Innholdsfortegnelse for 1477 i Auto Express

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE new Citroen C3 Aircross has been officially revealed ahead of its arrival in showrooms in November. It’s the latest in a line of French cars to make the transition from MPV to SUV, indirectly replacing the ageing and unfashionable C3 Picasso. Following the lead of the Peugeot 3008 and 5008, both of which started life as MPVs, the new C3 Aircross ditches the Picasso’s frumpy MPV styling for a desirable SUV body. Citroen insists it will not lose its spacious and modular interior, claiming the new Aircross is a “people-minded SUV” inspired by customers. It’ll rival cars like the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. First seen in C-Aircross guise at the Geneva Motor Show this year, the concept car has remained almost entirely intact. In fact, the…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrod McLAREN has added a fourth car to its Sports Series range, launching the new 570S Spider. It joins the less powerful 540C, as well as the 570S coupé and 570GT, in the firm’s ‘entry-level’ supercar line-up. McLaren claims its new open-top 570S matches its coupé-bodied counterpart when it comes to performance, despite a 46kg weight penalty due to the folding hard-top. As ever, a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 sits behind the driver, producing 562bhp and 600Nm of torque. This is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and with launch control activated the 570S Spider covers 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. Top speed with the roof in place is 204mph, but it’s restricted to 196mph with the top removed. The retractable folding roof is made up of…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_bur THIS is the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, a replacement for the 5 GT with a new name to reflect the ‘major step forward’ the car is claimed to have made. BMW says the 6 GT is now better to drive, more comfortable and more efficient than before and will make its debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. It will launch in the UK in November, costing from £46,810. Prices rise to £57,570 for top-spec models. The 6 Series is 87mm longer and 21mm lower than the 5 GT, while a total of 64mm have been shaved off the height of the rear end to give a more athletic stance. Despite that, the German brand claims the 6 GT weighs 150kg less than before and there is…

ETHICS have yet to play a huge role in the automotive industry, but they’re about to. With driverless cars soon becoming a reality on our roads, a frequent question car makers have faced from the public regards what the car will do in a lose-lose situation where an accident with pedestrians or other vehicles is unavoidable? After all, uncertainty from our roads can never be reduced entirely through computer code. This has been a crippling question for many, and so far there has been no conclusive answer, apart from that ‘the car will be programmed to avoid an accident’. But now Audi has said it will open up the discussion from behind closed boardroom doors to the public arena. Audi’s CEO, Rupert Stadler, recently told an audience at a United…

FROM: Wiley I THINK this is great. Remember when BMW came out with the M3 GTS? The principle was very much the same – a hardcore version of a roadgoing saloon. It’s totally impractical, but that’s not the point. It’s about showing off the car’s potential. FROM: MaldonadoP FOR an XE, the Project 8 seems a little too extreme. I would have much rather seen a Jaguar XE SVR before this. I guess, as Jaguar’s John Edwards says, if the Project 8 receives the right feedback, an XE SVR may be on the table. Contact Lawrence Allan Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▪ “I like the massive wing on the back of the Project 8. I hope…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk YOU are looking at the most potent Skoda ever to wear a vRS badge. You are also looking at one of the most complete cars Skoda has yet produced, full stop. So while the new Octavia vRS 245 may appear somewhat expensive (the DSG auto is an extra £1,135 on top of our manual test car), it is nevertheless an impressive car. It benefits from a wide range of dynamic capabilities, plus the usual level of quality and practicality Skoda is so well known for. The engine for the 245 is a development of the Volkswagen Group’s four-cylinder TSI turbo that powers everything from the VW Golf to a SEAT Leon. Here it develops 242bhp (245PS, hence the badging) plus a fulsome 370Nm of torque. That’s enough to fire…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk IT won’t be the most popular model within the new Insignia line-up – not by a long chalk. But the Grand Sport Elite Nav 2.0 Turbo 4x4 will certainly have the longest name in the range. It’ll also be the quickest, most powerful, most expensive Insignia you can buy when deliveries start this month. Question is, does the fact that this Grand Sport boasts a level of specification comparable to a fully loaded kitchen also make it the best Insignia money can buy? In some respects, yes, as the technical sophistication on offer is well beyond what you’ll find in, say, the more affordable 1.5 turbo model tested in Issue 1,465. But in other ways, no, because in places the extra tech detracts from the fundamentally fine way in…

MODEL TESTED: BMW 520d Touring M Sport PRICE: £41,385 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 187bhp BMW’S 5 Series Touring is only available in two trim levels: entry-level SE and M Sport, which we test here. All cars use the firm’s eight-speed auto box, so the 520d M Sport comes in at £41,385. DESIGN & ENGINEERING THE 5 Series Touring is based on BMW’s OKL platform for rear-wheeldrive vehicles. This uses similar tech to the larger 7 Series luxury saloon, only the 5 Series doesn’t feature the flagship’s Carbon Core technology in a bid to keep costs down. However, there’s still extensive use of lightweight alloys to deliver a good level of dynamic ability, despite more metalwork around the rear end due to the estate bodystyle. The Touring features double-wishbone front suspension…

BMW 5 SERIES score 4.2 BMW Professional M’media Standard Key features: Wireless CarPlay available LIKE the 5 Series’ chassis, there’s plenty of tech carried over from the larger 7 Series luxury saloon in the 10.25-inch Professional Multimedia sat-nav system. It’s just that more of it is optional on the exec estate. Apple CarPlay preparation may be £235 extra, but BMW is the first manufacturer to integrate the connectivity tech wirelessly. The Connected app allows integration with Android smartphones, and can even link with Amazon Alexa for those using this technology. Online services are standard, offering news and weather reports, just like in the Mercedes. Our test car also featured the £1,495 Technology Pack, which includes Gesture Control. This lets you perform tasks such as changing the volume with just the…

Chargie helps EV drivers to plug in ELECTRIC car drivers are always looking for solutions to alleviate range anxiety, and a new sharing system called Chargie could be the answer. It allows users to book EV charging at other people’s home points while the owners are out. Chargie has expanded rapidly since its launch last month and says it’s getting interest from hotels and B&Bs who hope bookable charging will allow travellers to use their business as a lunch stop. Charge point owners set their own prices. Find out more at www.chargie.net. New pack boost for leading racing game ASSETTO Corsa, one of the highestrated racing games on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, has got even better with the release of the ‘Ready to Race’ downloadable content (DLC) pack…

“Porsche trio Tandy, Lotterer and Jani are the only driver line-up in LMP1 this year to have all won Le Mans before” Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk WHEN Formula One’s Nico Hulkenberg won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche on his debut in the race back in 2015, it was a huge story for the world of motorsport. But it was an equally significant result for his British co-driver Nick Tandy, who’d worked his way up from racing Minis on short oval tracks in the Midlands to victory at one of the world’s most famous races. Yet there was also a bittersweet element to the win, as Tandy, Hulkenberg and New Zealander Earl Bamber had been driving an ‘extra’ Porsche entry and wouldn’t get the chance to contest the remainder of the 2015…

■ First drive of Honda’s new 169mph monster hatchback ■ Blistering pace remains, but hot Civic is easier to live with Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ONCE again the Honda Civic Type R is the fastest front-wheel-drive hot hatch around. It knocked the VW Golf Clubsport S off the top spot back in April to reclaim its crown as the quickest front-wheel-drive production car to lap the 12.9-mile Nürburgring race track in Germany. Other than its gaudy appearance, the fourth-generation Type R bears almost no resemblance to the model it replaces. Rather than list the multitude of changes, it’s easier to tell you what hasn’t altered; the braking system, gearbox and engine are the only carry-over parts from the previous Type R, but even they’ve been tweaked. The brakes are larger than before,…

Exclusive 911 Turbo is ready for action PORSCHE has unveiled a new 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series (above) – the most powerful 911 with the Turbo badge. It’s limited to 500 units worldwide and priced from £186,916 – a premium of £40,000 over the standard version of the flagship 911. The twin-turbo 3.8-litre flat six develops 599bhp – a 27bhp boost over the regular Turbo S. It features a unique gold finish and decals, while the roof, bonnet and side skirts are carbon fibre. Risk from driverless cars is highlighted AUTONOMOUS cars may pose a safety risk when handing back control to drivers, after a new study found motorists struggled to regain full control of their car for nearly a minute. In this time a car would have travelled for…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor We walk you round Jag’s XF Sportbrake YOU’VE seen the pictures (Page 17); now take the guided tour. We’ve had exclusive access to the new Jaguar XF Sportbrake, and you can join me on a walkaround in this video. See the car first hand as I take you around the cabin and show off the striking new exec estate’s vast luggage space. Head over to our YouTube channel now to be the first to see the new Sportbrake. Full details on new Volkswagen up! GTI VOLKSWAGEN has done exactly what all petrolheads have been crying out for – it’s produced an up! GTI. While the Golf GTI has grown over the past 40 years, the sizzling up! is the spiritual successor to the Mk1 hot hatch, promising the…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan MAZDA’s ability to offer fun-to-drive mainstream models at modest prices is something we’ve admired for years. But perhaps the hardest test of that philosophy is with the CX-5 SUV – the Japanese firm’s largest and heaviest car for Europe. The second-generation model has now arrived in the UK, and after being impressed with it abroad, we drove it on some of Scotland’s greatest roads to see if it’s retained Mazda’s trademark ‘X-Factor’. From a distance you’ll be struck by how similar the new CX-5 looks to the original. It’s slightly shorter and lower than the outgoing car, but both the width and wheelbase are identical. The details are actually very different, however, with a sharper front end and enlarged grille. The slim front and rear lights and smooth…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram IN the race for electric car supremacy, no company comes close to tech giant Tesla. Brand CEO Elon Musk has brought EVs to the forefront and pushed mainstream makers to reconsider their future plans. Many EVs remain a niche choice, due to their relatively limited range and the sporadic charging infrastructure, but Tesla continues to up the ante by introducing new battery packs and near-weekly wireless updates that can quite literally boost efficiency overnight. The latest version is the new Model S 100D, which despite its similar name, is not to be confused with the flagship P100D. There is no supercar-shaming Ludicrous mode here, and with power down from 595bhp to ‘just’ 371bhp, the car’s 0-60mph time drops from a scarcely believable 2.5 seconds to a still-impressive 4.2…

MODEL TESTED: Mercedes E 220 d Estate AMG Line PRICE: £41,215 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 191bhp THE current E-Class represented a huge leap for Mercedes. It combines a lot of tech with a high-quality cabin to offer masses of space in an appealing and – compared with its rivals here – cheaper package. This E 220 d Estate in AMG Line trim costs £41,215, undercutting its rivals by a small margin. However, can it put a greater distance between the BMW and Volvo? DESIGN & ENGINEERING score 4.2 JUST as the BMW features a versatile platform, Mercedes has its Modular Rear Architecture (MRA) to underpin the E-Class. The car benefits from a multi-link rear axle, but where the 5 Series uses conventional steel springs as standard, the E-Class has self-levelling…

Results 1st BMW THE 5 Series Touring follows the saloon version, taking victory thanks to its blend of comfort, agility, efficiency and space. It’s affordable on finance and will be the cheapest car to run for business users. It might lose out to the E 220 d on luggage room, but it’s larger inside and has an even higher-quality feel, with all the kit you’ll need. More refinement than its rivals makes it our winner. 2nd VOLVO LIKE with the XC90 SUV and the S90 saloon, the V90 proves Volvo can cut it with the best in the class. It’s not quite as practical as its rivals here, but it makes up for it in other areas, with the most equipment, reasonable running costs and a surprisingly sweet chassis that…

NEW PRODUCT Nextbase 512GW dash cam Price: £149.99 Contact: 020 3195 0877, www.nextbase.co.uk THIS WEEK’S HOT KIT NEXTBASE has introduced a replacement for our reigning champion in the dash cam market. The new 512GW supersedes the 512G, and comes with a 140-degree ultra-wide viewing angle. It also records 1440p HD footage at 30 frames per second (fps), and can capture 60fps recordings in 1080p quality. The 512GW features a new Sony Exmor R Sensor and comes with Nextbase’s innovative polarising filter to help improve footage taken during different times of the day. A new threeinch screen and built-in WiFi will make it easier to review and send footage, while Nextbase says it also has a new ‘Intelligent Parking Mode’. This sees the cam power down to maximise battery life, but…

Mini test NEW PRODUCT Vax Blade 32V Cordless Price: £179.99 Rating: Contact: 0800 014 9379, www.vax.co.uk WITH 32V on tap the Vax is really potent, especially in boost mode. Its powered brushbar was mighty around the home, where its 24cm width came in useful, and it dismissed our test dirt with ease – even more quickly than the Gtech. However, in the confines of our car, the brushbar proved cumbersome and, thanks to the horizontal dirt bin, the machine was wider than most. This clumsiness was exacerbated by the fact it weighed an extra 400g. The crevice tool is only 10cm long, so many jobs were impossible, and the Vax needs a light. It’s dearer than the Gtech, and while there’s currently a £51 tool set offer, this doesn’t bring…

£9,000 for a hybrid family car, but which one? Dear Lawrence, I’m looking for a hybrid family hatch that can run through my busy town centre quietly, with low emissions. What will £9,000 get me? Liam Madden, Reading, Berks Contact: Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk Honda Insight FOR: Well priced, spacious, looks ‘normal’ AGAINST: Mixed drive, Prius more frugal THE often forgotten Insight sits in the shadow of the Prius, but it’s worth considering. Not only is it cheaper, few people recognise it as an ‘eco’ car. Its cabin does look a bit space-age, however. The Honda offers reasonable performance despite only having a 1.3-litre engine and 14bhp electric motor – but it’s not as fast or frugal as the Prius, can sound strained and the ride is firm on early cars. We saw…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk “I have mixed feelings; I am proud with what I achieved today, but also it shows what I have lost” Robert Kubica ex-F1 driver ROBERT Kubica last week returned to the cockpit of a Grand Prix car for the first time since the serious rally crash that cut short his Formula One career in 2011. Driving a 2012-spec Renault E20, the Pole completed 115 laps of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. He said afterwards: “I’d like to thank everybody for making this possible. I hope it was a good day for everyone and maybe they saw something of my old, 2010 self. “For me, it has been an important day from an emotional point of view. It has been a long time away from the paddock and…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn NEXT year Honda will launch a new ‘two-motor’ hybrid vehicle in Europe. Bosses have yet to confirm what form that model will take, but it’s a safe bet that the powertrain will feature in the new CR-V, which launched at April’s Shanghai Motor Show. The system is called i-MMD (Intelligent Multi Mode Drive), and we tested it in an Odyssey MPV prototype. It comprises a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and two electric motors powered by an 11kWh lithium-ion battery. Honda claims it develops 212bhp and 315Nm of torque in total. However, unlike in a Toyota Prius, there is no physical transmission. Instead, it’s replicated by the engine and electric motors. Removing the gearbox dramatically reduces the size of the overall powertrain, saves weight and increases efficiency, according to…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods JAGUAR has revealed its rival for the Mercedes E-Class Estate and BMW 5 Series Touring (tested on Page 42); the new XF Sportbrake. It joins the saloon and quashes rumours of plans to cull the estate bodystyle after the old model was canned. The big feature is the additional boot space, granted by the larger estate rear end. With the rear seats in place the new XF Sportbrake boasts a 565-litre capacity, which is 25 litres up on the saloon. Folding the 40:20:40 seats exposes the difference, though – with the 1,700-litre volume shaming the four-door’s 885 litres. A load cover and four tie-down points also feature. With these figures, the XF Sportbrake is just about on par with the 5 Series Touring when it comes to practicality.…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “Owner Geely wants Polestar to take a sportier role within its group” VOLVO’S performance brand Polestar will be going it alone with its own range of electric performance cars, Auto Express can exclusively reveal. The first standalone Polestar model will arrive later this year. According to a senior source inside Geely (Volvo and Polestar’s parent firm), the Chinese company wants to create a line-up of brands to rival the VW Group. With Volvo cementing its position taking on premium brands, Geely wants Polestar to take a sportier role within its group. It wants to replicate what Mercedes-AMG has done in producing its own bespoke AMG cars. Volvo’s new SPA (Scalable Product Architecture, left) and CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform technology will be used for a new generation of…

Chief Ombudsman and MD, The Motor Ombudsman, www.themotorombudsman.org ALTERNATIVE Dispute Resolution (ADR) continues to be a highly sought-after service in the automotive sector, as motorists become increasingly aware of the legislation concerning their rights. We received nearly 10,000 enquiries alone in the first quarter of this year, with the standard of workmanship, staff and the booking system being among the most frequent issues raised by motorists. One of the many advantages of ADR (which is designed to complement a garage’s in-house complaints process) is that it provides motorists and garages with an alternative to going to court, and avoids the need for both parties to seek legal representation. This, therefore, significantly reduces the cost of concluding a complaint to reach a fair outcome for all involved. It’s also a much…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan WHEN a manufacturer launches a new car, it often draws attention away from its established siblings. That’s exactly what happened with Peugeot; the classy, hi-tech 3008 SUV was such a revelation that it was crowned our sister title Carbuyer’s Car of the Year for 2017. But it also made the Peugeot 308 look a little out of date. To give the hatchback a fresh lease of life, and a chance against newer rivals like the Vauxhall Astra and Renault Mégane, Peugeot has carried out a round of mid-life revisions. Before the first cars arrive in the UK in September, we’ve sampled the new model in Germany to see if it can take the fight to the best small family cars on sale. Exterior changes focus on the front…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.6 seconds/93mph Electric motor Power/range 134bhp/186 miles VOLKSWAGEN’S evergreen Golf range is bigger and broader than ever. Depending on your tastes, driving habits and practicality requirements, your local VW dealer should find a model to suit your needs. There are hatchbacks and estates, manuals and autos, front and four-wheeldrive versions, petrols and diesels – even hybrids and electric cars; and it’s the new and improved all-electric e-Golf we’re testing here in the UK for the first time. The e-Golf gets a host of tweaks to bring it in line with the rest of the updated range, as well as a boosted EV range. Up from just 119 miles, the new model can do 186 miles on a single charge, according to VW. That falls shy…

MODEL TESTED: Volvo V90 D4 R-Design Pro PRICE: £41,865 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 187bhp SINCE the V90’s launch, Volvo has tweaked the line-up, adding an R-Design Pro trim level to match BMW and Mercedes’ sportier models. With our £41,865 D4-engined test car, can the V90 continue to carry the torch for the Swedish brand against its talented German opposition? DESIGN & ENGINEERING score 4.2 THE V90 followed on from the firm’s smash-hit XC90. The SUV stormed off with our Car of the Year award in 2015 thanks to its fresh approach, and the V90 runs with the concept. Underneath the distinctive body is Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, which is based solely around four-cylinder engines. The 2.0-litre unit we test here shares a similar architecture to the 2.0-litre petrol…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler IF only the Active Noise Control in the Ford Edge worked to eliminate all unwanted noises... sadly, it only cancels out wind, road and engine roar, but it does it effectively. Microphones inside the car monitor the nasty stuff, and the audio system then generates sound waves that are played out through the speakers to cancel them – all without interfering with the decent sounds from the Sony stereo. The Edge is a seriously quiet and clever car. It’s also huge – plenty of other large SUVs fail to offer the amount of space in the back that the Ford does. With three adult-sized children to carry on occasion, the Edge does it better than many – although the £175 optional inflatable rear seatbelts can be a bit…

IF you want to extract more performance from your car, tuning doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. Far from comprehensively upgrading engine components, you can simply plug in a small box to reprogram various electronic elements – and that’s where Tunit comes in, with its new Optimum Plus and Power Pedal. Optimum Plus is an evolution of previous Tunit products, but is currently only available for petrol engines. When connected to the vehicle’s on board diagnostics (OBD) port, it accesses the ECU and can control various engine parameters. Tunit claims it improves power, torque and fuel economy, while connection with a dedicated app allows drivers to switch between eco and performance modes at the touch of a button. The other new Tunit release is Power Pedal, which…

Cosworth: The Search for Power Graham Robson (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £55 Rating: THIS is another update to Robson’s comprehensive history of Cosworth, and it remains good to read and packed with detail. Anecdotes about the company and the people behind it ensure the tale doesn’t get too dry, while technical stuff is wisely kept to the back of the book – easily accessible without being in your face. Pricey but worth it. Vauxhall Model by Model Eric Dymock (Eric Dymock Motor Books, dovepublishing.co.uk) Price: £24.99 Rating: ERIC Dymock has put together some interesting books in the past. But this isn’t one of them. While it does exactly what it says on the cover, that is perhaps its downfall – detailing every model of a mainstream brand such as Vauxhall…

Got any car queries? Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q How to appeal parking fine I RECENTLY parked my Volkswagen Polo in a residential zone in Wandsworth, London. When I returned I’d got a parking fine, with the claim that I’d exceeded the bay’s limits. I don’t agree with this, and took pictures as evidence. What can I do to appeal? Tony Carver, E-mail A YOU can appeal penalty charge notices (PCNs) by contacting the council and filing a challenge. But it’s likely the traffic warden took their own evidence, so be sure you’re in the right before challenging the ticket. Q Can I drive MoT failure? MY car has just failed its MoT. I need to wait at least a week before I can have the brake repairs done, but need my…

THAT’S your lot, then. We have a new Government (of sorts) with manifesto promises to keep (yeah, right) and car users to fleece between now and the 2022 General Election. The run-up to last week’s poll really did go from mad to worse. I didn’t think the demented Lib Dem demand to ban diesel car sales by 2025 could be topped. But the Monster Raving Loony Party just about outdid the bonkers Liberals when claiming yellow lines should only be put down where motorists CAN park. It also vowed to warn drivers of potholes by plonking plastic ducks inside them. Even wackier, the BBC (our most consistent opposition ‘party’) dropped its unbiased guard and promoted the insane idea that drivers be presumed guilty when cars collide with bicycles, or vice…