Auto Express 1765

I’VE driven a fair few hundred miles over the past week and one thing has struck me: the standard of driving on UK roads these days is shocking. My biggest bugbear – after many hours spent on the motorway – is the Middle Lane Owners’ Club, who seem to be out in force these days, especially at weekends. The Highway Code appears to be forgotten by most people once they’ve passed their test, but it’s crucial reading for all drivers. And if they were to re-read the Highway Code, they’d see that Rule 264 states: “If you are overtaking, you should return to the left lane when it is safe to do so.” That doesn’t mean sit in lanes two, three or four just in case you have to overtake…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars ● Flagship Astra combines turbo petrol engine with electric power ● GSe promises more pace and tauter dynamics than standard car VAUXHALL has gone through a sober patch of late. After an era of fierce VXR models, the company has had a dry spell short of genuinely exciting driver’s cars, but the arrival of the Astra GSe could change that. It’s pitched as a more powerful, electrified version of the Mk8 Astra, and provides a first taste as to the future of fast Vauxhalls. In the coming years, the GSe badge will be attached to numerous performance flagships that will offer more pace and tauter dynamics with either hybrid or fully electric power. The Astra GSe, plus the Sports Tourer estate and Grandland GSe crossover (Page 9), gets…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars ● Sporty SUV is hottest Vauxhall ● 4WD GSe produces 296bhp THE most powerful Vauxhall on sale today is a hybrid-powered SUV with more torque than a Porsche 911 Carrera. The Vauxhall Grandland isn’t the obvious choice for a performance flagship, but with 296bhp and four-wheel drive, the GSe has the raw power to justify that title. Vauxhall’s new GSe – or Grand Sport Electric – models recall cars such as the Manta GSi coupé and Carlton GSi sports saloon, but the Grandland GSe takes on a very different form to these traditional offerings in both layout and conception. The 296bhp plug-in hybrid GSe features a series of styling and chassis upgrades similar to the Astra, while the £43,700 GSe is the most generously kitted-out Grandland. Its cabin…

Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars ● Latest concept previews rugged electric 4x4 ● Augmented reality glasses replace cabin controls AUDI is gearing up for what could be the most significant period of launches in its history, with more than 20 new models set to arrive over the next three years. A wave of cutting-edge EVs will revamp its range, and to tease one of these models, the firm has unveiled the Activesphere concept. It’s the last of Audi’s ‘sphere’ concepts – including the Grandsphere luxury saloon, Skysphere roadster and Urbansphere electric MPV – and the Activesphere is a rugged, high-riding coupé-SUV. It could go on sale in 2027. The brand is plotting a rival to the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class within the next few years, and according to Audi’s Head of…

Q WOULD a production version of the Activesphere have the same sleek bodystyle as the concept? A THE question is, would you start with a progressive car like this in a segment where we have never been? There are only two premium rugged SUV contenders: the Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes G-Class. Will we enter the market with something different? A final decision hasn’t been made, but we will see. Q WHAT’S the idea behind the Activesphere’s extensive use of glass panelling inside? A I WANTED you to feel like you’re connected with the environment without being physically outside. Imagine you’re driving through the mountains and you can see the environment through the doors, the single-frame grille and the glasshouse. I wanted to create the impression that there is…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Two or four-wheel drive ● 250-mile battery range FOLLOWING the launch of its EX90 flagship, Volvo will extend its range downwards with the launch of a new, more affordable electric SUV. It’s likely to be called EX30 and the early signs are that Volvo plans to give the new arrival the same chunky profile as its larger stablemates. Volvo teased the small model when it announced the EX90 back in November. A shadowy image revealed that the car will feature a similar rear-end treatment to the larger SUV, as well as the XC40. That means a sharply angled hatchback and the brand’s signature tail-light motif. Our exclusive image shows this on a downsized version of Volvo’s typical SUV profile. Recent spy shots from China would appear to…