Innholdsfortegnelse for 1624 i Auto Express

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk @tristan_shale 9,349 Number of UK drivers with valid licences and 12 or more points MORE than 9,000 motorists in the UK have held on to their driving licences despite having accrued 12 or more penalty points – a number that typically brings an automatic ban. The figure – obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by Auto Express – reveals how often courts are willing to grant exemption to the 12-point rule, most often because drivers and their lawyers argue the loss of a licence would bring about “exceptional hardship”. Under general guidelines, drivers who accrue 12 or more points – either by serious offences such as drink driving, or after ‘totting up’ following a series of other offences – receive an automatic ban for between six…

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP FROM: John Minshall I LIKE it. Yes, the grille is a bit big, but the Tesla Model 3’s front end looks stubby and undefined by comparison. Maybe the Concept i4 will be the EV that comes closest to matching the range I am able to get out of my diesel car. FROM: Tony Argent I UNDERSTAND why BMW feels the need to keep the kidney grille as part of the design of its upcoming cars for the sake of heritage. I just don’t see why it has to be so big and ungainly – it doesn’t provide a function and ruins the looks. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk “The side profile…

Ford Puma 1997 Small, perfectly formed, and every bit as cool as the Steve McQueen advert that launched it, the original Puma is a modern classic. If only finding a rust-free example weren’t so difficult. Aston Martin DB7 1994 Co-designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet, the DB7 sold in greater numbers than any Aston before or after – helped, no doubt, by those drop-dead-gorgeous lines. Aston Martin Vanquish 2001 A car its designer couldn’t help revisit, the original Vanquish remains a quintessential Bond car, carrying an air of potency, even almost two decades after its launch. Jaguar XF Mk1 2007 The fact the current XF looks so close to the original is a testament to how good the Mk1 was, and its design language is still evident in Jaguar’s…

MODELTESTED: BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupé PRICE: £37,595 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 302bhp THE previous-generation BMW 2 Series was rear-wheel drive, but this new model, which is launched with this new Gran Coupé bodystyle, is predominantly front-wheel drive. However, the flagship M235i tested here uses BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive and costs from £37,595. Design & engineering THIS 2 Series Gran Coupé uses BMW’s UKL2 platform, so it shares parts with the 1 Series hatchback and some MINI models. The engine layout is transverse and there’s four-wheel drive, which is the same layout as in the CLA. Both cars use 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines, too. This is a big change for the BMW, because the previous M235i and M240i two-door coupés used a straight six and were available with a manual gearbox.…

SINCE Mercedes now presents models with the Premium and Premium Plus packs separately on its price lists, there are three versions of the CLA 35. The base model comes with plenty of standard kit, including 18-inch alloys, LED lights, heated seats, keyless go, climate control, a reversing camera, lane-keep assist and twin infotainment displays. These include sat-nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. Move up to the CLA 35 Premium, and you also get 19-inch alloys, different exterior trim, keyless entry, ambient cabin lighting, augmented-reality tech for the sat-nav, and a larger digital dash display. It adds £2,500 to the price, though. The Premium Plus version adds £6,000 over the base model, and for that you get adaptive dampers, active LED lights, 19-inch alloys, a panoramic roof, memory seats and…

ORDER ONLINE: DENNISMAGS.CO.UK/AUTOEXPRESS CALLNOW:03303339491quoting offer code D1624 FREE G3 Pro Multicleaner All the latest news, road tests & reviews delivered to your door each week FREE delivery of every issue Save 50% on your subscription ORDER ONLINE: dennismags.co.uk/autoexpress OR CALL NOW ON: 0330 333 9491 quoting offer code D1624 YOUR FREE GIFT G3 Pro Multicleaner is a truly versatile rigorous cleaning solution that is safe to use on all soft and hard surfaces, inside and outside your vehicle - from carpets and upholstery, through vinyl and paintwork to wheel arch liners and engine bays. It is a silicone-free product that will not discolour rubber, plastics, vinyl or fabric. For maximum performance, use neat, but it can be diluted with water for lighter contamination. Calls to 03 numbers will be charged…

FIRST TEST Meguiar’s Quik Scratch Eraser Kit Price: £23 Rating: Contact: www.meguiars.co.uk PAINTWORK swirls are the bane of modern cars, and there’s no shortage of liquids and pastes designed to remove them. Meguiar’s latest solution is a kit that’s intended to be used with a drill. The Quik Scratch Eraser Kit contains a 9cm sponge pad that attaches to a drill chuck, 113ml of Meguiar’s Scratch X 2.0 and a microfibre cloth. The idea is you apply the scratch remover, and then run the drill over the affected area a few times before removing any excess liquid from the pad, and polish again; finally, buff with the cloth. We tried it on a tired bonnet, marked by a scratch added with a plastic tool. We ran over the area, keeping…

100 Years of Bentley Andrew Noakes (White Lion Publishing, www.quartoknows.com) Price: £60 Rating: THERE’S plenty to like about this gorgeous coffee table book, with high-quality production and plenty of wonderful photos. It’s far from exhaustive but for a centenary celebration, the info contained is expansive enough, and the real appeal is the production values and photography. Haynes Cutaway Colouring Book (Haynes Publishing, www.amazon.co.uk) Price: from £25.75 Rating: THIS brilliant title is no longer available new from Haynes but it’s well worth picking up from another bookstore or from Amazon. With isolation leading to a renaissance in colouring-in for adults and children alike (many car manufacturers have produced their own sheets) this book is bound to have wide appeal. Remember to stay within the lines! Death Rover Available for: iOS, Android…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q How easy is it for me to fit an upgraded stereo system? HAVING a fair amount of time on my hands at the moment, I’ve decided to upgrade my car’s stereo to one with Apple CarPlay. How tough a job is this to carry out myself, and will I need any special tools? Anthony Gibbons, E-mail A SOME stereos come out easily, but others require sections of trim to be removed. Model-specific online tutorials are a good place to start, and buying trim-removal tools is a good idea. You may need ‘keys’ to pull out your old stereo, plus a wiring-harness converter for the new unit. It’s best practice to disconnect the battery before starting, and go gently, because it’s easy to snap plastic…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Hybrid and 4WD versions of new model in the pipeline • Lines up alongside Yaris supermini and GR hot hatch in range TOYOTA brought one of the first urban-focused SUVs to market with the original RAV4 more than 25 years ago. But the Japanese brand has been slow to pick up on the emerging market for supermini-based SUVs, led by the likes of the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and SEAT Arona. That’ll change in early 2021 with the arrival of this new model: the Yaris Cross. As its name suggests, the Yaris Cross is a close relation of Toyota’s recently launched fourth-generation supermini. It has the same wheelbase as that car, but gets longer front and rear overhangs (by 60mm and 180mm respectively) in a bid to…

Vauxhall’s Captur rival gets a name change THIS is our first official look at the upcoming Vauxhall Mokka. The image (above) confirms the crossover will lose the ‘X’ suffix used on today’s model. Vauxhall has revealed that production of the Renault Captur rival will begin in the fourth quarter of 2020, with first deliveries expected in early 2021. The Mokka will be offered with a choice of petrol or diesel power, plus the option of a fully electric powertrain. Virus delays whiplash clampdown changes CHANGES to the law that will make it harder for fraudulent whiplash claims to be made against insurance companies have been delayed until August because of COVID-19. The legal updates – which include banning pay-outs without a medical certificate – were due this month, and are…

THE number of drivers aged 90 or older surrendering their driving licences increased by more than a fifth last year. In 2019, 8,014 over-90s voluntarily surrendered their driving licences – up from 6,612 in 2018. This 21.2 per cent rise is far larger than the 9.7 per cent increase from 2017 to 2018, and retirement firm Responsible Life, which obtained the data from the DVLA, said the Duke of Edinburgh’s high-profile car accident last year might have provoked the spike. In January 2019, Prince Philip – then 97 – was involved in a collision near the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk after failing to give way to another car. Responsible Life says the incident may have “provided a wake-up call to the very elderly who could still legally get in the…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy CONCEPT 2008 DETROIT SHOW CONCEPT TO REALITY PRODUCTION 2010 DEBUT IN the first part of our series looking at how concepts have been changed into real cars we can all buy, we detailed how the VW up! had to change from a radical rear-engined layout to a front-engined one to become viable. But in this second instalment, we’re looking at a car whose stunning show-stand looks were kept remarkably intact as it entered the showroom: the Range Rover Evoque. LAND ROVER was not conceived as an urban brand, but lifestyle trends during the company’s life have added that facet to its appeal with customers. In particular, the arrival of the Discovery in 1989 opened the brand up to buyers who wanted practicality over luxury or off-road prowess. Almost…

BMW M235i Gran Coupé Live Cockpit Pro Standard Key features: 10.25-inch screen, Apple CarPlay BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional set-up is standard here, so you get a 10.25-inch touchscreen display and a digital dash. This matches the CLA’s infotainment. The central screen is excellent, with very sharp graphics, a user interface that’s simple to understand and lots of features. The digital dial pack isn’t quite as sharp as the unit in the Mercedes, but all the info you need is there and it works well enough. It’s better for use while driving than the CLA’s set-up, because BMW has stuck with the rotary dial controller on the centre console. Once you’re used to the menus, it can be controlled without looking, which isn’t the case with the CLA’s touchpad. Sadly, the…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE world might seem like it’s being held in a freeze-frame at the moment, but when we do all emerge from lockdown, blinking into the sunlight, we’ll find the car industry in a period of real transition. We keep being told we’re going to have to go pure electric. But are we all ready for that? The answer, of course, is no. And that, in theory, is where cars such as the latest arrival on our fleet come in. Because while I have plenty of experience running EVs, I’ve never tried an extended period in the ‘halfway house’ that’s supposed to help us move from petrol and diesel to that more advanced powertrain: a plug-in hybrid. So here it is, the catchily named Volvo XC40 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid…

Rolls-Royce is looking for tomorrow’s stars BUDDING car designers have been invited by Rolls-Royce to submit their offerings for the company’s Young Designer Competition. Children up to the age of 16 can put pen to paper, or finger to touchscreen, to design their vision for the car of the future, with the winner receiving a genuine one-of-a-kind prize: their design digitally rendered by the Rolls designer team. A runner-up will be chauffeured to their school in a Rolls-Royce, while the school will receive a Greenpower electric car kit. Entry is open until 18 May, and designs can be submitted at www.rollsroyceyoungdesignercompetition.com. Lockdown discount on Sealey polisher ANYONE taking advantage of lockdown to get their cherished motor as shiny as possible will enjoy the latest offer from Sealey: a massive discount…

RENAULTCAPTUR Price from: £17,995 THE second generation of Renault’s small SUV has borrowed heavily from the latest Clio, and that’s a good thing. The Captur’s cabin is now right up there with the best in class, and the boot is practical enough to rival many family hatchbacks, let alone smaller SUV rivals. The Renault’s star turn could well be plug-in electrification. The E-Tech version is a proper PHEV, with a big enough battery to manage journeys of up to 30 miles on electricity alone. FORD PUMA Price from: £20,710 HYBRID badging on Ford’s excellent small SUV shows how muddied the waters are now becoming in this area. Unlike the Yaris and Captur, Ford’s offering is a mild hybrid – in effect, with a belt-driven starter-generator that harnesses braking energy and…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler • Design director talks about his hopes • New sports car possible EVEN with the current disruption, 2020 is still set to be a big year for Jaguar, with a glut of new models on the way and a new design direction, following the departure of famed designer Ian Callum. We caught up with the new design director, Julian Thomson, paying particular attention to the brand’s next flagship model: the new, all-electric XJ limousine. “Now we start a new chapter – it has been 20 years and it is time for a change,” said Thomson. “We’re breaking a few of the rules which were set by my predecessor.” That’s something we can expect with the forthcoming XJ, which Thomson promises will bring a different type of luxury to…

Mustang dragster has 1,400bhp for 170mph THIS is the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 (above) – an electric drag racer built to showcase the capabilities of Ford’s electric powertrains. it has a single (but rather large) electric motor mounted up front, which produces 1,400bhp and almost 1,500Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a sequential transmission – all of which allows the electric Cobra Jet to cross the quarter mile mark in just eight seconds at more than 170mph. It has a full roll-cage, beefier suspension, huge brakes and a pair of enormous Mickey Thompson rear tyres. There’s also a Top Fuel dragster parachute system. This week on the AE podcast OUR host – TV presenter and racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson – gathers a team of…

HONDACIVICTYPE R Price from: £32,320 THE Type R’s looks are as polarising as the MINI’s, and the Honda was used by engineers as a benchmark for the GP. And it’s little wonder. The Civic remains the best front-drive hot hatch on the market. It has more power than the MINI, at 316bhp, a wonderful six-speed manual gearbox and a beautifully balanced chassis that makes it a dream to drive. The ride is excellent, too, even at low speeds. The issues are cheap plastic trim inside and poor infotainment. MEGANE R.S.TROPHY-R Price from: £51,455 RENAULTSPORT’S latest Trophy-R is perhaps one of the maddest and most extreme hot hatches there has ever been. Like the MINI, it’s a stripped-out racer for the road; there are no rear seats, the suspension has been…

MODELTESTED: Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC PRICE: £40,310 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 302bhp Running costs 36.0mpg (on test) £56 fill-up/£465 or 37% tax Practicality Boot capacity 460 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 5.1 seconds/155mph Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 47.4/35.8/9.5m THE CLA 35 isn’t the top model in the range, unlike the M235i; there’s a CLA 45 that’s even more powerful and expensive. But at £40,310, the 35 is more affordable yet still offers plenty of grunt, and is the BMW’s natural rival. Design & engineering THE CLA uses Mercedes’ MFA2 platform, so it shares parts with the A-Class, just as the M235i is based on the 1 Series. The CLA 35 uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, and with 302bhp, it matches the M235i’s power output. It drives all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox,…

STYLING BOTH cars feature LED headlights as standard. A big reason why these are used is for the styling opportunities, but they bring great benefits for night driving as well. The headlights provide a bright white beam that lights up the road very well, helping visibility. Other styling touches mean these two ‘performance lite’ models do look the part, even if they are both pricey machines. ENGINES TURBOCHARGING helps both cars’ four-cylinder engines to produce 302bhp. There are benefits and drawbacks to these motors. Performance is excellent while fuel economy is good, since both achieved more than 35mpg on test. The noise these motors make is on the dull side, but what they might lack in personality, these turbo units more than make up for in flexibility, since both are…

Dawn_Grant@dennis.co.uk Running costs 39.4mpg (on test) £60 fill-up £150 or 32% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 360/1,250 litres OUR MINI Clubman has been with us for about six months now. We’ve talked plenty about its oddball rear doors, which are admittedly the most notable feature of the car; nothing else out there has them. But all this chat about the doors means we haven’t talked enough about how the car drives, which is one of its best aspects. I found out more about that on a trip down to Milford on Sea and Lymington in Hampshire just before the country went into lockdown. We had originally planned to go on holiday to Italy, then Spain when it became clear Italy wasn’t safe. But in the end we decided to stay…

products@autoexpress.co.uk Q After a heavyweight jack I’VE just bought a pick-up truck and plan to maintain it myself. I’m looking for a trolley jack but your test only covers two-tonne models. Can you recommend a three-tonne jack? Dave Whitely, E-mail A IN previous tests we’ve had good results with Sealey’s Long Chassis 1153CXHV (sealey.co.uk), which we found online for around £60. It was one of the best in the pumping efficiency test, and has a maximum lift of around 430mm. Q Must spare match new tyres? I AM thinking of replacing my tyres with allseason ones. The car has a full-size spare, which is a summer tyre. Would I have to replace that as well to stay legal if I were to get a puncture? John Latimer, E-mail A YOU…

REACHING to adjust your rear-view mirror only to have it fall off in your hand is a common issue on older cars, and can be remarkably tricky to fix. It’s not just mirrors that need to be fixed to screens either – accessories including dash cams, GoPros and aerials for DAB radios all need to bond securely to glass. They need to survive the heat of high summer and the coldest winters, so it’s no wonder they occasionally make a bid for freedom. Household glues rarely work, so the obvious choice is a dedicated adhesive specially made for the task. The alternative is a double-sided pad which can be cut to size. To test the effectiveness of four candidates, we used rear-view mirrors from scrap cars and bonded them to…

£15,000 to spend on a sporty saloon Dear Luke, I’m looking for a sharp-driving saloon that can do long journeys, and I’ve got a budget of £15,000. What do you suggest? Contact: Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk THE DRIVER’S CHOICE Jaguar XJ FOR: Sharp styling, high-quality cabin, fine handling AGAINST: Poor rear headroom, so-so infotainment THE fourth-generation Jaguar XJ was a huge leap forward for the British brand, which confidently strode away from the dated styling of its predecessor with a fresh design. The XJ has tight handling, an excellent driving position and a range of powerful engines, which combined to make this the best driver’s car in its class in its day. Your budget will buy any XJ of this generation. You can have an immaculate 2015 60,000-mile 3.0-litre V6 diesel or an…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ANY motorsport series with Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet as its champions is deserving of a closer look, and the BMW M1 Procar Championship is among the more notable examples of that staple of motor racing: the one-make championship. These series are in some ways the polar opposite of Formula One’s fierce technical competition, instead putting all drivers at the wheel of equal cars in the hope that talent wins out in a way it sometimes doesn’t in a Grand Prix. BMW always intended to take its sleek M1 supercar, unveiled in 1978, to the racetrack, and examples were initially prepared for the Group 5 category of sportscar racing. But the head of BMW Motorsport at the time, Jochen Neerpasch, had another idea, aimed at garnering a lot more…

WHAT’S the best way for the motor industry to thrive in the brave new post-pandemic world that can’t come a day too soon? It has to think less about volume production of expensive cars, more on the design and build of smaller, skinnier no-frills vehicles. Our wants, needs and priorities are changing. The time is right for a wider choice of modest, affordable, easily storable personal mobility devices (PMDs) – for the streets where real people, young and old, fit and not so fit, actually live, shop, work or go to school. It’s a given that travel behaviour in future will be very different and much reduced – not least because millions of people proved in recent weeks that some journeys deemed ‘essential’ weren’t that crucial after all. Many or…