Innholdsfortegnelse for 1716 i Auto Express

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • Sportier supermini revealed • 148bhp 1.5 TSI joins line-up SKODA has unveiled the hottest version of the current Fabia, with the introduction of the Monte Carlo trim level signalling the arrival of a 148bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It’ll be the most potent version of the car you’ll be able to buy, because there won’t be a vRS hot hatchback, and it’ll rival sporty trim lines such as the Ford Fiesta ST-Line and Volkswagen Polo R-Line. Due on sale in the UK later this year, the Fabia Monte Carlo features design tweaks including 17-inch alloy wheels, a deeper front bumper and an all-black grille, black door mirror housings, a sportier rear bumper featuring a diffuser-style insert, and an optional black contrast roof. Under the bonnet, the engine…

A NEW, more affordable Standard Range variant of the MG ZS EV has joined the line-up, dropping the car’s starting price to £27,495, including the £1,500 Plug-in Car Grant. The new variant features a 51.1kWh battery, which offers a claimed range of 198 miles. With 100kW rapid-charging capability, a 10-to-80 per cent top-up takes 36 minutes. Strangely, this new Standard Range car offers 20bhp more than the Long Range model, at 174bhp; MG says this is down to the operating voltage of the different battery packs.…

VW vans load up on camping accessories A RANGE of new official accessories for the Volkswagen Caravelle, California Beach Tour and Caddy can transform any of these vans into mini camping units. The range of modular add-ons are designed to fit into the existing luggage areas of these vehicles to provide a similar level of kit to the fully equipped California Camper models. Bed, kitchen (above) and storage modules are all offered, with prices starting from £2,555. New-car shortage drives used sales USED-car sales increased 11.5 per cent year-on-year in 2021. Some 7,530,956 vehicles changed hands; still 5.5 per cent lower than the pre-Covid five-year average. The used-car market was strong earlier in the year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, with the best Q2 on record.…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk DON’T be confused by the title of the Transport Select Committee Road Pricing report published last week, because committee chairman Huw Merriman MP says all options for filling a looming fuel duty ‘black hole’ need to be assessed. Fuel duty revenues will fall as electric cars replace petrol and diesel models, giving rise to concerns that the £37billion paid annually into Treasury coffers by drivers filling up, will dry up. Last week’s report from the Transport Select Committee – widely regarded to be influential in Whitehall circles – strongly promoted a ‘pay-as-you-go’ road-pricing scheme to cover this looming tax revenue gap, while giving scarcely any mention of alternative tax mechanisms. We asked Mr Merriman why the report relies on a tax ‘black hole’ on the horizon (just a small…

chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk HYDROGEN may be the most abundant element in the universe, but that’s not much help when you’re in a fuel-cell-powered Toyota Mirai in a Staffordshire quarry, with just 65 miles range showing from however much gas remains in the reinforced-composite fuel tank. Those 65 miles wouldn’t be panic-inducing to most ‘ordinary’ EV drivers, because public chargepoints are often no further away than the local supermarket. But when the sat-nav says it’s 55 miles to the nearest, make that only, public hydrogen pump in the Midlands, and said pump is in the heart of Birmingham with rush hour approaching, the range anxiety meter goes off the scale. It didn’t help that when I’d collected the car the day before, it was unclear whether the Mirai’s range meter had a built-in…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk NOT all that long ago, if you wanted a big, luxury saloon like Audi’s A8, diesel was the best choice. But in 2022 the market has moved so much – and over such a short period of time – that the newly updated A8 60 TFSI e plug-in hybrid we’re trying here will equal diesel sales. That’s progress. The new A8 boasts a subtle but effective round of updates, including some styling tweaks that include new front and rear bumpers, a larger grille with fresh inserts, OLED tail-lights with configurable lighting signatures, and the addition of sporty S line trim to the line-up. Under the skin, all engines, bar this PHEV, now feature 48-volt mild-hybrid electrification. The powertrain here consists of a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine combined with…

6 ISSUES FOR £1 Then if you continue to subscribe after your trial you pay from just £26.99 every three months (saving you 43%). If for any reason you’re not satisfied you can cancel at any time and receive a refund on any unmailed issues. 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. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY We offer every subscriber a free welcome gift when they come on board. This month get a bottle STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner worth £14.99. YOUR FREE GIFT Subscribe to Auto Express today and get a free STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner worth £14.99. STP® Complete Fuel System Cleaner-Petrol is designed to clean and protect the…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Use clay and fallout remover? I’VE seen fallout remover advertised and it looks easy to use. Must I use a clay bar as well or will the remover prepare the car for waxing alone? Chris Smith, E-mail A FALLOUT remover reacts with metal particles embedded in the paintwork, reducing them in size and making them easier to wash away. In our tests, while progress was made by fallout removers, there were still particles left to be shifted by a clay, so we wouldn’t skip that step in preparing paintwork for a coating. Q Bright ideas for vRS lights? I WANT to improve the headlights on my 2012 Skoda Octavia VRS. I don’t want to dazzle other drivers and want something long-lasting, but I fear many…

IF you’re one of the growing number of drivers who have switched to electric vehicles, you’ll find that almost every plug-in car will be supplied with at least one cable, but it is rare to be given both of the two most common types. Some makers choose to supply a lead fitted with a three-pin plug, so you can top up the battery from any conventional socket. Other brands will supply the simpler Type 2 lead, which connects to the dedicated sockets found in a home wallbox or public charge points. If you want to buy the lead you’re missing, you’ll need to take an expensive trip to the accessories department at your local dealer or look at aftermarket options. Our favourite lead in previous tests has been the versatile,…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk “With the regulation changes, the whole philosophy has altered; every single component is different”CHRISTIAN HORNER Red Bull team principal ● McLaren, Aston look to step up ● New title sponsor for Red Bull THREE more 2022 Formula 1 cars broke cover last week – although some teams revealed more than others, with a few final designs staying under wraps until the start of testing in Barcelona on 23 February. Red Bull was first out of the blocks last Wednesday with the new RB18, although the handful of heavily shadowed images it released consisted of little more than the squad’s usual colour scheme applied to Formula 1’s own mock-up, released during 2021 to showcase this season’s rules. The big news from the Red Bull reveal was instead title sponsorship from…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods • Larger third-generation SUV spied testing ahead of 2023 debut • Expect 48-volt hybrid tech, as well as a pure-electric variant MINI will further expand its range into new segments as it pushes on with electrification, but it will be anchored by a car that’s become a proven winner for the British brand, in the form of the third-generation Countryman compact SUV, which will arrive in 2023. Following its introduction in 2010, the trailblazing model paved the way for the MINI brand to expand beyond its hatchback roots. It’s comfortably the firm’s second best-selling vehicle globally, only edged out by MINI’s heartland product, the Hatch, in three and five-door form. MINI will reinvent its biggest offering by making the Countryman even larger still. This is necessary because of…

THE Swedish brand also confirmed recently that its next generation of all-electric models will make use of a new ‘mega-casting’ production technique made possible by an £810million investment in Volvo’s Torslanda facility in Sweden. The process involves incorporating as many parts as possible into the casting to reduce complexity; Volvo plans to use a single-piece floorpan with built-in mounting points for components such as suspension arms and electric motors, saving around 100 parts. The first car to feature the new technology will be manufactured in 2025, which rules out the brand’s forthcoming XC90 replacement, which could be called Embla.…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs 51.3mpg (off icial) £77 fill-up VAUXHALL isn’t shying away from electrification with the all-new Astra. The eighth-generation family hatch is launching with a PHEV powertrain, and a full EV is coming in 2023. But while the plug-in grabs the headlines, the bulk of the car’s early sales will come from combustion-engined variants. It’s the 128bhp 1.2-litre turbo unit we’re trying here, which comes with the choice of a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. Underneath is Stellantis’s latest V3 EMP2 platform, which is what makes the electric Astra feasible. Vauxhall has been guilty in the past of having horrendously complex line-ups, but the company is undergoing a welcome rationalisation of its trim levels, so there are just three to consider with the Astra. Design is…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram AN updated Ford Focus ST is about to arrive in the UK, but with supply constraints on new cars, now might be the time to opt for a used model and some performance upgrades from fast Ford specialist Mountune. The Essex-based firm has worked its magic on various Fords for a long time. Its remit generally involves taking an already accomplished hot hatch and turning up the wick further, but for not much extra cash. Within Ford’s current line-up, Mountune packages are available for the Fiesta and Puma STs, but this is the Focus ST m365. Mountune’s work results in a headline figure of 360bhp – a significant 84bhp up on the standard 2.3-litre engine’s output. It’s a number that lifts the ST not only beyond the previous-generation…

Running costs 3.8mi/kWh (on test) £12 recharge/£0 or 1% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 464/1,456 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/115mph MODELTESTED: MG5 EV Long Range Exclusive PRICE: £30,445 POWERTRAIN: 61.1kWh battery, single motor, 154bhp AS proof of just how competitively priced the MG5 is, it’s possible to hop into a top-spec model for comfortably less than the most affordable ID.3 currently available. Here, the Long Range Exclusive model is priced at £30,445; add the Piccadilly Blue paint of our version and the total is £30,990. Design & engineering WHEN MG was reintroduced to the UK under Chinese ownership, the brand ticked along with modest sales without troubling any of the market leaders. That all changed with the release of its electric family, however; the MG ZS EV offers buyers…

MG 5 EV Eight-inch touchscreen Key features: Smartphone connectivity GIVEN the no-nonsense nature of the MG5 in so many areas, first impressions of the infotainment set-up seem to buck the budget-focused trends of the rest of the car. Thanks to a large eight-inch display, which has bright, colourful graphics and a sharp resolution, it looks contemporary, even beside the VW’s system. Delve a little further into the system and there are some smalls signs of weakness, though. The process of entering a destination (via a small and fiddly on-screen keyboard) and waiting for the route to load took 30 seconds; that’s five seconds slower than the VW, which is hardly the quickest system itself. There is compatibility with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though, both of which we’d recommend…

Darren_Wilson@autovia.co.uk REGULAR readers may well have seen photographs of my family growing up in the pages of Auto Express over the past 22 years. My kids have never been shy of the camera and have helped dad out with pictures from Cub-Scout camping trips, holidays and even driving lessons. Unfortunately, last November my family had an awful shock, when my eldest son, George, was involved in a serious car accident – serious enough, in fact, that the London Air Ambulance service saved his life at the scene. It took months of hospital care to put him back together, help him regain consciousness and now aid his ongoing recovery. But I’m delighted he is here, and that he agreed to be photographed with his young son, Zack, and show how we’ve…

Audi Q4 e-tron Issue 1,711 Citroen e-Berlingo New arrival Cupra Formentor Issues 1,695, 1,702, 1,714 Fiat 500 Issues 1,699, 1,710 Ford Ranger Issues 1,694, 1,701, 1,713 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Issues 1,710, 1,715 Lexus UX 300e Issue 1,713 Nissan Qashqai Issue 1,707 Peugeot 508 SW Issue 1,714 Polestar 2 New arrival Renault Capture-Tech Issues 1,705, 1,712 Skoda Enyaq Issues 1,702, 1,712 Toyota RAV4 PHEV Issues 1,707, 1,711 Vauxhall Mokka-e Issues 1,696, 1,706 Volkswagen ID.3 Issues 1,698, 1,704, 1,711…

Vauxhall Cars James Taylor (Shire Library, bloomsbury.com) Price: £8.99 Rating: PUTTING Vauxhall’s 100-plus year history into 64 pages (with illustrations) was never going to lead to the most detailed of books. This feels more like a blurb to a larger, full-history book. Not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly one that’ll leave you hungry for something chunkier. We’d probably go straight for something like Ian Coomber’s illustrated Vauxhall history instead of this volume. Gilbern Cars Michael Burgess (Amberley Publishing, amberley-books.com) Price: £14.99 Rating: ANOTHER short title focusing on a single brand, but this time it’s the defunct Welsh manufacturer Gilbern, creator of models including the GT, Genie and Invader. This one’s long enough to chart a proper, if brief history, and we like the additions such as quotes from period…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Is there a grace period once a vehicle’s MoT expires? Q I FORGOT that my car’s MoT was going to run out and was only able to book a test two days after the expiry date. I avoided driving it for two days, but is there a grace period I could have taken advantage of if necessary? PL, E-mail A NO, once your car’s MoT has expired, you can only drive it if you’re taking it to a pre-booked MoT test. The penalty for driving without an MoT is a fine of up to £2,500; you also risk receiving penalty points or even a driving ban. The GOV.UK website offers an MoT expiry reminder service, which you can sign up to for free. Avoid third-party…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler • Polestar 5 to arrive in 2024 • Engineering work done in UK POLESTAR has thrown open the doors to its new UK research and development centre and revealed more information about the flagship Polestar 5 model, due in 2024, that’s being developed there. The new car is being engineered at the base in the Midlands where Polestar is ramping up work on the car and the team based there. It currently employs 280 people, but that’s set to double in the UK over the coming months. The Polestar 5 was previewed by the Precept from 2020, and is set to be almost identical to the concept car in our pictures. “We aim to deliver a car as close to the design conception of [Polestar CEO] Thomas Ingenlath,”…

NOT long ago, around 150bhp in a hot hatchback would have been a recipe for success. The 1.5 TSI Fabia’s level of power eclipses iconic hot hatches such as the Peugeot 205 GTi and the Renault 5 GT Turbo. But they were small and light; due to safety kit and market demands in 2022, the Fabia is bigger and heavier. Still, recent small performance models such as the VW up! GTI showed us power isn’t the be all and end all. If Skoda can tweak the car’s chassis slightly for a more involving drive, then ‘just’ 148bhp could be enough for a fast, fun supermini.…

ADDRESSING the complicated trim line-up for three of its core models, Vauxhall has re-jigged its Crossland, Grandland and Insignia ranges. In some cases, it has slashed prices by up to £2,400, as well as adding extra equipment. All three cars feature a simplified trim structure, with the Crossland and Grandland offered in Design, GS Line and Ultimate specifications. Prices for the Crossland now start from £18,415, almost £2,000 cheaper than the old SE Edition base model, while the car gets more kit, such as AEB with collision warning and a seven-inch touchscreen. The same is true for the Grandland, with prices from £25,810, a £615 saving over the old SE; it features dual-zone climate control, lane assist and a seven-inch infotainment set-up. The Insignia is only available in Design or…

Smart’s Chinese-built SUV to land this year SMART has confirmed its new electric SUV will be called #1, and we’ll see the car later this year. This pic of the #1 (above) undergoing winter testing in China, where it will be built, shows the production model’s similar proportions to last year’s Munich show concept. Expect the car’s SEA platform to be fitted with a 70kWh battery for a real-world range of more than 200 miles. New parking code tightens PCN rules PRIVATE parking firms will not be able to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) in excess of £50 under the Government’s new Parking Code of Practice. The code will also see debt collectors banned from charging additional fees when PCNs are not paid, and will include a compulsory 10-minute grace…

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Steve Piner THIS really looks the part. If it has CCS charging capability, costs less than £30,000 and comes with a battery with a capacity of at least 50kWh, then I’m going to be extremely tempted. Could be exactly the kind of affordable EV we need. FROM: Shay Whelan THIS looks like the basic shape of the new electric Renault 5, which is also highly desirable. I suppose it makes sense considering the partnership between Renault and Nissan; sharing designs must be cost-effective for them. Joined-up thinking would tackle crooks FROM: Mike Lewis I’D like to see more police on the roads (Issue 1,712), but I think it’s unlikely. However, why can we not link CCTV, ANPR and speed cameras to the DVLA and…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THESE are exciting times at SsangYong. After years of struggles, the Korean firm has fresh investment thanks to a takeover by electric vehicle maker Edison Motors – which means that SsangYong could be nicely positioned as the world moves towards electrification. Three new pure-electric models are due by 2025, but the push has already started, with the Korando e-Motion. The model name is familiar because the Qashqai-sized Korando has been right at the heart of SsangYong’s line-up since the nineties. In pure-electric form, however, the Korando has few direct rivals that can match it for price, size or equipment. There’s a single technical spec, with a 61.5kWh battery (55.3kWh usable) offering a WLTP range of 211 miles; a 188bhp motor means a 9.0-second 0-62mph time, and you get…

Electric motor Power/range 143bhp/47 miles James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods IT’S BEEN almost five years since the arrival of the Mk2 Volvo XC60, and during that time it has been subject to a steady stream of updates. Last year it received its official mid-life facelift, but less than 12 months on, the XC60 line-up looks different again. In the UK, there’s a new trim structure replacing the Momentum, Inscription and R-Design model lines with Core, Plus and Ultimate. But the biggest change is an updated plug-in hybrid system, which Volvo says gives significant improvements to all-electric range, reduces CO2emissions and improves the SUV’s fuel economy. The battery capacity of all plug-in hybrid XC60s has been increased from 11.6kWh to 18.8kWh, a move intended to bring the all-electric capability in line with a growing…

Running costs 4.4mi/kWh (on test) £11 recharge/£0 or 1% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 385/1,267 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.6 seconds/99mph MODELTESTED: Volkswagen ID.3 Life Pro PRICE: £32,200 POWERTRAIN: 58kWh battery, single motor, 143bhp IN these pictures we have an ID.3 in Life trim with a 45kWh battery. However, sales of this entry-level model have temporarily stopped, so we are testing the MG5 against the model with the next battery size up. At 58kWh, it means the ID.3 has a capacity that’s nearly a match for the MG. The price is higher, though, starting from £32,200. Design & engineering OVER the last couple of years, the VW Group’s MEB architecture designed for electric vehicles has arrived on the market in a variety of shapes and sizes. The ID.3 was the…

A BIG difference in these cars’ philosophies can be seen with where each locates its motor. The MG5 is adapted from combustion-car tech, which means under its long bonnet is the ideal place to store the electric motor and the various systems that go with it. Its placement makes front-wheel drive the obvious choice. In contrast, Volkswagen has taken advantage of the fact that a motor is much smaller than a combustion engine, and has managed to squeeze it between the rear wheels; this means that the bonnet is much shorter, the cabin can be extended forward and it offers much more space inside, despite a smaller footprint overall. There are other benefits to having a rear-mounted motor, too. Without any drive systems obstructing the front wheels, the ID.3 offers…

Pete_Baiden@autovia.co.uk @PeteBaiden Running costs 35.2mpg (on test) £80 fill-up/£155 or 34% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 504/1,441 litres OUR Nissan Qashqai has been leaving me confused. How can a car that doesn’t appear to be that big from the outside, feel so cavernous on the inside? It’s almost as if the external dimensions quoted by the brand aren’t accurate – to the point where I’ve had to get out a tape measure and check. Look at a Qashqai parked on the road and I’m sure you’ll agree that it doesn’t look bigger than any other crossover, but that only tells half the story. The clever use of space on the inside means that I’m really starting to warm to the Nissan’s charms. Every time the car is loaded up with…

JLR’s Pivi Pro gains Alexa integration JAGUAR Land Rover has announced the integration of Amazon Alexa across its whole model range. Every JLR product with the latest Pivi Pro infotainment will benefit from the voice assistant. It also integrates with existing Alexa-enabled smart home products, letting you to control your home from your car and vice versa. It’s available for Pivi Pro-equipped cars via an overthe-air software update, and owners will be informed via an on-screen message when it has taken place. Bridgestone gets to grips with wet tests TYRE maker Bridgestone’s European Proving Ground has opened its new £2.5million wet handling track at the Aprilia site in Italy. The new layout will allow for greater flexibility and precision in future tyre testing. The surface is more resilient than previous…

CO2/tax 103-131g/km £20-£155 Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.3 seconds/117mph Running costs 42-61mpg (PureTech 110) £66 fill-up Search more than 50,000 cars with competitive finance Order online, delivered to your door, 14 day money-back guarantee Running costs 42-61mpg (PureTech 110) £66 fill-up When the first C3 arrived in 2002, Citroen had lost its way a little, and while it looked distinctive, it couldn’t really compete with supermini rivals. The Mk2 represented a step in the right direction, but it was the Mk3 that really came good. Indeed, when we ran a C3 on the Auto Express fleet in 2017 we really warmed to it, with its roomy cabin, excellent comfort, distinctive design and hi-tech interior. At last, here was a Citroen C3 that we could genuinely recommend. History THE Citroen C3 Mk3…

LOOKING FOR A FANTASTIC DEAL ON A NEW FORD KUGA? Scan the QR code, enter your details and a Ford dealer will be in touch. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORD 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/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs. 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.…

Extreme E season two starts in Saudi Arabia THE second season of the Extreme E electric off-road racing series gets under way this weekend in Neom, Saudi Arabia – the same location that played host to the championship’s first-ever event this time last year. The remaining unconfirmed driver line-ups were finalised in the lead-up to the event, with Chip Ganassi Racing electing to stick with its experienced 2021 duo of Sara Price and Kyle le Duc. Elsewhere, reigning champion squad Rosberg X Racing has retained multiple rallycross champion Johan Kristofferson as its male driver, but replaced Molly Taylor with Kristofferson’s fellow Swede Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky. The latter drove during the 2021 season with Jenson Button’s JBXE team. Caitlyn Jenner founds team for W Series US Olympic gold-medal-winner and reality TV star…

SURPRISE, surprise, buses are losing their appeal. Up to 30 per cent of services are in danger of going under. So what the hell is Britain to do about the archaic beast that is the traditional British bus? First, let’s acknowledge that over the decades, most buses have changed little, remained noisy, filthy, costly and hideously large. Honestly, do we really need ageing, intimidating double-deckers in small to medium-sized towns and villages? It’s time to replace them with smaller, more appropriate and fuel-efficient vehicles – ‘community cars’ included. If you’ve already worked out that standing on a windswept railway platform is misery, try the even more torturous process of languishing at a bus stop on a cold, dark, wet morning or night. It’s the pits. Soul destroying. There has to…