Innholdsfortegnelse for 3/1/2018 i Autocar

Mercedes-AMG’s forthcoming Project One hypercar appears set to generated more aerodynamic downforce than any previous road-legal car in automotive history. Tobias Moers, boss of the AMG performance division, said downforce generated will be “approximately half the weight of the car” and confirmed Project One will weigh between 1300kg and 1400kg, not the 1200kg reported elsewhere. Taking the 1350kg midpoint, this would indicate that the car will likely produce around 675kg of downforce, eclipsing even the 600kg claimed for the McLaren P1. It is not clear at what speed this figure is developed: in the P1, it came at 160mph, whereafter the car was designed to shed downforce to reduce high-speed drag. Like the P1 and the Ford GT, the Project One’s driver will be able to lower the car for…

For our first stint in the new A-Class, we’re in the entry-level diesel variant – the 1.5-litre A160d – on public roads near Arvidsjaur in the north of Sweden, where Mercedes has been busy cold-weather testing it. Although we’ve only experienced the new Mercedes from the passenger seat, it certainly feels smoother and more controlled than its predecessor over rough roads, even with the new torsion beam set-up and standard single-rate dampers – the cheaper of the two suspension set-ups – as fitted to the A160d prototype. There’s greater absorption of road shock and less vertical movement over bumps, particularly at the rear. Noise, vibration and harshness are also better, and visibility appears superior, although we won’t know for sure until we are behind the wheel this spring. Compact vehicle…

Land Rover’s next-generation Evoque is now testing in production-spec bodywork on UK roads ahead of its debut in 2019. The baby Range Rover spotted testing here employs a new drivetrain, which will be rolled out across Jaguar Land Rover’s front-wheel-drive models – currently the Evoque, Discovery Sport and E-Pace. The drivetrain combines a new three-cylinder 1.5-litre Ingenium engine with a small electric motor, backed by a 48V electrical architecture to power ancillaries, including the air-con and the water pump.…

Audi is subjecting its first EV to on-road validation in readiness for its 2018 launch. “Things are changing in the day of the connected car,” says Arnd von dem Bussche-Hünnefeld, head of total vehicle quality. His team runs 600 or so test vehicles, which transmit real-time test data back to Ingolstadt, allowing faster troubleshooting. The new A8, with its self-driving functions, for example, logs 50GB of data in an eight-hour shift. A less complex A3 generates 3GB. Audi has also added a new subjective evaluation system to its two established quantitative criteria to deal with the increased complexity of driver assistance systems. A tablet-based CarPad is linked to the data-logging system to allow test drivers to input their assessment of test cars. “The technology is not speeding up development but…

There was a time when the average pick-up truck was uncomfortable, smelly and a bit ragged around the edges. There was room for two in the cab plus a bale of hay and the obligatory Border collie riding shotgun. Now manufacturers are producing more luxurious double-cab examples and they’re proving popular, selling at the rate of more than 50,000 per year in the UK. The X-Class is the latest arrival and with it Mercedes-Benz is aiming to appeal to buyers looking for even more premium cachet than is offered by the highly specced pick-ups that currently rule this market segment. A cargo payload of 1092kg qualifies this crew-cab pick-up as a light commercial vehicle, so business users can reclaim the VAT. Benefit-in-kind taxation is much lower than that of a…

This year, the E-Pace is fully expected to catapult Jaguar into a similar stratosphere as its Land Rover sibling achieved with the Evoque when it was launched in 2011. It might be late to the game, but the E-Pace is still coming into the fastest-growing segment on sale, compact SUVs, and will be a welcome alternative to established rivals such as the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Jaguar has already bolstered its sales with the F-Pace, with sales up an impressive 77% in 2016 thanks largely to that model. Although that’s a success, it’s not the case across the range, particularly with models such as the XE, so SUVs are important. But the E-Pace will help to cement Jaguar’s broader success ahead of its big plans for electrification, not least…

Remember 2006? The iPhone didn’t exist, high-definition TV was only being tested, a kid called Lewis Hamilton was doing quite well in GP2, Tesla had yet to build a single car and the Ford Focus was the UK’s best-selling vehicle. Yes, much has changed in the 12 years since then. Well, except for Ford selling a lot of Focus. 2006 was also the last time TVR actually built a car at its old Blackpool factory. The Russians who were then in charge of the eccentric and beloved sports car firm shut the plant, with plans to move elsewhere (and subsequent other bold claims) coming to nothing. Eventually, TVR was sold in 2013 to a consortium led by computer-gaming magnate Les Edgar. The group has since worked quietly to rebuild the…

Another first SUV from a brand not formerly associated with them, Rolls-Royce’s Project Cullinan – the road car will likely take a different name – looks to create what the company calls an “all-terrain, high-sided vehicle”. It’ll be based upon the new aluminium architecture that will underpin all future Rolls-Royces, starting with the recently introduced Phantom VIII. The Cullinan will be the brand’s first four-wheel-drive vehicle and serve as a sister model to the Phantom, with a bluff front end and Range-Rover-like boxiness in its design. There will be no diesel option, unlike Bentley’s Bentayga. Diesel is too unrefined, and Rolls-Royce would rather adopt electric powertrains, with no halfway point marked by plug-in hybrids. Rolls-Royce is tight-lipped about details of the new model, but following the sales launch of its…

Porsche has built up quite the parts bin in recent months, what with its GT and Touring models arriving with several bespoke features. Making this, the 911 Carrera T, could be described as a cherry-picking procedure to satisfy purists on a budget. The finished product is lighter than the standard car, ditching its back seats and non-essential items like, erm, interior door handles (you get nylon loops in their place) while gaining standard PASM sports suspension to sharpen its responses. No changes are made to the standard Carrera’s 365bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre flat six engine, but the standard-fit seven-speed manual gearbox gets shorter ratios for a punchier response.…

The BMW 8 Series is coming back, following the return of the 6 Series, the CS and the C-pillar-mounted BMW badge (which will be a feature on the new X2, right ). This time around, the big 8 Series will be produced in coupé and convertible forms, and BMW isn’t holding back on making a range-topping M8. The 8 Series is one in a number of projects wrought by BMW to take the brand further upmarket. This push to be posh also includes a new look for the entire range, both inside and out, and a black-and-silver badge bearing the company’s full name, Bayerische Motoren Werke, for its more expensive models. This strategy launches in 2018, with the luxury line – the 7 Series, 8 Series and X7 to begin…

“It wasn’t whether I’d like the car in six months but whether I’d be sick of it within six minutes” FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the most hardcore TT is preferable to the cooking versions and a genuine alternative to a BMW M2 Many moons ago, Steve Sutcliffe – our one-time editor-at-large – ran a TT RS. It was the second-generation model, already equipped with the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine but based on the older, weightier, stuffier PQ35 platform. It was fast, of course, and very well made and easy on the eye. Yet it was acutely unrewarding to drive – or so we all thought (and said so in the contemporary road test). Steve, though, despite being endowed with the kind of God-given talent that had…

QUESTION I want a small(ish) car with a flat floor at the door opening to help my disabled wife. Any ideas? Roderick Ramage ANSWER There is some online help and the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs has put together a handy search tool to find the right car when it comes to restricted and wheelchair access: ricability.org.uk/content/car-search. After that, it is best to look at real-world cars and the Ford Fusion comes to mind. QUESTION At what age does a car start to wear out and become best avoided? Peter Bates ANSWER There are so many variables. I think modern cars now have a finite life and may be victims of legislation. A lot depends on how they are owned and driven. Most big bills arrive after ten years. Manufacturers…

“The M135i originally cost just shy of £30k, but a few options could send the price to £40k” Value for money is not a phrase that springs to mind when the conversation turns to BMW, unless you’re talking about the BMW M135i. Prices start at around £12,500 for 2102, 62-reg cars with 90,000 miles on their clocks. Feeling brave? Last time we looked, there was a 2013, 13-plate, five-door auto with 129,000 miles for £400 more. The one-owner car had full BMW service history and a new set of the recommended Michelin Super Sport tyres. It also had an Evolve Stage Two remap, taking it to 400bhp. Shame, since even in standard 316bhp tune, an M135i is a proper handful. Just ask our own Dan Prosser, who, with the help…

Porsche 718 Boxster From £39,600 Our idea of drop-top perfection is also an outstanding sporting two-seater. Exceptional to drive. Audi TT Roadster From £32,000 Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with Audi’s distinctive brand prestige and design-icon style. Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet From £42,000 Genuine four-seat cabrios are rare birds, particularly when they’re as re ined and sophisticated as this one. BMW 4 Series Convertible From £34,900 Mixes sporting driving dynamics with ine engines and usable back seats. Folding metal roof provides security. Vauxhall Cascada From £24,500 Lacks a premium badge but little else. Competent, comfortable and not troubled by sporting ambition.…

MERCEDES S-CLASS COUPE | APRIL Stuttgart’s answer to the Aston Martin DB11 is this facelifted two-door S-Class, also available as a cabriolet. At launch, UK buyers will get a choice of a 462bhp S560 4Matic, an AMG-fettled 604bhp S63 4Matic or a range-topping, 621bhp S65. Price £103,715 JANUARY 2018 Alpina D5 S, Bentley Continental GT, Ford Fiesta Active, Hyundai i30 N, i30 Fastback, Jaguar E-Pace, Jeep Compass, Kia Picanto X-Line, Stinger, Sorento update, Land Rover Discovery SVX, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport updates, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport PHEVs, Lexus LS, Maserati Ghibli update, Mercedes-Benz S-Class update, Peugeot 5008, Porsche 911 Carrera T, 911 GT3 Touring, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Seat Arona, Skoda Karoq, Vauxhall Grandland X, Viva Rocks, Volkswagen Golf SV update, Polo FEBRUARY Audi A7, RS4 Avant (right),…

Volvo is aiming for a range of around 310 miles for its EV Volvo’s first stand-alone electric car will be a production version of the 40.2 concept seen in May last year, Autocar can reveal. Much like the 40.1 concept unveiled alongside it, which has since become the production XC40 crossover, very few design details will change for the final model. When first revealed, it was widely reported that the 40.2 was a hint at the next-generation V40 and S40 but, in fact, the concept’s electric powertrain gave the biggest clue of all. However, the coupé-like hatchback will fall under the 40-badged family of models, given its size and concept name, and broadly share the same design language as its siblings. Volvo has officially confirmed that a stand-alone electric model…

Car makers are in a race against time to develop next-generation battery and electrical systems that can deliver a competitive advantage, according to BMW’s outgoing head of marketing Ian Robertson. At present, the electric cars on sale deliver broadly the same range and performance, with pricing being affected by other aspects of the vehicle. However, Robertson believes some car makers are on the cusp of making breakthroughs that could shift the capabilities and earn them the edge over rivals. “We believe that the next few steps in development will turn batteries from a commodity into something delivering more of a technical advantage,” said Robertson. “Ultimately, that advantage will probably even out again, but there will be a period where the battery capability will become a defining factor in choice. “Today,…

One moment I’m driving down a French highway. The next I’m in the middle of an ultramodern city, cars around me turning into nothing but red blurs. And then I’m flying, looking down on a vast forest beneath me. Have I been smoking something? No, just trying the virtual reality (VR) experience that Ubisoft has developed to help pass the time while the Renault Symbioz prototype is driving itself. The software matches its momentum to data gathered from the car, ensuring that you truly feel immersed. Which makes it quite glaring when the programme ends and you remove the headset to find yourself confronted by the reality of a French highway during heavy December rain. That I was prepared to strap a VR headset while sat behind the wheel of…

The launch in September of Audi’s first pure electric car, the E-tron, and the increased amount of digital content in such models mean that the German firm is completely reinventing the way it approaches quality procedures at its factories. “Audi is going through its biggest change ever as it transitions to become a digital company,” said head of quality assurance Werner Hoffmann, “and quality is one of our core competences, with our customers having expectations for the function, comfort, value and reliability of our cars.” All of the quality departments, covering 500 vehicle functions, and their 2800 staff, mostly based at Audi’s Ingolstadt HQ in Germany, are adopting new procedures to deal with the increased electrical complexity of the Audi of the future. For example, a battery-electric Audi will be…

The centrepiece of Audi’s work on advanced materials is a focus ion beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope, worth a cool €2 million (roughly £1.8m). This fires a beam of electrons into the component under test and can reveal detail of up to five-micrometre definition in semiconductors, coatings, films, paint, bearings and sensors. Most recently, FIB scanning revealed delamination at the interface of a thin adhesive layer as the root cause of a problem on the new A8’s touchscreen, seen as bubbles on the screen to the human eye. The work allowed the supplier to change the adhesive and solve the problem.…

I am reasonably confident that had you in 1989 asked the senior Lexus executive in the UK to predict annual sales of its flagship LS model five generations and 19 years later, he’d have come up with a number larger than 100. But that’s how many of these new LS500h Ewan Shepherd, the man who does that job today, reckons he’ll shift this year. The LS has always struggled here, the best volumes hitting around 400 in 2007 just before the crash. The injuries have been self-inflicted in part – refusing to offer a diesel engine denied it the vast bulk of prospects – but it has also fallen victim to a nation of badge snobs that we are. This all-new LS does not seek to change its tune because…

Choosing a petrol version of the new XF Sportbrake means choosing Jaguar’s familiar 2.0-litre Ingenium turbo four-pot, presented in 247bhp tune (unlike the saloon, the load-lugger’s ‘S’ variant comes exclusively with diesel power). It also means the equally familiar eight-speed ZF auto ’box, and rear-wheel drive. Although we’re testing it in aesthetically bolder R-Sport guise (up £2400 and 70kg on the saloon), all Sportbrakes come with firmed-up sports suspension, while adaptive damping is a £820 option that our car foregoes. As well as styling accents inside and out, the R-Sport gets front parking sensors to supplement entry-level kit that includes heated, eight-way electrically adjustable leather front seats, rear parking sensors, 8in touchscreen and estate-car niceties such as roof rails, self-levelling rear air springs and power tailgate. The Sportbrake fulfils the…

The Stelvio’s ‘DNA’ controller allows you to set the stability control and four-wheel-drive system for Dynamic and All-weather driving modes either side of Normal – but there’s no way to disable the stability control entirely. Not that you really need to in order to drive the car quickly and smoothly on the track. The body control is good by SUV standards, as is its well-balanced grip level, although you need to be used to the fast and relatively light steering. Alfa’s slightly grabby by-wire braking system sometimes makes it difficult to stop with the utmost confidence and feel, but the car adopts a nicely neutral and adjustable attitude on the way into corners, and its driveline juggles torque cleverly enough to get you out without pushing on towards the outside…

‘Alpine is back’ goes the ad strapline, although you’d need to be an enthusiast to realise it had ever gone away. Alpine, a small French sports car maker and eventually an offshoot of Renault, was established in 1955 and won the World Rally Championship in 1973 but ceased to exist 22 years ago when its A610 failed to find enough buyers. But here it is, resurrected by Renault, with the A110, a retro-styled new two-seat coupé that reintroduces its most famous model name. And, remarkably for a sports car from a mainstream manufacturer, it also introduces a bespoke new platform: all-aluminium, with a mid-mounted 1.8-litre engine driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There are double wishbones all round. And it’s wonderful. The key to it is its…

British sports car maker Westfield is bashing the heads of its engineers and technology experts to develop a new mid-engined model that’ll come with electrified powertrains. Available in coupé and roadster bodystyles, they will be offered with a combustion engine – a Ford Ecoboost petrol unit with 252bhp – hybrid or full-electric powertrains. They’ll remain true to the familiar remit of a Westfield sports car, though: they’ll be lightweight, with a steel spaceframe and double-wishbone suspension. Meanwhile, Westfield has added another string to its bow. It builds autonomous battery-powered pods, like the ones that carry passengers from the Pod carpark to Heathrow Terminal 5. DALLARA STRADALE Chassis maker Dallara, previously involved in developing the KTM X-Bow, has produced its first road car, the 855kg Stradale. It’ll cost from around £163,000,…

It has been a long time coming, but this will be the year we finally welcome a Toyota Supra successor (although the first owners won’t be driving it until 2019). The new coupé (right), inspired by the FT-1 concept first seen in January 2014, is tasked with enticing back the sort of enthusiasts that mourned the loss of Toyota’s last Supra in 2002. Toyota has teamed up with BMW to develop the new sports car underpinnings, which will also form the basis of the Bavarian brand’s next Z4 (above). The two cars will share carbonfibre architecture and a five-link rear suspension set-up that’s related to the one used by the BMW M3 and M4. But this technical tie-up will not yield the twin-like results that the Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ joint…

I’m not sure the reader berating the tyre wear of your long-term Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is reading the right magazine (Your Views, 6 December). Comparing a hard-driven 500bhp sports saloon on sticky performance tyres designed for track use with a heavy, slow, unpowered, diesel Mercedes estate shod with ultra-eco tyres is a little like criticising an F-35 fighter aircraft for being less fuel efficient than a single-engined Cessna. For balance, my Giulia Quadrifoglio has covered 5000 miles and has worn just under a third of its super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsas. My last car, a 360bhp Schnitzer 640d, managed 35,000 miles from its tyres. WIN Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £58.95…

MILEAGE 1255 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if, after 40 years, the Golf GTI is still the world’s best all-round hot hatch There are great cars to drive, and then there are great cars to live with. My sneaking suspicion in the early days of Golf GTI ownership is that it will be one of those rare cars that can fulfil both roles, with little to no qualification. So far, its legs have been stretched twice, on round trips from Berkshire to Norwich and then the Cotswolds, with a week or two of 50-mile round-trip commutes to Autocar HQ in Twickenham in between. I’ve been careful about running the car in. The engine has felt quite tight near the top end of the rev range in the early days…

MILEAGE 128,025 LAND ROVER SERIES 3 This is not really a tale from the garage, but it has rather a lot to do with the admin side of running an older car. That’s because it is rather important to get agreed value insurance. Otherwise, you will be a bit stuffed if anything bad happens. Both the Baby Shark and Austin Cooper are covered but, so far, the Lorry is taking some time. I supplied all the info really quickly: pictures of everything and the specialist rebuilder completing the part of the form that said the Lorry is worth a king’s ransom. I’m reluctant to drive it until this is agreed.…

“The V6 delivers a lovely glob of low-down torque before revving out with a gruff wail” Yuppies, Sony Walkmans, big hair and jackets with oversized shoulder pads: there was nothing shy and retiring about the 1980s. And the Ford Capri fitted into this scene well with its sloping roofline, overstretched bonnet and flared wheel arches. Even though the third-generation Capri was up against hot hatches with more modern styling, the cult status of Ford’s famous coupé – fed by the TV tie-up with a certain pair of CI5 agents – helped it remain the best-selling sporting model for most of its nine-year life. The 280 was the swansong of the Capri line-up – not that it fell short in any way. After all, Ford had decided the Capri should go…

An expert’s view KEVIN BIRD, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, BIRDS “The M135i sold well when new and we see around 10 a month through the workshop. Rear-wheel drive, a beautifully torquey engine: what’s not to like? Well, traction could be better. Especially in poor weather, you need to be very careful on the throttle. When buying one, check all the gadgets such as the iController work. When those things go wrong, they can cost a fortune to fix.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE Water pump and thermostat issues are not unknown. Coil pack issues are another occasional weak spot. Short journeys can coke up the internals, which puts the coil packs and ignition system under pressure. Scroll through the on-board service computer to check the car’s past maintenance and its future needs.…

Volkswagen Up From £8995 VW’s city car is no revolution, just a trademarked effort to beat its rivals on inish, re inement and economy. Hyundai i10 From £9250 The latest i10 prioritises maturity over its former liveliness, but the re ined result is still a irst-rate city car. Suzuki Celerio From £6999 Pleasing to drive, cheap to buy and decent to sit in, the Celerio is a no-nonsense option and very likeable for it. Fiat Panda From £9245 The Panda may not have quite kept pace with its rivals, but it still sells robust, practical charm better than any. Vauxhall Viva From £9175 A derivative and charisma-free take on the modern city car but not devoid of usability or space. Cabin is decent, too.…

AMG boss Tobias Moers has confirmed that the Project One’s hybrid set-up will make it into a series-production car by 2020 or 2021. While he wouldn’t disclose which model, he described the Project One as a “front-runner” for other models, which gives AMG “a lot of options”. While such a model may not use the turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 petrol engine sourced from Mercedes-AMG’s W08 F1, it would employ four electric motors in the same set-up. In the Project One, one motor is used to drive the turbocharger. A further, larger motor is integrated directly into the driveshaft at the rear in a layout similar to the MGU-K (motor generator unit – kinetic) used in the current generation of F1 cars. The remaining two motors sit within the front axle, providing…

“The demo car is a ‘laboratory’ to showcase the technology that Renault will offer by 2023” Renault has ensured that its first autonomous car has a sporty, dynamic driving feel after an initial reluctance among staff to develop self-driving technology, according to advanced design boss Patrick Lecharpy. The company has developed a working prototype version of the Symbioz concept car that was displayed at last year’s Frankfurt motor show. Although the concept version was designed to highlight the electric, connected and autonomous technology the firm aspires to provide by 2030, the demo car is a ‘laboratory’ to showcase tech that Renault will offer by 2023. The Symbioz demo car is powered by two electric motors on the rear axle. Each drives one wheel and they combine to produce up to…

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which will be revealed ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March, will depart from today’s model by receiving two different suspension sets, according to compact vehicle testing boss Jochen Eck. Both use the same MacPherson strut set-up at the front but they differ radically at the rear. Lower-end models are set to run a newly developed torsion beam arrangement at the rear and high-end models will sport a revised version of the multi-link suspension first seen on the outgoing A-Class. Eck said: “We knew we had to improve the ride. The whole class has moved on since we launched the old model. We’ve spent a lot of time tuning the bushings and kinematic properties of both systems to get the result…

JAGUAR’S LINE-UP WILL expand to feature more than one sports car in future, the company’s design director, Ian Callum, has confirmed. Callum said that as part of an increased model range, Jaguar would have “sports cars”, strongly hinting at a model to sit alongside the F-Type. It’s highly likely the second sports car will be a 2+2 grand tourer, given that Callum has previously told Autocar he wanted to see the return of something akin to the XK. He has also said a number of times that it was never the original intention to axe the XK when the F-Type was created. However, the next all-new car set to be launched by Jaguar is a larger SUV called the J-Pace, to join the F-Pace and E-Pace in the line-up. Callum…

In one of many anonymous-looking labs, a team of four semiconductor engineers is perfecting computer chips and circuit boards for in-car use. “There are up to 8000 semiconductors combined into a vehicle today,” says Stefan Simon, a senior engineer, “and 80% of the innovations are based on semiconductors.” The lab has recently worked to validate Audi’s organic LED tail-lights for production. The OLED is only a few micro-metres thick and bonded onto a 0.5mm glass substrate. OLEDs create the distinctive ‘waterfall’ pattern of Audi indicators. Also cleared for production here is the laser scanner – or Lidar – used in the A8 for Level 3 self-driving. The device is made by supplier Valeo but validated for use by Audi at Ingolstadt.…

You know what you’re going to get with Subaru. The brand’s recipe of permanent all-wheel drive, horizontally opposed engines and boxy design has served it since UK sales began three decades ago and the new XV will be thoroughly familiar to the company’s small but loyal customer base. Subaru is keen to stress that the XV is a proper off-roader rather than one of the lifestylish crossovers to which buyers are flocking. The ability to cut it in the wild, demonstrated through some semi-serious off-roading, has become something of a unique selling point in this segment these days. Yet while the car’s mission and styling are familiar, this XV sits on an all-new architecture, the same Subaru Global Platform that underpins the latest Impreza. There are only two engines to…

It was during November 2014 that we caught our first glimpse of what seemed at the time a bizarre but simultaneously inevitable development: a sports utility vehicle from Alfa Romeo. The test mule – a Maserati Ghibli, seemingly on stilts and with a truncated wheelbase – bore almost no resemblance to the final product seen on the pages of this week’s Autocar road test, but it heralded something of a departure in philosophy for a marque steeped in the passion of performance. For enthusiasts, at least, that was the bizarre bit. It was inevitable because parent group Fiat had long harboured designs to reposition Alfa Romeo as a volume rival for the likes of Audi and BMW and naturally the most effective way to achieve that was by building a…

Alfa Romeo is not the first marque beloved by purists to fall for the financial temptations of the rampant SUV segment. BMW, Jaguar and Porsche were all quicker on the draw and have benefited significantly as a result. However, we’d suggest that none of those companies has been as successful as Alfa Romeo in translating its brand values to an elevated platform – and certainly not at the first attempt. The Stelvio is unusually attractive among its vanilla peers and unusually rewarding to drive. Its interior quality needs work but its powertrain is compelling and it undercuts premium rivals on price too. It will find numerous buyers, and rightly so, but in the future, the question is likely to be whether it could have found many more. Alfa Romeo has…

Why would you ever doubt a man with three decades’ worth of experience at the helm of BMW M? In his latest role at Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia, Albert Biermann has successfully launched the Kia Stinger GT and Hyundai i30 N with the same driver-focused traits we’d come to expect from his Bavarian ventures. These are big achievements, not least because both of these spicy Korean cars are aimed squarely at long-standing royalty from you-know-which European car makers. The i30 N has shoulder-barged its way into the hot-hatch mix, breathing down the neck of Renault Sport’s next Mégane. As road tester Richard Lane put it on his first acquaintance with the hatchback: “It’s difficult to overstate what a brilliant job Hyundai has done with this car’s chassis.” The…

JANUARY Ford Fiesta Active Best-selling supermini gets an SUV once-over with a slight suspension lift and black plastic cladding. Off-roading ability is likely to be virtually unchanged over the standard Fiesta’s. Skoda Karoq Skoda’s replacement for the Yeti gets a more conventional look and a less conventional name. MQB platform ensures steadfast Volkswagen Group qualities and a thoroughly crowd-pleasing package that should ensure huge sales. FEBRUARY DS 7 Crossback DS’s first SUV reaches the UK in February, priced from £28,050, following a long gestation period. It’s also the first premium French SUV and promises to rival the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross This is the first car in Mitsubishi’s renaissance under the new Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. It’s designed to rival the Nissan Qashqai, with practicality, decent pricing and…

190mph Urus’s top speed 627lb ft Torque produced by the 4.0-litre  V8 twin-turbo engine – the first-ever Lamborghini powered by a turbo 616 litres Capacity of the boot. Storage space rises to 1596 litres with the rear seats folded. It’s the most practical Lambo yet 2200kg Just under, to be precise. How much the Urus weighs 23in Maximum wheel size, the largest on the SUV market 440x40mm Size of the front carbon-ceramic brakes, the largest available on any car anywhere 22.2mpg Combined cycle fuel economy 8 Different standard colours. With five different basic interior trims, the Urus is the most customisable Lamborghini yet 3500 Number of Urus Lamborghini aims to sell a year, doubling its output £165,000 Approximate starting price of the Urus MATT SAUNDERS The Urus may have become…

COMPARISON Who makes the world’s best luxury saloon? Audi’s new A8 takes on the BMW 7 Series and recently revised Mercedes-Benz S-Class for bragging rights among flagship saloons FEATURE DRIVE We’ve made a McLaren Sort of. Find out what happened when McLaren heeded our advice INTERVIEW So, just what is Polestar? We sit down with the designer turned car company boss EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R Last-ever Aussie-sourced V8 Vauxhall super-saloon gets the works USED BUYING GUIDE Audi RS6 Avant Top tips for buying this 572bhp V10 car, once the world’s most powerful wagon FIRST DRIVE Porsche 911 Carrera T Not just another new 911: this is a half-price 911 R with purity at its core SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p24…

MILEAGE 5671 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To ascertain how appealing Skoda’s first large SUV is to families Gah! Hang a bell round my neck and burn me at the stake, for I live in the city and I drive a large, diesel-supping SUV. I’d get less grief for wearing a T-shirt proclaiming loyalty to one side or the other of the Brexit debate, if only because just over 50%, or not quite 50%, of voters feel affinity for one side or the other of that particular argument. On the topic of diesel, there’s increasingly little sympathy. I’ll be honest: I feel guilty. Just six months ago, ordering a diesel engine seemed a perfectly logical thing to do. Indeed, we were encouraged to do it, by lower fuel prices and company…

Jaguar XJ Here is Ross Neil’s Jaguar XJ, a 2006 Diesel Executive. “I bought it for £7k from a dealer in January 2015,” he says. “It had done 109k miles and came with a full service history. Since then, other than servicing, brakes and tyres, it has needed a battery, a coolant pipe and the exhaust gas regen valves cleared out. “It’s now on 125k miles. I was offered £3500 in November as a trade-in against a 2011 XJ Diesel but the idea of using it for another year with the finance paid off was more tempting than taking out a loan.”…

Volkswagen Up £3690 Few cars are as immensely likeable as the Volkswagen Up. It might not be a car to set the tarmac on fire but it’s so pleasant to drive and so nice to be in that you’ll find yourself volunteering for it time and time again. This 2012 example might have only the lowly 59bhp engine, but what’s the hurry? Sit back and enjoy the ride in this grown-up little car. BMW i8 £58,500 Your opportunity to buy into the performance hybrid end of the market starts here, with this eye-catching and barely run-in i8. You might not match its theoretical economy but it should still be cheap to run, especially if you maximise its plug-in potential, and you’ll soon get used to using its very real speed:…

No one produces as thorough a judgement on a new car as Autocar. As well as acceleration, braking, fuel economy and noise tests, we carry out benchmark limit-handling tests, setting lap times if appropriate. But we don’t just drive at the track, essential as it is for finding the limits of performance; we also drive on a wide range of roads. Where we have tested more than one model in a range, the rating is for the range overall; where a model within the range meets our coveted five-star standard, it is highlighted in yellow. » 30-70MPH Indicates overtaking ability through the gears » 50-70MPH Recorded in top gear (*kickdown with an automatic) and demonstrates flexibility » FUEL ECONOMY Prior to 7.1.15, figures are touring (recorded over a set road…

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 £18,795 The de ining modern crossover. Second-gen version better in all areas, most notably fuel ef iciency, space and re inement. Skoda Yeti From £17,610 Almost a blueprint for crossover appeal: chunky looks, hatchback handling and compact MPV practicality. Renault Kadjar From £19,145 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 An interesting, refreshing and genuinely good addition to the crossover class. Shame the engine isn’t better.…