Auto Express 1520

WELCOME to one of the most important (and most popular) issues of Auto Express of the year where we count down the very best new cars on sale in the UK – as voted by owners. Driver Power is now in its 16th year and has grown to become the UK’s biggest car ownership survey. Over 80,000 of you took part in 2018 and you’ve had lots to say, not only giving scores across nine different categories, but leaving hundreds of thousands of comments about your cars, too. The good news is that you’re more satisfied with your cars than ever – scores have gone up this year. But that’s cold comfort for the car makers who find their latest models sitting at the bottom of the table. What I…

• Upgraded brakes, chassis tweaks and style changes added • Sporty two-door goes on sale next month after Beijing debut Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE BMW M2 has been judged as one of the finest offerings in recent years from the high-performance Bavarian brand – and now the car is going to get an added shot of adrenalin with the M2 Competition Pack. The brand new two-door Coupé has been announced ahead of its public debut at the Beijing Motor Show. The M2 Competition Pack lifts its new engine from the outgoing M3, and will replace the standard M2 when it goes on sale in May. Ditching the current M2’s 3.0-litre straight-six (which started life in the M135i hatchback) and slotting in the higher-spec M3 unit boosts power by 39bhp, to 404bhp.…

• Power hiked and weight cut as Ferrari ups the 488 ante THE Ferrari 488 GTB sports car is already as quick as supercars from just a few years ago, but the company still reckons there’s room for a bit extra and even more involvement. Enter the 488 Pista, equipped with an engine that is 50 per cent new and an even more extreme chassis set-up. We got behind the wheel of a late pre-production version to see if the new car delivers. As well as being more powerful, the Pista is lighter (by 90kg if you tick the right options boxes) and it uses aero tricks from motorsport. And yet, despite the increase in raw speed, Ferrari is adamant that the 488 Pista is about driving enjoyment – on…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn PORSCHE is applying the finishing touches to the most radical model in its 87-year history. The Mission E will be the German brand’s first fully electric production vehicle and spearhead a commitment to electrification that will see a range of plug-in hybrid models and additional all-electric vehicles launched in the future. Porsche first signalled its intent to build a fully electric vehicle with the Mission E concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2015. The production model, which will get a new name over the concept, will be shown early next year ahead of first customers taking delivery at the end of 2019. Prototypes of the electric saloon disguised as Panameras have been undergoing development testing for several months. Although the Mission E shares a similar silhouette…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE Vauxhall Astra, one of the UK’s most popular new cars, will be given cosmetic and engineering tweaks next year to keep it competitive. And these spy shots of the car testing in Germany are our first sighting of the new model. By the time the updated Astra lands in dealers during the second half of 2019, its competitors will have been strengthened significantly; an all-new Ford Focus will be in showrooms, as will the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf. Based on these spy shots, at least, Vauxhall isn’t planning on beating its rivals with a radical redesign. The light camouflage at the front and rear indicates there’ll only be minor cosmetic tweaks to the headlamps and front bumper, while a minor update around the back is expected. Despite Vauxhall…

MEET the new Subaru Outback – a lightly updated version of the firm’s SUV for 2018. But the biggest change is one that you can’t see, because Subaru has dropped the 2.0-litre diesel engine from its UK line-up. Visual changes are modest and the Japanese manufacturer has added a redesigned grille, bumper and headlamp cluster at the front. Inside, gloss black panels and a larger eight-inch touchscreen, compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, have been added. Entry-spec SE models will feature a smaller 6.5-inch display. New safety technology has also been introduced; Lane Keep Assist and an uprated surround view camera system are now standard. Other safety kit is bundled into Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist pack, and includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Sway and Departure Warning, Pre-collision Braking System…