Auto Express 1499

BARELY a week goes by, it seems, without one of our reviewers reporting back from the latest launch of a small SUV. I’ve been to three myself over the past month, picking apart the respective merits of the Citroen C3 Aircross, SEAT Arona and Hyundai Kona – and in this issue, we’re putting the first two of those up against the Kia Stonic on UK roads (above). I’ll leave you in suspense on the verdict, but suffice it to say that even the winner doesn’t manage to bag a full haul of five stars – our ultimate seal of approval. That’s because the small SUV is a curious breed of vehicle whose appeal is still a mystery to many of us. You get a slightly elevated driving position, of course,…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ▪ All-new version of award-winning hatch in showrooms in 2019 ▪ Fresh styling, more cabin space and mild hybrid among highlights SEAT is hoping to capitalise on the success of its Ateca SUV by revealing a new generation of Leon hatchback within the next 18 months, Auto Express can reveal. Due in showrooms in the first half of 2019, the new Leon is part of a major product offensive from SEAT – the most intensive rollout of new or heavily revised models in the Spanish company’s history. Dr Matthias Rabe, the firm’s board member with responsibility for research and development, told Auto Express: “It’s our biggest push ever. We’ve had Ateca, now Arona, the renewal of Ibiza, the facelifted Leon. But it’s only now that we really accelerate;…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler AN all-new generation of Vauxhall Corsa that will arrive in 2019 and include a fully electric version for the first time is at the core of fresh plans for the British brand announced by its new owner, PSA Group. PSA, which also owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS, took over Vauxhall and its German sister marque Opel earlier this year. The firm announced last week the results of a 100- day review of the business – and it has placed new products and electrification at the heart of its plan for the next decade. The first new Vauxhall to arrive will be the new Corsa. It’s due in 2019, and will sit on PSA’s CMP platform – a set of chassis parts that will also underpin the likes of…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan LAMBORGHINI has revealed a futuristic electric hypercar concept, built in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Called the Terzo Millennio, the model demonstrates innovative energy storage systems and ‘self-healing’ carbon fibre technology. The concept made its debut at MIT’s EmTech conference last week, and is the culmination of a year-long partnership between the Italian marque and the world-renowned American university. “Tiny channels in the bodywork will allow the damaged area to fill with ‘healing chemistries’” It’s based on a lightweight forged composite monocoque chassis, with a carbon fibre bodyshell. It’s no ordinary carbon, however; the project aims to develop a way of storing energy in the bodywork itself then using it to power the car’s functions. That’s not the most interesting development in material tech, though,…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THERE’S little sign that UK consumers are backing local car plants more in the face of Brexit, because the latest set of new car registrations indicates that 80 per cent of the top 20 cars in the UK are imported. The list of the top 20 models sold here shows why the SMMT is lobbying for the UK Government to reach a stable agreement with the EU ahead of Brexit. Just four of the cars at the top of the latest table are made in the UK, while 15 are produced in other EU countries. And of the top 10 cars, only the Mercedes C-Class and the latest VW Polo are made outside of Europe (both in South Africa). Worryingly, the sales numbers for October, published by the…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk AE_Consumer MOTORISTS who fail to keep up with manufacturer safety recalls could face automatic MoT fails under new Government plans to improve vehicle safety in the UK. In its response to the Transport Select Committee’s report on the outcome of the Vauxhall Zafira fires, the Government agreed that more can be done to ensure drivers keep up with vital safety repairs. The Government has already established a new Enforcement Directorate within the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to give it greater oversight on recall work, and said it is investigating automatic MoT fails for cars with outstanding safety repairs. That follows criticism by the committee about the number of drivers who failed to have their vehicle repaired. During the Zafira recall, Vauxhall noted more than 55,000 owners hadn’t…