Innholdsfortegnelse for 1682 i Auto Express

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Plug-in, regular hybrid offered ● Same platform as RAV4 THIS is the new Lexus NX, and while it’s a familiar name with a familiar face, this mid-size SUV comes with a revolution under the skin: it’s the brand’s first plug-in hybrid. The NX has been a hugely significant model for Lexus since it was launched in 2014. More than 170,000 examples have been sold in Europe so far, and the majority have been to customers new to the brand. The new model’s styling is an evolution of what’s gone before. There’s Lexus’s familiar front grille, some complex side surfacing, and a new tail-light arrangement with a full-width lighting signature. The second-generation NX sits on the Toyota TNGA-K platform, shared with the RAV4. It’s 20mm longer, 20mm wider…

New Model S Plaid is quickest road car TESLA has launched the 1,006bhp Model S Plaid (above), with a claimed 0-62mph time of just 1.99 seconds, making this the fastest-accelerating road car today. Updated battery tech gives a 390-mile range, while the Plaid is compatible with Tesla’s latest 250kW charging, which is capable of adding 187 miles of range in 15 minutes. Aerodynamic tweaks and chassis modifications help to control the incredible power output, while the Plaid features a redesigned cabin, too. Police see major drop in car crime in 2020 THERE were 28,454 vehicle thefts in 2020, down 14.5 per cent from 33,289 in 2019. Data from 26 police forces acquired by Compare The Market revealed the West Midlands saw 11,506 thefts in 2019 and 2020 combined – more…

Hugo_Griffiths@autovia.co.uk @hugo_griffiths IT’S an obvious thing to say, but petrolheads love their cars. Well, perhaps love is too strong a word – we’re aware that they are lumps of metal, glass, plastic and various other materials – but we certainly feel a closer affinity for them than most people do. We name our cars, for example. We might ascribe them a gender. We primp, preen, clean, tune and generally coddle our cars, giving them a good going over with a chamois and wax before taking them out and showing them off to the world. We also tend to associate our cars with important events, using them to help anchor our memories to a specific moment in time. Our wedding car, for example; the car we brought our child home from…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler Running costs 33.1mpg (official) £105 fill-up “IS that the new Bentley, mate?” said one curious member of the public during our first encounter with the GV80. It’s the first model to come to Europe from Genesis, Hyundai’s upstart luxury brand, slotting right into the large premium SUV dogfight. And it’s already here in Britain. Looks-wise, it does have a whiff of the Brit brand about it, not least in the winged Genesis logo. And it is big; at 4,945mm long, it sits between the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, if a little way off the Bentley Bentayga. It has plenty of presence, from the upright front end with imposing G-matrix front grille to the ‘two-lines’ design language that refers to the split front headlights, the bilevel illuminated side…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler IN a world that’s quickly shifting away from diesel, Audi’s rapid SQ7 SUV has finally swapped its mighty eight-cylinder diesel for an even mightier V8 bi-turbo petrol. You might well ask why it didn’t make the move sooner, allowing BMW X5s, Porsche Cayennes and Range Rover Sports to take all the V8 petrol glory. So has this latest Audi performance SUV been worth the wait? At the SQ7’s heart is a glorious engine that propels this sizeable seven-seater from 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds; that’s quicker than an Aston Martin DBX. Power stands at 500bhp (up from 429bhp in the diesel) with 770Nm of torque (down 130Nm) available between 2,000 and 4,000rpm. It gets the car from 50-75mph in just 3.8 seconds, and top speed is limited to…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy SKODA has made its name through great functionality and class-leading practicality. But how will the Czech brand deliver these values in pure-electric vehicles? The answer is the Enyaq iV – so it’s time for an in-depth look at the new SUV. We talk to Skoda’s CEO and the firm’s design boss, and meet the people helping to squeeze the car into Skoda’s hometown factory. We visit a UK dealer, too, to see how ready the brand is for potential EV buyers. To cap it all, we’ve taken a brand-new Enyaq across the UK – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – in just 24 hours, and on a single charge. We’ve learned a lot, and we hope the next 32 pages give you everything you need to know…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods OLIVER Stefani is enthusing over the rear three-quarter angle of the new Enyaq. Should you find yourself in a showroom with the new EV, that’s the sweet spot you should look for, according to the trained eye of Skoda’s chief designer. He’s telling us all about what he hopes potential buyers of Skoda’s electric SUV will see when the car arrives in dealers this summer. Stefani has spent the vast majority of his career within the Volkswagen automotive giant, working at the group between 1992 and 1999, then rejoining in 2002. He’s also an important man when it comes to all things MEB, the platform that underpins the new model. The German-born designer was responsible for the very first Volkswagen ID concept, now the ID.3 production car. He…

Dana Plath Head of Business Development, Sales 25 years with Skoda When did you join Skoda? I JOINED Skoda straight after graduating from university in the nineties. For me, the company was at the top of my list of potential employers, even while I was studying. The brand has been with me since childhood. My family is a typical ‘Skodian’ family; my grandparents, parents and most of my relatives worked for Skoda and still do today. How has your work evolved over those years? IT’S changed a lot. When I started there were some computers, but the staff didn’t have access to E-mail – something that is very hard to imagine today, especially for the younger generations. New technologies have made work much faster, and the Covid-19 pandemic has taken…

Expert insight Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk FEW areas of the new car market have exploded in popularity like the compact SUV sector in recent years. Whether you’d rather take a pragmatic or a slightly more superficial approach to car buying, it’s easy to see why the standards set and the choices available just keep on growing. Of all the segments on offer, few have to deliver such a wide range of strengths – and on such a tight budget. In general, these mini-SUVs derive their underpinnings from superminis – and take up barely any more space on the road. However, the chunky 4x4-inspired looks and high rooflines which make them so appealing to buyers also make them usefully more practical – in most cases they’re genuinely roomy enough to handle family life. So…

The time is right for new watch pairing ASTON Martin and Girard-Perregaux have launched their first watch together, called the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition. It’s intended to evoke the watchmaker’s 19th-century Three Bridges pocket watch and Aston Martin racing cars of the past. The movement is encased between two panes of sapphire crystal and the rim is made from titanium and “diamond-like carbon” for light weight and durability. Just 18 will be made, costing £93,900 each. Go to www.girard-perregaux.com for more information. Blimp back for BTCC weekend at Brands THE Goodyear Blimp will fly over the UK for the first time in nearly a decade. Appearing at Brands Hatch, Kent, on 26-27 June, the airship will provide aerial footage of the Goodyear-supplied British Touring Car Championship, before…

CO2 /tax 119-125g/km £155 Running costs 49-54mpg (1.5 TSI) £85 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/138mph VOLKSWAGEN has come a very long way since the launch of the Beetle in the 1940s. The firm’s first model really was a people’s car; it was very accessible and the focus was on utility and low running costs. In the intervening years things changed somewhat, reaching their zenith with the Phaeton’s introduction in 2002, although sales were slower than VW wanted. The company’s ambitions shrank a little after that with the introduction of the Passat-based CC saloon, which in 2017 was superseded by the more practical Arteon hatchback. This struck a neat balance between practicality, luxury and affordability. History THE Arteon hit UK roads in September 2017, priced from £34,305 and with a choice…

Hugo_Griffiths@autovia.co.uk @hugo_griffiths ● More drivers learning in autos ● May be unable to use manuals THE driving test looks set to be updated to ensure future generations are able to drive cars with a manual gearbox. Current legislation only allows people to drive manual cars if they passed their driving test in a manual, but this will become increasingly difficult as hybrid and electric cars become the norm, because these vehicles come universally with automatic transmissions. The driving test was last updated in 2018, when the additions included assessments of the ability to use a sat-nav. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which manages the test and examiners, told Auto Express it has begun to look at what changes need to be made to reflect the different natures of…

THE Government is advertising a £200,000 contract for a public EV charge point design. According to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, the brief is to develop a “functional public EV charge point” that has the potential to become “a piece of iconic British street furniture”. This design will be “a guide for local authorities and companies who wish to use it”, with the aim of generating “excitement” for the EV charge point rollout. Sir John Hayes MP, a former transport minister, told The Times it should be “something like the Gilbert Scott phone box or the pillar box”.…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler WHAT’S it about the actual cars we’ve owned that remains so special long after they’ve left us? I could buy any Lotus Elan in Steel Blue (and I’ve come close!) but it wouldn’t quite be the same as my old one (below). A sense of excitement builds every time I see a freshly advertised Elan pop up on the many alerts I’ve set up, but then the disappointment of finding out it’s not the same spec or year as my old car sets in. The biggest problem I have with tracking down ‘my’ Elan is the reg plate. When I bought it new in December 1990 I put a private plate on it – H3 LAN. That plate now lives on a Mercedes GLE. So if anyone has…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler Running costs 31.2mpg (official) £84 fill-up IF you really want to compete in the premium car market, you’ve still got to have a BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class-rivalling executive saloon. And in terms of looks, the new Genesis G80 has the premium brief nailed. The striking combination of an over-sized grille flanked by slim quad headlamps marks out the front, while in profile and at the back there are hints of the Aston Martin Rapide. There’s just the right amount of chrome and a high-quality paint finish that make it look as posh as any of its most obvious rivals. In spite of the coupé-like look, it’s actually a saloon with a 424-litre boot – quite a bit smaller than a 5 Series, A6 or E-Class. Space…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 34.0mpg (official) £83 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.6 seconds/155mph IT seems like summer has finally arrived, and there’s a new large convertible available to make the most of these higher temperatures. Mercedes has applied the same updates to its E-Class Cabriolet as to the saloon and estate models, boosting the technology and enhancing the style in a sector of the market where these two elements are key factors. The looks are a little sharper and fresher, with smarter detailing and a new front grille and headlights, but the E-Class Cabriolet’s elegant proportions haven’t been altered. This means that – roof up or roof down – it’s a striking-looking car that features the lines that many big convertible buyers want. The roof operates electronically and takes 20 seconds…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk SKODA is on the cusp of one of the biggest changes 1anges in the Czech firm’s 125-year history. There’s no 10 doubt that the modern Skoda brand we know today has thrived under VW Group ownership over the past three decades, but just as the industry as a whole is embracing full electrification, it’s a factor Skoda and its relatively new chief executive officer Thomas Schäfer know could be a leveller for the car industry. It’s also one he believes the brand is beautifully poised to capitalise ise on with its first bespoke electric car, the Enyaq iV. “The Enyaq for us is definitely a game changer. It unites us all completely behind this future and how we move the company forward,” he says. “It’s a true halo model…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy “IT’S a what? A Skoda? Get outta here.” The port police at Birkenhead see hundreds of cars drive past every day. But as we steer one of the first Skoda Enyaq iVs in the country aboard the Stena Line Edda for an overnight crossing to Belfast, the men in the hi-vis coats have decided that our vehicle merits a second look. We’re not about to object. Firstly, you just don’t want to annoy the law. Secondly, who are we to stamp on their curiosity? And thirdly, merely driving on to the Birken-head-to-Belfast boat means that we have, in effect, achieved our goal anyway. It’s time to sleep, then celebrate – so a few minutes chatting about the alloy wheels and the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles with the…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale BUYING a new car can and should be an enjoyable, exciting experience. But it also marks the beginning of a serious financial commitment, while the sheer range of models that are on sale today means a fair degree of homework is required. Customers may feel inclined to be even more cautious when they’re considering whether to go for a pure-electric model, because the vast majority of the UK’s drivers have only previously experienced owning and driving petrol or diesel vehicles. These stakes are not lost on Skoda, which is gearing up to introduce the Enyaq iV, its first bespoke EV. The brand has a reputation for level-headed, pragmatic practicality – in both its vehicles and its showrooms. And so the 128-dealer-strong UK network needs to be well placed…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 33.2mpg (test) £75 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/155mph DRIVER-assistance systems are becoming increasingly commonplace in our cars nowadays, and the M440i xDrive has more than its fair share of them. The car will steer and brake all by itself. It will accelerate and decelerate itself to remain at a constant distance from the car in front. It will even park itself if you wish. On the surface, then, you could quickly accuse it being the polar opposite of the “ultimate driving machine” mainly because, if you allow it to, this car will all but drive by itself along most roads. Yet the more miles I do in our M440i, the more I’ve come to like it, driver-assistance systems and all. I don’t use all of the…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Is car pass a licence to ride? MY son is thinking of buying a moped for commuting when he returns to office working. He has a full car licence, so can he ride a moped without doing Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)? John Lipscombe, E-mail A IT all depends on when he passed his test. If it was after 1 February 2001 he will need to use L-plates and take a CBT course (above). Even if he passed before this date, riding a moped is quite different from driving a car, so it’s well worth going through specialist training. Q How can I revive Alcantara? I’VE volunteered to clean my father’s car because he can’t do it any more, but the interior is pretty neglected. I…

IF you’re lucky enough to drive an expensive car, it’s likely that your insurance company will insist you have a professionally fitted tracking device to help retrieve in the event of a theft. But GPS trackers can be useful for the rest of us too, helping to keep tabs on where our car is parked, how it’s being driven, or just to create a mileage log for expenses. The simplest devices slot into your car’s OBD port. This socket provides the tracking device with power and lets it know when the engine is running. The tracker will then use a mobile data network to relay information straight to your smartphone or a dedicated website. Our favourite in the last multitest was the Amacam AM-T22, but it faces a new challenger…

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● All-new family SUV revealed ● Arrives in UK this September KIA has revealed the all-new fifth-generation Sportage, which will go on sale towards the end of 2021. The Korean brand’s latest family SUV will arrive with a bold look and a completely new interior loaded with the latest technology. A Europe-specific version of the Sportage will arrive in September. In the meantime, the car in our pictures is for international markets, so the car we’ll see in UK showrooms could look a little different. The new Sportage draws design inspiration from the all-electric EV6, and it shares the same C-shaped daytime running lights and rounded bonnet line, as well as a stylised version of the EV’s full-width light bar at the rear. Kia’s trademark ‘tiger nose’ grille…

VOTING for the Auto Express Design Award is now open, giving you the chance to choose 2021’sbestlooking new car. A 15-strong shortlist (right), which covers new and forthcoming production cars as well as concepts, has been selected by the experts on the Auto Express team, and we want you to decide which car goes on to take the title at our New Car Awards on 7 July. The list isn’t limited to sleek sports cars or wild concepts, either, with electric city cars, hatchbacks, SUVs and even an estate car all making the cut. Previous winners of the prestigious Design Award have included the Jaguar I-Pace, Alfa Romeo Tonale and Aston Martin Vantage. Visit our website to see the contenders and vote for your favourite. TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE…

PORSCHE has unveiled a new Touring Pack variant for the 911 GT3, priced at the same £127,820 as the standard version, but positioned as a more road-friendly model. Tweaks over the standard track-bred 911 GT3 include silver window surrounds, new silver exhaust tips, darkened headlights and the removal of the large rear wing. The steering wheel, gearlever, centre console and door handles are trimmed in leather. Plus, the car comes with dynamic LED headlights, carbon-ceramic brakes, an analogue laptimer, 18-way electrically adjustable seats and an improved stereo. Every 911 GT3 buyer who specs the Touring Package will also get a chronograph watch to match their car. This has luminous yellow hands that mimic the colour of the rev counter needle, while the strap is made from the same leather used…

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● Electric Highway on new track ● Whole network to be updated ECOTRICITY’S Electric Highway network of motorway electric car-charging points has been bought out entirely by Gridserve. Gridserve acquired a 25 per cent stake in the Electric Highway in March this year, and this new move is expected to bring tens of millions of pounds’ worth of investment to the UK’s motorway charging network. Gridserve has said it will update all of the existing chargers with new points that support Combined Charging Systems (CCS), CHAdeMO and AC connections. The firm’s CEO, Toddington Harper, said: “The upgraded network will provide the confidence for millions more people to make the successful transition to electric vehicles in the earliest possible timeframes.” Gridserve will install points with charging rates of up…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Nick Chadwick I’VE never been a big fan of electric cars, but they’re getting better. I don’t believe the environmental sales pitch, because ultimately the shift to EVs will involve more upgrading and consumption. But I like the electric 500. FROM: Barry Nicholson I HAVE some serious reservations. Not with the cars themselves, but with the lack of public charging infrastructure to support these all-electric brands. Surely hydrogen or some other alternative should be considered? Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■“You know what would be really fun to drive? An electric Fiat 124 Spider! If only that would happen.” Robert Francis ■ “Seems inevitable considering the deadlines for ending new petrol and diesel sales.” Tim G ■ “I wonder if prices of used petrol and diesel cars…

“I SPENT years looking for the 911 with the right spec, just old enough for me to afford but not too many miles on the clock. In 2013 I bought a Carrera S (997) with 27,000 miles. It was love at first sight, but a relationship that grew in appreciation every year. No expense was spared as it visited the Porsche dealership every year to keep it pristine. One Saturday morning after my son’s football practice, whilst I was driving my 911, I admired and overtook a beautiful grey 911 (991) GTS. As I parked up at Tesco, the GTS stopped next to me, and the owner approached me. My immediate worry was that I had done something wrong, and that was not improved when he declared ‘that’s my car’!…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Running costs 56.5mpg (official) £64 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.8 seconds/107mph THE coupé-SUV class is a new car segment that’s grown rapidly in size in recent times. Until now it’s been hogged by the premium German brands, but that’s about to change, thanks to Renault. This is the Arkana, a more affordable take on models such as the Audi Q5 Sportback, BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupé. Renault already sells a model that wears the Arkana badge in Russia, which is based on the Dacia Duster platform. However, this new car is underpinned by Renault’s CMF-B architecture, so it features its latest drivetrain technology. It’s stretched here, with the Arkana measuring slightly longer than the Kadjar SUV. It’s roughly the same width, too, but its lower roofline means…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 49.6mpg (official) £52 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.8 seconds/117mph TO keep its T-Cross compact SUV feeling fresh in an incredibly crowded class, Volkswagen has updated the range, adding new trims – including an Active model – and this, the T-Cross Black Edition. It’s identical to the rest of the range mechanically, available with the same 1.0 TSI turbo petrol in two power outputs (though not the range-topping 1.5 TSI), and either manual or dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, depending on which version you go for. However, image is important in this class, and Black Edition trim – as its name suggests – adds some key visual extras, including 17-inch black diamond-turned alloys, black door mirrors and some dark tinted windows, plus some extra kit over the SE model it’s…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy IT’S fairly common knowledge that Skoda has made great progress by using a VW Group set of parts called MQB. These components (not only the chassis, but also key elements such as the transmissions and electronics) have underpinned a great swathe of the Skoda range, including the Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq and Octavia, over the past decade. For Enyaq, though, Skoda has switched to a new all-electric toybox. It’s called MEB, which stands for Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten in German, if you’re asking. This is basically the all-electric equivalent of MQB. It’s already supporting some VWs, and upcoming models from Audi and Cupra will also use it. But the Enyaq will be the first European-built car from the family to be made outside Germany, at Skoda’s hometown factory in Mlada Boleslav…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy EVEN before the days of Covid, the industrial town of Mlada Boleslav wouldn’t have really featured on the list of prime destinations for UK travellers. Even those venturing to the Czech Republic would be more likely to take in the delights of cultured Prague instead. But for anyone interested in cars, just think of the city 30-odd miles north of the Czech capital as Skodatown, pure and simple. Mlada’s status as an industrial hub was formed long before the invention of the automobile; its position beside the Jizera river gave it a water source for everything from mills and breweries, to a textile factory that used to occupy the site of Skoda’s current engine development division. These days, though, the wider Skoda Auto factory and the surrounding suppliers…

Expert insight Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk WHILE used buys offer fantastic value for money, nothing quite beats the feeling of driving out of a showroom in a brand-new car. By stepping up to the most recent small SUV contenders, you open yourself up to the very latest benefits. In-car tech progresses quicker than almost any other area, and that’s reflected in the fact that all of our contenders here are available with tech such as digital dials – a feature unheard of in this class just a couple of years ago. But it’s not just infotainment systems that these cars flaunt. They also boast better fuel efficiency than ever (including more hybrid and electric options), improved safety features and crash protection. There’s the peace of mind that comes with a full manufacturer’s warranty,…

Lesser Spotted Classics David Milloy (self-published, amazon.co.uk) Price: £6.99 Rating: A PARTICULARLY eclectic collection of cars that you just don’t see very often. It’s good to have models like the Jensen GT and Lancia Delta HF Turbo rubbing shoulders with unusual offerings like the Matra Rancho or Bond Bug. There are interesting facts and specs, plus great specially commissioned line drawings in lieu of photography. A bargain. Cool Recipes& CampingHacks forVWCampers Dave Richards (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £14.99 Rating: ADJUSTING from a kitchen to two gas burners in a campervan can be tricky, but author Dave Richards is an experienced camper and his recipes are all designed to be cooked in a van. The book is packed with tips and hints, not just around cooking but camping in general. GT…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Will warranty be valid if my car isn’t serviced by dealer? I BOUGHT a used car on PCP with several years’ warranty left on it, but don’t want to pay main-dealer servicing rates. My garage says the warranty will still be valid if they service the car with OEM parts. Is this right? GC, E-mail A YES, the warranty should remain valid as long as OEM parts are used, and services are done at the correct point in time/mileage and in line with the maker’s schedule of servicing tasks. A warranty claim could be rejected if any steps are missed or lapses are found with regard to this, though. As for the PCP, there may be a clause in your contract requiring main-dealer servicing,…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk BMW will return to top-flight sportscar racing in 2023, joining fellow German brands Audi and Porsche in contesting the Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) category in the US IMSA series – and potentially the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans 24 Hours as well. BMW M division CEO Markus Flasch broke the news last week with an Instagram post showing the marque’s late-nineties V12 LMR prototype racer (top) with the caption “We are back! – Daytona 2023”. Spokespeople for the brand confirmed the announcement, but full details have yet to be confirmed. BMW’s factory sportscar racing has been concentrated on North America of late, after it pulled out of the WEC following a single disappointing season with the M8 in 2019. The car has continued to appear in…

IF you’re an average worker on an average salary seeking to buy an average brand-new car, you’ll have to work full-time for about 12 months for the privilege of buying and owning one outright. Put another way, a 40-hour working week, 48 weeks of the year equates to almost 2,000 hours of time served at the office, factory, shop or wherever. Depending on which official or unofficial figure is used as a reference point (there are many), the average annual wage for a full-time employee is around the £30k mark. But after income tax, National Insurance and other work-related deductions, that figure reduces – and then some – to £20k-plus. And, by year end, it’s this sort of money that will be enough to get you the keys to, say,…