Innholdsfortegnelse for 1731 i Auto Express

Caterham’s racecar for the road on sale now CATERHAM has launched a new ‘track-focused’ model called the 420 Cup (above) – a road-going version of the Seven UK Championship racer. Its 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine produces 210bhp and 203Nm of torque, and is linked to a six-speed sequential gearbox. The wheels are shod in Avon ZZR Extreme rubber, fully adjustable Bilstein dampers are fitted all round, and the car has had a motorsport-inspired makeover. Production starts in 2023, but it’s on sale now, from £54,990. Huge pay-out to settle VW emissions scandal THE Volkswagen Group has agreed to pay out a £193million settlement to owners in England and Wales affected by the dieselgate scandal, without making “any admission in respect of liability, causation or loss”. Buyers who participated in the…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars ● First taste of new Smart #1 ● EV has 273 miles of range WE’VE been here before, to a point. The Smart brand is launching a vehicle that’s not a super-compact city car, but this time, the new, all-electric #1 crossover hopes to spread the rebooted brand’s wings a little further than the For Four that came before it. And we’ve been for a ride in a prototype. The #1 has a similar footprint to the MINI Countryman. It’s a bigger car than pictures might suggest, the benefits of which are apparent when you climb aboard. Despite a tall, Mercedes-like centre console that cocoons the front occupants, the cabin is spacious and accommodating, with plenty of rear legroom and a 411-litre boot. Smart claims that there’s as…

Sign of times as Ford ‘geofences’ limits FORD is trialing geofencing technology in an effort to make speed limit signs obsolete. By creating a digital geographical boundary between different zones (above), the technology will see vehicles slow down automatically when approaching an area with a lower limit. This could allow speed limit signs to be removed, making streets more aesthetically pleasing and dealing with the issues of signs being obscured by branches or badly placed. Third London ULEZ expansion proposed A CONSULTATION has been launched on further expansion for the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover the whole of Greater London from 29 August 2023. The ULEZ currently covers all streets within London’s North and South Circular roads. If the expansion goes ahead, the AA estimates that around…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale FOR many enthusiasts, the idea of owning a classic car is highly appealing, but the reality can be very different. While classics are often stunningly beautiful to look at and feel more special than modern models, running a vehicle that’s several decades old can prove to be an expensive and time-consuming challenge. What’s more, it’s no secret that petrol-powered cars are on the way out. With the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new conventional internal combustion-engined models fast-approaching, filling a vehicle with petrol – as well as the necessary additives to make it compatible with modern fuel – may well become pricier and more difficult for owners of classic cars. One straightforward solution is being offered by manufacturers and third party firms alike, however: to futureproof…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.1 seconds/152mph Running costs 470mpg (official) £83 fill-up MANY people might be sceptical about plug-in hybrids, which can seem like a halfway house between a standard ICE car and a fully electric option, without really reaping the benefits of either. But this new Mercedes C 300 e feels like one of the least compromised PHEVs around. Many other plug-ins lack the electriconly range to offset the fact that their heavy battery often takes a toll on the ICE unit’s efficiency. Not so the Mercedes. That’s because it has a 25.4kWh battery, which is larger than the unit in the original Nissan Leaf. Officially, that means a range of up to 68 miles, and we saw an impressive 60 miles in real-world conditions. The electric motor…

Alastair_crooks@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.8 seconds/131mph Running costs 43.5mpg (official) £83 fill-up THE Skoda Karoq burst onto the scene in 2017 and was our Mid-Size SUV of the Year in 2018. So, given that success, it’s understandable that Skoda hasn’t tweaked the formula much with this mid-life facelift. There are some subtle cosmetic changes, such as new LED matrix headlamps, a rearlight design in line with the larger Kodiaq, a wider grille and reprofiled bumpers. This mid-spec SE L model also has 18-inch alloys, chrome roof rails and an extended rear spoiler to set it apart from the base-spec SE. Inside, the layout is essentially the same as before, but SE L trim now gets a heated steering wheel and microsuede leather. There’s a mix of various plastics in the…

Running costs 51.9mpg (on test) £59 fill-up/£165 or 27% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 231 litres/TBC Performance 0-62mph/top speed 14.9 seconds/98mph MODEL TESTED: Toyota Aygo X 1.0 VVT-i Edge PRICE: £16,505 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 71bhp WE’LL always welcome a newcomer into the city car class, and if the Aygo X has the substance to back up its eye-catching looks, then Toyota is on to a winner. We’ve got the mid-range Edge trim here, which costs £16,505 before options. Design & engineering TOYOTA split the cost of developing the first two generations of its Aygo city car with Peugeot and Citroen, whose 107/108 and C1 models were largely identical and built in the same factory. However, with the French firms withdrawing from the segment, this time Toyota has dipped into its own…

Toyota Aygo X Nine-inch touchscreen Key features: Smartphone connectivity TOYOTA’S set-up doesn’t have built-in navigation, but the nine-inch display makes up for it with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – the same applies to the eight-inch screen on lower trim levels. Whichever smartphone system you use, the bright display responds quickly to inputs. The built-in system is the same so-so interface that Toyota has used for some time. There aren’t many features – just access to media functions, trip info and not much else. The physical buttons either side of the display make it simple to switch between menus, but the buttons themselves are small and fiddly to use. The climate controls sit in a separate panel below the main screen, and the simple knobs and switches are as intuitive…

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 DJUN22 and select the offer you’d like to take.…

Essential Buyer’s Guide: Ford Mustang 3rd Generation Dave Smith (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £14.99 Rating: DON’T want to pay the earth for a classic Mustang? More modern editions are coming into their own, but buying an 1980s American car can be a fraught process. This book gives a good grounding, but doesn’t go into great depth. Still, it’s a decent companion if you’re going to see your first car. Blue Meanie, King of the Streets Dave Smith (Hubble & Hattie, hubbleandhattie.com) Price: £8.99 Rating: A CAUTIONARY tale about the dangers of streetracing… aimed at children? No time like now to instill good habits, we suppose. It’s an interesting and fairly charming way to introduce your kids to the drag strip, too, if that’s a hobby you’d like to share. Not a…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Liability worries relating to car’s self-parking tech I RECENTLY took delivery of a second-generation Nissan Leaf and found that it has a self-parking function. As clever as it is, I’m worried that if it caused my car to hit another vehicle, I’d still be at fault. Is this the case? PL, E-mail A ALTHOUGH laws are set to be drawn up for systems that allow motorists to delegate the task of driving to a car with autonomous technology in scenarios such as this, they wouldn’t apply here. Your Leaf’s sensors shouldn’t allow it to hit a car it’s parking itself next to, but if it were to hit a moving vehicle, for example, your insurer would class you as the driver. The self-parking system…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram ● Indonesia hosts round six ● Mercedes-EQ lead title races THIS weekend sees the Formula E circus hit the streets of Jakarta in Indonesia for the first time ever. Following a false start in 2020, when the date was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the race also marks the return of an FIA-sanctioned motorsport event in Indonesia for the first time since the A1 GP championship visited the country 16 years ago. Located in the Ancol coastal area towards the north of Jakarta, the new circuit is a purpose-built layout, with 18 turns on its 1.47-mile lap. Following an announcement that the race in Vancouver will no longer go ahead, the 2021/22 season is now beyond the halfway mark – and following a doubleheader at the Berlin…

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…

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…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk MASERATI has followed up its MC20 coupé by unveiling a convertible version of the mid-engined supercar. It’s called the MC20 Cielo, and takes it name from the Italian word for ‘sky’. The Cielo has a large, retractable glass roof panel that takes 12 seconds to raise or lower electrically at speeds up to 30mph. Featuring Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) technology, the panel can either be fully opaque or fully transparent, and instantly switch between the two at the touch of a button. Fitting the roof mechanism and some extra structural bracing adds 65kg to the coupé’s 1,500kg kerbweight, but Maserati’s head of global product planning, Francesco Tonon, said the brand has “achieved the same level of performance as the coupé”. This means the 621bhp 3.0-litre twin-turbo ‘Nettuno’ V6 engine…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods ● Fresh face for new Mk5 model ● Hybrid-only engine range THE FIFTH-GENERATION Lexus RX has been revealed, with the firm updating its BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE rival once again with hybrid-only power in Europe. It’s exactly the same length as the old RX, at 4,890mm long, but moving to the new GA-K platform has allowed the wheelbase to grow by 60mm. Wider front and rear tracks are joined by a shorter rear overhang, too, giving the new car a somewhat different stance to the old model. New touches include the redesigned spindle grille and headlights, plus a full-width taillight bar. Lexus has redesigned the RX’s cabin around the same theme used in the smaller NX. The new 14-inch central touchscreen comes with built-in navigation featuring live…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mailaddress below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Citroen Ami FROM: Nick Zea-Smith I COULD buy one of these and have it cover most of my needs. I live in the countryside and most of my journeys are round trips of fewer than 10 miles. I could save my fuel usage with a proper car for longer-distance journeys. FROM: William H Roberts I DON’T see the point of this. In the urban sprawl, it’s not narrow enough to cut through the traffic like a moped. It will just get caught up in the same queues. Out of town, meanwhile, it will be slow and hold all the other cars up. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■…

Matt_robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.3 seconds/140mph Running costs 32.1mpg (official) £86 fill-up IT has a new face and name, but in many ways the Toyota GR86 is a known quantity. The bodyshell is largely carried over from the outgoing GT86, albeit with some modifications, and the basic suspension set-up is much the same, too. It’s also still arguably more a Subaru than a Toyota, since it shares most of its parts with the BRZ; once again it uses a Subaru flat-four engine, and is built in a Subaru-owned factory. Such is the way with making a sports car now; given the low production volumes involved, you can’t hurl too much money at developing these vehicles. But in all the ways that matter for a sports car, the GR86 has…

Alastair_crooks@autovia.co.uk Running costs 247mpg (official) £66 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.6 seconds/139mph THE Peugeot 308 is available as a plug-in hybrid for the first time, but the PHEV family car segment is already as competitive as it is congested. This Hybrid 180 model offers up 178bhp from its combination of 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and electric motor, and in Allure Premium trim costing £33,935, it looks as if it could be the pick of the plug-in 308 range. But with the likes of the SEAT Leon eHybrid, Volkswagen Golf eHybrid and our former Car of the Year, the Skoda Octavia iV, to contend with, the 308 will have a tough job to stand out from the crowd. From the outside, the omens are good. Allure Premium comes with 17-inch…

AT the cutting edge of lighting tech are digital matrix headlights – and they’re about more than simply lighting the road ahead. We snapped up an invite to Audi’s usually top-secret lighting development room at the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. The venue is an almost pitch-black aircraft hangar, but that doesn’t stop Audi blanking off our phone cameras with stickers, to stop us snapping any of the hi-tech projects inside. Instead, we’re directed to the centre of the room, where Audi’s new A8 is showing off its latest lighting units. But what exactly are digital headlights? In essence, they work by shining an LED bulb on to a ‘digital micromirror’ chip. This houses a staggering 1.2 million miniature mirrors that can individually tilt to either reflect or deflect light.…

Running costs 53.1mpg (on test) £60 fill-up/£165 or 30% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 252/1,050 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 12.6 seconds/106mph MODEL TESTED: Hyundai i10 1.2 MPi Premium PRICE: £16,480 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 4cyl, 83bhp BESIDE the Aygo X, the Hyundai i10 is very competitively priced. It’s possible to buy an i10 with a more powerful engine and in a higher trim level, but for an almost identical price to its rival. The model we have here is the 1.2-litre petrol in Premium trim, which comes to £16,480 before options – this undercuts the Toyota by £25. Design & engineering HYUNDAI has been able to succeed with the city car formula by splitting its development costs two ways, because the i10 shares its platform with its relative from Kia, the Picanto. The…

FIAT 1st YES, the Fiat is the most expensive car here, but it really feels like it. In terms of quality, tech, refinement and performance, it’s well clear of its rivals, and thanks to the potential savings made possible by its efficient electric powertrain, the total cost of ownership narrows the gap to its rivals. If you can live with the tiny back seats and modest boot capacity, then the Fiat 500 is still the best city car around. HYUNDAI 2nd IF a combustion powertrain suits your lifestyle better, then the i10 is deeply appealing. The flexibility in the range means you can either pay similar cash to the Aygo X and have a car that’s more powerful, more comfortable and just as frugal, or save hundreds and get a…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram Running costs Official EV range/tax 32 miles/£510 Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 410/1,420 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.9 seconds/140mph THE BMW 330e xDrive hasn’t been with us all that long. Just three months, in fact. It was only ever meant as a stop-gap between my Volkswagen ID.3 going back and my next electric car – the Sophisto Grey BMW iX3 M Sport Pro you see in the main image – being ready for collection. Yet the 3 Series Touring was chosen to fulfil a very specific brief: would running a plug-in hybrid feel like a backward step after a string of fully electric vehicles? It’s not an easy question to answer. The idea of the 330e being a ‘stop-gap’ is particularly relevant in today’s new-car market, and something I…

Amazing sounds in Fiat special edition FIAT has teamed up with JBL audio and opera legend Andrea Bocelli to fit a new premium sound system to the Fiat 500 EV. The 500 La Prima by Bocelli claims to deliver a “one-of-a-kind” experience with cutting-edge tech that lets you experience music as if it were being played in a recording studio, an open-air arena, an opera house or even just in front of you. The stereo is specially tuned for EV motoring because, without engine noise, shortcomings in audio are more obviously exposed. The Fiat 500 La Prima by Bocelli is available now. Update to Volvo app simplifies charging VOLVO has made life easier for drivers of its electric and plug-in hybrid cars by including the Plugsurfing platform into its own…

CO2 /tax 113-154g/km £165 Running costs 45-65mpg (BlueHDi 130) £91 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.3 seconds/116mph WHEN it comes to thinking outside the box, Citroen has a long and rich history of doing things differently. So when it thought up the van-derived people-carrier that was the original Berlingo in 1996, we shouldn’t have been surprised. Within a year, Renault had retaliated with the Kangoo, and the van-based MPV soon took off – more so in Europe than in the UK, though, because we’re less keen on utilitarian transport. But for those who wanted something cheap, comfy and practical, there was little that could touch the Berlingo. A second generation arrived in 2008, with an all-new model appearing a decade later. History THE third-generation Citroen Berlingo went on sale in July 2018…

F1 teams consider regional calendar FORMULA One teams have backed the possibility of adjusting the calendar to sort races into more regionalised groupings, according to reports. Outliers such as the Miami Grand Prix – a flyaway race between two European rounds – might soon be slipped into the calendar closer to other North American races, while the same could happen for Asian and European rounds, too. Some teams are fighting spiralling inflation plus increased energy and logistics costs alongside a budget cap that came into force at the start of the 2022 season – and which will tighten further over the coming years – and they are concerned about struggling financially. A streamlined calendar could help that issue, as well as boosting the sport’s environmental sustainability. Raikkonen in NASCAR race…

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 electrification race has largely passed the pick-up truck market by, but that is changing with the Maxus T90EV, the first electric pick-up for the UK market. An 89kWh battery feeds a rear-mounted 201bhp motor, while claimed WLTP city range and payload stand at 198 miles (so around 130 miles combined) and 740kg respectively. Kit includes a 10.25-inch screen and rear camera, and prices will be revealed closer to sales commencing in August.…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk THE cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV) has risen by 21 per cent since September, with the average electricity price now at 44.55p per kWh. That equates to an increase of 7.81p per kWh since last summer, meaning it now costs around £22.81 to charge the 64kWh battery of a typical EV to the recommended 80 per cent, a rise of more than £4. To put that into perspective, over the same period of time the cost of an 80 per cent fill for an average family car with a 55-litre tank has risen by £14.54, meaning petrol-car drivers today have to fork out £74.21. Analysis by the RAC shows that on average it now costs 10p per mile to run an EV kept topped up by public…

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…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 24.8mpg (official) £112 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.2 seconds/155mph AS automotive facelifts go – or Life Cycle Impulses in BMW parlance – the new M8 Competition Gran Coupé is a light one. However, look closely and you’ll realise that changes have been made. The model’s styling is subtly different and arguably a little more aggressive than the car it replaces, with a new lower section to the front bumper, fresh 20-inch alloy wheels, eight new body colours, including four ‘frozen’ matte finishes, and what the brand calls its ‘M lights Shadow Line’ trim for the headlights. This means the housing inside the LED headlamp units is darkened to create a more menacing look, giving buyers even more scope to personalise their car. The same is true inside,…

Running costs 4.9mi/kWh (on test) £12 recharge/£0 or 2% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 185/550 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/93mph MODEL TESTED: Fiat 500 Icon PRICE: £28,780 POWERTRAIN: E-motor plus 42kWh battery, 116bhp THE model shown in our images is the 500 Cabriolet, which features a retractable canvas hood. But we’re testing the 500 in more practical – and cheaper – hatchback guise, which in Icon trim still weighs in at a hefty £28,780. Does the electric powertrain make the extra outlay worthwhile? Design & engineering DEVELOPING a city car from the ground up is a difficult process, which is why Toyota used an evolution of a tried-and-tested platform for the Aygo X. In creating an all-electric model, Fiat didn’t have that choice – the latest 500 is a clean-sheet…

NEW: Dacia Sandero Stepway Prestige PRICE: £15,895 ENGINE: 0.9-litre 3cyl turbo, 89bhp WHAT really shines a light on the Aygo X’s price is the value for money offered by the Sandero Stepway. It’s a more refined, spacious and powerful small car with SUV-inspired styling, that even in its top trim level is significantly cheaper to buy. It’s an absolute bargain. USED: Ford Fiesta Active X (2020) PRICE: £17,000 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 123bhp FORD also gave its Fiesta the pseudo-SUV treatment, and the Active has clever hydraulic bump stops to improve ride comfort. That and the extra body cladding aside, it’s still the same Fiesta: cheap to run, spacious enough and brilliant fun to drive.…

Dawn_Grant@autovia.co.uk Battery/charging 54kWh battery 50kW DC (0-80% in 52 mins) Practicality Boot (seats up) 367 litres IT’S time to say goodbye to our Lexus UX 300e, so I thought I would give it a final clean before it goes. I always think a close-up wash ‘n’ wipe gives you a better idea of the car’s colour and finish than just walking up to it in a car park – particularly if you’re cleaning it in sunshine. It’s probably fair to say that, given the car’s relatively small dimensions, Lexus is shifting rather more examples of the UX 300e on looks and image than on outright practicality – and frankly, I can see why. Our car’s Terrane Khaki metallic paint is an extra that adds £570 to the list price, but…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q How can I boost headlights? I DRIVE a lot at night and want to improve my car’s headlights. What’s the best way to do this, because I believe HID and LED swaps aren’t legal? John Jones, E-mail A YOU’RE right – HID upgrades will fail a MoT and replacing halogen with LED is illegal. Make sure the lenses are clean and clear, get the alignment checked, then swap to one of the bulbs offering up to 200 per cent extra light. Our choice would be a pair from Osram, Philips or Ring. Q Must all tyres be the same? MY neighbour has bought a used car with a recent MoT, but with four different brands of tyre fitted and two speed ratings. Can a car…

FAST-developing battery and LED technology has seen a steady stream of rechargeable inspection lamps and head torches hitting the accessory shop shelves and online retailers. One of the latest additions is an innovative new head torch from Sealey. Does it move the sector forward? To find out, we put the HT104R up against our current test favourite, NightSearcher’s ZOOM 580R. We used them both under the bonnet and around the garage as well as outside. We compared the performance both close-up and at a distance and logged the various functions such as light modes, auto on/off, IP certification against moisture/dust ingress, and battery runtime. There was much to commend the Sealey and it was reasonably priced, but the glare from the 3W beam was irritating and it lacked a zoom…

TREAT with caution the often-repeated line that car firms can’t and aren’t making decent profits when building and selling electric vehicles. Largely thanks to the Tesla empire that he rules, Elon Musk was worth approximately £211billion as of May 2022. Yikes! The massively more traditional Porsche/Piech clan (rough estimate of current wealth: £50bn) plus BMW’s Quandt family (nearer £40bn) couldn’t be more different to Musk and the way he does things. Far closer to him in terms of spirit, talent and disruptive powers are people such as Henrik and Geeta Gupta Fisker, who are also keen to challenge the motor industry establishment. True, the former Aston Martin design chief and his entrepreneurial wife look poor by comparison with ‘just’ £1.2bn between them. But don’t underestimate this couple and the huge…