Innholdsfortegnelse for May 6, 2020 i Autocar

SKODA HAS PUBLISHED prices for the new Mk4 Octavia ahead of order books opening in June. The family car will be priced from £22,390 until cheaper derivatives arrive later in the year, including a 1.0 TSI turbo petrol S variant that’s expected to cost less than £20,000. The current base price is for an SE First Edition hatchback powered by the 148bhp 1.5 TSI turbo petrol engine. A 113bhp 2.0-litre diesel can be had for £910 more, while the estate adds £980 to the base price. Further trim levels include SE Technology (from £22,460) and SE L First Edition (from £25,150), plus a 148bhp DSG automatic-only 2.0-litre diesel is priced from £28,640. Further variants due include mild-hybrid DSG versions of the 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI engines, a petrol-electric plug-in…

The changes in car layout sparked by electrification have created new challenges and opportunities to keep designers busy – and Renault Group design chief Laurens van den Acker is busier than most. The Dutchman is responsible for design at Renault, Dacia and Alpine, three very different brands that face disparate challenges when it comes to electrification. He spoke to Autocar about the future styling of all three. You recently revealed the shape-shifting Morphoz concept. Does it preview an electric Renault crossover? “The Morphoz announces the new CMF-EV platform, and we wanted to show off a few things. Firstly, it has great proportions. It’s flexible and modular in length. It’s lower than an SUV and taller than a hatchback. We tried to make it as compact as possible outside and as…

• Aston Martin was due to resume car production at its factory in St Athan, Wales, yesterday (5 May), while Jaguar Land Rover is aiming to reopen its Solihull plant for limited production on 18 May. Nissan is currently testing new safety protocols at its Sunderland factory but has yet to announce a date for the resumption of car production. • Bentley has supplied more than 30,000 3D-printed face shields to the NHS and other care providers in Cheshire as part of a local community support programme. It’s also offering a ‘Meals on 22-inch Wheels’ programme, using its cars to deliver food and other supplies to vulnerable people in the area. The firm plans to restart production at its Crewe plant on 11 May. • Formula 1 bosses are planning…

Seldom does any supercar rank high on the global agenda and that’s true now more than ever, but on planet Autocar the Huracán Evo Spyder – and the Spyder specifically – is significant. For one thing, the Huracán is the likely final resting place for Lamborghini’s naturally aspirated V10 engine, and now that the mid-life ‘Evo’ updates have been introduced, we’re closing in on the day the model gets mothballed. And that will be it for one of the greatest road-car engines of all time. Secondly, carbon monocoque or not (and in this case not), these days so scant is the dynamic disparity between open-air supercars and their enclosed counterparts that if you prefer the former, there are precious few drawbacks. If you’d therefore like to secure an example of…

MODEL TESTED ALLURE PREMIUM The electric powertrain revolution is now beginning to transform one of Europe’s biggest car market segments. Battery power has been gaining traction in other market niches over the past decade, but increasingly tough legislation and the rapid reduction in technology costs mean that electric power is no longer purely the preserve of bigger, faster and more expensive machines. One of the latest electrified superminis to join the fold is the Peugeot e-208, which aims to deliver zero-tailpipe-emissions running without compromising the style, practicality and driving dynamics of its combustion-engined cousin. Closely related to the Vauxhall Corsa-e, the e-208 has been designed from the outset to be electrified and, as a result, packaging and space are unaffected. Factor in a powerful lithium ion battery and class-leading rapid-charge…

MODEL TESTED V8 Since its introduction, the Ariel Atom has been well represented in this magazine, dominating 0-100-0 contests, appearing in features, group tests and long-term reports, and has even found homes in the garages – dreamed and real – of our staff. But we’ve never road tested one – an oversight we’re righting with this extra-special, £150,000, V8 version. When it comes to the Atom’s design, function is king. No other production car puts raw engineering so blatantly on display. Chassis maker Arch Motors bronze welds all areas of the spaceframe on the V8 model, whereas lesser Atoms get electric TIG welds in the engine bay. Unequal-length double wishbones are used front and rear, with pushrods all round activating adjustable coilover spring/damper units. The car’s fully fuelled weight as…

Jos van As, BMW’s head of driving dynamics, is grasping an imaginary steering wheel as he enthusiastically details the on-road character of the new 4 Series. “It’s more sporting in every way compared with the old model,” he says. “But we’ve managed to improve overall comfort as well.” Having just driven a prototype of the new coupé at 175mph along a German autobahn and then on some magnificently smooth back roads, I’m eager to hear first-hand what the man responsible for its development had to say about its clearly more engaging properties. But before I’ve had a chance to even pose the question after we pull into a shady lay-by in a sleepy town to swap cars, he’s already singling out the variable electromechanical steering as the biggest benefactor among…

On Priory Street, in the shadow of Coventry cathedral and down a short flight of steps level, is a length of old brick wall supported at intervals by stout buttresses. Much of the old pointing around the bricks has disappeared. In fact, some of the bricks themselves have disappeared. The work of souvenir hunters? Possibly. After all, this forgotten stretch of brickwork is all that remains of the huge Triumph factory that once stood here. Coventry is full of glimpses into its motoring past such as this: a short length of iron railings beside a busy road, a grand gatehouse outside a business park, once handsome head offices now a city centre bar… These and other little-known locations today form what we’ll call ‘Coventry confidential’ – those factories and offices…

THE PANDEMIC-INDUCED shutdown of motorsport has led to a huge rise in online esports events. And with drivers around the world having plenty of time on their hands, some big names have made guest outings in other categories; Lando Norris recently won a virtual Indycar Series race, for instance, while Max Verstappen starred in an online Aussie Supercars tussle. Here are five motorsport heroes who proved just as versatile in the real world. 5 Jacky Ickx This Belgian is best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times, plus he twice finished runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship. During his career, Ickx also scored a European Touring Car Championship title, won the Bathurst 1000 in Australia and took an outright victory in the epic Paris-Dakar rally…

ROAD TEST Land Rover Defender All the key statistics and the crucial verdict on Land Rover’s new icon from our UK road test FEATURE How to drive off road Matt Prior’s guide to keeping your car going when the asphalt runs out FIRST DRIVE Skoda Enyaq Skoda’s new electric car is a big four-door crossover. We drive an early version EVERY WEEK USED BUYING GUIDE R34 Nissan Skyline One of Japan’s most famous 1990s exports enters our inspection bay OUR CARS Mazda 3 It may not be going far, but our 3 is still impressing us during lockdown SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p30…

MILEAGE 103,427 MINI COOPER The old Cooper is still on the fleet and gets used on a regular basis. No issues since the great blown head gasket debacle of 2019. I check the fluid levels regularly and it is all as it should be. There is an MOT coming up in a month’s time but I don’t see any issues to worry about. You might not remember that the front suspension is broken. I have lived happily with it and the rock hardness of it all suits the blighter. It might look a bit cleaner than usual in this photo due to the fact that it has been buffed up – but not by me.…

Although Volvo’s Geely-backed transformation began in 2010, the fruits of those labours (and the significant cash injection) didn’t really materialise until the arrival of the second-generation XC60 in 2017. We’d received the more expensive seven-seat XC90 two years before that, but the XC60 was new-era-Volvo’s first proper mainstream blockbuster, becoming the Swedish brand’s biggest seller. And with used ones now starting at around the same price of a new mid-range Volkswagen Golf, suddenly this slab of Scandinavian stylishness looks like a lot of car for the money. There’s plenty of choice to be had. Engines are all 2.0-litre four-cylinder units, starting with the sensible and well-rounded 188bhp diesel in the D4 and topped by the 385bhp T8 Twin Engine petrol-electric plug-in hybrid. Mild-hybrid petrols and diesels with a ‘B’ prefix…

This 174mph coupé from 2007 has a sledgehammer 4.2-litre V8 and passed through auction for just over £10,000. Four owners from new and 90,000 miles sounds fine, but a last service four years and 10,000 miles ago would make us sweat. We would want to check for any unwelcome noises suggesting supercharger-related issues and that the ZF gearbox had been properly serviced recently. While facelifted XKRs (from 2009) have a more potent 5.0 motor, they go for quite a few grand more, so a 4.2 is worth a punt. Just brace yourself, given Jaguar’s reliability record……

Land Rover is working on a range-topping V8 version of the new Defender, spy shots of a prototype exclusive to Autocar reveal. Rumours of the rugged 4x4 benefiting from a return to the eight-cylinder format that’s traditionally sought after by enthusiasts in the original have been circulating for some time. Engineers have previously indicated to Autocar that a V8 would fit under the bonnet but stopped short of confirming anything beyond that. Now, however, images show an undisguised Defender driving on the roads outside Land Rover’s research and development facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, sporting the ‘Prototype Vehicle’ stickers reserved for testing mules. While no changes are visible at the front, a rear view reveals a quad exhaust system – used by Jaguar Land Rover only in V8-powered variants. Sources close…

ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY is steeped in jargon, and a term that crops up more than most is inverter. The inverter is one of the most important components lurking beneath the skin of any EV, and that’s because the motor and battery in any electric drivetrain would be completely incompatible without it. British firm Equipmake, which builds the innovative high-speed Ampere EV motor we looked at recently (1 April), has also developed an inverter that’s smaller, lighter, more efficient and able to get more bang-for-buck out of a battery. All batteries produce and accept direct current (DC), the type of electric charge that flows in one direction. DC is what pretty well all small electric motors (such as those in toys or low-voltage domestic products) run on, and it can be…

Some of the World Rally Championship’s drivers recently took part in a video campaign encouraging people to stay at home, while others have been posting regularly on social media about their lives in lockdown. And a handful, especially the younger ones, have been scratching the itch through esports tournaments. It’s interesting to see two distinct geographical schools of thought emerging. Sébastien Loeb, for example, has constructed a miniature mountain bike course that goes from his garden through some French doors into his house, with a neat slalom behind the sofa that allows him to exercise his acrobatic powers of balance and control in the two-wheeled equivalent of an autotest. Sébastien Ogier has spoken of his frustration at missing a chunk of what’s set to be his final season, while Elfyn…

McLaren was heading into the 2020 Formula 1 season with a real sense of momentum, generated by the combination of a strong 2019, a renewed sense of direction, two talented young drivers and a new engine supply deal for 2021. McLaren was on the way back to the sharp end of the grid. This year was about putting the final pieces in place, ready for greater things in 2021. Then, of course, a global pandemic began and now McLaren’s plans are, like most of society, on hold. The team – which is based in Woking, Surrey – actually found itself at the centre of F1’s own coronavirus crisis, as the sport pressed ahead with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in mid-March, right as the disease became a global emergency. A…

MILEAGE 5103 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Plug-in 330e will overtake the 320d as the biggest-selling 3 Series, but can it match the diesel’s all-round appeal? The keenest-eyed readers will have noticed that the mileage reading hasn’t nudged at all since the last update, because not even a short drive to Tesco is in order for your correspondent when living opposite a very well-stocked small shop, its excellent range of products including this very magazine… Yet the 330e’s current dormancy has allowed for plenty of number crunching and reflections on what we’ve learned about this most fascinating of 3 Series now the 5000-mile milestone on the odometer has come up. Chiefly, the 330e’s continued kindness to your wallet and why it can make a lot of financial sense in running costs…

Alfa Romeo 164 Thanks to reader Stuart, who has told us about his 164: “My Italian beauty has done a modest 85,000 miles. She is a 1995 2.0-litre Twin Spark with a manual ’box and black leather interior. She spent most of her time in Ireland before immigrating to the UK and living in a barn for a couple of years. “I have an immaculate Jaguar XJ40 but saw this 164 while surfing. I was seduced by her good looks, modest miles and the seller’s promise of no rust or electrical issues. He proved to be honest and now I have a gorgeous Italian beauty to enjoy next to my classy British bruiser.”…

Mercedes-AMG A35 Price £28,000 The first AMG-fettled A-Class, the A45, offered hair-raising pace and prodigious amounts of cornering grip, but it was very expensive. This entertaining 302bhp A35 model, based on the new A-Class, is AMG’s cheapest and could make a cunning buy for a savvy hot hatch fan. While dreamers may drool over the new A45, the man-maths reality may only stretch to cover the A35 – making used buys highly sought after. Look hard and you’ll find cars with £7000 off list price and just a few thousand miles, and they should hold their value well from there.…

Chris Bangle is not only one of the best-known car designers of his time but also the most divisive. Think of the Fiat Coupé, BMW Z8 and Rolls-Royce Phantom: names you can’t mention to petrolheads at the pub for fear of sparking a brawl. But you would be hard-pressed to find fault with one of his earliest mainstream efforts, the adorably squat and purposeful Alfa Romeo 145. Originally destined to be the new Lancia Delta (until Fiat Group design director Ermanno Cressoni nonchalantly declared the breadvan-shape mould in the wind tunnel to look more Milanese), it was developed over four years as Turin renewed its assault on the burgeoning family hatchback market. Its rarity in the UK today compared with that era’s Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa demonstrates how effective…

“ The M4 will be offered in Coupé, Cabriolet and, for the first time, Gran Coupé forms, with 503bhp ” BMW will greatly expand the 4 Series line-up for the sporting coupé’s second generation later this year, spearheaded by a trio of M4 models with 503bhp and the 523bhp i4 electric saloon. The German manufacturer is working to increase the differentiation between the 4 Series and the closely related 3 Series saloon, with engineers involved in its development telling Autocar that substantial work has gone into improving the dynamic qualities of the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé rival (see p32). To this end, the 4 Series has also been given a major design revamp – including the grille featured on the Concept 4 Series that caused great controversy when…

HYUNDAI HAS RELEASED the first official images of its forthcoming i20 N hot hatch undergoing winter testing, ahead of an unveiling claimed to be “in the coming months”. Said to be “inspired by motorsport” and linked to the i20’s recent success in the World Rally Championship, the new Ford Fiesta ST rival will follow the successful formula of the larger i30 N. Details remain scarce, but a turbocharged four-cylinder engine note similar to that of the i30 N can clearly be heard in a new preview video. The i20 N is most likely powered by the 201bhp 1.6-litre unit that features in the US-market Veloster Turbo, although that’s yet to be confirmed. It’s expected to go on sale early next year.…

As we stand on the cusp of a deep global recession sparked by a pandemic, it’s hard to imagine that you need to act fast if you want to buy a new car in the near future, both to get to the front of what will be a lengthy queue and to beat almost inevitable price rises. That, however, is the reality of the situation. While the government has yet to lift nationwide lockdown restrictions, it recently sparked the car market back into life by confirming that dealerships can sell new cars online and deliver them, so long as they obey all social-distancing rules. Strictly speaking, this wasn’t news: manufacturers had never been required to stop online sales, while some retailers had kept a handful of staff off furlough to…

Of all the Land Rover Defender variants, the D240 seems the best-positioned for UK residents. It uses a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 237bhp and 317lb ft, and while these modest outputs don’t quite translate to sparkling fuel economy, in S form the Defender’s pre-option price is reasonable. It’s also worth remembering that this is one of the world’s most capable cars – maybe even in the top one. To recap, the new Defender arrives in five-door ‘110’ form first, with the short-wheelbase 90 to follow. Both are based on the most rugged derivative to date of Land Rover’s longitudinal-engined architecture. This largely aluminium car comes with 2.0-litre diesel and 2.0 and 3.0-litre petrol engines, can tow 3500kg, and on air springs (steel coils come later) wades 900mm of water. It has…

Peugeot’s greatest success here may well be in having made its new e-208 so normal. By seamlessly packaging EV running gear into the same space as the combustion-engine components, the French firm has saved itself a chunk of cash on the production line and created a car that is unlikely to alienate potential buyers in a class where conservatism tends to be king. Judged purely as a supermini, the 208 on which this car is based isn’t in the top echelons of the class: it looks great but we’d like it to be more practical and its chassis to have a little more sparkle. As a small electric car, however, the e-208 is certainly good enough to lead its niche, thanks to its blend of style, performance, refinement, drivability and…

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Car finance is big business these days, with around C 90% of new cars in the UK being obtained through personal contract purchase (PCP) deals. Yet with four out of five drivers swapping into a new car at the end of their term, rather than taking up the option of buying their existing car, could leasing be a wiser option? Also known as personal contract hire (PCH), this is essentially a long-term rental, which is familiar to business users but largely overlooked by private buyers. You never get to own the car, but the deposits and monthly rental bills are usually much lower than for a PCP, making this is a great way to get your hands on models that would ordinarily be out of reach. Most manufacturers offer PCH…

Treasure your memories The advantages of being 90 are limited, but one in particular gives me great pleasure. I was born in the same year as my hero, Stirling Moss, and was therefore able to follow his entire career, often from beside the track. His success in so many disciplines makes him, in my opinion, the greatest driver ever. And a gentleman withal; how many of today’s drivers would hand a title to a rival, as he did with Mike Hawthorn? (Not that team principals would let them anyway.) We may never see his like again. Incidentally, complaints about predictablee race outcomes aren’t new. For several years after the war, it was only a case of which Alfa Romeo would win – not whether – with the rest of the…

MILEAGE 3765 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the Juke can continue to hold its own in a crowded compact SUV market You’ll be glad to hear that the Juke has been parked up outside my house almost exclusively since this horrible crisis came into play. Which prompts the question: how much can you learn about a car in two short trips? The first was to Tesco. I’d put it off for a month but, with no chance of getting a delivery slot and with others far more in need of them, I braved the excursion on a Saturday morning. Firstly, it was just bloody satisfying to be back behind the wheel of a car. True, one might have picked something else to drive as a special treat but,…

QUESTION I need a reliable car for £500. I don’t care about anything else: I just want it to work. What should I buy? Joe Pickering, Romsey ANSWER Finding anything remotely roadworthy for £500 is no easy task. But if you had to and reliability is your main concern, then we’d stick with Japanese brands. We found a Honda Jazz from 2004 with 160,000 miles on the clock for £499, with its next MOT due in August. If you can live with constant ‘all right, grandma!’ jokes from your friends, then it could be a great bet. DR QUESTION I want to buy the new Audi A3 but, in some reviews of it, I’ve read that the older version is actually better. Is that true? Aaron Spencer, York ANSWER The…

BMW i8 Coupé £40,000 Going green and going fast is getting easier and cheaper for those hunting through the classifieds. With new electrified cars unveiled each month, the used market is swiftly becoming populated by them. Today, perhaps the greatest green bargain of all is the BMW i8. Stunningly futuristic in design and execution, it unfortunately for BMW proved too flashy for eco-warriors, while petrolheads turned their noses up at a six-figure car with a three-cylinder petrol engine from a Mini. But be in no doubt that this plug-in hybrid is a hugely exciting sports car, offering brawny performance and serious long-distance GT comfort. Sinking-ship depreciation means you can buy nearly new examples with a staggering £35,000 off their list price, but our pick comes at the bottom end of…

An expert’s view IAN STAMPER, AUTOBRITALIA “I haven’t seen one for years. It’s sad: they were good cars, but corrosion did get the better of them. It usually starts around the rear axle mounting area by the door seals. But like all Alfa Romeos, there’s an inconsistency: you can never say that all cars will rust in the same place, because they don’t.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE Specialists mandate that the cambelt and tensioner need changing every 36,000 miles (or every three years, whichever comes first), and it’s a good idea to replace the cam variator at the same time if the engine rattles like a diesel on start-up. The Twin Spark does use a bit of oil, but excessive consumption is cause for concern. ▪ BODYWORK Red cars fade…