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THERE’S a massive battle going on in the front of your car, and you may not even be aware of it. It’s the tussle for your data – and the right to turn it into money. Conservative estimates suggest in-car data globally could be worth $750m (£555m) annually by as soon as 2020 – and that’s only the start. The theory goes that once autonomous tech really kicks in, we’ll all have much more time to ‘do things’ while we’re in the car. Those activities have potential profits – and that’s why established firms like Jaguar Land Rover and the VW Group are investing in start-ups who can come up with the sort of apps and services to prevent us all from just handing over our car’s infotainment screen to…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE next all-new Porsche 911, set to be unveiled in 2019, will be the first-ever production version to get hybrid power, Auto Express can confirm. And the shock news is, there could be two new 911 plug-in hybrids on the way: one to sit in the middle of the range as an alternative to the regular Carrera model, and then another positioned at the top of the range, potentially alongside the flagship 911 Turbo. Auto Express understands there’s a passionate debate in play among Porsche engineers and decision-makers surrounding the creation of a top-flight 911 hybrid. The iconic sports car is a precious commodity to Porsche, so comes under the biggest scrutiny of all in terms of future development. Yet the inevitable move towards hybrid and full-electric models…

“S60 will be launched with four-cylinder petrol engines and a plug-in hybrid” VOLVO’S move towards a world of electrified vehicles has taken a step forwards as the brand announced it will cease development of new diesel engine technology. And the new S60 saloon, due on sale this summer, will be the first model produced without a diesel engine. “Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines,” said Volvo president Hakan Samuelsson. “We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification.” The S60 will launch with four-cylinder Drive-E petrol engines and as a PHEV. PAGE 24: New Volvo V60 driven…

DRIVERS attending a speed awareness course are 23 per cent less likely to reoffend than those who accepted penalty points and a fine, a new Government-backed study has found. Ipsos Mori analysed 2.2 million drivers caught speeding, comparing those who sat an awareness course with those who chose points and a fine. Just five per cent of those completing a course were caught speeding within six months, compared with seven per cent who opted for a fixed-penalty notice. The results persisted over time, with 21 per cent of course attendees reoffending after three years, against 23 per cent of those who took points. “Just five per cent of those completing a course were caught speeding again within six months” The study couldn’t definitively prove courses reduce accident rates, because “the…

MERCEDES-AMG has bolstered its flagship GT model range with the introduction of the GT S roadster. It’s the third drop-top variant to join the Porsche 911-rivalling line-up, and it sits between the current GT and GT C in terms of performance and price. Under the bonnet is the same 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo used across the AMG GT range, tuned to develop 515bhp; that places the GT S between the standard 469bhp GT and 549bhp GT C. The GT S covers the 0-62mph dash in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 191mph. An electrically controlled limited-slip differential, adaptive damping and retuned suspension feature, while four-wheel steering is an option. The GTS is expected to cost around £125,000, with first deliveries due in July.…

OF all the issues that can arise with cars, faulty alarms rank up there with the more annoying. Simon Hopkinson, from Elland, West Yorkshire, found that out when the alarm on his new Renault Koleos started sounding for no reason, just five days after he bought it in March. He told us: “The alarm would go off randomly at anytime of the day or night, regardless of whether the car was locked or unlocked. You couldn’t turn it off; you just had to wait until it stopped itself, which could be any length of time.” Simon returned the Koleos to the dealer he bought it from, Bristol Street Motors Renault in Bradford, where it was fitted with a new alarm. While his wife was reluctant to take the car back,…

Pictures: Pete Gibson Location: Longcross Proving Ground, Chobham, Surrey SUVS mean a big return on investment for brands. While Jaguar might have taken its time to tap into this lucrative part of the car market in which its German rivals have been so strong, buoyed by the success of its F-Pace SUV, the British firm has now taken that recipe and downscaled it for its new E-Pace. By contrast, Jeep has made a name for itself when it comes to 4x4s and SUVs, and its latest model to hit the road is the new Compass. This more premium offering is targeting the same market sector as the E-Pace, an area that’s been occupied rather convincingly for a while by the slick Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. We’re testing these cars in more affordable,…

Running costs 44.4mpg (on test) £73 fill-up/£140 or 33% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 615/1,655 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 9.5 seconds/125mph Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 47.5/35.9/9.9m MODELTESTED: Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 4MOTION SEL PRICE: £32,360 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 148bhp VW’S Tiguan is one of the most hi-tech SUVs around, but this five-seat family off-roader will need more than technology to overcome its rivals here. We test the £32,360 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 four-wheel-drive manual in well-equipped SEL trim, although our pictures show an SE Nav version. Design & engineering THE Tiguan uses VW’s modular MQB chassis architecture, with a similar layout to its rivals that employs MacPherson-strut suspension at the front and a multi-link axle at the rear. As with the Jeep in this test, the car is equipped with…

Kim_Adams@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer AS an iPhone user, I was pleased to see Apple CarPlay among the many features on our SsangYong Rexton. The interface is intuitive and the voice recognition works well for touch-free calling, but I’ve discovered that the set-up is not perfect. While I appreciate being able to use Spotify and BBC iPlayer Radio through the system, my sat-nav app of choice, Waze, is not an option. I can’t get on with Apple Maps and I prefer the community-based traffic alerts of Waze. It can be used on the phone with turn instructions played through the sound system instead, but if you’re listening to the DAB radio it interrupts the programme. Annoyingly, it doesn’t return to it and the station needs to be selected again. TomTom has long been…

THISWEEK’S HOT KIT NEW PRODUCTS Front Runner Porsche Cayenne roof racks Price: From £595.48 Contact: www.frontrunneroutfitters.com IF you use your Porsche Cayenne as the off-roader and workhorse that the company intended, then two new products that have just been launched by Front Runner will help to increase its rugged versatility. The South African company’s new roof rack kits encourage drivers not just to explore the Cayenne’s off-road ability, but also to use the 4x4 for more extreme overland adventures. There are two versions of the Slimline II roof rack kit. For £595.48, you get the Slimline II tray, which measures 1,165mm by 1,560mm and includes four feet that clamp into the original equipment roof rails on 2002-2017 Cayennes. The kit also includes a wind deflector to help smooth air flow…

CO2/tax 134g/km £155 Running costs 44mpg (IS 220d) £83 fill-up NEXT year will mark the 30th anniversary of Toyota introducing the Lexus brand. Its first car was the LS 400, a model that offered the latest tech, plus incredible reliability and astonishing refinement, but little driver appeal. Since then Lexus has launched a raft of other models, including the IS in the compact executive segment. The first generation came with petrol power only, but bowing to market forces the second version had a diesel engine, too. As a budget luxury small family car there’s plenty to like about the IS Mk2, especially the keen prices. But there’s also plenty to watch out for, which is unsurprising given that many of these cars are now around a decade old. History THE…

• Verdict on hi-tech saloon • Coming to UK in autumn mail@autoexpress.co.uk IT’S hardly surprising to discover that the eighth-generation Audi A6 is also the most technically advanced, most efficient, the biggest and most dynamic to drive. According to the people who have created it, at least. But the aspect that strikes you first is just how elegant it appears in the metal; how much impact it delivers visually in and among everyday traffic. So although Audi’s technical innovations include optional four-wheel steering, a range of new electronic driver assistance systems and even greater connectivity on the move, it’s the car’s sheer presence that dominates your initial impressions. However, the newcomer needs to offer more than just good looks. The A6 has some incredibly tough opposition to square up to…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy A WAVE of hot compact crossovers is on the horizon and the latest firm to show its hand is Hyundai with plans for a Kona N, Auto Express can reveal. Albert Biermann, the man in charge of the company’s N sub-brand, told us he has tasked his engineers with starting work on a test mule of the vehicle, hoping that it could get approval for production. And he has given a strong indication of its powerplant: the 2.0-litre turbo petrol from the current i30 N hot hatch. The performance crossover, which is previewed by our exclusive image, is likely to have at least 247bhp if it gets the green light for production. But it’s understood that the 271bhp motor from the i30 N with Performance Pack isn’t in…

DIESEL cars will be recommended to at least some car buyers after all in a forthcoming Government report that’s expected to outline how vehicles powered by pure combustion engines will be outlawed from 2040. The Road to Zero document is expected to ban cars incapable of travelling less than 50 miles on electric power by 2040. But Business Secretary Greg Clark has now said that for the time being, diesel power will still be recommended for some buyers. “There’s a place for diesel vehicles and there will be for some time to come,” Clark explained.…

“Performance borders on the ridiculous, with BMW quoting 3.9 seconds for 0-62mph” THE BMW M3 has been with us in its current guise for four years, and while mechanically identical to its M4 Coupé sibling, the saloon has always been the more practical proposition. It’s not long for this world, though, with production of the four-door M3 due to end in the summer. The M4 will soldier on, but with the 3 Series’ replacement due before the year is out, it doesn’t make sense for BMW to tweak the current car for the WLTP emission rules. Which means that this M3 CS is in effect a run-out model, following a very similar ethos to the current M4 CS. We’ll get the unpalatable side of things out of the way first,…

Running costs 45.1mpg (on test) £71 fill-up/£140 or 29% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 577/1,234 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 10.8 seconds/124mph Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 52.5/39.3/10.8m MODELTESTED: Jaguar E-Pace D150 FWD S PRICE: £32,645 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 148bhp EVEN in the crowded sector the E-Pace is entering, there’s plenty of scope for premium SUVs because buyers want the sense of style and space they bring. In £32,645 D150 S spec, our test car is one of the more affordable options Jaguar offers, so is it a more attractive proposition than its rivals here? Design & engineering UNLIKE the larger Jaguar F-Pace that uses the firm’s iQ Al aluminium architecture, this smaller E-Pace shares its make-up with sister brand Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport models, sitting on a modified…

Running costs 15.8mpg (on test) £91 fill-up/£450 or 37% tax Performance 0-60mph/top speed 4.2 seconds/195mph Practicality Boot 350 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 41.6/30.3/8.9m ANY sports car should offer a slice of theatre – and that’s exactly what you get from the new Aston Martin Vantage. Swing the long door open and upwards, drop yourself into the low-slung but supportive seat, thumb the pulsing red starter button and listen to that 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 explode into life. The AMG-sourced engine produces 503bhp and 685Nm, while Aston has tuned the set-up for the character it wanted in the Vantage. That includes replacing AMG’s twin-clutch transmission with a regular eight-speed auto – for better low-speed drivability, we’re told. However, the Aston does use AMG’s E-Diff, and to great effect, because it’s a key component…

2018 Results Citroen C3 Factfile Years: 2016 to present CO2: 109g/km Fuel economy: 60.1mpg (PureTech 82) Best options: Sat-nav, parking sensors, panoramic sunroof, alarm, air-con Used prices: From £8,900 OVERALL SCORE 87.77% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2018 new car survey The longer the bar the better • GOOD “LOVE the contrasting colours of the Airbumps and bodywork.” “Big windows and a reversing camera make visibility great.” “Ride quality is good for a small car. It glides over poor roads.” “I like the built-in dash cam in my C3.” “Free road tax, pre-paid servicing and good fuel consumption. Great!” “It’s a wonderful and characterful little car.” “The seats offer great support and comfort on long journeys.” • NOT SO GOOD “GEARSHIFT has a very…

Audi Q5 Q5 2.0 TDI quattro S line auto Years: 2017 to date Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp Ins group: 29 Official econ/CO2: 55.4mpg/133g/km Why? Q5 is the newest car here, and pairs sturdy build with the best infotainment system. Prices from: £32,290 IF in-car tech is your thing, the Audi Q5 is hard to beat in the SUV class. The basic system is the easiest to use of this trio, and the optional Virtual Cockpit digital dials are fantastic. Its interior is built well, too. Find a Q5 equipped with air suspension if you can; without it, the car is the least comfy and most ponderous choice here, but when fitted, the ride quality is class-leading. The Q5 didn’t feature in our Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey, but Audi was…

FIVE British drivers will take part in this weekend’s Indianapolis 500, the flagship event of the US IndyCar championship. Max Chilton (Carlin), Stefan Wilson (Andretti Autosport), Jay Howard (Chip Ganassi Racing), Pippa Mann (Dale Coyne Racing) and Jack Harvey (Meyer Shank Racing with SPM) make up the large British contingent. All have contested the race at least once before, with Harvey making his debut last year. “This year I think will be different as I now know what to expect,” he said. “First and foremost we want to see the chequered flag this year! It was disappointing not to finish last year due to reasons outside of our control. “It’s virtually impossible to predict who’ll finish where,” he added. “Until race day, you don’t know if conditions are going to…

WHAT’S the point of an electronic safety system if it makes you feel stressed and is something you want to switch off for most of the time? The lane assist in the new A6 is on from the moment you fire the engine, so the steering tries to develop a mind of its own as soon as you start driving. We trawled through the sub-menus to switch it off and then normality appeared to the steering. We asked an Audi engineer why it’s on from the word go and why it can’t be turned off within the main settings menu. He admitted the latter should be the case, telling us the system is on to satisfy NCAP. “If it was set to be off on start-up we’d have lost half…

KIA is applying the finishing touches to its updated Sportage, and it will be the manufacturer’s first model to feature diesel mild-hybrid technology. Spy shots (above) showing the Skoda Kodiaq rival testing clearly indicate the South Korean SUV won’t benefit from a dramatic design overhaul; a tweaked front end featuring new LED headlamps is the most obvious change. Beneath the skin, however, the tech is completely new. The hybrid system incorporates a 48V battery with a starter generator unit, which Kia will use to help reduce the CO2 emissions. An electric motor adds 13bhp to boost the Sportage’s performance under hard acceleration, but it also adds assistance under part-throttle loads to reduce strain on the diesel engine. When the Kia is decelerating, an inverter switches the motor’s current, in effect…

THE Audi Q7 has been the brand’s flagship SUV for just over a decade, but that’s about to change. Say hello to the Q8, a sportier take on the biggest Q car, with a svelte, coupé-influenced rear end and all of the company’s latest tech. We had an early ride to see how the range-topper is shaping up ahead of its official reveal in the coming weeks. Like all recent new Audis, this preproduction version boasts 48-volt mild hybrid assistance, alongside a 282bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine. It’s a set-up found in the brand’s A8, A7 and A6 saloons. Having more than 600Nm of torque allows the Q8 to sprint from 0-62mph in less than six seconds, while the SUV’s top speed, as ever, is limited to 155mph. Our ride…

WORKERS on motorways and major A-roads in England face nearly 300 abusive or dangerous incidents involving drivers each week. According to Highways England, staff working on the 4,300-mile strategic road network face verbal and physical abuse from drivers on a daily basis, placing their lives in greater danger on the roadside. In one incident, captured on film by workers, a driver on the A120 in Essex took to the verge as he attempted to avoid congestion. Another saw an HGV driver ignoring a coned-off section on the M1 and swerving dramatically at the last minute as he approached a parked Highways England van. Overall, the agency said it recorded nearly 3,500 instances of dangerous and abusive incidents between July and September last year, which led to four road workers and…

Running costs 43.4mpg (on test) £76 fill-up/£140 or 32% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 438/1,693 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 11.2 seconds/118mph Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph49.1/35.1/11.2m MODELTESTED: Jeep Compass 2.0 MultiJet II 140 4WD Limited PRICE: £31,810 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel, 138bhp WHILE Jeep might be big in America, in the UK the brand hasn’t enjoyed such widespread success. It’s hoping to change that with this new Compass SUV. For similar money to the E-Pace you get a 2.0 MultiJet II 140 Limited with a manual gearbox and four-wheel drive, which is what Jeep is known for. At £31,810, it’s this model we’re testing Design & engineering THE Compass might be a new model, but underneath it’s based on existing Jeep architecture, sharing its platform with the firm’s smaller Renegade SUV. Both cars…

ASTON Martin is entering a new era, and models such as the latest Vantage are propelling the British marque to the forefront of the sports car class. At least, that’s the theory we’re putting to the test here. With a technical tie-up that sees it use an engine from AMG but Aston’s engineering know-how for the chassis, the signs look positive. But to rise to the top the newcomer will have to beat the car that’s dominated this sector of the market for more than 50 years: the Porsche 911. And specifically here, the GTS model. Following our early taste of the Vantage, Aston’s chief of vehicle attribute engineering, Matt Becker, told us this is the car the company benchmarked during the development process. So with the 911 in the…

Running costs 44.2mpg (on test) £79 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 560/1,665 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.6 seconds/137mph Otis_Clay@dennis.co.uk JUST as I say goodbye to my London flat, it’s also time to hand back the keys to the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer we’ve been running. On the one hand I’m happy about moving on to somewhere new, but on the other I will truly miss having the Vauxhall around. It might not be the most exciting car to look at, but it perfectly complimented my working life taking photographs for Auto Express – and as it recently proved, it was the ideal car for moving home as well, swallowing loads of my packing boxes and reducing the number of trips I needed to make, thanks to its huge 1,665-litre total…

FIRST TEST BigBoi BlowR Mini car dryer Price: £149 Contact: www.ultimatefinish.co.uk TO keep your car’s paintwork scratch and swirl-free when cleaning, you need to touch it as little as possible – and that includes not just when washing, but also when drying your bodywork and trim. One of the latest solutions is from online detailing specialist Ultimate Finish, which has started importing BigBoi car dryers from Australia. There are two in the range: the twin-motor Pro at £329 and the £149 Mini, which is aimed at enthusiasts. We tried the 3,000W single-motor Mini, which is supplied with three nozzles, as well as a spare filter and a professional-quality hose. The hose will stretch to around 3.5 metres, which is enough to tackle the side of most cars. Featuring a carry…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk THE World Rallycross Championship (World RX) is rapidly becoming the next big thing in motorsport – and as WRC seems to be losing its appeal year-on-year, certainly in the UK, rallycross is increasingly where it’s at nowadays. So much so that there’s a round of the championship at Silverstone this year, taking place on a brand-new purpose-built course, and with all sorts of feeder formulas to support it. In the main event, manufacturers like Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot and Hyundai hammer it out for overall honours, the cars being driven in frantic head-to-head races by the likes of Sebastien Loeb, former DTM title winner Mattias Ekstrom and Petter Solberg, among others. But in the RX2 support category, the cars are all identical mechanically and the drivers less well known –…