Innholdsfortegnelse for September 19, 2018 i Autocar

COULD FORD REALLY ditch many of its cars from the UK market and focus instead on selling vans and pick-ups? It might seem unthinkable, but the idea has been floated by financial analysts as a solution to the firm’s struggles in the UK, as you can read in Nick Gibbs’ excellent analysis on p15. Now, given that the Fiesta and Focus are among the UK’s bestsellers, they’re not going anywhere soon. But if you doubt that Ford would make such a major shift in priorities, just look to the US, where the Blue Oval is in the process of phasing out all of its traditional cars, bar the Mustang. That move also seemed unthinkable, but the sales figures explain why. In the first eight months of 2018, Ford US sold…

BMW HAS DISCLOSED more details about the new Z4 following the car’s reveal last month, including the full engine line-up. The entry-level sDrive20i, which is expected to make up half of the overall sales volume, uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 197bhp and achieves 0-62mph in 6.6sec. The mid-range sDrive30i uses the same engine in a higher state of tune (258bhp) and hits the benchmark sprint in 5.4sec. An M Sport differential and Adaptive M suspension come as standard on the M40i and are optional on the 20i and 30i. Z4 product manager Andreas Ederer told Autocar that the differential “allows you to steer with the rear rather than on the throttle – one of the most exciting things to do”. The decision to go for a soft-top rather than…

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) boss Ralf Speth has said the backlash against diesel and fears over the impact of a ‘hard’ Brexit have led to job losses in the car industry — at a time when he believes jobs should have been added. Speth, who has been CEO of JLR since 2010, used his speech at the first Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Summit in Birmingham to highlight his concerns over the potential impact that Brexit could have on the firm. He said: “Jobs have been shed when they should have been created — a thousand lost as a result of diesel policy. Those numbers will be counted in the tens of thousands if we do not get the right Brexit deal.” Speth has warned of the dangers of Brexit to…

Seat is promising its new Tarraco seven-seat SUV will mirror the Ateca by offering a more dynamic drive than class rivals. The new machine has just been unveiled by Seat. It is positioned as the firm’s new flagship and completes its trio of SUVs alongside the Ateca and Arona. It will go on sale at the beginning of 2019. The Tarraco is built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A long-wheelbase platform, which is also used for the VW Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq. Sven Schawe, Seat’s chassis development boss, told Autocar that much of the development focus of the car was tuning the VW Group technology – in particular the Tarraco’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) systems – to offer a more involving driving experience. “We used the same philosophy as the Ateca:…

Kia has released official pictures and details of its new five-door Proceed ahead of its Paris motor show debut next month. As previewed by the Proceed Concept in 2017, the previous model’s three-door hatchback bodystyle has been transformed into a coupé-inspired five-door shooting brake. The move reflects dwindling sales of three-door models in European markets. Designed, developed and engineered in Europe, the Proceed shares much visually with the five-door Ceed from the front doors forwards. From there back, though, it’s all change, with a roofline that slopes down to a steeply raked rear window and extended rear overhang. The rear profile is also unique, with a single-piece LED light bar stretching across the tailgate and a more aggressive bumper design. Chrome ‘Sharkblades’ in the rearmost side windows are said to…

It’s still dazzle-camouflaged outside and carpeted like they’ve skinned Sweep the puppet and draped him over the switchgear inside, it’s still eight months away from production and it’s still very much in prototype form. I’m accompanied by a minder whenever I go near it and they’ll barely tell me a single flipping statistic about it. Because the numbers don’t matter, they insist. (Which begs the question: why not just tell us, if they’re so unimportant?) All that matters at the moment, they say, is the way it drives and the way it makes you feel. And this, I’m thrilled to report, I can tell you. I’ve driven it, quite a lot and quite fast, at least by the standards of events that only have four prototype cars available and quite…

The Jeep Cherokee has come a long way since the first-generation SJ model was launched way back in 1974. Gone is the boxy, all-American image of that original. Today, this facelifted fifth-generation version is a far less obnoxious and more subtle-looking thing. For 2019, the Cherokee loses the squinty-eyed front end of the 2014 model and replaces it with a far more classically handsome, if a little forgettable, fascia. New active safety systems and updated infotainment software have also been introduced as part of the modifications. Only one engine is available: a 2.2-litre Multijet II four-cylinder diesel, tested here in 192bhp guise. This is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission that, in our pre-production test car, sent its power to all four wheels. Disappointingly, there’s precious little about the manner…

These are early days for PSA’s fledgling premium brand, and there’s clearly a lot riding on every new model it introduces. Too much, perhaps, for it to have been as bold with a potentially big-selling family SUV as some of us might have liked. So the DS 7 Crossback arrives in a monotone part of the market as a car that’s really only daring and different in its styling details and in some interior appointments. It’s inoffensive to drive, but not as indulgent as the sales pitch suggests; it has some distinguishing technology but doesn’t seem to put it to use that well; and so it’s superficially interesting, but not substantially alluring enough to justify a premium-brand pricing strategy. Having tried its luck with the more risqué DS 5 six…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 13,111 WHY WE RAN IT To see if, after 40 years, the Golf GTI is still the world’s best all-round hot hatch Not enough power? Bah. Not exciting enough? Next. Doesn’t sound very good? I’ll give you that one, and only that one really, as a chink in the Volkswagen Golf GTI’s armour after 13,000 miles and nine months in our company. The Golf GTI arrived with us in its 40th anniversary year in late 2017 with little to prove: this was to be a celebratory long-term test of one of the greats of the industry. Well, that was the plan when we first started playing around with the VW online configurator 18 months ago. Then the hot hatch ranks swelled like never before in 2017. Hyundai…

QUESTION I have been thinking about buying a used automatic due to arthritis but was told they’re less fuel efficient. Is that true? Anne Davies, Solihull ANSWER Yes and no. It varies from model to model, but there are many modern autos that are as good as – if not better than – their manual equivalents on fuel. Try looking at the dual-clutch automatics from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda, or more traditional torque converter autos from BMW, among others. AR QUESTION I’ve got £10k to spend on a used soft top. Should I choose an Audi TT, BMW 1 Series convertible or Mazda MX-5? George Avery, via email ANSWER Unless you need four seats, I’d take the TT. But have a go in an MX-5 first, just to check…

NEARLY NEW SWISH HATCH You might not have noticed, but the MQB based Audi A3 has Y become a little long in the tooth. Launched in 2013 and refreshed in 2016, it’s just starting on the downhill slope towards the end of its life, with a new one due next year. But although it may be getting on a bit, the A3 is no less of a car. The smart, beautifully built interior remains, as does Audi’s slick MMI infotainment system and, on later models, the option to have a Virtual Cockpit. As with all MQB models, the A3 is a cracking thing to drive, too, with crisp handling and a comfortable ride, and it’s spacious. What’s more, it looks like its age is now causing slightly higher first-year depreciation,…

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to revive its iconic SL as a lighter, faster and far more engaging model featuring engineering input from the German manufacturer’s AMG performance car division. Autocar can confirm that the eighth-generation model will receive a traditional fabric hood in place of the folding hard-top arrangement that has been used for the past two incarnations of the SL. It is scheduled to reach UK showrooms in 2020 based on an all-new platform, key elements of which are set to be shared by a planned successor model to the AMG GT. The new aluminium-intensive platform, known internally as the MSA (modular sports architecture) structure, has been conceived to provide both the new SL and future GT with largely common underpinnings in an attempt to increase the economies of scale…

The Audi E-tron is the third electric premium SUV to be revealed this year, ramps up. Audi’s first stand-alone It is the first production car in the world to offer virtual side mirrors, using cameras with images appearing on screens in the door panels instead of traditional door mirrors. Sitting between the Q5 and Q7 in size, the E-tron has a handful of design elements that are intended to make it stand out from other Audi models. It keeps the single-frame grille but uses a lighter colour for the grille louvres. The E-tron also gets a name badge on the front of the vehicle, in a similar vein to what Audi does with its RS performance models. There are also specific wheel designs for the E-tron, and orange highlights, for…

REVOLUTION RACECARS, A new British maker headed by the co-founder of Radical Sportscars, Phil Abbott, will launch a lightweight, track-focused model this year. Called The Revolution, it’s described as “an all-new track and race car conceived, designed, developed and built by racers for racers”. The two-seater features a carbonfibre tub, weighs 675kg and is powered by a 300bhp Ford-sourced 3.7-litre V6, which is said to be able to do 100 hours of racing between rebuilds. The car is described as having F1-style controls, operated via the steering wheel, and is set to cost less than £100,000. It will make its public debut at Silverstone in November.…

MODEL TESTED PURETECH 225 PRESTIGE Price £38,990 • Power 221bhp • Torque 221lb ft • 0-60mph 8.6sec • 30-70mph in fourth 10.1sec • Fuel economy 34.6mpg • CO2 emissions 135g/km • 70-0mph 46.5m Despite only being established as a stand-alone brand in 2014, DS Automobiles’ fledgling status as a manufacturer in its own right hasn’t stopped it from coming out swinging. Billed as the PSA Group’s luxury arm, DS has its sights locked on the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar; and its first big challenge is to convince the motoring world – both the press and consumers alike – that it has earned the right to be seen in the same light as these European heavyweights. The new DS 7 Crossback is the car – or, more specifically, the…

It’s hard to hold back. Here you are, driving a car with 395bhp and 513lb ft, but you need to drive it in a not-in-a-hurry kind of way. That isn’t because this is an electric car with a range minimal enough to send you into fretful anxiety within half an hour of getting in it, but because we’re conducting an experiment. Not a strictly empirical experiment, but one intended to find out how far you can go in an I-Pace if you drive it in a reasonable, speed-limit-observing manner, and how far you can go in one if, say, you’re cutting it a bit fine for a meeting. Some real-world driving, then, and we have two I-Paces for the purpose. Both are ready to set out from Autocar’s satellite HQ…

In garages, workshops and sheds right across the UK, tinkerers and get their fingers dirty. Most undertake straightforward vehicle maintenance, while others restore bodywork or make running-gear modifications. A small number, however, squirrel themselves away for weeks at a time and only emerge once they’ve built something truly staggering. It might be a lightweight track car with two motorcycle engines, or a diesel supermini that’s faster than a modern super-saloon. Welcome to the world of the one-off special – a world where people tend not to ask why but why not? Seat Arosa drag car “You start off in second gear, engage the launch control system to hold the engine revs, then try to get the clutch release just right,” says Paul Lynas. “As soon as you let go of…

“I was desperate to bag the car for something beginning with a one” Allow me to introduce you to P289 BUX. It’s a 1996 Nissan Micra and, as far as I can tell, it is the cheapest used car in Britain. We wanted to know just how low you can go when buying a second-hand car; to find out if, for the price of a single monthly payment on a leased Renault Captur, you could buy, outright and with no debt whatsoever, a functioning and serviceable car. Of course, there’s no way I can verify that claim, but I do think I can make a strong case for my flaky Micra being this country’s cheapest car. We set ourselves some rules, you see, and within those guidelines P289 BUX was…

I have been continually disappointed for years by many modern sports cars I have owned and their over-achieving ability and lack of relevance to driving in the UK. I was really starting to think that driving pleasure was only to be enjoyed on a circuit. Then I read your review of the Alpine A110 (Road Test, 5 May) and thought it sounded too good to miss out on. I can now confirm, after the first month of owning one, that I feel as excited about driving this as I did when I first started driving many years ago. It is an absolute revelation and feels like the car’s sole purpose was to create the ultimate fun car for the UK’s bumpy and tight roads. I put this down to the…

MILEAGE 3423 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To discover if Peugeot has a class leader on its hands by fitting seven-seat MPV convenience into an on-trend SUV body Whenever I talk about the 5008, the proverbial elephant comes marching straight into the room. Eyes tighten. Eyebrows raise. Disbelief spills out. So let’s get it out there in the open here and now, so the elephant can get back to where it belongs. Yes, the 5008 is a seven-seat SUV and, yes, it is powered by a three-cylinder 1199cc petrol engine. I’ll accept the numbers do little to dispel the awkward glances and shuffling from toe to toe. Peaks of 131bhp and 170lb ft do not set the pulse racing. A 0-62mph time of 10.4sec might even lead you to wonder what…

I’ve had a set of locking wheel nuts for these Alpina beauties for months now but haven’t had the time to fit them. Seriously, I barely have enough minutes to undo one old nut and then replace it with one of these fancy, thief-proof ones. The thing is, I have written this before I have actually carried out the nutty procedure. I did it on the basis that I’ll just have to get on with the job. That reminds me: I still haven’t told you about the unsatisfactory in-car entertainment and the fact that actually getting the engine to start is a test of endurance. I need to stop writing and start doing.…

Just four years ago, you could pick up a good Honda Integra Type R DC2 for around £4500. Then, your money bought a 1997 R-reg car with 100,000 miles and three previous owners. In standard, rust-free condition, with a full Honda service history including the vital cambelt change at 60,000 miles, and a thorough undersealing in 2011, it’d have made a great buy for someone. Spring forward to today and, assuming the service history has been kept up, the temptation to modify it has been resisted, rust has been kept at bay and it has put on only around 10,000 miles, the same car could be worth about £8500. Not a bad return but to be expected when a car is this good and this sought after. The Integra Type…

Can a Mk3 Escort ever be worth £46,200? Well, despite what you might think, the answer is, in fact, yes. Because that’s how much this RS1600i went for at Classic Car Auctions’ latest sale. Ouch. Reasons include the Turbo Technics kit fitted by the supplying dealer – a semi-official conversion offered on many fast Fords of the 1980s – and a ridiculously low mileage of just 8000 that will make it a sure-fire collector’s piece. Proof positive that fast Fords simply don’t lose their allure – and that even the ones you can’t imagine will go mad price-wise eventually do. GET IT WHILE YOU CAN Citroën Berlingo Multispace Price new £20,065. Price now £14,660 We’re big fans of the Berlingo Multispace. Its humble van-based origins mean that it offers the…

DS Automobiles has revealed its second model since becoming a stand-alone premium car maker pitched directly at the likes of Audi and Volvo: the Audi Q2-rivalling DS 3 Crossback. Following the DS 7 Crossback as the second of six DS models planned to arrive by 2023, the small SUV enters he most competitive and fastest growing segment in Europe. The DS 3 Crossback is the first model to be based on the PSA Group’s new Common Modular Platform (CMP), which will underpin every small car from DS, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall in the immediate future, including the next Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa. The French-built DS 3 Crossback, which will reach the UK in the second quarter of next year, is also an indirect replacement for the DS 3…

In 1982, Ford UK was doing so well compared with its struggling parent company in the US that it was able to lend it £1 billion to help out. Today, it’s a different story: Ford’s US arm makes virtually all of the company’s profits and its European division is misfiring so badly that it looks certain its operations here are poised for a massive shake-up, including model cuts and job losses. It could even exit altogether. In a reversal of 1982’s fortune, the UK is mostly to blame. “Clearly our European business requires a major redesign,” Ford CEO Jim Hackett told analysts on an earnings call in July to discuss the company’s finances. The European arm lost £56 million in the second quarter of 2018 and forecasts a loss for…

The Renault Kadjar SUV will be offered with the firm’s 1.3-litre TCe petrol engine and a choice of two diesel units as part of a midlife facelift. The revamp of the model, which has been on sale since 2015, involves reworked styling that includes the adoption of Renault’s C-shaped lights from elsewhere in the range. The interior gains a new 7.0in multimedia touchscreen. The four-cylinder 1.3 TCe – also used in the Captur, Mégane and Scenic – will be offered with 138bhp and 158bhp. Blue dCi diesels will be offered in 113bhp and 148bhp guises.…

BMW’S NEW VISION iNext concept previews an electric SUV with level four autonomy due in 2021 – but the firm’s development chief has told Autocar that BMW will never build a car without a steering wheel. The Vision iNext, which is similar in size to the X5 SUV, is a showcase for BMW’s autonomous, electric and connected vehicle technologies. It is referred to by the firm as Project i 2.0, designed to provide the “building blocks” for the BMW Group’s future. Despite the car’s emphasis on autonomy, development boss Klaus Fröhlich said it would still be focused around the driver. “BMW cars will always have a steering wheel,” he said. “We are not a robotics or technical company, but a car company. “But there are some situations, for example in…

After three years without a saloon in its UK line-up, Honda has bolstered the Civic range with a new four-door bodystyle. This saloon should help broaden the Civic’s appeal, Honda says, and also tempt Accord customers, who have been without a direct replacement since that model went off sale in 2015. The styling is certainly more restrained than that of the polarising hatchback, with a more discreet rear bumper and a roofline that slopes smoothly into the C-pillars. The car is 125mm longer than the hatchback, at 4644mm, with the extra dimensions increasing boot space to 519 litres versus 478 litres in the five-door. The launch line-up is limited to two engines: a 127bhp, 1.0-litre i-VTEC three-cylinder turbo petrol connected to either a six-speed manual or CVT automatic, and the…

The presence of a Sport mode shouldn’t kid you into thinking this is a car that’s entirely at home with the idea of a more enthusiastic driving style. The softer suspension set-up means it never really feels entirely settled or composed through the numerous crests and dips that lie along the Millbrook Hill Route, while the course’s many sharper corners further emphasise a sense of top-heaviness that other SUVs disguise more effectively. While selecting the Crossback’s more aggressive driving mode does add some weight to the car’s steering rack, there’s no masking its relatively slow gearing. The action of turning into a bend therefore requires a touch more forethought and effort than you might otherwise like — and sticking to a fast, tight line is made tricky by a chassis…

The Vauxhall Corsa GSi drags itself up Star and Garter Hill in south-west London without breaking sweat. With 162lb ft to call on, you can approach the bottom of the incline in fourth gear, apply a brief stab of throttle, shift into fifth and the car will merrily ascend to the top of the hill 325 yards further along. Well, of course it will. You will not be at all surprised to learn that a modern hatchback has no trouble whatsoever scaling a moderate slope on the fringes of Richmond Park. But had Charles Stewart Rolls been present to witness this confidently yellow hatchback scamper up Star and Garter Hill as though it was no hill at all, he would have been astonished. For it was Rolls – several years…

DRIVEN Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupé: the verdict AMG’s rapid rise from fettler to full-blown car maker continues with the GT 4-door. Matt Prior gets behind the wheel of this new super-coupé FEATURE McLaren 600LT driven The LT formula has created some of the best McLarens yet. Is this one? FEATURE Peugeot: behind the scenes Steve Cropley finds out what’s behind the Peugeot comeback EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Audi Q8 New flagship sets the tone for Audi’s future designs and tech. We rate it USED BUYING GUIDE Mini Cooper BMW’s first Mini has earned modern classic status. Here’s what to look for FIRST DRIVE Suzuki Jimny UK’s longest-serving new car has been replaced with this. Good news? CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p22…

MILEAGE 4772 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if BMW has finally created a credible alternative to the Merc S-Class For reasons that will become clear to regulars a little while from now, the 740Ld has gained a sadly entirely temporary stablemate, in the form of the little blue thing you see pictured above. The Alpine A110 might just be my favourite car on sale and the thought I have one at my disposal even for a short period of time makes this grizzled old hack come over all giddy. But that’s not what you’re here to read about. Even so, I’m writing about it because tomorrow I have to travel to the far reaches of Snowdonia and be there in time for breakfast, which for me means going…

The 25 was outclassed and outdated even when new but, as the years passed, it became okay to drive and was well finished with a good choice of engines. Most of all, though, we adored the Streetwise variant that now seems remarkably prescient in its SUV pretensions. It is the model that might have saved Rover. You can now buy a post-Rover-registered 2006 2.0 TD SE with 140,000 miles for £995. Bargain. SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO autocar@haymarket.com…

An expert’s view JOHN GREERAN, FORMER INTEGRA TYPE R OWNER “I’ve just sold my Integra Type R after 15 wonderful years with it. It was a 1999 car that had done 126,000 miles. I’ve changed it for a BMW M3. It was too good a deal to ignore, although I expect it’ll be a lot more expensive than the Honda to run. I’ll miss the Integra. It was totally reliable and a blast to drive. It had just one problem: rust. There was lots of it on the sills and arches. It’s to do with the car sitting so low to the ground. The underside gets wet and filthy and you should clean and dry it religiously, but who can be bothered to do that?” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE The…