Auto Express 1530

DOES premium still mean premium? And even if it does, does anyone really still care? This is one of those issues of Auto Express that could really force us all to think about it. First up, there’s our early drive of the all-new Ford Focus – a car that looks set to bring real quality touches to the cabin, while still offering mainstream pricing and, crucially, a sweet chassis that’ll keep keen drivers entertained. Then there’s our three-car test, which pitches established premium names Jaguar and Alfa Romeo against… Kia. And while I’m not about to issue spoilers, it’s worth saying here and now that the Korean brand’s Stinger does not disgrace itself in several key areas against the XE and Giulia (indeed, it may well have them licked on…

• First drive of latest big seller with new platform, more space • Two new diesels line up with familiar EcoBoost petrol engines THE village of Siebenbach in the Eifel region of Germany is behind us; there’s a narrow, hilly, winding, freshly renovated road ahead and we’re at the wheel of the all-new Ford Focus – which is once again proving that car-driving heaven can only be delivered when the chassis isn’t steering you into hell. The Mk3 version of Ford’s hatch has been feeling its age – threatened by everything from the VW Golf to the all-new Kia Ceed. So Ford has really pulled out the stops for the fourth generation with a fresh platform. It’s called C2 and is designed to deliver even more agile handling, while improving…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler VOLVO has revealed its all-new BMW 3 Series rival ahead of the saloon landing in the UK early next year. But the S60 won’t have it easy; when it arrives it’ll line up against an all-new 3 Series, not to mention Mercedes’ revised C-Class, Audi’s A4 and Jaguar’s XE. Volvo’s president and CEO Håkan Samuelsson calls the S60 “one of the most exciting Volvo cars we’ve ever made” and “a true driver’s car”. Big claims. It’ll be produced at an all-new plant in the US in Charleston, South Carolina with a clear leaning to the big and lucrative US and Chinese markets. That, in part, explains why it takes a different approach to its rivals, eschewing diesel power in favour of four 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engines; two…

THE Volvo S60 is the first model to benefit from the Swedish brand’s new Polestar Engineered programme. A similar performance makeover will be applied to the V60 and XC60 models next year. The upgrade pack is only available on the most powerful S60 in the range, the T8 plug-in hybrid. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine gets a revised ECU to up total power by 25bhp to 410bhp. Torque rises by 30Nm for a total of 670Nm. Volvo says that’s enough to deliver 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds. Chassis upgrades for the Polestar Engineered S60 include adjustable Ohlins dampers and a front strut brace, while the brakes are uprated courtesy of grooved discs and Brembo calipers. These, like the Ohlins dampers, are painted gold, and are housed behind new lightweight alloys. Cosmetically,…

• Wraps off V12 Superleggera • 716bhp; 211mph top speed Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “Drive modes tweak power, suspension and steering to make the car progressively sharper and faster” ASTON Martin’s revival shows no sign of letting up: this is the all-new DBS Superleggera, a car that boss Andy Palmer describes as “a brute in a suit”. It’s a replacement for the outgoing Vanquish and brings back a name that was first used back in 1967, while the name Superleggera hints at the lightweight construction. It’s based on the new DB11, and is powered by a version of that car’s twinturbo 5.2-litre V12. As a Super GT, it has a very different brief, though. It’s 70kg lighter than a V12 DB11 and uses shorter gearing for better performance. The quad exhaust has…

FOLLOWING a 14-year absence from UK showrooms, the Toyota Camry is set to return. The big saloon will slot into the range next year as the brand kills off the slow-selling Avensis. Bosses have yet to announce specs for the new VW Passat rival that will be sold in the UK, but we know it will be the latest version that’s based on the modular front-wheel-drive Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform tech, as seen on the C-HR and Prius. UK Camrys will feature a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid set-up; similar to the system soon to be offered on the BMW 5 Series-rivalling Lexus ES, which is the Camry’s sister vehicle. Toyota says that the car’s ride and handling will be “specifically tuned for the European market”; that’s likely to…