Innholdsfortegnelse for March 13, 2019 i Autocar

MORGAN IS THE latest, and now the last, of our famous old car makers to enter foreign hands (p25). Frankly, ownership doesn’t really matter, so long as it’s the right company in charge, and they’re in it for the right reasons. Bentley, Rolls-Royce (German owners) and McLaren (Bahraini) have thrived, and Jaguar Land Rover (Indian) had until recently enjoyed a decade of growth. Vauxhall (French) and Lotus (Chinese) are also showing positive signs under new owners. Morgan’s new Italian owner, Investindustrial, will back the company – just look at what it has done at Aston Martin – so the times should be good at Malvern over the next few years. But long term? As an investment company, Investindustrial exists to buy and then sell companies, as it has done with…

The Fiat Concept Centoventi electric city car is being considered for production in 2021 as a stripped-back and highly customisable reinvention of the Panda. The car is said by Fiat brand boss Olivier François to have been first conceived four years ago under the codename CC4 (city car, fourth generation). It has been conceived to deliver on the need of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to put electrified cars on sale to avoid tough regulatory fines for missing upcoming CO2 targets. It also reflects plans to reinvent Fiat in Europe as a maker of electrified city cars. The car’s production future will depend on FCA signing off the significant investment needed and the reception to the concept from potential buyers. François said: “It is driven by a desire to capture the…

JEEP’S FIRST TWO plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models for the European market will go into production next year. The US SUV maker has showcased the technology, which it calls eAWD, on the Renegade and Compass models at the Geneva motor show. The Renegade will be launched in early 2020, with the Compass due to follow that summer to coincide with its production switching from Mexico to Italy. Jeep’s PHEV system mixes a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor to offer up to 237bhp and 31 miles of electric-only range. CO2 emissions will be below 50g/km and there will be an electric-only top speed of 81mph, plus a 0-62mph time of less than seven seconds for both cars. The petrol engine drives the front wheels and the electric motor the…

The next-generation Honda Civic Type R will get a hybrid powertrain as part of the car maker’s accelerated electrification plans announced at Geneva. Due from 2021, the next Civic Type R hot hatch is expected to adopt a similar set-up to the NSX supercar’s hybrid system rather than use a fully electric powertrain. The NSX’s hybrid powertrain combines a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with three electric motors for a system output of 573bhp. The hatch is likely to use a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motors to undercut the current car’s 0-62mph time of 5.8sec. The move is part of a new electrification strategy, announced at the Geneva motor show, in which Honda wants to make its European line-up completely electrified by 2025. This supersedes the original plan to…

VOLVO WILL LIMIT the top speed of all of its cars to 112mph (180km/h) from next year. The move is motivated by the company’s goal of no one being killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, the Swedish car maker said. In a statement, Volvo said “technology alone will not get it all the way to zero [casualties]”, adding that the firm “is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour”. The limit will apply to all cars made from the middle of next year onward and going on sale in 2021. Volvo referenced the limitations of technology in preventing accidents and injuries above certain speeds, citing data from the US National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration showing 25% of road fatalities in the…

STRICTER EU EMISSIONS laws will kill off city cars such as the Volkswagen Up because there won’t be a viable business case for them, according to VW sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann. The EU is planning a 37.5% cut on 2021’s proposed CO2 emissions by 2030. By next year car makers must have fleet average CO2 emissions of 95g/km, which is already exceeded by all petrol-powered Ups tested to the new, tougher WLTP emissions standards. VW will therefore have to sell the Up, which already has very slim margins, above the stricter CO2 limits, which means more EVs will have to be sold under the limits in order to compensate and keep the overall average CO2 figure down. Given that margins will be even slimmer on MEB platform-based first-gen…

“The Evoque needed to become a more serious, rounded and practical prospect” One millimetre. That’s how much overall length has been added to the Range Rover Evoque during the big redesign and re-engineering process that has just delivered it from its first full model generation to this, its second. On width, the difference is a relatively profligate four millimetres. Hardly seems worth mentioning. I expand more than that when breathing out. Come to think of it, I bet Victoria Beckham does too. On overall height, the car has actually shrunk by 11 millimetres (not sure on the comparison to Posh Spice on that score). Compactness matters to the Evoque driver, says Land Rover. So how come this seems like a car that’s mushroomed in size and become at least one…

One tonne four-door pick-ups have been having their day in what passes for the British sun, aided by a value-enhancing semi-loophole that limits their exposure to tax when used as company cars. The number of models on offer has grown steadily, with everyone from Mercedes-Benz to Ssangyong getting in on the act. The latter Korean manufacturer recently upped its game, launching an all-new Musso in four models – called EX, Rebel, Saracen and Rhino – in an ascending price order that starts just under £25,000 and rises to £35,000. All models share the same body-on-frame structure and outer sheet metal, and all are powered by Ssangyong’s 2.2-litre, 178bhp four-cylinder diesel (available with six-speed auto or manual) that pumps out 295lb ft of torque. The Musso is around 30cm shorter than…

When you intentionally appropriate elements from an uncompromising sports car and amplify the recipe to create a luxury four-door performance GT, you invite confusion and discord. With this GT63, Mercedes-AMG has not simply swerved that outcome but steered a convincing course through a different postcode. Magnificently composed and yet playful, this chassis – related to those of AMG’s saloons but adapted almost beyond recognition – is arguably the finest partner yet for AMG’s herculean 4.0-litre V8 and serves as a technological high-water mark in this class. It masks the GT’s bulk with spellbinding panache on the right road, where the driver is invited to explore not only their own potential but also that of the car. That such a feeling of honest involvement should come about through such complex engineering…

COMPARISON All-new BMW 3 Series vs Tesla Model 3 A new 3 Series and Tesla’s electric saloon for the masses have arrived at the same time. How convenient. You won’t want to miss this one FEATURE The Capri, reinvented Envisage turns Steve Cropley’s plans for a reborn Capri into reality INTERVIEW Meet Mr Peugeot How Jean-Philippe Imparato has overseen a Peugeot renaissance EVERY WEEK USED BUYING GUIDE MG Midget A classic sports car you can (almost) use every day. Here’s how to buy one FIRST DRIVE DS 3 Crossback Is this small SUV the car to propel DS to the European premium elite? We rate it ROAD TEST Audi SQ2 Identikit performance SUV or a fast Audi of real distinction? SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p34…

MILEAGE 5672 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 With only a few weeks left before the XC40 departs, I’ve been racking up some miles on the weekends to discover whether this impressive car can grow on me further or, perhaps, do quite the opposite. I’ve been to Brighton (too windy for pictures), to Bedfordshire (too distracted by my nephew for pictures) and to deepest, darkest Surrey (pictures herein). It’s a couple of months in with the entry-level D3 diesel and my view hasn’t changed since I first wrote about it: it’s not as good as the petrol T4 I ran previously or the petrol T3 that I borrowed for…

Ford Mondeo Liam Cawley is a good friend of this page and has just picked up a Mondeo 1.8 LX Mistral. “I bought it to transport three lurchers,” he says. “It has done 120k miles with two previous owners and a full, if slightly lapsed, service history. It came with six months’ MOT. “The chain-driven petrol engine still pulls strongly and all the oily bits are in good order. The interior still looks modern and has worn very well. “It has replaced a PCP-funded car for the price of two monthly payments. I can see it lasting a fair few years.”…

Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic auto Price new £35,580. Price now £32,834 It has just gone on sale and already you can get £2746 off a new A35 4Matic. That’s some saving on a car that’s even more entertaining than the previous-generation A-Class hot hatch, the A45 4Matic, and puts that model in a bit of a spot. We saw a 2018/18-reg A45 Premium with 8000 miles for £37,990, or £5156 more than a discounted A35. That seems a hefty premium (no pun intended) to pay for driving an old model. Try that line on the salesman and see if you can get an appropriate discount on a nearly new A45 while they’re still around.…

The arrival of the all-new Range Rover Evoque will be a strange experience for the original, which, since its launch in 2012, has enjoyed all the attention. It looked spot on straight out of the box and has barely changed – crucial qualities in a used car market that punishes failure and facelifts. Buyers of new cars flocked to this first-generation Evoque with the result that the classifieds are awash with used ones at all ages, mileages and specifications. All prices, too: they start from as low as £8750 and don’t stop until they hit around £47,000 for a late-plate low-miler. The idea of an Evoque for less than £10,000 may surprise those who thought the little Rangie way beyond their reach. In fact, only another three or four thousand…

“The J-Pace’s electric rear axle should give a significant improvement in handling” Jaguar’s upcoming J-Pace flagship SUV will be one of the first electrified models built on an all-new Jaguar Land Rover platform – and a fully electric version is also likely to be made, according to sources. The J-Pace is thought to be just over two years from launch and will arrive at around the same time as the fifth-generation Range Rover, which will also be built on the firm’s MLA platform. The J-Pace is one of three new ‘mid-height’ Jaguar Land Rover models that will be based around electrified powertrains. The MLA platform, which will underpin all JLR vehicles by 2025, will be all-aluminium and is expected to be noticeably lighter than the current D7 and D8 architectures.…

JAGUAR IS ON the cusp of deciding whether the next F-Type will be a full-blooded petrol-engined car or a dramatic, futuristic first take on a battery-electric vehicle designed to act as a ‘halo’ for future mobility. Speaking to Autocar, Jaguar design director Ian Callum said: “We’re asking ourselves if it should be a final hurrah for the old-school sports car that we know and love, or to switch now to make our first all-electric sports car,” said Callum. “It’s a very difficult decision. What I will say is that the electric decision is looking more interesting with time.” Although the F-Type is expected to be on sale for at least three more years, Callum confirmed that the development cycle for its successor would have to begin soon, suggesting a new…

A new entry-level Alfa Romeo is being evaluated to sit below the Giulietta and upcoming Tonale, the brand’s Europe boss, Roberta Zerbi, has revealed. The firm has axed the Mito supermini and did not include a replacement for that model as part of its five-year plan revealed last June. But when asked about a new entry-level model at Geneva, Zerbi said: “We are looking below what we have and above what we have – that is all I will say.” Zerbi refused to elaborate further, but said: “If we want to hit our sales target of 400,000 cars a year, we need an entry-level model. I am not talking about another Mito, but what it is we will see.” The firm could develop a hatchback to sit below the Giulietta,…

The new Koenigsegg Jesko is set to be the fastest road-legal EV in the world, with a top speed exceeding 300mph. Other headline figures for the Swedish brand’s new model, which was unveiled in Geneva, are a power output of up to 1578bhp and up to 1000kg of downforce. Only 125 will be produced, with prices set to start at just under £2.3 million before local taxes. The car was introduced on Koenigsegg’s stand by company founder Christian von Koenigsegg, who conducted the presentation alongside his father, after whom the new model is named. The Jesko in effect replaces the Agera. It sits on a new platform and has a modest increase in dimensions over its predecessor. Power comes from a heavily reworked version of Koenigsegg’s own V8 engine, which…

Morgan plans to double its annual production, expand its Malvern factory and bring new products to market fast after ending 110 years of family ownership and selling a majority stake to an Italian investment company. Investindustrial, which also owns part of Aston Martin and has invested in TWR and Ducati in the past, bought a majority stake of undisclosed size and cost in a move that will give Morgan “firepower”, according to company chief Steve Morris, who will continue to lead Morgan day to day. Morris, along with all 207 of the firm’s current staff, also received a stake in the company, and the Morgan family have retained one too. The family was unanimous in approving the deal, according to chairman Dominic Riley. “This is a new partner that is…

Porsche is undertaking an in-house product strategy study into a high-tech hypercar successor to the 918 Spyder, company chairman Oliver Blume has confirmed. Speaking at the Geneva motor show, Blume said the new flagship model could be powered by either a plug-in hybrid or pure-electric powertrain and, if approved, is envisaged to launch in the middle of the next decade. The hypercar would be designed as a showcase for the German maker’s electrified drivelines. The machine would fill the void left at the top of the Porsche line-up when the 918 Spyder ceased production in 2015 following a limited production run of 918 units. Blume said Porsche was currently busy readying its first electric cars, the Taycan and Taycan Sports Turismo, but was considering taking on the likes of the…

ONE OF THE great unsung heroes in any decent performance car is a limited-slip differential (LSD). Sometimes essential, a ‘slipper’ will almost always make a quick rear-wheel drive car more involving to drive. When Alfa Romeo launched the new driver-focused Giulia and Stelvio last year, there were two new limited-slip ‘diff’ options on offer: traditional mechanical or electronic with torque vectoring. A differential is a mechanical analogue computer, an infernal machine both complex and simple at the same time, without which cars just couldn’t work at all. When a car rounds a bend, the outside wheel on each axle has to travel farther and spin faster. A differential allows that on each driven axle while still transmitting torque to both wheels – so no freewheeling. At its heart is a…

MASERATI WILL UNVEIL its long-awaited Alfieri sports car at the Geneva motor show next year, company boss Harald Wester has confirmed. The model was first previewed as a concept back in 2014 and the big gap means radical changes: it will come with a choice of three different electrified powertrains as the firm looks to position itself as both a high-tech performance car maker and the technology leader in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group. However, the production version of the two-seater will not follow until 2021/22. The time will be taken in the meantime to launch updated versions of the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante, according to Wester. They, too, will then be replaced with new versions by the end of 2022 and those new versions will also each come…

HILTON HOLLOWAY’S SHOW DIARY Tuesday, 8.30am Welcome to the future. It wasn’t just that Geneva 2019 was lacking in traditional car maker displays and full of electrified innovations from scooters to £2m hypercars. There was also the background hum of some of the world’s most powerful multinationals wondering how they can cope with a tidal wave of legislation and social pressure pushing them towards the significant expense of adding kWh to crankshafts. 8.45am Took a good look around the new Corolla estate on the Toyota stand. There’s no doubt that the brand has made huge strides in interior appeal and perceived build quality. Let’s hope a hybrid that’s made in the UK won’t be ignored by domestic buyers. One notable detail: the Corolla’s centre console switchpad is an absolute vision of…

MODEL TESTED GT63 4MATIC+ Price £121,350 Power 577bhp Torque 590lb ft 0-60mph 3.3sec 30-70mph in fourth 4.5sec Fuel economy 21.7mpg CO2 emissions 256g/km 70-0mph 45.3m The past decade has been one of real developmental significance for Mercedes-AMG. The firm’s continuing ability to transform practically any of Mercedes’ relatively ordinary cars into bona fide road and track performance weapons – often to class-leading effect – continues to be the foundation of its success. Meanwhile, the brand’s association with a certain five-time Formula 1 world champion and his AMG-liveried racing car must also have played its part. Arguably of even greater significance than both, though, is the fact that, within the past 10 years, Mercedes-AMG has turned its hand to developing its very own sports cars. The SLS was the first such creation,…

Car manufacturers just can’t help themselves, can they? Building cars, that is. Whether sales are up, down or indifferent, there are factories to feed and workers to keep busy. Something has to be done with all those cars and there is only so much that compounds or airfields can take, which is why dealers are persuaded to register some of their allocation and rental fleets are asked to take them on. These, ladies and gentlemen, are nearly new cars (NNC). As new, but with a filled-in V5 log book and often a fairly marginal mileage. So the asking price for what is either a dealer demonstrator or pre-reg car will be rather less than full retail price. New in all but name. What’s not to like? We say: buy while…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 8517 WHY WE RAN IT To find out if there’s a truly engaging hot hatch hiding under the prim and proper facade of VW’s quick supermini The bootlid of the Volkswagen Polo I’ve been driving around in for the past few months doesn’t feature the word ‘Polo’ anywhere on it. Instead, in the place where VW would normally spell out the model name are three letters: GTI. Their use as the only branding on the Polo GTI is a real statement of intent. VW’s goal was to produce a small hot hatch that truly lived up to those storied letters, and everything they imply, in the way generations of Golf GTI have. But having waved goodbye to the Polo, I can sadly report that it can’t. The…

Abarth 500 £4990 You can get into a 2014/63-reg Ford Fiesta 1.6 Y Ecoboost ST with 45,000 miles from a main dealer for £2500 more but if £5000 is your lot, then 50% more dough isn’t on the cards. So the Abarth 500 it is but don’t look so down because it’s a real hoot and may even inspire you to one day trade up to the rip-roaring, spine-jarring Abarth 595 1.4 T-Jet Competizione. (A 2014/14-reg one with 60,000 miles is around £8000.) But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The 500 we clocked is a 2009/59-reg 1.4 T-Jet manual with 69,000 miles, full service history and lots of extras. It looks good in white, too, especially with those Abarth decals and 16in alloy wheels. The car’s upright stance and tall…

An expert’s view JAMES HOLLAND, SERVICE ADVISOR, KEITH GOTT “I’m a former Land Rover main dealer technician and, apart from its well-documented problems with door latches, the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler and the Haldex pump, I don’t recall any major, common problems with the Evoque. If you use an independent specialist for servicing, ensure they have the right diagnostic equipment. Also, check the garage is connected to JLR HQ for service records and technical bulletins.” Buyer beware ■ ENGINE Check for EGR coolant leaks. Inspect the turbo hoses for cracks and splits. ■ TRANSMISSION Check for a ‘traction reduced’ message indicating a fault with the Haldex oil pump, which can become blocked (budget around £1000). Check effectiveness of 4x4 system by parking half on grass and half on Tarmac,…

The Alfa Romeo Tonale will go on sale at the end of next year as a rival to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. The SUV, which will sit below the Stelvio in the firm’s range and which takes its name from another famous Italian mountain pass, will also be the first Alfa to be offered with plug-in hybrid technology. The Tonale concept was a surprise reveal at the Geneva show and underlines the firm’s determination to hit its long-coveted 400,000-unit sales target – up from around 150,000 last year – according to Alfa’s Europe brand boss, Roberta Zerbi. “We expect the Tonale to become our best-selling car,” said Zerbi. “Combined with our other new products, we expect to have a car to suit the needs of around 80% of…

MAZDA HAS REVEALED its CX-30 SUV at the Geneva show. The Nissan Qashqai rival, which sits between the CX-3 and CX-5, is based on the recently launched Mazda 3 hatch and is described as a new “core model” in the firm’s line-up. It will go on sale later this year powered by a range of petrol hybrid and diesel engines. The compact crossover features Mazda’s distinctive Kodo design language and will use the firm’s latest powertrains, including the Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engine. Mazda says the CX-30 will be a global model “made at key global plants”. All of the petrol engines offered in the car will be mild-hybrid units, featuring an electric motor driven by a 24V battery. The CX-30 will also be offered with Mazda’s Skyactiv-D diesel engine. The exact…

AN ALL-NEW electric Fiat 500 city car will be launched at the Geneva show next year, the firm has confirmed. The new 500e will be built on a bespoke Fiat Chrysler Automobiles electric car platform and is a key part of Fiat’s transformation into an electric car brand in Europe. The 500e will be sold alongside the existing 500, which will continue to use conventional petrol engines. Fiat boss Olivier François said the new machine will be entirely new but “stay true to everything you know about the 500.” He added: “It is a big statement, starting our electric path with the 500.” Pricing is a key reason for developing an electric 500, according to François. He said it would cost more than the current entry-level 500 but noted that…

GERMAN START-UP e.Go Mobile has become the first company to secure the rights to use the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform as the basis for its own electric vehicles. Volkswagen is gearing up to launch the first MEB-based vehicle, the ID hatch, later this year but has been open about its desire to provide the platform to other firms to build their own vehicles on. The VW-e.Go tie-up was announced at the Geneva motor show, where VW revealed its ID Buggy concept. German firm e.Go, founded in 2015 and the maker of a low-cost electric city car called the Life, is also in the running to build a production version of the Buggy on behalf of VW in a low-volume production run. The e.Go version would be engineered and built for…

BEIJING AUTO (BAIC) unveiled three new models from its all-electric Arcfox brand at the Geneva show, with intentions to crack Europe soon. BAIC, which has joint ventures in China with major global firms such as Daimler and Hyundai, had three Arcfox models on its stand: an SUV concept called the ECF and the GT electric supercar in both track-only and road-going form. The ‘base’ GT uses four electric motors to put out 1005bhp, allowing it to dispatch 0-62mph in 2.59sec. But the track-only version takes that even further, claiming 1609bhp and 973lb ft of torque thanks to technology derived from Formula E systems. Power details of the ECF have yet to be confirmed, but it also uses four electric motors and promises a range of between 240 and 434 miles,…

PORSCHE CHAIRMAN OLIVER Blume has reaffirmed that the company is committed to launching a petrol-electric hybrid version of the 911. “We will continue with high-performance petrol engines in our sports car for as long as possible,” said Blume. “We are thinking about a hybrid drivetrain for the 911. The platform is already prepared.” Porsche has gained expertise in hybrid drivetrains through its motorsport activities, including three wins at Le Mans with its 919 Hybrid. Blume said the hybrid driveline under development would be the highest-powered driveline in the 911. He pointed to the Panamera S-E Hybrid as an example of what is possible, noting that it uses 60Ah battery technology and makes around 700bhp. By comparison, the latest evolution of the 911 Turbo uses a twin-turbo 3.8-litre petrol engine developing…

McLaren will launch an all-new grand tourer model later this year – and it could be the first of several more practical, but still performance-focused McLarens to be produced. The surprise announcement was made at the Geneva motor show by McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt, who said: “It will be a car that combines competition levels of performance with continent-crossing capability, wrapped in a beautiful lightweight body. It’s a car that has been designed for distance and one that will also provide the comfort and space expected of a grand tourer. “It will have a level of agility never experienced before in this class” “But it will also have a level of agility never experienced before in this segment. In addition, it will be the lightest of grand tourers, and by…

McLaren has revealed its track-only Senna GTR hypercar in production form, a year after showing a concept version at the Geneva show. The GTR is described as the fastest machine to roll out of Woking this side of a Formula 1 car, although no performance figures have been released. The GTR’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 814bhp, up from the standard car’s 789bhp, and the GTR is 10kg lighter, at 1198kg. A carbonfibre bodykit – including wider front wings, a bespoke rear diffuser and enlarged active rear wing – results in a full 1000kg of downforce. It’s priced at £1.1 million plus taxes. Production is capped at 75 units, all now sold.…

Making a success of producing small cars at the moment seems to mean turning them into slightly bigger, taller ones. If a car maker wants profitability out of a global supermini line today, it had better have a downsized crossover somewhere within it. The European market for these high-rise five-doors has doubled over the past five years and is set to double again in the next five; and Volkswagen can’t afford to continue to ignore a growing segment like that. And so, having watched as its rivals make all the money, VW has, in its usual style, carefully considered what its product positioning should be; laser-targeted the juicy middle of the market on price, size and specific role; and then taken its shot. And so enters the new VW T-Cross.…

You would expect any AMG to acquit itself at least reasonably well on track, and although it is hardly a track-day car, so it proved when the GT63 took to the Dunlop circuit at MIRA. In fact, the lap time this car set was right up there with far more serious machinery and it comfortably outpaced the Bentley Continental GT we tested in almost identical conditions last year. The AMG’s cast-iron brakes did wilt after just three rounds, with the car’s road-spec Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres quickly following suit, but it ultimately went three seconds quicker than the car from Crewe. Thank rock-solid stability through the big braking zones and fastest corners along with the tractive benefits of a driven front axle. Few cars ask to be driven so…

A couple of weeks ago, I drove the new Mercedes-AMG A35. Very competent, very well made, a splendidly posh interior and very fast. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine produces 306bhp, which is enough to propel the all-wheel-drive A35 from 0-62mph in less than five seconds. Soon Mercedes will follow this car up with a new A45 that is rumoured to have at least 400bhp. That’s 25% more power than the A35, but will it deliver 25% more fun? Of course it won’t. Not that the A35 is exactly fun to drive, it’s just extremely sure-footed and quick. The horsepower race is completely out of control. A hatchback is warm if it has only 150bhp and a supercar with less than 600bhp, well, it isn’t a proper supercar, is it? It’s all…

A dog’s life My owner has just bought a Range Rover with privacy glass (Your Views, 20 February). It’s the first time he’s done so and it’s because he’s a sensible bloke. You see, because I’ve got a doggy crate for comfort and safety, he can’t fit the rear courtesy shelf and so, when we go on our travels together, all his belongings and, more important, all my stuff are on show. Naturally, if I’m in the car, I can see off any nosy parker, but as a really good owner, he doesn’t leave me in the car by myself so the privacy glass does the job. And I must say it really does help keep the hot sun off me as well because I just can’t get sunglasses to…

MILEAGE 2818 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out how sporty an Ateca really can be, and to sample the first progeny of Seat’s new Cupra sub-brand So I’m rewinding the last 2800-odd miles I’ve now travelled in this car, thinking about the things I most like, and what’s popping up first are the excellence of the Volkswagen Group infotainment system – a model of usability and in stark contrast to the confused controls of the new Toyota Corolla driven recently – and the usefulness of the powered tailgate, which has the handy feature of merely unlatching if you stab its centre console release button briefly. The lid only rises fully if you hold said button down to trigger the lifting mechanism. It’s a good precautionary feature if you’ve reversed…

MILEAGE 102,487 MINI COOPER Yes, the Cooper returns. After many months away, it is back in the garage. I don’t have the full breakdown of the bill yet. I think they liked taking it for test drives, which is fine by me. They have done a spectacular job. It runs better than ever and the reason why this happened is lost in the midst of the original rebuild. When I first drove it after a long lay-off years ago, the temperature gauge suggested it was running hot. So the best explanation is that the original rebuild could have been better. Now I can get on with driving it again.…

First introduced in 2014, the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class (codenamed W205) is not due to be replaced until late in 2020. That means the approved used dealer network is packed full of second-hand examples that will not be superseded for the better part of two years. Choose wisely and you could be driving a C-Class that, to most onlookers, will appear to be a new car, but at better than half price. The W205 represented a significant step forward for Mercedes’ small saloon car, not least because the extensive use of aluminium in the body structure lowered the car’s overall weight by up to 100kg compared with the version that came before it. When we first reviewed the car, in 2014, we awarded it a strong, four-star rating, praising its very…

FERRARI 412 You can pay up to £85,000 for a pristine, low-mileage example of Ferrari’s flawed four-seater, so someone knew a bargain when they bagged this 1987 example with just 17,000 miles on the clock and a year’s MOT, for £43,460. It once belonged to a sultan, who, judging by its condition, financed its servicing without blinking. Examples like this are rare. Worse than the body rot they eventually succumb to is the chequered past most have had at the hands of bargain hunters who couldn’t afford to run them. Budget at least £1500 in annual maintenance and about 10mpg with a light foot.…