Auto Express 1731

OF ALL the success stories that have rolled out of Land Rover’s HQ in recent years, the new Defender has to be the greatest of the lot. It’s not only a fantastic piece of industrial design and a hugely impressive example of British engineering, early signs are that the plant in Slovakia is building them brilliantly, too. So it’s no surprise that – especially in times of parts shortages – Land Rover cannot build them fast enough. The queue for new Defenders goes around the block a few times, while Land Rover and its dealers are rubbing their hands with glee due to healthy margins on the car. We’ve no doubt that the latest version, the three-row Defender 130, will be a sales success, too. Although I have to admit…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Land Rover extends popular SUV to create an eight-seater ● Different configurations are available, prices from £73,895 LAND ROVER has been enjoying huge sales success with the Defender since it landed in dealerships last year. Now the British brand will be hoping to find even more customers with the biggest version of the off-roader to date: the 130. The 130 takes the already-substantial 110 edition of the Defender and adds an extra 340mm beyond the B-pillars, making it 5,358mm long – that’s more than 10cm longer than the seven-seat version of the latest Range Rover. Land Rover claims that this extended rear overhang doesn’t impact on the Defender’s off-road ability; it retains approach and departure angles of 37.5 degrees and 28.5 degrees respectively, and has a maximum…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● New small SUV revealed ● More space and tech inside “The X1’s styling builds on the conventional SUV treatment established by the Mk2 model” BMW is updating some of its best-selling models in 2022. The 3 Series was treated to an overhaul only a few weeks ago (Issue 1,729) and now the new X1 small SUV has arrived with powertrain upgrades and an all-electric edition. The third-generation X1 has grown slightly, at 4,500mm long (up 53mm) and 1,845mm wide (a gain of 24mm). The wheelbase increase is a more modest 22mm and the car continues to sit on UKL2, the same modular architecture that underpins the 1 Series and a number of MINIs. The car’s exterior styling builds on the more conventional SUV treatment established by the…

THE biggest single departure for the new X1 is the arrival of the pure-electric edition, badged iX1 xDrive30e, which is due around the same time as the PHEVs. The new EV features a pair of electric motors – one on each axle – which have a maximum combined output of 308bhp and 494Nm of torque, although this power figure is achieved on temporary boost. Either way, the iX1 is capable of 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, and it can reach a top speed of 112mph. BMW claims the car will be able to deliver up to 272 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle, and says it will support charging rates of up to 130kW. The battery can also be pre-heated manually, allowing users to prepare their car and maximise…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk ● Provisional Government data reveals a seven per cent increase THERE were 1,560 fatalities on Britain’s roads in 2021, according to provisional official Government statistics released last week, which is a seven per cent increase on the number recorded the previous year. A drastic reduction in traffic levels due to Covid lockdowns saw road casualty rates fall enormously in 2020, but as restrictions relaxed and traffic returned to the roads, figures show that death and injury rates also began to climb again. Jack Cousens, who leads on roads policy for the AA, says the organisation had been hoping that the reduction in road injuries could be sustained for longer. “Sadly that wasn’t the case,” he said. “The one glimmer of hope is that the total number of casualties last year…

MOTORSPORT specialist Prodrive has confirmed that it is working on a new restomod version of the Subaru Impreza to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the World Rally Car version of the famous model. The P25 will be more powerful and lighter than its inspiration, the Impreza 22B, which was a limited-edition model created by Subaru in 1998 to commemorate the company’s motorsport successes. Power will come from a 2.5-litre flat-four boxer engine that will produce more than 400bhp. It will be paired with a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox. The firm plans to build 25 examples of the new creation at its Oxfordshire headquarters. The bodyshell, with extensive carbon fibre, has been styled by Peter Stevens, the man behind the look of the first Impreza WRC. The P25 is due to make…