Auto Express 1523

WITH our first experience of Mercedes’ new EQ C this week, we’ve got an important insight into what the future of motoring holds for us. This crucial new electrified model is the first of many from Mercedes, set to arrive in 2019 to join an increasing number of electrified cars from pretty much every manufacturer over the next few years. Only this week we’ve got news of an all-electric version of the Kia Niro, while DS has become the latest brand to reveal its electrified intentions. Much as we’re excited about our electric future, there’s one car that we’ve been bursting to drive: the new Fiesta ST. We’re massive fans of the old car (it’s still a great buy) and its ability to put a supercar-sized smile on your face,…

• Aggressively priced 197bhp ST delivers on early promise • Three-cylinder turbo engine offers strong performance Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ “The move to a three-cylinder motor caused a stir, but the engine is strong, pulling sweetly” THE hot hatch sector isn’t short of quality, with the Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport and the new Toyota Yaris GRMN ramping up the level of focus on offer in this pocket rocket class. And that means Ford has its work cut out with the new Fiesta ST. The signs were positive when we took an early passenger ride (Issue 1,515), and now we’ve driven the production car for the first time we can categorically state that the Fiesta ST has delivered fully on its promise. It boasts many technical innovations, but the car’s real…

“That it’s quiet is no surprise, but even for an EV the EQ C is eerily silent” WE rode around the block in the concept vehicle a year ago (Issue 1,473), but now Mercedes’ first full-electric EQ model is undergoing final testing. We’re sitting alongside chief engineer Michael Keltz in a pre-production vehicle being driven in heavy disguise. The EQ C SUV will reach showrooms in 2019. Inside, it feels as spacious as Merc’s regular GLC, but with a slightly lower roof. Despite being covered in cloth, it’s impossible to miss the large dual-screen set-up and MBUX infotainment system. Boot space looks good, too. With a battery under the floor, the wiring loom is housed in the transmission tunnel. The car shares its platform with the diesel GLC, which means…

MERCEDES is also preparing to facelift its more conventional family SUV, the GLC – and the car has been spied undergoing testing. The light disguise on this prototype shows that the styling tweaks are subtle. There’s a revised front grille, the headlamps feature new lighting graphics and the bumpers will get a refresh as well. Inside, the changes focus on an updated infotainment system. Our spy pictures show a larger 10.25-inch screen placed on top of the dash, and the old car’s click wheel, located on the centre console, has been ditched for an A-Class-inspired touchpad. Expect more touch controls on the steering wheel, plus the option of a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel in place of traditional analogue dials. The revised GLC should get a refreshed range of engines, using…

“Electrification has become the new definition of luxury” Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn DS will crown its range with a ‘spectacular’ new flagship, Auto Express can reveal. It will be on sale by 2020 and mark 65 years since the arrival of the original Citroen DS. The popularity of traditional saloons is in decline – Ford recently decided to stop development of such vehicles in North America – but bosses from the newly formed luxury French brand feel it is imperative that the company has such a flagship model in its range. Expected to be called the DS 8, the car is set to get a more radical look to help it fight against a struggling market. Speaking to Auto Express at the recent Beijing Motor Show, DS vice-president of product, Eric Apode,…

“The first 35 cars made will be liveried in tribute to Brabham’s 35 grand prix race victories” LEGENDARY racing outfit Brabham has returned with a £1million track-only supercar called the BT62, which will be limited to 70 units to mark the firm’s 70-year involvement with motorsport. Underneath the carbon-fibre body is a tubular metal architecture, so the BT62 weighs just 973kg dry. The adjustable rear wing means Brabham claims more than 1,200kg of downforce. The first 35 cars will be liveried in tribute to Brabham’s 35 grand prix victories, with the first BT62 revealed celebrating the green and gold BT19 raced to victory by Jack Brabham at the 1966 French Grand Prix. The remaining 35 models will be painted to the customer’s choice. The carbon-fibre and Alcantara-headlined cabin houses a…