Innholdsfortegnelse for 1533 i Auto Express

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE Toyota Camry hasn’t been seen in British dealers since 2004, but early next year it will return to the UK and a market which is shunning diesel. So the hybrid Camry is well placed to succeed then, and Auto Express has been given the keys to an early prototype. The first thing you notice about the Camry is that it’s not a direct successor to the Avensis (production of which has officially ceased). At 4,885mm, it’s longer than the already-huge Ford Mondeo, a reflection of the fact that this model is a massive sales success in the United States. The 524-litre boot is a decent size, too. The newcomer is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture – the same set of chassis components and common parts…

VAUXHALL has announced the flagship Corsa GSi will cost from £18,995. The rival to the Ford Fiesta ST (driven on Page 26) will act as a final swansong for the current Corsa before an all-new model arrives next year. The GSi takes the place of the now-discontinued VXR as the sportiest Corsa, albeit at a slower, more accessible level. Standard kit includes 17-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, carbon-effect door mirror covers and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Its infotainment features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Vauxhall also offers a £1,900 GSi Plus Pack that adds 18-inch alloys, Recaro leather front sports seats and bi-xenon headlights. Power comes from a 1.4-litre turbo matched to a six-speed manual box. It delivers 148bhp and 220Nm of torque, enough for a 0-62mph time of 8.9…

AHEAD of the all-new Supra’s grand unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show next year, Toyota demonstrated a disguised version of the finished car up the Hill at Goodwood last week. This was our best look yet at the two-seater, which has been co-developed with BMW alongside the next-generation Z4. Both cars will be built in Germany, although Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance division has been engineering the Supra separately to give it a unique character. The coupé is expected to be powered by a 330bhp six-cylinder engine.…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor GOODWOOD gives you the chance to get up close with the very latest and most exciting new metal. And to get a taste of the new Mercedes-AMG GT four-door Coupé before it goes on sale in September, we jumped in with AMG factory driver Adam Christodoulou for a run up the Goodwood hill. Nudging out of the Supercar Paddock and down to the start line the big AMG attracts as many admiring glances as the most exotic supercars. A quick donut by Christodoulou at the bottom of the drive and it’s up to the line. All eyes and smartphones once again on us. We’re in the range-topping version of next year’s four-door Coupé: the GT S. That means a whopping 630bhp is being pummelled through the 4MATIC four-wheel-drive…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer THE Government has launched a new industrial strategy aimed at making the UK “fit for the 21st century”. Plans under the ‘Road to Zero’ strategy include a requirement for new homes to be built with charging points for cars, plus installing chargers on street lights in areas with on-street parking and investing in wireless charging for EVs. The Government has also vowed to increase funding for electric vehicles and the surrounding infrastructure. At the core of the new ‘Road to Zero’ strategy is a move to ban the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Through new measures set out in this strategy towards cleaner road transport, we want to put the UK at the forefront of the design and…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Running costs 39.8mpg (official) £73 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 561/1,756 litres THE CR-V is big business for Honda and accounted for nearly a quarter of new cars leaving its showrooms across Europe in 2017. However, the new fifth-generation model arrives this autumn with something missing. A diesel isn’t coming to Europe and that means all British buyers can specify when the car arrives in September is a 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo petrol version, with a hybrid variant not due until early 2019. The car is the same length as before, but the wheelbase has been extended by 30mm to free up additional legroom for rear passengers. As such, the new SUV feels very spacious, building on one of the outgoing model’s strong points. As a five-seat proposition the…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk “300 Sport has a 4WD chassis and uprated suspension with clever adaptive dampers” IT’S no great secret that Jaguar’s XE has struggled commercially beside more obvious rivals from Germany. One explanation for this is that there hasn’t been a sporting halo model to sprinkle some magic across the rest of the range. Jaguar simply hasn’t had the time, or the money, to build such a car, and so the rest of the range, goes the theory, has lacked kerb appeal as a result. Enter the new £45,640 XE 300 Sport. With ‘just’ 296bhp from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, the 300 Sport is never going to take it all the way to the BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C 63 et al, and to be fair it isn’t meant to. But…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler THE third-generation Porsche Cayenne promises more comfort, better refinement and more tech, as well as an even sharper driving experience – but can it deliver on UK roads? There are four petrol-powered Cayennes to choose from, spanning the standard 336bhp 3.0-litre V6 through to the range-topping Turbo with its 543bhp V8. In between, you’ll find the 455bhp plug-in e-Hybrid, and this: the 434bhp twin-turbo V6 Cayenne S. Aside from the Turbo, the S is the most expensive Cayenne on sale. At £68,330, it costs £1,202 more than the e-Hybrid. So it must be quicker, right? Er, no. It’ll sprint from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds, which is two tenths slower than the heavier hybrid. Strange. So the S seems like a bit of a pointless model in the range.…

BMW cottoned on to the coupé-SUV niche early on with its large X6. It had a body of a similar size to the X5, but with more curvaceous styling. The firm then added the smaller, sportier X4, and it’s the new, second-generation X4 we’re testing here, updated with better infotainment and a higher-quality interior among other features. There’s only one natural rival for this car: the Mercedes GLC Coupé. Tested here in 220 d 4MATIC AMG Line spec to match the X4 xDrive20d M Sport, the Mercedes is cheaper, but it’s also based on older technology. We won’t see an updated GLC Coupé until 2019 at the earliest, so can the current car mix styling with substance to fend off the new X4’s challenge? BMW X4 New X4 gets proven…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/90mph Running costs Official range/tax 168 miles/£0 AS the resident office geek and a fan of electric cars, the opportunity for us to run a new Nissan Leaf wasn’t one that was going to get past my desk. I’ve been lucky enough to run a Tesla in the past and loved the car and EV ownership, so what will it be like to live with a more affordable electric car? Our top-spec Tekna car costs £28,390 after the £4,500 Government plug-in grant, or £30,055 when the metallic paint and optional £1,090 ProPilot parking assistance are added. You can buy a Leaf from just £25,190, but Tekna adds so many luxury features (heated front and rear part-leather seats for example) and hi-tech kit (ProPilot level…

Volkswagen Arteon SPECIAL contributor Steve Sutcliffe hasn’t done a vast amount of mileage in the Arteon lately, but on one long journey he saw its fuel consumption rise to a heady 57mpg, while the theoretical range went above 700 miles for the very first time. Checking it against our tank-to-tank economy figures, the on-board computer’s prediction was pretty much spot on. Driving 700 miles on just one tank of diesel means you could just about take our 2.0-litre TDI Arteon from Calais to Nice without refuelling, costing around £70. Except it isn’t quite that simple. Steve filled the tank to the very brim and drove the Arteon in the direction of Wales for a few hours. But during the journey he was sat at 50 to 60mph for large chunks…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Steering wheel lock advice MY car has keyless entry, so I’m considering buying a steering wheel lock for extra security. Could you recommend one that’s suitable? Graham Williams, E-mail A FOR ultimate security it has to be the Disklok (www.disklokuk.co.uk, from £119.99). This would be our choice for a little-used car, but it isn’t the easiest to live with because it’s a hefty, large lump of metal. For everyday use we’d go with our test winner, the Stoplock Pro (above, www.saxon-brands.com, £49.99). Q Time for new torque wrench I USE a torque wrench to check the wheel nuts on my caravan when touring. I think it’s reading low because it hasn’t been recalibrated since I bought it. Can you suggest a replacement? Mike Nevitt,…

2018 Results CX-5 Factfile Years: 2017 to present CO2: 142g/km Fuel economy: 52.3mpg (SKYACTIV D) Best options: Leather seats, Bose stereo, adaptive cruise, reversing camera Used prices: From £20,500 OVERALL SCORE 91.82% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2018 new car survey. The longer the bar the better • GOOD “FUEL economy is improving as engine runs in; it is now close to official figures.” “The engine is so quiet passengers think the car is a hybrid.” “Its gearbox is very slick; each ratio slots in seamlessly.” “Boot is big and my two dogs are very happy back there.” “It feels more like a sports car than an SUV to drive.” “The 10-speaker Bose stereo is excellent.” “Interior has plenty of soft-touch surfaces.” • NOT SO…

SPA-Francorchamps plays host to the UK’s leading single-seater and GT series this weekend, as the British Formula 3 and British GT series head to Belgium. Swede Linus Lundqvist (below) tops the F3 table with four wins, while British double amputee Billy Monger will face a tough challenge on the 4.35-mile Ardennes circuit in his specially adapted racer. The GT series sees a full grid of GT3 and GT4 racers from the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, BMW, Nissan and Ginetta taking part, and promises close racing.…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “If the new Vision E doesn’t have a range of 300 miles we should not bring it to market”ALAIN FAVEY Skoda marketing boss SKODA’S history of producing hot RS versions of its mainstream models will spread into its future electric vehicles, Auto Express can reveal. Skoda’s first all-electric car will be a production version of the Vision E concept revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show and due on sale at the end of 2020. It’ll be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric car platform, which will first appear on the VW I.D. hatchback. Skoda’s board member for sales and marketing, Alain Favey, told us: “There will be electric versions of vRS – eRS. “The logic is the same – it’s not about performance as such. Our…

Pininfarina teases PF0 EV hypercar AUTOMOBILI Pininfarina has revealed new teaser sketches (above) of its upcoming all-electric hypercar, codenamed PF0. The first Pininfarina-branded road car is due to be launched late in 2020 and aims to take on the next-generation Tesla Roadster, also due early next decade. Pininfarina claims that the production PF0 will be able to complete 0-62mph in less than two seconds, will crack 250mph, and will be capable of more than 300 miles on a single charge. And Bugatti set to reveal £4.4m Divo BUGATTI will reveal its new Divo hypercar on 24 August at the Monterey Car Week in California. It will be limited to 40 units, each of which will cost £4.4million. Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann promises that the Divo will boast “agile, nimble handling”,…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor “This is one of the finest-driving McLarens that you can buy” GOODWOOD is inextricably linked to McLaren’s history. The Bruce McLaren Racing Team used the Sussex motor circuit throughout the sixties to develop racing cars, and the Kiwi lost his life while testing at the track in June 1970. So driving a brand new McLaren that has been launched at Goodwood is an extremely special experience. This time, though, it’s a road car, and Auto Express was the first to drive the new 600LT up the famous hill at last week’s Festival of Speed. LT stands for ‘Longtail’ and it’s an evocative name in McLaren’s history. The first car to wear the badge was the 1997 F1 GTR, which was designed to conquer GT racing and the Le…

LAND Rover marks its 70th birthday in 2018, and Britain’s foremost 4x4 maker decided to hold a big parade at Goodwood to celebrate. The procession, featuring 70 Land Rovers spanning the firm’s seven decades, was probably the weekend’s slowest hillclimb action. Nonetheless, the nostalgia trip was one of the highlights of the 2018 Festival of Speed. Leading the procession was ‘Huey’ – the first pre-production Land Rover prototype, famously registered HUE 166. Behind it were examples of pretty much every roadgoing Land Rover ever made, right up to the latest addition – the Velar. Military Land Rovers, rescue vehicles, police cars and expedition-prepped off-roaders rolled alongside the road-ready cars. More in tune with the sheer noise and pace of the event, the new 400bhp Defender Works V8 was put through…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP FROM: Michael Zuulan I AM very glad the Jimny is coming back, and am also happy to see that it looks much like the original. On this basis, it should be a capable off-roader. Let’s hope Suzuki keeps the price down. FROM: Neil Mustow SUZUKI has totally nailed this. I love the new Jimny’s rugged looks, and think the company has got a winner on its hands. The big question now is whether Land Rover does similarly with the next Defender. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▪ “So nice to see somebody is still willing to make a proper 4x4. I would love one.” Chris Melhuish ▪ “Looks great, but five doors would be…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor THE previous Fiesta ST will go down as one of the finest modern Fast Fords ever. Acrobatic handling and a sweet engine were all wrapped up in a stylish and affordable package. Ford Performance – the division that created the Focus RS – was given the responsibility to develop the new one, and as we discovered at the blue oval’s Lommel test track in Belgium earlier this year (Issue 1,523), the team has nailed it. Ever since that drive in early May, we’ve been keen to see if the new Fiesta ST does its thing on Britain’s B-roads – and now we have the chance. Immediately, the ST feels light and nimble; throw it into a corner and the front just grips and grips, but if you need…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy PEUGEOT reckons its latest practicality-focused offering, the Rifter, is a crossover with cues from SUVs, instead of a pure MPV. Convinced? Neither are we. But there’s no mistaking the focus of the Rifter’s interior, which is a masterclass in practical touches. There’s up to 180 litres of oddment space in the cabin alone; that’s 12 litres more in cubbyholes than a Toyota Aygo manages in its entire boot. This space is delivered in useful ways. There’s a big top-loading box in the dashboard and a locker that drops down, aircraft-style, from the roof above the boot. The door bins are preposterous; they can accommodate three or four water bottles with ease. There are a couple of different sizes of Rifter available – standard and long-wheelbase – and each…

WHEN BMW launched the X4 back in 2014 to follow the larger X6, it was marketed as a Sports Activity Coupé. Forget that, because while the car’s roofline might be more coupé-like, it still features the raised-up proportions of a conventional SUV. There’s no doubt it’s sportier than the X3 in its styling, but it feels remarkably similar to drive. Still, there’s nothing wrong with that, because the X3 is one of the best-handling cars in its class. The X4 steers sweetly, and despite growing in size and weighing in at 1,740kg, the latest version offers plenty of grip for a model that rides quite this high from the road. However, there are limitations to that. In the £460 adaptive dampers’ Comfort setting the car is compliant, filtering out the…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Running costs 34.0mpg (on test) £78 fill-up/£140 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 406/1,114 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 5.8 seconds/149mph THERE aren’t many car companies that have gone through a brand transformation quite as extensive as Kia’s over the past 30 years. A range once filled with anonymous hatchbacks and saloons has been replaced with swathes of stylish and desirable new metal. The all-new Stinger saloon has played a significant role in helping the Korean brand update its image and it’s the latest car to join the Auto Express test fleet. Another reason why we’re putting the Stinger through its paces is because this is Kia’s first real attempt at taking on the established German car makers. So, I’ll be running the Stinger for six months to…

Alfa Romeo Giulia Issues 1,515, 1,526 Audi A7 Sportback Issue 1,529 Citroën C3 Aircross Issue 1,526, 1,532 Honda Civic Type R Issues 1,512, 1,524, 1,527 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Issues 1,514, 1,523, 1,528 Kia Stinger New arrival Mazda CX-5 Iss 1,503, 1,512, 1,521, 1,530 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Issues 1,509, 1,521 Nissan Leaf New arrival Peugeot 5008 Issues 1,523, 1,531 Renault Koleos Issue 1,530 SEATArona Issues 1,524, 1,531 SsangYong Rexton Issues 1,516, 1,525, 1,529 Suzuki Swift Sport Issue 1,532 Toyota C-HR Issue 1,527 Volkswagen Arteon Issues 1,520, 1,530 Volvo XC60 Issues 1,523, 1,527…

The Perfect Car: The Biography of John Barnard Nick Skeens (Evro, www.evropublishing.com) Price: £40 Rating: THIS detailed and accurate biography of John Barnard was written in conjunction with the innovative Formula One designer. Best suited to F1 fans interested in the man who pioneered carbon-fibre monocoques and semi-auto gearboxes, it’s a good read. Intermeccanica Andrew McCredie, Paula Reisner (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £45 Rating: AN interesting history of a tiny Italian maker that started out producing tuning kits and exhausts, but moved on to beautiful fully assembled cars. It’s certainly a learning journey, but for the price we’d like to see the period photography cleaned up. Drifty Chase Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating: WE love the chunky graphics and one-control interface on this game; simply tap to turn…

Sponsored by Got any car queries? Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Peugeot warranty worry I HAVE recently put a deposit on a new Peugeot from a broker at a substantial discount. As he is not an official dealer, is the three-year manufacturer warranty valid? Don Parry, E-mail A AS long as you have the car serviced in-line with manufacturer guidelines and use approved parts, the official Peugeot warranty will remain valid. Don’t forget to keep detailed receipts from any work you have carried out on the car. If you’re using an independent garage, insist on them using approved parts. Q What is the boot socket for? I HAVE just taken delivery of a new car, and am puzzled as to why it has a 12-volt socket in the boot. What is the…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “This and previous Governments have shown they don’t care about cars, roads and drivers. Time to hand over the reins” UNTIL very recently the Government enthused and incentivised consumers (via scrappage schemes and the like) to purchase diesels. We did exactly that. Yet shortly after its declaration of fondness for diesel came the war against the fuel. By this stage of the unfunny game the politicians had become smitten with and desperately keen for us to buy relatively expensive 100 per cent-electric vehicles. But we didn’t. Or, to be more precise, we bought and still buy these pure-electric cars in desperately low numbers. Latest figures show 7,441 were registered in the first half of 2018 – fewer than in January-June 2017. Now…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods BMW’S all-new 8 Series Convertible isn’t due to be officially revealed until the middle of next year, but these exclusive spy shots obtained by Auto Express show the car in all its glory. The German brand confirmed plans for a new 8 Series family last year; the Coupé was the first model to be shown at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race last month. These spy shots reveal that BMW is wasting no time in getting the next member of the 8 Series line-up into its showrooms. Eagle-eyed Auto Express reader Iain Pollo spotted the car being driven around Loch Assynt in Scotland. It’s not the first time the Convertible has been spied on the road, but it’s lost the camouflage used by prototypes in the past,…

CAR buyers are facing significant delays when ordering new cars as test centres struggle to certify vehicles to new Worldwide Harmonised Light Test Procedure (WLTP) emission and economy tests. All new models introduced to the market from September must be certified according to WLTP, but a number of brands have admitted certification delays are creating supply-chain bottlenecks. The Volkswagen Group says up to 250,000 cars will be delayed in the second half of the year, while Porsche previously scaled back sales due to WLTP delays, and Peugeot has paused production of the 308 GTi hot hatchback until October. A VW spokesman said: “Due to the introduction of the new WLTP test procedure in the Volkswagen Group, we expect an effect of approximately 200,000 to 250,000 vehicles in the second half…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Tech tie-up explained 1 ROAD sensors installed in studs or railings would communicate key messages to cars, and help steer autonomous vehicles in the future. 2 BIG data would help predict traffic movements, prevent congestion from building up and warn drivers in individual cars to take different routes. 3 POTHOLES could be detected at once because the road would report damage. Currently patrols go out every few weeks to inspect for damage. 4 PLATOONING could be made possible through sensor tech. This would allow lorries to travel in tight convoys with fewer drivers, saving fuel. 5 SELF-repairing roads is another innovative project Highways England is currently trialling. This would reduce roadworks and their costs. 6 ROAD charging could be made possible via a connected road. This has already…

Polestar 1 shown for the first time THE Polestar 1 made its first public outing at Goodwood, with a prototype of the 592bhp plug-in hybrid supercoupé from Volvo’s performance arm taking to the famous hillclimb. The £135,000 coupé (above) was being demonstrated for the first time here in the UK. Sales are under way, but the car will be made in left-hand drive only. McLaren spells out hybrid-power plan McLAREN has expanded on its Track22 business plan with an updated product offensive called Track25, spelling out the supercar maker’s ambitions for 2025. By the middle of the next decade, McLaren says it will introduce 18 new cars, including a new flagship successor to the P1. The brand’s entire lineup will also feature hybrid powertrains as standard. Porsches star on central…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor First drive review of new Jeep Wrangler THE Wrangler is the most original and most authentic Jeep. As a result, it’s always been the most off-road-focused car the company makes. But the new model promises to be more comfortable and refined on the road. Has Jeep ruined the recipe? I went to Austria to find out. Driving to Le Mans in 1964 Aston DB4 I WAS lucky enough to join Aston Martin for the trip to last month’s Le Mans 24 Hours, and while the race wasn’t a triumph for the brand, we had a great time getting there. My highlight was driving a 1961 DB4. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what one of these classics is like, join me on a quick passenger ride. You…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk LAST week Donald Trump made his first official state visit to the UK, and he did so in spectacular American style – in an armoured Cadillac armed to the teeth. But how does the American president compare with other leaders? We rounded up some spectacular cars from former and current heads of state to find out. Jaguar XJ ‘The Sentinel’ Theresa May Prime Minister of the UK A FEW hours are a long time in British politics at the moment. But as we went to press, Theresa May was still Prime Minister. When she took the top job, May was given the keys to a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 Jaguar XJ, dubbed The Sentinel. With steel armour, it can withstand a blast equivalent to 15kg of TNT. But it was…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram OUR first experience of the all-new Volkswagen Touareg (Issue 1,524) was promising, and now we’ve tried the car for the first time on UK roads. Under the skin, the Touareg rides on the VW Group’s MLBevo platform – the same that’s used by not just the Audi Q7, but also the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. It’s slightly shorter than a Q7, but marginally longer, wider and lower than the previous Touareg. Sharing a platform system with its posher VW Group cousins grants it access to much of the same tech. Air suspension, four-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars are all on the options list, and all three trim levels get adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and leather seats. “The Touareg rides on a platform that’s used…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THE new Kona Electric isn’t all that’s fresh about Hyundai’s junior SUV, because the Korean brand has also just added two diesel options to the engine line-up. You’re unlikely to see them in showrooms, though, because they’re special-order only; this indicates how slim their share of this car’s overall sales will be. Indeed, even the all-electric version could prove more popular. Both diesels feature a 1.6-litre four-cylinder CRDi motor, developing either 113bhp or 134bhp, and the latter version is linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. EV aside, we’d recommend sticking with a petrol-powered Kona in almost every case, but if you’re going to do the miles to justify it, the lower-powered diesel option is probably the better bet. The 113bhp power output doesn’t sound like much, but…

Renault Mégane R.S. R-Link 2 Standard Key features: Sat-nav, connectivity AS the range-topping Mégane model, the R. S. comes as standard with Renault’s R-Link 2 system, which offers plenty of features. Sat-nav with TomTom traffic is among them, as well as Bluetooth and DAB. The seven-inch display isn’t the most responsive, however, and given you have to tap a small area of the touchscreen to bring up the climate controls, this can prove a little slow and frustrating at times. It also lags behind your inputs elsewhere, but at least you can customise the home screen’s tile layout. You also use it to select and customise driving modes. When you’re in most of the sub-menus the options are easy to select because they’re big tile-style buttons. The resolution is okay…

Steve_Walker@dennis.co.uk IT feels great to be a member of the EV revolution. The windows are shut and the extension lead is in the garage, yet our Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid is outside happily suckling from the national grid, courtesy of a new home charging point from Pod Point. The lack of a convenient place to charge at home is one of the biggest problems with plug-in car ownership. While anyone not lucky enough to have off-street parking is still likely to baulk at this hurdle, we’re over it. Full-on 7kW fast charging remains out of reach because the ancient ceramic fuse in my house isn’t up to the job, but once that’s replaced Pod Point will up the power remotely. Aside from no longer having to run a cable out…

Force India renews Gtechniq tie-up THE Force India F1 team has signed a three-year deal with Gtechniq to supply surface finishing, detailing and maintenance products. The brand has been working with Force India for six years, and has supplied Crystal Serum Ultra, a ceramic coating that is now used on every aerodynamic surface of the car to minimise performance losses from track debris sticking to bodywork. Gtechniq products are available for motorists and F1 teams alike to purchase at www.gtechniq.com. Mazda’s virtual test drives at the shops MAZDA will use the latest VR tech to bring virtual reality driving experiences to shopping centres around the country. Shoppers can wear VR goggles to get a 360-degree test-drive of either the MX-5 roadster or the CX-5 SUV. Brochures can then be instantly…

WHILE some tools may last decades, others need replacing more regularly, and screwdrivers are among those with a shorter working life. Firstly, they are the most likely to be abused. Secondly, they may require updating because more car makers are adopting hex and Torx fasteners. So which is the set to keep your tool kit up to date and in good condition? We got to grips with 12 sets to find out. PRODUCTGROUP TEST 18|7|2018 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive Kennedy Professional KEN-572-6040K Price: £33.04 Set: 9 x Plain slot, 4 x Phillips Contact: 0116 288 8000, www.cromwell.co.uk Rating: BEST BUY TWO years on from our last screwdrivers test…