Innholdsfortegnelse for 1611 i Auto Express

Price £24,400 THERE are three trim levels to choose from, but MINI prides itself on the fact this electrified model is cheaper than a like-for-like, petrol-powered Cooper S. It’s less expensive than the Honda e, too, but the trade-off is a more conventional cabin that does without any of the Japanese model’s cool quirks. Price £26,160 TWO versions of the Honda e are available. The entry-level car costs £26,160 and gets the three large screens, and cameras for mirrors as standard. This model also gets a less powerful electric motor. The £28,660 Advance model packs more power, but the range is shorter because of its larger wheel and tyre set-up. Range 145 miles THE MINI can’t compete with the Renault Zoe for WLTP-rated range, but on paper it beats the…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk ● New coupé gets sportier looks ● One of six new models on way BMW has another busy year ahead, and the company is poised to reveal six new models. The most divisive of these will be the all-new 4 Series Coupé, which is due to be officially revealed in the summer, before going on sale at the end of the year. The firm’s recent design language – including ever-larger front grilles – has been a major talking point, and that is set to continue. Heavily disguised prototypes of the 4 Series are being put through the final stages of their development testing, and they’re hiding a big surprise. The 4 Series will be BMW’s first coupé to adopt an enlarged vertical grille since the E9 of the seventies.…

Jimny facing axe as emissions regs bite THE Suzuki Jimny (above) is to be withdrawn from sale in the UK next year, due to new emissions regulations. Manufacturer ranges must average 95g/km of CO2 from 2021, but the Jimny emits between 154-170g/km, which steeply raises Suzuki’s range average. The firm said it would make “every effort” to honour orders, but customer demand has so far outstripped the UK’s annual supply of 1,200 Jimnys. ‘Hardship’ questioned for points holders DRIVERS with 12 penalty points should not keep their licence by simply claiming a ban would see them lose their job, according to the Sentencing Council. Motorists who “tot up” 12 or more points can argue unemployment creates “exceptional hardship”, which could see a judge spare them a ban. The Council, which…

The return of the Puma as an SUV FORD PUMA IF you didn’t know the Ford Puma is back, then you haven’t been paying attention. Like the original, the new one bows to fashion. But this time around it’s an SUV, and it’s also based on the Fiesta. So is the new Puma as impressive as the old one? We find out. youtube.com/Autoexpress SKODA KAMIQ THE Kamiq is as close as you’ll get to a Skoda Yeti replacement, certainly in size, because the Kamiq is the smallest SUV in Skoda’s range. Based on the Scala hatch, does it have what it takes to beat the fun Citroen C3 Aircross? James Batchelor puts it the test. youtube.com/carbuyer HONDA E You’ve already read our verdict (Page 8), but to get a real feel…

DRIVERS using smart motorways have 60 seconds to cut their speed after a reduced variable limit is displayed on the overhead gantry before cameras start enforcement, Auto Express can exclusively reveal. Responding to a Freedom of Information request asking what the gap is between a variable speed limit change and cameras beginning enforcement on smart motorways, Highways England – the Government-owned company that runs England’s Strategic Road Network of motorways and major A-roads – told us, “Following a change in the speed displayed by signals there is a 60-second ‘grace period’ before HADECS3 cameras start enforcement, giving time for drivers to adapt to the new mandatory speed limit, especially when speed limits are reduced due to slow-moving or queuing traffic up ahead. “This gives drivers time to slow down and reduces…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk Running costs 23.9mpg (official) £115 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.9 seconds/198mph PRICE is unlikely to be of huge concern for potential Bentley customers. But the arrival of the Continental GT V8 in the UK brings with it a substantial £10,000 saving over the flagship W12 model. At £151,800, it’s still far from cheap, but it becomes the entry point to the Continental line-up. In place of Bentley’s whopping 626bhp 6.0-litre W12, you’ll find a 542bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 under the bonnet. It’s an engine we’ve become quite familiar with, because it powers other VW Group products such as the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Lamborghini Urus and Audi RS 6. Here it’s paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and an adaptive four-wheel-drive system. Despite the smaller capacity and lower cylinder count,…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 12.7 seconds/81mph Electric motor Power/range 80bhp/81 miles THIS is the Smart EQ ForFour. After the government’s £3,500 plug-in car grant has been taken into account, it’s priced from £17,285, placing the new car right into the same ballpark as the VW Group electric city car trio of the Skoda Citigo-e iV, the SEAT Mii Electric and the Volkswagen e-up!. It’s an update to the Smart range (the smaller ForTwo Coupé and Cabriolet also get similar revisions) following two big changes for the company: first, the move to drop combustion engines completely in order to operate as a fully electric manufacturer; and second, since Chinese giant Geely took a 50 per cent stake in the company to form a joint venture with Mercedes. The latter should see…

MODEL TESTED: Renault Clio Tce 100 Iconic PRICE: £16,495 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo, 99bhp STRAIGHT away, the Renault shows its value for money. In Iconic trim it gets more equipment than the Peugeot yet costs less, priced from £16,495 with the TCe 100 engine. The Renault has already notched up two road test wins in just a few months on sale, but it’ll need to offer more than just value to rack up the hat-trick, so let’s see if it has what it takes. Design & engineering LIKE the Peugeot, this new fifth-generation Clio is based on an all-new platform for the model, with Renault’s supermini adopting the CMF-B architecture. It uses the same suspension design as the Peugeot and the Clio’s predecessor, but the new platform has allowed its…

Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 95 Titanium 5dr PRICE: £18,345 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo, 94bhp IT might not be the most practical supermini on sale, but it is the best-driving model in this class. It’s practical enough, but the Fiesta’s blend of ride, handling and fun is unsurpassed if you’re a keen driver. There’s plenty of tech in Titanium trim, too. SEAT Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 Xcellence PRICE: £18,105 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo, 94bhp THE Ibiza is almost as practical as the Clio but better to drive than the 208. Plus the Peugeot’s interior is much fresher and feels more upmarket, thanks to its clever use of tech. The Ibiza is good value, though, and gets lots of equipment as standard.…

MODEL TESTED: Range Rover Sport P400 HSE PRICE: £70,695 ENGINE: 3.0-litre 6cyl, 395bhp THE Range Rover Sport is one of the most popular large premium SUVs around, so it’s a benchmark for the Cayenne Coupé to beat. Although the model in our pictures is an HST, we’re basing our test on the P400 HSE, which costs £70,695. Design & engineering THIS is the first time we’ve tested the Range Rover Sport with the 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, although like the rest of the range, it still comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all four wheels. It’s a powerful motor, with 395bhp and 550Nm of torque beating the Porsche’s figures of 335bhp and 450Nm. However, the Range Rover’s kerbweight of 2,285kg holds it back. This engine features…

NEW: Audi Q8 55 TFSI S line PRICE: £64,810 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6, 336bhp THE Audi Q8 is built using the same platform as the Cayenne Coupé, and offers a similarly sporty shape. It’s a very different car, though, with a greater focus on refinement and comfort. It’s still good to drive, though, and has an upmarket, classy cabin. USED: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio PRICE: From £55,000 ENGINE: 2.9-litre V6, 503bhp THE Stelvio Quadrifoglio is smaller than our rivals here, yet it has a big boot and as much passenger space as the Cayenne Coupé. It’s also brilliant to drive. Used models cost from £55,000, but you can find nearly-new cars for less than £70,000.…

andy_pringle@dennis.co.uk ALL my life I’ve taken great pride in doing things a little bit differently, so it came as something of a shock to find myself doing what countless others have done before me: downsizing. I’m moving from a five-door family hatchback into a smaller, supermini-based SUV. On its way out is the SEAT Leon that has served my family for two years, and in comes our new Volkswagen T-Cross. It’s not hard to see why we chose VW’s smallest SUV. It was commended in the 2019 Auto Express Awards, looks very smart, and comes with enough safety kit – and a five-star rating from Euro NCAP – to bring a smile to any parent’s face. Our car is in what is expected to be the most popular spec in…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Rising problem with damp I’VE had problems clearing condensation from the windscreen in the recent cold weather. A colleague said I should use the air-conditioning but that makes no sense to me. Is he right?John Kennedy, E-mail A CONDENSATION is caused by damp air in the car, which you heat with your body and breath, increasing how much moisture it can hold; when it touches the cold screen, it cools and mists. The heater will clear mist and raise the temperature of the glass, but the air-con will help dry the air. Q Why is clutch wearing? MY daughter has had the clutch in her car replaced again after little over a year. I thought it would last longer, but the garage said it was…

BUYING hot drinks on the go can be an expensive business, with a cuppa costing anything from £2 upwards. Make one at home to take with you, and the savings will soon stack up. But even insulated mugs won’t keep a drink piping hot for long. The answer could be a heated mug, which keeps drinks warm by using the 12-volt socket in your car. Prices for these cups are pretty hot, too; while you can spend more than £100 on one, Mountain Warehouse has launched a £7.99 mug. Can it be any good at that price? We tried it against Amazon’s best-seller from Taylor & Brown. We looked at what you get and how well they performed, plus factored in price. The well thought-out Taylor & Brown is our…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “The decision to cut ties with the European Union means travel will be different, but this shouldn’t stop you going” WINTER is loosening its grip, our commuting hours are becoming lighter and safer, and the Geneva Motor Show, which signifies the start of Spring, is barely a month away. Therefore life is good. Also, since I’ve decreed that 2020 is the year of the road trip, the time for planning and booking is now – while there are hot deals for hotels, dining, ferry crossings, car purchases/rentals and free fuel (honest). Early bird offers are increasingly popular, so exploit ’em. Example: this week (29 Jan-4 Feb) the organisers of August’s British Motor Show in Farnborough, Hants, are exclusively offering Auto Express readers…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram MINI is on the way to becoming an all-electric brand. It’ll launch a raft of EVs and plug-in hybrids in the near future – and the process that began with the Countryman PHEV continues with this, the MINI Electric. The company’s first full production EV is based on the conventional three-door hatch, switching its combustion engines for a 32.5kWh battery and an electric motor. The former is mounted under the floor within the standard car’s transmission tunnel, so there’s no impact on cabin or boot space. Let’s be clear on this, though: this is still a small car, and even kids will feel hemmed in after longer stints in the back. But time spent in any of the four seats is limited, because the MINI Electric has a…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk “Rear cabin space is much improved and the aperture to get into and out of those back seats is wider”MARCUS KEITH SEAT vehicle and chassis development engineer ● More cabin space in Mk4 hatch ● PHEV has 38-mile electric range SEAT has been scoring big sales with its SUVs recently, but the company’s revival was really kick-started by the third generation of its Leon family hatchback, first introduced in 2012. Now the fourth iteration of the VW Golf and Ford Focus rival is here, ahead of UK sales starting in late spring. The Mk3 Leon sold more than a million units and it was always known as one of the more striking offerings in the family car class. As such, SEAT’s design team hasn’t interfered too much with the…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THIS is our first look at Citroen’s next-generation C4, which will be the brand’s first car to use the PSA Group’s CMP platform, which it shares with the likes of the Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 2008 SUV. Spied here winter testing, the new vehicle will be a radical departure from both the C4 Cactus and C4 hatch, morphing into a bona-fide small SUV and one with a sloping roofline. Some elements of the old Cactus’ design will be retained, though, as hinted at by this mule’s low-mounted headlamps and narrow grille. The new car won’t be joined by a regular hatchback, with the C4 name to apply solely to this new crossover. Petrol and diesel power is a given, but a fully electric variant is being prepared by Citroen…

DUE: SPRING New iX3 ARRIVAL of the iX3 in the spring kicks off BMW’s mass assault on the EV market. It will be the first model to use a new generation of electric powertrain, and it promises at least 270 miles of range on a single charge. DUE: SUMMER 5 Series saloon BIG-selling saloon is due a mid-life facelift in the summer. Cosmetic changes will be minor, as spy shots reveal, with BMW’s focus being on improving powertrain efficiency to help reduce its fleet CO2 average. DUE: SUMMER 5 Series Touring LOAD-lugging Touring estate is due to follow shortly after the saloon, and is expected to get the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time. Around 40 miles of EV range will be possible, and CO2 emissions…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk ● Twin-motor Leaf racer driven ● Test bed for future EV tech NISSAN has most definitely put the excitement into the letter E with its new Leaf RC, designed and built by its famed Nismo racing division. At the moment there are no plans to put the car into production, Nissan instead choosing to present it as a rolling test bed for technologies that may or may not make their way into the brand’s production EVs in the future. Either way, the twin-battery, twin-electric motor Leaf RC is a deeply impressive piece of kit, and is a seriously fast and potent machine as a result; the 0-62mph claim is 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 138mph. Each electric motor produces a maximum of 161bhp. There’s one for the…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk RECOVERY firm technicians are not permitted to stop and help motorists whose vehicles have broken down in lanes that have been closed with ‘red X’ signs on smart motorways, a recently uncovered set of industry guidelines has revealed. Instead, operatives must wait for police officers or Highways England staff to close the lane with emergency vehicles, or tow broken-down cars to a refuge area, before they can begin helping stranded drivers. The ‘best practice guidelines’ from the SURVIVE Group – comprising the Home Office, senior police officers, Highways England and major recovery firms – says breakdown operatives should “never work in a live lane of a motorway unless the lane has been closed by a Police vehicle, HE [Highways England] Traffic Officer vehicle or Impact Protection Vehicle. When working…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC Sony Vision S Concept FROM: Joseph Lynn I’M impressed; if you told me this was a production-ready car rather than a concept, I’d believe you. In reality, though, I doubt Sony will actually build and sell this. Maybe the design could be sold to another car maker that has no EVs yet. FROM: Glynn Olive ALL I see is more complex technology with the potential to distract drivers behind the wheel. I think a lot of it should be disabled when the car is in motion. Driving standards are bad enough without these additional distractions. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “I don’t buy into the idea of tech firms being able…

Vicky_Parrott@dennis.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.5 seconds/95mph (est) Running costs 60mpg (est) £48 fill-up THE Renault Clio Hybrid is a vehicular Rubik’s Cube. It seems straightforward at first; it’s a small five-door hatchback that’s now offered with a full hybrid powertrain, consisting of an auto gearbox, 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor to help keep emissions down and performance up. Or, to be a little more precise, CO2 of less than 90g/km (precise efficiency figures have yet to be confirmed) and power of 138bhp. And that’s all you really need to know. You don’t need to know that it has a ‘clutchless’ dog gearbox derived from Formula One tech. Nor that it has two electric motors – one driving the car, a second that functions as a brake-regeneration module, starter…

Peugeot 208 3D Nav £650 option Key features: Nav, bigger 10-inch screen ALLURE trim has a seven-inch touchscreen as standard. Sat-nav isn’t built in, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, so navigation is available through your smartphone. These programmes both work well. Our car featured the upgraded 10-inch screen, Connected and 3D Navigation (£650 pack), but even this improved set-up could respond to inputs quicker. The slight lag makes the climate controls integrated into the screen all the more frustrating. The bigger screen has temperature shortcuts at the side, but with the standard unit, you have to come out of one menu and go into another to do something simple like change the fan speed or temperature. At least the touch-sensitive shortcut keys are a nice touch and…

Porsche Cayenne Coupé PCM Standard Key features: Nav, Apple CarPlay THE Cayenne Coupé has a high-res 12.3-inch touchscreen display and a touch-sensitive panel on the centre console, which the brand calls Porsche Communication Management (PCM). There’s also a digital instrument cluster incorporating a central tachometer, which is a Porsche interior design staple. It’s stylish as well as useful, although the sat-nav map that’s displayed here could be bigger. Still, the maps is clear and easy to understand, and it’s displayed bigger on the main screen. The interface on this part of the system is good, with logical menus and a reasonably responsive screen. There could be more physical buttons to press, but the Range Rover could also benefit from this. You get Apple CarPlay as standard on the Porsche’s set-up,…

Autopia Jon Bentley (Atlantic Books, www.atlantic-books.co.uk) Price: £14.99 THE future of the car is an interesting subject, and here it’s written about by Gadget Show presenter Jon Bentley. It’s an interesting read without being too self-aggrandising, and thorough enough to delight even those who consider themselves to be on the ball with industry developments. Exceptional Cars: Ferrari 250 GT SWB Richard Heseltine (Porter Press, www.porterpress.co.uk) Price: £30 FEW cars are as evocative as the Ferrari 250 series, and this book charts the rise of the GT SWB racer as well as the story of one particular example. We love the photography throughout, a mixture of period shots and a wonderful studio shoot. It’s a good read, too. Hot Wheels Race Off Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free THIS particular genre…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q Auction novice needs help I’M interested in buying a car at auction, but am unfamiliar with the format and don’t know what my rights are if something goes wrong. Am I well protected by law?David Turner, E-mail A YOU have far fewer rights when buying at auction than when buying from a dealership. The Sales of Goods Act, rather than the more comprehensive Consumer Rights Act, applies, and if a car is auctioned ‘as seen’ you may have little recourse if it develops a fault. There are bargains, but go in with your eyes open. Q Nasty shock after MoT test MY car is still under manufacturer warranty, and during its MoT the tester noted it had a leaking shock absorber. My dealer says…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ● Top-class field for IGTC opener ● Supercars aces join works drivers AN ALL-star line-up of cars and drivers has been confirmed for this weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia, the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge series for GT3-class production-based cars. Last year’s winning squad Earl Bamber Motorsport is back to defend its crown. Its Porsche 911 entry is driven by Bamber himself, with his fellow Porsche works ace Laurens Vanthoor and the triple Australian Supercars champion Craig Lowndes. Audi has also secured a local star for the race, with 2007 Supercars champion Garth Tander joining works drivers Chris Mies and Mirko Bortolotti in the #22 Team Valvoline R8; two more cars are entered under the same banner with full works line-ups. BMW’s Walkenhorst Motorsport M6 will…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor “Zipping through traffic and racing away from the lights become a fun new game” Electric motor Power/range 152bhp/125 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/90mph IF the thought of switching from petrol power to electric has crossed your mind, then 2020 could be the year to do it. Around two dozen new cars powered purely by electricity will be arriving in the next 12 months, and the cutest will be the Honda e. This funky new offering has the potential to really stand out in a sea of small EVs like the MINI Electric (see Page 6), Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e. But with prices starting at £26,000 and a range of as little as 125 miles, is the Honda e an expensive piece of jewellery or a compelling…

FIAT has revealed new mild-hybrid versions of the 500 and Panda, priced from £12,655 and £13,855 respectively. A 1.0-litre, three cylinder hybrid set-up replaces the 1.2 four-cylinder. The engine is backed up by a 12-volt belt starter-generator, which recovers energy under deceleration and stores it in an 11Ah battery. Officially, the 500 achieves 53.3mpg and emits 88g/km of CO2 , while the Panda manages 49.6mpg and 89g/km. Launch Edition versions of the new hybrid pair are finished in Dew Green paint and use seat fabric created from recycled plastic waste – 10 per cent of which is recovered from the sea.…

Edmund King, president of the AA, which has long campaigned against smart motorways, said: “Being stuck in a live lane is incredibly dangerous. The official advice is to keep your seat belt and hazard lights on and dial 999. “It is not safe for breakdown organisations to recover vehicles unless the lane is closed and there’s a physical presence sat behind the casualty vehicle – either the Police with blue flashing lights or Highways England Traffic Officers with red lights. “This highlights the severity of breaking down in a live lane and further emphasises our calls for double the number of Emergency Refuge Areas. Providing drivers with more places of relative safety would reduce the risk of vehicles being stuck in a lane of fast-moving traffic.” “This highlights the severity…

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 WITH strict emissions regulations coming into force in 2020, cars like the Peugeot 508 Hybrid are soon going to become much more common. And it’s as much for the manufacturers’ benefit as the buyers’; any car brands that fail to hit the CO2 targets will be subject to some eye-watering fines. Peugeot has certainly managed to nail the low-emission brief with the 508; officially it emits just 29g/km of CO2. But before we go into the details of how those emissions are possible, let’s recap on the 508. The Skoda Superb rival does things a little differently from others in the class, prioritising style while most competitors maximise space and practicality. At least the addition of the hybrid powertrain hasn’t affected the boot capacity, which still stands at 487…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk THE SUV boom is so far-reaching and such a successful money-spinner that brands are now injecting more ‘lifestyle’ into conventional cars to boost profit-making potential. Take Audi and the A1 Citycarver. Essentially it’s a standard A1 Sportback supermini with around 4cm more ground clearance and a ‘robust off-road look’, according to Audi. So some psuedo-SUV black plastic wheelarch cladding, then. It is in effect a trim level of the A1 range, and is available with the 35 TFSI engine, or this 30 TFSI unit we’re testing here. That denotes Audi’s 114bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol, which comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. The powertrain is as good here as it is in a regular A1 – smooth, torquey and refined, with a nice, slick gearshift. The 0-62mph sprint takes…

MODEL TESTED: Peugeot 208 1.2 PureTech 100 Allure PRICE: £18,850 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl turbo, 100bhp PEUGEOT is pinning its hopes on its all-new 208 supermini stealing sales off rivals in one of the tightest sectors of the new car market, so it has its work cut out. One of those is the new Renault Clio, so we’re testing Peugeot’s 208 in 1.2 PureTech Allure trim (£18,850) to see whether it can succeed. Design & engineering IT’S the Peugeot’s styling that really catches your eye first. While there’s plenty of clever new tech underpinning this supermini, it’s the angular lines, solid surfaces and tusk-like LED running lights that set the 208’s style. It looks every inch the modern supermini, while there’s technology to back it up underneath. That’s because the 208…

STYLING BOTH these nameplates have come a long way and now sit right towards the top of the class. Along with the engineering that’s brought them bang up to date, their styling has had a big impact on this. While it’s subjective, along with the tech that’s trickled down from more expensive models, the designs are sharp, helped by clever use of LED running lights, for example. VERSATILITY BOTH of these cars are much more practical than their predecessors, to the point where they can both operate occasionally as family transport. But it’s the Clio that’s roomier in the rear, offers better access to the back and has more boot space, so it’s the more flexible machine in this respect. If you have a growing family or kids that need…

MODEL TESTED: Porsche Cayenne Coupé PRICE: £63,464 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6, 335bhp THE Porsche Cayenne Coupé is available with a range of engines, and here we’re looking at the entry-level version with a 3.0-litre turbo V6 petrol. It costs from £63,464, which is around £5,000 more than the equivalent Cayenne SUV in the same spec. Design & engineering THE Cayenne Coupé uses Porsche’s MLB Evo platform, so it shares parts with the Audi Q7/Q8, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and VW Touareg. This advanced platform uses multi-link suspension all round, and Porsche has tuned it to deliver sharp handling, as buyers would expect of the brand. Adaptive air suspension is available for £1,511, and this adds self-levelling that continuously varies the damping to suit conditions. There’s also Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC),…

STYLING BOTH of these cars focus on style as a selling point. The Cayenne Coupé’s sloping roofline at the rear distinguishes it from the standard SUV, and adds a sportier look. There’s also a roof spoiler, and our car was painted bright orange to make it stand out. The Range Rover Sport uses large alloy wheels and eye-catching exterior trim to appeal to buyers. BRAKES THESE large SUVs need beefy brakes to help them stop effectively, but the Range Rover Sport’s brakes leave a bit to be desired. The pedal is soft and requires a lot of leg movement to depress fully. Use them hard, and the brakes fade quickly since they struggle to contain the car’s weight. The Porsche’s brakes aren’t perfect because pedal feel could be better, but…

Otis_Clay@dennis.co.uk Running costs 41.0mpg (on test) £64 fill-up/£145 or 27% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 467/1,410 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/136mph PLENTY of things come to mind when I read the word ‘Scala’ on the back of the Auto Express Skoda. The Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, The Killers, Deftones, Gorillaz, and Iggy and the Stooges all pop into my head, because of the legendary cinema-turned-music-venue in London’s King’s Cross. With so much pedigree and history behind it, the Scala venue rarely disappoints, and I am finding that its namesake manages to hit pretty much all the right notes as well. It’s close to delivering a truly memorable performance – although it might just be a bit too dull to stay in my regular playlist. As with any decent band or…

Take a Jaguar seat and trick your brain JAGUAR has developed a new ‘morphable’ car seat that aims to reduce the health risks caused by sitting for long periods. Motors in the seat foam adjust the seat to trick the brain into thinking that it’s walking rather than sitting down by oscillating the pelvis. By stimulating the leg, gluteal and hip muscles the seat can help mitigate the risks of sitting for too long. Jag has also reminded passengers of the importance of a correctly adjusted seat. Find out more at www.jaguarlandrover.com. Single-seat drives are revving up race fans AHEAD of Formula One’s 70th anniversary year, TrackDays.co.uk reported a 15 per cent surge in bookings for single-seat race car experiences in 2019, compared with 2018. It suggests renewed interest in motorsport in the…