Innholdsfortegnelse for 1681 i Auto Express

LOYALTY pricing, where drivers who allow their insurance to automatically renew with an inflated premium, is to be banned from 1 January 2022. The ruling follows an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority, which found insurers as a whole make £1.2bn a year from the practice, deploying ‘sophisticated processes’ to ‘target’ customers who would be unlikely to shop around on a price comparison website or haggle with their existing provider. From next year, insurers will have to offer customers who are renewing the same price they would be given if they were a new client. This will save buyers £4.2bn over the next decade.…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler FORD of Britain has a new boss. Meet Lisa Brankin, who has been at the helm of the Blue Oval’s operations in the UK and Ireland since last November. Brankin has been at Ford for more than 30 years, joining as a graduate trainee in 1990. She’s been part of the brand’s senior leadership team for some years, stepping into the Managing Director hot seat from her role as Director of Passenger Vehicles. In her first interview since taking over the reins at Ford of Britain, Brankin told Auto Express about the importance of the UK to Ford and the future of the brand. Q: What does Ford stand for these days? “WE always hark back to our founder, Henry Ford. He brought transportation to the mass market.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @autoExpress HOT TOPIC Life in older cars yet FROM: Stephen Langan A RANGE Rover from 2008 doesn’t have as much tech as a 2021 model, but it still feels modern to me. It has all the basic features one could need and looks great. Why anyone would spend the money on a new one is beyond me! FROM: Chris Granger I APPRECIATE older cars, and it’s good to keep them on the road as long as they aren’t too expensive to maintain, but let’s not forget how much cleaner newer models are. Plus without new-car buyers, there would be no used cars! Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk “My 17-year-old VW Golf takes me to work and back every day and never misses a beat.”Samuel Hickman “Forcing everyone into new…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk WE had our first taste of the all-new Hyundai Tucson at the start of the year and rated it highly in hybrid form. Hyundai has since added a sportier N Line trim, while there’s also a plug-in hybrid on the way, but here we’re testing the more affordable mild-hybrid model. Prices start from £29,440, rising to £35,390 for this top-spec Ultimate auto. Compared with pure-combustion rivals, the element of electrification here adds appeal. Hyundai’s 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine is supported when moving off by a belt starter-generator powered by a small lithium-ion battery (for a total of 148bhp). This gives a small surge of torque to help the petrol unit. However, the main purpose of the mild-hybrid system is so that the Tucson’s engine can shut down on the…

MODELTESTED: Honda e Advance PRICE: £30,715 POWERTRAIN: 35.5kWh/single e-motor, 152bhp THE Honda e has proved to be an utterly charming small EV on our previous encounters with it, and it has ability to back up its appeal. Will this Advance model, priced at £30,715 (but fitted with optional metallic paint here, at £550) hold its own against Fiat’s latest challenger? Design & engineering WHEN the Honda Urban EV concept was revealed in 2017, many onlookers were blown away by the retro-futuristic design. Excitement grew further when Honda confirmed it would be going into production. Although the showroom model was inevitably toned down from the show star – the wheels shrank, the slim roof pillars grew thicker and the body sprung an extra pair of doors – it still has concept…

Renault Zoe R135 Iconic PRICE: £30,095 POWERTRAIN: 52kWh/133bhp IN many ways, the Zoe delivers greater practicality than any of our test trio. A larger body means not only space for people and things (it’s a five-seater with a roomy 338-litre boot) but there’s space for a big battery that’s good for a 245-mile range. Volkswagen e-Up! PRICE: £21,055 POWERTRAIN: 36.8kWh/81bhp VOLKSWAGEN’S small electric car is the closest alternative to the Fiat for price and range. Indeed, the line-up starts from £21,055 – roughly the same as the 24kWh 500. Good though it is, it lacks the Fiat’s performance and refinement.…

The IROC Porsches Matt Stone (Motorbooks, quartoknows.com) Price: £45 Rating: 4.5 THIS book tells the story of the first season of the International Race of Champions – run in purpose-built Porsche 911 RSR racers with worldwide talent at the wheel, from Nascar to Can-Am and Formula One. There’s a great level of detail and a wealth of high-quality photos, plus details of where the surviving cars are now. Well written and entertaining. Electric Cars – The Expert Q&A Guide Peter Henshaw (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £13.99 Rating: A PERFECT book for the complete electric car novice. It answers almost every common question in plain English, and goes into enough detail to satisfy the curious without being so technical as to frighten anybody off. Some elements will date quickly, such as…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Car reviewers would iron out a model’s design issues WHY don’t automotive manufacturers employ an experienced car reviewer at the design stage? This would ensure we get steering wheels that don’t obscure the instruments, and rear seats that fold flat. Ray Knight, E-mail A CAR makers do employ staff who could be considered internal reviewers, and are bound to employ people who have previously worked in automotive journalism. A car’s development is the work of many individuals and teams, though, and it is likely people from marketing, accounts, design and engineering departments may have differing views on the final design. Q What is being done to stop ‘bridge strikes’ by lorries? I WAS held up for hours when travelling by train recently, because an HGV had…

+ FOR Most powerful engine, most enjoyable to drive in all settings, largest boot, dramatic exterior design - AGAINST Two-seat rear bench interior quality could be better, infotainment system feels dated and slow IT’S fair to say that the Honda Civic Type R’s looks are controversial; some people will find the exuberant design appropriate for a hot hatch, while others are likely to wish it was more understated. The good news is that the Type R is no case of style over substance: it’s the best car here to drive by some stretch. Not only does its engine pack the biggest punch, but the steering is well weighted, accurate and provides strong feedback. It feels taut and sharp, and there’s enough grip to out-corner either of its test rivals. Then…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100kph), in seconds. ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS: Combined WLTP economy figure in miles per gallon and emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, 12 months’ road tax, number plates and first registration. EVs…

“For donkey’s years hydrogen has been threatening the success of the BEV. But it comes and goes almost unnoticed” HONESTLY, you’ve never had it so good. Shop for a brand-new car today and you really are spoiled for choice. There’s something for almost everyone on nearly any budget, whether you go petrol, diesel, LPG, petrol-electric, diesel-electric, or pure-electric. But nine years from now, the Government’s take it or leave it offer to consumers will go a bit like this: You can have any new car you like – as long as it’s a battery-electric vehicle (BEV). The politicians are still fine-tuning the rules as to how long you’ll be able to buy a hybrid or plug-in hybrid after 2030. But the safe assumption is that your best bet against any…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Latest styling for large SUV • New hi-tech kit inside and out VAUXHALL has revealed a facelifted version of its largest SUV, the Grandland, with a host of design changes and tech updates confirmed for the British brand’s Nissan Qashqai rival. As with Vauxhall’s smaller Crossland and Mokka SUVs, the Grandland drops the old ‘X’ tag, and receives styling cues that were first seen on the Mokka. These include Vauxhall’s now-trademark Vizor grille, as well as the brand’s latest Griffin logo and adaptive IntelliLux LED Pixel light units, the latter carried over from the Insignia. The Vizor face gives the Grandland a sleeker look, while at the rear the brand’s flagship SUV now sports new badging. The new light units feature 168 LEDs, with the car adjusting the…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Performance 0-60mph/top speed 5.4 seconds/143mph WHAT you’re looking at here is the new Porsche Taycan. That’s just ‘Taycan’, without any extra garnish attached to the name, because it’s the new entry point for the high-performance line-up. Before options, prices start from £70,690, so it’s a full £12,890 less than the next model in the line-up, the all-wheel drive Taycan 4S. On the face of it, it’s hard to see what it loses. There’s still the same dramatic body, the same driver-focused cockpit, and the same battery as the 4S – 79.2kWh as standard, or 93.4kWh for the upgraded Performance Battery Plus pack fitted here. There are two main features this base model lacks, but it turns out they’re hardly missed. Until now, the Taycan range has exclusively offered…

MODELTESTED: Fiat 500 Icon PRICE: £25,495 POWERTRAIN: 42kWh battery/e-motor 116bhp FIAT has brought its familiar city car icon into the era of electrification. Appropriately, the £25,495 model tested here is in Icon trim, although our test car is specced up with the best part of £4,000 worth of optional extras, including Level 2 Autonomous driving (£1,250), metallic paint (£600) and 17-inch alloy wheels (£500). Design & engineering IT looks similar to the previous model, but the electric 500 is based on an entirely new platform in order to fit the powertrain. While it keeps the bubble-like shape, it’s 60mm longer and wider, and is 40mm taller than its petrol-powered sibling. Despite this growth, it’s still the smallest car here overall, at just 3.6 metres long. There are interesting design details…

Fiat 500 UConnect 5 infotainment system Key features: Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto UConnect 5 infotainment system Key features: Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto The Fiat foregoes physical shortcut controls, so it isn’t as easy to make adjustments on the move. It has a seven-inch digital driver’s display as standard. While it’s smaller than the Honda’s screen, the resolution is the best here, the information is displayed clearly, and it’s possible to prioritise various trip and audio functions through buttons on the steering wheel. Display Graphics on 10.25-inch screen are crisp. On-screen shortcut keys to the side of the display provide quick access to entertainment, energy flow and mapping FOR AND AGAINST Sharp graphics, logical menus, quick loading times Absence of physical shortcut buttons will not suit everyone MINI Electric MINI Navigation System Key…

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 bottle of MER’s ‘The Ultimate Polish’. 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. For convenience, scan our QR code with your camera phone for quick access to our secure online store! YOUR FREE GIFT MER ‘The Ultimate Polish’ cleans, shines and protects, with MER’s ‘Auto Shine…

Timepiece honours classic Monaco line LUXURY watch brand TAG Heuer hasn’t produced a Monaco timepiece since 1969, but now a special edition has been released. The Monaco Titan Special Edition (above) is limited to just 500 units and has a case made of sandblasted Grade 2 titanium. A silver dial, black sub-dials and red accents give it a lighter look than some past editions. Stump up the £6,550 price tag (before they’re sold out) and you’ll be in good company, with Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen wearing the watch through the recent Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Find out more at tagheuer.com. First steps for young drivers at the wheel A NEW driving experience for young motorists has been launched. Provided by Trackdays.co.uk, the Under 17 Driving Experience lets children…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 9|6|2021 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive. SOMETIMES car DIY demands more than a socket set and muscle power – it needs an impact wrench that can pound and turn a fastener at the same time. With the advent of powerful motors and improved battery technology, a modern cordless wrench means you don’t need an expensive compressor, complete with clumsy air lines snaking everywhere, to power pneumatic tools. Batteries are expensive, so buying a tool with a spare or one with a higher Amp rating will save cash in the long run. So which is the labour saver and which is hard work? We put eight…

+ FOR Torquey turbo engine, plenty of grip, ride comfort, stylish cabin, three seats in spacious rear - AGAINST Conservative styling, smallest boot with rear seats up, steering isn’t as sharp as Civic Type R’s ON the face of it, the Focus ST lacks character in this company. Its looks are rather understated, even if that will be to some people’s liking, and its engine isn’t very characterful. The electronically enhanced exhaust note is rather unconvincing, yet those parts of the soundtrack that are genuine are still enjoyable. But there’s no denying the ST is an impressive hot hatch where it counts. There’s plenty of grip, turn in inspires confidence, and the 2.3-litre engine has more torque than the powerplants in the Civic Type R and i30 N, pulling you…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk “If you fancy going racing in the M4 GT3, prices start at £355,000” THE new BMW M4 GT3 customer racing car will make its competition debut in the Nürburgring Endurance Series round on 26 June, having been fully unveiled for the first time ahead of the 24-hour race at the same venue last weekend. Under development since early 2019, the car will be entered by the works BMW Motorsport squad for this and several other events during 2021, ahead of its delivery to various customer teams around the globe for the 2022 season. BMW says the M4 GT3 has already racked up more than 14,000 kilometres in private testing in the hands of its works drivers – the equivalent to over 70 hours’ track time. Speaking at the reveal…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods • Prices start from around £44k • New range on sale this summer “All models get exterior and interior design updates, plus new tech, while the X3 and X4 petrol engine line-up changes to adopt 48-volt mild-hybrid systems” BMW has revitalised its best-selling SUV for 2021 with a facelift for the popular X3, alongside similarly updated versions of the X4 coupé-SUV, and the high-performance X3 M and X4 M options. They go on sale this summer, with prices for the X3 starting from around £44,000. All models get exterior and interior design updates, plus new tech, while the X3 and X4 petrol engine line-up changes to adopt 48-volt mild-hybrid systems. The X3 and X4 receive an entirely new front apron, while the reshaped kidney grille sits between new,…

Hyundai releases UK prices for new Bayon THE new Hyundai Bayon (above) will be priced from £20,295 when sales begin in July. Three specifications of small SUV will be available, starting with SE Connect and rising through Premium and Ultimate. The range kicks off with the 1.0 T-GDi (99bhp) SE Connect with a six-speed iMT intelligent manual gearbox. However, both the Premium and Ultimate trims will be available with the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as well as a 118bhp version of the 1.0 T-GDi engine. New cars sales show massive rise on 2020 THERE were 156,737 new cars registered in May 2021, up 674.1 per cent on May 2020. The figure is a 14.7 per cent drop compared with May 2019 and 13.2 per cent below the…

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…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk THE arrival of the new Skoda Octavia last year rather put the Czech brand’s other family hatchback offering, the Scala, in the shade. It’s a more budget-focused alternative, but to give customers more choice, Skoda has now added its 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI engine and seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox to the Scala line-up. Prices start from £21,970, but this fleet-focused SE Technology model we’re testing costs from £22,385. The engine is a known quantity, with enough torque (250Nm) that’s delivered smoothly – so low-down performance is good enough – while it revs relatively well, too. Combined with the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the motor will propel the Scala from 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds, so it’s swift enough. It’s this term that defines the Scala overall, really; it’s ‘enough’…

MODELTESTED: MINI Electric Level 1 PRICE: £26,000 POWERTRAIN: 32.6kWh single e-motor, 181bhp THE refreshed MINI Electric range loses the Cooper S moniker from its title, but retains the same sporty performance. Here we’re driving it in its most basic Level 1 trim, which is priced from £26,000 including the £2,500 Government grant. Design & engineering UNLIKE the Fiat and the Honda, which have been developed from the ground up as electric vehicles, the MINI Electric uses an adapted version of the company’s petrol-powered platform. Despite this, there is little in the way of compromise that any owner will notice. The electric model is 18mm taller than the standard three-door, because the ride height has been lifted to accommodate the battery, but interior space remains unaffected. The battery pack is laid…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler WE’RE often told by auto-industry folk that cars will change more in the next 10 years than they have in the past 100, with electrification, autonomy, connectivity, car sharing and urbanisation all buzzwords that are often bandied about. One thing that’s for sure is that the past year has changed our car-owning and driving habits, and my 22-mile commute into and out of London is – for now – a thing of the past. The same has happened to the rest of my family; the journeys we take have changed, yet we still have the same number and types of vehicles at home. So how would it work if a small EV sat on our driveway for any member of the Fowler Five to use? And what if…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Keeping up appearances I USE products you recommend to wash my car – including Autoglym’s Polar range. I’ve just bought a new car and the wipers clean the windows well. I want them to stay that way, so how can I wash the car and keep the windows spotless? Paul Cluett, E-mail A WE’VE only tested Polar Blast (above), which won our pressure washer shampoo test. To keep your glass as it is, avoid using chemicals, look for a pure shampoo without a wax element, and don’t leave a wash on the glass for any length of time. Use only damp and dry microfibre cloths to remove grime, or an alcohol-based cleaner. Q What’s the best hose reel? I’VE just moved to a house where…

+ FOR Engine sounds great, N mode sharpens car up, configurable driving settings, infotainment system is strong - AGAINST Motor isn’t as characterful as test rivals’, slower steering, cabin quality trails that of the Civic and Focus WHILE the Focus ST and Civic Type R have been around for many years, Hyundai arrived in the hot hatch sector for the first time in 2017 with the i30 N. Not that its youth is a detriment, because it’s a convincing, exciting package that has ruffled a few feathers. The engine sounds brilliant; the exhaust note is very aggressive, with plenty of smile-inducing pops and bangs. Yet the powerplant itself doesn’t feel quite as characterful as those of the two other cars here. The i30 N’s steering is slower than the Focus…

Glickenhaus joins WEC Portimão grid THE World Endurance Championship heads to the Portimão track in southern Portugal this weekend for the second round of its 2021 season. The event will see the privateer Glickenhaus squad join the top-tier Hypercar class with its SCG 007, having skipped the Spa season-opener, while it also marks the 100th appearance in a world championship sportscar race for the works Toyota team (above). BTCC welcomes back crowds at Snetterton SNETTERTON in Norfolk is the venue for the second round of the 2021 British Touring Car Championship season this weekend, and will be the first time this year that fans can attend. However, tickets have to be bought in advance from the Snetterton website to guarantee admission on Sunday. On track, MB Motorsport Ford driver Jake…