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John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk ● All-electric hatch revealed ● Similar size and price to Golf THIS is the Volkswagen ID.3, the German brand’s first purpose-built pure-electric vehicle, and a car that bosses admit could be as important as the original Beetle or the Mk1 Golf. VW’s recent EVs, the e-Golf and e-up!, have both been based on combustion-engined cars. But the ID.3 marks the debut of the company’s MEB architecture, a bespoke pure-electric platform that will eventually underpin dozens of EVs from VW and family members SEAT, Skoda and Audi. The ID.3 is being launched in a single ‘1st Edition’ spec with a 201bhp rear-mounted electric motor and a usable battery capacity of 58kWh. VW claims that gives the car a range of between 186 and 261 miles. All of the 30,000 ‘1st…

HYUNDAI has revealed the 45 Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show: an EV which nods towards the brand’s origins in terms of exterior style, while previewing future mobility with its tech and interior design. Stylistically, the 45’s sharp angles and quad headlight graphics are borrowed from the Pony Coupé Concept of 1974, while the fastback shape takes a modern a twist on the Pony, the Korean brand’s first mass-produced car. Hyundai says this retro design ethos will “mark a new era” of design, particularly for its EVs. The fully electric 45 also shows what we can expect from Hyundai’s self-driving vehicles. The lounge-inspired cabin – accessed by four sliding doors – features the extensive use of cloth materials and wood trim to give a homely feel, while the floor is covered…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk ● Concept previews next limo ● Based on all-new EV platform THIS is the Mercedes Vision EQS: a fully electric luxury saloon concept with a 435-mile range. The Frankfurt Motor Show debutant offers a glimpse at both the brand’s upcoming luxury saloon tech and a halo model for its battery-powered family. Long, low and sleek, the EQS features a simple, flowing shape which Mercedes says will inspire the next generation of EQ models. Huge wheels push out towards each corner to maximise cabin space. At the front, the EQS has a grille panel housing 188 individual LEDs, allowing for near-limitless lighting animations. Flanking that grille is a pair of holographic-lens headlamps, which themselves flow into what Mercedes calls the “lightbelt”: a glowing strip running unbroken around the car’s belt…

ALMOST 100 drivers who were fined for breaking a temporary 20mph speed limit on the M5 have had their prosecutions upheld, despite Highways England admitting that the limit was in for place too long. A fatal accident on the M5 in September 2017 saw the 20mph restriction in place for more than 14 hours. A total of 439 drivers were caught by speed cameras, of whom 97 were prosecuted. Highways England admitted the limit should have been raised after emergency roadworks were set up, but Avon and Somerset Police upheld the prosecutions. Highways England’s regional director, Andrew Page-Dove, said: “In this case there had been a serious incident on the M5 and the speed limit was protecting the on-road teams… If a driver believes that a speed limit has been…

mailto@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC Hydrogen Vs EV use FROM: antonyr ONCE hydrogen fuel stations become more widespread, I expect Toyota will launch a model with a smaller hydrogen fuel-cell than the Mirai. To my mind, hydrogen is at the forefront of alternatively fuelled vehicle development. FROM: ElectricVanMan THE problem with hydrogen is so much of it is made by steam-methane reforming, which is no good for the environment. Very little is produced by the less harmful electrolysis of water. EVs are only let down by charging infrastructure. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Why are these EVs doing under 5,000 miles a year? We do 16,000 a year in our Leaf.”Adrian Chapmanlaw ■ “The trouble with…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk “Softer springs and less road noise than in other Ceeds make the XCeed a great cruiser” Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.4 seconds/124mph Running costs 42.8mpg (official) £64 fill-up IT’S a confusing segment, the crossover class. Lots of cars fall within striking distance of one another, but they vary widely from tall, SUV-style models to ones that are little more than jacked-up hatchbacks. The new Kia XCeed is very much one of the latter. Against the tape measure, it comes closest to the Mercedes GLA, while the Toyota C-HR and – perhaps confusingly – Kia’s own Niro are similar in size, too. Prices start from £20,795, meaning that it costs about two grand more than the equivalent Ceed hatch, depending on trim. For that, you get overhauled styling, with only the…

Vicky_Parrott@dennis.co.uk THE Porsche Panamera GTS is something of a paradox. The basic car is designed to be a cosseting, loping executive four-door, so to make it all taut and enthusiast-appropriate seems silly. Like taking a business suit, adding sweatbands, and calling it gym wear. Of course, it’s not silly at all. Making a gnarlier version of a grand tourer is hardly a new idea; just ask Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, or Mercedes, all of whom offer cars with a very similar remit. From a fairly lumpy but well damped ride, through to the keen, meaty cornering antics that have a playful edge without being intimidating, the GTS has a noticeably broader spread of skills than the 4S that sits beneath it. But perhaps more importantly, it has a very different…

PETE Sowerby, a retired police officer from West Sussex, bought his Mk4 Sportage a year ago when the car was two years old. “A huge attraction was that it still had five years’ warranty left,” Pete says. And being a First Edition, it has all the bells and whistles: “It’s got heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a power bootlid; you name it, it’s got it.” Being a diesel means economy has been decent. “I can manage 52mpg on a long run,” Pete says, yet his car is quick. “Put it in Sport mode, and it goes really well. It’s also one of the easiest cars I’ve ever driven. It takes long journeys in its stride and just gets on with things. It looks good, it’s got a…

1. Jaguar 90.56% JAG’S XF and XE are well rated; other models from the firm (not included in our list of the top 100 used cars) also contribute to the company’s success here. 2. Lexus 90.13% 3. Kia 88.40% 4. Skoda 88.19% 5. Toyota 88.01% 6. Volvo 87.99% 7. Mazda 87.81% 8 Subaru 87.30% 9. Mercedes 86.92% 10 Honda 86.76% 11. SEAT 86.49% 12. Volkswagen 86.24% 13. BMW 86.10% 14. MG 86.07% 15. Alfa Romeo 85.86% 16. Audi 85.76% 17. Citroen 85.45% 18. Renault 85.38% 19. Hyundai 85.33% 20. Peugeot 85.14% 21. DS 84.76% 22. Mitsubishi 84.50% 23. Suzuki 84.48% 24. Nissan 84.47% 25. Jeep 84.45% 26. Fiat 84.44% 27. Ford 84.43% 28. Land Rover 84.30% 29. MINI 84.29% 30. Dacia 84.18% 31. Vauxhall 83.80%…

MODEL TESTED: Jaguar XE D180 AWD R-Dynamic SE PRICE: £39,475 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 178bhp THE XE is a former winner of our Best Compact Executive Saloon award, but has dropped down the rankings since newer rivals have arrived. As with the A4, a facelift should make the British car more competitive, so we’re testing the £39,475 XE D180 AWD R-Dynamic SE to match the Audi. Design & engineering JAGUAR’S approach to the updates to the XE is similar to Audi’s with the new A4 in that the British brand has retained the areas where its car was already good, and boosted the ones where it was lacking. That means the interior has had a thorough update, with more tech injected for a modern feel. That includes a 12.3-inch digital dashboard…

Mercedes C 220 d 4MATIC AMG Line PRICE: £41,165 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 191bhp THE C-Class update last year added more tech to go with the already smart cabin. The 2.0-litre diesel is noisy, but performance is good - and so is practicality, thanks to the roomy cabin and 455-litre boot. There are some great lease deals, too. Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM-2 Speciale PRICE: £37,795 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 187bhp THE slim Giulia range means just Speciale trim is available with Alfa’s more powerful diesel unit that matches these cars. There’s no four-wheel-drive option, hence the cheaper price, but you don’t need it. The joy here is the Giulia’s handling.…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk Running costs 50.6mpg (on test) £62 fill-up £145 or 30% tax FOR most of its time on our fleet, our Ford Focus has been looked after by automotive managing editor Stuart Milne. However, he’s been off on holiday this summer, so the rest of the office has taken turns behind the wheel in his absence. I managed to have a go in the Focus for the first time recently, so I’ve been comparing my own impressions with some notes Stuart left me before his time off. He says our Ford has already proved to be more than up to the task of cosseting and entertaining in equal measure. In fact, Stuart argues that it’s one of the best cars to drive in its class – and I totally agree.…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk AT more than £68,000 (as tested), our Volkswagen California is an expensive bit of kit. You get loads of space and a long list of equipment, but that kind of cash gives you access to a wide range of high-end SUVs. So if you have nearly £70k to spend, where should your money go? We had a Mercedes GLE 400 d in the Auto Express car park recently, which isn’t far off our VW’s price, so I thought I’d compare and contrast them. An initial glance at the kit lists may push you towards the Mercedes. It comes with LED lights, Nappa leather, keyless go and a high-resolution 12.3-inch infotainment display. These features are either optional on the VW, or not available at all. Look at the extras fitted…

FIRST TEST Gocycle GX Price: £2,899 Contact: www.gocycle.com THE funky-looking GX is the latest electric bike from Gocycle, a company founded by a former McLaren car engineer. It incorporates some really clever features, including the ability to fold up in less than 20 seconds. The GX also has a link to turn your smartphone into a car-like dashboard to monitor speed and change settings. The motor provides a decent amount of assistance when you pedal and, depending on the terrain and how you ride, the battery will last between 30 and 50 miles. Unlike other e-bikes, though, the power pack can’t be removed from the frame, so you’ll need a socket near to where you keep the bike in order to recharge the battery. An enclosed chain means you won’t arrive…

The MGC GTS Lightweights David Morys (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £35 NOT just about the racing cars, the first half of this title is a good potted history of the MGC itself. It’s the latter half where Morys gets into his stride, pairing great period shots with engaging text. This is a good, professionally finished book and worth buying if you’re an MG fan or a racing nut. The Bangernomics Diet James Ruppert (Foresight Publications, www.actionautomotive.co.uk Price: £5.99 THE art of Bangernomics is far more complex than just buying the cheapest possible car. This is Ruppert’s third title in the same vein, and it’s brilliant – equal parts irreverent and useful. It’s difficult to argue with the legend ‘Bangernomics makes you cooler and cleverer’ contained within. Merge Racers Available for:…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Insurer refusing to pay out MY brother had bags stolen from his locked car’s boot after the key signal was cloned. His insurer won’t pay out because the car wasn’t ‘forcibly’ broken into. What should he do?Helen Price, E-mail A YOUR brother should lodge a formal complaint with his insurer, because it should have accepted the claim in the first place. If the company still refuses to accept his claim, he should make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It has the power to award up to £150,000 in compensation. Q Is M6 Toll worth paying for? WHEN I drive to the north of England from the south, I never know whether to take the M6 or the M6 Toll. Is the…

Dear Luke, I need a premium small car and have a budget of £15,000. I’m torn between a Volkswagen Polo, a MINI and an Audi A1. David Sparkes, E-mail Contact: Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk • THE STYLISH CHOICE Audi A1 Sportback FOR: Sharp looks, most examples are low-mileage AGAINST: Strong residuals make a used A1 pricey THE Mk1 Audi A1 has modern looks and a minimalist cabin. But it’s starting to show its age, with a platform that can trace its roots back to the 2008 SEAT Ibiza. It trails the MINI for driver involvement and the Polo for comfort (especially when fitted with sportier S line suspension.) Used prices remain strong, with previous-generation A1s commanding a £2,000 premium over the equivalent MINI, and £1,000 over a similarly specced Polo. We saw a…

MONZA has secured its status as home of the Italian Grand Prix until at least 2024, with a new deal being announced ahead of this year’s race. Monza has hosted more Formula 1 races than any other venue and has appeared on every World Championship calendar since 1950, with the exception of 1980, when the Italian Grand Prix was held at Imola. F1’s chairman and CEO Chase Carey said: “We are really pleased to have reached an agreement which ensures the Italian GP will remain on the calendar.” Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of the ACI (Automobile Club d’Italia), added: “[This is] a great outcome for the ACI, for Monza, for the Lombardy region and Italian sport in general, which opens up a five-year perspective to build a future that matches…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk ● All-new Defender range revealed in long and short wheelbases ● Excellent off-road ability guaranteed, but practicality is boosted REINVENTING the Defender, a car that accounts for Land Rover’s name and heritage, has been a tortuous exercise – one so long that it outlasted the original version of the vehicle, which ceased production in 2016. But Land Rover is hoping that a mix of improved off-road ability and considerable gains in everyday usability, refinement and packaging will help to widen the Defender’s appeal. The new model – which forms the third ‘family’ in the Land Rover line-up, alongside Range Rover and Discovery – is based on a fresh aluminium-intensive platform called D7x. The chassis is described by Land Rover as 95 per cent new, and the firm claims its…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk VOLKSWAGEN is “actively considering” a high-performance variant of the ID.3, according to a senior figure that has brought the original concept to production. The ID.3 currently has 201bhp from a single rear-mounted electric motor. But Christine Leuderalbert, VW’s e-mobility product marketing specialist, says the firm is working on how to turn a car engineered for efficiency into one designed for driver thrills. “We’re actively considering it, but we need to do some work on how an electric car can also be a performance car,” Leuderalbert told Auto Express. “We know electric vehicles have excellent acceleration, but we need to look at how the rest of the package would affect the car’s efficiency.” Our exclusive image shows how an ID.3 R could look with the largest 21-inch wheels that the…

FERRARI has revealed a pair of new drop-top supercars in the form of the new 812 GTS and the F8 Spider. The GTS is an open-top version of the 812 Superfast and marks the 50th anniversary of Ferrari’s first V12-engined convertible – the famed 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider. The 812 GTS is fitted with a retractable hard-top, which Ferrari says can be lowered in just 14 seconds at speeds of up to 45km/h (29mph). The front-engined GTS is powered by a 789bhp naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that sends power to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Ferrari says it will hit a top speed of 211mph and 0-62mph in ‘less than three seconds’. Meanwhile, the F8 Spider continues Ferrari’s lineage of mid-engined convertible supercars, and is…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk Coverage of Europe’s biggest motor show YOU’VE already seen some of the biggest stars of this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in this week’s magazine. Now let us show you around them. As ever, the Auto Express team is at Frankfurt en masse, and our YouTube channel will cover all of the big reveals. Up close with second-generation Juke SUV NISSAN pretty much invented the supermini-sized SUV in 2010 with the Juke. Now, the company has replaced the original with an all-new version that focuses on quality and better technology. We were given early access to the car ahead of its reveal, and Steve Fowler is your guide in our walkaround video. You can watch any of our videos on your phone Simply scan this QR code.…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Which?: 01992 878329 Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0330 159 0364 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk THE first thing that strikes you when driving the Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R is the grip. The lateral force generated by Renault’s most extreme hot hatch is so strong that a few laps on a track will leave you wishing you’d put a little more effort into working on your core muscles, just so you can keep yourself upright in the seat. That grip is the key reason this Mégane has smashed a series of front-wheel-drive lap records. A Nürburgring Nordschleife time of 7:40.1 brought the crown back to Renault, at least until Lynk & Co recently timed its 03 Cyan – essentially a road-legal touring car – to fire the benchmark beyond reasonable reach. The Renault’s 2:48.34 benchmark around Spa is over five seconds quicker than a Honda…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk Running costs 46.3mpg (official) £61 fill-up THE Fiat 500X is an extremely important car for the company, because it draws fresh customers to the Italian marque. Around 70 per cent of its buyers are new to the brand. It’ll therefore come as little surprise that this new Sport version ranks among the firm’s most crucial launches for 2019. It’s expected to account for some 40 per cent of 500X sales, and it’s Fiat’s rival to the Peugeot 2008 GT-Line and SEAT Arona FR. This 500X doesn’t break the mould, because it adds precious few mechanical changes and focuses on racier styling, bigger wheels and new trim. It’s arguably more recognisable than its rivals, however, separating itself from the rest of the range via a significant bodykit and twin exhausts.…

CITY CAR Fiat Panda Mk3 87.23% FOR the second year in a row, the Fiat Panda is our best used city car. No other model ranked better for servicing costs, plus you were impressed with the Panda’s all-around visibility and the responsiveness of the steering. But if you love tech, then the Toyota Aygo ranked higher for infotainment. SUPERMINI Hyundai i20 Mk2 85.97% WHILE superminis weren’t, as a rule, the highest-ranking class in this year’s survey, the i20 stands out. You say its front seats are comfortable, while it has the second best-rated sat-nav of any model in our poll, too. Crucially, owners tell us the i20 is reliable and cheap to service. PREMIUM SMALL CAR MINI Hatch Mk3 86.25% THE baton has been passed on in the premium small…

MODEL TESTED: BMW 320d xDrive M Sport Sport-Auto PRICE: £39,825 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp THE 3 Series is our reigning compact exec champ, and in 320d xDrive M Sport form is a very tough rival for the two newcomers to face. It costs £39,825, but how competitive is it against its updated rivals? Design & engineering WHEN this 3 Series hit the UK at the start of the year, one of the big advances was the car’s all-new chassis. This is based on BMW’s CLAR architecture, with packaging improvements over its predecessor that were immediately apparent when we tested it. It’s still a case of evolution for the engineering hard points, though. The body is slightly bigger and the car therefore a little roomier, while the engine developments focus on…

NEW PRODUCT McLaren Racing Car Care Range Prices: From £9 Contact: www.halfords.com A McLAREN road or race car may well be beyond your budget but you can add some papaya orange to your car cleaning thanks to a tie-up between the F1 team and Halfords. Both firms have an orange livery and have combined to create an 18-strong range that covers most areas of car cleaning. McLaren’s input is not clear, but the products are pitched at the premium end of the market. The most expensive item in the range is the Paste Wax Kit, at £60. A wax is used to prepare the surface before you apply a hard paste version to give a ‘deep, gloss shine’. Next up is the £40 Snow Foam Kit, which includes the wash and…

Mario Kart revs up for smartphone launch NINTENDO’S Mario Kart game is set to finally appear on smartphones. Limited to closed beta testing for now, Mario Kart Tour should be available for Android and iOS before the end of the year, although its release has been delayed from the ‘early 2019’ launch originally promised. Mario Kart Tour will be the third title in the series for smartphones, and is set to feature a simplified control system where karts drive themselves forward, with users steering and using items that make Mario Kart wonderfully chaotic. To find out more, register your interest at the iOS or Android app stores and keep following Nintendo’s social media feeds. Monitor where your kids are motoring SKODA’S connected car app, Skoda Connect, now has a Geofencing…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 11|09|2019 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 WORKING on your car often requires extra light, whether it’s underneath, in the engine bay or behind the dashboard. While an inspection lamp or flashlight can often do the trick, sometimes a better option is to use a head torch. It will always be shining exactly where you’re looking and, more importantly, it leaves both hands free. In addition, head torches are light and easy to store in a glovebox for night-time emergencies and, of course, they can be used for non-automotive activities such as camping, cycling or hiking. We tried eight models, a mix of alkaline and rechargeable,…

WE’LL have to wait until early 2020 before we can drive a full production Defender, but Auto Express has already been shown some of the car’s tricks from the passenger seat of a prototype (Issue 1,587). There’s an immediately noticeable gain over the old car in interior packaging, because you can sit normally in the new model, with typical levels of shoulder and elbow room for this size of SUV. But once on the move, it’s the refinement that surprises; the test car we experienced around Land Rover’s facility at Gaydon was a petrol model, and its engine pulled strongly and smoothly as the durability team showed us how the car coped with fast running on pock-marked gravel roads. There’s no doubt already that this Defender has the potential to…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk ● Concept 4 previews two-door ● More radical look than 3 Series BMW will focus on design and image for the upcoming 4 Series Coupé, and at the Frankfurt Motor Show the German firm gave us a glimpse of the upcoming model with this, the BMW Concept 4. Although it’s only a concept, this show car is 85 per cent representative of what the production-ready 4 Series will look like when it arrives in the middle of next year. Building a concept car for a vehicle that already exists within the product range is a new move from BMW, but the company has said that on this occasion it wants to demonstrate how it plans to distance the next 4 Series from the 3 Series saloon with which it…

Revised Smart range ditches petrol power THE Smart range has received a facelift – and it now comes exclusively with electric drive. The two-door EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour city cars (above) get a tweaked grille, reshaped headlights and a smoother bonnet. Inside, there’s a new eight-inch infotainment system. Power comes from an 80bhp motor good for 0-62mph in 12 seconds, while a 17.6kWh battery provides a range of 91 miles. Prices will start from around £24,000 when the models arrive in 2020. Tesla Model 3 is UK’s third-biggest seller THE Tesla Model 3 was the UK’s third-most popular car last month. After many months of waiting for UK buyers, 2,082 were registered in August by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. This is the first time an EV…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk ● Turbo and Turbo S offered ● Range of up to 279 miles FOLLOWING months of teaser images, spy shots and even a prototype drive (Issue 1,590), Porsche has finally revealed the production version of its first all-electric car, the Taycan. Revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show four years on from the Mission E concept that signalled its arrival, the Taycan is Porsche’s direct competitor for the Tesla Model S. Two variants of the Taycan have been confirmed so far – the Turbo and Turbo S, priced from £115,858 and £138,826 respectively. Both are positioned as high-performance variants of the newcomer, with a lower-powered, less expensive version due to follow before the end of the year. The Taycan arrives on a brand-new fully electric platform known as J1, and…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk ● AI:Trail is fourth EV study ● Autonomous tech on board AUDI has completed a set of four future concepts by revealing a no-compromise, all-electric off-roader called AI:Trail quattro. It sits with the Aicon, AI:Me and AI:Race in the brand’s fantasy garage. The concept mixes parts from two VW Group platforms – MEB and PPE – with an electric motor powering each wheel and a battery installed under the floor. Power stands at 429bhp with 1,000Nm of torque. Range is quoted as 310 miles. “A few years ago, we thought about what the future Audi portfolio could look like,” said Audi design boss Marc Lichte. “In the future not everything will be about owning. Some people may want to buy a car, but others will just want access. They’ll…

FIFTY all-new models have been selected as official 2020 World Car Awards (WCA) contenders. They’ll be fighting it out for just five coveted trophies to be awarded at a New York International Motor Show ceremony in April next year. Between now and then, more than 80 WCA jurors (including Steve Fowler and Mike Rutherford from Auto Express) will be driving and rating the candidate cars in all corners of the globe. The provisional 2020 list heavily features models from French, German and South Korean firms, although two UK-based makers have a chance of winning trophies. The Range Rover Evoque and MINI Electric (below) are both nominated, but the Land Rover Defender doesn’t qualify because it is not yet on sale. PAGE 114: Rutherford on WCoTY…

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk ALL good car makers recognise the need for young talent to be trained for various roles across the motor industry. And many brands have their own schemes for students and apprentices to get stuck into the business of designing and building cars. Skoda is one such firm, and in 2014 the students at the company’s Vocational School in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, were given the opportunity to show off the skills they had acquired during their training by creating a special, one-off Skoda of their own. The project went so well – producing the eye-catching Citijet concept car (see below, right) – that it became an annual scheme, known as the Azubi Project. The cars that come out of the Azubi Project take around 2,000 hours of work, and…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk LIKE it or loathe it, the coupé-SUV is here to stay. And the latest in the line of curvy, compromised behemoths is this: the new Porsche Cayenne Coupé. It’s a car we first drove in Austria a few months ago, and one we rather liked in storming Turbo guise (Issue 1,577). Now we’ve got the keys to the basic V6 to see if our statements still ring true on UK roads. A smidge over £62k gets you a 3.0-litre turbo V6 with 335bhp and 450Nm of torque. It will dash from 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds and hit 150mph flat out. But at more than 2.1 tonnes, this is a heavy car. Whereas the Turbo shrugged off its lofty kerbweight with bags of power and torque, the lesser V6 struggles…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk WELCOME to the third – and final – Driver Power instalment of 2019, in which we detail the best used models on the market, as voted for by you. You’ll find 75 cars reviewed in detail, with 31 individual scores making up nine key categories, providing a broad set of judgements, as well as more detailed assessments of the cars. We also compile data on the proportion of you who have had a problem over the course of ownership, which – for these cars – runs for between two and 10 years. But numbers can only tell so much, so as well as a vast dataset of numbers, we feature comments provided by the readers who were generous enough to complete our online survey, adding richness and subjectivity to…

OUR rundown of the best second-hand cars you can buy should be your go-to guide when you’re thinking about your next used purchase. But the breadth and depth of these cars’ abilities is such that it’s worth giving more space to their achievements. You’ll notice that the Kia Sportage Mk4 takes four category wins here – something of a clean sweep. But a couple of models crop up time and time again on the podium. So if our overall used-car champ isn’t for you (maybe you’re not after an SUV, for example), the other models here might suit you better, and you can get a feeling for their talents. In the interests of fairness, it’s only right that we give as much limelight as possible to some of the more…

MODEL TESTED: Audi A4 40 TDI quattro S line PRICE: £41,120 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp GIVEN the pace of development in this class, the Audi A4 was in need of an update, so has the facelift helped its chances? We find out. Design & engineering AT £41,120, the Audi is the most expensive model of this trio; it’s £1,295 more expensive than the BMW and £1,645 dearer than the Jaguar. However, check out the finance deals (right) to see if it can gain back some ground. The A4’s exterior updates mainly focus on design. All models now have LED lights, which is a bonus, while these have also been refreshed, along with the front bumper and grille. There are more creases and lines down the side of the car, while…

Audi A4 MMI Navigation Plus Standard Key features: Touchscreen, Virtual Cockpit THE A4’s infotainment is now totally controlled via the touchscreen and works in a similar way to the A6’s set-up, although the 10.1-inch screen’s position isn’t as good. It’s perched on top of the dash like in the old A4, because the cabin hasn’t been totally redesigned. At least it responds well to inputs, switching menus quickly, while the graphics are incredibly sharp. The same is true of the standard updated 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit, where the resolution is the best of the three. The digital dash is also the most configurable and works really well. Sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, three years’ connected services and voice control are all included, but wireless charging isn’t an option, which is a…

IN this test we’ve got a Double Cab Limited with Ford’s new 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine and 10-speed automatic gearbox. This is the highest trim level available with this powertrain, just as the Barbarian X is in the L200 range. The Ranger’s engine and gearbox are excellent and a big part of why it’s an Auto Express Award winner. The motor is much quieter and less harsh-sounding than the L200’s 2.2-litre diesel, yet it’s more powerful and more efficient, too. There’s a low rumble as you accelerate, but none of the clatter that you get in the Mitsubishi, and that also helps with in-cabin refinement because there are fewer squeaks and rattles from the interior trim. The 10-speed gearbox shifts smoothly, and it’s faster to react to changes than the…

Vicky_Parrott@dennis.co.uk Running costs Official range/tax 282 miles/£0 Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 451/1,405 litres Running costs 4.5miles/kWh (on test) £8.50 fill-up POUND for pound, the Kia e-Niro is the best electric car on sale. There; I said it. Of course, we know this anyway since it won the 2019 DrivingElectric Car of the Year award, but it does mean something (quite a lot, actually) that since the Kia won that accolade I’ve done more than 10,000 miles in mine, and I am now only more convinced that it’s the best ‘affordable’ electric car out there. One of the final trips I did with the Kia was to take it to the new Milton Keynes charging hub in order to plug it into one of the new Ionity chargers and experience the…

Audi e-tron Issue 1,579, 1,585 BMW 3 Series Issue 1,576, 1584 Citroen Berlingo XL Issue 1,579, 1,591 Dacia Duster Issues 1,561, 1,564, 1,572, 1,575, 1,583, 1,590 Ford Focus Issue 1,582, 1,589 Honda CR-V Hybrid Issue 1,576, 1584, 1,591 Hyundai Santa Fe Issue 1,575, 1,580, 1,587 Jaguar I-Pace Issue 1,588 Kia e-Niro Issue 1,569, 1,580, 1,589 Kia Ceed Issue 1,567, 1,577, 1,582 Mazda MX-5 Issue 1,573, 1,585 Renault Mégane R.S. Issue 1,581 SsangYong Musso Issue 1,590 SEATTarraco Issue 1,574, 1584, 1,590 Skoda Fabia Issue 1,572, 1,582 Volkswagen California Issues 1,578, 1,583, 1,586 Volkswagen Touareg Issue 1,580, 1,585…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Different wash experience HAVING seen Halfords’ Car Wash and Wax win your test, I must comment on my experience. It doesn’t foam or clean the car; it’s the water that gets the dirt off. I don’t know whether I have had two rogue bottles or if your review was flawed.Brian Lambert, E-mail A IT is almost impossible to detect differences in cleaning power between washes. As you say, the water does the bulk of the work, so our test looks at the water left; the less there is, the less time needed to wash and dry the car. Here, Halfords’ product does well and is our current choice. Q Cheaper repair for alloys HAVING damaged my diamond-cut alloys, I’ve looked at a professional repair,…

THERE’S little doubt a pressure washer can transform the way you wash your car. The powerful jet can cut washing time, shift mud and grime with no risk of marking paintwork, plus it allows you to use a snow foam. But not all of us can get mains power or a hose to where we clean cars. Kärcher and Sealey have new battery-powered solutions, so we tried both to see which boosts your car cleaning best. We looked at what you get for your money, before assessing how well they blasted away disc dust from a grimy wheel. We also checked power on brickwork, plus took into account price and battery life. These two work in such different ways they are hard to compare, with the pricey Kärcher the best…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ● Second ETCR car after Cupra ● Series set for launch in 2020 HYUNDAI took the wraps off an electric touring-car version of its Veloster coupé at the Frankfurt Motor Show. After the Cupra ETCR, the Veloster N ETCR is the second car built to participate in the proposed ETCR series for zero-emissions touring cars, developed from the current hugely popular TCR rules for national and international touring-car racing. Hyundai Motorsport, headquartered in Alzenau, Germany, already builds petrol-engined TCR versions of the Veloster N and the brand’s i30 N hot hatches for use by customer teams in series around the world. The Veloster N ETCR is fully electric, rear-wheel drive and has its motor mounted in the middle of the car for optimum weight distribution and handling. Design work…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “Based on WCOTY successes, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden and the UK are in the automotive premier league” IT wasn’t long ago that a duo of super-strong, globally respected vehicle-producing nations held what seemed like an unbreakable stranglehold on the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) trophy. During the initial years of the competition (2005-2016), the score was an embarrassing Germany 8, Japan 4, Rest of the World 0. This was cruel to, and hard for, dozens of credible motor-manufacturing countries (Britain included) to stomach. But credit where it’s due. Back then (and I speak as a WCOTY juror since 2007), the Germans and Japanese were building the best, most desirable, widest ranges of cars for global (not to be confused with…