Innholdsfortegnelse for 1684 i Auto Express

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods ● All-new 11th-generation Honda Civic hatchback revealed ● New model will be built in Japan, following UK plant closure HONDA has revealed the new 11th-generation Civic hatchback. It arrives next autumn as the first Civic sold in the UK, but not built here, since 1994. Production of the Mk10 model will cease next month and with it Honda will end 36 years of manufacturing in Britain and the EU, with the closure of its Swindon plant. This new Civic will be offered exclusively with a hybrid powertrain, as part of Honda’s mission to electrify all of its European models by 2022. This new Mk11 car will be built in Japan or the USA, likely using an evolution of the Mk10 car’s platform, and Honda has confirmed that the…

FoS 2021 puts EVs under the spotlight THE Goodwood Festival of Speed will embrace electric mobility at this year’s event with a new exhibition space called ‘Electric Avenue – The Road To 2030’. The special area will showcase electric vehicles ranging from city cars to supercars, aiming to make electric mobility accessible for the masses with plenty of immersive experiences that will highlight how consumers can make the switch to zero-emissions motoring. The FoS will be held from 8-11 July. Semiconductor woes still causing issues CAR production in the UK remained significantly lower than average in May 2021 because of the ongoing semiconductor shortage. New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed an output of 54,962 cars during the month – up 934.3 per cent on May…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods ● Mid-size convertible set to make its debut in 2023 ● Two-door soft-top model will be joined by a coupé THIS is our first look at a brand-new, next-generation, mid-size convertible Mercedes – but it isn’t a C-Class. Auto Express understands this will be an all-new model intended as a catch-all car for the small and mid-size premium convertible market, and it’s being lined up to take on a new badge: CLE, a nameplate Mercedes has owned for a while, but recently renewed its trademark for. Brand executives have spoken in the past of a need to reduce complexity in the Mercedes portfolio, reaching a high of almost 50 vehicles in 2020 and only due to expand further still, with the rollout of EQ-badged electric models. Speaking earlier…

East Africa Rally win inspires Juke concept NISSAN has revealed its Juke Rally Tribute Concept (above), a version of the compact SUV that pays homage to the brand’s 240Z competition model, which won the East Africa Rally 50 years ago. As a result, the Juke features a black bonnet and black wheels, although it’s powered by a hybrid electric powertrain that focuses on efficiency but also delivers an instant boost of torque. Brits ‘keen on EVs but want the price to fall’ HALF of British motorists want to drive an electric vehicle, according to a new survey by Volkswagen Financial Services. Some 78 per cent of respondents said they believed that failure to give up petrol and diesel cars would hurt the environment, but 59 per cent said the average…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk I REMEMBER my first encounter with a Volkswagen Golf GTI almost as if it were yesterday. I was 11 at the time, on holiday with my folks up in the Lake District one summer, and the GTI in question was a brand-new Mk1 in black with red detailing around its nose, and a silver Pirelli “P-Slot” wheel at each corner. It was sitting quietly in a car park at the side of Lake Windermere, and when I saw it I couldn’t believe my eyes. It looked… perfect. Beside it, my dad’s hitherto impossibly cool 3.0-litre Ford Capri – yellow with a black vinyl roof, naturally – suddenly seemed like yesterday’s car. I was aware enough even back then to know that the Golf GTI was very different. It had…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE pressure is on for cars such as the Mercedes C-Class and its arch-rivals, the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Previously rock-solid company car choices, they’re starting to feel the squeeze from legislation, the taxman and pure-electric alternatives. So for the latest incarnation of its small executive saloon, codenamed W205, Mercedes has pulled out all the stops on technology, quality and, yes, electrification. We were suitably impressed by the C 300 d when we tried it recently, but now we’ve had a chance to sample a left-hand-drive version of the C 220 d – traditionally the big-seller – on British roads. The C 220 d uses the same four-cylinder motor that we tried in the C 300 d, but with a more modest output. Even so, its…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.7 seconds/150mph THE world waited a while for a properly competitive baby Jaguar. It received it in 2015 in the form of the XE, but a decade after its launch Jaguar’s compact executive saloon will be removed from sale as the British manufacturer’s range becomes all-electric from 2025. However, that’s not stopped Jag tweaking the formula in the meantime, and following the XE’s facelift a few years ago it’s been updated once again, with new infotainment, featuring the latest connectivity technology and over-the-air software updates, plus a revised powertrain line-up. We’ll start with the former because it’s an area that this XE’s predecessor needed some improvement in. The new Pivi Pro system is much snappier in its responses, lagging less behind your inputs. But you also…

THE Q4 e-tron is offered in four trim levels, one of which, the First Edition, will be a limited run. The range kicks off with Sport trim, and standard kit includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display, rear parking sensors and cruise control. Place a £4,500 deposit on a three-year PCP deal, and the Sport trim matched with the 40 powertrain comes to £654 per month. Step up to the S line, and on matching terms the monthly figure jumps up to £680. The extra £26 brings 20-inch rims, rear privacy glass, part-leather-effect sports seats and interior ambient lighting. The range-topping Vorsprung introduces an uprated sound system from Audi’s new hi-fi partner, Sonos. A panoramic sunroof, an augmented-reality head-up display, a full-leather interior and 21-inch alloys also…

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate PRICE: £48,145 POWERTRAIN: 73kWh battery, 301bhp THE eye-catching Ioniq 5 has substance to match its concept-car looks. In terms of power and charging tech it has both rivals here covered and, boot aside, it’s as practical as the Audi. It’s comfortable to drive and has a great interior. It’s a huge amount of EV for the cash. Ford Mustang Mach-E standard range RWD PRICE: £41,330 POWERTRAIN: 75kWh battery, 265bhp THE Mustang Mach-e is the electric SUV of choice for the keen driver, with great handling and steering. Some interior areas lack our test duo’s premium feel, but the huge infotainment screen is bang up to date. The standard-range car undercuts this pair on price.…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs 217 miles range (official) 0% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 380/1,250 litres IT’S perhaps the biggest question facing anyone buying a new family car today: should they go petrol, diesel or electric? The conundrum is obviously one that resonated at PSA (now Stellantis), because it developed its small-car platform (CMP) to be compatible with all three powertrains. And then some canny engineer at Citroen decided it would be a good base for the latest C4. The vehicle here, then, is Auto Express’s latest fleet car, which will go into daily use as the McIlroy family runabout. And we have chosen zero-emissions motoring – the e-C4, in other words – reasoning that 99 per cent of our journeys will fall well within the comfort zone on range.…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Fixed up, look sharp I’VE just had my car’s wheels refurbished and they look great. What’s the best way to keep them in pristine condition? Mark Galpin, E-mail A WHEELS are finished in much the same way as bodywork, with lacquer over paint, so treat them in the same way. Don’t let grime build up, and try to remove as much as possible with a pressure washer, including on the inner rim or barrel. Spray on shampoo and let it work before rinsing, then use soft brushes and a microfibre mitt to remove any grime that’s left. Q Clear up air-con conundrum AS the weather has improved I’ve started using my car’s air-conditioning again. It gets cold, but it doesn’t seem work as quickly or…

ROUTE planning has become ever more digital in recent years, but there are still plenty of drivers who prefer to navigate using paper maps. After all, they can’t go wrong or have batteries that go flat, and you can see a whole region. Updated versions have just been released from the major players. Will A-Z hang on to its crown? To find, out we checked for up-to-date accuracy by searching for three proposed road projects and then whether or not four small hamlets from around Britain were shown. All were expected to show the London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), with extra marks awarded for useful info such as major town approach roads, town and city mapping, air and sea port layouts, restricted motorway junctions, route planners…

WHEN I talk here of Electric Six, I refer not to my favourite disco-punk-garage band. No, the Electric Six I have in mind are the half dozen EV-related issues that occasionally haunt me. They are: power outages; prohibitively high retail prices for EVs; range and range anxiety; woeful under-investment in charging infrastructure; the often ignored (though not by Auto Express) human, environmental and production costs of EV tech and dead batteries; and WLTP testing procedures and quoted ranges that can still be wide of the mark. The first of my Electric Six concerns – the increasingly common power cut – is in some respects the one to worry about least, because such outages don’t bother users of leccy on a daily basis. Or at least that’s what I thought before…

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● New V6 engine and e-motor make 819bhp ● 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and 205mph+ top speed FERRARI has revealed the 296 GTB, a new mid-engined supercar with V6 hybrid power, and a rival for the upcoming McLaren Artura. The 296 GTB is bristling with technology designed to deliver stunning performance with as small an environmental impact as possible. The plug-in hybrid system uses a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 in conjunction with a small battery that feeds a single electric motor. There’s a combined total of 819bhp and 740Nm of torque from the set-up, which Ferrari says is enough for a 0-62mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of more than 205mph. The V6, which without electrical assistance produces 654bhp, is a clean-sheet design with a 120-degree…

Hugo_Griffiths@autovia.co.uk @hugo_griffiths ● Industrial action and Covid hit services ● Delays are leaving some unable to drive THE Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is experiencing “significant delays” processing paper applications due to social-distancing rules, and industrial action linked to Covid-19. Strikes by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have been staged in response to what it calls “unsafe” working conditions. Some 600 of the DVLA’s 6,000-strong workforce are reported to have had Covid, although the organisation says it has followed Government advice at every stage. A provisional deal between the DVLA and PCS recently fell through, and the union’s general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: “Targeted action will continue at the DVLA unless the original deal, which both parties had agreed in principle, is back on the table.” 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…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram WHILE the Ferrari Portofino M’s name is familiar, that new suffix is key. M stands for Modificata, with the car getting a host of upgrades, many of which follow experience from the mechanically similar Roma GT car. However, the Portofino’s key feature – its retractable aluminium hard-top – remains, while exterior styling changes over the original car are subtle, and the cabin stays much the same. It’s a shame the Roma’s dash wasn’t integrated, but an entirely new interior architecture would have been a bit too much of a stretch. The equipment has improved, though; heated seats are fitted, and seat ventilation is available, along with some advanced safety systems. The 3.9-litre V8 has benefitted from the same tweaks as the Roma’s unit. Revised cam profiles and faster-spinning…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.9 seconds/99mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 451/1,405 litres Running costs 3.1 miles/kWh (on test) £8.64 fill-up/£0 or 1% tax MODEL TESTED: Mercedes EQA 250 Sport PRICE: £44,495 POWERTRAIN: 66.5kWh battery, 187bhp AS with the Q4 e-tron, the EQA is currently the smallest and least expensive vehicle in the German manufacturer’s electric car line-up. Here we’re testing the £44,495 EQA 250 Sport, which thanks to optional metallic paint (£595), a Driving Assistance Package (£1,695), and a trailer coupling system (£750), comes to a total of £47,535. Design & engineering WHILE the new Q4 e-tron uses EV-specific underpinnings, Mercedes has taken a more conservative direction with its first generation of fully electrified vehicles. That means the EQA rides on an adapted version of the Stuttgart brand’s Modular Front Architecture…

Audi Q4 e-tron MMI Navigation Plus Key features: Three-year connected services sub. AUDI has kept things familiar with the Q4’s infotainment. It uses the same 10.1-inch touchscreen as many other models in the firm’s range and is as slick as ever. The home page displays eight main menus presented in large tiles, which can be customised to suit the driver’s own preference, while one swipe to the left – a motion that the system responds to quickly and smoothly – shows three larger widgets. The navigation uses Google satellite graphics and it looks fantastic. Loading times are fairly quick, too; the process of typing in a postcode via the on-screen keyboard, to the system loading the route and giving the first instruction takes 25 seconds. If we’re being very fussy,…

BRAKE REGEN BOTH the EQA and the Q4 feature paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the level of regenerative braking (standard on the Mercedes, a £285 option for the Audi). It’s an intuitive system in both cars that allows the driver to adjust the rate of deceleration in order to coast along a level road or maintain speed on a downhill stretch. The Audi’s can also detect speed-limit changes and automatically adjust the regen to suit. HEAT PUMP ONE of the issues facing EVs – particularly during the winter months – is a reduced range when it’s cold. Not only are batteries less effective at low temperatures, but heating the cabin also requires extra power, which adds a further drain on energy. A heat pump takes wasted heat energy…

Under the Bonnet: Confessions of a 1970s & ’80s Car Mechanic Brian Cunningham (The History Press, thehistorypress.co.uk) Price: £12.99 Rating: SURE to bring back memories for anyone who was a child at the time, whether of rusty Vauxhalls in a garage or a pair of legs sticking out from under the car in the driveway. Cunningham’s book is entertaining and might even be surprising to those unfamiliar with the way the motor trade used to be. It’s a pleasant, relaxed read packed with nostalgia. Family Cars of the 1960s James Taylor (Amberley Publishing, amberley-books.com) Price: £8.99 Rating: DEFINITELY another nostalgia trip, although this time for a generation older than the title above. It’s not a long book, but it’s packed with stories of the cars our parents and grandparents drove…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Will independent servicing affect my car’s warranty? MY 2019 hatchback is obviously still covered by its manufacturer warranty, and I want to get it serviced at an independent garage rather than the main dealer. Should I be worried that this will affect its warranty? William Lindsay, E-mail A YOU are not obliged to maintain your car at the main dealer to preserve the warranty, but you must have it serviced in line with manufacturer schedules, and using approved parts. It should also be stressed that any error or gap in the service record can cause a warranty claim to be refused, and you should make sure you get detailed records from any independent garage. Speak to the manufacturer’s warranty department or the dealer for…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk ⏺ Five-round championship plan ⏺ ASO to be exclusive promoter MOTORSPORT’S governing body, the FIA, and the French organiser of the Dakar Rally, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), have reached agreement on the establishment of a new FIA World Championship for cross-country rallies. The championship’s first season will be 2022, kicking off with that year’s Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Four more rounds will make up the inaugural calendar, with exact dates and locations still to be announced. FIA World Championship titles will be awarded to the overall winning driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The new championship joins Formula 1, World Rally, World Rallycross, the World Endurance Championship, Formula E, and the World Karting Championship in gaining FIA World Championship status. As part of the agreement, ASO will serve as the…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Small SUV based on same platform as Yaris ● Front and four-wheel drive versions offered TOYOTA likes to argue that, in some ways, it was responsible for the mainstream adoption of ‘off-roaders’, thanks to its original RAV4. And yet the brand has been slow producing a smaller, supermini-based SUV. Only now, more than a decade after the launch of the original Nissan Juke, do we have a serious offering in the class from Toyota. But make no mistake, the Yaris Cross is a proper entry indeed. Based on the firm’s TNGA architecture, the small SUV has a hybrid-only powertrain that feels right in tune with today’s buying trends. It’s available with four-wheel drive, but in mechanical terms, that is really the only choice buyers have to make…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Vauxhall Astra FROM: Hector THE Astra should be a proper looker, just as the new Corsa and Mokka are. The issue is what the Vauxhall badge has said to buyers for years – it’s going to take a while to make it desirable. Skoda managed this, though, so it’s totally possible. FROM: Stephen Hawkins IT looks okay, but it’s not going to set the world on fire. Plus, the last few Vauxhalls I’ve had as company cars have ended up in the garage due to various reliability issues. I hope some major work has been done in that department. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■“I had hoped Vauxhall would make a new Astra GTC – that would be a fine-looking car.” Iain Macleod ■ “This certainly…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 490/1,510 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.5 seconds/149mph Running costs 38.1-43.4mpg (official) £64 fill-up THE Mercedes C-Class Estate has always been quite comfortable in its own skin within the compact executive estate class. With less demand on dynamic prowess than its saloon stablemate, the Merc has sold well on looks, kit, comfort and refinement – even if it has never been the outright king of practicality. Now there’s a new version of the car, arriving alongside the new saloon instead of after the usual six-month delay. And we’ve had a chance to drive a left-hand-drive model on UK roads. The new C-Class wagon uses a heavily updated version of the previous car’s Modular Rear Architecture platform, with reconfigured suspension. At launch the car will be…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 48.7mpg (official) £70 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.1 seconds/122mph “Quick steering and good grip mean you can enjoy the Kuga on twisty roads” FORD is pressing on with its roll-out of electrified models with the launch of this new Kuga Hybrid. It sits below the existing plug-in hybrid variant, with a more limited all-electric range, but also a more affordable price tag. Ford calls this the Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle (or FHEV), and it starts from £33,595 compared with £36,555 for the plug-in. However, in high-spec ST-Line X Edition trim tested here, it’ll cost you £34,735. For that you geta 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor that’s fed by a compact 1.1kWh battery. Together, both power sources deliver a maximum of…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.5 seconds/99mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 520/1,490 litres Running costs 3.4 miles/kWh (on test) £10.66 fill-up/£0 or 1% tax MODEL TESTED: Audi Q4 e-tron 40 PRICE: £44,275 POWERTRAIN: 82kWh li-ion battery, e-motor, 201bhp THE Q4 e-tron sits below the existing e-tron as the new starting point in Audi’s all-electric SUV line-up. It’s tested here in 40 Sport trim, priced at £44,275, but our test car has some extras that aren’t available in this spec in the UK, including the ambient lighting pack, rear privacy glass and 20-inch alloys. Design & engineering THE Volkswagen Group’s aggressive EV strategy has been spearheaded by its MEB platform, which is set to become one of the most ubiquitous of its type over the coming years. While we’ve seen its use in…

THE entry-level EQA 250 Sport tested here is so well equipped that we can’t see much reason to venture higher up the range. LED headlights, 18-inch alloys, cruise control, a reversing camera, lane-keep and blind-spot assist are all standard. Paired only with the 250 powertrain, it costs £44,495. AMG Line has a different 18-inch wheel design and sportier-looking bumpers, Alcantara-effect seats with red stitching and some sports pedals. Like for like, it costs £1,500 more than the Sport. The range is topped with the AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus. Premium adds £3,000 to the AMG Line trim and brings 19-inch alloys, a panoramic glass roof, an uprated sound system and wireless smartphone charging. Premium Plus gets 20-inch rims, adaptive damping, a 360-degree parking camera, a Burmester hi-fi and a…

1st AUDI WITH the Q4 e-tron, Audi hasn’t just produced a brilliant EV, but one of the best premium SUVs around. For its size, it’s immensely practical, refinement is excellent and it’s relaxing to drive. The real-world range is great, and it lifts all the best infotainment tech from the existing Audi line-up, too. It manages to edge the Mercedes by small margins in almost every area, so it takes a deserved win. 2nd MERCEDES ALTHOUGH the Mercedes has to settle for second place in this test, it’s still a very desirable electric SUV. The interior technology is impressive, it’s relaxing to drive, and for most people the EQA will be spacious enough. However, for the same cash the Audi is much more practical, slightly better to drive and can…

BMW to offer in-car parking payment BMW has teamed up with RingGo to allow drivers to pay for parking directly from their car’s infotainment system. The built-in RingGo app is accessed via BMW’s iDrive software, and is accepted in car parks across 450 towns and cities nationwide. It should prove useful for those getting out and about, and means drivers no longer have to carry cash or get their card out to pay at a meter. The app will be available on all BMW vehicles running the firm’s Operating System 7, built after July 2018. It will be applied as an over-the-air update. Audi’s first electric GT to use Hankook tyres HANKOOK will supply the tyres for the new Audi e-tron GT, the car maker’s first all-electric sports car. It…

Search more than 60,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee CO2 /tax 128-154g/km £155 Running costs 47-49mpg (2.2d 150) £75 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.9 seconds/127mph MAZDA isn’t a high-profile car brand in the UK, but it deserves to be because its products tend to offer the full package: sharp styling, a great driving experience, decent reliability and well designed cabins that are built to a high standard. The brand arguably straddles the premium and mainstream sectors, so its prices can either seem good value or a touch on the high side, depending on which perspective you take. But wherever you sit, there’s no denying that the original CX-5 of 2012 was an excellent, stylish and sharp-driving SUV. The second-generation model featured here…

W Series transitions to team-based model THE women-only W Series single-seater championship has announced it will transition from centrally running all cars to the team-based model used by the majority of other series, in a move that was planned from its outset. The championship’s second season began last weekend, supporting the Styrian Grand Prix in Austria, having been postponed entirely from 2020 because of the effects of the pandemic. Turkish GP returns to replace Singapore race FORMULA 1 has put the Turkish Grand Prix back on the 2021 calendar, as a replacement for the now-cancelled Singapore night race on 3 October. The Istanbul event was originally set to replace the cancelled Canadian Grand Prix in June, but that plan then had to be abandoned when Turkey was added to the…