Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/11/2017 i Autocar

The final design of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been seen ahead of its official launch early next year. The BMW 1 Series rival is longer than the outgoing car and adopts a new floorpan and body structure that are claimed to increase rigidity. This, in turn, should give the new model much improved refinement. Underpinning the new A-Class is a redeveloped MFA (modular front architecture) with MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension. It supports Mercedes’ Drive Select function, which allows the driver to alter the characteristics of the steering, engine mapping, gearbox software and damping using at least four different modes. The 2018 A-Class is the first of up to eight new compact Mercedes models, which include replacements for today’s B-Class, CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, as well as…

“The steering is brilliantly communicative and fabulously responsive” Right, we can forget all about part-electric hypercars for a bit, because first the Lamborghini Huracán Performante and now the Porsche 911 GT2 RS appear to be quicker. At least, on that section of one-way public road in Germany they are and that is what some people seem to care about. The Huracán is also, though, the fastest car we’ve put around our own test track, in glamorous Nuneaton, by quite a sizeable margin. This will all change, again, of course, one day. But for the meantime: lose the batteries and motors – internal combustion and light weight is what you need if you just want to go fast. How fast is the new 911 GT2 RS, exactly? Officially, 6min 47.3sec around…

We’d wager that not everyone at BMW believed replacing the 5 Series GT was the right thing to do. It launched an odd, half-formed executive car in 2009 with an abundance of rational appeal but a dearth of desirability. And although the new 6 Series GT attempts to address the shortfall, it’s really only in a tokenistic way. In objective terms, the 630d GT has true luxury-level comfort, refinement, occupant space and convenience, as well as all the on-board technology expected of a modern limousine. It’s a superbly pleasant and easy car to drive and an agreeable one in which to be driven, and its practicality and usability far exceed normal saloon-car standards. But although the 6 GT is a marginally more appealing car than its forebear, it falls a…

I an Robertson, the highest-placed Brit at BMW, reckons the secret of having a big job in the car industry is not worrying too much about losing it. And he should know. He has held a variety of mega-senior positions at Rover, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Mini and BMW during a 38-year career in the car industry. Yet in all that time, he has never left the company he joined as a graduate in 1978, instead shaping his career around new opportunities presented by changing owners. Next year, he will retire from the board of BMW. He steps down (or perhaps across, given, as we’ll learn, how different his vision of retirement is to most) described by observers as “the most powerful Briton in the global car industry”, by colleagues as…

“The new Ibiza feels more complete than its predecessors – and, indeed, its rivals” FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if Seat’s small car truly deserves its Fiesta-beating crown When we added the new fifth-generation Seat Ibiza to our long-term test fleet, I was the natural choice to run it. Why? Because I’ve spent plenty of time driving one. A six-month stint in a new Ibiza FR barely qualifies as a long-term test compared with the 12 years that I owned a third-generation, 2005-vintage 1.4L Sport. I bought my Ibiza from new and only parted with it earlier this year. It proved a trusty companion, only really letting me down once – albeit in spectacular fashion when an engine problem caused me to grind to a halt…

QUESTION I want a spacious, practical vehicle for camping trips and commuting. Suggestions? David Barry ANSWER As a believer in Bangernomics, you want a reliable holdall. With £1000 as a realistic budget, I was going to find something dull and dirty but worthy. Then I saw an ad for a Mitsubishi Lancer estate. The 2005 S version even has alloys. With 98k miles, lots of servicing work and new clutch, it’s an on-budget bargain. QUESTION I want a hassle-free, comfortable car for my uncomfortable commute. Any ideas? Charles Bates ANSWER You need a recently retired executive car. A 2008 Jaguar XF 3.0i V6 Premium Luxury with just over 100,000 miles has a reversing camera, parking aid pack and electric heated seats. At £7295, it’s the perfect traffic-jam companion. QUESTION I’m…

“If it has full Rolls-Royce service history, you can be sure it has wanted for nothing” DID YOU KNOW? If the rear suicide doors (or ‘coach doors’, in Rolls-Royce parlance) aren’t closed, the Phantom won’t accelerate beyond walking pace. The arrival, next year, of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII means that soon, the only Phantom VII you’ll be able to purchase will be a ‘pre-owned’ one. They could be a relative bargain, given the new VIII’s expected £400,000 price ticket. Prices at all years vary hugely according to specification but, generally speaking, 2015/16-reg Phantom VII Series 2s hover around £220,000. Thereafter, prices decline to around £170,000 for the first S2 cars of 2012 with about 20,000 miles on the clock. Changes over the Series 1 include a restyled front end with…

1 BMW 5 Series From £31,900 Not totally peerless, but nowhere is a segment class leader represented by such an obviously talented all-rounder. 2 Jaguar XF From £29,900 Knocked from its perch by the new BMW, although it remains best for keen drivers. Reward and repose aren’t packaged any better. 3 Mercedes-Benz E-Class From £34,400 A bit on the pricey side and less sporting to drive than its key rivals, but supremely comfortable, well put together and luxurious. 4 Volvo S90 From £32,600 Tears up the business-smart formality of the segment and plays the refreshing, comfortable, appealing alternative well. 5 Audi A6 From £32,300 Perfect for anyone looking for a smart of ice cubicle on wheels. Supremely well constructed, but soulless to drive.…

1 Porsche Panamera From £66,400 Combines tangible sporting appeal with an outstanding cabin and powertrains. A touch inelegant, but easily the world’s best. 2 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé From £99,000 Large coupé based on the faultless S-Class saloon has a sumptuous interior, gorgeous shape and enthralling V8 engine. 3 Mercedes-Benz SL From £72,500 Big, luxurious drop-top is classier than a royal stud farm. Few cruisers feel more special for the money. 4 Mercedes-Benz CLS From £46,500 Original added-desirability four-door is almost as re ined to drive as it is to behold. Shooting Brake variant is rather elegant. 5 Audi A7 From £45,900 Curiously droopy looks don’t latter an otherwise impressive machine that is packed with gadgetry.…

Land Rover is just one year away from revealing its second-generation Evoque. The company will tinker little with the current car’s formula and will maintain the distinctive coupé-style shape that helped define a segment. The current Evoque helped transform the company into the much larger and more successful one it is today. Sales have never dropped below 100,000 units annually, even six years after it was launched. Prototype versions of the Evoque Mk2 (pictured above) are a regular sight around the company’s Gaydon engineering base, and it is understood Land Rover is preparing a reveal of the car in October next year at the Paris motor show, ahead of UK sales in early 2019. The current Evoque, codenamed L538, has become firmly established since its launch, and design boss Gerry…

unveiled in the M4 CS. With 454bhp at 6250rpm and 443lb ft of torque from 4000rpm to 5380rpm, the longitudinally mounted unit develops 29bhp and 37lb ft more than the motor used by the standard M3. It also packs 10bhp and 37lb ft more than the earlier evolution of the engine developed for the M3 Competition Package. “The M3 CS is set to go on sale in the UK in January 2018” BMW’s M division has applied its latest performance-enhancing Club Sport treatment to the fifth-generation M3 with the introduction of the limited-edition M3 CS. The new performance saloon is powered by a 454bhp twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six and follows the M4 CS, with which it shares much of its mechanical package. The M3 CS will be available to order…

Plans for a new ultra-compact, high-performance coupé that uses McLaren F1 design principles, reinstates Gordon Murray’s original IGM car brand and showcases a ‘Superlight’ version of his iStream manufacturing process have been unveiled by the designer at an exhibition to mark his first 50 years of creating cars. The low-volume fixed-head two-seater is believed to be about the same size as the Smart Roadster that Murray has always seen as optimum in terms of proportions. The car will be built by Murray’s own team as a flagship for a new manufacturing business, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA). It will use the latest materials and processes and be built with Murray’s typically fanatical attention to detail. No price or launch date has been announced yet, although Murray is understood to have at…

Volkswagen is considering plans for an electric rear-wheel-drive successor to today’s Beetle as part of its range of ID-branded zero-emission models, according to chairman Herbert Diess. An electric Beetle is one of a number of proposals that will be put before VW board members when they meet to vote on ways to extend the company’s initial range of electric-powered models. If approved, the electric Beetle would act as a sister model to the modern-day Microbus presaged by the ID Buzz concept at this year’s Detroit motor show. “The next decision on electric cars will be what kind of emotional concepts we need,” said Diess. Quantifying what is meant by the term ‘emotional concepts’, Diess said it covers cars like the Microbus and Beetle as well as open-top models such as…

The builder of a race-spec Toyota C-HR, which Toyota has claimed to be the world’s quickest SUV, believes it could set a new front-wheel-drive lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Called the C-HR Tuned, it was unveiled at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas. The C-HR R-Tuned, built by Californian concept vehicle specialist Dan Gardner Spec, was commissioned by Toyota to showcase the sporting potential of the SUV. Although it retains the front-wheel-drive layout of the road car, albeit with a limited-slip differential, it features a 2.4-litre Toyota 2AZ-FE engine with a DG-Spec Garrett turbo and an output of 591bhp. That power is controlled through a new Toyota E-Series five-speed manual gearbox. The C-HR R-Tuned also features custom Brembo brakes and an adjustable front splitter and rear wing, which…

MG is gradually re-establishing itself in the UK market. The company, now owned by Chinese giant SAIC, is on target to sell 4500 cars on these shores in 2017. With the launch of this new ZS compact SUV, MG expects that number to double year-on-year. The likes of Ford and Renault will barely take notice of such minuscule volumes, but if MG can sustain that rate of growth for several years it might one day represent a threat to the market leaders. Aimed at the likes of the bestselling Nissan Juke and Mazda CX-3 the ZS majors on affordability. The entry-level Explore model costs just £12,495, meaning it undercuts the cheapest Juke by a useful £2385. The model tested here is the range-topping Exclusive, which costs £15,495 and comes equipped…

“Kia strikes a charming balance between action and traction” Even from the cabin of the BMW, handsome in Estoril Blue, the attention slathered on the leader of our small convoy isn’t difficult to see. It could be that car’s own rich hue, which is suspiciously similar to Alfa’s Competizione Red, or the strangely discreet quad exhausts, or the fact that its prominent haunches flow rearwards to meet a tapering fastback and form an eye-pleasing Kamm-tail of sorts. All warrant a closer look. Or those enjoying the delights of the M4 westbound on this overcast weekday morn could simply be leaning over to make sure they’ve read the badge on the boot-lid correctly. So we’re all on the same page, it says ‘Kia’. By now you’ll be aware of the…

“The Bentley GT’s con igurator requires 162,000 images to render all the options” Tucked away in a small business studio in countryside six miles from Blackpool is probably the biggest car maker you’ve never heard of. You’ll look in vain for an army of assembly workers, though. You see, the people who put the cars together are not here – they’re you and me; people in homes all over the UK, sitting at their computers using an online configurator to choose colours and trims, and build their dream motor. Real Time UK, this small business in the Lancashire village of Westby, is where the online configurators used by Bentley and Volkswagen are designed and produced. Every component they show, be it a Continental’s Tamo Ash over Piano Black single-finish veneer…

You can’t plug in there, mate Dave Watkins (Your Views, 18 October) raises a good point about on-street charging. Prior to purchasing my first plug-in hybrid in September 2015, I also parked in the street outside my house. I made enquiries to my local council about the feasibility of my funding the installation of a roadside charging point. The response was swift and unambiguous. Never was I going to be allowed to place anything at the kerbside while I was drawing breath (my words, not theirs). I therefore had to rearrange my garden to enable my new car to sit adjacent to the house. It did at least get my car off the road. Incidentally, do people realise that data is radio transmitted to persons unknown detailing the electricity used…

MILEAGE 33,455 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To delve into the world of aftermarket modifications and discover how to respectfully improve on factory efforts The M135i project car has been riding on its trick Bilstein dampers for a couple of months now, so I’ve had plenty of opportunity to compare the new set-up with the junked standard suspension. The ride quality has improved and body control is also better now, but it was a quick blast along a lumpy, uneven Cotswolds B-road that really highlighted how much better the uprated springs and dampers are. The BMW breathed so brilliantly with the bumpy road surface that I actually got to wondering how many cars I’ve driven that were better damped than it. There are a few, I decided, but not many. With…

MILEAGE 127,796 LAND ROVER Here’s proof that a Series Land Rover is just a big Meccano kit. My Lorry’s rebuild is coming together rapidly. The doors and rear mudflaps were dead and a local engineering firm is fabricating some bonnet bracing pieces. Not everything is off the parts shelf. The wheels are white because that’s the only colour the paint comes in. At the moment, I can’t imagine it perched on those and plan to change them. The good news is that there is a slim chance that the next time you read about the Lorry, it will be back home.…

“As soon as you ask for more acceleration, it takes off, like any good hot hatch should” What to look out for • Rust, obviously. The Alfasud was built of poor-quality steel and had 1970s rust protection – in other words, a lack of it. Later attempts to curb corrosion made things worse. • Electrics — always a bugbear of old Italian cars, and especially so here, so check everything works. • Twin-carb engines can be tricky to set up and balance. • Interior parts are hard to source, so ensure they’re all there. It’s a little-known fact that the Alfasud Ti came out in 1973, two years before the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Admittedly, the Alfasud wasn’t a hatchback until much later in its life so calling it a hot…

An expert’s view DUANE STARMAN, STARMAN’S ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY SPECIALIST “I’ve worked on Rolls-Royce cars for over 30 years, ever since I was apprenticed to a Nottingham main dealer. They’re fantastic pieces of engineering and the Phantom VII is no exception. People think it’s expensive to run and, yes, one will cost more to maintain than a Vauxhall Corsa, but you can save money using specialists (like me) and shopping for quality aftermarket parts. The car shares lots of parts with the BMW 7 Series and any decent specialist will be able to marry up the Rolls part with the BMW and save you money.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE Check for radiator leaks on pre-2008 cars that have done around 50k miles. Inspect the seals on the ends of the…

BMW’s M performance division is already testing prototype cars powered by hybrid powertrains, the firm’s vice president Dirk Hacker has confirmed. Although he declined to elaborate on the details of the powertrain BMW is working on, or which cars it could potentially be used in, he confirmed development work was under way and future M hybrid cars are “inevitable”. “We cannot avoid the need for electrification and it is true that we are working on hybrid power already,” said Hacker. “For now, all I will say is that we are working on a very precise technical solution, but there is no final decision on how to deploy the concept.” Hacker said the potential weight gain from running a hybrid powertrain and the impact that would have on a car’s pace…

This all-new XV is Subaru’s first billion-dollar car. That’s not what you’ll pay for it – the latest XV is expected to start at around £23,000 – but it’s what this admirably individual Japanese car company has recently spent developing its new Subaru Global Platform (SGP). The SGP will provide a solid foundation for all future Subarus, and very solid it turns out to be, the XV having achieved the highest rating yet in Japan’s recently toughened NCAP tests, scoring 199.7 out of 208 points. Among the many features contributing to this is a crash structure capable of absorbing 40% more energy than previously, and the latest evolution of Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance package of pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Other SGP benefits include torsional rigidity…

MODEL TESTED 630D XDRIVE M SPORT Price £56,605 • Power 261bhp • Torque 457lb ft • 0-60mph 5.9sec • 30-70mph in fourth 6.2sec • Fuel economy 40.5mpg • CO2 emissions 154g/km • 70-0mph 45.0m Any expanding company is likely to launch at least a couple of slow-selling product ‘flops’ for every successful model introduction – even with the most thorough, expert designers and market researchers on the payroll. It’s an unavoidable consequence of growth, you might say. And BMW has certainly been growing quickly enough these past 20 years to have perpetrated the odd dud in among its glitteringly successful product triumphs. Very few car-industry watchers – living in Europe, at least – would argue that the 5 Series Gran Turismo ought to be spared criticism on that front. This…

The initials ‘GT’ are frequently abused in this industry – not least by Kia itself, whose Proceed GT hot hatch is as suited to trans-continental schleps as a Ferrari 575 Maranello is to the paper round. However, in the case of the Stinger, they’re warranted. Having driven the car home from Barcelona, we can say that with confidence. Where the Kia’s weight, width and more relaxed settings for the suspension tune and steering response disadvantage it against the BMW on British B-roads, they make for an effortlessly long-legged cruiser with a reassuring sense of heft at speed. The cabin architecture also allows you to position yourself satisfyingly low in the comfy, heavily bolstered seats, but not in such a way that you have to relinquish an excellent view of the…

“It made 630bhp at 13,500rpm and sounded wondrous and terrifying” The 10-cylinder engine is unique. Although cars have been made with one, two, three, four, five, six, eight, 12 and 16 cylinders (Volkswagen even once ran a W18), the V10 alone has only ever been used to make cars more exciting. Many V12s were built for luxury cars, and of three 16-cylinder motors to be installed in road cars to date, only Bugatti’s has been used for pure performance purposes. But the V10? Whatever it was in, it was there to raise hairs on your neck and no other reason. I heard my first almost 30 years ago and it was love at first sound. Oddly enough, it was in an Alfa Romeo 164. Or something that looked like a…

FEATURE Best cars for £50 a week We name the best new and used cars you can get for the cost of a tank of fuel each week FEATURE Kei sports cars Japanese micro sports cars: is the UK missing out on a good thing? COMPARISON Suzuki Jimny vs Range Rover Can the Jimny match a Range Rover off road? We find out EVERY WEEK FIRST DRIVE Denmark’s £1 million GT Is the 1163bhp Zenvo TS1 GT really a great Dane? We take a drive to see USED BUYING GUIDE Vauxhall VX220 Luton’s Lotus drives into our inspection bay. What to look out for, what to pay ROAD TEST Seat Arona Class-leading Ateca’s little brother undergoes the road test workout SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p24…

MILEAGE 9400 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if this performance hybrid estate can master the broadest of briefs it has been given We have spent the past few reports wondering how to accurately measure a typical fuel economy for the Passat GTE, one of our plug-in hybrid long-term test cars, and failing because, well, it depends how you use it. The car’s former keeper, Tim Dickson, was able to charge the Passat at both ends of his 36-mile daily commute. At home on shorter journeys, when the engine might kick in even if it seemingly didn’t need to, he might top 236mpg. But, typically, he was recording 64.5mpg overall. With no charging facilities at home, and spending most of my time on the road, I’ve now added a ‘worst…

Mazda 323F Estoril Ian Donaldson bought this 1997 special-edition Mazda 323F Estoril from a doctor when the car was one year old with 20,000 miles on the clock. He said: “It passed its latest MOT with no advisories, has 71,000 miles on the clock and is showroom-perfect inside, but with signs of some rust repairs on its bodywork.” Ian thinks always garaging the car these last 19 years has helped keep it looking so tidy. He has just scorned a scrappage offer from a local Mazda dealer. “It's much too pretty to die so soon. I love it to bits,” he said.…

Toyota Aygo 1.0 Platinum £1995 The Aygo is nippy, cute and agile. It’s built in such a way as to be cheap and easy to mend, with low day-today running costs. It is also quite funky, from the rev-counter pod set above the dashboard to the heater that glows red when you switch the lights on. There are various special editions, but £2000 gets a nice example. Generous Platinum trim includes seats made from the same type of upholstery as a Lexus. Honda Insight £5000 The original Honda Insight hybrid is a curious car. It has rear wheel arch spats like a Jaguar XK120 to help it slip through the air. The hatchback also has a compact 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine to make sure it is economical on fuel and…

1 Ford Fiesta From £10,000 Not a class-beater in every regard, but its dynamics are so far ahead of the curve that it’s currently unassailable. 2 Mini From £14,000 Three-pot engines and cleverly recycled interior make the Mini a superb choice. Second to Fiesta on value, though. 3 Mazda 2 From £12,000 A very grown-up and well-made supermini. Drives with real charm, too. Engine not quite so appealing. 4 Volkswagen Polo From £11,300 Still the sensible choice in a lot of ways: usable, re ined, easy-going, desirable and very solidly built. 5 Nissan Micra From £11,995 An attractive replacement for the dowdy Micras of the past. Lacks a stellar engine and the practicality of the best.…

APOLLO INTENSA EMOZIONE | EARLY 2018 Apollo, the firm born from Gumpert’s ashes, will make ten examples of this track-only hypercar. It’s constructed entirely from carbonfibre and weighs just 1250kg. With power coming from a naturally aspirated V12 producing 769bhp and 560lb ft, 0-62mph takes just 2.7sec. Price £2,050,000 NOVEMBER BMW X3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Hyundai i30N, Jaguar E-Pace, XJ update, XJR 575, Nissan X-Trail update, VW Tiguan Allspace DECEMBER Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Audi A8, Dallara Stradale, Honda CR-V, Jeep Compass, Lotus Evora 400 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz X-Class, Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Seat Arona, Arona X-Perience, Ateca X-Perience, Skoda Karoq, Toyota Yaris GRMN (above), VW T-Roc, Touareg, Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2018 Alpina D5 S, BMW M5, DS 7 Crossback, Ford Ecosport and Mustang updates, Honda Jazz update, Kia…