Innholdsfortegnelse for 1660 i Auto Express

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths THE number of new cars registered in the UK last year hit its lowest level since 1992, and contracted more than at any other time since factories switched to munitions manufacturing during the Second World War. With shattered consumer confidence and dealerships forced to close due to lockdowns, a total of 1.63 million new cars found homes in 2020, down 29.4 per cent on 2019, down 680,076 registrations. Two trends emerged amid the carnage, both linked to the rise in popularity of electric cars ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel models in nine years’ time. The first concerns the number of new EVs registered, which skyrocketed by 185.9 per cent thanks to 108,205 battery-powered cars finding homes. Registrations of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were…

ELSEWHERE at Bentley, the British firm sold more cars during 2020 than at any other time in its 101-year history. Officially, 11,206 vehicles were sold across the world – a two per cent increase on 2019 – despite the chaos caused by the ongoing pandemic, which included the shutting down of the factory in Crewe back in March. Key to the firm’s success were the launches of the new Flying Spur and the facelifted Bentayga. The off-roader made up 37 per cent of all sales, making it the single biggest-selling model, with the Continental GT and GT Convertible accounting for 39 per cent combined. The Americas remain the firm’s biggest market, but Chinese growth of 48 per cent places that region a close second. The UK market was 22 per…

Four-cylinder power added to Supra range TOYOTA has added a 2.0-litre engine to the GR Supra line-up (above). Priced from £45,995 – £9,000 less than the six-cylinder version – it’s a direct rival to four-cylinder versions of the Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 718 Cayman. The engine develops 254bhp and 400Nm of torque, and drive is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Toyota claims 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. Mystery over Hyundai Apple tech alliance HYUNDAI says it’s in early-stage talks with Apple to establish a technical partnership on the tech giant’s upcoming autonomous electric vehicle. The Korean manufacturer released a statement which confirmed ongoing discussions with the Californian firm, but hours after the initial statement, Hyundai revised its wording and removed any reference to Apple. There has…

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) 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: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Running costs 44.8mpg (official) £78 fill-up THINK premium SUV, and the chances are that you’ll think of the Audi Q5. From the way it drives to the way it’s built and how it looks, the Q5 has always been a solid choice. But the pace of development in this class is fast, so there’s a new version of the German firm’s mid-size SUV. The updates focus heavily on technology to keep pace with newer models in the class, as well as revisions to the 40 TDI diesel model we’re testing here, making it cleaner and more powerful, thanks in part to mild-hybrid electrification. The level of standard kit has taken a step forward as well, so even this entry-level Sport model could offer everything you’ll realistically need, even if…

MODELTESTED: Audi A6 50 TFSI e quattro S tronic Sport PRICE: £52,790 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl hybrid, 295bhp AUDI’S plug-in A6 is slightly cheaper than the BMW, starting from £52,790, but this is for entrylevel Sport trim, so does it fall short in some areas? Running costs 32.9mpg (on test) £60 fill-up/£465 or 10% tax Practicality Boot capacity 360 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.5 seconds/152mph Design & engineering THE A6 TFSI e is a new addition to Audi’s executive saloon stable. That’s because up until recently Audi hasn’t had a presence in this sector, while BMW and Volvo – along with Mercedes – have offered PHEV versions of their executive saloons for a few years now. However, Audi is no stranger to EVs and PHEVs, and the A6 is sporting enough…

BMW 1st THE 530e is affordable and was the most efficient on test. It’s also the best to drive and offers the sweetest balance between enjoyment and comfort, adding into the mix enough practicality, the low company car tax costs and superb infotainment, with even more connectivity in this updated car. A little extra safety kit would be nice, but otherwise, the BMW saloon is the best of the plug-in bunch. VOLVO 2nd DEVELOPMENT of the S90 T8 over the years it’s been on sale has resulted in a great plug-in hybrid executive saloon that offers something different to the 5 Series and A6. There’s (a little) more all-electric range here and the most boot space, but while the S90 offers lots of standard safety features, its technology and connectivity…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs 47.4mpg (on test) £52 fill-up £150 or 28% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 600/1,555 litres IT’S telling, how quickly a car blends into your everyday life. And that’s never more important, I think, than when the vehicle in question is a family car. So here’s the very best endorsement that I can give to one of the latest cars to join the Auto Express fleet: our new Skoda Octavia already feels like it’s been on my driveway for years. And in a good way. In fact, we’ve had the reigning Auto Express Car of the Year for about a month. We were keen to get hold of an early example, so our car is an SE L First Edition, equipped with a 148bhp 1.5 TSI petrol…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q No data means I need a map I HAVE not used a map for quite a few years now, because I tend to use a sat-nav app on my phone for directions. However, I recently got caught with no internet and no idea of where I should go. Can you recommend a map? Mark Lonnergan, E-mail A WE haven’t tested maps, but a road atlas should certainly ensure that you can get on your way. We tested these back in the summer, when our favourite was the A-Z Great Britain and Ireland Super Scale 2021 (above). It has great detail, and includes the London Congestion Charge zone, plus a list of places of interest. Q Cold car is difficult to start AS the temperatures have…

Mini test NEW PRODUCT Sealey 20L Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner (Low Noise) PC20LN Price: £107 Rating: Contact: www.sealey.co.uk YOU don’t have to have moaning neighbours to appreciate this ‘low noise’ vacuum, because we measured it at just over 83 decibels, a full 10dB below its rival. Its 1,000W motor is down on power compared with the Buddy II and was a touch behind in the cleaning and water suction tests. In reality, though, you’d hardly notice. Swapping between wet and dry required a filter switch, but was still pretty quick and storage was good, with a power lead hook and slots to hold the hose neatly. However, that hose is just 1.7 metres long. Despite similar pricing it lacks its rival’s power tool outlet, but does have a blow…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk • Prototype of new N division SUV driven in UK for the first time • Shares its engine, suspension, brakes and steering with i30 N THE ingredients and basic recipe might sound familiar, but as you can see, the resulting dish being served up by Hyundai’s N division this time is a rather different proposition. And having driven a prototype of the forthcoming new Kona N on UK roads we’re still deeply impressed by what the Korean company’s high-performance arm can achieve in such a short space of time. But to start, the Kona N is not the ideal kind of car to be receiving the full-blown N treatment in the first place; that’s Hyundai’s admission, not just our observation. The centre of gravity is higher, and the wheelbase…

Chinese-owned British brand saw a 40.84 per cent increase in registrations, with 18,415 cars, including ZS SUV, finding homes in 2020 Sales rose by almost 80 per cent, mainly thanks to the Model 3, while EV registrations rocketed by 185.9 per cent, with over 100,000 cars sold While Toyota’s sales were down overall, it grew its market share from 4.55 to 5.63 per cent, helped by great cars such as the Corolla Macan and Cayenne helped Stuttgart firm deliver the smallest decline, shrinking just 6.38 per cent; firm also managed to grow its market share “A tenth of all new models sold in 2020 can be plugged in”…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods • Plug-in Bentley SUV updated • Performance stays unchanged BENTLEY has kicked off 2021 by unveiling an updated version of its Bentayga Hybrid – the first of two new plugins that the British firm will reveal this year. The fuel-sipping Bentayga joins facelifted versions of the Bentayga V8 and Bentayga Speed, and features a petrol engine combined with a battery and electric motor. The facelift majors on design and technology updates, as is the case for the rest of the Bentayga line-up. That means a taller, squarer front end with smaller headlights, and a totally revamped rear, where a new tailgate has been introduced, along with new elliptical lights. Inside, there’s a redesigned steering wheel, digital instruments, plus a new 10.9-inch central infotainment screen. Four and five-seat layouts…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • New-generation large SUV revealed for first time • Previews five-seater due in the UK later this year MEET the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, a seven-seat version of the firm’s all-new Land Rover Discovery rival. While this model is for the US only, the five-seat Grand Cherokee will arrive here in the summer. Jeep says it has paid particular attention to improving the car’s refinement and off-road ability. This new model is made mostly from high-strength steel and features a new strut tower brace that stiffens up the engine bay by 125 per cent. There’s also a new multi-link rear suspension system, the option of three four-wheel-drive systems – one with a single-speed transfer case, one with a two-speed set-up, and the third with an additional electronic limited-slip…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE Mercedes EQS electric limousine will be launched in the spring, but the German firm has already given us a glimpse of its radical in-car infotainment system. It’s called MBUX Hyperscreen, and as the official pictures reveal, the system transforms the car’s dashboard into an entirely digital set-up, combining the digital instrument cluster, central media screen and climate controls into a single glass panel. There’s also a digital display for the front passenger, which doubles as digital screen art when the seat is unoccupied. The curved unit measures 55.5 inches across and is supported by a multifunction interior camera and light sensor that automatically adjust the brightness of the screen according to the time of day. The new MBUX infotainment system also has 24GB of RAM storage –…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: JW WHAT a great-looking car. If accurate, it’s a huge improvement on the previous design, which wasn’t bad but is starting to look a bit dated now. Never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I think BMW could learn a lot about car design from Kia. FROM: Damian Lane I STILL think the current-generation Sportage is just about the perfect affordable SUV. My concern with the new version, as with the new Hyundai Tucson, is they’re a bit fussy and overcomplicated. I guess they have to stand out, though. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Most SUVs are similar in profile; it’s no surprise design flair is…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Running costs 47.1mpg (official) £53 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.4 seconds/127mph THE fourth-generation Renault Mégane was revealed back in 2015 and shot straight to the top of its class on account of its value and quality. Since then there have been facelifts and new generations launched of pretty much every family hatchback rival, so despite some updates to the Renault over the past five years it has slowly slipped down the order. However, this facelift for the latest Mégane is a big one. The new line-up offers extra technology – including a new plug-in hybrid model – more driver-assistance systems, a more premium feel and a refreshed exterior design, featuring new front and rear light units along with some welcome updates in the cabin. Style was never a problem…

MODELTESTED: Volvo S90 T8 Recharge R-Design PRICE: £55,305 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl hybrid, 385bhp VOLVO has the most experience with PHEV tech of these brands, because its S90 T8 has been on sale in various forms since 2016. It’s received updates since then, so have these kept it at the top of the tree? Running costs 33.0mpg (on test) £70 fill-up/£465 or 10% tax Practicality Boot capacity 461 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.1 seconds/112mph Design & engineering WHEN the S90 was launched you could buy it with a petrol or a diesel engine, too, but the car is only available in T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid spec now. At £55,305 for this R-Design model, it’s the most expensive car of these three, but then, it boasts the most power. There’s a 2.0-litre…

NEW: Mercedes E 300 e AMG Line Edition PRICE: £46,230 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl + e-motor MERCEDES’ facelifted E 300 e is priced from £46,230 in AMG Line Edition trim, so it’s much cheaper than the cars we tested. It offers 34 miles of electric-only range, and can charge its 13.5kWh battery in 90 minutes, but a 370-litre boot isn’t great. USED: BMW 745Le xDrive M Sport PRICE: £52,750 ENGINE: 3.0-litre 6cyl + e-motor FOR basically the same price as the 530e you could bag a long-wheelbase 745Le plug-in that has BMW’s nicer six-cylinder petrol engine. There’s more refinement, space, luxury and tech, plus strong efficiency potential. We found an M Sport with only 4,900 miles.…

McLaren F1 GTR Mark Cole (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk) Price: £450 Rating: IT’S worth saying that the only thing holding this book back from five stars is attainability – it’s expensive and limited to 1,000 volumes. Is it worth it? Well if you do take the plunge, you won’t be disappointed. It’s gorgeously printed and, as you’d hope, goes into incredible depth on the history of this remarkable car. A stunning two-volume set. 365 Sports Cars You Must Drive John Lamm, Larry Edsall, Steve Sutcliffe (Motorbooks, quartoknows.com) Price: £18.99 Rating: WITH help from some top writers – including AE contributor Sutcliffe – this is a fun book with a variety of sporty cars. There’s everything from Ferrari exotica to weird and wonderful vehicles you may never have heard of, and each…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q How do EVs show they’re braking if pedal isn’t used? IN an electric car regenerative braking means drivers can lose significant speed just by taking their foot off their accelerator, and without touching the brake pedal. But how do drivers behind know the car is slowing? Lewis Segal, E-mail A REGENERATIVE braking sees an electric or hybrid car recoup frictional energy created as the car slows, with this being converted to electricity that is then used to charge the battery. As you point out, EV drivers can slow significantly without touching the brake pedal, but to ensure other road users know this, the brake lights will come on during heavy ‘regen’, even if the brake pedal is not pushed. Q Who should be wiping…

Join the debate now at autoexpress.co.uk/opinion I’M not in denial. I feel comfortable admitting that last year was pretty lousy for sales of new cars in the UK. There’s no getting away from the fact that in a pandemic-ravaged 2020, when showrooms were often prevented by law from opening, consumers inevitably bought fewer vehicles than in 2019. Sales in the last 12 months weren’t nearly as bad as I feared, though. We owe huge thanks to private and business buyers, who dug deep before signing on the dotted line for 1,631,064 new cars – almost 136,000 cars a month. All things considered, that’s impressive. But at the opposite end of the positivity scale, we must question the agendas of those who suggest that the new-car business was in worse shape…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods • New EV crossover for brand • First car from Chinese venture SMALL-car maker Smart has confirmed that it will launch its first SUV in 2022. It will use a new modular electric platform developed by Chinese giant Geely. It’s the first major Smart product announcement since Mercedes parent company Daimler established a new global joint venture with Volvo owner Geely for the Smart brand in early 2020. Smart has never made an SUV, but it has flirted with the idea in the past. In 2005 it was due to reveal a compact SUV concept called the ForMore at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but the idea was canned before a prototype was finished. Motor-show specials such as 2012’s ForUs and ForStars duo have also been revealed, but without…

“More hybrids, plug-ins and EVs were registered last year than diesels” Subaru is a niche brand in the UK, but the company will still be sad to see sales slip to triple digits thanks to a 68.27 per cent decline Mercedes must be hoping Geely’s recent co-ownership of Smart will bring greater luck, with sales down 65.76 per cent last year Many other makers saw a decline in sales similar to Citroen’s 44.77 per cent drop, but the French firm will be hurting nonetheless Diesel cars once had nearly half of UK market, but dropped 55 per cent in popularity last year, outsold by alternatively fuelled models…

A SURGE in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions seen after a mutated strain of the disease began sweeping through the country has prompted a third nationwide lockdown, and once again this has implications for English motorists. The rules differ from the March 2020 lockdown, with no extension to MoT certificates, for example, because garages are allowed to remain open. Car dealerships, meanwhile, have been forced to close once more. However, unlike March’s lockdown, many retailers are now set up for online sales and contactless handovers, so it’s far easier to safely buy a new car than it was last spring. As with March’s lockdown, driving tests and lessons are suspended, and people aren’t allowed to leave their homes unless they have a “reasonable excuse”. While the Government hasn’t provided an…

THE merger of Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group, creating a corporation to be known as Stellantis, has been approved by the companies’ respective shareholders. The formal merger of the two firms will commence officially on 16 January and create the world’s third largest manufacturer by revenue, with an annual turnover of 170billion euros (£144.3billion). Stellantis will have a yearly production volume of 8.7 million units, which places the firm behind only the Volkswagen Group, Toyota and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. It’s likely to be a number of years before any new models are born out of the new company, but there’ll be a focus on the development of electric vehicles.…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy IT’S now well over 30 years since the iconic Ford Capri went out of production – but over that period, the badge has remained a popular one with enthusiasts. Indeed, the idea of a reborn version of the people’s sports car has been alluded to more than once by Ford executives, prompting countless scoops on the subject by the motoring media, Auto Express included. But how close has a reborn Capri ever actually been to making production? How much has Ford played around with its parts bin, platform line-up and marketing strategy to see if a ‘new Capri’ might be feasible? The answers to these questions may well lie in a new book from motor industry insider Steve Saxty. A veteran of Ford’s own product design team who…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk Running costs 34.3mpg (official) £55 fill-up Performance 0-60mph/top speed 6.0 seconds/155mph THANKS to their popularity with buyers, the development of hot hatchbacks has swung away from manual gearboxes and towards automatic units. In many cases they’re faster and more efficient than their manual counterparts, but that’s actually not the situation with Ford’s new automatic version of its sporty Focus ST. A 276bhp 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine is linked to a seven-speed self-shifting gearbox that drives the front wheels. There’s no four-wheel-drive version, because that’s always been reserved for the Focus RS. The transmission is fine as an automatic – lazy, but in the right way, because it smooths out shifts between gears. It’s maybe a little lethargic to respond to sharper inputs with the throttle, while it holds on…

MODELTESTED: BMW 530e xDrive M Sport PRICE: £53,535 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl hybrid, 288bhp AT £53,535 in xDrive M Sport trim, the BMW 530e is closely matched with the Audi on price but is a higher trim level, so does it have an advantage? Let’s find out. Running costs 33.7mpg (on test) £53 fill-up/£465 or 10% tax Practicality Boot capacity 410 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.9 seconds/143mph Design & engineering THE BMW doesn’t offer as much punch as its rivals. It uses a 181bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and a 12.0kWh lithium-ion battery that feeds an electric motor, adding another 108bhp and, importantly, a chunky 265Nm of torque. Combined, there’s 288bhp. This is 7bhp down on the Audi, but at 1,895kg, the BMW is the only car that comes in at less…

BMW 530e Live Cockpit Pro Standard Key features: Great OS BMW’s infotainment is brilliant, and the upgrades to this 5 Series set-up prove it. There is a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one digital driver display and one central unit that can be operated by the intuitive scroll wheel or touchscreen input. The new OS7 is quick to respond to your inputs no matter which method you choose, superbly easy to use thanks to its logical menus, and offers great graphics. A little more customisation of the digital dash would be nice; the Audi is better here. Otherwise, the BMW’s set-up is hard to fault. As part of the standard Connected Package Professional, BMW now offers Android Auto to go with its wireless CarPlay. There are some good PHEV-specific features…

Playmobil puts its classic VWs on sale CLASSIC VW fans need wait no longer. The officially licensed Playmobil Beetle and ‘splittie’ Camper are now on sale. Both are highly detailed. The camper has period two-tone paint, a kitchen, and sleeping area, while the Beetle is equipped for a day out with a roof rack stuffed with goodies. Being sized to fit Playmobil figures they’re wonderfully chunky, too, and not just for young VeeDub fans. The Beetle costs £39.99 and the camper £49.99, and both are sold at most toy stores or on www.playmobil.co.uk. All Michelin tyres to have chips by 2023 MICHELIN has announced that by 2023, all its tyres will include scannable RFID (radio frequency identification) chips as a cost-effective way of tracking their life and aiding preventative maintenance.…

THERE’S no doubt ceramics are the hot topic in car care, with the technology being applied to everything from trim protectants to shampoo. But the biggest news is ceramic paintwork sealants, with firms claiming protection for years rather than the months achieved by waxes. Once the preserve of professional detailers and used only after meticulous preparation plus often cured with infrared heaters, the tech has spread to the DIY sector. Ceramic sealants for home application are roughly split between those that go on like a spray wax, and those that are more like professional products, which require more effort and preparation. So are the claims of protection lasting years justified? We tried 15 to find out. How we tested them DURABILITY is key here, so we put together our longest…

Search more than 60,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee CO2/tax 151-154g/km £150-£475 Running costs 49-51mpg (630d) £78 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.1 seconds/155mph IT’S hard to believe now that BMW was on the verge of bankruptcy in the sixties. But instead of giving up, it launched its brilliant Neu Klasse saloon, which not only saved the company, but also laid the foundations for a future in which BMW would be seen as a leader in efficient powertrains and dynamic excellence. The arrival of the 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series ranges in the seventies also showed what BMW could do when it came to making cars with peerless handling and build quality. Throughout the eighties and nineties the firm continued to…