Innholdsfortegnelse for 15/3/2017 i Autocar

When creating the new SEAT Ibiza, the Barcelona firm’s designers and engineers had one goal: to make the best Ibiza ever. The Ibiza is now in its fifth generation, and SEAT’s challenge was to produce a car that was young and fresh, while also looking mature and sophisticated. “The new Ibiza is the next step for SEAT,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, SEAT’s director of design. “It’s simply a more sophisticated car.” The new Ibiza isn’t just about style. Although slightly more compact than the previous version, the car’s new platform means it has a longer wheelbase and is significantly larger inside. It’s also packed with driver assistance and connectivity technology, including an eight-inch multimedia touchscreen that connects to smartphones through MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. There’s also a wireless smartphone…

GERRY McGOVERN, LAND Rover’s design director, has vowed to put third-party styling houses and tuners out of business by creating better variants of the brand’s models through the company’s own Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. Land Rover, and most particularly Range Rover, models have long been a highly profitable focus for independent styling and tuning firms which offer customers their own takes on the vehicles. Range Rover’s newest model, the Velar, is expected to attract a similar level of interest. Although McGovern did not specify which firms in particular had riled him, he said: “It’s easy to take a product that’s already been created and put a little spoiler on it or whatever, but I’d like to see them design their own car. We see them taking our property and…

THE SKODA KODIAQ Scout will play a crucial role in establishing the rugged credentials of the Scout-badged model line and reinforcing its identity. R&D chief Christian Strube said he has pushed to create clear identities for Skoda’s Monte Carlo, Scout, Laurin & Klement and vRS lines. “We want a logic to our line-ups, so people can see in a moment which car is which,” he said. “Our roots are in logical, functional vehicles. Over the past decade we have added distinctive design to that.” Strube also said a Kodiaq vRS model was likely, possibly powered by a version of the 237bhp 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel already found in the Volkswagen Tiguan. “The Octavia vRS does well, accounting for around 13% of all Octavia sales,” he said. “That’s why we are looking…

Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers has confirmed to Autocar that he has the new Porsche Panamera squarely in his sights for the production version of the four-door GT Concept, which took centre stage on Mercedes’ Geneva show stand. Moers said: “Maybe we can’t be better [than the Panamera] in every way, but we can certainly be different.” Moers’ advice was to expect class-leading power and driving dynamics from the road-going version of the car, which is codenamed X290 and referred to by AMG insiders as ‘GT4’. “Simple combustion-engined versions can be positioned above 600bhp,” he said. The GT Concept suggests peak power could go as high as 800bhp for a hybrid version. “We already have an S-Class, so [with the GT4] we have more freedom to create a really dynamic driving…

The Mercedes-AMG Project One hybrid hypercar will have an engine that revs to 11,000rpm, four electric motors and a weight of less than 1300kg. The car is set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September. AMG boss Tobias Moers revealed a few extra details about the €2.25 milllion (£1.95m) limited-run hypercar at Geneva. “I can tell you we will be using an AMT [automated manual transmission] because there’s no twin-clutch gearbox capable of working with an engine that revs to 11,000rpm,” Moers said. “We will have four electric motors — one for each front wheel, one on the crankshaft and one on the turbo. We will use the same ‘performance’ battery cells as the F1 cars, which have advantages and limitations; but we will still be able…

Volvo will reinvent Polestar as a maker of high-performance electrified cars — and its first model is likely to be the new XC60 and previewed later this year. Polestar was acquired outright by Volvo in 2015. Before then, it had long been known as a maker of powered-up Volvos, as well as being involved in racing Volvos. Now Volvo is poised to reinvent Polestar as a maker of solely plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson told Autocar, with SUVs such as the new XC60 the most likely candidates for the Polestar performance overhaul. “We now see Polestar as focused on ‘progressive premiumness’ and electrification,” he said on the eve of the Geneva motor show. ‘Progressive premiumness’, Samuelsson said, meant Volvo was looking ahead to what people thought…

FORD HAS RULED out an RS version of the new Fiesta. Speaking to Autocar at the Geneva motor show, the Fiesta ST’s chief programme engineer, Matthias Tonn, said of an RS version: “There was always room in the range, but it isn’t being developed.” A Fiesta RS was frequently rumoured throughout the previous generation to sit above the ST model, but it never materialised. Tonn was emphatic that the same will be true for the new Fiesta, too. Tonn said a model similar to the previous Fiesta ST200 is possible in this generation of Fiesta towards the end of its lifecycle, but it is not in the plan yet. Indeed, the Fiesta ST itself, which made its world debut in Geneva, is still one year away from production, according to…

Ferrari is considering an additional model for its mainstream range that would sit alongside the California, 488, new 812 Superfast and GTC4 Lusso. Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne, speaking at the Geneva motor show, said: “We need to rethink supply.” He admitted that many customers are frustrated by long waiting lists and models that have been sold out, and he believes there is “unexplored space on the premium side”. He wouldn’t be drawn on what type of model it would be or the potential price range or a launch date, but said: “If there isn’t a waiting list [for it], we’d be doing something wrong”. Ironically, waiting lists are part of Marchionne’s reason for expanding the range. Ferrari has a lot of frustrated customers who don’t want to wait. “We are…

The new E-Class Coupé continues a long tradition of mid-range two-door models from Mercedes-Benz that stretches back to the 250 CE of 1968. Slotting into the line-up between the smaller C-Class Coupé and the plush S-Class Coupé, it has been thoroughly re-engineered and closely aligned with the latest E-Class saloon. The E-Class Coupé sits on Mercedes’ new modular rear architecture (MRA), which brings increased dimensions that translate to increased interior space, most notably in the rear, which gets an additional 74mm of knee room, 15mm of head room, 34mm of shoulder room and 13mm more elbow room. Compared to the previous E-Class Coupé, however, boot capacity has decreased by 25 litres to 425 litres. The E220d Coupé driven here uses Mercedes’ latest 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which features a selective…

“The sat-nav remains rubbish, but the car it is trying to direct is something else” Those who can drive a McLaren around the block and decide on such slender evidence that this is the right car on which to drop a six-figure sum of hard-earned currency, I salute you. Were I to do such a thing – or rather, were I possessed of the means to do such a thing – I’d conclude simply that this was a spectacularly wonderful car for someone else and adjust my thinking in a more appropriately Italianate direction. Two thousand miles, from a one-pub hamlet in the Welsh borders to Geneva via Spa and the Nürburgring and back again, provides a different perspective. And plenty of time in which to wonder how McLaren got…

€1 million BUGATTI CHIRON With early customer deliveries coming on stream and the waiting list stretching to years, the current premium for the must-have hypercar is €1m over list price if you want it by May, or €750,000 if you can wait until September. €100,000 PORSCHE 911 R Prices are topping €500,000, but Fragopoulos says that will drop by €100,000 once the market takes on board that the new GT3 RS combines a naturally aspirated engine with both a manual ’box option and a ‘touring’ variant with no rear wing. Want a Bugatti Chiron but don’t want to join the back of a three-year waiting list? He can get you a car in a couple of months, but only if you’ll pay €1 million over its face value. Or perhaps…

You’re about to drive a very storied car,” says John Gaw, managing director of Aston Martin Racing (AMR). In addition to earning the Banbury-based team the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) LMGTE Pro titles for teams and drivers last year, the exact V8 Vantage GTE I’ll be driving around the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal also won both the LMGTE Am title in 2014 and its class in the Le Mans 24 Hours in the same year. “That car, as it sits, needs to be on the Geneva show stand in two weeks,” adds Gaw. No pressure then. As I survey the Aston in the garage, it’s the details that impress. Yes, this race version clearly relates to the road-going Vantage, but these top-spec GTs are made using near-prototype levels…

COMPARISON BMW 5 Series vs rivals Superb new all-rounder fights the Jaguar XF and Mercedes-Benz E-Class for executive saloon class honours INSIGHT How to build an Ariel Nomad Andrew Frankel gets his toolkit out to help build the off-road supercar F1 2017 PREVIEW We meet Toto Wolff Just who is the man behind the all-conquering Mercedes F1 team? EVERY WEEK Road test: Abarth 124 Spider Italy’s take on the Mazda MX-5 faces the industry’s most thorough test First drive: Audi RS3 Saloon New 394bhp compact super-saloon is the week’s headline new car test Life with a Renault Scenic Reinvented funky MPV joins our fleet. Read our first impressions…

So the DS 3 is broken again. This time, it’s apparently an exhaust gas sensor that’s sending the engine settings haywire and causing the turbo to stop working. The unpredictability of the issue makes driving anywhere a nightmare because the turbo can switch off without notice and suddenly I’m faced with a naturally aspirated 1.6. On two occasions, I’ve pulled out at a busy junction expecting 205bhp only to be given gutless, sluggish acceleration that has me glancing in the rear-view mirror for fear of being rear-ended. The replacement of the turbo electric valve that the DS technicians carried out the last time this issue arose was to no avail. We’ve now been told by DS that the issue will be fixed once a new exhaust sensor is fitted. This…

Manufacturers of EVs could learn a lot from the life-saving properties of my Land Rover, AKA ‘the lorry’. You can hear the exhaust manifold leak from miles away, so the chances of a pedestrian stepping out in front of the old girl as she chugs along are minimal. The noise has got worse in the past few months, and there’s now a very real danger of carbon monoxide poisoning after start-up. I’m tempted to just buy some sealant, but the original manifold gasket is 33 years old, so it might be about time to get a fresh one. It is, after all, an old Land Rover, so at least it will be an unbolt, bolt up job.…

“This M5 is a spectacular way to travel and sooner or later prices will find their level” If you can afford the depreciation on a new, mid-spec supermini costing around £16,500, you can afford to run a used, 65,000-mile 2007-reg BMW M5 at the same price. Granted, when they come, the M5’s bills will knock you flat on your back but you’ll soon be on your feet, propelled by the desire to re-experience that Formula 1-inspired 5.0-litre V10, whose 389bhp – rising to 493bhp when you press the M (or Power) button – is directed to the rear wheels through a quick-changing, seven-speed, sequential manual gearbox (SMG). Granted, this best-selling M5, codenamed E60 – there was an E61 Touring version, too – hasn’t the charisma of its V8 predecessor, the…

Seat Ateca From £17,990 Fine-handling Seat looks great, has strong engines and stands out for its impressive dynamic execution. Typically great value, too. Nissan Qashqai From £18,545 The de›ining modern crossover. Second-gen version is better in all areas, most notably fuel efficiency, space and re›inement. Skoda Yeti From £17,210 Almost a blueprint for crossover appeal: chunky looks, hatchback handling and compact MPV practicality. Renault Kadjar From £18,795 Renault’s Qashqai-based crossover is a good one. As practical as the Nissan but falls a little short on re›inement. Toyota C-HR From £20,995 The Toyota C-HR is an interesting, refreshing and genuinely good addition to the crossover class. Shame the engine isn’t better.…

The Volkswagen Group’s self-driving Sedric concept car features several technologies that will make production on a raft of vehicles in around 10 years’ time, according to the firm’s head of R&D, Ulrich Eichorn. Sedric — which is an acronym for SElf-DRIving Car — is the first concept car to be made on a group level and previews a high-tech vision for the future of individual mobility. The Volkswagen Group describes the Sedric as the “father of numerous concepts” already under development, but CEO Matthias Müller stressed that the firm will never make a car under the group name. Instead, he said, the technology on the Sedric was applicable to all group brands, which include Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, Skoda and VW. Eichorn added: “We have been working on concepts like…

McLaren is promising greater differentiation between the 720S coupé and Spider in its new supercar line-up, which will also include higher-performance LT versions. The new 720S, a successor to the 650S, was revealed in Geneva. Its new carbonfibre structure includes a McLaren F1-style bar through the roof for a more dramatic opening of its dihedral doors, which are double-hinged with one set coming out of the roof. This means the Spider version will need completely different door structures, which is unusual and requires much greater investment, but the result, according to McLaren boss Mike Flewitt, will be distinct looks for the new models when the Spider arrives around 2019. “We took a bold step,” said Flewitt. “The Spider will have unique ideas and special appeal.” He added that the Spider…

PORSCHE APPEARS SET to make the biggest conceptual change to the design of the 53-year-old 911 by putting a mid-engined version on sale for the first time. Andreas Preuninger, Porsche Motorsport’s manager of high-performance cars, said: “There is nothing coming soon but in the mid-term don’t rule it out. I think adding some excitement to the car in this way wouldn’t be bad.” Vice president of Porsche Motorsport, Frank Walliser, added that there was significant customer interest in a mid-engined 911. Porsche Motorsport has a tradition of listening to customer feedback, which is one reason why a manual gearbox is now once more available on the latest GT3, shown at Geneva. A mid-engined 911 would be relatively easy for Porsche to produce. The car already exists in RSR racing form,…

THE RENAULT ZOE e-Sport concept won’t have a life beyond the show stand, according to Jean-Christophe Kugler, chairman of Renault’s operations in Europe. Kugler described the 460bhp e-Sport concept as “a link car — a styling exercise intended to connect the Zoe road car with what Renault is doing in Formula E racing, and to send a message that EVs are fun to drive. It’s not a signal of the future for Zoe, and we have no intention of developing a performance version.” Renault is benefiting from the technology being developed in Formula E, Kugler said, and the company is creating new technology that is destined for future road cars. However, he maintained that Renault’s current focus continues to be on bringing EVs into the mainstream. He said: “We are…

AUDI’S BRAND EQUITY is strong enough to justify more expensive models in its line-up, according the company’s boss, Rupert Stadler. He was speaking at the Geneva motor show, where Audi unveiled the RS Q8 concept. An almost production-ready range-topping SUV that will be launched in 2018 at a starting price of around £55,000, the price of the vehicle could potentially rise as high as £110,000 for a top-spec performance variant. Stadler said Audi was ready to create more expensive cars: “There is still room for us to manoeuvre. I don’t believe we are at the limits. Of course, there are differences between a small series of bespoke cars and mainstream production models, but there is room to go up.” Stadler confirmed that Audi’s first electric car, a Q5-sized SUV, is…

PORSCHE TUNER RUF has branched out to launch its own car, the CTR, which heavily resembles the 964-series 911. The CTR is based around a new carbonfibre bodyshell that RUF has produced and it is powered by a twin-turbo version of Porsche’s water-cooled Mezger engine. Power output is quoted at 700bhp and the dry weight is a claimed 1200kg. That makes it even faster than the car that inspired it, the 1987 RUF CTR ‘Yellow Bird’, which once clocked 0-100mph in 7.3sec. Company president Alois Ruf, son of the founder, said Porsche has given its permission for the car’s classically inspired looks. Underneath its carbonfibre bodywork, the new CTR gets double wishbones all round working with pushrod-operated coil-over springs and dampers. Power and torque — a meaty 649lb ft —…

THE NEW HONDA Civic Type R hasn’t gone soft, despite its new US remit, larger size and new refined character facets. So says Honda’s UK-based New Model Centre division manager, Phil Haydon, who has been driving a prototype version for extended periods. “The new Comfort driving mode certainly makes the ride more civil and we’ve made significant improvements to refinement,” said Haydon, “but in R+ mode, the new car is even firmer-riding and more exciting than before. We have a more rigid body, wider axle tracks, wider tyres and a lower centre of gravity in play.” He also called the new Type R a “greater engineering achievement” than its predecessor. He said: “It’s still our idea of the ultimate front-wheel-drive hot hatchback.” The new Type R’s 10bhp rise has been…

The Racemo two-seater is the first model from Tata-owned Tamo, a new low-volume sports car brand. The compact mid-engined car uses a 190bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine and can hit 62mph in 6.0sec. It has double-wishbone suspension and a six-speed automatic paddleshift gearbox. The Racemo is described as Tata’s “first connected car” and receives software updates remotely. Tamo’s focus is Tata’s native market of India, but the brand also has ambitions to grow globally.…

The announcement that the PSA Group, owner of Peugeot, Citroën and DS, was buying Opel/Vauxhall from General Motors (GM) came early last week after a fortnight of speculation. The deal, worth €2.2 billion (about £1.9bn), is expected to be completed before the end of the year. It will make PSA the second-largest car group in Europe with a 17% market share, eclipsed only by the VW Group. PSA boss Carlos Tavares said the company would respect existing brand identities and “help accelerate [Opel’s] turnaround”. Last year, it lost £200 million. PSA will not take any liability for existing Opel/Vauxhall pensions, a point of contention in recent weeks, given the scale of GM’s pension deficit. There are no decisions yet on the future of Opel/Vauxhall plants, including its Ellesmere Port and…

On the ground floor of a dim, multi-storey car park somewhere in east London sits what might be the most daring and important new Jaguar in more than five decades. Glowing in a coat of Photon Red paint so vibrant that you’d swear it was luminescent – and defying your every attempt at classification but for reasons that only invite your eyes to linger – the I-Pace looks bold and exciting even here among the strip-light yellow and concrete grey. It’s part supercar, part utility car; somehow all Jaguar and yet not really like any Jaguar there has ever been. By the standards of the most far-fetched show cars, it’s stunning.Except that here and now, away from the motor show stand where thousands have already admired it, the I-Pace is…

If you like intricate new technology on your car, you won’t find any solace here. This is the Skoda Yeti SE L Drive, and there’s not a single new exotic material or any cleverer combustion alchemy employed. Broadly speaking, it’s the same car that has been around since 2009, but there is some consolation: this new Drive trim gives you more toys. First, let’s explain that Drive is like a spec boost for the Yeti’s two most popular trims. So there’s an SE Drive, which, we’re told, adds up to £2295 worth of extra equipment for a £935 premium over the regular SE. Then there’s the SE L Drive, which bolsters the standard SE L trim with another £1850 worth of goodies for just £755, and is the one we…

MODEL TESTED 2.0 TDI 190 QUATTRO S TRONIC S LINE Price £40,290 Power 187bhp Torque 295lb ft 0-60mph 8.3sec 30-70mph in fourth na Fuel economy 36.5mpg CO2 emissions 133g/km 70-0mph 53.3m However conspicuous the mark left by the Audi Q7, it was the smaller Q5 that really uncorked the sales potential of SUVs that its maker had been leaving hitherto untapped when the model first appeared almost a decade ago. Launched against a backdrop of uncertainty about whether buyers would take to a mid-size pseudo off-roader from Ingolstadt, the Q5 delivered an emphatic answer by smashing its sales targets and becoming the best-selling car in its class for several years of its life. Audi’s top executives wasted no opportunity to crow about the surprise success of the Q7’s sibling. But…

“Of all its attributes, the one I’ve come to value most is how fantastically comfortable it is” During the past couple of years, we’ve run a number of practical, useful SUVs that have dealt admirably with the stuff that everyday life has thrown at them. The Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage spring to mind. But I feel confident in saying that none of them has been as versatile, or as universally adored, as the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Now-departed production editor Mel Falconer summed up the car’s value best when, having borrowed it for a trip to France, she likened it to a star quarterback that the rest of the team turns to when they want a long-distance play. The Discovery Sport swiftly gained a reputation as the go-to vehicle…

“IT’S JUST A brilliant all-rounder” was the enthusiastic verdict of a colleague who borrowed the Volkswagen Golf for a week. He also said: “I did a bit of motorway driving and thought the engine might not be up to it, but it proved gutsy enough, and the gearbox is nice and slick, too. It’s also comfortable enough for commuting through London. The infotainment system is easy to work and I had no problem connecting a phone to it or swapping the audio feed from the radio to streaming via Bluetooth.” Having clocked up another few thousand miles in the past month, I heartily agree. The winter months have thrown some dramatic weather at us. I had to abandon the Golf a mile from home after one unexpectedly heavy fall of…

Martin Knowles has left behind his company Range Rover and got a Rover Streetwise 1.4 with a full MOT, four new tyres, electric sunroof, alarm and 16in alloys. “It’s immaculate, not even a stone chip,” he says. “It was just £375 from a small trader. I told him he sold it too cheaply. Okay, it’s yellow, but the colour suits the car. It’s done 90,000 miles and the insurance is cheap. “I did some research and there are only 12 for sale in UK. Is it a future classic? No, but if it lasts me for a couple of years, I’ll be happy.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com…

An expert’s view SEAN MURPHY, IRIDIUM “I owned an E60 M5 and had a very bad experience with it. It had done 130,000 miles without problems and then all hell broke out. Granted, some was accidental stuff like a wing mirror being knocked off (£1000), but it went through three iDrive controllers and two throttle actuators (there are two at £600 each). It also needed a new clutch. Parts aren’t cheap. I was unlucky with mine, though, because generally the E60 is reliable and will do high mileages with ease — and it has the best-sounding BMW engine ever.” Buyer beware ENGINE Conrod bearings can give trouble if oil changes are skimped. Check for a Vanos warning light: it could be an oil pressure issue involving the sump-to-head hose or…

Ford Focus RS From £31,765 Simply the most exciting hot hatchback money can buy right now — and at a bargain price. Volkswagen Golf R From £31,685 Blends the formerly unblendable: VW sophistication with frenzied driver appeal. Fantastic value for money. Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG From £40,695 Engine is short on character but makes up for it with massive grunt. Chassis does the same with grip and balance. Audi RS3 From £40,795 Colossal price made to look worse by cheaper Golf. Frenzied ›ive-pot makes it brutal, though, and not a little addictive. BMW M140i From £32,200 Endowing a hatchback with a six-cylinder engine makes for fun, but the rear-drive chassis isn’t quite the entertainer it should be.…

“Only a downsized hybrid or pure-electric drivetrain will fit the body and low nose of the Speed 6e” Bentley will choose either a sports car inspired by its EXP 12 Speed 6e concept or an additional SUV to become its fourth model line from 2021 — but whichever is chosen, the new car is likely to be the British manufacturer’s first pure-electric offering. The EXP 12 Speed 6e concept unveiled at the Geneva motor show is a revised version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 coupé concept first seen in 2015. The new car features a convertible roof, a high-tech new interior and an electric powertrain. After Geneva, the Speed 6e concept will be used in customer clinics to canvass their views on electric cars and what they would expect…

THE VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON will “challenge premium rivals”, according to VW boss Herbert Diess. Picking out the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé specifically, he called the Arteon VW’s “sporty flagship”. Diess said it was a necessary addition to VW’s line-up because “it is our most expressive, emotional and premium saloon”. The Arteon replaces the CC, which hit peak European sales in 2011 when more than 30,000 were sold. Last year, sales were 10,000, but Diess feels the Arteon will fare better. “We are trying to demonstrate that VW can make a better offer,” he said. “It’s a car that blends sporty looks with the space benefits of a transverse engine, the practicality of a hatchback and a host of features to boost functionality.” The Arteon will also…

Lidar, radar and cameras The Sedric features five lidar (light detection and ranging) devices mounted on the roof. They work in combination with seven cameras and various radar sensors. Simple controls The Sedric has just three: Go, Stop and Call. The latter is for summoning emergency help. Voice control Everything else is activated by voice command. The quality of voice systems has improved at such a rate in recent years that VW is confident they can run all but the critical systems. Charcoal air filters VW believes that a growing awareness of the issues around pollutants means people will want air purified before it enters their car. 360deg cabin camera Big Brother will be watching, monitoring your health and well-being while you are being driven and alerting you if it…

RENAULT BOSS CARLOS Ghosn has refused to commit to further versions of the Alpine A110 until the coupé is successfully established. No official volume predictions have been made, but sales of 5000-8000 units could be considered a success, observers estimate. The A110’s expensive and unique extruded aluminium chassis means Alpine will need to chase economies of scale. A convertible version of the Porsche Cayman rival has been designed and several other variants have been proposed. Alpine chief designer Antony Villain, who has worked on the car since it began in 2012 as a cooperative project with Caterham, said finding practical weight-saving measures had been an important design component from day one. “Our car is very agile, very playful,” he said. “There are other cars with our power-to-weight ratio but not…

SUZUKI IS AIMING for the new Swift to boost its sales volume by 40% in the UK, already the car’s biggest market in Europe. The new, third-generation Swift has switched to the same platform used by the larger Baleno, but is marginally shorter than the car it replaces, with a slightly lower roofline but a longer wheelbase. Greater use of ultra-high-strength steels has contributed to a significant weight saving. Entry-level 1.2-litre versions dip below 900kg, some 120kg less than their predecessors. Both the entry-level car and the top-of-the-range 1.0-litre turbocharged Boosterjet mild-hybrid SZ5 version will offer sub-100g/km CO2 emissions. In the range-topper, those emissions will be partnered with a better torque-to-weight ratio than the outgoing Swift Sport performance derivative. Suzuki chief engineer Masao Kobori told Autocar that the Swift’s chassis…

Why does the PSA deal make sense? “We needed to accelerate what we were doing. We were not robust to break even in the wake of the Brexit fluctuations, the CO2 requirements were making cars more expensive to develop and so on. We need efficiency, and scale brings efficiency, leanness and less complexity. “I’d already seen the benefits PSA could bring through our joint projects previously. We have done three cars together in the past four years. There are economies of scale, better architectures for Europe and so on.” Does PSA’s turnaround provide inspiration? “For it to go from where it was to being the most profitable mass-market brand is impressive, especially when you consider the efficiencies it has achieved. The plan is that we can benefit from that, and…

It might have surprised some people but probably came as no shock to Audi that the old Q5 became the best-selling SUV in most markets in which it was sold. This type of car – a modicum of rough-track ability, a classy cabin, an unimpeachable image – is precisely the kind to which the brand and its line-up is suited. The new one, then, it’s no surprise to find, picks up where the old Q5 left off, at least in terms of refinement, premium feel and pricing/equipment. It also offers precisely the same absence of surprise, flair and spark that some enthusiasts might hope for, because clearly what works, works, and Audi knows best. So this Q5 offers more of the same, but with a lighter platform that gives it…

“The test vehicle might be a white van, pick-up, bus or armoured car” I was late, and they weren’t going to let me forget it. The fact that I’d been caught in catastrophic roadworks a couple of miles from Bedfordshire’s Millbrook test track – where I was scheduled to start learning how to be a professional test driver – didn’t cut any ice with my new bosses. Ed Rutherford, manager of Millbrook’s durability section, was nice about it but the message was clear: when you’re developing new cars, time is precious. Don’t waste any. All my life, I’ve been interested in being a test driver. When other kids wanted to pilot spacecraft, this was my dream job. There’s something hugely appealing about being the person who sits in a new…

Rear-guard action At last! Someone else (Carolyn Russell, Your Views, 22 February) agrees with me that daytime running lights (DRLs) should include red ones at the rear. I fitted some red LED strips from Halfords to my BMW 323i and wired them to the DRLs. They are pretty effective. I also see that I’m not alone in observing that automatic lights don’t always function as one might expect when it’s foggy. Another reader, a few weeks ago, was relating fitting new Bosch wiper blades to their BMW. Has anyone else come across the Michelin Stealth blades, which Asda is selling at £14 each? They have so far proved quiet and effective for me. Mike Bradley Bristol WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth…

“It’s actually the superior refinement of the 3.0 that really sets it apart from the 2.0” A long-term test is always a great opportunity to really get to know a car, but just as important with the Audi A4 I’ve been running for the past eight months, it was a chance to see if six-cylinder engines have a future in mainstream models. It wasn’t so long ago that these engines accounted for a sizeable share of executive saloon sales, whereas today most have been swept from the road by a torrent of tax-friendly 2.0-litre four-pots. Our 3.0-litre V6 diesel A4, complete with its official combined fuel economy figure of 67.3mpg, seemed to have been engineered specifically to reverse this trend. Putting things into perspective was the fact the car arrived…

There’s a lot to like about the Focus RS. It has very much delivered on the considerable pre-launch hype and it’s the kind of car that gets nods of approval from any true petrolhead, whatever their brand allegiances. You might be passionate about your Volkswagen Golf GTIs or a lifelong Honda Civic Type R fan, but when you see a Focus RS, there’s a mutual respect that transcends tribal aspects of the hot hatch world. It can be as subtle as a slight nod of the head from another driver on the road or the full fanboy chit-chat at a filling station, but these kind of feelgood reminders follow you everywhere in the RS and make you feel properly involved with the legacy of the famous RS badge. Which is…

A quirky coupé with the M factor Not everyone likes the BMW Z4, although I don’t know why. But what about the ones with added M factor? Well, here’s a private example of a 2007 Z4 M Coupé that seems to be in lovely condition. Amusingly, the seller now has a company car and a dog to support. With just 54,000 miles showing and a full Sytner service history, there’s an awful lot to be reassured by here, and all for £19,800. Off-roader for the end of the world What you really need in a 4x4 is a full-on set of wheels that can cope with any post-apocalypse worst-case scenario. So here we have a 2004 Nissan Patrol GR TD SVE, which the private seller has owned for the past…

“What makes this Type R enjoyable is how utterly bulletproof it feels” Remember when nobody knew what a Honda Civic Type R was? If you’re a younger reader, the chances are that you won’t, but once upon a time the Type R badge was reserved for exotica available only beyond these shores. Then, in the mid-1990s, someone at Honda had the bright idea that the British, with their legendary appetite for hot hatches, might just appreciate such things wearing said badge. An advance party was organised, in the form of the Integra and Accord Type Rs, both of which became instantly desirable thanks to largely favourable magazine coverage. We were ready for the main course. This was it. The EP3 Honda Civic Type R was a hot hatch like no…

BMW i3 From £32,330 With a fairly generous budget and modest mileage in mind, the i3 could revolutionise your motoring experience. Volkswagen e-Golf From £31,680 Pioneering technology delivered with VW-brand polish. Strong in every important area and as familiar as electric cars come. Renault Zoe From £17,795 Outstanding value and very commendable battery range make Renault’s big-selling electric hatch a real contender. Hyundai Ioniq From £24,495 Hyundai’s ›irst dedicated battery car shows promise. Strong on practicality, value and usable range. Nissan Leaf From £26,180 Original electric hatchback poster boy shows how far rivals have moved the game on. Still credible and usable, if a bit dull to drive.…

MERCEDES E-CLASS CABRIOLET | SEPT Four-door soft-top completes the latest E-Class line-up. It shares little with the seven-year-old model it replaces, gaining a stiffer body and more aluminium to cut weight. The roof is an electrically opening affair, while the car is longer, creating more space for passengers. Engines will be three petrols and one diesel, ranging from 181bhp to 328bhp. Price£40,000 MARCH AC Cobra 378, Atalanta sports car, BMW 670Li xDrive update, Ferrari GTC4 Lusso T, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Jaguar F-Type update, F-Type 400 Sport, Nissan Micra, Renault Captur update, Seat Leon Cupra R, Skoda Octavia update, Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Brabus Edition #2, Volkswagen e-Golf, Golf Hybrid, Zenvo TS1 GT APRIL/MAY Alpina B3S, B4S, D5, Audi A5 Cabriolet, Q5, SQ5, Avatar Roadster, BMW 4 Series update, Kia Picanto…