Auto Express 1519

• New fourth-generation family car range revealed in full • Sharp design, latest tech aim to return it to top of class “Focus has been overhauled with a brand-new look, more tech and trim options than ever” James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor MEET the new Ford Focus. One of Britain’s favourite family hatchbacks has been overhauled for 2018 to coincide with the Focus’s 20th anniversary. It’s got a brand-new look, more tech and toys, and more trim options than ever before. With Volkswagen nabbing second place in the UK’s new car registration tables last year, and arrivals such as the Kia Ceed and Toyota Auris just around the corner, Ford’s outgoing Focus was falling behind the times. As a result, the firm has retaliated with the fourth-generation Focus, which arrives in the summer…

“Load bay is the same as in car it replaces, but newcomer has a more rakish tailgate” John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE latest-generation Audi A6 saloon hasn’t reached dealers yet, but the German brand has wasted little time in revealing the Avant estate version. A rival for the BMW 5 Series Touring and Mercedes E-Class Estate, the latest A6 Avant gets the same evolution in styling as its four-door sibling. The car is slightly larger than its predecessor – 10mm longer, 20mm wider and 6mm taller – but its front and rear overhangs are both reduced, thanks to an extended wheelbase. That should improve cabin space, particularly for those sitting in the rear seats. The rest of the shape echoes the saloon’s styling. At the front, there’s a 3D effect to the…

“We know the restrictions in terms of cost and time of the police developing a platform, so it was easy for us to take the initiative”BRYN BROOKER Nextbase Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths DASH cam owners could soon be able to send footage of dangerous and illegal driving to police across England and Wales thanks to a revolutionary new online portal, Auto Express can reveal. Forces in the two countries are preparing to modernise the way they accept dash cam footage from drivers, following the creation of a universal online platform to receive recordings. The Nextbase National Dash Cam Safety Portal will allow owners of any brand of dash cam to upload footage of dangerous driving. Together with a witness statement and details of where the offence took place, the footage would be…

TWO new sporty-looking SUVs have been added to Volkswagen’s UK range, in the form of the T-Roc R-Line and the Tiguan Allspace R-Line. On the T-Roc, VW’s smallest and newest SUV offering, R-Line trim brings 19-inch alloy wheels and unique, racier styling with fresh front and rear bumpers, a new roof spoiler and black wheelarch extensions. Minor tweaks are found inside, too, with the addition of a flat-bottomed R-Line sports steering wheel and new ‘Carbon Flag’ pattern upholstery on the seats. Standard equipment includes VW’s Active Info Display digital dials, an eight-inch central infotainment display, sat-nav and sports suspension. Prices start at £26,450 for the 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol-engined T-Roc R-Line. A more powerful, all-wheel-drive 187bhp 2.0-litre model and a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel version are also available. The Tiguan Allspace…

Deputy editor, Auto Express FOR some people, a national platform for dash cam footage to help prosecute fellow road users may stir up fresh concerns about a “big brother” state. But in truth, and based upon the reaction of leading road safety bodies to Operation Snap, it could be a useful asset to help keep driving standards in check. Provided there are guidelines in place on how the forces view the footage and act upon it, the new system could be a much more positive thing than speed cameras, which enforce the law instead of policing it. “The system could be more positive than speed cameras” The key, as always, will be what the police do with the footage that’s been supplied to them. The system will, at some point,…

SKODA has slightly altered the Superb line-up for 2018, with a racy new SportLine Plus range-topper. The Czech firm has tweaked the standard SportLine, too, removing kit and cutting the price. SportLine cars lose their 9.2-inch nav unit in favour of a smaller eight-inch set-up, while prices have been reduced by £470. SportLine Plus muscles in with the bigger screen as standard, as well as heated seats, blind spot detectors and an electric tailgate. Prices start at £29,330, which is a £1,500 premium over the SportLine model. Elsewhere, cars in SE L Executive trim add keyless entry and a colour trip computer to the equipment list. L&K editions now feature a heated steering wheel, ventilated seats and a reversing camera. The updated Superb line-up is available to order in the…