Auto Express 1510

WE’VE been constant critics of the way official emissions and fuel economy tests have been carried out. The NEDC (laughably standing for New European Driving Cycle) tests are outdated and unrepresentative – and have been for years – so we’ve welcomed the introduction of the supposedly more real-world WLTP/RDE (World Harmonised Light Vehicle Testing Procedure/Real Driving Emissions) tests that include on-road assessments and, we’re promised, will be rigorously checked. Yet only last week, we reported on Mercedes’ testing specialists who told us that if we’re all expecting everything to be fixed by the new testing programme, we could be disappointed. There are still loopholes in the regulations, they said. By September, every new car that is sold will have to be tested to WLTP/RDE standards – a good thing, surely?…

• Posh coupé-SUV initially offered with diesel power only • Set to take the fight to Mercedes GLA in booming class Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan PREMIUM SUVs are one of the car industry’s biggest cash cows at the moment, which explains why the German ‘big three’ appear to be so obsessed with them. Mercedes has no less than seven SUVs in its range, with Audi and BMW not far behind – and all three have more on the way in the next 12 months. With the choice of conventional SUVs on the market already pretty saturated, this trio of brands is turning to the coupé-SUV niche – providing highriding cars with more svelte designs to appeal to a younger audience. And that’s where BMW’s latest model, the X2, comes in. We’ve driven…

Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle AFTER months of previews, teasers and spy shots, the wraps have finally come off the all-new Mercedes A-Class. According to the company, the premium hatch will bring new levels of luxury and technology to its class. The rival to the Volkswagen Golf will go on sale in March, priced from around £24,000, and be seen for the first time at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. One look at these pictures will tell you it’s still very obviously an A-Class, but with some subtle changes over the previous car: the bonnet slopes more sharply, the wheelarches are larger and the rear end looks wider than before. If you want revolution, rather than evolution, then look inside. The ground-breaking design features a pair of freestanding instrument panels and turbine-style air…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy SKODA has given the first glimpse of the concept that will preview its forthcoming baby SUV, the Vision X, which will make its public debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. A pair of exterior sketches show how the company’s SUV design language is set to be scaled down once more to a model that will rival the likes of the SEAT Arona and VW T-Cross. The multiple light arrangement from the Karoq and Kodiaq looks set to be retained, but the grille itself is slimmer and there’s also some cladding at the base of the front bumper to give the car a chunkier look. The Vision X will sit on 20-inch alloys, although this wheel size is likely to be optional on the production model. The illustration…

BP will install electric vehicle charging points at some of its UK filling stations later this year as part of a new trial to see how conventional fuel forecourts can be integrated with EV charging requirements. The oil giant, which has more than 1,300 sites in this country, has invested $5million (approximately £3.5m) in FreeWire, a US firm specialising in rapid charging systems. BP will trial FreeWire’s Mobi Charger, which doesn’t need hardwiring, as with a conventional charging booth. It can be moved from one vehicle to another, supporting up to 10 EVs in a day at both normal and rapid charging rates. The company has yet to reveal how many of its UK forecourts will be part of the trial.…

Renault warranty cut by 12 months RENAULT has reduced its new car warranty, from four years and 100,000 miles to three years and 60,000 miles. The firm says many customers change their cars before the end of the four-year period. A three-year/30,000-mile servicing offer for £99 has been launched for new models such as the Kadjar (above) instead. London eyes petrol and diesel car ban PETROL and diesel cars could be banned from some streets in London during busy hours under proposals from Hackney Council. If approved, the City Fringe Ultra Low Emission Streets scheme would prohibit cars that emit more than 75g/km of CO2 from nine streets in east London, with a £130 fine as a deterrent. Combined with the T-Charge and Congestion Charge, it could see some London…