Innholdsfortegnelse for 1468 i Auto Express

I CAN remember few issues as emotive in recent times as the ongoing debate regarding the future of diesel. There are some very strong opinions being aired – including in this very issue by our own Mike Rutherford on Page 82. And concerns over whether to buy are now the most regular query we field from readers. On this, let me make Auto Express’s position clear: there is no standard ‘one size fits all’ answer. For certain drivers diesel will still make sense, but I’d add the caveat that at this stage it’s hard to predict exactly what form future legislation might take. Higher penalties and lower residual values seem likely, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be so excessive that diesel will become obsolete for all. While we salute the…

SSANGYONG will team up with its Indian owner Mahindra to co-develop a new fourwheel- drive electric SUV, expected to be launched in the second half of 2019. The Korean brand has resisted electrification up to now. But speaking at the recent Seoul Motor Show, the managing director of SsangYong’s owner, Mahindra & Mahindra, told Auto Express that the firm will have a pure-electric SUV on sale by the end of the decade. It’s expected to be based on the next generation Korando – previewed by the SIV-2 concept – which will use a stretched version of the platform from the Tivoli small crossover. “What we’re working on now is a higher-powered battery that will form part of a common powertrain between Mahindra and SsangYong,” said Dr Pawan Goenka. “What we…

“The record figures have undoubtedly been boosted by consumers and businesses reacting to VED changes“ Joe_Finnerty@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer NEW car sales are expected to crash over the next few months, fuelling a boom in the used market. Dealers and buyers rushed to register new models before changes to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) on 1 April. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that 562,337 new cars were sold – up 8.4 per cent on 2016. It was the biggest month ever as motorists looked to snap up new 17-plate models on the older, cheaper VED rates. Dealers also pre-registered swathes of models to beat the tax deadline, too, and these will now be available to buy used. Experts believe dealers will really feel the pinch over the…

FAIR trading regulations allow motorists to take their vehicle to any garage without fear of voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Block Exemption Regulations, which are designed to increase consumer choice and fairness, state you don’t have to use a franchised dealer, providing any garage uses manufacturer-approved parts and follows the official service schedule. Martin Langhorn of Wokingham, Berkshire, took advantage of the rules when he had his Fiat Ducato van serviced at an independent garage. It was less than two years old, and still covered by the factory warranty when it developed a fault. “A fuel filter warning light came on and I had it checked at our local garage,” said Martin. “It renewed the diesel filter, which didn’t resolve the problem, so it fitted a new sensor, which did. But…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk THE new John Cooper Works Countryman joins the recently revealed JCW Clubman as the most potent MINI there has ever been. Its familiar 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine produces 228bhp and a generous 350Nm of torque, which is enough to send it from 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds – and eventually to a top speed of 145mph. It’s also one of the biggest and most expensive cars to wear the famous MINI badge. The wheelbase is 19cm longer than before, and with an eye-watering list price of £30,875 when paired with the standardfit six-speed manual gearbox. It’ll take a committed MINI enthusiast to take the plunge, especially on this eight-speed auto, which costs £32,590 before options. The JCW does, however, boast an impressive range of equipment to help justify its…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE ALONGSIDE the Octavia vRS (left), Skoda has launched the facelifted Scout, adding new styling features and kit to the rugged version of the family car. Those new headlights, tail-lights and updated bumper designs are all present and correct on the jacked-up estate car, which also gets plastic cladding, skid plates and a 30mm raised ride height over a standard Octavia. Inside our car was the same optional 9.2-inch touchscreen display as in the vRS, which looks great in the already upmarketfeeling cabin. The large, comfortable seats are a big plus as well. That’s mostly because the Scout feels set up for cruising, effortlessly gliding over lumps and bumps. Even on rough ground the Scout manages to feel as comfortable as some cars do on the road. Head into…

Pictures: Pete Gibson Location: Ribblehead Viaduct, Yorkshire THE Land Rover Discovery was arguably the world’s first luxury seven-seat SUV. It’s amassed an army of fans over nearly 30 years, but by early 2017 the fourthgeneration Discovery was feeling a little long in the tooth. However, the all-new Discovery Mk5 is set to change that. Land Rover’s large off-roader is more competitive than ever, and it’s aiming to go straight to the top of the class. But to do so, it must conquer a former Auto Express Car of the Year in the form of the stylish and suave Volvo XC90, as well as Audi’s sporty Q7. This is one of the most demanding market sectors, because seven-seat SUVs need to combine luxury, practicality, performance and tech – and we know…

MODEL TESTED: Volvo XC90 Inscription D5 PowerPulse AWD PRICE: £52,805 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 232bhp WHEN it was launched in 2015, the Volvo XC90 raised the bar for seven-seat SUVs. It offers an appealing mix of luxury and technology alongside a very individual, Scandinavian design. We’re testing the high-spec Inscription trim with the new D5 PowerPulse engine here, and it undercuts both of its competitors at £52,805. DESIGN & ENGINEERING HIGH-END SUVs with four-cylinder diesel power were a rarity until the XC90 came along. Volvo proved a small capacity unit could work in a luxury seven-seater, and paved the way for rivals such as Land Rover to launch the new Discovery with its 2.0-litre Sd4 engine under the bonnet. The XC90 is based on Volvo’s SPA Scalable Product Architecture, which, like…

Second opinion “BRITISH winters can be harsh, so like rivals, Jaguar offers fourwheel drive on its XF saloon. While it isn’t as pure to drive as James’s rear-wheel drive car, it still gives the experience you’d expect from a Jaguar. If you need the extra traction, it’ll add another £1,800 to the price of this Portfolio model.” James Disdale Chief reviewer CO2/tax 114g/km £140 or 24% Running costs 47.1mpg (on test) £79 fill-up James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor GRACE, space, pace. It’s one the most famous car advertising slogans ever. Three words that perfectly sum up exactly what a Jaguar has to be, and while Jaguar probably wouldn’t ever admit to it, every new car it builds has to match up. With this in mind, I wanted to find out if our Jaguar…

WHATEVER protection you applied before winter got its grip on our roads it will be in sore need of reviving and restoring by now. We reveal the products to shift that winter grime over the next few pages, but what should replace your current protection is becoming more complex. The eagle-eyed will have seen we’ve changed the name of this test to make the inclusion of sealants clearer. Gone are the days when a wax was just that; today’s versions mix other ingredients and are dubbed hybrids because they combine the natural with the synthetic. Where possible we have gone for the products that are applied like a traditional paste or liquid wax. Some sealants need extensive preparation, but here we’re focusing on the paste and liquid solutions that need…

WITH the current design trend for painted bumpers, you could be forgiven for thinking there is no role for a specialist product, as a decent wax will do all the protecting needed. Take a closer look at your car, though, and there’s plenty of plastic trim to be found on door-mirror mounts, spoiler lips, SUV wheelarches, and under-bumper panels. Plus cars such as the Citroen C4 Cactus, with its large side panels, are reviving the use of external plastics. The days of black plastic turning grey or red turning pink within a few years are thankfully in the past, but it still needs protecting, and the overall look of the car will benefit from adding a shine. The best can still be seen working months after being applied, rapidly shedding…

2016 Results Forester Factfile Years: 2013 to present CO2: 148g/km Fuel economy: 49.6mpg (2.0D X) Best options: Cruise control, reversing camera, sat-nav, sunroof, xenon lights Prices: From £13,300 OVERALL SCORE 92.04% Bars show where model finished out of 150 cars in our 2016 survey. The lower the rating the better GOOD “VERY happy with the Forester. I live in a rural area and it never misses a beat on the farm roads, even in a harsh winter.” “The Forester is such a comfortable and quiet car. I can drive it for hours.” “There’s lots of space for passengers and luggage.” “Ideal for families or those hauling lots of equipment.” “The first car that I’ve ever owner which has managed to achieve the manufacturer’s quoted fuel economy figures.” “The 2.0-litre diesel is…

BMW 3 SERIES PROBLEM Driver airbag may fail to deploy NUMBER AFFECTED 227,849 Cars affected include the BMW 3 Series, 5 Series and X5, all part of the industry-wide Takata airbag scandal. BMW said tracking down owners of such old cars is a problem. RECALLS COMPLETED 1.5 PER CENT TOYOTA YARIS PROBLEM Passenger airbag may fail NUMBER AFFECTED 388,439 The Yaris was affected, along with Corolla, Avensis Verso, Picnic and some Lexus models as part of the Takata airbag recall. Toyota said it will be chasing owners again this year. RECALLS COMPLETED 24 PER CENT Joe_Finnerty@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer MORE than a million dangerous cars are still on UK roads after our exclusive investigation revealed less than half of the top 10 vehicle recalls in the UK since 2012 have been completed.…

SEAT has introduced a racy Ateca FR to its range, and the hot Insignia will appear in the UK. new trim level will be offered to UK buyers this summer. Along with sporty design tweaks inside and out, the FR model also gets the option of a new 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine. FR models will sit near the top of the Ateca range, alongside flagship XCELLENCE versions. Design tweaks include 18-inch ‘Performance’ alloys that come as standard, body-coloured wheelarches and aluminium inserts on the front bumper and side skirts. Inside, aluminium scuff plates with FR logos have been added, while Alcantara sports seats, a leather sports steering wheel and aluminium pedals round off the changes.…

VOLKSWAGEN will join Skoda at this month’s Shanghai Motor Show by revealing a new electric coupé-SUV. It will be the third member of VW’s I.D. family. VW hasn’t yet officially announced what the concept will be called, but the German manufacturer recently applied to trademark the name I.D. Crozz. The teaser images show very similar design themes to those already seen on the I.D. hatch concept and I.D. Buzz. The thin LED light clusters at the front and rear are clear design cues lifted from the rest of the I.D. family. The I.D. Crozz will be four-wheel drive. It will use the same MEB platform as its stablemates, and should offer an electric range of between 249 and 373 miles.…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram VAUXHALL’s history of big saloons stretches back for decades. The outgoing Insignia has been a fleet favourite since it launched in 2008, but with buyers now shying away in favour of premium models such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, bosses have ripped up the rule book for its latest company car. We first drove the new Insignia Grand Sport last month (Issue 1,465), with a new 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine. We were impressed, but despite media rumours that diesel is dying, Vauxhall expects up to 80 per cent of its D-segment saloons to be powered by the stuff for some time yet. Now we’ve had the chance to try the 1.6-litre ecoTEC diesel, in popular Design Nav trim to see if the designers, engineers and…

Running costs 61.4mpg (official) £47 fill-up Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram WITH the previous A5, Audi bosses staggered the Sportback and Cabriolet models to give the Coupé space to breathe. This time, they’re all coming at once. The visually similar but mechanically overhauled A5 Coupé launched in the UK late last year, before the Sportback found showrooms in January. Three months on, we’re driving the new convertible to see if losing the roof makes this the A5 of choice. Despite being heavier than the Coupé, the A5 Cabrio is 55kg lighter than before. That’s thanks in part to the VW Group’s tried-and-tested MLB platform, but also due to the use of lightweight materials. This equates to an average 12 per cent drop in CO2 emissions and better fuel economy. Our front-drive 2.0-litre TDI…

MODEL TESTED: Land Rover Discovery 2.0 Sd4 HSE PRICE: £57,495 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 237bhp IN the Land Rover Discovery’s lifespan there have only been four versions, so this all-new fifth-generation car is a major chapter in the story. Our pictures show a top-spec HSE Luxury model, but the car we’re testing is one step down the ladder: the £57,495 Land Rover Discovery 2.0 Sd4 HSE. DESIGN & ENGINEERING THERE’S something new for this fifth incarnation of Land Rover’s rugged yet refined 4x4. The Sd4 tag signifies that this car is powered by Land Rover’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium turbodiesel. It’s not the first time the Discovery has used a four-cylinder diesel, but the Discovery 4 and 3 before it were only available with V6s. A V6 diesel is still offered, along…

steve_fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler Second opinion “We’ve sampled the future of car ownership. Tesla has proved with its over-the-air software updates that your car can be improved remotely, adding more features. It’s so ahead of the curve, rivals are interested in its every move.” Johnny Burn News editor Essentials Tesla Model S 85 On fleet since: February 2017 Price: £59,800 (£72,000 in 2015) Battery/power: 85kWh/ 377bhp electric motor CO2/tax: 0g/km/£0 Extras: Tech pack with Autopilot, Dual chargers, Ultra high fidelity sound system, security package Insurance*: Group: 50 Quote: £502 Mileage/mpg: 32,300/N/A Any problems? None *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points. WE LIKE Huge 17-inch touchscreen is the focal point of the cabin, and packs plenty of tech. It’s easy to use and…

WASHING away the accumulated grime is the first step in any car cleaning programme, because it takes the worst dirt off all paint, glass and plastic. When cleaning a really grimy car, as many will be this spring, it is vital to ensure the built-up filth is loosened or largely removed before using a sponge or mitt. A pressure washer can help here, combined with a pre-wash or specialist shampoo. Use the washer to blast off most of the grime to prevent dragging grit across the paint. Our pick of the pressure-washer shampoos is Bilt Hamber Surfex HD (£16.95 for five litres) which is also an effective degreaser, loosening traffic film. When using a car wash, ensure the mitt is kept wet and use a separate bucket to rinse away…

GLASS is the final step in car cleaning, because it can be completed without affecting the finish on other surfaces. Shampoo can get most of the grime off the outside of windows, but the inside still needs doing, plus those often-forgotten strips tucked inside the glass runners will need tackling. If your windows have tough-to-shift marks such as baked-on bugs or tree sap, consider using a polish. Try working top to bottom on one side of the glass and left to right on the other to help track down smears – the shape of the mark should then make it clear which side of the glass needs revisiting. And it is those oily smears that were the focus of our test of 20 glass cleaners. We used a smear of…

THE Peugeot 205 was one of the greatest cars of the 1980s, but following it up with something equally impressive was always going to be a very difficult task. Peugeot failed to do it with the 206 and 207, but the 208 is a step in the right direction. It’s smartly designed, good to drive, offered with some of the most efficient engines in its class, and it’s well equipped. There are loads of examples available, which drives down prices, so you don’t need deep pockets to buy one. The question is – should you? NEED TO KNOW The handbrake can stick on, either because the cable has partially seized or the pads have stuck to the discs. NEED TO KNOW Knocks from the front suspension are usually down to…

Hyundai Tucson 45mpg (on test) £74 fill-up Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDi SE Nav Years: 2015 to date Engine: 1.7-litre 4cyl, 114bhp Ins grp: 16 Official econ/CO2: 61.7mpg/119g/km Why? Long five-year warranty means all cars are still covered, and Tucson is well equipped. Prices from: £13,995 THE Hyundai Tucson revived an old name, but everything about the latest model is fully up to date. It looks good, thanks to a design that has been inspired by the larger Santa Fe, but inside it’s a little bland and uninviting, especially when compared with the modern Renault. The 1.7-litre diesel is the same engine that was available in the Hyundai ix35, but tweaked to be more efficient – although it can’t match the Renault’s 1.5-litre unit. It’s punchy, though, and beat the Renault…

KIA development boss fills us in on the challenges of developing a Kia sports car, and the expectations he has in such a competitive market Q Can you say what the Stinger has to do for Kia? A It’s a brand-shaper for us. It needs to prove Kia can really surprise with a car people wouldn’t expect from us – not only in the styling, but also with a level of performance not previously seen in a Kia. Q How will lessons learned and technology developed from the Stinger help Kia in the future? A I think the biggest thing the Stinger will do is change expectations. A lot. So yes, it will therefore change how we have to develop cars to meet these changing customer demands. Q How have…

OFFICIAL sketches of the Skoda Vision E’s cabin have been released ahead of the car’s unveiling at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show. There are four easy-to-access individual seats, which can rotate up to 20 degrees, while the dashboard is dominated by a 12-inch colour touchscreen with the most advanced connectivity seen yet in a Skoda. A central console adjacent to the driver provides access to additional controls, while there’s also a head-up display for extra functionality. Not only is there a central infotainment screen on the dash, but each passenger also has a touchscreen of their own to control various in-car settings. In each of the suicide doors Skoda has integrated phone boxes, which allow for inductive smartphone charging. Bosses say the overall intent was to create a clean look…

MOT testing accuracy has failed to improve significantly over the past few years with almost one in seven results in Britain incorrect. Figures obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) by Auto Express show 13 per cent of results were wrong in 2015 – the latest set of data – with 17 per cent of vehicles given a pass when they should have failed. Seven per cent of cars were failed when they should have passed. Cars from a pool of 1,800 randomly selected MoT test centres were retested by DVSA engineers in 2015, with the most common disagreement over headlamp aim. Seven per cent of cars retested had a headlamp defect, while another five per cent had brake issues that the original test missed. According to the…

Insidestory A different take on the world of motoring James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor “MOVE out of the way! Why do you people think you can block the road?” bellows a woman in a silver Fiat Doblo, her passenger looking at me embarrassed through the window. We’re standing outside the rather grand Baglioni Hotel in Kensington, London, where I’ve parked the Maserati Quattroporte S – particularly well, if I may say so – by the hotel’s elegant entrance. Nevertheless, the Doblo driver doesn’t want me to be there and is making it very clear. “She’s speaking to you like that firstly because of the car, but more importantly because you’ve got that hat on,” Andy Dubberley says. Andy is a professional chauffeur, licensed bodyguard and certified protection driver with more than 20 years’…

“Electronic diff lets you power out of corners a bit earlier, which is a boon on dry roads” STYLING Light refresh includes new grille, C-shaped rear lights and LED headlamps. Interior is clean and cabin material quality is good Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.7 seconds/155mph Running costs 43.5mpg (official) £59 fill-up Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE SKODA recently introduced a round of updates for the Octavia, adding new tech and a subtle redesign to the family car range. Now it’s the turn of the hot vRS, which gets the same changes as the standard car, plus a small power boost. The Czech brand previously offered the vRS 230 as a separate model, but the upgrades – including an extra 10bhp and an XDS+ electronic limited-slip diff – are now standard. A diesel version is…

MODEL TESTED: Audi Q7 S line 3.0 TDI quattro PRICE: £55,590 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6, 268bhp AUDI’S second-generation, seven-seat SUV built on the success of the original Q7, and is known for its strong dynamics. However, space, practicality and luxury are major factors here, so can the Q7 – which we test in £55,590 S line trim with Audi’s higher-powered 3.0 V6 TDI – rival the Land Rover? DESIGN & ENGINEERING UNDERNEATH the Q7’s angular, square-set skin is the same platform that underpins the super-luxurious Bentley Bentayga, as well as more mainstream Audi models, such as the A4. This is a scalable modular chassis architecture that accepts longitudinally mounted engines, but the platform has also been designed to take hybrid powertrains, so as well as the 3.0 TDI V6 we test…

Results LAND ROVER 1st THE seven-seat SUV sector has a new king. There’s no denying the Mk5 Discovery’s blend of practicality, space, comfort, quality and tech mean it offers exactly what you want from a large luxury off-roader. It’s more efficient than ever, and although it’s not particularly fast or agile, it’s beautifully refined on the move, which makes it every inch the cut-price Range Rover with even more usability. VOLVO 2nd THE XC90 is still a great large SUV that offers more space and versatility than the Audi with a nicely crafted, high-tech cabin. It also delivers strong performance and mixes this with impressive efficiency, but compared to the Land Rover it lacks ride comfort and engine refinement. However, it’s the cheapest and the most affordable on finance, which…

WHEELS are among the toughest parts of a car to get clean, because they spend their lives in a harsh environment in which they’re bombarded with searingly hot iron dust from the brakes, as well as normal road grime. The easiest way to put the sparkle back in to your alloys is to use a specialist cleaner. The best will loosen the baked-on grime to the point where it can just be blasted off with a pressure washer, leaving just a few marks to be shifted with a mitt or brush. Key here is how effective the formula is at loosening that grime. Our test focused on the cleaner, assessing its progress on a long-neglected wheel trim; each product was allowed to work as long as the instructions required before…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk AE_Consumer BEING asked to take a wire metal brush to the immaculate black bonnet of a Porsche Boxster is an unnerving request. But before we’re handed it and told to scrape away, we’re informed: “This will blow your mind.” After an initial hesitation, we put in some elbow grease, and the screeching metal brush leaves thick, nasty grooves in the paint. For two minutes, we stare in silence at marks that would leave most people convinced the bonnet is ruined – but then something happens. The scratches suddenly begin to fade, and five minutes later the bonnet looks as pristine as it was before our attack. Car care has come a long way over the years, but the latest technology is surprising even the specialists working in the area.…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk AUDI’S shock decision to end its Le Mans 24 Hours and World Endurance Championship (WEC) programmes was one of the biggest stories of motorsport’s winter off-season. The German brand had become synonymous with the classic French race and the championship built around it, winning 13 times between 2000 and 2014. But while Audi has gone, the WEC is still here – and getting ready to kick off its 2017 season with the Silverstone Six Hours at the famous Northants track this weekend. At the front of the grid, three Toyota TS050s take on a pair of Porsche 919s in the LMP1 class. The Japanese brand’s extra car is part of its response to a heartbreaking last-lap retirement from the lead of Le Mans last year – its third near-miss…

A TOTAL of 36 cars will enter this weekend’s European Le Mans Series season opener, taking place at Silverstone, Northants, in support of the first round of the World Endurance Championship (see p78-79). LMP2 serves as the top class in the ELMS, and as in the WEC, the prototype category has been refreshed with faster and more powerful cars for 2017. Notable names on the grid include the French former international goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, driving for the team he has set up with ex-F1 driver Olivier Panis. Briton Ben Hanley is racing for Dragon Speed in the LMP2 category, while the British teams Beechdean Motorsport and TF Sport are campaigning Aston Martin Vantages in the championship’s GT class.…