Innholdsfortegnelse for 1726 i Auto Express

THE new i7 and 7 Series both mix touchscreen displays with BMW’s iDrive rotary controller, a feature that was dropped on the newest 2 Series Active Tourer MPV. When asked about the future of the dial at a preview event for the new limousines, BMW’s Stefan Frick explained to Auto Express that the controller’s inclusion will be model-specific, depending on the driver’s proximity to the screen. “You have to think about the architecture of the car and the ergonomics. If the screen is not close enough it makes no sense [to remove the rotary controller],” Frick said. “In the 2 Series [AT] it’s a different architecture, and the screen is pretty close; it’s quite convenient to control with touch.” BMW is still expected to drop the iDrive controller when it…

WHILE the UK government is committing billions to incentivise a rapid switch to electric cars, Green NCAP’s Technical Manager Aleksandar Damyanov suggests the results of his organisation’s life cycle assessments show EVs are not a panacea for the climate crisis. We asked Damyanov whether, given the relative parity between EV and ICE for lifetime greenhouse emissions, it was right for policymakers to focus so much attention – and cash – on incentivising EVs. “I’m not sure I can state that,” he says. “If the target is reducing CO2, we have options. There is justification for electric if I’m driving only a few kilometres every day, if I don’t need a big car, and if I can charge with a good renewable energy mix. If I’m using an electricity mix that…

Banbury site for new accessible chargers OSPREY has unveiled a new public EV chargepoint design that meets the BSI’s draft PAS accessibility standards. The new chargers feature spring-loaded counterweights, which make the cables far less cumbersome, while the screen is visible from different angles and in all light conditions. Each charger has a clear area of 1.2 metres around it, improving wheelchair access. The first of the chargers have been installed in Banbury, with further plans set to be announced. Safe locations with CCTV in place will be chosen. Govt plans new rules for self-driving cars THE Government has proposed changes to the Highway Code to ensure the safe introduction of self-driving vehicles. The new rules would state that drivers must always be ready to resume control in a timely…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Speeding app FROM: Steve Wynn A GREAT idea – I hope it’s widely used. My village has a 30mph limit and I’m sick of the loud, polluting cars that speed through it with no respect for the residents. If you consider yourself a good driver, you shouldn’t speed. FROM: Pete Hailsham THIS is pointless because it can’t be used to prosecute – a mobile phone is not a verified speed-enforcement device and cannot be calibrated as such. Not to mention, this will do nothing to stop drink-drivers and other offenders. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “I would only support this being used for excessive speeding, not…

@johnmcilroy ANYONE at Skoda who was wondering whether the Czech brand’s values could be successfully applied to a pure-electric vehicle will surely have been reassured by the sales performance of the Enyaq iV. Over 50,000 examples of the car have been delivered to date and the current order bank is probably a little larger than even Skoda itself would like, numbering more than 115,000. So it’s perhaps not surprising that the range is being bolstered by a new Enyaq Coupé iV, a model designed to appeal to those who want the higher ride height – in this case accompanied by a zero-emissions powertrain – and who don’t need quite so much practicality. It’s a tried-and-tested formula for SUV makers, and even Skoda has some previous here; the firm created a…

@AxleIngram Running costs 148.7mpg (official) £106 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.9 seconds/155mph FEW things in life will make you feel quite as special as sitting in the rear seats of an Audi A8 L 60 TFSI e. From the back of this £90,000, 2.4-tonne luxury limousine, you can adjust the fourzone climate control on the dedicated central touchscreen, which ejects out of the huge central armrest to operate as a remote control. Adjustable leather armchairs (now available in brown, if you prefer) can recline to near-business class flight levels of horizontal, while electric blinds can close to hide the outside world. Opt for the Relaxation seat, and it gets better still. A warmed and massaging footrest folds out from the back of the front passenger chair, while the seat itself…

Running costs 41.9mpg (on test) £103 fill-up/£520 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (7/5/2 seats) 230/700/1,775 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/122mph MODEL TESTED: VW Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TDI Elegance PRICE: £43,135 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 148bhp WE’RE testing the revised Tiguan Allspace here in mid-spec Elegance trim. Before options, this 2.0 TDI 4MOTION model costs £43,113, although the extras fitted to this car, which include a tow bar, a trailer assist system that helps with parking while towing, tyre-pressure monitors and ‘Kings Red’ metallic paint, bump that number to £45,170. Design & engineering THE mid-life updates to the Tiguan are subtle, and while all of them were no doubt intended to improve the car, some updates have worked better than others. The changes start at the front, where a new face…

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Discover Media Navigation Key features: Wireless Apple CarPlay EACH of these cars’ infotainment systems has distinct strengths and weaknesses. In the case of the Tiguan, it scores points for its loading times. The process of typing in a postcode via the on-screen keyboard and the system loading the first route instruction took a rapid 12 seconds for the VW – half the time it took for the same process to be completed in the Kia. However, the VW’s set-up isn’t all so rapid. The screen itself, for example, is more laggy than the Kia’s in terms of touch response. While the Discover Media system isn’t the most up-to-date VW software (systems used by the latest Golf and the ID.3 are newer), in many ways this set-up is…

SAVE 43% ON THE SHOP PRICE After your initial 6 issue trial, your subscription will continue at £26.99 every 13 issues representing a saving of 43% on the shop price. FREE DELIVERY Never miss an issue with every copy delivered straight to your doorstep. FULLY FLEXIBLE You are able to cancel at any time using a dedicated customer portal or by getting in touch. There are more options than ever to subscribe to Auto Express with both print and digital versions available, or perhaps you’d like a combination of both, the choice is yours OK I’M IN! HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE? 1 ORDER ONLINE AT autoexpress.co.uk/subscribe (or call 0330 333 9491 if you prefer the human touch). 2 ENTER THE OFFER CODE DAPR22 and select the offer you’d like to take.…

NEW PRODUCT Nilfisk pressure washers Price: From £263.98 Contact: nilfisk.com MULTIPLE test winner Nilfisk has added two new pressure washers to its line-up that are aimed at the upper end of the market. The starter Core range has been extended at the top with the 150-10 model, which retains the series’ compact design and built-in reel for the 10-metre non-kink hose. Its 2,000W motor delivers a maximum 150Bar pressure (115Bar working) and has three power levels, offering 100, 80 and 60 per cent options, to suit the job in hand and to prevent damage to delicate surfaces. The 150-10 is supplied with two click-and-connect nozzles, plus a lance-mounted detergent bottle. These are stored on the wheeled unit, helped by a quick-release coupling for the lance and hose. There’s also a fold-down…

Lola GT John Starkey (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £135 Rating: THE Lola GT isn’t as well known as the Ford GT40 it inspired, but this is a really interesting read. It describes the car’s genesis, focusing on one of just three Lola Mk VIs built. Packed with photos, including some never before seen from Ford’s archives, it’s well worth a read for anybody into racing history. Find It! On a car journey Richardson, richardsonpuzzlesandgames.com Price: £4.99 Rating: A PERFECT addition to your car journeys to keep kids busy. It’s a combined i-Spy/activity book – once the kids have spotted something, they’ll find an activity and some facts about it. With charming illustrations, it’s long enough for two short journeys or one long slog, and cheap enough that you won’t mind…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q I can’t gloss over the paint problems with my new car WE collected our brand-new car, only to find it had paint defects and a scratch. The dealer identified a slightly more expensive new car in stock to replace it, but the manufacturer refuses to pay the difference. Any advice? Name withheld, E-mail A IF the dealer is being helpful, then you may wish to ask your salesperson what their next course of action is going to be. It might be that they can identify another car for you. If the damage to the specific car you ordered is only cosmetic, perhaps this could be repaired with a respray and/or some machine polishing. A written complaint to the manufacturer and the Motor Ombudsman may…

@AxleIngram ● Full circuit used for first time ● Evans out to repeat Rome wins FORMULA E moves onto familiar territory for round six of the season, returning to the streets of Monte Carlo for the fifth time in the sport’s brief history. The 2020/21 event saw the all-electric racers fight it out around the full 2.07-mile circuit used by Formula One for the first time. In previous seasons, a truncated version was used, which missed out the climb towards Casino Square, plus the iconic Grand Hotel Hairpin and tunnel. Formula E’s return to the principality comes at a time when this season’s championship battle is really hotting up. Just four points separate the first three in the driver’s standings, and drivers from six different teams make up the top…

● First drive of all-new hybrid version of Korean family SUV ● Practicality boosted by longer wheelbase and cabin revamp AS of April this year, Kia was the best-sellingcar brand in the UK, and its family SUVs have accounted for a significant chunk of this impressive performance so far in 2022. And later this year comes another important new SUV: the second-generation Niro, and Auto Express has already driven a pre-production prototype. As with the first Niro, the new model will be available with three powertrains: the full hybrid driven here, a plug-in variant and the fully electric Niro EV. Our hybrid car uses a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and an electric motor that’s fed by a compact 1.32kWh battery. The combined output is 139bhp, but with 43bhp and…

GREEN NCAP, the sustainability offshoot of independent crash test body Euro NCAP, has launched a new life cycle assessment (LCA) programme which is designed to help consumers choose the most eco-friendly cars. A total of 61 cars have been assessed for the first phase of the LCA under Euro NCAP’s Green NCAP banner, with the electric Fiat 500 coming out as the car with the smallest whole-life CO2 footprint. However, in contrast to its crash test results, Green NCAP is not offering consumers an easy-to-compare star rating system. Instead it is providing a ‘best and worst case’ range for each model giving an indication of its eco performance. There are two key rating elements that make up the Green NCAP LCA results. One rating is for lifetime greenhouse gas emissions,…

● V6 PHEV delivers 819bhp ● Roof operates at up to 28mph THE Ferrari 296 GTB has gone topless with a new convertible version of the hybrid supercar, called the 296 GTS. Just like the 812 GTS, SF90 Spider and F8 Tributo Spider, the new 296 GTS features a retractable hard-top, which stows away in front of the car’s turbocharged V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain. Ferrari says the roof takes 14 seconds to go down or up and can be operated at speeds of up to 28mph. Powering the 296 GTS is the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain as the GTB, producing 819bhp at 8,000rpm and 740Nm of torque. That power is sent through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels only – unlike Ferrari’s other hybrid supercar,…

THERE’S a new arrival in the van-based MPV sector in the shape of the Mercedes T-Class. It replaces the Citan Tourer, but the company claims that its new model delivers a level of premium luxury that hasn’t been seen in the sector before. The new model is based on the latest Citan small van, and features twin sliding side doors and a tailgate at the rear. While rivals such as the Volkswagen Caddy include removable back seats, the ones in the T-Class fold flat to create a cavernous cargo area, and a low loading lip boosts accessibility. Premium materials, LED ambient lighting and Mercedes’s latest MBUX infotainment touchscreen all feature. Style and Progressive trims are offered, with the latter getting LED headlights, artificial leather and electric rear windows. Power comes…

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.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.7 seconds/137mph Running costs 41.5mpg (official) £73 fill-up FANS of fast Fords are among the most loyal petrolheads in the world. They love the cars and Ford knows this, which is how the brand’s Puma ST Gold came to exist. The new model was born out of an online “experiment in human-centred design”, in which Ford allowed enthusiasts to choose the spec of a special-edition Puma ST. There were a number of different details that punters could pick from, with more than 275,000 casting their vote on social media. These included the ST Gold’s paint colour which, contrary to the name, is black; 56 per cent chose this colour, while three quarters went for red brake calipers sitting behind a set of 19-inch matt-gold alloys. Grey seatbelt…

Running costs 34.9mpg (on test) £119 fill-up/£520 or 37% tax Practicality Boot (7/5/2 seats) 187/616/2,011 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.1 seconds/127mph MODEL TESTED: Kia Sorento 2.2D auto 3 PRICE: £43,020 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 199bhp IF you want a diesel Sorento, then there’s only one trim level to choose from: the mid-range 3. There’s little scope for adding options, either; it’s priced at £43,020, and the only extra available is metallic paint, which adds £660 to that figure. Design & engineering STYLING is subjective, but what does seem clear is that the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is likely to appeal to those who prefer a more understated appearance, while the Kia Sorento takes a bolder approach. The Korean company has been more adventurous with its detailing – take the imposing grille up…

KIA 1st THE Sorento scores a victory, but it’s not a resounding one. Its success comes from its ability to offer space and comfort features for all three rows of occupants, while its diesel is better suited to towing than the VW’s. The interior tech and ergonomics are better than the Tiguan’s, while build quality is of a similar level. Factor in Kia’s ownership prospects, and there’s much to recommend. VW 2nd IN a class where practicality is key, the VW’s more cramped rear quarters hold it back from victory. If you only intend to use those back seats very occasionally, then the VW’s better fuel economy and more agile handling mean it still deserves consideration, though. It’s not as well equipped as the Kia, but strong PCP offers mean it’s…

Running costs 39.9mpg (on test) £99 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 510/1,626 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.7 seconds/124mph DIESEL is dead – or so we’re constantly being told. The VW Dieselgate scandal inflicted a brutal blow on this fuel’s popularity, and then the relentless push towards electrification has done the rest. With new pure-electric models arriving every day, and petrol plug-in hybrids becoming the default choice for company car choosers trying to minimise their Benefit-in-Kind tax, is there even a place for diesel models in the market any more? It’s time to find out, because Mazda is one brand keeping the faith. The Japanese company’s forthcoming CX-60 flagship will have a brand-new, state-of-the-art diesel engine in its line-up when it arrives later this year. And in the meantime, the recently…

Mascot collection at Beaulieu is a glass act THE National Motor Museum has bought a collection of 28 Lalique glass car mascots, becoming the first publicly owned collection and the only one viewable in a museum outside of Japan. It was accumulated over six years, starting with a glass perch fish and including everything from a delicate dragonfly to a falcon mascot. They were purchased with grants from the Art Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Arts Council England. The collection will be on display in Beaulieu’s Luxury of Motoring gallery, with examples of the Spirit of Ecstasy and the Montagu mascot, The Whisper. Club Hubs let you taste supercar thrill SUPERCAR sharing club Auto Vivendi has launched new Club Hubs, allowing cars to be delivered to and collected…

CO2 /tax 157g/km £210 Running costs 41mpg (Coupé) £65 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/160mph ALFA Romeo’s history spans more than a century, and during that time it has built a sporting reputation, despite the fact that it hasn’t actually made that many dedicated sports cars. The vehicles which established its credentials have largely been hatchbacks, saloons or estates with a sporting edge. What you previously couldn’t find in Alfa’s back catalogue was a mass-produced mid-engined sports car, a situation rectified by the arrival of the 4C in 2013. Tipping the scales at just over 900kg, the 4C is fast, agile and frugal, despite packing a mere 1,742cc four-cylinder engine. Now, three years after 4C production ended, it’s already a bona-fide classic. History THE 4C concept was shown in 2011, while…

Indy 500 test is rosy for leader Newgarden THE Indycar circus got its first taste of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022 during a two-day test ahead of the flagship Indy 500 on 29 May. The event ended with 2022 series leader Josef Newgarden (above) finishing fastest overall. The Team Penske driver averaged 229.519mph, pipping two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato by 0.092mph. Pedrosa is eying up four-wheel switch DANI Pedrosa is weighing up a switch to four-wheeled racing. The ex-MotoGP star, who won three World Championship titles across 125cc and 250cc classes, is again competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe series this year. The Spaniard says his final decision will come down to how much of his time will be dedicated to his role as a test rider…

I KNOW a bit about languishing in traffic jams. For starters, there are my miserable memories of being trapped in one all day and night – thanks to striking French workers who set fire to a wall of tyres blocking the main, and only, road out of town. Then there was the international incident I got caught up in while competing in the Paris-Beijing Rally and attempting to drive out of Kazakhstan into China… as you do! I and other drivers in the bonkers event weren’t allowed to cross the remote border until we acquired our ‘legally necessary’ Chinese number plates. We waited for so long to submit our paperwork and receive our local plates that our queuing cars doubled as our makeshift hotel rooms. But it gets worse. In…

● BMW’s Merc EQS rival arrives ahead of plug-in hybrid versions BMW has been one of the leading premium brands when it comes to pure-electric vehicles. This is the new ‘G70’ 7 Series, and an all-electric i7 model is part of the line-up. Seen here in official images for the first time, the i7 will lead the 7 Series launch in the UK. It will be available before the end of this year, priced from £107,000, while plug-in hybrid 7 Series with combustion engines aren’t due until next spring. The styling of the two cars is similar, with an oversized front grille that’s likely to divide opinion, and the split-headlight design seen on the recently facelifted X7. Targeting the Mercedes EQS, the i7 will first appear in xDrive60 guise. It…

AS you might expect, NCAP’s results show that a large electric vehicle needs a lot more energy than a small one, and that an electric vehicle in general may have similar or even a higher primary energy demand than a comparable conventional car. For all types of powertrain, the organisation says that the highest PED demand is during the usage phase, so it’s important to reduce the consumption of fuel – whether it’s electricity or petrol/diesel – as much as possible. The best and worst-case scenarios given for each car reflect different driving styles, ambient conditions as well as the energy mix prevalent in different countries. For example, the same battery electric vehicle (BEV) may provide low greenhouse gas scores in Sweden, where it’s likely to be charged exclusively from…

THIS is the first hot AMG version of the new Mercedes C-Class – the C 43 – which will go on sale in the UK in May. It arrives ahead of the next C 63 which, it has been confirmed, will move to plug-in hybrid power. Key changes over the old C 43 include a totally new engine layout supported by mild-hybrid technology, and fresh chassis equipment taken from newer AMG models in the Mercedes line-up. The C 43 switches from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 producing 375bhp to a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged set-up. It’s the same engine found in the new SL 43 – a 48-volt mild hybrid-assisted version of the brand’s M139 engine, developing 402bhp and 500Nm. It sends drive to a 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system via a nine-speed…

DACIA has vowed to maintain its policy of “not chasing safety stars” after its new Jogger received just a singlestar rating from crash-test body Euro NCAP. The company’s latest vehicle was marked down for not having a seatbelt reminder in its third row. But the firm’s vice-president of product performance, Lionel Jaillet, told us Dacia customers “are not willing to pay” for electronic aids that would improve the car’s rating. “We intentionally did not put a seatbelt reminder on those seats,” Jaillet revealed, “because we want them to be easily removable.” He added that Dacia’s vehicles “respect safety regulations in Europe” and said, “We are not chasing Euro NCAP stars when they are related to electronic aids. Many of our customers are not willing to pay for that.” “We’re not…

SUBARU will launch its first EV – the Solterra SUV – in the UK later this year, with a starting price of £49,995. Based on the Toyota bZ4X, its 71.4kWh battery pack comes with two powertrains. The base Solterra uses a single 201bhp motor powering the rear wheels, with a claimed range of 289 miles on a charge. A dual-motor car with four-wheel drive claims 215bhp and a reduced range of 257 miles. 150kW charging is standard.…

Running costs 49.6mpg (official) £81 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.6 seconds/120mph IN terms of pure value for money, the Dacia Duster is unbeatable among the SUV ranks. However, you do have to make some compromises to make the low price possible, one notable area being style. Renault sister brand Dacia has sought to address this, however, with the new Duster Extreme SE. Using the previously range-topping Prestige-trimmed Duster as a base, it builds on that car’s strong standard spec list with various cosmetic tweaks. First off, there’s the new and exclusive Urban Grey paintwork on the options list. There are new orange accents on the mirrors, grille and the ‘Duster’ lettering above the rear number plate, plus gloss-black wheels. The theme continues inside, where the Extreme SE has been treated…

STORAGE FAMILY life brings with it an excess of paraphernalia, so storage is essential. The Tiguan has some neat touches up front; there’s a cubby on top of the dashboard, plus small drawers underneath the front seats. Its door bins are very roomy front and rear, too. The Sorento has plus points including deep cup-holders for all three rows, plus a huge glovebox and roomy central storage bin up front. SEATS THESE cars will frequently be bought by larger families, so flexibility will be very important. For those with small children, the Kia scores points over its rival because it has two extra Isofix-compatible chairs. Both third-row seats and the outer pair in the middle row use this type of fixing; in the VW, it’s only the two outer seats…

@johnmcilroy Electric motor 72kWh battery 3.8 miles per kWh Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 527/1,587 litres WHETHER you appreciate its styling or not, there’s no doubt that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a distinctive look. Gifted with a platform designed solely for electric cars, without the compromises that come with engines, Hyundai’s designers had a field day, referencing some of the company’s earliest models and mixing cutting-edge technology with an 8-bit pixel theme. And as our reigning Car of the Year leaves us, I can’t say I’ve fallen out of love with its styling. Our example’s grey paintwork wore winter grime well, and right up to its last day with us, I still blipped the key early when approaching the vehicle at night, just to get a glimpse of the intricate…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q How do I get rid of scratches? I LET the rear wiper on my car get so old that it failed and now there are scratches where it has been working. I tried removing them with a glass polish, but it has made little difference. Is there a solution or do I just have to live with them? Mark Jones, E-mail A IF you find hand polishing is not having much of an effect, then a pad on a drill or polisher is the next step. A powered tool speeds up progress, whether on paint or glass, and can make a big difference on the latter, which is much harder. There are kits with all you need apart from the drill. Professional fixes are also…

FOR garage work or nighttime repairs, a head torch is one of the most useful tools, shining where you’re looking and leaving both hands free. Now there’s a new option – the MAGflex 250, which is part of Ring ’s new line-up of workshop lights. Does it move the game on? To find out, we put it up against the winner of our last test, the Nightsearcher ZOOM 580R. We tested them under the bonnet and around the garage as well as outside, assessing distance performance, ease of use and versatility, along with functions such as zoom, light modes and vertical adjustment. Given that they would often be under attack from the elements, a certification against the ingress of dust and moisture is a definite plus. The new Ring was…