Innholdsfortegnelse for 1735 i Auto Express

● Pro Electric Supervan debuts ● Race-ready for fast deliveries FORD’S racetrack-ready Supervans have been a handy promotional tool for the brand’s beloved Transit van over the past five decades. The latest one – the Ford Pro Electric Supervan – is unofficially Supervan 4. And as the name suggests, it is battery-powered and zero emissions. Somewhere underneath the performance-focused body is a ‘track-ready chassis’, based on that of the new electric E-Transit. True to Supervan tradition, there’s little crossover between the Transit and this motorsport-spec offspring. The first Supervan arrived in 1971 as part of the marketing campaign for the Mk1 Transit. Since then, various new Transit generations have featured a Supervan special, but we’ve not seen one since the Cosworth F1 V8-powered Mk3 from 1994. Propelling the new Electric…

● V8 hybrid with over 1,100bhp ● Just 50 of £5m car to be built FOUR-time F1 world champion Red Bull Racing is to enter the car-making business with a £5million track-only hypercar, the RB17, which will be built by the racing team’s Red Bull Advanced Technologies division. Described as “the purest execution of an F1-inspired hypercar”, the RB17 is the brainchild of Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, who promises that it will push “design and technical boundaries far beyond what has been previously available to enthusiasts and collectors.” Newey worked with former team partner Aston Martin on the Valkyrie hypercar. But unlike the Valkyrie, the RB17 is a track-only model, freeing up Newey to focus purely on the aerodynamics rather than having to adhere to road-car…

Bentley ups luxury on new Conti GT model A NEW ultra-luxurious version of the Bentley Continental GT, the GT Mulliner (above), has been revealed. It’s named after the brand’s in-house bespoke modification division, which has applied its touch to a W12-powered version. Exterior changes include an exclusive paint palette and black detailing, while buyers can also choose from a unique array of leather upholstery and trim, plus diamond quilted seats as standard, along with Mulliner badging. EU’s proposed ICE ban rejected in Germany GERMANY’S rejection of EU plans to ban the sale of combustion-engine cars by 2035 provides some hope for enthusiasts. While European Commission proposals were backed by the bloc’s parliament, Germany has bowed to lobbying from the domestic car industry. Porsche is just one of the companies that…

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…

Practicality Towing/payload 3,500/1,025kg Running costs 30.0mpg (official) £144 fill-up “As a package, this Hilux offers a strong mix of qualities that put it very near the top of its class” MANUFACTURERS making model-year improvements is nothing new. Given how far pick-ups have progressed over recent times, however, could Toyota’s enhancements for this MY22 Hilux make the truck a viable replacement for a family SUV that’s sometimes put to work – especially in top-spec Invincible X trim? Looking at the extra equipment for 2022, the Hilux features some kit that SUV buyers would be envious of, so it seems good so far. The range is now available with a panoramic top-down camera monitor to help parking this 5.3-metre-plus pick-up, while there’s also dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, improved connectivity…

MODEL TESTED: Audi A8 L 60 TFSI e quattro Sport PRICE: £90,690 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6/e-motor, 456bhp Running costs 35.1mpg (on test) £118 fill-up/£510 or 12% tax Practicality Boot 390 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.9 seconds/155mph THE current Audi A8 is the latest iteration of the firm’s luxury limousine, and it was given an update earlier this year with new lighting and subtly revised looks. The 60 TFSI e is available in long and standard wheelbases, and it’s the former that we’re testing here in Sport trim. Design & engineering CONSTANT evolution is a common theme within the luxury car class, and this is something that’s clearly evident with the Audi A8. This is only the fourth generation since it was first revealed as the replacement for the Audi V8 in…

1st MERCEDES THE gap between the S-Class and A8 has narrowed so much that it’s the little things that make all the difference. The Mercedes isn’t the class benchmark that it once was, and if this were a test between petrol or diesel models, then the Audi may have just edged ahead. However, the longer EV range of the S 580 e is difficult to ignore, which gives it the advantage here. 2nd AUDI EVOLUTION has helped the A8 turn into a strong contender in the limousine class. In terms of passenger comfort, it matches the S-Class, while it’s a more engaging car to drive, too. However, the plug-in model can’t equal the Mercedes’s range, while the cabin isn’t quite as special; it feels like an upscaled A6, whereas the…

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.…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Sucking up a good deal I’M looking for some guidance on replacing my Black & Decker DustBuster Flexi. Is there a test imminent or can you recommend a replacement? Paul De Cleene A IF you only want a handheld vacuum, the Gtech MK2 K9 is very good, but at £219 it is not cheap. If you need to justify that kind of outlay with use outside the car as well, the Vax Blade4 with car kit at £189.99 should appeal. It can be used in the home as well as the car, and is a test winner. Q Citroen roofbox and bars I’M looking for roof bars and box for a 2021 Citroen e-C4, yet most specialists I’ve spoken to can’t find this model. The price…

AS the dash cam market becomes ever more competitive, makers are trying all sorts of gadgets and gimmicks to give them an edge over rivals. The new MiVue 798 from Mio, for example, is packed with interesting innovations. It uses GPS data to add safety-camera alerts, while image-recognition software brings lane-departure warnings and a forward collision-detection system. It seems expensive however, so we pitched it against two of our favourite cams. Ring’s RSDC3000 is our current overall Best Buy and is £100 less than the Mio. That means you could purchase our favourite speed camera-spotting device, too (the £59.99 Saphe Drive Mini) and still have change. The Kenwood DRV-A601W costs a tenner more than the Mio, but has a 64GB SD card included and far superior footage. Unless you really…

REIGNING Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen looks close to unstoppable at Silverstone this weekend, having won five of the past six races as closest rival Ferrari continues to struggle with reliability. The Red Bull camp is brimming with confidence ahead of the British Grand Prix, with team boss Christian Horner saying: “We’ve got to take each race at a time. We’ve put a great run together, it’s great to be heading to Silverstone leading both championships. Max is in the form of his life, and the team are doing a great job.” Hopes of a home victory for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton or his team-mate George Russell look slim, as their Mercedes team continues to grapple with a lack of pace and the ‘porpoising’ bouncing characteristic of the new 2022…

● Exclusive access to award-winning Ioniq 5’s big brother ● Design chief SangYup Lee talks us through styling and tech HYUNDAI’S all-electric Ioniq sub-brand could not have got off to a better start. The Ioniq 5 was named both Auto Express Car of the Year and World Car of the Year, with its unique design getting plenty of plaudits, too. Now it’s the turn of the Ioniq 6 to take a bow – and Auto Express has been given an exclusive tour of the new model by Hyundai’s chief designer, SangYup Lee. Think the Ioniq 6 looks familiar? Not only has it been inspired by the ‘streamliner’ design era of the thirties, but it was also previewed by Hyundai’s Prophecy concept from 2020. According to Lee, the car could have…

SUPERVAN – 1971 THE first Supervan promoted the Mk1 Transit and used the chassis and 400bhp V8 of the Le Mans-winning Ford GT40, with a Transit body crudely bolted on top. SUPERVAN 2 – 1984 A CHASSIS taken from Ford’s Group C racer and power from Cosworth, combined with a major aerodynamic overhaul, enabled a top speed of 174mph. SUPERVAN 3 – 1994 EQUIPPED with Formula 1 power from Cosworth, this was built at reduced seven-eighths scale and launched to coincide with the Mk3 Transit facelift.…

GOODWOOD marked our first chance to get a glimpse of Lexus’s Electrified Sport concept – a fully electric successor to the Japanese brand’s LFA sports car. And while the EV might not offer a soundtrack to match its V10-engined ancestor when it comes to market by 2030, its performance will eclipse the LFA’s. Lexus CEO Akio Toyoda talked about the car inheriting the ‘secret sauce’ cultivated with the LFA and a low 2.0-second 0-62mph time. This means a four-figure power output could be possible. Tucked away in a Perspex-protected box on Lexus’s small stand, the car’s styling really has the wow factor. With a long bonnet and super-sleek rear, it still offers superb proportions, despite the lack of a large combustion engine.…

THE Law Commission has launched a new consultation to grapple with the potential legal minefield of remote-control vehicles, as firms continue to push for ways to bring the tech to UK roads. With a live remote-control trial currently taking place on private routes in Milton Keynes (Issue 1,713), it has been suggested that members of the public accessing the trial could be able to hail a car and have it delivered by remote control before the year is out. The Commission is asking for views on regulating such activity on public roads. Similar technology is already used in environments such as warehouses, farms and mines. The Commission wants to find out how existing laws might apply as and when remote-control driving technology is deployed on the road, and what new…

HOT TOPIC Soaring fuel prices FROM: Paul Rowley THESE unprecedented prices aren’t totally to do with the cost of oil. The retailers are seeking to make back the money they lost during lockdown, and the Government is taking the chance to fill its coffers from VAT and duty. FROM: Dave Green IT’S shameful the Government hasn’t done anything about this, other than make a small cut in fuel duty back in March that wasn’t even passed on to drivers. A major drop in duty should be at the forefront of cost-of-living measures. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▪ “With rail strikes, airport chaos and these fuel prices, travelling in the UK is impossible.” Ian Gregory ▪ “Highest I’ve seen is 208.9p per litre for diesel at a BP garage just…

Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 410/820 litres Running costs 56.5mpg (official) £73 fill-up FEW cars have a history like the Honda Civic. This all-new version is the 11th generation of the model, so the Volkswagen Golf rival’s story spans 50 years – and the Golf is actually a good place to start. That’s because the VW’s hold on this class has slipped, and with this latest Civic, Honda has developed a recipe very much of the moment. While many competitors offer plug-in hybrid power alongside the more conventional choice of petrol or diesel engines, Honda is offering just one option in its new car: a full-hybrid powertrain. However, it’s a hybrid with a slight twist. The Civic’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine – now featuring direction injection – mostly drives a generator, which…

Running costs 46.3mpg (official) £102 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.7 seconds/124mph IT’S almost a surprise that Mazda chose to retain a diesel option in the facelifted CX-5 line-up – especially given the brand’s emission-cutting electrification drive. It plans three electric cars by 2025 and has just launched its first plug-in hybrid, in the premium-brand-chasing CX-60, and there’s a range of cleaner 48-volt mild-hybrid petrols. So why bother with diesel at all? There are two main reasons. The first is that for now, at least, it’s a good option for those who cover long distances regularly. The second is down to competition – other mainstream manufacturers still offer a diesel version of the CX-5’s rivals, so Mazda is simply keeping up with the class. The 2.2-litre four-cylinder unit is available in…

MODEL TESTED: Merc S 580 e L AMG Line Prem+ Exec PRICE: £118,095 ENGINE: 3.0-litre 6cyl/e-motor, 503bhp Running costs 60.2mpg (on test) £122 fill-up/£510 or 8% tax Practicality Boot 535 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.2 seconds/155mph ONE difference between the S-Class and A8 is that plug-in drive is only available in the long-wheelbase version of the Mercedes. It’s badged the S 580 e and starts from £108,705, making it the most expensive drivetrain outside of the Maybach models. That nets you a car in AMG Line Premium trim, while here we test the fully loaded AMG Lime Premium Plus Executive, priced at £118,095. Design & engineering NOT many cars set the design and technology trends for a generation of models from a manufacturer, but that’s what happens when Mercedes launches…

Range Rover P440e HSE PRICE: £114,325 ENGINE: 3.0-litre 6cyl, 434bhp WE were impressed by the new Range Rover diesel in Issue 1,734, and the plug-in version should be even more refined. It can be specced with comfort seats in the back, while the plug-in has a 68-mile EV range. BMW i7 xDrive60 Excellence PRICE: £118,805 POWERTRAIN: 2x e-motor, 537bhp ONE step beyond plug-in drive is all-electric power. Mercedes offers the EQS, while the i7 is also available now. It has a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds, and the 105.7kWh battery offers up to 387 miles of zero-emissions range.…

Running costs 32.2mpg (test) £170 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 499/1,946 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 5.9 seconds/119mph THE best things in life come to those who wait, and as with so many people these days who are waiting for their new cars, my Defender took a while to arrive. Delivery times are improving now, we’re told, but at least it allowed my excitement to build; the latest Land Rover Defender is one of those rare cars that is so good, I can remember when and where I was when I first drove one. I wasn’t the only one excited by the new delivery. Friend, neighbour and local car dealer Jason Holt was keen to look around my new Defender, too. He runs CSG Motor Company in Chalfont St Giles, Bucks,…

Alfa Romeo Giulia Issue 1,728 BMW iX3 Issue 1,731 Citroen e-Berlingo Issues 1,718, 1,727, 1,732 Citroen e-Dispatch Issue 1,733 Dacia Jogger New arrival DS 7 Crossback Issue 1,727 Ford Ranger Issues 1,694, 1,701, 1,713, 1,721, 1,728 Honda HR-V eCVT Issue 1,732 Land Rover Defender New arrival Mazda CX-5 Issues 1,726, 1,733 Nissan Qashqai Issues 1,707, 1,716, 1,724 Peugeot 508 SW Issues 1,714, 1,725 Polestar 2 Issues 1,719, 1,725, 1,734 Porsche Taycan CT Issue 1,730 Skoda Fabia New arrival Toyota Yaris Cross Issue 1,730…

The BMW Century Tony Lewin (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £40 Rating: THIS second-edition title now features BMWs right up to the present day, including the latest models. It is absorbing and wide ranging, covering the company’s motorcycles as well as its cars. With sky-high production values and excellent imagery, it makes for a great read as well as a good-looking coffee-table book. Alvis Cars 1946-1967 John Fox (Amberley, amberley-books.com) Price: £15.99 Rating: CONCENTRATING on such a specific period means this book’s short length – fewer than 100 pages – is not really an issue. Nevertheless, don’t expect a deep-dive reference title, because some models feel barely skimmed over. Nice imagery makes it a worthy addition to an Alvis library, but not a book that can stand on its own too well.…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q What work should car maker include in a service plan? I TOOK out a service plan on my new car to try and make the maintenance as straightforward as possible. When my first annual service came, though, I was charged for an air-con re-gas. Should that be included? Michael Walters, E-mail A ALTHOUGH service plans are a popular way of spreading maintenance costs, they’re sometimes not as comprehensive as drivers realise without reading the fine print. Air-con re-gassing may not be included and brake fluid changes may not be, either. What’s included will vary from one car manufacturer and dealer to another. The key is to always read the terms and conditions in full. Q Which home charger is best for my new electric car? I’VE…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off WHEN it comes to naming and shaming car manufacturers and others for slapping greedy price increases on their showroom products, I’m at the head of the queue. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for companies and individuals making reasonable profits. A business or a job without decent profitability is little more than a hobby. But being excessively profitable is another, less palatable matter. Example: Elon Musk. In 2022 he boasts a net worth of around $220 billion. That’s circa £186,000 billion. Not that I’m jealous! Does he need this level of wealth? Too much wedge for one bloke? Can he afford to charge some of his customers less for their Teslas? No, yes and yes, I’d strongly contend. The world’s richest…

THE Ioniq 6 has only just broken cover, but future iterations are on the cards. Asked whether his team had considered a hatch-style liftback, design boss SangYup Lee told Auto Express: “I can make a great hatchback out of that – a shooting brake.” Indeed, sister brand Genesis has form in this part of the market, in the GV70 Shooting Brake. Lee also said the Ioniq 6 could “make a great performance model”. We already know the Ioniq 5 will gain a hot N-badged variant in 2023, but this is the first suggestion that additional electric N cars are in the plan. It’s likely the Ioniq 6 N will use a similar set-up to Kia’s EV6 GT, with a 77.4kWh battery and up to 600bhp. Lee also hinted that more…

BENTLEY brought its retro game to Goodwood with a new Speed Six Continuation Series by Mulliner, following the brand’s Blower Continuation car from 2020. Using Speed Six blueprints, and a 3D CAD model of the original, a mere 12 cars will be built. The 200bhp model will use parts identical to the originals from heritage specialists across the UK. In some cases, these will be made using the same methods. A tribute to the Bentley Boys of the twenties and thirties, each Speed Six will cost £1.5million. All are sold.…

IF you picked up a copy of Auto Express a couple of weeks ago, you would have seen our rundown of the top 75 new cars to own in the Driver Power New Car Survey 2022 (Issue 1,733). The incredibly comprehensive data behind that survey doesn’t just give us insight into the UK’s favourite car models, though. We can also see which brands you favour the most. As such, we’ve put together the Driver Power Brands Survey 2022, detailing the top 29 car makes as voted by you. These brands have been judged on the same categories their cars were two weeks ago. What’s more, some manufacturers whose cars didn’t sell in large enough numbers to qualify for individual model entries in the New Car Survey do make it into…

Running costs 31.4mpg (official) £120 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.7 seconds/155mph FORGET three, Mercedes-AMG thinks four is the magic number for its new C 43 sports saloon. That’s because, unlike its predecessor, this car does not use a V6 engine. Instead, the performance arm of the German firm has opted for a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid unit tuned to produce 402bhp and 500Nm of torque – so there’s a jump in power over its predecessor too. We’ve already seen how effective a four-cylinder engine can be in the brand’s A 45 S hot hatchback, so does the C 43 deliver with its new downsized motor? In estate form, the 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 4.7 seconds, and thanks to a 48-volt mild-hybrid boost delivering an extra 14bhp, there’s a little…

Audi A8 MMI Navigation Plus Key features: Touch response, Virtual Cockpit, nav system – high IF you’ve sat in a high-end Audi A6 or Q7, then the A8’s twin screens and Virtual Cockpit dials will be familiar. A straightforward menu system uses high-contrast white text on a black background, with different colours according to whether you’re using the navigation, phone, climate or audio systems. The upper screen is 10.1 inches across and controls most systems, while a three-year Audi Connect subscription includes Google Maps and Google Earth, 3D mapping, online traffic, weather and media streaming, Amazon Alexa and a WiFi hotspot. The lower screen is 8.6 inches across and its main function is to operate the climate controls, but is also used as a tablet to write names or postcodes.…

LIGHTING BOTH cars offer advanced LED lighting systems; for the A8, the most recent facelift focused largely on new lights front and rear. Audi’s HD matrix lights add dynamic indicators and improved lighting when turning at junctions, while the all-weather system is designed to reduce glare when driving in the wet during the day. The digital matrix LEDs are fitted to Vorsprung models, and offer lane lighting and an extended beam for motorway driving. All A8s also feature a light show front and rear when locking or unlocking the car. On the S-Class, Mercedes’s Digital Light features an HD system with one million pixels per headlamp, plus 84 LEDs. This uses data from an on-board camera, along with sensors and the navigation system to optimise the lights in real time.…

Running costs 55.1mpg (official) £75 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 380/1,190 litres I’VE gone from one extreme to the other with my latest fleet test car. Out has gone the Lexus UX 300 e – a pure-electric premium baby SUV. In has come the latest generation of Skoda Fabia – as conventional a supermini as you’d hope to get, shunning electrification in favour of pure petrol power. That’s not to say this fourth-generation Fabia didn’t represent a major shift for Skoda when it arrived in late 2021. After years based on older mechanicals, at last the Czech model moved onto MQB A0, the same platform as the current WV Polo and SEAT Ibiza. This, in turn, allowed greater levels of in-car tech, improvements in refinement and better efficiency. The core…

RM Sotheby’s Car Show goes on air A MAJOR auction house has launched a new podcast. RM Sotheby’s Car Show is recorded at auctions and events across Europe and hosted by European marketing director Peter Haynes. Available on the usual platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it promises to feature interesting guests – with RM’s Felix Archer and 1992 Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell on episode one. Just search for the RM Sotheby’s Car Show on your platform of choice to listen. Test leftovers raise cash for charity DETAILING show Waxstock returned over the Jubilee Weekend after a two-year pandemic-enforced break – and so did Kim’s Corner (named after our products editor Kim Adams), selling leftover samples from our tests. With a bumper stock after no shows in 2020…

In association with Search thousands of new and used cars online CO2/tax 308g/km £165 Running costs 20mpg (W12 coupé) £167 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.7 seconds/207mph WAY back in 1919 when Bentley built its first car, it was independent, but by 1931 it had been swallowed up by Rolls-Royce. For the next 70 years most of Bentley’s products were little more than rebadged Rolls-Royces, but in 1998 the two firms separated, with Bentley now owned by the Volkswagen Group. Five years later we saw the revitalised marque’s first all-new car, the Continental GT coupé. It was the tonic that Bentley needed, and sold in large numbers globally once saloon (Flying Spur) and convertible editions joined the range. An all-new Continental GT was launched 15 years later and it was faster,…