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A PAIR of Range Rover Ultimate editions have been added to long-wheelbase SVAutobiography and standard-wheelbase SVAutobiography Dynamic models, and feature a “suite of complementary hand-finished SV bespoke features”. Ultimate editions are distinguished by their satin-finish Orchard Green paint and contrasting black roof, while plenty of copper-edged detailing both inside and out sets off the new design. The LWB SVAutobiography Ultimate features power-closing rear doors, reclining heated, cooled and massaging rear seats, and 1.2 metres of rear legroom. It’s available with either a 557bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 or Land Rover’s 398bhp P400e plug-in hybrid powertrain capable of 25 miles of electric-only running. In contrast, the SWB SVAutobiography Dynamic is only available with the V8. Prices start from £147,441 for the Dynamic, rising to £183,706 for the LWB SVAutobiography Ultimate V8.…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale ROAD traffic offences such as speeding and driving without due care and attention rose significantly last year, despite Covid-19 lockdown restrictions limiting driving and bringing about reduced traffic levels. In 2020, 70 per cent of the 33 police forces responding to freedom of information requests saw a rise in driving offences compared with the previous year. Some 60 per cent reported an increase in the number of motorists charged with driving without due care and attention. Police logged 11,007 cases of driving without due care and attention last year, up from 7,231 in 2019. Surrey Police reported the highest year-on-year increase of this offence, at 188 per cent. Of the forces that responded to a freedom of information request by insurer Admiral, 30 per cent also reported a…

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.consumer-ombudsman.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…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram IS it possible to put a price on style? Audi thinks so, and it’s £2,450. That’s the premium it has set for the rakish new Q5 Sportback over the existing Q5 SUV. Sportback signifies this Q5 features a coupé-inspired profile, and Audi argues that buyers will pay a premium if they feel they get more desirability thrown in. Around 42 per cent of the brand’s sales can now be credited to its Q-badged SUVs, and Audi reckons that the split between Q5 SUV and Sportback here will reach 60/40. View the Sportback in profile, and there’s another 60/40 split: only this time it roughly describes what’s unchanged from the current Q5 and what’s new on this model respectively. Forward of the B-pillar it’s pretty much identical to the…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy PERHAPS it’s a reflection of the high speed of electric car development, but it’s been hard to nail down a proper, definitive spec of Hyundai Kona Electric over the past year or so. In early 2020 we tried a revised model that brought tiny exterior tweaks and a new infotainment system. But just as the world entered lockdown, Hyundai announced that it was introducing fresh aerodynamic mods, chassis revisions and new low-resistance tyres to help take the 64kWh Kona’s range up to 300 miles. And yet here we are, barely 12 months later, testing another facelifted version. This Kona Electric keeps the same 64kWh battery and 201bhp motor, but gets a different trim level hierarchy and yet more exterior revisions. However, given the changes to the Plug-in Car…

MODELTESTED: Porsche Macan PRICE: £48,965 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 242bhp Running costs 29.1mpg (on test) £83 fill-up/£1,850 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 488/1,503 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.7 seconds/140mph THE Macan is the most popular model Porsche sells, and with good reason. However, the entry-level model we have here is down on power over the Cupra and more expensive, starting from £48,965. Does it do enough to justify its price? Design & engineering IF you’re in the market for a fast, relatively compact and premium SUV, the Porsche Macan has long been the go-to option. It’s been on sale for almost seven years, but subtle improvements over time have ensured that it’s remained at the top of its class. To ensure parity with the Cupra, the Macan we have…

dean_gibson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 104.6mpg (off icial) £88 fill-up/£275 road tax Practicality Load capacity 6.0 cubic metres Running costs Official range 35 miles ON paper, it seemed like a good plan. Back in Issue 1,646, we tested a Ford Tourneo Custom PHEV, the petrol-electric people-carrying variant of the big-selling Transit Custom van. It was fine as passenger transport, but thanks to our brief time with it, we didn’t use its plug-in hybrid drive system properly, and recorded some disappointing fuel economy figures as a result. So, we made a call to Ford, asking if we could run a PHEV for a longer period, so that we could use the hybrid system as intended and get some more realistic economy figures. Ford obliged, and the Transit Custom PHEV you see here arrived…

Q Can battery send a warning? IS there a device that warns if a battery is going flat? My 2018 Focus goes flat occasionally and I’ve been told to start it every day, but that’s tedious. Nigel Hunter Jones, E-mail A WE’D be tempted to pursue the cause of the problem rather than work around it, but if that’s not an option, CTEK’s Battery Sense (above, £46.95, www.ctek.com) sends the state of the power pack to a smartphone app. You have to be within Bluetooth range, but it lets you know when the car needs charging or starting. It also keeps records for three months, so you may be able to pinpoint when and why the battery loses charge. Q How do I make white bright? MY Toyota is coloured pure white,…

NIGHTSEARCHER has never been afraid to innovate with its inspection lamps, and one of the latest to join its line-up ignores the current move towards folding-blade lights and is designed for the pocket. Slender and compact with a belt clip on the rear, the Pocket Pro also has a circular LED rather than the strips now favoured by many rivals. So does such an unusual format work? To find out, we tried it alongside our test-winning Ring MAGflex Pivot. We checked run times, beam brightness and width, plus looked for battery and charge indicators, and the ability to get light where it’s needed. We also took price into account. For car work, the Ring has the edge with its ability to put light on the job and keep your hands…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • Concept gives hints to future Tesla Roadster rival from MG • Crowdfunding project could help car to reach production THIS is the MG Cyberster, an electric concept car that points towards a return to the open-top two-seat sports car market for the British brand. It’s the second all-electric sports car concept revealed by MG in the past few years. The car is a sportier open-topped counterpart to the E-Motion Coupé shown by the SAIC-owned brand in 2017. The Cyberster will be revealed in full later this month at the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show. These first official images of the new car, which MG says is “a nod to the MGB Roadster of yesteryear”, are also provided with a strong hint…

• Monthly subscription plan • Share car with subscribers THIS is the 01 from Lynk & Co, a new car company owned by Chinese giant Geely, which also owns Volvo and Lotus. We’ve seen this car before, but after a few years of sales in China, the brand’s European launch is imminent, with a roll-out in the UK to follow as early as next year. It’s a mid-size SUV roughly the same size as the Volkswagen Tiguan and based on the same platform as the XC40 from sister brand Volvo. So on the surface it’s about as conventional as things get these days, but the point of the 01 isn’t to change what we buy, but rather how we buy it. This 01 plug-in hybrid is the only model, there’s…

LYNK & Co’s Chief Digital Officer, David Green, believes that the approach to mobility will change in the near future, and that the brand’s business model “has appeared at the right time”. The subscription service is priced from €500 per month (around £425, although UK pricing is still some way off), and includes everything except fuel, with a monthly limit of 777 miles. However, if subscribers drive less than that, they can actually make money back by loaning their cars out to other scheme members, all regulated by Lynk & Co. It’s actually free to sign up as a basic member, but subscription users can set their own prices for loaning out their 01. Green says: “It’s trying to make living with a vehicle much less stressful. “You get the…

JUST as with increasing numbers of certain road-traffic offences (see left), the number of cars damaged following a pothole strike rose last year, despite there having been fewer cars on the road. According to Kwik Fit’s annual PIT (Pothole Impact Tracker) report, the total cost to drivers caused by potholes was £1.267billion in the 12 months leading up to March 2021 – up from £1.249billion the previous year. The reports shows the average driver hit 11 potholes per month, with 10.2 million having suffered damage to their car. Tyres were the most commonly damaged component, followed by suspension, wheels and steering. The average cost of repairing a pothole-damaged car was £127 in the year to March, an 11 per cent rise over the previous 12 months. Kwik Fit believes these…

NUMBER plates that reference Covid-19 have been banned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). An investigation by The Telegraph found that the organisation has forbidden the creation and sale of registrations such as ‘COV 1D’, ‘COV 11D’ and ‘COV 111D’ amid concerns they could cause offence to those who have lost friends or family to the virus. Number plates referring to the NHS are still allowed, however, and prices of these have reportedly increased as drivers look to pay tribute to the UK’s frontline health and care workers. The DVLA holds a bi-annual meeting to work out which plates should be banned – the “vast majority” are made available, it says, but those that “may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste” are eliminated.…

THROUGHOUT the arc of human history, there has been one constant that determines a people’s success or failure: the ability to capture and harness energy. From early homo sapiens, who learnt to control fire for warmth and food, to the Georgians’ reliance on steam power to usher in the Industrial Revolution, history is defined by the progress made in sourcing and deploying energy. Today, we find ourselves at the crossroads of history once again as we grapple with our own generation-defining relationship with energy. As humanity becomes more aware of its impact on the environment and planet earth, the past decade has seen an intense acceleration towards net-zero transportation, with electric vehicles becoming the default and most understood emerging transport mode of choice for many. In 2011, just 1,082 electric…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE original Vauxhall Mokka confused us, because we could never quite understand why anybody bought it. It wasn’t the best to drive, all that refined, or too practical. But it looked sharp and was keenly priced, so it did sell – and in spades. When we drove a new left-hand-drive Mokka earlier this year, we concluded that Vauxhall has again focused on design. But now it’s our first chance to sample a full UK-spec right-hand-drive car. To recap, the Mokka sits on Vauxhall’s CMP platform. That means it’s offered with a choice of petrol, diesel or electric power. It’s quite a bit shorter than the old model, by around 120mm, in fact. But it’s lower and wider, giving it a more dynamic stance. The Mokka’s wheelbase has been…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk MAZDA’S CX-5 family SUV is yet to adopt turbos on its petrol engines, so don’t expect much when it comes to electrification of the brand’s big seller. Of course, shunning turbocharging was a conscious decision for Mazda, while the brand is forging ahead with electrification elsewhere, with its fully-electric MX-30 SUV. It’s a curious choice, then, that this new for-2021 CX-5 features a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine, which is available in the UK line-up for the first time. It’s paired exclusively with four-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic gearbox, and only comes in top-spec GT Sport trim. This means a fairly hefty price tag of £36,860, while the powertrain results in middling efficiency of 35.3mpg and 182g/km of CO2 emissions. These figures are achieved by cylinder deactivation, shutting…

MODELTESTED: Cupra Formentor VZ2 310 4Drive PRICE: £39,830 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 306bhp Running costs 27.0mpg (on test) £69 fill-up/£1,305 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 420/N/A litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.9 seconds/155mph THE Cupra is the smallest, lightest and cheapest car in this test, and also packs the most punch, with 306bhp. It comes as standard with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. Our VZ2 edition starts from £39,830. Let’s see how it fares against some established rivals. Design & engineering YOU’LL have previously seen the Cupra badge on the back of fast SEATs, but now it stands on its own feet, spun off as its own separate company and with its own bespoke cars. This Formentor crossover is the very first dedicated Cupra model; you won’t…

Cupra Formentor Navigation 12-inch Key features: Wireless Apple CarPlay and charging THE Formentor has one of the most advanced systems here, with a huge 12-inch touchscreen and configurable digital dashboard as standard. It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and a smartphone charging pad, too. While the system is entirely touchscreen-operated, it responds quickly and all of the major controls and functions are clearly labeled and easy to navigate. You can adjust the climate control using the panel or the touch-sensitive strips at the lower edge of the screen. However, they aren’t the easiest to use because there’s no haptic feedback, and trying to slide your finger across the narrow piece of plastic while driving isn’t very easy. The digital instrument cluster is excellent. There are numerous displays you can choose…

Audi Q2 THE facelifted Q2 comes with Audi Connect as standard on Sport models and above, which, as the name suggests, links the car to the Internet via 4G and provides a variety of useful live services. Web producer Pete Baiden had largely ignored this menu on the infotainment screen, mainly because he had only driven the Q2 on a limited basis. However, he recently took the car to a photo shoot, which meant a 100-mile commute up the M40 and back. Needing to re-fuel on the way home and refusing to pay service station prices, he pulled over and scrolled through the menu to find ‘live fuel prices’. Audi Connect showed him there was a petrol station four miles away with prices 20p per litre less than he would…

NEW PRODUCT Nuna Tres lx child seat Price: £300 Contact: www.nunababy.com THE latest addition to the Nuna car-seat range is in for the long haul, because it is designed to grow with your child. The Tres lx is i-Size-approved and complies with groups 0+/1/2/3, which cater for children ranging from toddlers up to big kids, finishing up as a booster seat. There are six recline positions built into the design: two rear and four front-facing. Rear-facing travel has been extended and is recommended for children 40-105cm tall, or weighing up to 22kg. Forward-facing covers children between 100-145cm tall. There’s also a 10-position heightadjustable headrest, which can be moved one-handed, to get the correct setting for your child as they grow. The side wings also widen as the headrest is raised, to…

Reliant Scimitar: Essential Buyer’s Guide Elvis Payne (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £13.99 Rating: THE Scimitar is a desirable classic. A buyer’s guide like this is always a good starting point to classic ownership, summing up what to look for, pitfalls and possible upgrades in a compact package. Well written and nicely produced, with commentary from a genuine Reliant expert. Vintage Campers Patrick R. Foster (Motorbooks, www.quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £25.99 Rating: WE love our caravans in the UK, but our friends across the Atlantic win in the style stakes. Even if this were just a picture book, it’d still have huge appeal, dripping with retro Americana, but the text and image descriptions add an extra dimension. Although there’s a small section on European campers and caravans, don’t buy it just for that.…

Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q What can I do if dealer won’t repair rust on car’s body? I HAVE a 65-plate Ford Mondeo with a blob of rust on its rear wheelarch. The dealer says this would have been caused by a stone chip and is not interested in helping me. What are my rights with regard to getting this fixed? SL, E-mail A ANTI-corrosion warranties have many terms and conditions, and commonly exclude claims for any rust that could be linked to a paintwork damage. You could lodge a complaint with Ford customer services or pay for an independent expert to give their opinion on the cause of the rust. You could also contact the Motor Ombudsman. However there’s no guarantee the dealer will change its mind. Q Is it right to…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram • New platform for EV variant • Range of 250 miles expected NISSAN is gearing up to launch a Juke-sized electric SUV, as it looks to expand its EV line-up in the UK and Europe. The new model will use a shortened version of the electric-specific CMF-EV architecture that is used by Nissan’s forthcoming Ariya SUV and Renault’s electric Mégane crossover, which will be the same size as the new Nissan. Last year, Nissan Europe’s head of EV, Helen Perry, told Auto Express: “A platform investment is huge. For sure, there will be usage for the [CMF-EV] platform for something more than Ariya. We wouldn’t have invested in a brand-new Alliance platform unless there was other usage planned.” Further details have since emerged, with Nissan Europe’s general manager…

THE latest Subaru Outback is coming to Europe to challenge the Skoda Octavia Scout, and will be based on a new platform. Subaru claims that the architecture will deliver substantial improvements in ride comfort, handling and crash safety. The Japanese manufacturer says that in addition to improved on-road dynamics, the new car is better off road; torsional rigidity is increased by 70 per cent, and the SUV now has 213mm of ground clearance, as well as approach and departure angles of 19.7 and 22.6 degrees respectively. A revised 2.5-litre version of the old car’s flat-four petrol engine should offer slightly more power, with an output that should just exceed the outgoing model’s 173bhp and 253Nm of torque, offering fuel consumption of up to 40.4mpg. Drive is sent to all four…

Genesis X Concept previews EV coupé LUXURY brand Genesis has revealed its X Concept (above), a preview of an all-electric coupé to rival the likes of Audi and Mercedes. The design highlights Genesis’s ‘Two Lines’ styling theme, with a pair of narrow LED headlamps. This is reinforced at the rear with the tail-lights, while the theme also features around the EV’s charging port. The driver-focused cabin is trimmed lavishly and uses sustainable materials. Groups consider idea to help older drivers DRIVERS aged 70-plus who would lose their licence due to conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s, could keep driving if they do so only during the daytime and within 30 miles of their home, according to an idea discussed by the DVLA and charity Driving Mobility, the Sunday Times reports.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Ben Clark I’VE always thought the current Toyota Aygo is a really smart-looking city car, so I’m glad the nameplate is going to be continued. Not sure it needs to be so crossoverlike, but if that’s the only way for it to be profitable for Toyota, so be it. FROM: Frank Smith THIS looks fantastic and could be just the thing to give city cars a boost. I feel a lot of the cars in this segment of the market are highly desirable for both young and old drivers. Pricing will be key – let’s hope it costs around £13,500. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk • “A city car with raised ground clearance? Clearly to deal with the UK’s pitted roads!” James Deacon • “Why would a…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives Running costs 17.2mpg (off icial) £116 fill-up WE know the combustion engine’s days are numbered – especially larger capacity motors. Their lifespan will be prolonged slightly with electrification, but it means that – potentially – the purity of configurations such as Ferrari’s naturally aspirated V12 could be lost well before the end of the decade. So, if the 812 GTS represents the series production swansong for Ferrari’s iconic combustion V12, then all £293,150 of it should be savoured, because it’s a fantastic sports car dominated by that engine. It’s a 6.5-litre V12 that produces a colossal 800 horsepower (789bhp), which represents the ‘8’ in the 812’s name. Alongside this there’s 718Nm of torque, with 80 per cent of that available…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ABOUT 16 per cent of new Mokka sales could be taken by this new all-electric variant: the Mokka-e. Using the e-CMP platform, the electric drivetrain and battery system is a known quantity. A single front-mounted electric motor produces 134bhp and 260Nm of torque, and there’s just one battery option, at 50kWh in nominal capacity. To drive it’s a fairly straightforward EV, but not really up for much fun. It is comfortable around town, even on chunky alloys, and only gets upset at higher speeds when you hit a really pockmarked stretch of road. It’s no better or worse than many of its zero-emissions rivals at this price, then. The Mokka is also one of the most conventional-feeling EVs that we’ve yet experienced. The throttle modulation is extremely smooth,…

MODELTESTED: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce PRICE: £49,945 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 276bhp Running costs 24.4mpg (on test) £81 fill-up/£1,305 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 525/1,600 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.7 seconds/143mph AT £49,495, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce is the most expensive car here, but also the largest. Like its rivals, it uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine and develops 276bhp and 400Nm of torque. But does it do enough to compete? Design & engineering THE Stelvio was instrumental in the rebirth of Alfa Romeo because it was the first SUV the company had produced in its history, and was one of the first genuinely competitive cars to emerge from the Italian brand for years. It shares its platform and running gear with the Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon, but…

6 ISSUES FOR £1 Then if you continue to subscribe after your trial you pay from just £24.99 every three months (saving you 47%). If for any reason you’re not satisfied you can cancel at any time and receive a refund on any unmailed issues. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY We offer every subscriber a free welcome gift when they come on board. This month get a Simoniz Cleaning Essentials set. DELIVERED FREE Every issue is delivered to your door, free of charge. It’ll arrive in paper packaging, too, making it easier than ever to recycle. YOUR FREE GIFT Simoniz has more than 100 years’ experience; guaranteeing results from top to bottom, inside and out. • 2 in 1 Shampoo & Snow Foam 1L – RRP £5 PH Neutral. Removes dirt…

Campbell’s records marked by watches MARLOE Watch Company has teamed up with the Campbell Family Heritage Estate – of land-speed record fame – to make a pair of limited-edition timepieces. Named the Bonneville and Eyre, after the Bonneville Salt Flats and Lake Eyre (the locations of record runs), the watches honor the 1935 Campbell-Railton Blue Bird and Bluebird CN7 respectively. Numbers are limited by the record speeds, with 301 units available for the 301mph Bonneville run, and 403 for the 403mph Lake Eyre. They’re available from www.marloewatchcompany.com and cost £329 each. DS green clothing is a breath of fresh air DS Automobiles has launched a fashion line that claims to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The four-piece unisex collection has been produced in partnership with fashion designers EGONlab and…

CO2/tax 292-296g/km £155-£580 Running costs 21-22mpg (6.0 W12) £107 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.1 seconds/187mph BENTLEY was founded to make luxury sporting carriages for the well heeled. After numerous wins at Le Mans in the 1920s, the firm was bought by Rolls-Royce in 1931, and over the next seven decades most Bentleys would be little more than badge-engineered Rollers: ultra-luxurious saloons for the ultra-wealthy. Never worried about being fashionable, Bentley went its own way with cars that in many ways were an anachronism, so there were many raised eyebrows when it announced in 2013 that it would be introducing an SUV. At the time it seemed like sacrilege but since the Bentayga arrived in 2015, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have all launched cars of this class, and Ferrari will…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk • Hyundai, Toyota and M-Sport renew commitment • Cars to run 3.9kWh batteries HYUNDAI, Toyota and M-Sport Ford teams have committed to a new three-year World Rally Championship (WRC) rules cycle from 2022 to 2024, which will see the series adopt hybrid powertrains. According to motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, the new WRC rules “will have a strong focus on safety, cost management and sustainability”. The three manufacturers have agreed to close collaboration between themselves, the promoter and the FIA. It’s hoped the three-year commitment will allow for greater stability and longerterm planning compared with the existing system of renewing annual commitments. Jean Todt, FIA president, said: “A switch to plug-in hybrid power reflects the latest trends in the industry, at the same time making the sport more sustainable.…