Auto Express 1461

AS I write this, high-level discussions are taking place about the future of one of the UK’s biggest and most important car brands: Vauxhall. GM, the US owner of Vauxhall and Opel, is in talks with PSA, maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS cars, about selling its loss-making European business. Meanwhile, UK politicians and union leaders are worrying about the threat of factory closures. This all comes at a time when there’s real hope for Vauxhall and Opel’s line-up in Europe. New SUVs are arriving, while the excellent Astra gives a strong indication of how good the new Insignia will be. Meanwhile, the Ellesmere Port and Luton plants are among the most productive in Europe. But why would PSA want to buy brands that compete directly with their existing line-ups?…

SUV is lighter, more efficient, more agile, higher-tech than ever Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @ Sean_Carson_ FOUR-cylinder engines in large SUVs can work – just ask Volvo, whose XC90 sells in droves with no choice but four-cylinder power. So the new Land Rover Discovery is following suit by launching with a 237bhp version of the firm’s 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel. And there’s one key reason why the brand has been able to offer a downsized motor – and that’s weight. Or rather the lack of it. With an aluminium monocoque under the skin of this fifth-generation Discovery, as opposed to its predecessor’s twin chassis ladder frame design, the car is now a lot lighter. Fitted with the four-cylinder diesel tested here, the kerbweight hasn’t so much been shaved but slashed, by 480kg. This has…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk THE new Lamborghini Urus SUV will cost from around £180,000 when it goes on sale by the end of the year, and it’s set to produce over 600bhp from a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, Auto Express can reveal. Described by company boss Stefano Domenicali as “a super sports car inside an SUV”, and previewed in our exclusive images, the newcomer is due to be officially revealed in the summer. It’s one of the most controversial models in Lamborghini’s 54-year history, and will cost approximately the same amount of money as a Huracán and come packed with supercar technology. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Domenicali said he predicts the Urus will account for more than half of Lamborghini’s global sales by 2019, with the UK potentially being the car’s third biggest…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer THOUSANDS of UK jobs could be at risk as questions loom over the future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port and Luton plants, with owner General Motors looking to sell its Opel and Vauxhall operations to PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Vauxhall employs nearly 2,000 workers in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and 1,340 at its Vivaro plant in Luton, Beds, with both relying on a huge network of local suppliers for parts. But its future in the UK is under scrutiny after GM confirmed it’s exploring the “potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA’’. Neither Opel nor its UK counterpart Vauxhall has turned a profit in years, and for PSA to turn the tide around, experts believe one of the firm’s nine plants in Europe would probably be closed. John Colley, a professor at…

Wraps off rugged new Dacia estate DACIA has revealed its new Logan MCV Stepway (above) – a jacked-up version of the Logan estate. It’ll capitalise on the success of the Sandero Stepway, which accounts for 60 per cent of Sandero sales. The Logan Stepway gets a raised ride height, body cladding and skid plates, while inside it adds ‘3D weave’ seats. It’s available with a choice of turbo petrol and diesel engines, and prices are expected to start from under £10,000. PAGE 30: New Sandero driven in UK Audi names its price for next SQ5 THE new Audi SQ5 SUV will cost £51,200, with first customer cars expected in June. While the previous model was TDI only, the new version will launch with the 349bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine from…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy LAND Rover has confirmed that its new model will be called the Range Rover Velar – and revealed that the coupé- SUV will be positioned between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport in the line-up. A single teaser image displays the Velar from behind, showcasing a three-quarterlength panoramic glass roof and a shoulder line that tapers aggressively towards the vehicle’s rear end. The tail-lights appear to use LED tech to deliver a 3D effect, plus they’re horizontal instead of the vertical items of the full-size Range Rover. The image has been chosen specifically by Land Rover because it doesn’t show the car’s side profile. But it’s understood that the Velar will have quite a steep slope on its roofline, in a similar fashion to the Evoque. The…