Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/11/2016 i Autocar

“The output of the GT 4’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 is expected to top the 603bhp of the new E63 S” Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance division is planning to unveil a uniquely styled and engineered, 600bhp-plus four-door saloon as part of its extensive 50th anniversary celebrations next year. Set to make its debut as the Vision concept at one of a series of celebratory events next year, the new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8-powered four-door is expected to carry the name GT 4 when it reaches showrooms in 2019 at a likely starting price of around £120,000. The GT 4 will become AMG’s third dedicated series production model line, following on from the SLS and the existing GT. The arrival of the four-seat saloon in concept form will complement the planned unveiling of AMG’s…

Production of the first Mercedes EQ electric model, an SUV inspired by the recent EGeneration EQ concept, will begin at the firm’s Bremen plant in 2019. The facility is set to build all models in Mercedes’ EQ sub-brand, with up to 10 already planned. Mercedes design boss Gorden Wagener said a Tesla Model S-rivalling saloon will follow the SUV. “We will start with the main segments,” he said. “Then we will welcome other generations.” He added that these will include both lower and sportier models, insisting it would be possible to make these even with the packaging constraints of the underfloor battery pack that every EQ model will sit on.…

THE FORD FOCUS RS500 super-hatch is on the verge of being canned because the business case for it looks weak. Although the project hasn’t yet been officially called off, sources give the RS500 only a 30% chance of making production. Ford had been planning to position the RS500 above the hugely successful 345bhp Focus RS by giving it a power hike to nearly 390bhp, track-focused handling and more aggressive styling. Sightings of a test car suggest the model’s development was already under way. However, the RS500 has run into some obstacles. One is where the RS500 will fit in with Ford’s other performance models — most notably, the 410bhp Mustang 5.0 V8 GT and 526bhp Mustang Shelby GT350. “It could be treading on other cars’ toes,” said a well-placed source.…

FISKER INC WILL launch a new electric vehicle next year that makes use of innovative graphene battery technology to enable a range of more than 400 miles. The Fisker EMotion, the first model from car designer Henrik Fisker’s new company, will be a high-priced, low-volume model with a carbonfibre and aluminium structure and batteries stored in the floor. It has sports car styling and features four gullwing doors, but the cabin is claimed to offer the space of a more practical body shape. “The entire cabin has been moved forward very much and we lowered the bonnet to get better aerodynamics,” Fisker told Autocar. “Because of the better packaging of an EV, we have been able to create a more dynamic and sporty design, but the leg room is on…

The Evora’s extraordinary ability to flow along a B-road remains its standout quality The Evora Sport 410 can be considered Lotus’s equivalent of a Ferrari Speciale model or a Porsche 911 GT3; indeed, that’s not our summation but that of Hethel, keen to assert just how focused this new Evora is. To that end, the power gain – a modest 10bhp over the Evora 400 – is not the main talking point. The attention instead is focused on mass reduction and chassis set-up. So the Sport 410 weighs a significant 70kg less than the already lithe Evora 400 (now just 1280kg dry), with a titanium exhaust able to shed another 10kg for £5500. Lotus claims a ready-to-go weight (including all fluids and with a 90% fuel load) of 1325kg. That’s…

MODEL TESTED 1.6 MULTIJET II 120 LOUNGE Price £17,995 Power 118bhp Torque 236lb ft 0-60mph 9.6sec 30-70mph in fourth 9.9sec Fuel economy 49.1mpg CO2 emissions 98g/km 70-0mph 46.6m Delving into its recent past has become something of a habit for Fiat. Since the original late 1980s Tipo family hatch, we’ve had two generations of Bravo separated by the forgettable Stilo. Name recognition is handy in the overcrowded C segment, and there isn’t a car company in existence that isn’t preoccupied with its past. Still, coming after the expansion of the extended 500 family and the return of the 124 Spider, this doubling back does make it feel like the Italian giant is less nodding at its past than milking it for all it’s worth. Thankfully, that isn’t all that Fiat…

Ingrid the sat-nav is in a state of distress. The drive from London to Amsterdam was a slow-moving tailback that obviously melted her microchip. So for the past two days I’ve suffered phantom traffic alerts in a region of north Sweden jammed only with trees. Silver birch and fir trees – millions of them blanket the countryside inside the Arctic Circle. Even the trucks are heaving with arrow-straight trunks bound for pulp and paper mills. Every load leaves a vapour trail that fills the open cockpit of my Fiat 124 Spider with eau de Christmas tree. “Traffic jam ahead.” There she goes again, except I haven’t seen another car for 20 minutes. The only reason to slow is a solitary cross-country skier using wheeled skis on the smooth road surface…

“Interior design will have more signi icance than exterior design” Autonomy, digitalisation, electrification and connected cars are no longer fashionable buzzwords looking to a brighter future. Today, aspects of all three are already present on our roads, from cruise control functions that read the road ahead and adjust your speed, through to the self-driving Tesla Autopilot and Mercedes Driver Assist functions that are already on stream. These are technological breakthroughs with far-reaching consequences; they are the result of the march of time and advances in understanding, and they are state-sponsored because of the promise of fewer road injuries and accidents. They are an inevitability that will, in the words of Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche, prompt a profound change to cars “as radical as the industry has seen in its 120…

It’s funny how your opinions on a car can change so dramatically with a little time, the initial wave of contentedness morphing into annoyance, dislike or even hatred. It’s not like the catalyst for this change of mood even has to be particularly big. Sometimes the little things make all the difference. And so we come to the Clubman. I would argue that one of its finest attributes is its interior, a classy and well-built environment that invites you in with supple leather seats, high-quality finishes and enough Mininess to make it a more interesting alternative to the ubiquitous Audi A3. Even so, within that cabin is something that would grate if I had to drive this car every day. Surprisingly, it’s not to do with practicality. (It may not…

Suzuki Swift Gordon Stewart is a loyal and long-serving Autocar reader who is extremely pleased with the Suzuki Swift he bought last year. “After the cylinder head gasket went on my sister-in-law’s Renault Clio, she needed to find a new car quickly,” he says. “The budget was £5000. We managed to pick up this Suzuki Swift SZ3 with a full service history, warranty and less than 4000 miles on the clock for a fiver under our budget. That was in April of last year. A year and an additional 12,000 miles later, the car is running like clockwork. It has cost nothing more than fuel and routine servicing since.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

An expert’s view VICTORIA BOND, MGF CENTRE “We see a lot of neglected Fs and TFs. Look to spend £1500 to £2000 to properly sort out a cheap car. At least change the water pump, cambelt and underfloor coolant pipes, and on the F change the mild steel radiator to the TF’s aluminium one. Fix any rust and Waxoyl it. An F’s Hydragas suspension will need a specialist recharge. The F is the classic one and prices for good cars reflect that. The TF is more conventional and looks more modern, so is less well regarded — but it wouldn’t put me off buying one.” Buyer beware… BODY Rust starts at the front wheel arches. Panels rust at the indicators; rear intakes chip and corrode. Check underbody coolant pipes (change…

MAZDA MX-5 RF | JANUARY The fourth-generation MX-5 has been around for nearly a year in soft-top form, but 80% of UK sales of the previous model were of hard-tops. The RF (for Retractable Fastback) fills that brief. It has an electrically folding roof (the soft-top is manual) and an exclusive automatic gearbox. Price £22,195 NOVEMBER 2016 Audi A5, Q5, R8 Spyder, S5, Dacia Logan MCV facelift, Sandero facelift, Sandero Stepway facelift, Kia Carens facelift, Optima Sportswagon, Soul TGD-i, Koenigsegg Regera, Mercedes-AMG GT R, Nissan GT-R Nismo, GT-R Track Edition, Noble M600 Speedster, Renault Grand Scénic, Scénic, Zoe facelift DECEMBER 2016 Lamborghini Centenario, Mini Clubman JCW, Tesla Model X EARLY TO MID-2017 Alpina B5 Touring, D5 Touring, Alpine A120, Audi RS1, RS3 saloon, BMW 5 Series Touring, 5 Series saloon,…

“Our goal is absolutely to go toe to toe with the Germans, but that’s not a two-year plan” The launch of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV at the Los Angeles motor show this month will kick-start a revival plan for the Italian marque that is mapped out to include up to nine new car launches in the next five years — potentially ushering in a rival for the BMW 5 Series, a flagship large SUV and a new sports car. Buoyed by the positive early reception for the 3 Series-rivalling Giulia and with the new Giulia-based Stelvio SUV set to be in dealerships in summer 2017, new boss Reid Bigland is crystallising plans to turn around faltering sales figures and re-energise the brand with a dramatic series of new model…

Nissan has confirmed that its next-generation Qashqai and X-Trail will be built alongside the Juke at its Sunderland production plant, despite concerns that the Brexit vote could lead to reduced investment. The move will make Sunderland a European hub for Nissan’s crossover production and ensures the survival of more than 7000 jobs in the region. Nissan said the decision was made following strong support from the British government, which is working to ensure the automotive industry remains strong during the UK’s departure from the EU. Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said: “Our [Sunderland] employees continue to make the plant a globally competitive powerhouse, producing high-quality, high-value products every day. “The support and assurances of the UK government have enabled us to decide that the next-generation Qashqai and X-Trail will be produced…

Hyundai is running a mid-engined prototype, based on the RM16 N concept from the 2016 Busan motor show in South Korea, as a test bed for future hardware. The wide-arched RM16 N won’t go into production, but a source suggested that its latest run at the Nürburgring in Germany was used to analyse the firm’s new turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. The engine produces 296bhp in the RM16 N — 36bhp more than the same unit in the upcoming i30 N hot hatch — but Hyundai is understood to be developing it to produce as much as 345bhp for a Ford Focus RS rival. The firm’s N division has also expressed interest in producing a halo sports car, something that the RM16 N may influence.…

The new Ford Kuga Vignale is a retaliative swipe at the likes of Audi, BMW and Land Rover (all of whom have been making lots of money out of Europe’s growing love affair with the SUV, thank you very much) by one of Europe’s biggest car makers (still hoping to do equally well out of it, fingers crossed). It’s the best reason that Ford can come up with not to buy an Audi Q3, a BMW X1, a new Volkswagen Tiguan or a lower-end Range Rover Evoque. And yet it’s not quite a good reason. Having just given the Kuga a thorough mid-life facelift, Ford is banking on a healthy dose of extra standard equipment here, as well as some new quilted leather seats, shiny alloy wheels and relatively appealing…

Those of a certain age may remember the original Fiat Tipo with fondness; it was appealing to behold and fitted with a digital dashboard that made its European hatchback rivals look backward. But whether you’re a child of the 1980s or not, you won’t view the new Tipo with the same kind of esteem. And you were never likely to, this being a car designed primarily for developing markets and serving a more value-driven agenda than Fiat was aiming for three decades ago. Nevertheless, we must apply the same standards here that we do for any mid-sized hatch on sale in Europe, and that means marking down the smart but derivative styling, the inconsistent quality and only averagely good packaging of its cabin and the poorly resolved ride and handling.…

“VBB-3 is four-wheel drive, with two identical but independent drivetrains front and rear” Formula Student racing cars (also known Formula SAE) have become a hugely popular way for students to hone their automotive engineering skills before graduating to work at car makers, race teams or other specialist companies. Ohio State University (OSU) in the American Midwest is home to one such team. But OSU students have also built something much, much faster. On 19 September, the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 (VBB-3) set an electric vehicle world speed record of 341.4mph (subject to FIA ratification) on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Perhaps more remarkable still was that the team broke its own record, set by VBB-2.5 (a battery electric version of the fuel cell-powered VBB-2), which clocked 307.6mph in 2010. The Buckeye…

“Conditions vary from skating rink to grippy, so it’s always challenging” Circuits aren’t just for racing. After a successful inaugural year, the 2016-2017 Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship kicks off its second season with the Neil Howard Stages at Oulton Park this weekend. The championship is run in association with Jonathan Palmer’s Motorsport Vision Racing (MSVR) and consists of eight single-venue asphalt stage rallies running at various UK circuits, including Motorsport Vision’s four locations. Except for a two-day rally at Rockingham, the single-venue events are run in a day in the same way as a club race, hillclimb or sprint, making them affordable and practical for clubman rally crews on a budget. Events consist of around eight special stages based on four different layouts and cover 55 to 60 miles.…

Pick up where they left off My heart sank as I read about the new Land Rover Defender (News, 19 October). We are livestock farmers and have owned truck-cab Land Rovers since the 1960s. We own one of the last Defenders to be built and it is probably the best we have ever had. The short-wheelbase truck-cabs are the ideal workhorse. If Land Rover had brought out a new model 15 years ago it would not have lost its market share. The pick-up is king in today’s farming community, where it once was the Land Rover. To regain this market share, they must be priced to compete with the pick-ups. Tim Brown Yorkshire WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

AS MY YEAR in the Astra edges towards a conclusion, I need to ask you a question – the answer to which will pretty much define whether this test has been in any way worthwhile. The short, very simple, version is this: would you buy a Vauxhall Astra? Sounds daft to ask, of course. After all, that’s why I’ve been running the car: to answer the question for you. Regular readers will know that my views broadly mirror that of the original four-star road test verdict. Here is a car that is vastly better than its predecessor, is generally pleasing and practical to travel in, includes some ground-breaking connectivity tech and delivers some head-turning economy figures but is fractionally uninspiring to drive. Overall, though, I’d recommend the Astra as family…

MILEAGE 153,893 BMW 530D SPORT Because the clockwork reliability of my rum old collection of motors is beyond question, I had prepared another boring report. Well, actually it was an elaborate gag involving me tidying up the garage. Then this happened. Just outside of Oxford I brimmed the tank with diesel, then within a minute I was losing power — all of it. Superlative car control, allied to extensive experience of dealing with breakdowns, meant I managed to steer into a conveniently located side road. The first thing I checked was the fuel receipt. Yes, it really was diesel. To be continued……

1 Fiat Barchetta How could we not mention the svelte Barchetta in the same issue as our drive in the 124 Spider (p48)? This was Fiat’s answer to the original MX-5, even if it was only offered as a left-hooker and came with front-wheel drive. But neither matters, because the car still looks great and handles well — and drive to the front wheels could even be a bonus on slippery winter roads. Expect to pay from £2500, but listen for a diesel-like rattle on start-up that warns of a broken engine variator. It’s neither pricey to fix nor life-threatening to the engine. 2 Porsche Boxster As the frost sets in, Porsche buyers’ minds turn to the comforts of the Cayman. That leaves the Boxster out in the cold, so…

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class will receive a new twin-turbo petrol V8 next year as part of a roll-out of high-tech new engines by the German manufacturer. The new V8, codenamed M176 and developed by AMG, is one of four new powerplants. It will be introduced in the S-Class in mid-2017 in a derivative named S560, a revival of a badge not used for decades. Mercedes says the new V8 makes more than 470bhp, up from the 449bhp of the M278 V8 it replaces, and 516lb ft. The engine uses at least 10% less fuel thanks to its smaller displacement, down from 4663cc to 3982cc, and a cylinder deactivation system that shuts off four cylinders under partial throttle loads. Technology from the V8 engines already used by the Mercedes-AMG GT and C63…

Volkswagen’s fightback in the US following the Dieselgate scandal has begun with the unveiling of the all-new Atlas. The large SUV, which won’t be coming to Europe, arrives after a lengthy development period and has its sights set on the US. It gets a US-friendly name and a muscular look inspired by the design of the Crossblue concept that was first shown three years ago. The Atlas will go into production in Volkswagen’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee next year. The Atlas is based on familiar Volkswagen Group MQB architecture but is significantly larger than its group siblings. At 4922mm in length, the Atlas is 225mm longer than the Skoda Kodiaq and even 121mm longer than Volkswagen’s current largest SUV, the Touareg. It’s also 1979mm wide and 1767mm tall, making it…

VOLKSWAGEN’S NEW ID electric car will completely reinvent vehicle instrumentation systems when it is launched at the end of the decade, according to VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff. He told Autocar that by moving the motor to the rear of the car and much of the climate control system into the nose, he and his team have been able to push the dashboard forward by at least 200mm. Releasing this extra space will enable VW engineers to use a new technology called ‘augmented HUD’ (head-up display). Bischoff said the new system will be able to project information and pictograms to appear as if they’re some 15 metres ahead of the driver. The upshot is that navigation directions such as turn arrows will appear as if they are on the…

THE NEW VAUXHALL supermini-based crossover will be a family-orientated model that moves away from the MPV theme of the car it replaces, the Meriva. The new crossover is likely to be revealed at the Frankfurt motor show next September and is known internally as the B-Series. It is based on a PSA Group platform and clothed in all-new body panels. It will be given a new name and its SUV positioning will be reinforced by an X badge — a designation that Vauxhall is expected to add to all of its high-riding cars, as with the Mokka X. Vauxhall-Opel chairman Karl-Thomas Neumann said his company’s variants of the B-Series will look “very different” from those of PSA. He said: “They will not be seen as a rebadged Vauxhall or a…

“Despite the power and the torque vectoring, the 2.0 isn’t some kind of manic Q-car” The big mainstream hatchback isn’t dead. In fact, the Vauxhall Insignia has always done rather well in the UK. The model is due for replacement next year, which is why we find ourselves having an early drive of the new Insignia Grand Sport (as the liftback will now be called) in validation prototype form, used by engineers to prove components and for management to sign them off at various steps along the way. It’s a funny old market segment, this one. Once, it was called the D-segment and in it a Vauxhall Vectra went up against a Ford Mondeo, a Peugeot 407 and a Renault Laguna and you knew where you were. These days, though,…

“The V6 diesel engine delivers terrific flexibility at lower revs and heady mid-range punch” The Audi A5 Sportback 3.0 TDI quattro heads the initial range of second-generation diesel A5s. We’ve been impressed by the new Sportback so far. The update to its styling is a little underwhelming, but the changes to its interior ensure that it conveys a satisfyingly premium feel from behind the wheel. The diesel engine fitted here is a development of the 3.0-litre V6 used by its predecessor. Revised combustion chambers and a new variable-vane turbocharger push peak power to 282bhp and torque swells to 457lb ft. Underpinned by the latest evolution of Audi’s MLB structure that helps shed 85kg from the weight of the A5, the new Sportback promises sharper performance. Audi is yet to provide…

“The A6’s body movements are more tied down than the V90’s, but it feels no more agile” This is how interesting Volvo is at the minute. Everyone involved in this test, bar me, has been calling it the ‘Volvo V90 triple test’. It’s really not, you know. The V90 has been available for, ooh, months. The freshest car here – even if going on sale a couple of months after the V90 makes it the equivalent of a second-born twin in car age terms – is the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate. But although the E-Class Estate is why we’re here today, there’s just something reassuringly familiar about an E-Class wagon, isn’t there? It’s a constant, as reassuringly ever-present as your garden fence. The V90, though. Ah, well, that’s something else.…

DAY 1 London to the Channel Tunnel, via the A13 and M20. Calais to Antwerp on the E40, via Bruges and Ghent in Belgium. Overnight at Waldorf Astoria in Amsterdam. Total: 355 miles. DAY 2 A1 to Bremen and Hamburg. Due north to Kolding, then east across Odense Island to Copenhagen. Overnight at AC Bella Sky Hotel. Total: 575 miles. DAY 3 E4 north-east to Stockholm, via Jönköping. Overnight at Hotel With. Total: 425 miles. DAY 4 Continue on E4 due north, via Gävle to Umeå, on Gulf of Bothnia. Overnight at Stora Hotel. Total: 405 miles. DAY 5 North again on the E4, via Piteå and the Arctic Circle to Jokkmokk. Overnight at Treehotel in Harads. Total: 516 miles.…

“Peak power arrives at 6000rpm, so you are rewarded for hanging on to gears for longer” Autocar’s newest long-term test car has been on the fleet for barely two weeks, but already it has been the subject of plenty of discussion, with most opening conversations centring around its true identity. “Is that a Citroën?” confused friends often ask, before I say, “No, it’s a DS 3.” “A Citroën DS3?” is the usual response, so I spend the next two minutes pointing out the absence of Citroën badges and demonstrating the DS’s new, more luxurious features. Then a Citroën DS3 pulls up alongside looking almost identical and my adamance quickly fades. At a glance, it’s true that the DS 3 looks unchanged from the discontinued Citroën model on which it is…

The Navara was treated to an aftermarket upgrade recently. I know what you’re thinking and, no, it’s not anything chrome. Frankly, there’s enough of that already. Instead, it’s the Tailgate Assist device supplied and fitted by 4x4 hard-top and accessories specialist Pegasus – and it’s very good. Tailgate Assist replaces the Navara’s standard tailgate hinges with sprung ones and adds a pneumatic rod to smooth out the opening action. I arrived at Pegasus’s Bristol workshop and 30 minutes and £354 later I was good to go. I may have lost my daily bicep curl exercise, but even my nan could close the tailgate now. I don’t understand why Nissan made the thing so heavy in the first place. While I was at Pegasus (pegasus4x4.com), boss Alec showed me his NP300…

“A steady trickle of well-equipped special editions included the Abingdon and 75” It was 1995. Mazda’s brilliant MX-5 had held sway for five years. The exotic, left-hand-drive Fiat Barchetta had just arrived. Now it was Britain’s turn. The new MG F’s tech sheet looked promising: mid-mounted engine, rear drive and a compact 1.8-litre K-series engine. Less promising was Hydragas suspension from the Austin Allegro. Alex Moulton, the system’s inventor, said it “de-fidgets the car”. It did: the MG F was stable, comfortable and easily controllable. In standard form its 1.8 MPi (multi-point injection) engine produced 118bhp, giving 0-62mph in 8.1sec, while in tuned VVC variable-valve trim it made 142bhp and hit 62mph in 7.0sec. To tell 1.8i from VVC, compare their rev counters: the MPi’s redline is at 6750rpm, the…

1 Range Rover Sport From £61,300 Now bigger and better. A cut-price Range Rover rather than a jumped-up Discovery — and the best here by a mile. 2 Volvo XC90 From £45,800 The XC90 is cleverly packaged, smartly styled, competitively priced and a pleasing thing to drive. 3 Porsche Cayenne From £49,600 The current model is more agile, more stylish and more sporty-feeling than before. A great interior, too. 4 Land Rover Discovery From £41,600 Looks like an outmoded hulk in this list, but it can still do everything you’d ever want it to. Seven seats, too. 5 Audi Q7 From £47,800 Biggest Audi is typically unengaging to drive but fast and light on its feet. Cabin is both huge and brilliantly classy.…