Innholdsfortegnelse for 19/07/2017 i Autocar

At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, I became one of the first people to travel in the back of the new London black cab — under conditions that were most un-cab-like. My driver was Katie Milner, promising Ginetta GT5 Challenge racer and the youngest driver at Goodwood. Despite the distractions of going up the Goodwood hill, the ability of the LEVC TX was well and truly proven. We glided powerfully off the line and were doing 60mph-plus by the time we reached the first double-apex right-hander. It felt a bit funny, sitting in a typical taxi passenger position at speed on what, for four days of the year, is a hillclimb. Side support isn’t the TX’s strongest suit but, as I clung on, it was easy enough to perceive…

Seat’s Cupra sub-brand could make electrified performance cars as it seeks to stand out from its competitors. The idea is still at an early stage but is being debated internally at the firm’s headquarters in Spain and is pushed by UK managing director Richard Harrison. “How we could use the capability of electricity on Cupra is interesting,” said Harrison. “I’d like to see more done with the Cupra and Seat Sport brands, and one opportunity could be for an electrified Cupra. “There are no fully formed plans yet, but I’d be keen to explore the opportunities between hybrid and full electric. If we did it, we’d pick one or two vehicles and do them properly; Cupra isn’t a badge to put on everything.” Seat global boss Luca de Meo has…

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its much-anticipated new premium pick-up. The X-Class is a five-seat, four-door crew cab pick-up with a separate chassis, up to four engine options, a choice of selectable or permanent four-wheel drive and six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission options. It goes on sale at the end of this year with an expected price from £28,000 plus VAT. The company claims that the X-Class can be used as both a rugged, off-road pickup and a vehicle for urban families. Besides its robust construction, the X-Class’s sophisticated suspension, premium cabin, connectivity, extensive safety aids and scope for personalisation are all intended to extend the vehicle’s appeal beyond the typical pick-up buyer. Engines include a 161bhp diesel X220d and 187bhp X250d, as well as a 163bhp petrol option in some…

“The Vanquish S’s character comes through the roof cut largely unscathed” The changes wrought to the Aston Martin Vanquish S coupé at the start of the year were also made to the soft-top, the Volante, at the same time. But then it was cold, and now it is hot, so here we are, being given the opportunity to test the roofless Vanquish S for the first time. Those changes, then. Last year, Aston felt that although its super-GT car was plenty GT enough, it wasn’t super enough, especially given the arrival of the DB11, and the need for this car to stay on sale for two more years. So it turned up the Vanquish’s wick and called it the Vanquish S. Power from the 5.9-litre (badged 6.0), naturally aspirated V12…

“The Discovery makes the journey to Nancy feel like a short run to the shops” OUR ROUTE For photographic reasons, we went out via picturesque Nancy and Baden-Baden before crossing Germany to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria and on to Nitra in Slovakia. The return leg was more expedient, blatting across Austria, Germany and Belgium — and keeping clear of French police until the last moment. There are 648 scissor lifts – cherry pickers, access platforms, call ’em what you will – at the new Jaguar Land Rover factory in Nitra, Slovakia. Not ‘about 650’, not ‘more than 600’, or – God forbid – ‘647’, because that would, logistically, be one too few. No. There are 648. Precisely. This place is overwhelming. To me, anyway. Perhaps not you.…

Issues for autonomous cars Steve Cropley asked: “Who cares if their driverless car is a Mazda or Maserati?” (My Week In Cars, 5 July.) Autonomous cars will have lots of benefits and issues, but badge snobbery won’t be one of them. Brand snobbery exists in all walks of life with consumer products. The pressing issues will be for, say, the emergency services and professional drivers. Will manufacturers be able to turn off the drivetrain in a stolen car? Will the ambulance service be able to clear traffic for an unfettered run to an accident or sick person? The biggest issue for me is that my grandson, who is two years old, will not experience the thrill I had in getting up early on a weekend and driving for the sheer…

LIKE MANY MODERN cars, the XF has the option of different driving modes, selected via a rocker switch on the centre console. The system, called Jaguar Drive Control, allows you to select from Standard, Eco, Dynamic and Rain Ice Snow modes. Steering weight, throttle response and the automatic transmission’s shift points are all altered according to the mode. Our top-of-the-range XF S also comes with adaptive dampers as standard (they’re optional on other trims) so those get stiffened or softened, too. Conditions haven’t warranted prodigious use of Rain Ice Snow mode, and a few cursory drives in Eco were sufficient to identify the extent to which it neuters throttle control, so we don’t have to go there again. It is a choice between Standard and Dynamic modes, then. Dynamic mode…

Following a month-long engineering placement at Jaguar Land Rover, time with Peugeot’s press relations department and research work on hybrid drivetrains at McLaren, the next spell of work experience for Josh de Wit, the 2016 Autocar Courland Next Generation Award winner, was with Nissan. The 22-year-old, who is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Sussex, worked with the manufacturer’s autonomous drive vehicle team at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. NTCE develops vehicles for the European market and is part of Nissan’s Research and Development network, which also has centres in Japan, the US and Europe. Cranfield is where cars such as the original Nissan Qashqai were designed. Josh won last year’s Next Generation Award for his design of a stacked graphene battery that could…

Aidan Silcocks began looking for something small for his son to learn to drive in. “I thought of a Corsa, Fiesta or Clio but, after a bit of research on insurance premiums, decided to look at the Citroën C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo triplets. “We ended up with a 2006 Toyota Aygo Sport with just over 70,000 miles and 12 months’ MOT. It isn’t in pristine condition but is perfect for a learner. My son’s insurance as a learner with Mum and Dad as named drivers, limited to 6000 miles, came to £313. Having passed his test, his additional premium for the remaining four months’ cover was another £364.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com ,…

An expert’s view ADRIAN HAMPTON, ARUN “I was with Jaguar for 30 years and am a former Jaguar master technician. I’ve driven loads of XFRs. There are niggly problems but, on the whole, it’s bombproof. I own an XF 3.0 diesel but I’m looking to buy an XFR. It’ll do only around 25mpg at best, but now I’m not commuting so far, that’s perfectly manageable. I reckon if I buy a well-kept, low-mileage 2011-reg facelifted XFR, it won’t lose too much money before maybe even climbing in value in a few years.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE Timing chain issues on early cars are usually tensioner related, so check the service history for oil changes at the right grade and listen for rattling when cold. Supercharger drive is becoming an issue:…

VAUXHALL GRANDLAND X | JAN 2018 Vauxhall’s third SUV will be its largest, albeit still only a five-seater. Plenty of passenger room is promised, and the boot is claimed by Vauxhall to be bigger than the Nissan Qashqai’s. The front-wheel-drive Grandland X will offer 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel units. Price from £18,500 (est) JULY Alfa Romeo Stelvio, BMW M4 update, Bristol Bullet, Kia Soul EV, Land Rover Range Rover Velar, Lexus NX update, Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain, SLC180, Mercedes-AMG E63 Estate, GT R, Nissan Qashqai update, Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, Renault Captur update Seat Ibiza, Skoda Octavia vRS 245 (right), Vauxhall Crossland X AUGUST Audi RS3 Saloon, RS3 Sportback, Hyundai i30 Tourer, Kia Niro PHEV, Lexus LC, Volvo S90 T8, V90 T8 SEPTEMBER Alpina B5 and D5…

“The E-Pace’s design, along with its dynamic ability, will be among the car’s key selling features” These are the first official pictures of the new Jaguar E-Pace, which will go on sale later this year. The second SUV to come from Jaguar in as many years will be followed by a third, the all-electric I-Pace, within months. Poised to rival the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3, the E-Pace is expected to become Jaguar’s biggest-selling model and result in the fast-growing firm selling more SUVs than saloon and sports cars combined. The E-Pace is smaller and more keenly priced than the F-Pace. Its design, one of the most expressive in its class, is distinct from that of Jaguar’s larger F-Pace and will be, along with its dynamic ability, one of…

Jaguar could make models smaller than the E-Pace in the future, although no such car exists in the product plan yet. When asked if there was room in the range for a Jaguar smaller than the E-Pace, Ian Callum said: “No plans, but I’d like to think so.” Rival firms BMW and Mercedes-Benz have a full range of front-wheel-drive models derived from a common architecture. The E-Pace differs in that it has SUV, rather than road car, architecture, meaning hatchbacks and small SUV spin-offs would be trickier. “There’s no alternative to go front-wheel drive, transverse-engine here [with E-Pace],” said Callum. “It’s not cost, but size. You can’t afford to give wheelbase away,” he added, pointing out that BMW had switched from a rear-wheel-drive platform to a front-wheel-drive one with its…

The next-generation Bugatti Chiron – still at least seven years from production – will have to be electrified to enhance its performance beyond the current car’s record-breaking capabilities, CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said. The Chiron can reach 62mph in less than 2.5sec, despite weighing 1995kg, and has a top speed of 261mph. At its heart is a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 configured petrol engine that develops 1479bhp at 6750rpm, giving the Chiron a power-to-weight ratio of 741bhp per tonne. Torque peaks at 1179lb ft from 2000rpm. “Electrification will happen,” said Dürheimer. “The next car is a long way from being developed, but the way battery and electric motor technology is moving on – as well as regulations – it seems certain that the next car will be electrified in some way. It…

Vauxhall has launched the hottest version yet of the current Insignia: the 252bhp GSi. The car is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 295lb ft. Vauxhall says the car can lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife faster then the previous-generation Insignia’s range-topping VXR model, despite giving away 69bhp. The improved speed of the car is said to be due to work on the chassis and driving control systems. The Insignia GSi is 160kg lighter than the previous VXR. It has all-wheel drive featuring torque vectoring and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Vauxhall will also launch a hot diesel Insignia at a later date.…

“By describing it as a 4+1 seating ‘concept’, Porsche is admitting that the fifth seat is abstract” Along time in the making, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo isn’t a conventional estate car, instead a 4+1 seating GT (three passengers at the rear) with a bit more room and sharper looks. Remember the 2012 Paris motor show? There were revisions to the Land Rover Freelander and Ford Fiesta and Jaguar’s production F-Type was revealed. Let’s not forget the McLaren P1, which, like the Freelander, seems a distant memory. Porsche gave a glimpse into its future, with a Panamera Sport Turismo concept promising a plug-in drive with a touch more practicality. After the positive reception in the French capital, it was approved for production by then Porsche chairman Matthias Müller. Five years…

MODEL TESTED 1.0 TSI SE TECHNOLOGY Price £15,255 Power 94bhp Torque 129lb ft 0-60mph 10.0sec 30-70mph in fourth 16.3sec Fuel economy 44.9mpg CO2 emissions 106g/km 70-0mph 51.2m Seat is fond of talking about its three pillars to future success: the Leon, the Ateca, the Ibiza. Two of those props are in indisputably fine fettle; the third, not so much. The manufacturer may well have shifted 5.4 million superminis since 1984, but the outgoing Ibiza – launched in 2008 – didn’t age nearly as well as Ford’s timeless Fiesta. By the time the Mazda 2 and third-generation Mini were launched in 2014, the Ibiza barely featured in our segment reckoning. A ground-up rethink was required, and, true to form, that’s what Seat claims to have delivered with this, the fifth generation…

THE GROUND WASN’T broken at Jaguar Land Rover’s new Nitra plant until October last year. The first pile went in in November and at times during the winter it was -20deg C and the ground was frozen a metre deep; yet they’re still on track to hand over the building at the end of this year, ready for production. It’s being put up quickly: a Russian heavy-lift helicopter has been commissioned, twice, to lift equipment up to the roof. Using it, it took an hour and a half to shift equipment that would otherwise have taken three weeks. Bill Patrick, the project construction director, is the bloke who has to make it all happen and the hall we are in is where the car’s bodies will be constructed. They’ve started…

“Driving doesn’t get a whole lot more amusing than this” For the past 20 years, car manufacturers competing in the World Rally Championship haven’t really known how to draw a tangible link between their road cars and their mud-splattered competition machines. Not since the late 1990s have they been required by the rules to build road-going versions of their special stage weapons, which has meant that, for the most part, rally cars and road cars have shared scarcely any DNA. The Yaris GRMN is Toyota’s attempt to make the bewinged beasts that fly over Finnish crests at 100mph seem more closely related to the showroom models. Unlike its rallying sibling, however, the Yaris GRMN isn’t four-wheel drive, it doesn’t have bundles of power and it isn’t particularly fast. To you…

In My Week In Cars (Autocar, 5 July), Steve Cropley wrote that he’d heard no good answer to the “killer questions” of whether people will care about the performance or brand of their driverless car in the future. I believe we will continue to care about both. Comfort may take precedence over driver appeal for most buyers. Premium brands will continue to court well-heeled buyers through upscale design and superior ride quality. And assuming we are still allowed manual control at times, the desirability of a Maserati over a Mazda will persist. Put simply, we’ll still want to have nice things. James Ollerenshaw Via email WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

Fuel economy is not something I mean to dwell on because, frankly, if you buy anything with more than 400bhp and use it, don’t go crying to mummy over the fuel bills. Given my dismal habit of driving the Mustang short distances, the trip computer generally sulks at 21-22mpg. However, I used it for an airport run the other day, something that involved mainly motorway driving. I also reset the trip computer to see what the 5.0-litre V8 could manage at a steady cruise over 60 to 70 miles. Sit down for the next bit. It did 31mpg. Yes, I know, an impressive result. It’s also quite surprising because physics suggest the frictional and parasitic losses in an engine big enough to power a Mississippi paddle steamer ought to be…

A pleasing surge of horse power I was surprised at how few details there were about this 1995 Ferrari 456 GT, but at least it is a manual and right-hand drive – one of just 141 made with the steering wheel on the correct side, apparently. Three previous owners have racked up 54,000 miles, which is modest by most standards but high for a Ferrari. There is a full Ferrari history, though. Yours for £69,995. The original white stripes As I’ve explained on the opposite page, Minis can still be reasonably priced cars and are often best bought privately. Here is a 1992 Rover Mini Cooper SPI (single port injection) in original and rust-free condition, priced at £6250. It has covered just 48,100 miles with four owners. It has a…

“It’s a pint-sized version of the classic 1980s turbos we’re all harking back to” TESTED 9.7.17, SURREY ON SALE 1985-1991 PRICE £7000-£14,000 Hands up who remembers Ali G? Chances are you do, and if so, you’ll probably also remember the bright yellow Renault 5 GT Turbo he drove. It was adorned with spoilers and wheels that looked so disproportionately large that they lent the whole car the appearance of a DayGlo rollerskate. Ali G’s choice of car tells you all you need to know about the 5 GT Turbo’s reputation in the 1990s. This was the boy-racer car to end all boy-racer cars; the one even Ford Fiesta RS Turbo and Vauxhall Corsa GSi drivers looked down upon. But the times they are a-changin’. The example driven here couldn’t be…

Anew, electrified London taxi has been revealed — with its designers accepting that reinterpreting such an iconic design “is bound to prompt arguments”. Called the LEVC TX, it has been built and developed by the London Taxi Company, which has been renamed the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) and is owned by Volvo’s Chinese parent, Geely. Design inspiration has come chiefly from the classic FX4 and TX4 black cab designs. “The biggest ‘gulp’ moment of my career was being asked to redesign the Volvo sports wagon — it was like taking care of the Swedish crown jewels — but this job is right up there,” said Geely’s executive vice president of design, Peter Horbury. “You know criticism will come on projects like that and this is in the same vein.…

Hyundai has officially revealed the i30 N, the first model from its N performance brand. Pitched by its maker as a rival to the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST, the i30 N has undergone a lengthy testing period, including more than 6000 miles at the Nürburgring, under the guidance of Albert Biermann, boss of the Korean firm’s high-performance arm. The i30 N is powered by a 2.0-litre T-GDI turbocharged four-cylinder that drives the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. In standard form, the car produces 247bhp at 6000rpm and 260lb ft at 1450-4500rpm, enabling 0-62mph in 6.4sec. An optional Performance Pack takes maximum power up to 271bhp, helping to trim the 62mph sprint time to 6.1sec – making the i30 N comfortably Hyundai’s quickest model. Even in…

Hyundai will add a third body style to its i30 range when a new Fastback variant launches in early 2018. The five-door has a lower nose and sleeker roofline than the existing hatch and estate versions. The i30 Fastback’s suspension is 5mm lower than that of the hatch, with the overall height down 30mm, in part due to a slimmer glasshouse. Hyundai claims that this enhances its aerodynamics as well as lowering the car’s centre of gravity. The car is 115mm longer than the hatch. The i30 Fastback gets bespoke suspension settings with spring rates that are 15% stiffer to improve agility and on-road handling. As such, the car will be the sportiest variant of the regular i30 range. It will come with a choice of two turbocharged petrol engines…

Had you been sitting with us listening to Mercedes-Benz outline the latest incarnation of the S-Class at a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland, last week, you would have been forgiven for thinking that it really is an all-new model, as was largely being projected. There are more than 6000 individual new components and three brand-new engines – two of which are making their debut in the upmarket four-door, including a six-cylinder petrol unit combined with an electric motor and new 48V electrical system in a pair of mild hybrid models. There is also an updated infotainment system with new menu layouts and functions; and, to top things off, an advanced digital map-supported semi-autonomous driving system that accelerates and brakes all by itself, including in and out of roundabouts. This was…

Subaru’s modern portfolio makes its famed World Rally Championship exploits feel like a very long time ago. Niche high-performance Subarus may now be a rarity, but since the company ramped up its SUV focus in 2012, its sales records have been broken each year. Subaru’s latest SUV, the XV, is significant because it is built on the Subaru Global Platform, which will underpin the car maker’s important wave of new models, including the new version of the Impreza. The XV is new from the ground up, with this fresh platform, revised engines and transmission, and a new design inside and out in a bid to make it compete in a tough class in a way that the previous model never could. Inside, it gets a much-needed update that ditches the…

Had Seat acceded merely to increasing the physical size of the Ibiza, the end game would probably be no less transparent: its previously adolescent supermini needed a prominent ripening if it was ever going to meet the uprated expectations of ‘generation downsizer’. But family friendly packaging is just one appealing facet among many in the model’s overhaul. On top of its stiffer, cleverer platform, Seat has constructed a brilliantly modern compact car, one that seeks to absorb the gruelling boredom of everyday driving and return it as frothy, imperturbable ease of use. In many respects, the Ibiza’s renovation reflects the fine job done on the VW Up and its siblings – namely, that deft downscaling of big-car feel – only more so. Seat’s supermini is a far more rounded prospect…

Alongside the snarling, winged-and-vented Nissan, the Audi looks a tad anonymous This might look like a slightly left-field comparison but there are, in fact, several very good reasons for squaring the new Audi RS5 up against the latest Nissan GT-R. For one thing, they’re both four-wheel-drive performance coupés. For another, they each use twin-turbocharged V6 engines and paddle-shift gearboxes. And although their basic list prices are more than £20,000 apart – £61,015 for the Audi versus £83,875 for the Nissan – the prices as-tested are actually similar. Perhaps the best reason to compare the RS5 with the GT-R, though, is that the two cars are actually converging in terms of their reasons for being . Audi argues that its effort is the most dynamic RS5 yet, while the heavily revised…

DRIVEN Range Rover Velar Matt Prior delivers the first verdict on the all-new Velar, the most road-biased Land Rover yet produced FEATURE North Coast 500 in a Fiat 500 The 500 has just turned 60. We salute its past, present and future INTERVIEW Land Rover’s Gerry McGovern We hear from the man behind the reinvention of Land Rover design EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Mini Countryman PHEV Our road test team give the ultimate verdict on Mini’s plug-in hybrid SUV FIRST DRIVE McLaren 570S Spider The 570S loses its roof, with no loss of talent expected. We see if that’s true USED BUYING GUIDE Aston Martin DB7 Is this the cheapest way into Aston ownership? Or the riskiest? Find out SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p22…

Some might regard having two 3.0-litre Porsches in your life as one more than is actually required. Some poor souls might even say two more. For me, however, the contrasts between Porsche’s brand-new 911 and my decidedly ancient 968 Sport are fascinating. Mechanically, they come from not just different eras but different concepts, too. If you remember both are 2+2 sporting coupés and there are 911s that predate the 968 by far more than this one post-dates it, it seems incredible that they both came from the same company. One has a normally aspirated in-line four-cylinder engine in its nose, the other a turbocharged flat six in its boot. Nor is the 968 completely outdone by the new 911. Yes, it’s nowhere by any objective assessment, with the only possible…

“THAT’S JUST GREAT.” It took me a few moments to realise the words weren’t coming from the radio, but from a cyclist who’d pulled up next to me at a set of traffic lights. He was the owner of a soft-top Mazda MX-5 and, having seen me drive past in the MX-5 RF with the roof down, he’d frantically pedalled after me for a closer look. And he loved what he saw, saying he preferred the styling to his soft-top. That encounter, and several similar ones in various car parks, came to mind when I read Simon Astley’s letter (Your Views, 21 June) in which, among other things, he called the RF “unattractive”. It just shows that styling is a personal opinion, which is something everyone is entitled to. And…

With my Land Rover out of action, I’ve had to use our X5 to carry big loads. When I go to load up the Bavarian, the last thing I want to find is a puncture. Well, this time there was a big piece of metal in the rear nearside tyre. It was a threaded lump with a nut on the end. Indeed, my daughter got a spanner and unscrewed it out. Goodness knows where we picked that up, but it has killed the tyre. Another job to add to my pre-MOT list of things to do...…

15,000 miles Recommended oil change interval but 10,000 is safer for older XFRs. “The XFR-S brandished 542bhp for 0-62mph in 4.4sec. Expect to pay from £37,000 for one” So you’ve a performance car on your shopping list, a family to lug around and about £20,000 to spend. What’s it going to be? How about a default German, something like a 60,000-mile 2009-reg Mercedes E63 AMG? Or a BMW M5; specifically, the late and great E60-generation one with 493bhp when you press the M button? A 2008-reg, again with 60,000 miles, should do it. However, brilliant though they are, they’re a little obvious, which is where the Jaguar XFR has the edge. It dates from a time – 2009 – when people were just beginning to take notice of the once-beleaguered…

1 Ford Focus RS From £32,265 Simply the most exciting hot hatchback money can buy. Considering the performance on tap, it comes at a bargain price. 2 Volkswagen Golf R From £32,710 Blends the formerly unblendable: VW sophistication with frenzied driver appeal. Like the Focus RS, it is fantastic value for money. 3 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG From £41,875 Engine is short on character, but the A45 makes up for it with massive grunt. Chassis does the same with grip and balance. 4 Audi RS3 From £44,300 Colossal price made to look worse by cheaper Golf R. Frenzied ive-pot makes it brutal, though, and not a little addictive. 5 BMW M140i From £33,680 Endowing a hatchback with a six-cylinder engine still makes for fun; the rear-drive chassis isn’t quite the entertainer…