Innholdsfortegnelse for January 02, 2019 i Autocar

The upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLBSUV will feature a pure-electric EQ B version alongside petrol, diesel and petrol-electric hybrid powertrains. The EQ B promises a range of up to 310 miles and will feature an aerodynamically optimised GLB-based body, according to factory insiders. The new Mercedes-Benz SUV, which goes under the internal codename X247, has been conceived as a direct rival to the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Lexus NX. It will be priced above the existing GLA crossover hatchback when it goes on sale in the UK early next year, following a planned unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show in September. A range of transversely mounted four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines is set to form the basis of the initial GLB line-up. However, it can be confirmed that both plug-in hybrid and pure-electric systems…

BENTLEY WILL CROWN its Bentayga range with a flagship Speed version later this year, aiming to deliver the ultimate balance of performance and luxury in an SUV package. Set to be unveiled in the first half of this year and go on sale soon after, the Bentayga Speed will adopt the firm’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine. A mixture of hardware and software changes will boost torque and power from 600bhp to 650bhp. Autocar understands that will translate to a top speed of 190mph and a sub-four-second 0-62mph sprint time. This will be achieved not only through more power but expected revisions to the car’s eightspeed automatic gearbox. For comparison, the 631bhp Lamborghini Urus – with which the Bentayga shares much of its underpinnings – tops out at 189mph and…

The Giulia saloon and the Stelvio SUV have signalled a return to handling greatness for Alfa Romeo, with levels of precision and poise at the top of their classes. Alfa chose not to delve into the engineering of the all-new chassis at the launches of both cars, but recently revealed more about their impressive underpinnings. “We had full freedom to design whatever we wanted to give the best performance” 1 TORQUE VECTORING, LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIALS The transmission toolkit for the new chassis includes two rear axle differentials. There’s a conventional mechanical limited-slip version and an electronic torque vectoring unit equipped with two clutch packs to direct more torque to either rear wheel. Vectoring more torque to the outside wheel reduces understeer by 17%, gives a 4% increase in lateral acceleration and…

DS IS PLANNING to introduce its ‘light veil’ concept, which replaces traditional headlights with LEDs integrated into a car’s bodywork, onto production cars within the next five years – and the firm’s design chief believes the technology will replace a car’s grille in defining its identity. The French firm introduced the light veil concept on its recent DS X E-Tense concept, which presented the firm’s vision for 2035. However, design boss Thierry Metroz said DS is working closely with light suppliers and the technology is near to reaching production readiness. “Integrating lights into the car’s body is the future of lighting,” said Metroz. “When you look at all cars in the world they follow the same structure: the bonnet, the front bumper and the two headlights. For me, that’s finished.”…

You’re looking at the sensible version of an extrovert car. Sensible because it is the entry-level model with the best fuel economy; extrovert because this is still a G-Class (née Wagen) and is therefore an archaic presence on any road it graces. It is more capable off it than almost anyone would ever need, too, and hugely expensive. When it goes on sale later this month, the G350d tested here will cost nearly £100,000, which is at the upper end of most rivals’ ranges (if you can call the likes of the Range Rover and Porsche Cayenne ‘rivals’). But consider the specification and slowly that price begins to make sense. We’ve already driven the rejuvenated G-Class in flag-flying, snorting AMG guise, but some things bear repeating. Mercedes spent years overhauling…

The Alpine A110 is one of a small handful of cars to have earned itself a coveted Autocar fivestar road test verdict in 2018. A perfect rating doesn’t necessarily indicate a car that cannot in any way be improved, however, and it is with that view that Gloucestershire tuning company Litchfield Motors has turned its considerable expertise to the development of its own A110. Litchfield’s assessment included a trip to the Nürburgring where, in the words of company founder Iain Litchfield, the A110 was “amazing, but a touch road-biased to be really effective on track”. In time, he and his engineers will develop a suspension package for the car, an exhaust system and perhaps even offer a limited-slip differential to replace the standard open differential. The first upgrade Litchfield has…

The BMW X5 is now 20 years and several generations old, and what’s most remarkable about the new version may well be that, in spite of all of the ways that it has adapted as the market that it helped to create has changed, it retains the key selling point with which the original forged its reputation back in 1999. This is the luxury SUV half-breed that gives people as much space, convenience and utility as they need, and a driving experience that doesn’t make any of those things feel like it’s come at a compromise. The X5 remains a better-handing SUV: simple as that. For a buyer who needs much of what a big SUV does but who doesn’t want a car that embodies everything that the modern luxury…

Jaguar’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 hasn’t been the sales success the brand had hoped. It’s a decent car, but CO2 emission levels don’t match its rivals’, which is crucial in the business car market. We’re told those won’t improve for the facelift (despite the introduction of a 48V mild hybrid), so Jag will be focusing on technology updates to bring punters in. The interior will be inspired by the I-Pace EV including the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system and there will be improvements to the cabin too, centred on boosting material quality and general fit and finish. The XE will also have a series of tweaks to its design, which is expected to take cues from the SV Project 8. Minor upgrades to improve refinement…

The Tesla bubble has seemingly been on the verge of bursting in the past 12 months, with a botched launch of the Model 3 and the (quickly back-tracked) claims of Elon Musk that he’d take the firm private. Musk himself courted much criticism last year for his behaviour away from the automotive world. But the Model 3 is now regularly in the 10 top-selling cars (excluding trucks and SUVs) in the US after Tesla at last managed to successfully ramp up production, and it now has a new externally appointed chairman to oversee the board. The result? While the hype around Tesla is greater than ever, the company now has more than ever to back it up. Tesla’s market capitalisation in the US is $62 billion. Ford’s? A ‘mere’ $38.4bn.…

The driver appeal of the new Ford Focus is as great as it’s ever been, which bodes well for the first performance version, the ST. The ST range will spawn hatchback and estate body-styles, as well as petrol and diesel engine options. Ford has turned to the previous-generation Focus RS for the new ST’s petrol engine, so expect around 275bhp from a detuned version of that car’s 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit. It should make the ST a racier companion than its more laid-back predecessor. Still not enough for you? This time next year, we expect to be telling you about the Mk4 RS, which is tipped to get mild-hybrid power and some 400bhp.…

CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS Citroën’s long-overdue rival to the Nissan Qashqai, the C5 Aircross, is intended to attract customers with its unique focus on comfort in the family SUV market. New progressive hydraulic suspension claims to recreate the magic carpet ride from Citroëns of old. Our early impressions show that it’s a bit more cosseting than rivals, although it is not ground-breaking or blessed with much handling poise. Petrol engine choices are a 128bhp 1.2-litre three-pot and a 181bhp 1.6-litre. There are also 128bhp 1.5-litre and 178bhp 2.0-litre diesels. DS 3 CROSSBACK AND DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE DS went some way to shake off its reputation as a maker of outmoded rebadged Citroëns with the 7 Crossback, and now the new 3 Crossback SUV shows the firm is back at the…

ON SALE DECEMBER HONDA URBAN EV When Honda’s Urban EV was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2017, it was one of our most read online stories. Everyone loved its retro, compact styling – so much so that apparently the designers went back to the drawing board to make sure the production car was as close to the concept as possible. The final car, which has been spotted testing with a more practical five-door layout than the concept’s three-door format, will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March. Honda’s first electric car in Europe (it already sells an electric Clarity hatch in Japan and the US) is built on a new dedicated electric platform and “sets the direction for the technology and design” of its future EVs.…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if there’s a truly engaging hot hatch hiding under the prim and proper facade of VW’s hot supermini Time for a quick recap. You might recall that my previous long-termer was a Suzuki Swift Sport. I enjoyed it’s fizzy, fun nature enough to overlook a handful of minor niggles and annoyances. But it left me posing a question: would I swap the Swift Sport for a hot hatch which traded some of that charm for a bit more polish? Something like, say, a Volkswagen Polo GTI? Good question, if a slightly leading one, because shortly before I waved goodbye to the Swift Sport, a Volkswagen Polo GTI duly arrived at Autocar Towers. It’s almost as if it was planned this way……

QUESTION Help! After the long Christmas break, I need a car fix. What do you suggest? Darren Musslewhite, Boston ANSWER An understandable condition at this time of year, but we’ve got the perfect solution: Race Retro 2019. It’s the year’s first big car show and its focus on motor racing means there won’t be a dull moment. There’ll be loads of legendary racing and classic cars on display, racing clubs showing off their prized motors and a massive autojumble, but on Saturday and Sunday there’s a live Group B rally stage, too. It’s at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, from 22-24 February. Visit raceretro.com JE QUESTION I need a family car but can’t decide between a Renault Scenic or a Renault Kadjar. Which do you advise? Richard Morrison, via email ANSWER You…

Porsche Cayman £19,950 If you’ve got around £15,000 to £20,000 and a yen to spend it on a Cayman, go for a second-generation 987-series one (2009-12) – the standard model with the 2.9-litre flat six (Gen 1 cars had a 2.7) producing 265bhp. It’s a great improvement over the Gen 1 and better, even, than a Gen 13.4 S. The new PDK auto was popular at the time but go against the grain and flush out a manual version for a more connected experience. Porsches are often optioned to the eyeballs but the extras you should aim for on a 987 Gen 2 Cayman are 19in wheels, active ride suspension, which, ironically, removes a lot of the harshness from those larger wheels, a sat-nav, a Bose sound system and heated…

ON THIS VERY page exactly one year ago, it was noted how there was not a single new Alfa Romeo due to be launched in 2018. In 2019, that’s again true, but it can now be extended to each of Alfa’s Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) siblings, including Fiat, Abarth, Jeep and Maserati. So what’s going on at FCA? It’s quite remarkable, perhaps unprecedented, that a huge global car group isn’t launching a single new car during a year, particularly after a relatively quiet year preceding it. The company was rocked by the unexpected death of long-standing boss Sergio Marchionne last year, shortly after he revealed his new five-year plan for the company. That’s enough to make any firm pause, take stock and reflect. But now the show must go on…

PORSCHE HAS ADDED a new ‘T’ variant of the 718 Cayman and Boxster sports cars. The T uses the same 296bhp 2.0-litre flat-four engine as the base Cayman and Boxster, but gains the lowered sports chassis that was formerly only available on S models. A shortened gearshift, 20in alloy wheels and the Sports Chrono pack are also included. To save weight, Porsche has thrown out the infotainment system, although it can be kept as a no-cost option. New dynamic gearbox mounts feature alongside the active drivetrain mounts, claimed to increase precision and stability in dynamic driving. Other additions include unique interior trim, 718 T badging and revised exterior details including grey door mirrors and a black chrome-plated exhaust. Prices start from £51,145 for the Cayman T and £53,006 for the…

Mercedes-Benz has previewed its second-generation CLA undergoing wind tunnel testing ahead of a planned unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. The four-door coupé adopts the platform, mechanicals and tech of the latest A-Class, but with a body longer than the 4549mm A-Class saloon, a coupé-like profile and a heavily curved roofline. A Shooting Brake estate version is due to be launched soon after the saloon arrives in the UK in June.…

MODEL TESTED X5 xDRIVE30d M SPORT Price £60,995 • Power 261bhp • Torque 457lb ft • 0-60mph 6.6sec • 30-70mph in fourth 7.3sec • Fuel economy 35.0mpg • CO2 emissions 162g/km • 70-0mph 57.2m Since it launched the model in 1999, BMW has referred to the X5 not as a ‘Sports Utility Vehicle’ but as a ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’. Semantics? Undoubtedly. And yet four generations, 2.2 million sales and an amazing rise to prominence suggest Munich’s marketing department knew what it was doing. Now, just as it is for the Porsche 911 or Volkswagen Golf GTI, such success is why the G05-generation X5 has so little margin for error. In fact, the class-leading expectations placed on this new iteration far outweigh those of its great-grandfather, whose brand cachet, practicality and handling…

It’s been a tumultuous year for Jaguar Land Rover: the company has seen sales slump, particularly in the crucial Chinese market. Closer to home there have been temporary shutdowns and shorter working weeks at its UK factories as a result of those poor sales, plus the slowing diesel market and Brexit uncertainty. However, the Coventry-based firm is fighting back with hi-tech versions of its biggest-selling models, promising mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids plus the latest infotainment and connectivity systems, all intended to woo buyers from rivals. RANGE ROVER EVOQUE Land Rover’s saviour, the Evoque, launched in 2012 and has proved its worth every day since. Sales have hardly dwindled over the past six years, and now there’s a new one, improved in every way. It’s better looking, has more interior space…

Aston Martin only launched the DB11 little over two years ago, yet since then, the company has changed more than other car makers do in 20 years. It has followed the very good DB11 with the brilliant Vantage and the quite incredible DBS Superleggera – and they all look different from one another, too. The existing range now replaced, new ground is to be broken by Aston from this year. Quite literally in the case of its new St Athan factory in South Wales, home to its first SUV, the DBX, and from 2020 its reborn luxury – and electric-only – marque, Lagonda. Throw in further arrivals with the Valkyrie hypercar and a mid-engined Ferrari-baiting supercar called the Vanquish, plus the fact that you can now buy shares in the…

If the Taycan is Porsche’s revolution, the 992-generation 911 is a very comforting evolution. Familiar looks, familiar six-cylinder turbo petrol engines and – we’re promised – familiar driving experience. There are some winning formulas you just don’t mess with. The rear-wheel-drive Carrera S and four-wheel-drive Carrera 4S arrive first, both offering 444bhp. Less powerful Carrera and Carrera 4, and more powerful GTS and Turbo, models will follow. The GT3, likely retaining normally aspirated power, will arrive in 2020. The first plug-in hybrid 911 is expected to arrive nearer 2022.…

“If Alec Issigonis would invent the Mini today, it would definitely be an electric car. It is the answer to current challenges, as the original Mini was in 1959.” That’s the view of Mini boss Sebastian Mackensen, and while there’s an element of ‘he would say that, wouldn’t he?’, an affordable small electric car certainly fits the ethos of the diminutive original more than some of the recent super-size SUV offshoots. The first proper electric Mini is due to arrive this year and it will be built on an adapted version of the UKL platform used for the current hatchback. It will be launched as a three-door only. No details of its range have been released yet, but the latest version of parent firm BMW’s i3 has a 193-mile official…

Yesterday I attended a tyre shop for four new tyres to be fitted, and as I watched the personable and competent-looking technicians at work, I observed many of the old signs of inadequate training and knowledge emerge: using the locking wheel-nut ‘key’ on a power impact tool; balancing the new tyres on wide rims in one plane only; using a torque spanner to check on previously impact-tool-tightened wheel nuts. Following such treatment, the fitters and client may happily complete the transaction with a car leaving the shop on shiny new tyres, but unknowingly on unbalanced wheels, wheel nuts so tight that the studs may be stretched and with a damaged wheel-nut key back in the toolkit – a surprise waiting to be discovered somewhere on a dark, wet night. Eastbourne…

MILEAGE 5213 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Audi has made an executive car with the broad appeal needed to truly challenge the class best Colin Chapman’s old adage generally tends to serve me well: “Don’t worry, it’ll be all right.” The Lotus founder wasn’t averse to blind faith, according to his regularly frazzled staff, and often things were indeed “all right”. But sometimes they weren’t – and I’ve discovered the same, unfortunately, is true for me. I thought of Chapman’s optimism as I stood shivering behind a barrier on the M3 early on a Friday morning as an endless stream of rush-hour traffic swooshed past. The Audi A6 currently stranded 50 yards up the hard shoulder had told me with an alarming ping that ‘air pressure is low…

LAND ROVER SERIES 3 As I write this, there is another niggle, but I will save that up for a future report. Just as alarming though was finding the driver’s side sliding window in my lap after a spirited slam. I was parked at the time and did attempt to re-attach it, until I got bored and also realised it was impossible. The great thing about Land Rovers is that you can take them to bits. So after taking out the door trim and a bit of cursing, I managed to get it back in place, although the fit isn’t perfect. Note to self: never shut the door with the window ajar.…

To this day, the spec sheet for the MG ZT260 saloon of 2003 to 2005, engineered by Prodrive, still quickens the pulse. Engine: a 2004-model-year Ford Mustang GT 4.6-litre V8 producing 252bhp and 410lb ft, driving the rear wheels through a Dana Hydratrak limited-slip differential and exhausting through quad pipes. Suspension: all independent, lowered (1.5in compared with standard models) and stiffened. Rear brakes: AP Racing twin-pot alloy calipers with 332mm vented discs. Tyres: Continental Sport Contact M3s developed for the BMW of the same name. Performance: 0-62mph in 6.2sec and a top speed of 155mph. Only around 400 of this sportiest ZT variant survive. As this was written, one website was listing five of them, ranging in price from £7950 to £11,995 for an immaculate 2004-reg with 42,000 miles. Strong…

FORD MONDEO CITRINE “Mondeo Latrine, more like,” said one wit on glimpsing this 141,000-mile, 1994-reg lime-green Mondy 2.0 Si Mk1, which fetched £2968. But titter ye not since the Citrine of 1994 was a rare and desirable special limited to 211 examples, each intended for the nation’s Ford dealers as a promotional tool. It sported the RS bodykit and the racy Si seat fabric. Still, even this wasn’t enough for one dealer group. Hendy Ford produced its own even more exclusive version, still in Citrine but with the Si’s 136bhp 2.0-litre engine tweaked to produce 150bhp. Only 10 were made. Yours, then, for £17,250.…

“The standard S-Class and the EQ S will share the same active suspension system” Mercedes-Benz has gone back to the drawing board with the S-Class in a bid to provide the upcoming seventh-generation model with a range of electrified powertrains, driver assistance features, technology and outright comfort to lift it beyond luxury saloon rivals such as the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. The new Mercedes flagship, which is due in UK showrooms next year, has been developed to support two distinctly different saloon models for the first time. While standard versions are set to receive a range of plug-in hybrid drivetrains, the German car maker also plans to introduce an aerodynamically optimised pure-electric version that insiders say will serve as the flagship model for Mercedes-Benz’s new EQ electric vehicle…

Mini’s first electric car will also be the industry’s first electric hot hatch, engineering sources in Germany have revealed. Rather than a sole focus on economy and eking out range, Mini is developing its electric car with performance in mind. To that end, the model will be badged Cooper S E when it is unveiled later this year to reflect its performance hierarchy in the Mini range. The Cooper S E will be based on the Mini three-door hatchback. That car’s UKL1 platform wasn’t originally designed with an all-electric model in mind, so has been adapted to accommodate the technology. The BMW i3 S’s 181bhp electric motor is understood to be the most likely power source for the new Mini, meaning it will give little away to the 189bhp 2.0-litre…

The Jaguar I-Pace was one of 2018’s standout new models, and represents a huge engineering statement from the UK. Here, chief engineer Dave Shaw tells us how it will evolve and discusses the prospects of more electric Jaguars in the future. How has electrification changed Jaguar? “EV has opened eyes in Jaguar Land Rover to the way the world is changing, and the speed of change. With the possibilities of the technology, there are no limits to it. When you start, you have a tick list of things you think are negatives, but you work through them and they soon disappear – it’s a no-compromise offering. [The I-Pace] even changed within JLR – it started as a research project and look what it is now.” Has JLR’s size helped it…

Smart technology to improve home charging of electric vehicles could create a mechanism for the Government to levy a new fuel tax. From July, a new law will dictate that all government grant-funded domestic charging points for EVs must use smart technology to allow remote access by electricity suppliers over the internet. The intention is to pave the way for a mass roll-out of EVs by ensuring that local distribution networks can cope with demand at peak periods. But the ruling could have a sting in the tail. Once a critical mass of EVs is unleashed on Britain’s roads, the Government will be forced to find a way to replace the £27.2 billion per year it stands to lose in duty collected on petrol and diesel sales. The ability to…

This largely new car revives an old name but rides on a fresh platform and replaces the Auris, which was engineered specifically for Europe and sold largely here. Like Corollas past, this one is a world car, although the flexibility of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform philosophy promises a car potentially more suitable for European tastes than the Auris ever was. Like the Auris, the Corolla will be built at Toyota’s Burnaston plant, and it will be offered with the familiar 1.2-litre petrol engine and a choice of two petrol hybrid powertrains of either 1.8 litres and 118bhp, or 2.0 litres and 176bhp. Both of these come with CVT automatic transmissions, as is Toyota’s hybrid way, whereas the 1.2 has a six-speed manual. At the core of this…

Through the myriad fast corners that populate Millbrook’s Hill Route, the abundant grip generated by the X5 seemed to be something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the car never felt anything other than planted and secure. On the other, though, this tenacity with which it held on to the road’s surface near the limit of grip seemed to emphasise just how heavy a car the X5 now is. You could feel the car’s mass testing the damping authority of the suspension, and the progressive give of the tyre sidewalls – and in neither respect was the tidiness and poise of the car’s handling quite preserved when it came to it. The 30d’s torque-rich motor was also well-suited to the numerous elevation changes, capable of providing more than…

After six placements at major automotive companies, experiencing every important facet of the industry, 2017 Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award winner Stephen Crossley has emerged a wiser man. His final period has been at Britain’s biggest car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Here, he has worked in the research and development team, based at Warwick University. “Coming up with new ideas, working on them and then justifying them, selecting which would be best,” is how Stephen neatly sums it up. In fact, he is incredibly impressed at just how many development projects are ongoing at the company. “The centre has facilities for developing technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and human-machine interface,” he explains, “as well as research on connected and autonomous vehicles, and on smart mobility.” JLR’s use of…

PORSCHE TAYCAN The Taycan is the most important car Porsche has ever made. Yes, more important than the first 911. Why? Because it’s Porsche’s first EV, and the most radical addition to its line-up since the Cayenne SUV. It’s Porsche’s attempt to prove it can make a sporting four-door EV to rival anything Tesla makes. And, with the firm investing £5.3 billion in an electrification programme, it’s our first taste of whether Porsche’s biggest ever bet will pay off. While you have to consider the Taycan in that context, when it’s launched at September’s Frankfurt show, it’s important to remember that it’s still, ultimately, just a car.…

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF The hype surrounding Volkswagen’s upcoming electric range is huge, but there’s one car that will reign supreme long after its arrival: the Golf. To be unveiled early this year, the eighth-generation model will move upmarket to carve out a distinctive new niche in the family hatchback market. While the design will only be evolutionary, it will have levels of fuel-saving technology, connectivity, autonomous driving capability and refinement that are intended to render the mainstream competition second best. There won’t be an electric model but the Golf will get a 48V mild-hybrid powertrain, most likely on the R and GTI models (which will offer a previously unseen brand of instant performance), and a new range of micro-hybrids. The Golf will have a noticeably wider track and a marginally longer…

The PSA Group’s transformation from near-bankruptcy in 2012 to record profitability in 2018 is nothing short of a serious achievement. To also take the perennially loss-making Opel-Vauxhall off the hands of General Motors and help it to quickly turn its first profit for the best part of two decades borders on remarkable. Of course, it may not be all as rosy as it seems, with a market slowdown in China stagnating the growth of its DS brand and the threat of closure at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory. But the books appear to be almost balanced, and investment in product continues at a pace, with some vitally important new launches in 2019. VAUXHALL CORSA The importance of the Corsa to Vauxhall is difficult to overstate, as it has consistently been one…

The idea of separating a part of a brand and relaunching it as its own entity is nothing new, yet it is a growing trend once more in the automotive industry. This year, the first models from Seat’s Cupra and Volvo’s Polestar, both performance brands, will reach the UK. There’s more on them below, but recent history has some examples of how it should and shouldn’t be done. The most recent example of this is DS. Back in 2015, the DS brand formally split with Citroën to go its own way. The problem was that it had no new products to do this with, so buyers saw through the half-cocked rebadging of the DS 3, DS 4 and DS 5 and looked elsewhere. Only now has DS established a dedicated…

GREAT REASONS TO BUY ON SALE 9JANUARY DRIVEN Britain’s best roads Our how to spend 2019 guide kicks off with Colin Goodwin revealing the finest roads Britain has to offer – and driving them in a Ford Fiesta ST SPECIAL FEATURE What else to do in 2019 Our tips on how to fill the rest of your motoring year ROAD TEST Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV Can Alfa repeat the brilliance of the Giulia Quadrifoglio with an SUV? EVERY WEEK USED BUYING GUIDE BMWZ3 Has the new Z4 whetted your appetite for a BMW sports car? NEWS UK’s new car sales 2018 We reveal who sold what, and what the figures reveal about our industry LONG-TERMTEST Vauxhall Insignia Time’s up for the capacious estate in our guardianship. Here’s how it went…

MILEAGE 2990 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the XC40 has the substance in daily use to match its eye-catching style and if its showroom success is justified Our long-term XC40 is fitted with all of Volvo’s driving systems, creating a perfect showcase for the many years of development Volvo has undertaken in the self-driving sphere. Its early investment has paid off, with the company securing trial deals for fully autonomous XC90s with firms such as Uber. UK trials of fully autonomous cars will start on the inner lane of some motorways next year, before a predicted widespread introduction in 2021. But for now, we have our humble XC40, which does lots of fancy stuff by itself, even if we can’t read a book behind the wheel quite yet……

BMW 320d SE Touring AlastairFrance wanted to tell us about his purchase last February. “I bought a 2004/54 BMW 320d SE Touring privately for £1800 with a full BMW service history and 132,000 miles on the clock. It had a full clutch and flywheel replacement and premium tyres all round, so I knew it had been cherished by its previous owner. I’ve had no problems with the car, just serviceable items such as replacing the front discs and pads, plus a full ‘Inspection Two’ service, which costs around £330. It seems to be very light on its tyres despite being driven quite hard. In the 10 months I’ve had the car, it’s done another 20,000 miles which included a 3000-mile trip down to the in-laws’ house in southern Spain and…

An expert’s view JULIAN ‘JULES’ ANDERSON, JMA CARS “I’ve always been into British cars and was buying and selling them when Rover went bust. The values of 75s and ZTs halved overnight so I bought a load and did very well. Gradually, supplies dried up so I started servicing customers’ cars, specialising in the 75 and ZT. There are a handful of problems common to all of them and I have developed special fixes that are very popular. My daily drives and loan cars are a ZT diesel and a ZT 190. For myself, I have a ZT 190 that’s done 10k miles and never been driven in the rain and a 75 that’s done only 5k miles.” Buyer beware… ■ ENGINE On the 1.8 petrol, look for head gasket…

Mini Cooper D Price new £18,495. Price now £15,380 The confusion over diesel has claimed another scalp in the shape of oil-burning versions of the Mini hatchback. Now you can only buy new models powered by a choice of 1.5- or 2.0-litre petrol engines. That’s no hardship but at least diesel ones went further on a gallon and offered a tax advantage. They were EU6 engines, too, so safe from forthcoming inner-city emissions charges. It means you should strike now if you fancy a late-plate Mini diesel. We found a 2018/18-reg Mini Cooper D with 10 miles on the clock for £15,380 – a saving of almost £3000.…