Innholdsfortegnelse for 1720 i Auto Express

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● New SUV on sale this year ● Fresh look, new tech inside THE next BMW X1 will mark a revolution for the German brand, as it prepares to evolve a winning recipe and produce a car aligned with the brand’s wide-reaching electrification strategy. To do this, the X1 will move to an updated version of the current car’s platform, allowing BMW to offer petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully electric versions of its Audi Q3 rival. The X1 is BMW’s second most popular SUV and its fourth best-selling car globally, so this new one really matters at a time of delays, disruption and dwindling deliveries throughout the automotive world. Spied numerous times during its lengthy development programme, the car will make its debut in the second half…

BMW has acquired the trademark rights to the Alpina brand, bringing the tuning firm in-house. BMW and Alpina will continue their current co-operation agreement secured until 2025, with BMW assembled cars receiving extensive modifications from Alpina, such as powertrain, chassis, aerodynamics and interior equipment tweaked to customer specification. The servicing and parts business for Alpina customers will also carry on with no changes to aftersales service.…

Jag’s second life for I-Pace power packs A NEW battery-powered energy storage unit has been jointly developed by Jaguar Land Rover and specialist Off Grid Energy. The batteries in the unit are taken from old I-Pace prototypes used during the car’s development. The system has a capacity of 125kWh – enough to fully recharge an I-Pace – and it can do this at a rate of 22kW AC. Jaguar has already deployed one of the units, which can be rented for commercial use, with its Formula E team (above). Continuing conflict fuels prices at pumps SOARING fuel prices saw drivers paying over £10 per gallon for premium petrol at one filling station near Dover last week (see Backchat, P82), an unwelcome new benchmark as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued…

LAMBORGHINI’S hybrid successor to the Aventador has been caught on camera for the very first time. The firm’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann has hinted that the flagship – tipped to be revealed in 2023 – will come with a brand-new V12 powertrain, and these new spy shots show it’ll retain the jaw-dropping design of big Lamborghinis of previous decades. Its classic wedge shape has an angular nose, a low roof and long rear deck. It also looks like the new car will have larger wheels at the back than the front, like the Aventador. At the rear, quad exhausts sit higher up, and there’s a huge new diffuser.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Fuel price increases FROM: Ryan Anderson IF the government reduces tax on fuel temporarily, no doubt they will increase it past what it is today when the prices go back down. It would work in their favour to tax internal combustion off the road. FROM: Tome Kelly THIS is only a beginning, the affect on food will be extreme. Crops and animal feed stock are all dependent on oil and gas in the production of fertiliser. They are essential to the intensive food production society relies on. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “The government should reduce the duty on fuel to help working people.” Paul Ming ■ “Oil companies are profiteering from Ukrainian misery; governments should intervene.” Doug Hall ■ “Petrol doubled in price in…

DRIVERS of electric vehicles in the UK routinely complain that range drops with the temperature, and you can easily lose 25 per cent of range when the thermometer approaches zero. Benedikt Still, a member of Audi’s e-tron technical team, said the problem isn’t insurmountable even in Sweden, when temperatures are often as low as minus 20 degrees. “Physical and chemical reactions in the battery mean the ions flow more slowly when it’s colder, and that’s why you don’t have so much power,” he explained. “It’s definitely worse the colder it gets, but typically the battery may not be as cold as the weather outside, because it takes a long time for a large battery block to cool down fully, even if you last drove it the day before.” “We also…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs 186.2mpg (official) £64 fill-up CITROEN has crowned its range with a new model to sit alongside the C5 Aircross SUV. The C5 X is an intriguing halfway house that Citroen thinks offers a modern reinterpretation of its executive models of old. Indeed, the X in the name is as much a reference to the old CX and XM as it is a reflection of the crossover bodystyle. At just over 4.8 metres long and with a wheelbase of 2,785mm, the new car is nearly the same size and shape as a Skoda Superb Estate. Three powertrains are offered and the range starts with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol producing 128bhp and 230Nm of torque, followed by a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol unit with 178bhp and 250Nm. The…

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake 10.25-inch touchscreen Key features: Five years of updates OVERALL, the infotainment set-up in the Genesis is excellent. The cinema-style widescreen touch display isn’t the biggest around, but it has high-resolution graphics and is easy to use. The same is true of the digital dials: they look much more upmarket and clearer than the set on the Peugeot, although they’re perhaps a little less functional. It’s a positive that you get both the main screen and the digital driver’s display as standard on every version of the G70. The user interface is excellent and the menus are laid out well, with simple icons displayed in two rows across the display. A lack of physical shortcuts means that it’s not the easiest to use when driving, but this…

AUDIO TOP-end 508 SWs come with a sound system produced by French audio specialist Focal. The sound quality stands up to that of many of the high-end systems in other premium estates; the overall delivery is rich and clear, although it ultimately lacks low-end power. Genesis offers an upgraded sound system in the G70 as well. It’s supplied by Lexicon, and the 15-speaker set-up is a £790 option. LIGHTING BOTH cars have very striking looks – and it’s their lighting above all else that helps to make them appear unique. In the case of the Peugeot, its distinctive LED tail lamps are in-keeping with the brand’s feline theme, with the red LED sections said to mimic claws. The G70 on the other hand, uses double-decker lighting at both ends; the…

NEW PRODUCT Pioneer VREC-130RS dash cam Price: £69.99 Contact: pioneer-car.eu/uk WANT a dash cam, but are put off by the price? The latest addition to the Pioneer range could be for you, because it’s an entry-level model selling for well under £100. The VREC-130RS costs £69.99 and, as you’d expect of a cam at this price, focuses on the main job: capturing action in front of the car. It has a single front-facing camera with a 132-degree field of view through an F2.4 lens capturing action at 30fps. Recording is in 1080p resolution and footage is saved on a MicroSD card of up to 32GB. This needs to be bought separately. The cam can record in a continuous loop or when triggered manually. There is also a G-sensor to detect impacts…

Pedestrian traffic alerts sound good FORD is testing new ways of warning pedestrians of traffic, using different audio tones to clearly convey not just that a car is coming, but where from. Using a suite of sensors, test vehicles can detect where pedestrians or cyclists are in relation to the vehicle, and then use external, directional speakers to play a sound to warn them. This technology is likely to become invaluable as virtually silent electric cars take over from petrol and diesel models. Lotus Drive lets you purchase cars online LOTUS has launched a new e-commerce platform where buyers can configure a car, value a part-exchange, and place and pay for a new order directly with the firm. Lotus Drive is live at lotuscars.com for the Emira First Edition and is intended…

Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive. IF you’re lucky enough to own a weekend sports car or classic alongside your daily driver, then the chances are it’s kept in a garage. You might think being indoors keeps the body and brightwork out of harm’s way, but you’d be wrong. Dust, damp, dirt and other airborne contaminants will settle on the paintwork, which will dull the finish and could encourage corrosion. Then there’s the possibility of getting bumped by trips to the freezer or to get bikes or a lawnmower. So it’s wise to invest in a cover that will prevent moisture from getting through to paintwork while being breathable…

CO2 /tax 174g/km £250 Running costs 32mpg (CarreraS3.0PDK) £97 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.1 seconds/190mph THE Porsche 911 celebrates its 60th birthday next year, and since the original model arrived, the car has been beguiling automotive enthusiasts with its sound, performance, usability, reliability and engaging driving experience. Over the years since 1963, the appeal of these rear-engined sports cars has never diminished. In fact, the 911 is as popular as ever. Here we’re covering the seventh-generation model (codenamed 991), with a focus on the more mainstream versions, such as the Carrera, Targa and Turbo. History THE 991.1 version of the 911 coupé arrived in December 2011, in 345bhp 3.4 Carrera and 394bhp 3.8 Carrera S forms; within weeks these were also offered in cabriolet guise. By December 2012 the coupé and…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram ● Jogger offers 1.0-litre turbo petrol at launch; hybrid due next year ● Bags of practicality in a compact 4.5m package is car’s trump card IT’S not often that a new car takes us by surprise, when something we’ve seen on the horizon perhaps intrigues, delights, or disappoints in a way we weren’t expecting. But in the case of the all-new Dacia Jogger, we’re almost lost for words. When a car tries to be too many things, it frequently falls short of mastering any of the various briefs set out for it, instead sitting awkwardly between several categories without mastering any of them. Approach the rather odd-looking Jogger and you fear it might be due the same fate. Is it an estate? A traditional MPV? And is there…

Dean_Gibson@autovia.co.uk @DeanGbsn ● MPV is largest ID model yet ● Passenger and van versions THE latest model to join Volkswagen’s ID electric line-up has been revealed, in the shape of the ID. Buzz. It’s an minivan that’s based on the same platform as the ID.3 electric hatchback, but it takes design inspiration from the classic VW Type 2. It uses a 201bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels, combined with a 77kWh battery. VW hasn’t confirmed driving range yet, but we’d expect around 250 miles to be possible. A 170kW charging system is fitted, so the battery can go from five to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes from a DC source. Bi-directional charging means that not only will you be able to charge the car at home, you’ll…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk GRIDSERVE, the company that bought Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network last year, has agreed to loosen its grip on motorway charging following a probe by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Legally binding commitments from Gridserve to drastically cut the exclusivity periods it had with the three major service station providers have prompted the closure of the CMA investigation, which opened in June shortly after Gridserve acquired the Electric Highway network. The investigation focused on three 10-15-year exclusive arrangements for EV chargers at Roadchef, Moto and Extra rest areas. The three firms together account for about two-thirds of all motorway service stations in the UK. Gridserve has now confirmed it will not enforce exclusive rights at the sites after November 2026, and the CMA said this would address its competition…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk THERE are few driving experiences more thrilling than drifting on ice, but mild winters mean we Brits don’t often get the chance to indulge our 1,000 Lakes Rally fantasies. Which is partly why I’ve just spent the best part of two days practising lurid opposite-lock slides on the frozen Kilver Lake near Arvidsjaur in northern Sweden. But this Scandinavian trip also had a serious side: Audi had invited Auto Express to gather insights into its cold-weather development programme, with the added novelty value of doing it in electric cars. As well as having a blast – I mean, getting the chance to assess different handling responses of the ESC and torque-vectoring systems of high-performance e-tron GT and e-tron S Sportback production models – we were invited to take part…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 375/1,354 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/131mph Running costs 52.3 mpg (official) £83 fill-up THE Ford Focus is fast approaching its 25th anniversary, and ever since the radical first Focus hit the road, few other models have so consistently delivered such a strong all-round package in the family car segment. With SUVs stealing sales from traditional compact hatchbacks, the fourth-generation model hasn’t quite hit the same level of popularity as its predecessors, but it remains a key player in Ford’s range. Now, the current Focus has been treated to a mid-life update that includes changes to the styling, interior and powertrain line-up. From the outside, it’s the front end that receives the most significant updates. The Ford logo has grown and moves from the…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler JEEP’S electrified future is beginning to take shape, and the brand has revealed the look of its first EV. But for now, the new ‘e-Hybrid’ set-up is the brand’s latest tech. It’s available in the revamped Compass, as driven here, and the smaller Renegade. Sitting between a mild hybrid and a full hybrid, the technology can power the car on electric power alone, but only at very slow speeds and for a few hundred yards. So it’s more of a hybrid than a mild hybrid, but less of a hybrid than a full hybrid. And of course, Jeep also offers its 4xe plug-in hybrids across its entire range; apparently they’re already accounting for a third of all sales. Cars using the e-Hybrid tech get a new 1.5-litre turbocharged…

Running costs 51.2mpg (on test) £94 fill-up/£490 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 403/1,535 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.7 seconds/140mph MODEL TESTED: Genesis G70 Shooting Brake 2.2D Sport Line PRICE: £41,430 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl diesel, 197bhp THE Genesis G70 Shooting Brake is a five-door estate that’s offered alongside a saloon model in the new brand’s range. While petrol power is available, here we’re testing the 2.2-litre diesel in Sport Line trim, which is priced at £41,430. Design & engineering WITH its distinctive quad-headlights and sleek roofline, the G70 Shooting Brake certainly stands out among its rivals. Whether it looks better than the striking 508 SW is up to you – although both models are more eye-catching than an equivalent BMW 3 Series Touring. The G70 we’re testing here has…

1st PEUGEOT THE 508 SW is our pick here, with practicality and running costs the key qualities in its favour. The hybrid powertrain is excellent as long as your lifestyle supports it, because it can bring ultra-low costs, but the Peugeot is also cheaper to buy on finance and crucially it’s far more spacious. To cap it all off, there’s plenty of kit offered as standard and it’s a bit more comfortable than the G70, too. 2nd GENESIS THE G70 is well worth considering if you’re a keen driver, while the smart cabin and excellent infotainment are also big plus points. However, it’s very impractical for an estate, and this prevents it from winning this test. It’s also quite expensive to buy, and despite an efficient diesel engine for motorway…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk DRIVING the Renault Captur for the past five months or so has been mostly very gratifying, but something that’s been bugging me almost from my first day behind the wheel suddenly jumped into sharper focus a couple of weeks ago. That ‘something’ was a smallish roe deer, which leapt off the nearside verge at the top of Bury Hill on the A29 in West Sussex, bounced off the Captur’s bumper and barrel-rolled several times down the road. The deer quickly sprang to its feet and skipped away to the trees on the other side of the road, closely followed by another. Hopefully the animal suffered no more than bruises and a fright, and because I was travelling significantly below the posted speed limit, the Captur’s deformable plastic bumper wasn’t…

Audi Q4 e-tron Issues 1,711, 1,717 Citroen e-Berlingo Issue 1,718 Cupra Formentor Issues 1,695, 1,702, 1,714 Fiat 500 Issues 1,699, 1,710, 1,718 Ford Ranger Issues 1,694, 1,701, 1,713 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Issues 1,710, 1,715 Lexus UX 300e Issue 1,713, 1,719 Nissan Qashqai Issues 1,707, 1,716 Peugeot 508 SW Issue 1,714 Polestar 2 Issue 1,719 Renault Capture-Tech Issues 1,705, 1,712 Skoda Enyaq Issues 1,702, 1,712, 1,717 Vauxhall Mokka-e Issues 1,696, 1,706 Volkswagen ID.3 Issues 1,698, 1,704, 1,711, 1,717…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Will bargain wiper cost me? I NEED to replace the wiper blades on my Skoda. Products I’ve found online vary quite widely in price. Would budget brands be okay to fit? Andy Wesley, E-mail A SOME budget brands have surprised us, but we’d stick to our multiple test winner, the Bosch Aerotwin. There are few things more irritating in a car than a noisy wiper or a poorly wiped screen. The extra few pounds for a known top performer is money well spent. But if that is beyond your budget, try the Aerowiper at wiperblades.co.uk. Q Long-term waterless effect I’VE started using waterless washes because I keep my weekend car away from home and not near mains power or water. Will these washes damage the paintwork over…

YOU won’t work for long in a garage or workshop with a single bulb or fluorescent light before you’ll need something brighter. Last year we found a new favourite source for lighting a space in Ring’s long MAGflex Utility, but now rival NightSearcher has come up with another way of getting light where you need it with the Tower Pro-2K. For this test, we checked light output, the spread of the beam as well as mounting and charging options. We also looked at how easy each unit was to use, and took price into account. The Ring remains our favourite because it delivers all the light most of us will ever need at around a third of the price of its rival. If you can stretch to the well thought-out…

Visit carbuyer.co.uk for all the latest data plus indepth car reviews and videos LOOKING FOR A FANTASTIC DEAL ON A NEW BMW? Scan the QR code, enter your details and a BMW dealer will be in touch. IN PARTNERSHIPWITH BMW 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…

Round 7 27-29 MAY Monte Carlo Monaco Grand Prix Round 11 08-10 JUL Red Bull Ring Austrian Grand Prix Round 15 02-04 SEPT Zandvoort Dutch Grand Prix Round 19 21-23 OCT Austin United States Grand Prix Round 1 18-20 MAR Sakhir Bahrain Grand Prix Round 4 22-24 APRIL Imola Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Round 8 10-12 JUNE Baku Azerbaijan Grand Prix Round 12 22-24 JUL Paul Ricard French Grand Prix Round 16 09-11 SEPT Monza Italian Grand Prix Round 20 28-30 OCT Mexico City Mexican Grand Prix Round 2 25-27 MAR Jeddah Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Round 5 06-08 MAY Miami Miami Grand Prix Round 9 17-19 JUNE Montreal Canadian Grand Prix Round 13 29-31 JUL Budapest Hungarian Grand Prix Round 17 30 SEPT-02 OCT Marina Bay Singapore Grand Prix Round…

Darren_wilson@autovia.co.uk THERE was a eureka moment during my family’s test of the new Jogger when I suddenly realised that my fully grown son was sitting in the third row, with his son’s buggy slotted in beside him, and that there were still two rows in front of him. It’s then that I became aware of the flexibility in this still-compact car: it was now a six-seater, with a hefty load bay thrown in. The brief from our road-test team was a simple one: to throw a mid-spec Jogger at my family for a morning, get them to jump aboard and put its practicality and versatility to the test. My wife Dawn, son George, grandson Zack and I were all curious to see how the UK’s cheapest seven-seater could accommodate the…

MAYOR of London Sadiq Khan’s proposal to extend the capital’s ultra-low emission zone to the Greater London boundaries has attracted fierce criticism, including from Tory politicians representing constituencies in outer London. Peter Fortune, London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley said: “The proposed daily boundary charge would penalise people driving into Greater London. It would hammer our friends and family, public services, and small businesses. We can’t let Sadiq Khan get away with his Outer London tax.” “Orpington MP Gareth Bacon said the proposal ‘amounts to taxation without representation’” Fortune has launched a petition against the tax, and supporters include Orpington, Kent, MP Gareth Bacon, who describes it as a “scandalous plan that will have adverse impacts on residents and businesses, and amounts to taxation without representation”. The expansion is…

SPORTS car maker Wiesmann is set to make a return after teasing a brand-new model codenamed Project Thunderball. It shows plenty of similarities to previous Wiesmann cars, with its long bonnet, stubby rear end, retractable soft-top and rounded grille reminiscent of a Jaguar XK120’s. The company’s previous cars have all relied on BMW engines, but no details of what powers Project Thunderball have yet been revealed. However, the brand’s description of the new model as a “world-first sports car for the modern era” strongly hints that there will be some form of electrification under the bonnet. The company’s new owner and CEO, Roheen Berry, alluded to the car’s possible electrification by saying “as the automotive industry undergoes its biggest revolution in a century, there can be no better time to…

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…

BMW 1 Series A MOVE to front-wheel drive hasn’t dented the driver appeal exuded by BMW’s 1 Series. It’s still one of the class leaders from behind the wheel and exhibits real premium brand quality in the cabin – but at a cost. FOR Engaging to drive, surprisingly practical AGAINST Tight rear headroom, high prices Verdict: Pricey, but a lot of fun Mazda 3 SPORTY looks and extremely composed driving dynamics mean the Mazda 3 won’t leave you disappointed from behind the wheel. Interior quality verges on the heights of premium rivals. FOR Classy interior, entertaining to drive AGAINST Limited engines, poor interior space Verdict: Sharp looks and drive Skoda Octavia THE Octavia has a different take on the family hatch formula, with a notched boot for 600 litres of…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.5 seconds/111mph Electric motor Power/range 295bhp/309 miles Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,610 litres SKODA has been wrestling for some time with the thought of applying its vRS performance principles to the world of all-electric motoring. So here, with a whiff of inevitability, is the Enyaq Coupé iV vRS. The model chosen to introduce electric vRS motoring is the new, coupé version of Skoda’s Enyaq SUV – identical in profile up to the B-pillar, but with a swoopy roofline that tapers towards the tailgate; the regular Enyaq is likely to get its own vRS variant by early 2023. And if you want the sportier looks without the performance, there’s a SportLine version of the Enyaq Coupé iV 80. Underneath it all sits the VW Group’s MEB…

Running costs 35.2mpg (on test) £65 fill-up/£480 or 11% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 530/1,780 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.3 seconds/155mph MODEL TESTED: Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid GT Premium PRICE: £42,795 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl PHEV, 222bhp THE Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid is an example of an estate car aimed at company car drivers in 2022. Rather than choosing diesel power, current tax rules mean it’s more cost-effective to choose plug-in hybrids such as this as a family-friendly company car. Can it match the diesel Genesis in that role? Design & engineering WHILE the 508 SW doesn’t come from a brand with a premium reputation, it more than compensates with a bold, classy design. There are hints of other models in the Peugeot line-up such as the 3008 and 5008 SUVs,…

BMW 330e Touring Sport PRICE: £42,230 ENGINE: 4cyl & e-motor, 249bhp THE 3 Series Touring is a fantastic choice at this budget. It has the best qualities of both cars above: it’s great to drive, comfortable, practical and thanks to the plug-in powertrain in the 330e model, it’s cheap to run and company car tax is low. Volvo V60 B4 R-Design PRICE: £39,385 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 197bhp VOLVO no longer offers a diesel V60, but this petrol model uses mild-hybrid tech to improve efficiency. It’s a great option for those who do short trips and can’t charge a PHEV at home, especially because it’s practical, comfortable and good value for money.…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 527/1,587 litres THERE was a time – and I’m old enough to remember it – when hotels in the UK proudly proclaimed that they had a colour television in every room. These days it’s often the lure of free WiFi that’s designed to make a night away seem closer to home. But could EV charging be next? A hotel recently contacted Auto Express to highlight the fact that free, reservable electric-car hook-ups are part of its customer offering. So we took our Hyundai Ioniq 5 to Bristol to put it to the test. It’s precisely the sort of journey where our reigning Car of the Year shines at its brightest. The cabin is downright spacious for my two-plus-one family, the boot has enough space…

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. 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. DELIVERED FREE Every issue is delivered to your door, free of charge. It’ll arrive in paper packaging, too, making it easier than ever to recycle. For convenience, scan our QR code with your camera phone for quick access to our secure online store! YOUR FREE GIFT Subscribe to Auto Express today and get a free STP®…

Tipping Point: Designing a Great British Underdog Andy Plumb (Lead-in Design, amazon.co.uk) Price: £34.99 Rating: AN interesting book about the Reliant Robin from someone who worked on the project. Well illustrated with photos and tables, it’s a fun read that’s perfect for the Reliant owner but not limited in its appeal. It busts some myths about the Robin, too. The Motorhome Story Andrew Jenkinson (The History Press, thehistorypress.co.uk) Price: £12.99 Rating: CHARTING the history of UK motorhomes and camper vans, beginning with car-converted units in the 1910s, to touring caravans and the arrival of commercial-based units in the fifties. Very interesting, if a little brief, but well illustrated and engagingly written by somebody who clearly knows their stuff. F1 Clash Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating: FORMERLY F1 Manager,…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q How to claim compensation for damage from pothole? I RECENTLY hit a pothole on a road near my house. The strike not only punctured the tyre, but also damaged my alloy wheel and knocked the tracking out. How can I claim compensation for this damage? James B, E-mail A MAKE sure you keep receipts for all the repair work done as a result of the pothole strike. Take a photo of the pothole if you can safely do so and send all the details of the incident – including the date and time, plus the pothole’s location – to your local authority. If the council was aware of the pothole and hadn’t taken reasonable care to fix it, you might be entitled to compensation from…

Stephen_Errity@autovia.co.uk “Hamilton shows every sign of having put the pain of Abu Dhabi behind him and being ready to win again” THE 2022 Formula 1 season kicks off in Bahrain this weekend. The main headlines this year are the big changes to the technical regulations governing car design – described by technical directors up and down the pitlane as the most extensive ever seen in the sport’s history. A shake-up of the established order seems more likely than ever, then, but the human element remains as always. With drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc at the very peak of their powers, plus the new generation exemplified by George Russell, Lando Norris and Esteban Ocon really coming into their own, a fascinating year is in prospect. Here, we…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “I can exclusively reveal that the £10.13 gallon arrived in Britain in early March 2022. That’s one for the history books” WHEN, in the final days of last month, I predicted the imminent arrival of the £2 litre, I hadn’t expected it to be dumped on us quite so soon. But barely into the second week of March it landed. At one of the last filling stations before the port of Dover, I spotted and photographed regular diesel being sold to drivers at an extortionate 206.9 pence a litre. This is equivalent to £9.40 a gallon. And that’s the unjustifiably high price family motorists were expected to pay as they headed off for their long-overdue spring breaks on England’s south coast or…