Innholdsfortegnelse for 1709 i Auto Express

LUXURY-car retailer and American import specialist Clive Sutton has opened orders for what it describes as “the world’s only Shelby-licensed Cobras” in right-hand-drive UK guise. The cars are recreated by Superformance, the only company licensed by the Cobra’s creator, Carroll Shelby, to build reproductions. The latest additions include the Mk2 ‘Slab Side’ Cobra, an officially sanctioned continuation of the original 1962 Shelby Cobra 289. With a 5.7-litre V8 that produces 410 or 465bhp depending on spec, the Mk2 Cobra is intended intended to provide an “exceptionally authentic” driving experience, and is priced from £124,950. A larger 7.0-litre V8 widebody model (right) is available for £1,000 less.…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 587/1,776 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/120mph THE Kia Sportage is a model whose progress has closely followed that of the manufacturer itself. The first two generations of the family SUV were conservative at best. But the third iteration really set out Kia’s stall as a progressive, design-led brand that could offer more than just value for money. If anything, the Mk4 Sportage felt a little bit like consolidation after the huge gains made by its predecessor, but that’s not an accusation that’s likely to be levelled at the all-new, fifth-generation Sportage. It has a striking, bold look at the front, a distinctive profile and one of the most cutting-edge, tech-laden cabins in the business. It’s available with a range of power trains, including…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.2 seconds/149mph EARLIER this year, quintessentially British car builder Morgan proved it could do outrageous as well as any hypercar manufacturer. But it did so in its own unique way when it released the CX-T. The brand has a long history with time trialling, a gruelling off-road sport that sees cars compete over the toughest terrain, and Morgan’s historic models are famed for their impressive ability in such events. These models are what the Malvern-based manufacturer wanted to recreate after a handful of well heeled customers had expressed an interest in ‘an adventure car’. Outwardly, the Plus Four CX-T (to give the car its full name) looks similar in concept to the Ariel Nomad, but in reality the two are subtly different in their execution. The…

Running costs 38.0mpg (on test) £79 fill-up/£155 tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 430/1,598 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.5 seconds/120mph MODEL TESTED: Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 140 N-Connecta PRICE: £18,000 ENGINE: 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo, 138bhp THE Nissan Qashqai has always been among the top sellers in the UK, and there are a huge number to choose from on the used market. The car in our pictures is a 69-plate model with a 1.3-litre petrol engine and an auto gearbox, but for the purposes of this test we’re looking at a model with a manual gearbox to match the Duster’s. In N-Connecta trim you can buy one with around 15,000 miles on the clock for roughly £18,000, which is just over £300 more than the Dacia with options included (paint and a…

NEW: SsangYong Tivoli 1.2 Ventura PRICE: £17,345 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 126bhp ANOTHER budget contender in the SUV segment, the Tivoli is great value and looks a little less rugged than the Duster. It’s slightly quieter on the road, too, while its three-cylinder engine has almost as much power as the Duster’s four-cylinder unit. USED: Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SE (2018) PRICE: £18,000 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 148bhp THE Karoq is an excellent family SUV with a punchy, quiet and efficient range of engines, a comfortable ride, lots of space and up-to-date tech. You’ll have to go for a lower spec or higher miles to just squeeze in under budget, but it’s still a top choice.…

Dawn_Grant@autovia.co.uk Battery/charging 54kWh battery 50kW DC (0-80% in 52 mins) Practicality Boot (seats up) 367 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.5 seconds/100mph THANKS to its relatively early push on hybrid powertrains, Lexus is probably the premium manufacturer best known for electrification. And now Toyota’s rival to Audi, BMW and Mercedes is about to embark on a major drive towards pure-electric motoring. You’ll have already read in this issue about the brand’s ambitious plans for the rest of this decade – yet the process has already begun, with the UX300e. It might seem like a tentative toe in the water in the face of what’s to come, but this is Lexus’s first full EV – albeit one that is sold beside a more conventional hybrid edition. The UX300e is a baby SUV…

So, You Want to be a Racing Driver? Leanne Fahy (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £14.99 Rating: MANY budding racers will need to start out in karting from a young age, so it’s great that this book uses accessible language and explains everything well enough for children to make sense of it. It covers all the bases, too, with an abundance of information. The Ultimate Classic Car Quiz Book 2 David Milloy (Self-published, amazon.co.uk) Price: PART quiz book, part factfile, this volume comprises questions for even the nerdiest of car geeks, and the stories behind the answers – expanded upon with additional information, fun facts and a history lesson. Not really a family quiz book, but fun will ensue in a room of enthusiasts. Real Driving School Available for: iOS, Android…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Do resident permits apply when EV owners charge? I LIVE in London and don’t have a resident’s permit, instead parking my electric car in a private car park near my home. There are kerbside chargers on the next street. Do I need a resident’s permit to use these? James Hanley, E-mail A THIS depends on the street’s parking restrictions and the brand of charger. Even if resident parking restrictions apply to the rest of the street, these may not apply to the EV charging bays. There should be a signpost clearly stating the rules, so read them carefully before plugging in. If not, contact the charging firm or your local council to confirm via an E-mail or letter whether you need a permit to…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk “A larger SUV with three rows of seats is set to sit alongside the RZ, which goes on sale this year” ALONGSIDE sister brand Toyota’s announcement, premium Japanese marque Lexus also unveiled three new EV concept models that preview the manufacturer’s drive towards a fully electric line-up by 2030 – as well as teasing further details of its production-ready RZ SUV. Toyota Motor Corporation CEO Akio Toyoda highlighted that Lexus will target one million EV sales globally by the end of the decade, with battery-powered cars accounting for 100 per cent of sales in Europe by the same point, outlining the initial wave of models that will help the brand achieve this. Key to Lexus’s goals will be its SUV line-up, with a larger model that could be available…

ADDRESSING owner feedback on its Golf 8 family hatch, Volkswagen has updated the car’s infotainment for 2022, with faster voice control, improved accidental-touch recognition and more processing power. The tweaks apply to cars equipped with the Discover Pro system, while the standard set-up also gets a usability boost. The software update will be available as a free upgrade to existing Golf owners. From next year, VW’s ID. electric models will also receive a software upgrade, improving charging capability to 135kW on the larger 77kWh-battery versions.…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars “There are sidebars to shield the sills and battery from rocks, and even a front bull bar is fitted” THE Citroen Ami is quirky enough in standard trim, but the brand has revealed one of many wackier versions that could reach showrooms in the future. The My Ami Buggy Concept is a tougher, all terrain variant of the electric quadricycle. To create it, the Ami has been re-engineered to take on challenging terrain, with chunky off-road tyres, while a spare wheel and an LED light bar have been fitted on the roof. Protection for the front and rear lights has been added, too. There are also sidebars to shield the sills and the battery from rocks and obstacles, while a roof cap has been fitted to shade passengers…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) 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…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 46.4mpg (official) £81 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/132mph “The Taigo takes the T-Cross and clothes it in a sharper coupé-SUV body” NOT content with two small SUVs in its range, Volkswagen has added a third with the new Taigo, a compact coupé-crossover that follows the firm’s T-Cross and T-Roc. The idea is that offering a little more style means VW can command a bit more money, with prices from £22,450, compared with £21,430 for the T-Cross. The Taigo takes much of what makes the T-Cross (with which it shares its platform) an appealing small SUV and clothes it in a body with a more heavily tapered roofline at the rear. There’s a very slight reduction of headroom in the back, although legroom is fine, while boot…

Dacia Duster Eight-inch Media Display Key features: Smartphone connectivity THE Dacia Duster in Comfort trim comes with an eight-inch touchscreen display on the dash, and while it doesn’t have sat-nav built in, you can connect your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and use a mapping app to get navigation; you really don’t need the sat-nav if this tech is included. There are two USB ports behind the gearlever to connect up your phone. The screen itself isn’t the best quality, because even on our brand-new example there were some marks on the top edge. The graphics are chunky and the menus are easy to use, but it looks old-fashioned considering this is a factory-fresh car. Flick on the smartphone systems, though, and it works perfectly well. The screen…

STYLING WHILE the new Duster has different lights and a new grille, it really doesn’t look all that different to the model it replaces. It’s an understated design that has a lot of charm, and the raised ride height and chunky tyres mean it looks like more of an off-roader than the Qashqai, while its tougher looks make the Romanian car appear better prepared for adventuring. Dacia also offers a 4x4 version in Prestige trim. GEARBOX THE Qashqai in our pictures was an automatic model, and it shifted smoothly, if a little slowly. The Dacia is available with an automatic gearbox as well, although not with this engine; you have to choose a more powerful version of the same 1.3-litre petrol. Combine the boosted 148bhp output with a more complex…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 380/1,250 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/93mph IT’S a well trodden path, I’ll admit – but charging remains one of the worrying variables of electric-car ownership. Or specifically, public charging, the potentially soul-destroying process that could kick you just when you need it the most. But an additional parameter often gets forgotten: usage patterns. Because, over six months with Citroen’s impressive e-C4, I only needed to plug in somewhere other than my home wallbox on a handful of occasions. Now I grant you, the UK is still a different place from how it was at the end of 2019, with far fewer face-to-face meetings. But even allowing for this, I still managed to get from home in Berkshire to the Midlands on a few…

Instant speed-limit warnings from Sygic SYGIC has introduced a traffic sign-recognition system to its offline GPS navigation app. Using a smartphone camera to recognise speed limits from signs and LED screens, it can relay the most accurate and current limits while navigating, rather than relying on potentially outdated GPS data that doesn’t cover, say, smart motorways, temporary restrictions or roadworks. The app has already been updated for existing Sygic Premium+ customers. If this doesn’t apply to you, visit the iOS or Android app stores to download it. Q4 e-tron gets new Bridgestone rubber BRIDGESTONE will supply tyres for the latest Audi Q4 e-tron EV. Developed to the car maker’s technical requirements, the custom-engineered Turanza ECO summer design features rolling resistance which exceeds that needed for an A rating in the…

WINTER is the toughest time of the year for your car’s battery, so having a good charger ready to go when a helping hand is needed is a worthwhile precaution. Today’s electronics-packed chargers can get you going again after you’ve heard that dreaded click of the starter, and recondition an ageing battery, ensuring that little-used cars are ready to go whenever you need them. However, those smart electronics mean the units can now deliver a bewildering range of charging modes and options, which can easily confuse. We took our 80-point checklist to CTEK’s Swedish R&D centre to discover which charger should be in your garage this winter. How we tested them GETTING you on your way after your car has suffered a flat battery remains at the heart of the…

Search more than 50,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee CO2/tax 101-129g/km £155 Running costs 62-64mpg (1.0 TSI 95) £51 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.8 seconds/116mph HERE’S something that you might not know: the original Volkswagen Polo started out as the Audi 50, way back in 1974. Within a few months, VW had introduced its own version (proving that sharing within the VW Group is nothing new), but while Audi gave up on this three-door supermini by 1978, VW stuck with it to come up with one of the most polished performers in its class. Over the years the Polo has grown in every way: in size, reputation, price and ability, to the point that it’s now one of the most popular…

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2021 has been tough. Will things improve in the next 12 months? SO 2021 turned out to be another pretty frightful year, and again the motor industry has taken its share of the hurt. It’s now two years since those chilling images from Wuhan in China first appeared on news reports, and we’re still living with the effects of the pandemic. With no one seemingly able to predict when things will return to normal – or even what our new normal might look like – planning a new or used-car purchase isn’t as straightforward as it was. On top of the pandemic issues, semiconductor shortages have hit car production, cutting the supply of new models, and in turn forcing used car prices to startling heights. What will 2022 bring? We…

Handling tweaks and new colour for MX-5 MAZDA MX-5 updates for 2022 include a new Kinetic Posture Control (KPC) chassis system – tech that applies the brake to the inside rear wheel when cornering to further boost agility. A Platinum Quartz Metallic paint finish is also available. Other than these tweaks the MX-5 (above) is unchanged, with a choice of 130bhp 1.5-litre and 181bhp 2.0 engines. It’s also available in soft-top and RF bodystyles, with prices starting from £24,755 and £26,665 respectively. Cable-free electric-car charging goes on trial INDUCTIVE cable-free charging for electric cars could be moving a step closer, as tech company char.gy launches the first public trials. Drivers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire who use the hiyacar rental app are being invited to use a car adapted for cable-free charging,…

GRANTS for electric car buyers have been slashed from £2,500 to £1,500, and the government has lowered the eligibility price cap from £35,000 to £32,000. The stated aims are to spread funding more widely and support buyers of more affordable vehicles; around 20 models now qualify. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The UK is now the least generous of all European countries that offer electric vehicle purchase incentives. This is despite the UK having amongst the most ambitious of targets for EV adoption, with the aim of them accounting for around one in three cars on the road by 2030. “We can’t afford to be overtaken on our transition to zero-emission motoring,” he added, “so we need meaningful, competitive incentives, not just regulation.”…

Dean_Gibson@autovia.co.uk @DeanGbsn COME up with a list of motoring icons, and the Ford Mustang is sure to be in there. It’s a car, like the Beetle or Jeep, that’s identifiable by a single name, and it has provided performance for the masses since the first cars hit showrooms back in 1964. The Mustang has had its ups and downs – from racing success in a variety of disciplines, to the ill-conceived Mustang II ‘economy’ model of the 1970s – but the current car, first launched in 2015, is a true global success story. Yet it now exists at a time when the car industry is in the biggest state of flux it’s seen in its 130-year history. Electrification is upon us, but rather than consign the Mustang to combustion-powered history,…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 23.3mpg (official) £98 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.5 seconds/184mph UNTIL now, the idea of owning a Corvette in the UK hasn’t held much appeal, because it’s only ever been available in left hand drive. Step forward the new, eighth-generation C8, which is on sale here for just over 74 grand in Coupé form – or from £79k as the Convertible tested here – and which is at last made in right-hand drive (although our photos show a left-hand drive car). The other big news about the new Corvette is that, just like the Audi R8 and lower-end cars from McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini with which it seeks to compete, it is mid, not front-engined, as has been the case previously. It also boasts a clever new eight-speed…

Running costs 42.4mpg (on test) £72 fill-up/£155 or 31% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 478/1,623 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.6 seconds/120mph MODEL TESTED: Dacia Duster TCe 130 4x2 Comfort PRICE: £16,845 ENGINE: 1.3-litre 4cyl turbo, 128bhp THE Dacia Duster we’re testing is a TCe 130 car with front-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox and in Comfort trim, which is likely to be a popular choice. On paper it’s the sweet spot of the range for value, but how does it hold up on the road? Design & engineering THE latest Duster is not all-new, merely a heavy update of the car that made its debut in 2017. It uses the same platform as before, and many of the same engines are available. The 1.3-litre turbo petrol on our car is…

1st DACIA THIS is a very close result, but the Dacia is our choice right now. High used-car prices plus great PCP deals on the Duster mean that it’s better value, and it comes with everything you need in terms of kit. It’s really roomy inside, has a much bigger boot than the Nissan’s, plus better infotainment tech, and the engine, although less powerful, feels just as punchy and relaxing to use. 2nd NISSAN THE Qashqai is better to drive than the Duster – quieter, more comfortable and secure – and the cabin feels plusher. But it’s not as practical and its infotainment is clunky. You don’t get the peace of mind that comes with a new car, plus high used-car prices mean that right now, it isn’t the best value. Poorer…

New Volkswagen up! MODEL: up! Beats 1.0 5 door PRICE: £14,625 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 64bhp THE Volkswagen up! has been around for some time, but there’s still plenty to admire; its compact exterior dimensions house a surprisingly spacious interior, it’s fun to drive yet refined at speed, and it costs buttons to run. Sporty GTI and electric versions are available at a higher price, but the standard model’s 64bhp 1.0-litre unit is perfectly fine around town. It can be hard work on A-roads and motorways, though. Used Vauxhall Corsa MODEL: Corsa 1.2 Turbo SRI PRICE: £14,500 (2020) ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 99bhp WHILE the up! Beats is nudging £15k, you can grab a nearly new version of the UK’s best-selling car for similar cash. The Vauxhall Corsa is slightly more spacious,…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk I LOVE it when a car slips into my life so seamlessly that it seems like only a few weeks ago that I took delivery – but the Audi S3 has just been collected, and I can categorically say that it’s delivered on just about everything I’ve needed it to. Early in its life on the fleet, the Audi was thrown into an Auto Express track battle against its close rivals, and while its solid on-road performance didn’t quite translate into thrills on track, it fulfilled its brief, serving up manageable dynamics and impressively unflappable speed. Conclusion: it’s a great starter performance car. On the road, where your surroundings don’t sap speed quite like they do on track, it feels livelier. My other half, Sophie, took the wheel a…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q How cold for AE tyre tests? I’VE been reading your review of the Bridgestone Blizzak. It seems that winter tyres are designed to perform best at 7?C and below. Was this the case with your review or did you test at higher temperatures, which are more usual in the UK? Nick Michaelson, E-mail A SNOW testing was done at sub-zero temperatures. We always try to do the temperature-dependent wet tests at below 7 degrees, but this year the weather didn’t play ball. For all-season and winter tyres, weather extremes often inspire a purchase, so we prefer to test in those conditions, alongside higher temperatures in the dry. Q Is single garage big enough? A FRIEND and I are thinking of restoring a car in a…

COATINGS that require little more than spraying on and drying have shaken up a sceptical carcare world with some remarkable performances that have put more traditional solutions in the shade. Joining the growing band early this year was Duel with its FLEX polymer sealant, which is applied through a snow-foam lance. To see whether this product really could leave lasting protection, we put it up against two long-distance runners, in Bilt-Hamber’s carnauba-polymer Double Speed-Wax and our ceramic test winner from Shelby. We applied each to a sectioned-off bonnet to the manufacturer’s instructions, then monitored beading over just shy of six months. We also factored in price and what you get in the kit. FLEX really impressed and was right there at the end with a slight edge over the ceramic…

Bahrain Raid Extreme THE Bahrain-backed, Prodrive-designed Hunter had a tumultuous debut on the 2021 Dakar, although Spaniard Nani Roma managed to salvage fifth place in the final standings. For 2022, the car has been heavily redesigned to comply with the latest rules, and now runs on biofuel. Roma and World Rally legend Sébastien Loeb both return, now joined by Argentinian Orlando Terranova. Gaussin ALTHOUGH running in the trucks class, and therefore not competing directly with Audi, French company Gaussin is also using an innovative drivetrain for its Dakar assault. The H2 Racing Truck has a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, with a pair of 300kW electric motors, an 82kWh battery and an 80kg fuel tank. The entry comes ahead of Gaussin launching a range of five hydrogen fuel-cell truck models for road…

HOW good would it be if some of the car world’s brightest, most experienced brains collectively ditched any brand and product loyalties before putting their unbiased, expert heads together as they identify the money-no-object finest new cars on the planet? I know what you’re thinking… there are already plenty of competitions naming the vehicles you should be buying – subject to budget, the sort of driving done, safety and efficiency considerations, bodystyle required, plus your preferred power source. Additionally, both in the UK and overseas, numerous overall Car or Vehicle of the Year gongs are regularly handed out. They have their place, of course – none more so than the highly coveted Auto Express New Car Awards (NCA), which I humbly helped launch in the eighties. In the years since,…