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Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks • Petrol engines now electrified • Extra range for plug-in hybrid THE Mercedes A-Class was Britain’s fourth best-selling car in 2021, but has dropped out of the top 10 so far this year. So the brand is giving the hatchback and saloon plenty of tweaks, inside and out, in a bid to freshen it up and boost sales. The exterior changes are modest, even by mid-life facelift standards. The front bumper gets a new lower grille opening and the main grille has been reshaped, while the bonnet gains two bulges for some added aggression. There is a new selection of alloy wheels up to 19 inches in size, plus a new diffuser and rear brake-light unit. Inside, the current car’s pairing of a seven-inch instrument panel and a…

CITROEN is planning to reward owners of its plug-in hybrids for recharging as often as possible and improving their car’s efficiency. Drivers of C5 Aircross and C5 X PHEVs will receive a notification in their infotainment system if their vehicle hasn’t been plugged in for five days or after 10 trips. Citroen also says that from next year, full recharges will be logged and rewarded with points that can be exchanged for public charging or train tickets. The scheme is part of the Citizen Services programme, which aims to improve customer experience and environmental responsibility. It also includes the loan of an ICE vehicle for EV owners to use on a longer journey. It’s expected to be offered across Europe in 2023. PAGE 18: Inside Conservatoire Citroen Grant change won’t…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale POLICE forces in the UK have more than 430 electric vehicles on their fleets and in excess of 808 chargers. These numbers are not evenly spread among forces, however, with some constabularies having adopted large numbers of EVs and others none at all. Auto Express sent freedom of information requests to the UK’s 45 police forces and received 34 responses, revealing how EV-friendly the majority of constabularies are. Some forces refused to provide the information we asked for, while others had not responded by the time we went to print. Unsurprisingly, the Metropolitan Police Service – which is the UK’s largest police force – had the greatest number of EVs. The Met told us it runs 99 fully electric vehicles, including 50 Nissan e-NV200 electric vans, 41 Nissan…

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Rover 1 NEW logo looks better than the previous one, which looked like it had melted. But a Citroen that ignores aerodynamics? Aerodynamics were a key selling point for Citroen for more than 80 years. It’s a betrayal to go in this design direction. FROM: CL CITROEN thinking outside the box with usage, materials, ergonomics, motifs etc is definitely something that should be encouraged. How much of this remains in its production vehicles is yet to be seen, however. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk “I like the technoid-style design, but the vertical windscreen is pointless.”DMJ “Love it! Need a 20kWh version, too. Lower weight with a 125-mile range is enough.”CNFW “If it rains, will the cardboard go all soggy and flop into a big…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 Running costs 53.3mpg (off icial) £89 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/105mph THE Qashqai e-Power does things a little differently from other hybrids. The battery is bigger than the norm, at 2.1kWh (a Toyota C-HR has a 1.3kWh unit, for example), and it’s topped up by a 1.5-litre inline three-cylinder combustion engine. It’s an unusual engine, too. Nissan calls it a ‘VC Turbo’, with those first two letters standing for Variable Compression. The idea is the engine can adopt a high-compression state for stronger performance, or low compression to improve fuel economy. With that inline-three busying itself with charging the battery, propulsion is taken care of by a single front-mounted motor. Its 187bhp and 300Nm are enough for a respectable 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds. Sure enough, the…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.1 seconds/93mph PEUGEOT announced a not-insignificant update to its e-208 electric supermini at the end of last year. This boosted the car’s range and tweaked the line-up’s trim structure (along with its pure-petrol 208 sibling), while introducing some style changes to higher-spec models. But even as we’re testing this new version, Peugeot has revealed still bigger improvements for its e-208. While the car coming in 2023 will get a bigger battery and motor for more range and power, don’t discount this model just yet. Despite no increase to the battery size of the car here, the e-208’s range is now up to 225 miles from 217 miles, a near-four per cent increase, thanks to a revised final drive ratio in the car’s transmission. Put simply, this…

Running costs 32.6mpg (on test) £114 fill-up/£480 or 8% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 468/1,395 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.7 seconds/112mph MODELTESTED: Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus Dark T6 PRICE: £61,235 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 1x e-motor, 345bhp THE XC60 Recharge saw off the challenge of the Audi Q5 and Hyundai Santa Fe last year, but has a mild refresh to its hybrid system kept it fighting towards the top of the class? The trim levels have been mildly tweaked since our test car was released, so while the model here is in Inscription Expression spec, the prices are for the equivalent model you can buy today. The Plus Dark T6 starts from £61,235. Design & engineering WITH its release dating back to 2017, the second-generation XC60 is the oldest car…

1st LEXUS THE NX’s ability to see off two more very capable rivals only cements its place at the top of this class. Fantastic in-car tech and cabin quality are backed up by the best driving experience here, whether you rate it on the smoothness and responsiveness of its powertrain or its balance between ride and handling. While rivals might just edge it in one or two minor areas, it’s a very difficult car to fault, and is a worthy winner. 2nd MAZDA TO come second in this company is a very impressive achievement for Mazda. The CX-60 isn’t without its flaws – the hybrid powertrain needs work, and perhaps disappointingly for a Mazda, it isn’t that great to drive – but it fights back with a gorgeous interior and…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 35.2mpg (on testl) £112 fill-up £155 or 15% tax Practicality Boot (seats up) 552 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.3 seconds/149mph RACE on Sunday, sell on Monday. It’s something Jaguar founder William Lyons understood only too well. Cars like the C-Type, D-Type and lightweight E-Types dominated countless race series in the 1950s and 60s, and sales of his sports saloons followed in their droves. Yet 70 years later, global car markets have changed. What was a fairly easy jump from race car to sports car to sports saloon is significantly harder now the market is increasingly dominated by SUVs. It’s a style of car that I like, but SUVs that are genuinely enjoyable to drive in the sporting sense are still few and far between. The Jaguar F-Pace…

Contenders for Book of the Year announced THE Royal Automobile Club has revealed its shortlist for 2022’s Motoring Book of the Year. It includes Andrew Noakes’ Silver Arrows and Chris Martin’s Alfasud in the sub-£50 general motoring category, plus Bentley Continental, Fit for a King and Marcel Pourtout: Carrossier in the £50-plus general motoring category. Motorsport titles include Racing Green by Kit Chapman, WRC 50 by Markus Stier, and 956 001 by Thomas Nehlert. The winners will be announced on 2 November, when a Lifetime Achievement Award will also be handed out. Zap-Map subscription for Nissan EV buyers ZAP-Map, the EV chargepoint mapping service, has partnered with Nissan to offer a premium subscription to all buyers of the marque’s electric vehicles. Customers who purchase a Leaf or an Ariya will…

Corvette 70 Years: The One and Only Richard Prince (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £45 Rating: ANOTHER gorgeous-looking coffee table book from this publisher, but with lots of substance in the text to make it a good read, too. It helps that the Corvette is a truly iconic car about which it’s easy to ramble. The narrative covers 36 examples, representing all eight generations since 1953. A superb book for ’Vette or American car fans. British Microcars 1947-2002 Duncan Cameron (Shire Library, bloomsbury.com) Price: £7.99 Rating: NOT extensive at less than 65 pages, this is still a fun first look at that most eccentric class of British mobility: the microcar. Post-war Britain was one of the world’s microcar hotbeds, so there’s plenty of history to go over here, from the birth of…

In association with Search thousands of new and used cars online CO2/tax 117-134g/km £165 Running costs 47-52mpg (1.2T 100) £73 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.3 seconds/121mph YOU have to go back a long way to find a Vauxhall price list that doesn’t contain the Corsa supermini. Right back to 1993, in fact, because that’s when the Corsa took over in the UK from the Nova, a car which was also sold in Europe as the Corsa. Take that model into account and you have to go back to 1982. Sold in huge numbers, the Corsa has touched millions of lives, because this incredibly accessible and usable supermini has provided transport for drivers new and old. The Corsa has also evolved massively in recent years, so it’s far more sophisticated now…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram ● Two-hour enduro closes season ● GT3 and GT4 titles up for grabs THE 2022 British GT season comes to a close this weekend, with the title decider taking place at Donington Park. The series heads into the final race with both the GT3 and GT4 championships still to be settled. In GT3, Ian Loggie has a firm grip on the standings, with the RAM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 driver holding a 24.5-point lead over the Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 pair of Adam Balon and Sandy Mitchell. With 37.5 points awarded for victory in Donington’s two-hour finale, third place will guarantee the 59-year-old Scot the title, even if the Barwell pair win. As ever, the GT3 category is fiercely close with various teams in contention. As well as…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Second generation of style-focused Toyota due to arrive next year • EV version could join the petrol and hybrid models in new line-up TOYOTA is pushing ahead with its range of bZ fully electric vehicles, but the firm is also preparing to extend the life of one of its most popular combustion-engined models when a fresh generation of C-HR arrives in the second half of next year. Designed and engineered in Europe, the style-focused SUV-crossover has been a smash hit with customers worldwide since it was introduced in 2016. And even with Toyota targeting 3.5 million global sales of electric vehicles annually by 2030, there’s still plenty of space in its portfolio for cars featuring combustion power. One of the current C-HR’s biggest selling points has been…

Last hurrah for Ford’s Le Mans supercar THE Ford GT supercar is to end production soon and it will sign off with a limited-run LM Edition (above). Just 20 examples will be built, each featuring silver carbon-fibre bodywork and a choice of red or blue colour schemes, as a tribute to Ford’s class-winning entries in the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. The model also features a titanium exhaust and a badge made from the ground-down crankshaft of one of the 2016 racers. Speeders top the UK’s penalty points table SPEEDING is the most common offence for which UK drivers have points on their licence, according to DVLA data acquired by Confused.com. Some 2.2 million drivers currently have points for this, and that’s just on local roads – motorway and goods…

Special edition marks 10 years of the RS Q3 AUDI is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its rapid small SUV with a new version called RS Q3 edition 10 years (above). It will make 555 examples of the car, each with the usual 394bhp/480Nm five-cylinder turbocharged engine but with exclusive styling, Chronos grey paint, 21-inch wheels and RS bucket seats. The new model is being offered to European buyers in regular and coupé Sportback bodystyles, but there are no plans to sell either in the UK. PAGE 26: Audi RS 4 Competition driven Rexton range topped off with £45k flagship SSANGYONG has added a new flagship model to its Rexton SUV range. The Ultimate Plus edition of the seven-seat 4x4 comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, auto-dipping mirrors and a sunroof…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy CITROEN is a company that has gone through several strategies and owners over its 103-year history. But these days, this most idiosyncratic French brand seems to have made peace with its past, and grown comfortable with being known as a little bit different. There’s no better reflection of this than the Conservatoire – a humble-looking building near Charles de Gaulle Airport on the outskirts of Paris. It’s part of l’Aventure Citroen – let’s call it the heritage wing – and houses just a few of the firm’s technical and design highlights of the past 103 years. When we say a few, we really mean more than 200. Citroen actually has north of 600 classics on its books, but the majority remain under cover somewhere at its Sochaux factory.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 32.1mpg (off icial) £94 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.9 seconds/180mph AS the era of the purely petrol-engined Audi RS model draws to a close, Audi Sport has gone to town on the RS 4 Avant, giving it one last push before the guillotine drops on a nameplate that has been on sale since the end of the last century. Known simply as the RS 4 Competition, this 75-unit run-out special is not cheap, at £84,600. That makes it £16,000 more than a regular RS 4 Avant, but crucially a couple of grand less than the similarly specified Vorsprung model. It clearly has appeal, because 50 of the UK cars are already sold. Given that its 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine produces no more power or torque above the…

Running costs 48.9mpg (on test) £90 fill-up/£480 or 8% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 525/1,436 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.3 seconds/124mph MODEL TESTED: Lexus NX 450h+ Takumi PRICE: £59,700 POWERTRAIN: 2.5-litre 4cyl, 2x e-motors, 305bhp THE direct translation of Takumi from Japanese to English is ‘craftsman’, and top-spec versions of both the Mazda CX-60 and the Lexus NX carry the name. The NX 450h+ costs from £59,700, while the only extra on our test car is the £920 Sonic Grey paint. Design & engineering LEXUS, along with its parent brand Toyota, certainly has plenty of form when it comes to hybrid tech. During the 20-odd years since the Prius made its debut, the Japanese giant has redefined the formula, to the point now where it offers models such as this…

Audi Q5 50 TFSI e quattro Sport PRICE: £52,965 ENGINE: 2.0l, 1x e-motor, 295bhp THE Q5 splits the difference between the CX-60 and its two rivals here, both in terms of price and its official 39-mile electric range. Sport trim is well equipped, or you can add £2,500 for the S line version and still undercut the Lexus and Volvo. BMW X3 xDrive30e xLine PRICE: £53,730 ENGINE: 2.0l, 1x e-motor, 288bhp FOR driving fun, the X3 is the class champ, while xLine models offer decent kit for the price, and are a less expensive alternative to choosing the all-electric iX3. However, an EV range of 30.4 miles is the poorest of the models featured here.…

Steve_Walker@autovia.co.uk Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 575/1,653 litres SCREENS are everywhere today, and the interiors of new cars are becoming ever-more dominated by them. This means that car makers are now also in the software business and having good software in a car can make owning the vehicle a far more pleasant experience. Ford’s latest attempt is called SYNC 4 and we’ve been getting to grips with it via the 13.2-inch touchscreen in our Focus Estate. I’ll admit straight away that I have major doubts about touchscreens in cars. It might be more expensive to engineer a climate control dial that glides with mechanical precision than it is to write some extra code, but show me a touchscreen that people prod for the sheer pleasure of it. Far more importantly, touchscreens…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Quick and easy protection WHAT’S the quickest way to get some protection on my car before winter? I don’t have the space or time for a lengthy process. Paul Whyte, E-mail A GETTING a detailer round is the easiest but not the cheapest way of adding protection. Whatever you do, the car will need washing. When it’s clean and rinsed, use Sonax Xtreme Spray+Seal. Just spray it on, rinse off and dry as usual. Our tests show it is good for at least three months’ protection. Q How can I track a trailer? I’VE bought a car trailer, which I’m keeping on a friend’s nearby farm. I’ve seen devices that can track a car, but is there something for a trailer that doesn’t need a power supply?…

Save up to £118 on an annual Christmas gift subscription on the best motoring magazines around. Share your passion and get hassle-free gifts that last all year. Early Bird Offer! Ends 31st October. VISIT US AT autoexpress.co.uk/subscribe to claim your special offer or call 0330 333 9491 using offer code P22XME Calls to 03 numbers will be charged at your standard local rate. This offer closes on 31st October 2022. The number of issues published in a 3, 6 or 12 month period will vary for each magazine. Discounts are based on the shop price of a single issue. The number of issues ordered will be displayed upon checkout. Offer only available on subscriptions delivered to UK addresses. All gift subscriptions will begin in January 2023. SCAN ME!…

PRODUCTGROUP TEST 12|10|2022 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 ANY car enthusiast will prefer to keep their pride and joy out of the elements and, in the absence of a garage, an outdoor car cover is a good alternative. When a car is left unprotected outside, it’s vulnerable to scratches and knocks as well as the harmful effects of the sun and airborne pollution, plus tree sap, dirt and bird droppings. So a high-quality car cover is a sound investment, although it’s good to take precautions. A cover should not be applied to a wet vehicle, and snow should be brushed off as soon as possible to aid breathability.…

In association with Search thousands of new and used cars online IT’S hard to argue with the all-round appeal of the Skoda Octavia Estate when you’re looking for a load-lugger for family or business reasons. But Suzuki is trying to offer an alternative with its rebadged Toyota Corolla Touring Sports named, somewhat oddly, the Swace. Unlike the Skoda, which is derived from a hatchback, the Swace is only available as an estate. Also unlike the Octavia, it’s a hybrid only, albeit one that relies on Toyota’s excellent tech. For the purposes of this used comparison, we’ve pitched the 120bhp, petrol-electric CVT auto-equipped Swace against a 1.0-litre mild-hybrid DSG Octavia to see how the pair measure up as rivals on the used market. It’s a tale of two different approaches, but which should…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Retuned M3 engine produces 453bhp for 4.2-second 0-62mph BMW’S M division recently announced its first plug-in hybrid model, the controversial 2.7-tonne XM SUV. But the renowned performance experts haven’t given up on pure driver’s cars just yet – and they’re throwing everything at what could be their defining small coupé, the new M2. The fastest version of the new 2 Series Coupé is arguably one of the main reasons why it was kept on BMW’s rear-drive CLAR platform, in contrast with sibling models such as the 1 Series that use fundamentally front-wheel-drive components. The M2 has grown in any case; it’s now 4,575mm long, just over 11cm up on the previous M2, but also 16mm wider and 11mm lower. The appearance is in keeping with the previous…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram • We’re behind the wheel of Skoda’s Vision 7S SUV concept • Hints at future seven-seat electric model due in 2024 THERE are very few secrets at Skoda. New or updated versions of the Octavia, Kodiaq and Superb have been confirmed, and the company has publicly committed to launching three new electric cars by 2026: a small car, a sub-Enyaq compact SUV, and a production version of this – the Vision 7S. Designed to preview a zero-emission, seven-seat flagship, the 7S will take Skoda’s family-friendly SUVs into new territory. The concept was revealed in August, but now we’ve been given a chance to drive it, and speak to the people behind it. As always, an opportunity like this isn’t about driving impressions; the car, despite appearances, can only…

THE Nissan Qashqai bounced back to the top of the UK’s new car-sales charts in September – but the overall market failed to bounce back with only a small year-on-year increase in sales. The British-built SUV was the top seller in a market that rose 4.6 per cent overall compared with a year ago – although it was still down more than 34 per cent on pre-Covid levels for what would typically be the second-busiest month of the year for new-car registrations. Plug-in hybrid registrations fell by 11.5 per cent, but rising EV share meant that more than one in five new cars that joined the UK’s roads in September 2022 had a plug. Some 249,575 plug-in cars have been registered in 2022. PAGE 24: Nissan Qashqai e-Power driven…

*Did not respond Useful Contacts 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.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc.…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 “It’s not the modest performance that’s the issue, but the delivery” “THE beginning of a new Alfa Romeo era,” the Tonale’s official website states, which is interesting, because we all thought that’s what the Giulia represented when it was launched in 2016. Sales of that model and the related Stelvio SUV haven’t been stellar, however, so here we are in 2022 with Alfa once again relaunching itself. This time with a compact SUV it says will reach more of the UK car market on its own than the Stelvio and Giulia combined. The rear-wheel-drive Giorgio platform in which Alfa Romeo invested heavily is absent here. Underneath the Tonale is the vehicle architecture of the five-year-old Jeep Compass, itself a derivative of the Fiat Small Platform that underpinned 2005’s…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.8 seconds/130mph Running costs 32.9mpg (off icial) £160 fill-up SPECIAL editions sometimes signal a much-needed injection of life into a range, but the Discovery is a perennial performer for Land Rover, a sales stalwart in a market where large premium rivals continue to arrive in an already-busy sector. This new Metropolitan Edition stands as the flagship in the line-up, and it’s based on HSE R-Dynamic trim. There’s more bright detailing around the grille and the Discovery lettering. New silver inserts in the bumper combine with 22-inch diamond-turned alloy wheels and titanium mesh details inside. There’s also oodles of standard kit; you get four-zone climate control, heated and cooled first and second-row seats, as well as heated third-row seats. They all fold electronically via the infotainment system…

Running costs 42.3mpg (on test) £82 fill-up/£480 or 12% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,726 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.8 seconds/124mph MODELTESTED: Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv PHEV Takumi PRICE: £49,520 POWERTRAIN: 2.5-litre 4cyl, 1x e-motor, 323bhp MAZDA’S fight to gain a foothold in the premium SUV class relies in part on competitive pricing. And at £50,420 including Mazda’s gorgeous Soul Red paint (a £900 extra), our test car undercuts its rivals here by more than £10,000. But does the CX-60 offer any other advantages? Design & engineering WHILE Mazda is best known for sports cars and rotary engines, it does have some form in the mid-size SUV sector. The CX-7 and US-market CX-9 were both left-field alternatives to the mainstream class – but each had their own appeal. The new CX-60…

Mazda CX-60 Mazda Connect Multimedia Key features: Wireless Apple CarPlay NEVER one to follow trends, Mazda has elected not to use a touchscreen in the CX-60’s infotainment set-up. While we complain when some manufacturers take the tech too far, it also has its uses; selecting functions or entering navigation addresses while the car is stationary are strong points, for example, as is the ability to touch and drag on the screen to preview a route. In contrast, entering a postcode on the clickwheel is a bit of a faff. Some simple processes take longer to complete than in either of its rivals here. However, the click wheel does have its uses. Being able to feel the adjustments you’re making by rotating the dial means it’s possible to make some changes…

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. YOUR FREE GIFT Money is tight, make your screenwash go further with a free gift of CarPlan Demon Shot Screenwash Booster. Demon Shot is a new, innovative screenwash booster from CarPlan. Demon Shot can either be diluted with water or used neat to boost your existing screenwash temperature, meaning it is ideal for emergency or routine top ups. One bottle of Demon Shot makes up to…

NEW PRODUCT Scalextric slot cars Price: £49.99 Contact: uk.scalextric.com THERE’S something for all tastes in the latest slot car launches from Scalextric. Touring car fans can join the on-track rough and tumble in Adam Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport-run BMW 330i, which comes in the eye-catching black-and-gold livery of Car Gods. Like all the newcomers, it is compatible with the app-based ARC AIR and One systems, which add depth to the slot car racing, but it will need a digital chip. Adam’s a winner on track, so see if you can match his success in your living room. If you prefer to race road cars, Scalextric’s latest variation on the Lotus Esprit theme after its Bond models is the S2, launched to commemorate the team’s 1978 F1 World Championship victory with Mario Andretti.…

WHEN supercar customiser Yianni Charlambous launched his car-care products this year, he aimed to “disrupt the market” and use his experience to create a full cleaning and protection solution that was available exclusively through Halfords. Charlambous has A-list celebrity clients and a huge following on social media, so we were keen to see what he’d created. We tried the Yiannimize wheel cleaner against the current standard setter and multiple test-winning Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wheel. On a neglected wheel trim we checked cleaning power first with gentle rinsing after applying each cleaner and letting it work on the grime. After assessing the results we applied more cleaner and lightly agitated the area with a brush. We also considered value for money. While the Yiannimize is effective, it’s one of the more costly options…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk UK’s biggest satisfaction survey Years: 2013 to present CO2: 124g/km Fuel economy: 51.4mpg (1.5 petrol) Best options: Navigation Pack, Chili Pack (17-inch alloys, cruise, air-con, etc) USED PRICES: From £6,500 THERE was a spectacular bounce back to prominence in the Driver Power Used Car satisfaction survey for the MINI hatch – it rocketed to 11th after a disappointing 59th place in 2021. Owners say they really like the way their MINIs look and drive, while the safety kit and infotainment systems are rated third overall. In addition, the MINI can boast several top spots, with best-in-survey results for the engine sound, seat comfort, overall quality and roadholding. There are some predictable downsides to MINI ownership, however. Owners don’t like the relatively high servicing costs at MINI dealers, the tiny…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off THIS is long overdue. A bright new Transport Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, takes the stage at the Conservative Party Conference. The time and place – Birmingham, West Midlands – somehow seem right. As does the theme: Get Britain Moving. Her inaugural speech should’ve offered hope to all users of mainstream modes of transport. Instead, it was as if some of them no longer exist. On this evidence, she’s obsessed with “rail” or “railways” (referred to a dozen times), with trains, train operators, their customers, workers, stations and ticket offices, collectively receiving an additional 12 or so enthusiastic mentions right at the start of her address. Next, what seemed like her second tier of priorities – shipping, ports, maritime travel, coal and steam power…