Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/05/2016 i Autocar

MERCEDES-BENZ’S Stuttgart neighbour, Porsche, is set to announce plans for a second electrically powered model. Porsche has already said it will take its sleek Mission E saloon concept into production, and Autocar can confirm plans have been drawn up for a new electric-powered SUV based on the same platform as the production version of Volkswagen sister company Audi’s e-tron quattro, or Q6, as it is likely to be named. As with the production version of the Mission E, the new Porsche SUV has been conceived around a uniquely styled body, suggesting it will slot into the line-up between the Macan and the upcoming third-generation Cayenne.…

Pininfarina is set to produce an electric sports car, following its acquisition by Indian technology and automotive giant Mahindra late last year. The design house showed a hydrogen sports car concept, the H2 Speed, at this year’s Geneva show, but Mahindra’s involvement in Formula E means an electric sports car is a natural next step, combining the technology already present in its race cars alongside Pininfarina’s famed design. Talking about the importance of Pininfarina, Mahindra automotive boss Pravin Shah said: “Design plays a critical part in designing vehicles in such a way that they are robust yet pollute the least while giving you the thrill that people want in vehicles.” He acknowledged that similarities between racing and sports cars meant the acquisition of Pininfarina would “surely help us in the…

Self-driving cars will carry a premium of at least £10,000 when they are introduced around 2021, thanks to the suite of high-powered computers and sensors that will be needed to make them safe at any speed. Up to nine cameras, nine radars and a laser-scanning lidar system will be standard equipment, feeding data to up to five high-powered processing computers — all of which will add significant cost. “There will be very powerful computing power in a self-driving car,” revealed Eric Coelingh, Volvo’s head of autonomous driving, speaking at a conference in London to discuss the future of self-driving cars. “We are talking processors measured in gigabytes, rather than the kilobytes we have now. The price will depend on volume, but we are talking expensive componentry that could easily be…

The MG GS has been unveiled at the London Motor Show ahead of order books opening in June. The new SUV will be available with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and three different trim levels. An automatic gearbox — the manufacturer’s first — will be available in the top-spec version. Full pricing for the Nissan Qashqai rival will be announced in June, but the starting price is likely to undercut the £18,545 entry-level Qashqai. The GS adheres closely to the look of the CS concept of 2013, with a contemporary design featuring a family resemblance to MG’s recently introduced 3, 5 and 6.…

The SQ7 is obscenely fast — 0-62mph takes 4.9sec — and more entertaining than you’d credit This is the Audi SQ7, but don’t worry too much about that. It’s a near-irrelevant £71k (plus options) 4x4 that is ludicrously fast and rather more entertaining than it has a right to be. But it’s what’s attached to the SQ7 that will have rather more relevance to the cars we drive during the next decade or two. For as long as we’ve known, cars have had 12V electrical systems. And the SQ7 still has a 12V electrical system, but it’s augmented by a 48V subsystem that drives two things of importance now and will drive several other things of importance in the near future. The things it has now are active anti-roll bars…

Bulls provide the leather in a Bentley. That’s because they don’t get stretch marks THEY USE BULLS, not cows, to provide the leather at Bentley. That’s because bulls don’t get stretch marks, which would mean blemishes. They live in Spain, away from barbed wire, before they meet their demise. And the wood? It might be a thousand years old before it’s gathered, sliced and matched so that the left and right-hand sides of the cabin mirror precisely the same pattern. It’s the sort of detail you can see, touch and smell that makes the difference between a luxury car maker like Bentley and a decent premium car maker like the rest of ’em. At least, that’s Bentley’s theory. But after you’ve spent time peering, prodding and pulling at the interior…

So, another iteration of Gordon Murray’s high-tech city car, backed by Shell (News, 27 April). Very impressive. However, I cannot dispel the thought that it’s a four-wheel auto-rickshaw, albeit with a fully enclosed, front-hinged canopy. Given the small numbers that will be built, and thereby the comparatively costly manufacturing processes, I wonder what its price point will be. And which markets will want it? It may be a much safer, faster vehicle than regular auto-rickshaws, but ludicrously expensive in comparison. Maybe Gordon Murray should take his intelligent structure ideas to an auto-rickshaw manufacturer, use inexpensive materials and keep things lower tech, but still low-drag. Then we might get a viable Murray city car. Donald MacKay Inverness, Scotland WIN Letter of the week wins a ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit…

The B4632 between Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham is, according those who know these things, one of the best driving roads in the UK. It’s a road that would seem well suited to a car that, our road testers say, is the most pleasing to drive in its class. As luck would have it, I was signed up to attend an event in Newbury, west Berkshire, a few weeks ago. I had to be there in the afternoon, so I devised a route that took me the long way round — up the M40 to Stratford-upon-Avon, then across to Cheltenham on the B4632 and down to Newbury on the kind of country roads we like to use for testing. On the motorway leg, the XE was flawless and the first 90 miles…

1 Renault Mégane RS 265 (2012-2014) Taking a regular front-wheel-drive hatchback and turning up the wick can be a great way to create an affordable, usable driver’s car. One of the best of the hot hatch breed, this Mégane is as much at home on a track as it is on the road. A responsive 261bhp 2.0-litre four-pot engine provides impressive performance: 0-62mph in less than six seconds and a 158mph top speed. There are two different chassis set-ups: the superb Sport or the stiffened-up Cup, which is even better. Expect exceptional steering, awesome grip and adjustable, truly delightful handling. Seek a Cup if you can, although you’ll enjoy any version. A tidy 2013 example should cost about £18k. 2 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI (2006-2014) The TT is no longer…

Compact crossovers 1 Skoda Yeti From £16,000 Almost a blueprint for crossover appeal: chunky looks, hatchback handling and compact MPV practicality. 2 Renault Captur From £14,000 The best of the B-segment crossovers, the Captur combines style, freshness and value in a versatile package. 3 Nissan Juke From £14,000 The Qashqai taught Nissan the value of being different; the Juke is its equally bold (if not quite as brilliant) follow-up. 4 Suzuki SX4 S-Cross From £14,000 Capable in most respects — being decent to look at, drive and sit in — with exceptional fuel economy as the kicker. 4 Dacia Duster From £10,000 Outstanding capability for the money. Better with all-wheel drive. Basic, yes — but in a very good way. Visit autocar.co.uk for all of our Top Fives…

Nissan is pressing on with a new range-topping Qashqai based on the matt black Premium Concept unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March. Nissan was non-committal about the model’s chance of production success when it was first revealed, but an introduction date of 2017-2018 has since been pencilled in. The Qashqai Premium Concept, which was styled in the UK at Nissan’s European design studio in London, is intended to be a test bed to push the crossover into a new £30,000-plus price point, possibly badged Tekna+, to battle more premium compact SUVs such as the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Encouraged by sales of the £29k top-spec Tekna-trim model, which is capturing a third of UK Qashqai sales, designers are now working flat out to productionise the concept’s unique…

THE ROLLS-ROYCE Cullinan SUV is unlikely to overtake the Phantom as the halo car in the luxury marque’s range when it’s launched in around 2018, according to sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson. “In my opinion, the halo will remain as the Phantom, because history has always pointed at large sedans as the most desirable cars,” said Robertson. “We live in a changing world, of course, and this may be the shifting point, but I expect the traditional Rolls-Royce order to remain.” Robertson remained tight-lipped on whether the next-generation Phantom limo or the SUV, which has yet to have its name confirmed, will arrive first. Both will sit on an all-new architecture that will underpin all future Rolls-Royces. “We haven’t made that announcement yet,” he said. Bentley revealed in March…

TOYOTA IS BETTING on becoming the established hybrid brand in Europe, with sales of petrol-electric models now accounting for 30% of the company’s sales in western Europe. Speaking to Autocar, Karl Schlicht, executive vice president of Toyota Europe, said Toyota’s western European sales climbed by around 10% last year, rising to 874,000 units. Sales in Russia and other smaller markets in the same region dropped by 35% as a result of economic sanctions and the collapse in oil prices. Even so, Schlicht said, Toyota’s 120,000 sales in Russia were “still profitable”. Schlicht was bullish about models such as the Yaris, sales of which reached a record high even in the fifth year of the model’s life. Toyota is also hoping that the Volkswagen Golf-class Auris will finally break a 3%…

Fancy living life on the edge? Ford is hoping you will. No discredit to the great marque, but would you be willing to choose this new Edge over more premium SUV rivals such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X3? What if it offered more space, more equipment and better refinement, all for a sensible price? Then would you take the plunge? The new Edge offers all those things and plenty more. Take, for example, the noise cancelling system, which uses microphones around the cabin to sample the engine’s thrum before producing opposing sound waves through the stereo’s speakers. And there’s the optional active steering, which uses an electric motor in the steering wheel hub to add or reduce the lock that you apply through the column. It makes the…

‘We take our race engineer on a track walk to explain the behaviour of the car’ Scotland’s only permanent race track crams nine corners into just 1.3 miles and, just for good measure, throws in a series of drops and climbs that mean the average height above sea level varies by about 60 metres from the circuit’s highest point to its lowest. Knockhill’s demands make it a great place to learn about track driving, so I’m here to learn from Gordon Shedden, the reigning Dunlop MSA British touring car champion. The circuit is like a second home for the local driver, and as part of Knockhill’s track driving school, enthusiasts can opt for the Gordon Shedden Driving Experience, where, for £499, you get one-on-one tuition with the double tin-top champ…

Mileage 3863 ‘Freddi’ the Fiat 500X has been working hard in the past few weeks. In my last update, he was ferrying a load of rubbish to the tip after a spring clean of my garage. In fact, he managed to swallow everything I needed to take, all in one trip. Since then, he’s stoically transported my two boys from one after-school club to another, coping with everything from muddy football boots to bass guitars and amps. He also didn’t let me down when I had to collect an impulse purchase the other week. A 6ft-long vintage metal New York sign I bought at an auction fit snugly with the back seats down and the front passenger seat pulled forwards. In addition, a trip to the garden centre for some…

If your old car is worth more when you feel like a change, then lucky old you I’ve been meaning to say a few words about the bonkers world that is the classic car market, so I might as well do it now. My opinion on classics was sought out (but not paid for) by the people behind Classic Trader, so now would be a good time to see what’s going on there. Depressingly, a model’s actual historical value now seems to be less relevant than its ability to make money for its owner. Classic Trader has a hot 100 that reveals the financial performance of the top individual classic cars that have recorded the biggest shifts in value over the past six years. It isn’t made up. This has…

Lavish 1 Rolls-Royce Phantom From £310,000 BMW built a phenomenal Rolls-Royce when it took over in 1998. Wonderfully made and knowingly aristocratic. 2 Rolls-Royce Wraith From £230,000 An intimate and involving Rolls-Royce; less grand, perhaps, but only in the measures that serve to make it great. 3 Aston Martin Rapide From £147,000 There may not be room in the back for top hats, but the Rapide is the most elegant four-door sports car in the world. 4 Bentley Mulsanne From £229,000 If the Phantom is best experienced from the back seat, the Mulsanne is a flagship best flown from the front. 5 Rolls-Royce Ghost From £227,000 The ‘affordable’ Rolls rounds out the silly-money list, narrowly trumping the Flying Spur with its superior cabin. Visit autocar.co.uk for all of our Top…

The Griffith name is understood to be the leading candidate for the new model TVR has confirmed it will produce a five-model line-up, including a convertible version of the upcoming and as yet unnamed sports car. At the London motor show last week, TVR showed off the first glimpses of the styling of its hotly anticipated all-new coupé ahead of its official unveiling later this year. The new car could even herald the return of the famous Griffith name. TVR chairman Les Edgar told Autocar that the imminent fixed-head model has been designed to accommodate a convertible, which will “closely follow” the launch-edition car. The launch model, a special edition, is expected to cost “considerably more” than the standard version, which will come later. That equates to a sub-£100k figure…

A new generation of lithium ion battery cells will provide a range of more than 250 miles Mercedes-Benz has accelerated plans for a range of new electric vehicles. The move follows a long-awaited announcement by the German government that it will begin offering sales subsidies on all EVs priced under €60,000 (£47,300) as part of a €1.2 billion (£950 million) electric car purchase incentive scheme. The plans have been orchestrated by Mercedes-Benz’s outgoing R&D boss, Thomas Weber, and call for four new electric models to join the Mercedes line-up by the end of 2020. Two electric saloons and two SUVs are expected. Each is set to share the basic elements of a more conventionally powered sibling, including so-called hard points such the windscreen and roof structure. However, there will be…

NISSAN EUROPE is looking at creating premium versions of other models to join the upmarket Qashqai. An X-Trail Premium Concept was shown alongside the similarly tweaked Qashqai at the Geneva show, and it’s possible that a more upmarket version of Nissan’s mid-size SUV will also make it into production. Nissan isn’t yet moving in the direction of Ford’s Vignale sub-brand, which also embraces better dealer service, while new Vauxhall boss Rory Harvey ruled out a Vignale-type brand extension when asked about the idea at the Geneva show. However, the pricing of Nissan’s Tekna+ and Ford’s Vignale is expected to be very similar, signifying a new price war between premium and volume brands at around the £30k mark.…

Lexus could replace its CT200h compact hybrid with a new crossover model, the brand’s European boss, Alain Uyttenhoven, has revealed. With sales of around 10,000 per year, the CT200h has not broken into the booming compact premium market in the way that Lexus had hoped, Uyttenhoven admitted. “This segment is worth 750,000 units per year in Europe,” he said. No further hints about the replacement for the CT200h were forthcoming, but the LF-SA concept shown at last year’s Geneva motor show was a hint at what might happen when the CT reaches the end of its life within the next 24 months. Despite achieving global sales of 652,000 units last year, Lexus has struggled to gain traction in the overall European premium market. Across “wider Europe”, the brand sold around…

The pulsating idle turns into a tuneful but not overly soulful rasp with revs The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, or Giulia Cloverleaf to us linguistic imperialists who still prefer Venice and Florence to Venezia and Firenze, is an all-new sports saloon from the people who brought us the original Giulia, Alfasud and 75 – handling greats, all. There has been regrettably little from Alfa with which keen drivers might indulge themselves since, of course. Which makes this a bit of a watershed car for the Italian firm, one to give us reason to feel excited by the Alfa brand again and to begin a long reputational rebuilding process. This company can rightly claim to have made some of the best-handling sports cars and saloons in the world in its pomp…

There’s a touch of lag at low revs in the Bentayga, but then it really charges If you’re a British nonagenarian head of state and you want to let your 94-year-old husband drive the leader of the free world and his wife around, really you’ve only got one choice of transport. At least, until now you’ve only had one choice. You did it in a Range Rover. And if you’re going to do it in any Range Rover, might I recommend one of these newfangled SVAutobiography models? It’s the slightly awkwardly named recognition that people with an unmentionable amount of money don’t always want to be seen in a supercar or what might be mistaken for an airport limousine. They might be prepared to spend an incredible amount on a…

This won’t be a great year for US diesel sales. Last year Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche together had a 75% share of the diesel car and SUV market in the US, but many models have been taken off sale in the wake of the emissions test rigging revelations. In addition, the low price of oil continues to make fuel efficiency a harder sell, with hybrids’ market share also falling. As a result, the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF), which promotes diesel’s interests in the US on behalf of vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers and fuel producers, expects diesel’s US market share this year to drop below the 3% seen in recent years. In the longer term, however, a different picture is expected to emerge. In fact, according to estimates from both the…

INDULGE IN INFINITI Reading the Jaguar F-Pace review (First Drives, 20 April), I can’t help but think that Infiniti was way ahead of the pack in designing a sports SUV. I have just bought a 2011 Infiniti FX30d Sports Premium for £20,000 with more or less a full spec and in an identical colour to the F-Pace you reviewed, and the visual similarity is striking. And it has just averaged 33mpg on a Cornwall run. Dealer support is great and more Infiniti dealerships are springing up. I’d recommend a used FX; it’s a lot of vehicle for your dosh. Andy Thompson Via email FORD AD NOT BAD As a Ford man, I disagree with Matt Prior’s and Robert Green’s views of Ford’s recent ad campaign (Tester’s Notes, 13 April, Your…

The CX-3 was right and I was wrong. It’s 1-0 to the car’s tyre pressure monitoring system. After months of having said system’s warning light and beep intermittently alerting me to an issue, the reason behind it all was a small nail embedded deep into the nearside rear tyre. Of some small comfort was the fact that the nail was pushed in so deep that it wasn’t visible. Even my local ATS couldn’t detect it when the tyre was inexplicably deflating slowly a few months ago; a slow puncture was suspected, but not even the ‘squirt soapy water at it’ trick to find the air leak worked. Lesson learned: never disregard your tyre pressure monitoring system. Yes, they can be faulty at times, but 99% of the time they’re right.…

READER’S CAR: BMW 528i Graham King had wanted an E39-generation BMW 5 Series since they first came out and almost bought one several times. “I finally bought a smart-looking 1996/P-reg 528i SE for £600 last October,” he says. “It had six months’ MOT and I only intended to keep it that long. When test time came around, I didn’t even bother, because the list of issues was so long: brakes, power steering, suspension, headlights and gearbox. Although I had to get rid of it, the car never felt dangerous, never let me down and didn’t cost a penny.” WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK: SKODA ROOMSTER They affordable look interesting . With a 1.6- , litre and they petrol ’re engine becoming , it will very be lively enough, too.…

Premium hatches 1 BMW i3 From £30,000 An electrified statement of intent. With a generous budget and modest miles in mind, the i3 is simply unbeatable. 2 Audi A3 Sportback From £19,000 The Volkswagen Golf is our conventional hatch champ, but its sister car is almost as good if only an Audi will do. 3 Volvo V40 From £19,000 No, the V40 isn’t perfect, but it’s handsome, brilliantly well packaged and different — rare commodities. 4 BMW 1 Series From £20,000 It looks desperate from certain angles, but the BMW is still a sure bet. Arguably offers the most sporting drive. 5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class From £20,000 We’re warming to the A-Class, although caution is still advised on how you spec it. Looks and cabin top notch. Visit autocar.co.uk for all…