Innholdsfortegnelse for August 26, 2015 i Autocar

CITROEN WILL UNVEIL the successors to both its Ford Fiesta-rivalling C3 and the C3 Picasso mini-MPV next year. The C3 is lined up for a public debut at next spring’s Geneva motor show. It’s likely to get more dramatic styling than the current, rather conservative edition, thanks to the adoption of Citroën’s trademark slim daytime running lights and large, circular headlights, as seen on the C1 (pictured, left). The C3 will also stick to the same PF1 platform and engine line-up as its fresher stablemate, the Peugeot 208. Parent firm PSA has committed to modifying the PF1 into a new platform, called CMP and developed with its Chinese partner Dongfeng. However, it’s unlikely to be ready in time for the C3 models. A debut with the next generation of the…

Mercedes-AMG has revealed the new, second-generation C63 Coupé, the car it is relying on to steal the thunder from the likes of the Audi RS5, BMW M4 and Lexus RC F. Set to make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month, before going on sale in the UK in January with prices starting at around £62,000, the four-seat coupé is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine as that of the C63 saloon and estate. Like these, the C63 Coupé will come in a choice of two power outputs. The standard version produces 469bhp and 479lb ft of torque, while the range-topping C63 S has 503bhp and 516lb ft. This is 23bhp and 74lb ft more than was produced by the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8…

JAGUAR SAYS THE upcoming F-Pace has been designed to be a driver’s car, with several elements of the new SUV’s underpinnings using technology from the F-Type sports car. This technology aims to improve the SUV’s ride and handling abilities and includes elements such as a torque vectoring system. This works in conjunction with the torque-on-demand all-wheel drive system and aims to improve agility in corners. The system reduces power to a wheel in the event of a loss of traction in a bid to eliminate understeer. The F-Pace’s steering has also been developed using knowledge gained from the F-Type. The electric power-assisted system has been set up to provide as much feedback as possible, with Jaguar saying it is capable of responding to even the smallest input. Other confirmed technology…

AN ACADEMIC PAPER detailing a security flaw in an immobiliser system used by millions of cars from more than 20 manufacturers was made public this week at the USENIX conference in Washington DC. The paper — which was drawn up by academics from Radboud University in the Netherlands and Birmingham University in the UK — attracted huge controversy when it was revealed that its publication had originally been prevented in 2013. According to media reports, the academic team had discovered a way of ‘cracking’ the encryption code used by the Megamos Crypto immobiliser, which was fitted to vehicles as diverse as the Porsche 911, Audi A1 and Fiat Ducato van. It’s claimed that university teams first approached the manufacturer of the Megamos Crypto in 2012 with its findings and then…

The old Mercedes-Benz Viano MPV was starting to look a little long in the tooth next to the recently introduced Ford Tourneo Custom and Volkswagen T6 Caravelle. However, here in its successor, the new V-Class, the very latest Mercedes materials, technology and infotainment are present and correct, while the styling has been updated to incorporate the firm’s two-blade grille. Although the 2.1-litre diesel engine in our V250 test car has been carried over, it has also been revised. It now emits 166g/km of CO2 and, officially, manages 44.8mpg on the combined cycle, which is better than both of its aforementioned rivals. Our car came with seven individual seats in a two-two-three configuration. An ‘Extra Long’ model – 480mm longer, to be precise – is available with eight individual seats as…

CATERHAM 270R Supersport brilliance alive and well. Usual sacrifices required; dazzling on track Price £26,990 Engine 4 cyls, 1596cc, petrol Power 135bhp at 6800rpm Torque 122lb ft at 4100rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 540kg 0-62mph 5.0sec Top speed 122mph Economy na CO2/tax band na MAZDA MX5 2.0 160 SPORT NAV Lighter and quicker than a GT86. More tenacious, too. And then brilliant beyond Price £23,295 Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc, petrol Power 158bhp at 6000rpm Torque 148lb ft at 4600rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1122kg (inc driver) 0-62mph 7.3sec Top speed 133mph Economy 40.9mpg (combined) CO2/tax band 161g/km, 27% TOYOTA GT86 PRIMO If you want to relive your Sega Rally days, then there is no substitute Price £22,700 Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc, petrol Power 197bhp at 7000rpm Torque 151lb…

OUR TEST TEAM was joined at Bedford by Lotus Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer, son of Jonathan. He has been Lotus’s third and reserve driver all season, having won the GP2 title last year with a points haul that exceeded even that of Lewis Hamilton, the most recent previous British winner, in 2006. Along the way, he acquired a reputation as an expert at quick passing manoeuvres. Credible pundits put Palmer’s chance of getting onto the 2016 F1 starting grid as “around 50:50” but Palmer is happy to let his driving do the talking, given that his practice times have frequently matched those of Lotus regulars Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean. However, for these road cars, 24-year-old Palmer’s experience of his own Toyota GT86 was most relevant. He took to…

PIETRO PANARISI, HEAD of press and PR at Skoda, believes Nicole’s creative background has helped her in her press office tasks. He sees the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award as a great way to introduce new talent to the industry. “Nicole is playing a vital part in our brand, and in the department,” says Panarisi. “She has had lots of new ideas, which we wouldn’t have had without bringing in somebody new to work with us. “PR and communications might not be an obvious choice for somebody with experience of the creative side of things. “However, much of what we do is engage directly with our audience, and we have to be very creative in how we do that. “The reality is, in press and PR, no two days are the…

SPOTTING TRAINSPOTTERS There were two classic letters (Your Views, 5 August) from ‘tyre kickers’ and ‘trainspotters’ complaining about your Jaguar XE and BMW 340i comparison, where your lads gave the Jag the nod. My daily drive is a current-model Alpina D3, a car you gave five stars to. I was keen to see how the XE compared, so I took an extended test drive. The BMW (petrol or diesel) may be faster, more economical and more roomy, but the XE is simply better. It is a complete honey of a car. I was so impressed that I bought one straight away, for delivery in November, and I am comparing it not with a stock BMW but with an expertly fettled Alpina. It is a lot slower and thirstier than the…

Well, I never thought I’d say I would genuinely enjoy driving a small SUV, but my Mazda CX-3 long-termer feels like a hatchback to drive — almost. Its compact dimensions help. It has a shorter wheelbase than, say, rivals such as the new Honda HR-V and the Citroën Cactus, although it has a slightly longer one than Nissan’s Juke. The CX-3 handles well, too. It’s pretty nimble for a neatly sized crossover. You can chuck it around more than you think you would be able to and it feels settled and stable through corners. This certainly makes my daily town commute a little more fun. However, there is one drawback and that’s the steering. It responds well enough to your inputs and is pleasantly light but then, as soon as…

READER’S CAR: HONDA CRV Steve Hill has written to me before about the joys of Honda CR-Vs. His wife’s Porsche Boxster was supplemented by ‘Shelagh’ the SUV. “Shelagh has done 162,000 miles and we love her,” says Steve. “We paid £1500, she’s serviced once a year at our local garage and she’s never let us down. She’s taken us to the Lakes, Snowdon and Ben Nevis. I’m so happy with Bangernomics that I’ve just bought a fully loaded Toyota Avensis for £1800. Still got the Porsche — it only did 1000 miles last year because my wife prefers the Honda.” WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK: SUMMER BARGAINS Someone said: where have all the used cars gone? Well, it has been the Great British summer and people go away. So…

Citroën is set to unveil a “bold and creative” concept car that’s believed to evoke the utilitarian look of the 2CV-based Mehari, which was built between 1968 and 1988. The new concept will make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month. Beyond revealing that it will showcase its “vision for the future of the automobile through a strongly designed concept car”, Citroën has officially offered no further details. However, Autocar can reveal that Citroën recently applied for the trademark on the e-Mehari name, suggesting the car could have an electric or hybrid powertrain. An insider has suggested that extreme concept ideas could include a clip-on canvas roof, an open load bay and a variation on the Airbump theme launched on the Cactus. As such, it also evokes the…

The UK needs to consider how public charging points for electric vehicles can win over EV doubters, says a Department for Transport-commissioned study into the future adoption of low-emissions vehicles. The new report, called Uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles in the UK, collates the findings of 295 sources, using 45 of them in detail. It concludes that, while existing EV and PHEV owners continue to lobby hard for a more widespread public charging infrastructure, 97% of them can charge at home. As a consequence, the report says, “public charging provision is seen to have two overlapping but different roles: meeting the needs of existing owners and addressing the concerns of potential future EV owners about buying an EV”. The report argues that prioritising existing or potential owners will affect…

AUDI RS5 The second-generation RS5 is set to ditch the 444bhp naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 engine of its predecessor for a new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 when it’s launched in 2017. The new engine is rumoured to develop more than 500bhp in its most aggressive state of tune. BMW M4 The recently unveiled Concept M4 GTS showcased how BMW’s M division will up the power of the M4’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six engine with a new water injection process. This uses atomised water to cool the incoming air for a rumoured 8% increase in power, to around 459bhp. LEXUS RC F Officials at Lexus have hinted that the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 used by the RC F can deliver more than its current 470bhp. Lexus has since gone on to demonstrate…

The Lamborghini Aventador always deserved better. Any car that counts the F117 Nighthawk among its design inspirations, and an in-house 690bhp V12 as its power source, ought to live permanently in the upper echelons of our affection. But it doesn’t. Not even close. The Murciélago’s replacement was too crude and uncommunicative from the get-go. It’s as fast as a theme park ride, but it’s one you were as happy to get out of as to get in. Lamborghini has addressed these problems in a manner wholly typical of its traditions: by heading to a track and making the Aventador go faster and faster with the steady application of money, power and added lightness. Even more typically, it has then called the car something slightly different, limited the volume to 600…

The next 14 pages could end up being quite an expensive read. Not because Autocar has hiked its price. No, the reason this week’s cover feature could end up costing you a few quid is because it’ll name the best sub-£30,000 driver’s car of 2015. In repetition of an exercise we’ve carried out every year for the past five, we’ve gathered nine of the stand-out sporting introductions of the past 12 months and diligently pitted them against each other on road and track. For access to a circuit, we’re indebted to the good people at Motor Sport Vision and the staff at Bedford Autodrome. Our aim is simple: to single out which sub-£30k driver’s car you should spend your money on right now. The latest turbo superminis, 300bhp mega-hatches and…

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS AUTO Outstanding engine let down by an average auto ’box and an unenthusiastic chassis Price £24,380 Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 228bhp at 5200-6000rpm Torque 236lb ft at 1250-4800rpm Gearbox 6-spd automatic Kerb weight 1295kg 0-62mph 6.1sec Top speed 153mph Economy 49.6mpg (combined) CO2/tax band 133g/km, 21% VAUXHALL CORSA VXR A creditable effort for the money. Capable on the road but flawed on track Price £18,245 Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 202bhp at 5800rpm Torque 207lb ft at 1900-5800rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1278kg 0-62mph 6.5sec Top speed 143mph Economy 37.7mpg (combined) CO2/tax band 174g/km, 29% PEUGEOT 208 GTI BY PEUGEOT SPORT Superior engine and lively chassis run the Clio close. Punchy, agile and a lot of fun Price £21,995 Engine…

HONDA S2000 I really was going to stick a Mazda MX-5 in the entry-level bracket, but why be so obvious? Especially when this is your very last chance to bag yourself a really rather wonderful S2000. A few years back they were easy £5k purchases, but prices are taking off now, and quite right, too. For £5000 you will find late 1990s to early 2000s examples with 100k miles on the odo, but don’t worry about that if the service history is complete. That said, listen for knocks from the complicated suspension system, and inspect the brakes. Bodies can rust a bit, too, and steer clear of iffy imports. SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT In theory, the Mini Cooper ought to be here but, yet again, the reality is that there are…

Matt Prior’s article on the finer aspects of the manual gearchange was fascinating (Tester’s Notes, 12 August). I rushed out to try my humble 1998 Volkswagen Golf and 2012 Ford Mondeo. Amazingly, both gearboxes exhibited the over-centre action described by Matt that makes a manual change such a pleasure. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’d never actually noticed it before. I didn’t even bother to check the Aston, though. It’s an auto, or rather an ‘automated manual’ in Aston speak, more is the pity. WIN Letter of the week wins a ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

The C4 Cactus may be entertaining to look at, plastering a smile on the face of many a passer-by, but it’s not exactly entertaining to drive. It’s a softly sprung, gently damped, minimal feedback kind of car, one that prefers a sensible pace. Which, credit where it’s due, is what it was designed to be. That’s not to say that Citroën couldn’t have done more, mind, to reward the keener driver. I recently tried a new Suzuki Vitara and found it to be a far more compelling car to drive. It was stiffer, for one thing, resulting in far more composed cornering. Yet despite its firmer ride, it was still perfectly compliant over bumps and rougher surfaces. It also had more front-end grip, less aggressive brakes and a far slicker…

1 Mercedes-Benz W123 (1976 1984) For many, the archetypal Mercedes is the W123, its square-edged styling being a common sight across the world. More than 2.5 million were produced in four-door saloon, estate and coupé form. In the UK, it was the tough 200/230 four-cylinder petrol models that dominated sales. The cars were tough but not especially fast, even in six-cylinder form. Today, the condition of a W123 is more of an indicator of its value than its engine or trim. However, coupés and estates do command a premium. You’re unlikely to find anything usable for under £2000 these days while exceptional cars will be ten times that. Expensive, true, but there are few classic cars less likely to leave you stranded. 2 Volvo 200 Series (1974 1993) Based on…

Mercedes-BenzS-Class Cabriolet Spring2016 The first ever S-Class Cabriolet is set to go on sale in the UK early next year, creating a new niche for Mercedes-Benz. The four-seat convertible has already been spotted testing in various forms, including in top-spec S63 AMG guise. The model features a large folding fabric roof and will be powered by V8 engines only at launch. Price £100,000 (est) SUMMER Aston Martin Vantage GT12, Audi A8 Sport, Q7, BMW 3 Series facelift, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Volt, Citroën Berlingo Multispace, Ferrari 488 GTB, Honda Civic Type R, HR-V, Jazz, Lamborghini Huracán Spider, Aventador Superveloce, Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography, Lotus Evora 400, Mazda MX-5, McLaren 675LT, P1 GTR, Mercedes-Benz GLE, GLE Coupé, Mercedes-Maybach S600, Mitsubishi L200, Peugeot 2008 facelift, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Boxster facelift, Boxster…

Nissan is preparing a radical sports crossover to bring its famous Z badge back to the masses — and the new model is poised to hit showrooms within the next 18 months. The Japanese brand has been weighing up a variety of options on where to take the famous Z brand as the current 370Z is phased out by 2017. It has considered a higher-powered sports car and a cheaper, more basic four-cylinder model — as previewed by the iDx compact coupé concepts that were revealed at the Tokyo motor show in 2013. However, sources indicate that Nissan has settled on a more radical solution: making the next Z car a small sports crossover. It’s expected to showcase how such a model could look as early as the Frankfurt show…

THE RELAUNCHED ALPINE brand will be topped by a hardcore 300bhp version of its new sports car within two years — at which time it is also expected to launch an SUV to capitalise on the booming demand for upmarket high-riding cars. The high-performance version of the new sports car will follow around a year after the base model is launched in 2016. Hinted at by the Alpine Celebration concept car at Le Mans this year, the new car is tipped be called Alpine A120, despite earlier speculation about the AS1 name. According to reports in the French press, power for both the standard car and the more extreme version is expected to come from the same 1.8-litre TCe engine, located in a mid-rear position just in front of the…

Honda has teased a Frankfurt motor show concept that’s tipped to blend its motorcycle engine technology with four wheels and a high-tech construction to deliver a lightweight track day experience. Called ‘Project 2 & 4’, the show car is the winner of a global design competition between all of Honda’s studios. It was created by the Japanese firm’s motorcycle design studio in Asaka and its car studio in Wako and is said to reflect Honda’s efforts to “create a more exciting user experience”. Honda has revealed few technical details about the show car, although it does say Project 2 & 4 will have a “cabinless design”. The top-down teaser image suggests that the engine will sit on one side of a central spine — and a driver cockpit could be…

Official sketches have given new insight into the look of Audi’s e-tron quattro concept, which will make its debut at the Frankfurt show next month. The concept showcases new technology and is set to preview the electric Q6 SUV. With dimensions that place it between the current Q5 and Q7, the e-tron quattro has been described by insiders as a “production-relevant zero-emissions concept”. It’s currently undergoing the final stages of construction at Audi’s Ingolstadt engineering headquarters. These latest pictures show that the concept car has a coupé-like silhouette similar to that of the BMW X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé. Audi is claiming a drag coefficient of 0.25, which it describes as a “sensational Cd value for an SUV”. The e-tron quattro concept also features the first use of Audi’s…

Back in 2007, the original XF became the new face of Jaguar. Liberated from the shackles of Ford ownership and backed by Tata, Jaguar was free to carve its own path in the premium car segment. Almost eight years later, the second-generation XF is taking up the baton from its predecessor. With prices starting from £32,300, it’s being pitched squarely against the giants of the premium saloon segment, where sales power is shared between the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Jaguar says the new XF is more efficient, more technologically advanced and as much as 190kg lighter than the car it replaces. Key to that lightness is the new iQ[Al] aluminium-intensive platform that it shares with the smaller XE. The new XF has also shrunk, its dimensions…

FORD FOCUS ST2 Lift-off oversteer-happy Focus is a peach to drive hard on road or track Price £23,995 Engine 4 cyls, 1997cc, turbcocharged, petrol Power 247bhp at 5500rpm Torque 266lb ft at 2000-4500rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1437kg Top speed 154mph 0-62mph 6.5sec Economy 41.5mpg (combined) CO2/tax band 159g/km, 26% HONDA CIVIC TYPE R A terrier determination to thrill at all times, backed by a joyous engine and chassis Price £29,995 Engine 4 cyls, 1996cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 306bhp at 6500rpm Torque 295lb ft at 2500rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1382kg Top speed 168mph 0-62mph 5.7sec Economy 38.7mpg (combined) CO2/tax band 170g/km, 29% There’s a corner at the far end of the straight at Bedford Autodrome’s East Circuit: a fast right-hander that tightens into a double apex. To…

And so to what is, on the face of it, a more challenging verdict at which to arrive. Pitching one hot hatchback against another seems easy enough: you assess them both as hatchbacks and both as hot things, and then reach a pretty clearly defined decision. But how do you decide between a two-seat, lightweight roadster and a five-seat, five-door hatch? Actually, it’s simple enough: we do it every autumn at our Britain’s Best Driver’s Car contest (Handling Day proper, as we know it), and the rationale by which we judge each car is straightforward. The thinking goes like this: if you had only one spudder to take you to the supermarket or the station when you needed it, which car would you take away from Handling Day for a…

The past 12 months have been extremely busy ones for Nicole Agba. This time last year the Coventry University graduate was submitting her design of a biometric steering wheel to the judging panel of the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award. Now she’s working in Skoda’s headquarters in Milton Keynes nearing the end of her fifth and final month-long work placement. She already has Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot, Toyota and McLaren placements behind her, and now the award winner is gaining valuable experience in Skoda’s press office. “I’ve been logging coverage from the Skoda Superb launch,” she says. “It’s shown me how important the press team is and what effect a major launch has on the perception of a brand and a new vehicle.” Nicole’s main interest lies in design, but her…

There’s just a touch of the dreaded ‘difficult second album’ syndrome about the new S-Max. It was on the cards. Ford set the template for how to successfully add dynamism to a big passenger car nine years ago, and rivals on all sides have been raising their game ever since. The new S-Max doesn’t appeal in quite the same way as the previous one. On performance, ride and handling, Ford has failed to make a perfectly competent car appreciably better than what went before. It also feels as if the car’s versatility, exterior styling and perceived quality have been somewhat ‘phoned in’. That’s being a bit hard on what remains a more than respectable, competitive and generally pleasing to drive family car – but then ‘hard’ is what the Autocar…

Mileage 8150 If you’ve read our Junior Handling Day feature on the preceding pages, you’ll know that I lauded the Mazda MX-5 over everything else — and then shamelessly picked the Caterham Seven 270R when asked to consider spending my own money. That was true for the day and in the stated circumstances, but had I a real job and the choice of only one (relatively) affordable car to get to and from it, I would pick our Mégane Trophy every day of the week and twice on Sundays. This is Matt Prior’s long-term test car in name, but secretly — given Obi-Wan’s taste for Land Rover Defenders — it’s a little bit mine, too. That’s good, because I suspect we drive it in very different ways. Prior is every…

The car market can appear confusing sometimes. The other day, I read that everyone is switching to brand-new cars on easy-peasy PCP payments while, at the same time, everyone else is buying more bangers than ever. That’s the car buying world according to the car price peeps at Glass’s — and they may well be right. So on the one hand, there are car buyers switching out of bangers into new cars because it’s easy, while on the other hand, the banger market, such as it is, is booming. This is unusual. What usually happens is the resultant oversupply of old rubbish either depresses prices or clogs up salvage yards. However, Glass’s has the stats to back up its claims. Apparently, the average auction price for a decade-old car in…