Innholdsfortegnelse for 1662 i Auto Express

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods CITROEN will follow up its radical new C4 hatchback with an equally daring flagship, and we’ve spied the car testing ahead of its unveiling later in 2021. It will be a unique entry in the executive class that will rival saloons, estates and SUVs all in one go, thanks to its distinctive silhouette. Potentially reviving the C5 or C6 names, but currently known by the internal code E43, the car will become the second mainstream Citroen to be given a new lease of life in unconventional form, following the SUV-inspired C4 hatch. While Citroen has a history of large saloons, its demise can be attributed to the surge in popularity of SUVs, so taking inspiration from there could resurrect the brand’s chances in the executive segment. Last year,…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinso BMW has launched a new, range-topping version of the M5 saloon. It’s called the CS and, like the M3 CS, has a little more power, a sharper chassis set-up and a few cosmetic tweaks over the standard model. Prices start from £140,780, and first UK deliveries are due in the spring. Like the BMW M5 Competition, the M5 CS is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine, but it benefits from an improved oil system and better cooling. The motor now produces 626bhp and 750Nm of torque – enough for a 0-62mph time of 3.0 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 189mph. That makes it the most powerful and fastest production car that BMW has ever built. The engine sends drive to all four wheels via…

Fresh Taycan offers two power options PORSCHE has introduced a new, entrylevel version of the Taycan (above), priced from £70,690. It has a single electric motor rated at 322bhp (402bhp on “overboost”) mounted on the rear axle, and is equipped with a 79.2kWh battery as standard, for a range of 268 miles. A longer-range model, with a 92.4kWh battery and a 469bhp motor is available, capable of 300 miles on a single charge. Poll claims a fifth want pavement-parking ban ONE in five people wants parking on pavements banned across the UK, according to research. The practice is outlawed in London, but a consultation launched last year asked if other councils should get powers to ban it, too. Pavement parking presents difficulties for disabled people, but is the only option…

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 makers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Financial problems Financial Ombudsman: 0800 023 4567 Safety concerns/recalls www.check-mot.service.gov.uk…

ELISKA Finlay (right) lives in Crystal Palace, south London, where an LTN by Croydon Council diverted traffic away from residential streets and onto larger boundary roads. “I first discovered this was happening when I saw planters being put down on roads I normally use”, Eliska said. “There was no involvement, no letters sent to affected residents to let them know this was going to happen.” Eliska’s LTN includes a bus gate; cars aren’t allowed through it, but motorists who fail to spot the blue sign advising them that a road they had been previously allowed to use is closed get a £130 fine. Croydon Council predicts these penalties will help it take £4m a year from LTNs, according to an internal report seen by The Daily Telegraph. “I’m inside the…

dean_gibson@dennis.co.uk @DeanGbsn WE’RE big fans of the Ford Ranger here at Auto Express. It’s our reigning champ in the pick-up class in our New Car Awards, and now Ford has launched the special-edition Ranger Thunder for buyers who want a truck that offers even more style. The Thunder is based on top-spec Wildtrak trim, so it’s packed with kit but also gets some unique styling flourishes to help it stand out. Chief among these is the Sea Grey metallic paint, which is complemented by black 18-inch alloy wheels and gloss black plastic trim with red details. That includes red ‘nostrils’ for the grille, which are likely to be a love-it-or-loathe-it addition. Further back, the aero bar in the pick-up bed adds subtle red stripes and LED bed lighting, while the…

MODELTESTED: Peugeot 3008 1.2 130 EAT8 Allure Premium PRICE: £31,060 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 129bhp UPDATES to the 3008 include the addition of some new trim levels, including this Allure Premium version we’re testing. Fitted with the 1.2 PureTech 130 engine and the EAT8 automatic gearbox, it’s priced from £31,060. Design & engineering score 4.0 THIS is a facelift of the existing 3008 (the model it replaces was a big overhaul of what had come before it) so the tweaks here are subtle and focus more on looks and kit than any big engineering changes – for this 1.2-litre PureTech 130 model anyway, because the addition of a plug-in hybrid powertrain is quite an undertaking. That means the 3008 still sits on Groupe PSA’s scalable EMP2 architecture – and why not,…

1st SKODA AFFORDABILITY and practicality make the Karoq a winner still. In SEL trim it feels high in quality (if a little boring) and the engine is a strong and refined performer – a little more so than the Peugeot’s. The chassis matches this, and the tech is also slick and works quickly, while boot capacity, room and flexibility edge the 3008’s. However, items like a digital dash should be standard at this price. 2nd PEUGEOT STYLING updates and infotainment tweaks have kept the 3008 at the front of the pack, but although it’s well equipped (especially when it comes to safety) the 3008 is pricier to buy outright and on finance, while running costs are relatively even. It’s not as practical as the Skoda, but the PureTech powertrain is solid and…

Kim Adams NO matter how carefully a car is washed, tiny black spots of tar can often remain, particularly in summer. Now, there is a new weapon in the fight against those black marks, in the shape of Tar Away from Diamondbrite. And it’s not just tar it claims to shift, but also the adhesive left by stickers, which is a magnet for grime. Add in removing bugs, tree sap and wax from trim, and Tar Away is nothing if not versatile. To see how well it worked we assessed its core tasks of removing marks after washing and shifting glue, and put it up against Autoglym’s veteran Intensive Tar Remover, which is a long-time favourite for test-panel preparation. We made multiple attempts at tar spots, rubber marks, and glue…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • Sales start with EQA 250, which has a 261-mile range • Faster and more efficient versions to join line-up • OFFICIAL “The sharper lines of the GLA have been softened in an effort to make the EQA cut through the air cleanly” MERCEDES has unveiled the cheapest model in its pure-electric EQ range with the all-new EQA. It will take on the likes of the electric Lexus UX as a compact and affordable electric crossover with UK sales due to start in February. Affordable is a relative term, though, because while this is the entry point in the electric EQ line-up, it’s unlikely that the car will drop below the £40,000 mark. The EQA is based on a modified version of the platform already used by the…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Updated hatch on sale now More options, increasedtech MINI has freshened up its core model range by introducing a facelift for its hatch, Convertible and Electric models. They all benefit from a new look and technology updates, while prices start from £16,045. The most obvious change is at the front, where MINI has increased the size of the grille, added a body-coloured strip and new black surround. Air inlets have also replaced spot lamps in the lower section of the front bumper, while the inside of the headlights is now finished in black rather than chrome. Three new exterior finishes, Rooftop Grey, Island Blue and Zesty Yellow are also available. Updates inside amount to a new 8.8-inch colour touchscreen display on the centre console, and as with the…

SAFETY Stopped vehicle detection tech has only been fitted to 37 of the UK’s 500 miles of smart motorways ONLY 37 miles of the UK’s smart motorways have been fitted with stopped vehicle detection (SVD) tech, it has been revealed. SVD systems detect broken-down vehicles in as little as 20 seconds, but roads without the technology typically rely on CCTV operators to spot them. The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, had instructed Highways England to have SVD installed on all 500 miles of smart motorway by March 2023, but figures seen by The Times reveal just four of the 24 sections with no hard shoulder have SVD. This comes as a coroner called for a review of the roads after ruling the deaths of two men struck by…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths LOCAL councils across the country have spent millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on traffic reduction schemes that have been riddled with problems, including increased pollution, delayed emergency service vehicles and divided communities. Auto Express has uncovered how local authorities spent or plan to spend millions on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), despite numerous complaints, alterations and reversals of such schemes. After hearing about issues relating to LTNs, we began researching these projects, sending a series of Freedom of Information requests to the UK’s local authorities in November last year. We asked if councils had installed or plan to install any LTNs, how much they have spent or plan to spend on them, if any schemes have been altered or reversed, and what penalties had been issued to drivers…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram WE’VE all had to adapt the way we go about our business since March 2020 – either by turning the kitchen table into a makeshift office, or leaving for work in a mask and gloves. Like it or not, it’ll remain this way for some time, too. The automotive industry is no different, and the content in the pages of Auto Express has evolved, with the team having to tweak some of your favourite editorial to make it fit in our new, Covid-confined world. No other area is this more evident than when it comes to driving and writing about new cars. When the UK first went into lockdown last March, car launches halted; media drives were cancelled, press bookings ceased and long-term test cars were left collecting…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk AS a result of the push to add more SUVs to Jaguar’s line-up and launching electric vehicles, the XF had become a bit of a forgotten car for the firm – until now. That’s because there’s a new example of the British brand’s executive saloon on sale, and it’s arriving just at the right time to compete with the updated BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. The original XF catapulted the brand into a new era with its modern styling, but after a brief period in the limelight, its successor slipped into the shadows. This thorough overhaul is designed to change all that though, because alongside the fresher exterior styling (looks were never one of the XF’s problems, really), a plusher interior filled with more tech, and updated engines…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk @stuartjmilne THERE’S a lot to learn when you’re looking to go electric. MPG is replaced by miles per kilowatt hour, there are different charging speeds and connectors, and then there’s the issue of many chargepoint providers requiring you to variously download apps, create accounts, and pre-pay or subscribe. “Charging can be a headache. It’s just difficult”, thinks Gridserve CEO Toddington Harper. He’s the man behind a new type of charging station that could represent the future of public electric-car charging infrastructure. The first step in Harper’s solution has just been completed: the Electric Forecourt near Braintree in Essex, which is claimed to be the most advanced EV charging station in the UK – possibly the world. Maybe not for long though, because Gridserve plans 100 such sites across the…

MODELTESTED: Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI 150 DSG SEL PRICE: £28,610 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 148bhp IT was the Skoda Karoq that took the 3008’s title when it arrived, so has the Peugeot turned the tables with its updates or does the Skoda still have what it takes? We’re testing a mid-spec SEL model (although our pictures show a Sportline) to match the Peugeot. The Karoq is a bit cheaper, at £28,610 with the 1.5 TSI 150 DSG powertrain. Design & engineering EVEN though the Skoda is more affordable than the Peugeot (to the tune of £2,450 here), they’re both clearly well matched when it comes to specification. For that outlay you get extra power. The Skoda’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine makes 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. That is 19bhp and 20Nm more…

Other options in this category… Ford Kuga 1.5 EcoBoost 150 PRICE: £28,665 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 158bhp FORD’S 1.5-litre EcoBoost 150 engine isn’t available with an auto, but evenasamanual a the Kuga is a great SUV that drives superbly. It offers practicality, good tech, and plenty of kit in Titanium Edition trim foran affordable price, at £28,665. Hyundai Tucson 1.6 T-GDI 48v MHEV DCT PRICE: £30,335 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 148bhp HE price above refers to SE Connect specification, which still comes brilliantly well equipped with the core level of features features you’ll need. On top of that, of that, the new MHEV Tucson has a massive boot, asmart cabin and is brilliantly refined on the road.…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Looking for best ride quality I CHANGED my wheels from 17 to 16-inch, and the tyre profile from 50 to 60. The improvement in ride quality has been dramatic. Could you have a table ranking ride quality in future tyre tests? Geoff Cowling, E-mail A WE include a cabin noise test, which is linked to ride comfort because it all comes under the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) assessment. There would be a big difference between wheel sizes and profiles, but less so with the same size and type of tyre. It’s a complex issue because a soft, comfortable tyre may give poor steering feel or lack responsiveness. Concentrating on ride would ignore other important aspects. Q What’s the point of UV light? I BORROWED an old…

Ferrari 250 GTE David Wheeler (Porter Press, www.porterpress.co.uk) Price: £90 Rating: THIS is as detailed a reference book as you’re likely to find on this car, and it’s quite an accomplishment. Packed with photos and technical drawings, with an appendix listing all 954 cars built and their current state, it’s very thorough. We love the production quality and the interviews with owners. My Cool Classic Car Chris Haddon (Pavilion Books, www.pavilionbooks.com) Price: £14.99 Rating: FEATURING 40 classics such as the Willys Jeep, Fiat 500 and Morris Minor, this book’s highlights are the stories from owners and the unconventional but gorgeous photography. It’s stylish, well produced and very enjoyable. It’s good value, and recently revamped with a new print run and cover. Car Builder and Racing Available for: Android Price: Free…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk Q Plug-in executive failing to live up to expectations THE electric-only range on my 2017 Mercedes E 350 e plug-in hybrid is meant to be around 20 miles, but has steadily fallen and is now between six and nine miles. The dealer says there’s nothing wrong with it. Is this normal for a PHEV? Keith Harris, E-mail A WE contacted Mercedes and received confirmation that the dealer you visited found no faults with your car or its battery. Mercedes said the electric range of its PHEV models is subject to “several driving and environmental factors”, such as cold weather. The firm added drivers should adopt an “anticipatory driving style”, use regenerative braking and follow the maintenance advice in the owner’s manual. Q Support needed to find the best…

WHEN a troubled motor manufacturer sinks deep into despair as it struggles to sell generally undesirable cars, a triple whammy of new name, slogan and logo may be necessary. Dramatic do-ordie actions are occasionally required in the bitterly competitive automotive world, and if such measures aren’t forthcoming, then troubled companies may die. Sad Saab (RIP) perfectly proves the point. But Kia Motors is at the opposite end of the scale. It’s in rude health, doing most things right (especially EVs), winning awards (it’s the reigning WCOTY champ) and demonstrating that it’s full of life, positive energy and confidence. There is also tantalising talk of firms teaming up with Kia to exploit its world-class electric motors and state-ofthe-art EV tech, including kit that allows vehicles to operate without drivers, riders, pilots…

MARKUS SCHAFER Member of Board for R&D MARKUS Schafer is responsible for research and development at Daimler and Mercedes. He’s already working on cars you’ll be driving in five years, but here we get the inside line on his latest creation. Q Is the battery in the EQA the same as you’ll find in the larger EQC? A “It’s a next-generation battery pack that leads us to a 420km [261 mi] range and we are already committed to a further step with better chemistry that will be here by the end of the year to take us to 500km [311 mi]. We are constantly improving and going further.” Q Did you have to make any compromises because the EQA is based on a petrol/diesel platform? A “We had it planned…

ELSEWHERE at BMW M, the company’s boss, Markus Flasch, has confirmed that the first “electrically powered” M car will be revealed later in 2021. An electric M car has been rumoured for a number of years, but this is the first public confirmation from BMW bosses that such a model is in the pipeline. Flasch stopped short of confirming what form BMW M’s electric model will take. The most likely candidate is an M version of the upcoming i4 saloon (right), which is due to be launched in the coming months. The brand has confirmed that top-spec models will develop up to 590bhp and cover 0-62mph in four seconds. The arrival of an i4 M would also coincide with the launch of a direct competitor from Audi, with the RS e-tron GT.…

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk @tristan_shale LOCAL councils are set to be given new powers allowing them to fine motorists who commit minor traffic offences, under new legislation being drawn up by the Department for Transport (DfT). The move has been criticised for potentially turning local roads into a “lucrative cash stream”. Authorities in London and Cardiff can already issue fines for moving traffic offences, such as blocking box junctions and contravening Low Traffic Neighbourhood rules, but in most regions of the country these are dealt with by the police. This set to change, though, because the DfT has confirmed that it’s planning to give councils widespread power to issue fines of around £70 for a range of offences, such as stopping in cycle lanes or making illegal turns. Transport Minister Rachel Maclean confirmed…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Joseph Lynn THIS looks really cool. It’s high time Renault drew a bit more inspiration from its heritage, the same way MINI and Fiat have done. The next big trend should be seventies and eighties-style retro cars – just look at the Suzuki Jimny! FROM: Bill Clark I CAN’T deny this looks fantastic, but my fear is it will have a £25,000 price tag and a range of less than 150 miles. It certainly would if it were launched today. The only hope is that we’ll have moved on when this model arrives in a few years’ time. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk • “That illuminated ‘Renault’ sign will have to…

GIVING road space over to pedestrians and cyclists isn’t new, but the recent rise in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) owes everything to the coronavirus pandemic. With public transport problematic due to social distancing and Covid-19, in May last year the Government announced a £250million ‘Emergency Active Travel Fund’. Local authorities could apply to create schemes that encouraged walking and cycling. Four types of scheme have been popular with councils, and all have the potential to make driving more difficult: widened pavements to allow for greater social distancing; new cycle lanes to encourage people onto bikes; ‘School Streets’ to bar motor vehicles from schools at pick-up and drop-off; and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, which divert motorists from residential roads onto busier boundary routes. LTNs can be created by closing off roads with…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods TOYOTA’s hybrid expertise takes a new turn in 2021 with the introduction of this: the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. It’s a bit of a missing link for this popular large SUV. Toyota made a fully electric RAV4 for its first two generations, but for the US market only, while the last version of the car to be replaced had a conventional hybrid powertrain to bring an electrified RAV4 to the masses. Now, with CO2 targets ever harder to hit, Toyota sees plug-in hybrid power as a catchall, delivering mass market appeal combined with ultra-low emissions and running costs. The new car has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 182bhp and linked to a CVT transmission, but the battery and dual-electric motor set-up take centre stage. A large 18.1kWh battery…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn WHEN it comes to luxury and opulence, few cars do it better than the Bentley Flying Spur. So how do you broaden its appeal and improve it? Well, how about a less expensive version? This is the Flying Spur V8. It’s still 5.3 metres long, laden with kit and trimmed in the finest Bavarian cowhide you can lay your hands on. But in place of the flagship model’s 6.0-litre W12, you’ll find a smaller, but still staggeringly powerful, 4.0-litre V8. So let’s talk numbers. The V8 develops 542bhp and 770Nm of torque, which is 84bhp and 130Nm less than you get with the W12. However, because there’s less engine, there’s also less weight, to the tune of 100kg. So while the V8 is down on power, the performance…

Peugeot 3008 i-Cockpit Standard Key features: 10-inch touchscreen LIKE other new Peugeots, the 3008 has a 10-inch touchscreen. The main image is flanked by controls for the temperature, which are welcome, because everything is integrated into the screen. Apart from some nice, piano-style keys below to toggle to various areas of the system, there are no physical buttons. The tech doesn’t respond quite as quickly as the Skoda’s unit, while the transitions aren’t as smooth either, but the graphics are fine and the features great. Sat-nav is included, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and these are preferable to the 3008’s built-in set-up in our eyes. You get some connected services, while the digital dash is configurable and a slick bit of tech that shows all you need.…

LIGHTING THE 3008 features new LED headlights. They give the car a smarter look, while Peugeot has added scrolling indicators to its trademark lion’s claw tail-lights. The Skoda also gets full LED headlights. However, the Karoq’s design is a lot more basic and boring, even if the car looks sharp. These differences highlight clearly the brands’ approaches to how they tackle a mid-size family SUV. INTERIOR GIVEN that you’ll spend more time inside the car, the design of the cabin could be just as important to you. Although the Skoda is built brilliantly and feels a bit more robust than the 3008, the Peugeot’s materials and design feel more vibrant and interesting than the bland and boring Skoda. The Karoq is a sea of dark plastic inside, even if that…

Transit Custom THE latest plug-in hybrid to arrive on our fleet is one of the biggest you can buy. And with a six-cubic-metre cargo bay, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV is likely to be a weekend favourite for Auto Express staff once the latest lockdown has lifted. For the moment, though, the big Ford is spending most of its time parked up outside Content Editor and Auto Express van guru Dean Gibson’s house. When it is driven, it doesn’t go far, so most trips are completed on electric power, despite the fact the claimed maximum range of 35 miles plummets to just 15 miles when the air temperature drops to near zero Ford has managed to cram the battery under the floor of the load area, so cargo volume is…

Ford is on its guard with updated app FORD has added Guard Mode to the FordPass Pro app. This can alert van owners to any potential security breaches – when someone enters the vehicle, opens the bonnet or load compartment, or starts the engine. It will also trigger an alarm if someone starts the vehicle with a key, to protect against key theft or cloning. Plus, Ford will add a scheduling feature, so users can automatically trigger Guard Mode to start outside work hours, for example. Guard Mode will roll out as an over-the-air update for compatible vehicles, and can be accessed through the FordPass app. Big Ben target for virtual fundraising AUTOMOTIVE charity Ben has revealed its latest challenge – raising £1m through socially distanced exercising. Teams of up…

We put eight products to the test to see which cleans up Tom Cossey IT’S fair to say we’ve all become quite good at washing our hands during the last year. However, if you’re accustomed to working on your car yourself, you’ll be well used to scrubbing oil, dirt and grease off your hands and arms regularly. And a home hand soap just won’t cut it here. To shift ground-in dirt or stinky engine oil requires both a tough chemical formula and an added abrasive. To find out which specialist workshop hand cleaner is the best for the job, we put eight products to the test. Howwe tested them KEY for DIY mechanics is how well cleaners deal with engine oil and all-purpose grease. We also tested them on garden…

Richard Dredge Search more than 60,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee ACROSS Europe, more new superminis are sold each year than any other type of car. As a result the stakes are high; you need a really good product to stand out. Thankfully, Mazda has a habit of coming up with great cars, even if some buyers won’t immediately think of them at purchase time. The original Mazda 2 was launched in 2003, when it replaced the Demio, and since then this smart-looking supermini has provided a stylish and well made alternative to more obvious small hatches. Never a budget option, the Mazda 2 has always been good to drive, reliable and distinctive, and that’s certainly the case with this third-generation…