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo Power: 127bhp Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 0-62mph: 10.0 secs (est) Top speed: 125mph (est) Economy: 56mpg (est) CO2: Sub-100g/km (est) ON SALE 2017 HONDA has announced that the all-new, 10th-generation Civic will be launched with two fresh direct-injection VTEC Turbo engines when it arrives in 2017. A 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5 four-cylinder will both join the range – replacing the current naturally aspirated 1.8. The company is also confident that despite the downsizing, the 1.0-litre engine will provide similar levels of performance to the present 1.8, while lowering running costs at the same time. We were granted early access to a turbocharged prototype ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show – to see if it can compete against…

London Motor Show line-up takes shape MG, Mazda and Japanese brand Mitsuoka have joined the growing list of car makers signed up for the 2016 London Motor Show. Manufacturers and dealers are attending, with Tesla, BMW and Zenos Cars also on the bill. Others are expected to follow, as build-up for the event fast approaches. The London Motor Show is based in Battersea Park, and opens its doors in May 2016. Tickets cost from £13 and are available to order now from www.thelondonmotorshow.co.uk. Range of 310 miles from new VW EVs VOLKSWAGEN’S boss has revealed more details on how the brand will deliver on its new electric vehicle pledge. Speaking at the Tokyo Motor Show, CEO of passenger cars Dr Herbert Diess told Auto Express the new MEB electric car…

MOTORISTS will be paying an extra £386million a year after Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) rose from 6 per cent to 9.5 per cent on 1 November. The hike, which was announced in July’s Budget, affects all insurance, but motoring policies currently contribute a fifth of all IPT. Mark Godfrey, RAC insurance director, said: “The hike in IPT is another stealth tax like fuel duty that has unreasonably added to the already considerable contribution made to the Treasury by motorists.”…

THE 570S is the first sports car – rather than supercar – that McLaren has made, and the company is happy to admit this because the focus is not simply raw speed, but delivering the ultimate driving enjoyment. That’s not to say it isn’t fast – it’s very fast indeed. You’ve read the review (Issue 1,392), now watch how it handles and hear that noise. Video watch WE drive the new McLaren 570S at autoexpress.co.uk/videos  this week, plus enjoy some old-school V8 thrills in a new Lexus.…

HOT TOPIC Renaultsport RS.01 FROM: Boulle THIS looks immense. I’m often confused by Renault. It’s clearly a technologically advanced company – just look at its F1 record – yet all too often its road cars fail to replicate the excitement. The guys behind the Mégane and Clio RS should take note. FROM: theunwise1 RENAULT is one of the greatest motorsports specialists ever, and the RS.01 showcases this brilliantly. All this makes me even prouder to have had the pleasure of owning a 5 GT Turbo instead of the VW Golf GTI I was about to buy at the time. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk • “Can we please see this car make it on to the Renault production line? It looks brilliant and oozes potential.” nanoth • “Renault…

Essentials VW Golf R Estate Price: £33,585 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo Power/torque: 296bhp/380Nm Transmission: Six-speed twin-clutch auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 5.1 seconds Top speed: 155mph Economy: 40.4mpg CO2: 162g/km ON SALE Now WHEN VW decided to put the boot into its hottest hatchback, this was the result: the Golf R Estate. Using the same 296bhp 2.0-litre turbo and four-wheel-drive transmission as its five-door brother, the newcomer promises to deliver a winning blend of performance and practicality. Yet as with the hatch, the R Estate doesn’t shout about its potential. In fact, only the deeper front bumper, subtle side skirts, silver-finish door mirrors and quad exhaust pipes offer any clues. Even the standard 18-inch alloys have a low-key look. This stealthy approach continues inside, where the biggest changes are the addition…

Essentials Audi S8 Plus Price: £97,700 Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 Power/torque: 597bhp/750Nm Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.8 seconds Top speed: 189mph (Dynamic Pack) Economy: 28.2mpg CO2: 231g/km ON SALE Now AUDI sells about 1,000 A8 saloons every year in the UK – something that’s easy to forget when all the attention is on the new BMW 7 Series and class-leading Mercedes S-Class. The A8 3.0-litre TDI makes up the bulk of sales, but 10 per cent are accounted for by the 513bhp S8 super saloon. With a new A8 not due until 2017, Audi has upped its game by introducing the fastest-accelerating and most powerful S model ever. Driven here for the first time, the S8 Plus is about as close as we’ll get to an RS8 this…

YOU can take out a flexible finance deal on the Renault Kadjar, with 5.9 per cent APR representative offered via the brand’s Selections plan. A deposit of between £250 and £8,500 needs to be placed, and repayments must be paid over 24-48 months. The dealer makes a modest contribution of £429. Go for a hire purchase plan, and you get zero per cent APR and the option of putting down a deposit of £6,500-£12,700, while the dealer contributes £600 towards your deposit. Nissan offers the Qashqai on 6.9 per cent APR finance, while if you take out a PCP scheme on the car, you benefit from a £1,250 dealer deposit contribution, which pretty much cancels out the Kadjar’s price advantage. New car broker Broadspeed. comoffers savings across…

TAKING my grandchildren on holiday for a week in Devon was always going to require a practical car with a large boot. So the Honda CR-V joined the Auto Express fleet just in time! After completing the judging for The Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year 2016 awards at Millbrook, Beds (Issue 1,390), I took a well deserved break. Coming with me to the lovely Caravan Club site of Hillhead in Dartmouth in South Devon were five-year-old Evie and 20-month-old Oscar. The children wanted to bring practically every toy they own, but after some careful negotiation we loaded the CR-V with the essentials, including Evie’s bike and Oscar’s buggy, buckets and spades, plus our luggage for a traditional British summer holiday. Thankfully, the CR-V has a 589-litre boot, which…

Cat_Dow@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Hands-free for better safety MY daughter talks on her phone in the car using a set of headphones. I think this is unsafe, so I want to buy her a hands-free kit instead. Which would you recommend? Olivia Evans, E-mail AWE tested Bluetooth hands-free kits in March (Issue 1,362), and the Plantronics K100 visor-mounted set (above, plantronics.com/uk ) was our Best Buy. If your daughter values the privacy of headphones, she might prefer an earpiece. The Jabra MOTION ( jabra.co.uk ) topped our test, delivering first-rate sound quality. Q Best view for dash cam? I WANT my dash cam to get the best possible view of the road for any potential accidents, but wherever…

Latest dash cam warns tired drivers PHILIPS is the latest manufacturer to add new models to its range of dash cams as the market continues to flourish. The ADR 610 and ADR 810 record full HD video and include a fatigue index, which uses various algorithms to warn if the driver is ge ng tired. Collision detection is standard, ensuring vital crash footage isn’t overwritten, and Philips says the units are small enough to fit behind the rear view mirror. They’re available to buy from www.powerbulbs.co.uk . Wider range for our winter tyre winner GOODYEAR’S winter tyre line-up continues to grow with additions to its UltraGrip Performance Gen-1 range. We assessed the 225/45 R17 version in our Winter Tyre Test (Issue 1,391). But now the line-up has…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 4 |11 | 2015 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive. Osram Night Breaker Unlimited Xenarc Best price: £84.95 Beam: 332 Rating: Contact: www.osram.com BEST BUY WE didn’t need the light tunnel to see the advantage these performance bulbs have over standard versions. The beam on the Night Breaker was not just visibly brighter, with the dark spot in the centre of the road on the horizon almost eliminated, but was even and symmetrical. Osram claims 70 per cent more light than a standard bulb, and an output that’s five per cent whiter. We could see the colour change, which gave the beam a blue hue. A…

Q Ford Transit delivery delays I ORDERED a new Ford Transit L2H2 2.2-litre diesel in May, but it hasn’t arrived. Ford initially quoted me a delivery time of three months. When I can expect it to come? Kevin Morley, E-mail A WE spoke to Ford which confirmed there are delays with FWD Transit models. It’s currently looking at a time of 37 weeks to deliver the Transit from when it was first ordered. We’d recommend contacting your dealer for more information on your order. Q Is Volvo corrosion covered? MY wife bought a second-hand Volvo V40 R-Design last year. We recently noticed the paint lacquer on the wheels is coming off. Can we fix this under the corrosion warranty? Michael Miles, E-mail A VOLVO’S corrosion warranty – like most manufacturers’…

RENAULT e.dams is the clear favourite heading into the second round of the FIA Formula E electric racing series, which takes place on a street circuit set up in Putrajaya, Malaysia, this Saturday. The French team dominated the season opener in Beijing, with Sebastien Buemi taking pole position and fastest lap as well as the race win to score maximum points. Speaking after the race, the former Toro Rosso F1 and current Toyota WEC driver said: “It’s a perfect weekend – I’ve never scored all the points before. I’m definitely looking forward to Malaysia now.” But he was keen to play down fears that Renault is set to dominate the rest of the season in similar fashion to the Mercedes F1 team. “I don’t expect it to be like that…

HERE at Auto Express we’re healthily obsessed with car reliability. We know – because our latest Driver Power survey tells us – that Lexus, Toyota, Honda, Subaru and Mazda (in that order) are world beaters. And in a similar but entirely separate survey just conducted by our friends at Consumer Reports (CR) in New York, drivers in America pretty much concur with their Brit counterparts. In 2015, they placed Lexus and Toyota at the top of the pile (as did you), followed by Audi, Mazda and Subaru, then Honda just outside the top five. We already know these Japanese giants wipe the floor with their rivals in Britain. But now it can be unequivocally confirmed that they rule the reliability roost across countries and continents. Intriguingly, Americans and Brits can’t…