Innholdsfortegnelse for 1513 i Auto Express

“THERE is no truth. There is only perception.” A famous quote from the acclaimed French novelist Gustave Flaubert, and one I was reminded of again last week, when Porsche confirmed it would no longer sell diesel cars in its current line-up. The German brand, part of the wider VW Group empire implicated in the Dieselgate scandal, has already launched its new Cayenne SUV with no diesel engine. There will be no more oil-burning Panameras, either, and the final Macan S diesel (above) has now rolled off the production line. It would appear that removing the latter from the line-up is linked to an “ongoing consultation with the authorities in relation to another software update”. This suggests that Porsche has opted to axe the model rather than re-engineer it for assessment…

“The car features plenty in the way of new tech and driver assistance“ James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods VOLVO’S roll-out of new models shows no sign of letting up, because the brand has pulled the wraps off the all-new V60 estate. It arrives in the UK in September and will cost from £31,810. Replacing the current seven-year-old car, this new V60 sits on Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), shared with the XC60 SUV and the larger V90 estate (tested on Page 70). A spread of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be available, and electrification plays a big role in the new V60 range, too. While other Volvo models based on the same platform feature one plug-in hybrid option, the V60 will be made available with two. The first is badged T6 and…

“Wider rear track should help improve 911’s performance” DEVELOPMENT of the all-new, 992-generation Porsche 911 is nearing completion – and this is our first official glimpse at the finished model. The wraps won’t come off the legendary sports car until later in the year – possibly at September’s Paris Motor Show – but Porsche has given its strongest hint yet that hybrid power is on the cards for the new 911. August Achleitner (right), director of the 911 line-up, said although he still “clings to the flat-six engine”, today he can “imagine an electric motor in the 911”. He also said that despite the rise of autonomous tech, the 911 will “always have a steering wheel” and be “one of the last cars to drive autonomously”. The new generation of…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THIS isn’t a case of deja vu; this is the European version of the new Honda CR-V. The production model will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. We first clapped eyes on the all-new CR-V back in October 2016, when the SUV was launched into the US market. Only now have official details been released on the model that will arrive in UK dealers this autumn, though, and for the first time it will be offered with the option of seven seats. Visually, the European CR-V is identical to the car that has been on sale in the States for 12 months, but this version does get an all-new hybrid powertrain. Honda calls the system Intelligent Multi Mode Drive (i-MMD), and it comprises a 2.0-litre four-cylinder…

AT the other end of VW’s future product range is an all-electric saloon, previewed by these sketches. Called the I.D. Vizzion, the EV is also fully autonomous, and will be revealed in full at the Geneva Motor Show. The four-seat, four-door coupé is 5.11 metres long. That puts it above the new Arteon in terms of size, and in the same bracket as Mercedes’ S-Class. Inside, the four seats are grouped around a large central armrest, and driving will be left to an autonomous system described by Volkswagen as the ‘digital chauffeur’. The I.D. Vizzion is driven by two electric motors that between them develop a combined 225kW (equivalent to 302bhp), and the manufacturer says the saloon is capable of a top speed of 112mph. A 111kWh battery pack delivers…

WHEN spending several thousand pounds on a new car, it’s reasonable to expect to get what you’re paying for. That’s the assumption Mel Buchan, from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, made in November last year, when he put a deposit down on a new MINI Cooper with Arnold Clark-owned Harry Fairbairn MINI of Inverness. Working offshore, Mel wasn’t able to physically inspect the car, but after receiving details and pictures through, he noticed the MINI was missing the multifunction steering wheel it was advertised as having. Mel told us: “When I asked why the correct steering wheel wasn’t on the car, I was told it was advertised wrong – although I was also told I could add it on at cost of £425. As I wanted the steering wheel, I agreed to go…

“The T8 Twin Engine in the V90, XC90, S90 and XC60 combines a 316bhp petrol engine with an 86bhp electric motor” “Drivers can determine how each Twin Engine car performs by selecting one of the driving modes on offer” ELECTRIFICATION is the future of motoring – but you needn’t wait to enjoy the benefits, thanks to Volvo. Last year, the Swedish company demonstrated its commitment to lowering emissions by confirming that from 2019 onwards, every new model launched will have an electric motor, spelling the end of reliance on pure internal combustion engines. But Volvo already offers a compelling range of no-compromise plug-in hybrid vehicles which could make perfect sense for business users. These models are badged Twin Engine, to illustrate their dual power sources, and they deliver some really…

Performance 0-60mph/top speed 4.4 seconds/180mph Running costs 24.8mpg (official) £102 fill-up “With more urgency, too, it pushes on to use every last drop of performance available” BY the end of the year the Bentley Bentayga will be offered in four flavours. The 6.0-litre W12 was the only option available at launch in 2015, but it was joined the following year by the V8 diesel. Now there’s the new £136,200 V8 petrol-engined model positioned between the two in the line-up, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain still to come. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is shared with Porsche’s latest Cayenne Turbo, and despite getting some tweaking from Bentley’s engineers to suit their delivery requirements, the turbocharged engine produces identical power and torque outputs (543bhp and 770Nm of torque) driving through an eight-speed ZF…

Our reigning champion offers a good all-round blend of abilities that’s hard to beat Running costs 43.4mpg (on test) £82 fill-up/£450 or 28% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 8.1 seconds/137mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,700 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 59.3/45.4/11.8m MODEL TESTED: BMW 520d xDrive Touring M Sport PRICE: £44,075 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp THERE are only two trim levels to pick from with the BMW 5 Series Touring; SE and M Sport. We’ve gone for the latter spec here. It’s the four-wheel-drive 520d xDrive variant we’re testing, which delivers 187bhp from its 2.0-litre diesel engine and costs from £44,075. Design & engineering THE latest 5 Series, including the Touring, is based on BMW’s new OKL platform. Weight-saving materials mean it has the lightest kerbweight of the three cars here, at 1,735kg,…

“Both these cars will have to combine comfort and agility with kit and economy” VOLKSWAGEN launched its Passat Mk8 back in 2015 with an all-diesel engine line-up. However, in the few years since, the firm’s fortunes have taken a downturn when it comes to diesel, so petrol power is now a more attractive option. As a result, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0 TSI turbo petrol engines are now available in the Passat, and here we’re testing the smallest version in 148bhp specification. At £24,740 in what’s likely to be the popular SE Business spec (our pictures show a GT model), the Passat saloon stands square in the firing line of the Mazda 6 2.0 SkyActiv-G. In this £21,895 SE-L Nav trim, the Mazda has a price advantage over its German rival,…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/87mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 341/1,233 litres Running costs Official range/tax 130 miles/£0 John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy OUR VW e-Golf will soon be leaving the fleet – but we’re looking forward, not back. If you believe the hype, we’re about to enter a new golden era for EVs. The likes of VW and Mercedes have ‘bespoke’ creations on the way in the next 18 months, Tesla continues to innovate and then, on the slightly more distant horizon, there’s Sir James Dyson. Dyson confirmed late last year that he intends to bring an electric car to market, probably in the second half of 2020 or early 2021. He’s not working on it as a joint venture; it’ll be a Dyson through and through. When I asked him whether it’d…

Ford Fiesta ST Fiesta ST200 Years: 2016 to 2017 Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 197bhp Ins group: 30 Official econ/CO2: 46.3mpg/140g/km Why? The ST200 is the ultimate version of one of the most exciting hot hatchbacks of recent times. Prices from: £15,995 THE previous Ford Fiesta ST made a huge impression when it hit the hot supermini scene in 2013, and the ST200 model released in 2016 is as good as things get if you don’t want to go aftermarket. It mixed extra power, up from the standard 180bhp to 197bhp, with the ST’s great balance and steering. Limited edition items such as grey paint and black 17-inch wheels add exclusivity. The Fiesta, Britain’s best-selling car last year, placed 50th in our Driver Power 2017 new car satisfaction survey. MINI John Cooper…

• Sportier looks, but A6 is bigger and more spacious than ever • Electric assistance cuts emissions and boosts performance “The A6 is the first executive car to offer mild-hybrid technology across its entire engine range” Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan AUDI has revealed its all-new A6 saloon, which will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The BMW 5 Series rival has been completely redesigned inside and out, with more technology on board and mild-hybrid engines across the range. Inspiration for the styling has come from the larger A8, but shorter overhangs, different body details and a lower stance are designed to make the A6 look more ‘athletic’, according to company bosses. In profile the A6’s roofline is more coupé-like, but the newcomer is actually taller than the car it…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THIS is the car which SEAT is hoping can launch its Cupra performance division as a whole new brand – the Cupra Ateca. The fast SUV promises the pace of many hot hatchbacks and surprising agility for a car of its size. The rationale for reinventing Cupra as a standalone brand is based on the success of some rivals – notably Abarth. SEAT boss Luca de Meo cites Fiat’s performance division as a good example of how to prevent higher-end customers from deserting to premium makers. But SEAT’s head of R&D Dr Matthias Rabe has told Auto Express that the Cupra Ateca and the models that follow won’t just use motorsport-themed styling; the fact that Cupra is a division in its own right will allow engineers to push…

Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ WHILE most manufacturers are turning to turbos to balance power with efficiency, Mazda is plugging away with some clever tech to deliver a similar end result; and we’ve hit the road to try the latest phase of its development. Called SkyActiv-X, it features a petrol engine that combines conventional gasoline technology with some of the features that make a diesel motor so attractive. It basically uses a spark plug as a way of initiating the compression ignition that’s common in diesel engines – and in theory, this should give the petrol engine better fuel efficiency and more low-down torque. The engine in the prototype car is a supercharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit, and while it isn’t quite up to Mazda’s targets of 187bhp and 230Nm, the implementation feels good…

THIS is the Hyundai Kona Electric, a new pure-EV version of the small SUV that’s set to trump rivals such as the SEAT Arona on eco credentials. Due on sale in the summer, the new model gets different front-end styling that incorporates a flap for the charging port. There’s a seveninch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display inside. A choice of powertrains is being offered. The short-range Kona Electric has 99kW (132bhp) and 395Nm of torque, and promises 186 miles on a single charge. The long-range edition has 150kW (201bhp) on tap and claims up to 286 miles between charges. There’s no word on prices, but we’d expect them to start at around £25,000.…

ALONGSIDE the all-new Kia Ceed at the Geneva Motor Show, the brand will present an updated version of its Optima saloon and Sportswagon (right). The facelift brings the usual cosmetic tweaks such as a reprofiled front bumper, new LED headlamps and redesigned version of the brand’s ‘tiger nose’ grille. Under the bonnet, Kia has replaced the old 1.7-litre diesel with a more economical 135bhp 1.6. A new 178bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol has also been added; this comes paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Inside, Kia’s latest seven and eight-inch infotainment systems with Apple CarPlay have been introduced. The new Optima will go on sale in later on in 2018.…

ONE in 13 vehicles is subject to an outstanding safety recall, according to new data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). That means as many as 2.39 million cars are driving around on UK roads without having had safety-critical recall work done, while of the eight million used cars bought in 2017, an estimated 615,000 had recall work overdue. Drivers who fail to have safety recall work performed face being charged with driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition, which carries a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points. While it is illegal for dealers to sell a car with an outstanding recall notice, private sellers aren’t covered by the same laws. The DVSA has launched a new online checker tool to help tackle the problem.…

TOYOTA’S Aygo city car has been on the receiving end of a facelift ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Although the car’s face is still recognisable and keeps its X-shaped profile, there are plenty of design changes. New LED headlights sit above freshly added fake grille trim pieces, while the grille itself is clearly more emphasised, with a tweaked front apron. The Aygo’s update isn’t only limited to design; the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine has been tweaked to improve efficiency and performance. Power rises by 2bhp to 71bhp, while claimed economy climbs from 68.9mpg to 72.4mpg. The new car will hit UK showrooms later this year, with prices likely to start from around £9,500.…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/111mph Running costs 400-mile range (est) £50 fill-up (est) Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan HYDROGEN fuel-cell vehicles almost feel like old news these days. Indeed, Hyundai has a fair bit of experience, having developed cars with fuel-cell powertrains since 2001. The ultimate expression of the brand’s confidence in the growth of the fuel-cell market is this, the new NEXO. Unlike the manufacturer’s previous efforts to adapt an existing model, with the ix35, the NEXO has been designed from the ground up as a bespoke hydrogen SUV. The ix35’s fuel-cell stack was given a life cycle of only five years before replacement, whereas the NEXO’s stack lasts twice as long. That should boost residual values and make the NEXO a more favourable proposition for leasing. Another selling point is the…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.8 seconds/122mph Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle “The 1.0-litre engine isn’t exceptionally powerful, but it’s enough to make such a small car very nippy” WITH the founding of Apple computers, the first Sex Pistols single and a major heatwave, 1976 was a significant year. But for car lovers the big event was the launch of the Volkswagen Golf GTI – and the spirit of that original hot hatch lives on in the new up! GTI. On paper and in the flesh, the quick version of VW’s smallest car looks eerily reminiscent of the Golf. But is it in the same league as the legendary original? To find out, we’ve tried it over some of the greatest British B-roads, in Wales. The up! GTI really looks the part. The traditional VW…

IT wasn’t long ago that we thought Jaguar would never build another estate car. The arrival of the F-Pace showed that Jag could produce a superb SUV – exactly the type of car that’s been stealing sales from the traditional estate over the past decade or so. But here we are with the latest XF Sportbrake, the estate version of one of our favourite large executive cars. It’s facing two tough competitors in the form of the BMW 5 Series Touring and Volvo V90, so it has a fight on its hands for class honours. In order to beat its rivals, the XF Sportbrake needs to be filled with up-to-date tech, be engaging to drive, offer luxury and, most importantly, feature a huge boot and a versatile interior to differentiate…

Latest estate builds on brand’s impressive heritage. We see if it’s a winner Running costs 33.0mpg (on test) £75 fill-up/£450 or 27% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.2 seconds/145mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 560/1,526 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 53.1/41.5/11.6m MODEL TESTED: Volvo V90 D5 PowerPulse AWD R-Design PRICE: £45,165 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 232bhp VOLVO’S history with big estate cars is well known, and its legacy of safety and comfort lives on in the V90. But this is a truly modern car full of the latest technology, and in D5 PowerPulse form, it’s powerful, too. Our R-Design model comes in at £45,165, so it’s the most expensive car here. Design & engineering THE Volvo V90’s distinctive styling draws on the brand’s successful XC90 SUV. Even in R-Design trim it’s the least sporty-looking of…

Dawn_Grant@dennis.co.uk OUR SEAT Ibiza was treated to a winter weekend break recently, as my husband and I went on a short trip out of London to Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast. The Ibiza was excellent on the motorway, although we would have liked a sixth gear to allow for a more relaxed cruise. But on the country B-roads, where the gearing isn’t an issue, the SEAT was great to drive. I don’t often drive on unfamiliar rural routes, so I’m usually a little tentative, but the car’s responsive steering and good visibility built my confidence. The compact dimensions make the SEAT easy to place on the road, so I was happy to get behind the wheel and let my other half Dave enjoy the scenery. While the sat-nav in our…

“Enigma Ceramic is said to be the most advanced range yet from Angelwax” NEW PRODUCT Angelwax Enigma range Prices: From £18.95 Contact: www.angelwax.co.uk DETAILING specialist and Auto Express test winner Angelwax has unveiled what it claims is its most advanced range so far. At the heart of the wax, detailer and wash line-up are ceramic particles which smooth the surface, leaving it less vulnerable to environmental contamination. Angelwax claims Enigma Ceramic is the ultimate hand-applied detailing wax as the natural ingredients and particles mix to give a high-gloss finish and up to 12 months’ protection. It’s also self-cleaning and resists bird droppings, tree sap and the like. The firm says it provides the benefits of a ceramic coating without requiring the usual extensive preparation. The high cost of ceramic particles means…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “It makes the jump to PSA’s EMP2 chassis, so there’ll be a hybrid” THIS is the new Peugeot 508, a large family car that’s designed to be a rival for everything from the Vauxhall Insignia and Ford Mondeo to the likes of the VW Passat, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. Unveiled ahead of a public debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the new 508 takes a more radical approach than the conservative car it replaces. It’s now a five-door ‘fastback’, with a more aggressive roofline that tapers down to an extremely complex rear three-quarter panel. The idea, Peugeot’s team claims, is to give the 508 more emotional appeal in a class where mainstream offerings have all suffered at the hands of premium models such as the 3…

FOLLOWING the Cupra Ateca into showrooms could be a potential rival for the Ford Fiesta ST. The Cupra Ibiza is just a show car for now, as SEAT management wants to gauge reaction to the car from customers and dealers before committing it to production. However, Auto Express understands that only a strong negative response is likely to halt the hot Ibiza’s development process – and it will also be joined in the line-up by a Cupra Arona. SEAT has not revealed any technical details on the Cupra Ibiza, but the show car features lowered suspension, two-tone alloy wheels, an aggressive front splitter and a mix of gloss finish detailing and copper-tinted Cupra brand colouring. It also uses a DSG gearbox rather than a manual. If the hot supermini makes…

“We’d expect some of the UX’s design cues to feature on the production model” THIS rear-end view is our first glimpse of Lexus’ new small SUV that’s being lined up for a public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The car is said to be the production version of the UX concept, which first appeared at the Paris show back in 2016. Lexus described that vehicle as a design study, but we’d expect some of its cues to feature on the production model, which will be a rival for the recently launched BMW X2 and the soon-to-be-replaced Mercedes GLA. The new Lexus SUV will be based on Toyota’s TNGA chassis architecture, and electrification is likely to feature across the entire model line-up.…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ “The throttle map feels progressive, and there’s clearly a precision to the way the Aston responds” THE Aston Martin DB11 brought the British marque’s GT cars bang up to date – but arguably this new Vantage is even more important. In the sports car class that the Porsche 911 has had sewn up for so long, the new Vantage could blow the market wide open, and we’ve already had a chance to sample its firepower. With the continuing tie-up between Aston and Daimler, the Vantage uses a 503bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 usually found in potent AMGs – only here it’s hooked up to a regular eight-speed auto compared with the seven-speed dual-clutch used in most Mercedes. On hand to explain why is Aston’s chief engineer – vehicle engineering,…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE THE new Touareg is a big car in more ways than one; as well as being VW’s flagship SUV, the third-generation model is set to inform the design and technology of the brand’s next series of products. We’ve been behind the wheel of a pre-production car. Despite the camouflage, you can see it’s not only wider and longer than the previous-generation Touareg, but also lower, to give it a sportier stance. It has a bigger boot, too, at 810 litres as opposed to the present car’s 697 litres. The interior was totally uncovered for our test drive, and the tech on display is one of the most impressive things about the new model. A huge 15-inch touchscreen display dominates the dashboard, and it blends into a smaller –…

MORE than 1,000 driving bans were handed to children aged 16 and under last year. According to figures obtained by the BBC, authorities dished out 1,024 disqualifications in 2017 to children who aren’t even legally allowed to drive. This is up from 696 in 2014. The figures, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, showed 33 of the bans were for children under the age of 13. RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “It presents such a danger to every other road user, because they’re not only driving without a licence, they don’t have insurance. “No doubt this is the tip of the iceberg because they have to be caught breaking the law, and inevitably many will be getting away scot-free.” Williams added that since traffic police numbers have been cut…

“ Ice is a bridge holding you out of the water. All your pressure’s on that water, actually. We’re walking on water”BLAIR WEATHERBY Ice road trucker CANADA is known as the Great White North. And with good reason. Out on Fiddler’s Lake in the Northwest Territories it is -20 degrees Celsius. With the wind it feels like -30. As far as the eye can see is snow and ice. “This isn’t cold,” grins lake owner Blair Weatherby who, like other locals, drops the word minus. “Try 40!” Blair is a second-generation ice road trucker, the most hardcore breed of truck drivers on the planet. Each winter they take 18-wheelers, carrying up to 100 tons of supplies, on the temporary roads carved out of frozen lakes and sub-Arctic tundra. “Ice roads…

“On the road, it’s the size of the Land Cruiser that dominates your experience” Running costs 38.1mpg (off icial) £108 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 12.7 seconds/108mph Andy_Pringle@dennis.co.uk @AndyMoshPringle “The sheer size of the thing means you have to plot a careful course when driving in town” WHEN you talk about companies with off-road heritage, you probably think of Land Rover and Jeep. But don’t forget Toyota. The company has more than 60 years of experience with four-wheel drive, and there’s been a Land Cruiser in its range for 65 years. This year brings a host of revisions to Toyota’s biggest 4x4. They start with a new look for the exterior, but also include a revised dashboard, a more comfortable cabin and a new ‘workhorse’ entry-level model. However, our first experience…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk IN simple terms the Ford F-150 is America’s equivalent of the Fiesta; it’s constantly topped the outright US sales charts since its creation in 1948. But the fantastically named Raptor version of the F-150 pick-up is a little bit special. Engineered by the new “Ford Performance” division, the Raptor is the Porsche 911 GT3 RS equivalent of the F-150. And in the right circumstances it’s a ridiculously appealing machine to drive. Powered by a tweaked version of the Ford GT’s 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 that delivers less power but more torque, and at lower revs, the Raptor is seriously rapid in a straight line. Ford doesn’t quote a 0-60mph time, but having driven it we’d guess it’s around five seconds dead. It’s also a fair bit lighter than the regular…

Running costs 36.9mpg (on test) £82 fill-up/£450 or 32% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.6 seconds/150mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 565/1,700 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 57.3/39.8/11.3m MODEL TESTED: Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.0d 240 R-Sport PRICE: £44,600 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 237bhp THE Jaguar XF Sportbrake builds on the strong points of the saloon, with a focus on driving dynamics and style, without sacrificing too much in the way of comfort. At £44,600, the 237bhp 2.0-litre diesel R-Sport version we’re testing here sits between its two rivals when it comes to price. The question is, is it with them on the road? Design & engineering THE Jaguar XF’s sharp styling continues over into the handsome Sportbrake version, but it’s not just a pretty face; the estate model benefits from self-levelling air suspension as standard…

Running costs 40.0mpg/£75 fill-up £140 or 24% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 8.6 seconds/129mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 480/1,632 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 50.1/39.3/10.3m THE engines partly define the driving experience of our two test contenders; the Mazda 6 uses a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre against the 1.4 TSI unit in the Volkswagen. The company’s philosophy means you have to work the motor in the 6 a little bit harder. It’s slightly down on power with 143bhp, but what’s more noticeable is the 40Nm torque deficit. This is also produced 2,500rpm higher than in the Passat, and refinement is affected by having to rev the Mazda’s motor harder. It’s a smooth unit and welcomes hard driving, which is good, because you’ll need to treat it this way to extract the performance; of which…

8th PLACE YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR CARS 2017 Results CT Factfile Years: 2011 to present CO2: 94g/km Fuel economy: 68.9mpg (1.8 hybrid) Best options: Leather seats, parking sensors, Mark Levinson stereo, sunroof Used prices: From £7,200 OVERALL SCORE 92.42% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2017 new car survey. The longer the bar the better • GOOD “INTERIOR fit and finish is first class; it feels like a luxury product.” “Heater warms up the cabin and defrosts the windscreen quickly.” “Insurance is low, road tax free and servicing costs are reasonable.” “The CVT gearbox makes the car easy car to drive.” “I get 47mpg, even when commuting in heavy traffic.” “Treat it gently and the CVT gearbox makes the car incredibly smooth.” “The CT is…

CO2/tax 118g/km £30 Running costs 61.4mpg (320d) £71 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.5 seconds/142mph BMW launched the original 3 Series way back in 1975. In those days it was an expensive car made in relatively small numbers, and the first-generation version came in two-door saloon form only; there was no estate, coupé, convertible or a four-door saloon. In the intervening four decades the model has become a big seller in the UK; such is its popularity that it now outsells the Ford Mondeo. So while the 3 Series may no longer be exclusive, it’s more desirable than ever thanks to BMW’s attention to detail when it comes to engineering and build quality. Yet plentiful supply is also matched by steady demand, so while there are lots of 3 Series to…