Innholdsfortegnelse for August 26, 2020 i Autocar

The future of Alpine is less clear than that of other brands in the wider Renault Group, as the harsh realities of building a bespoke sports car in a global pandemic and economic downturn hit home. Renault’s latest official statement on the matter claims there will be an “open reflection on the reconversion of the Dieppe plant [Alpine’s hub] at the end of production of the Alpine A110”. That won’t be until 2023 or 2024, but the use of the word ‘reconversion’ suggests the plant (and likely Alpine itself) will undergo significant changes. The brand’s future hinges on how wide-reaching Luca de Meo’s transformation and cost-cutting regime will be. The French media is reporting that de Meo has discussed the A110 needing a sequel. However, he was candid about his…

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will take over production of the AJ supercharged petrol V8 in Wolverhampton after Ford shuts its Bridgend plant next month, Autocar can confirm. The future of the engine – which is used in everything from the Jaguar F-Type to the Range Rover (and set to be used in the new Land Rover Defender) – had been uncertain since last summer, when Ford announced the closure of the facility where it has been built since 1996. It has now emerged that JLR will transfer the production equipment, and possibly some of the workforce, from Wales to the West Midlands in a ‘lift and shift’ operation. A statement from the firm read: “Manufacture of the JLR-designed V8 petrol engines previously made at Bridgend will move to the JLR…

The Toyota Highlander is a large SUV with a 20-year history in North America and Japan. The seven-seater is similar in length to the Camry, with which it has shared its unibody underpinnings since day one. For the latest, Mk4 model, launched in the US and Canada for the 2020 model year, that means adopting the impressive GA-K architecture also used by the RAV4. In early 2021, the Indiana-built Highlander will come to Western Europe for the first time, including the UK, but in hybrid form only. The Highlander Hybrid gets Toyota’s latest, fourth-generation hybrid electric powertrain, which made its debut in the Camry. It’s based around a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol four, with electric motors front and rear for all-wheel drive and a nickel-metal hydride battery beneath the second row…

MODEL TESTED ADVANCE Price £29,160* ● Power 152bhp ● Torque 232lb ft ● 0-60mph 7.9sec ● 30-70mph in fourth na ● Fuel economy 3.1mpkWh ● CO2 emissions 0g/km ● 70-0mph 44.5m It seems a slightly strange notion, given how different the design philosophies of these two great companies have appeared to be over the years but, in launching its first really serious battery-electric vehicle, Honda has supposedly followed the example set by the world’s best-known smartphone manufacturer. According to Honda, the similarities between the new E city car and Apple’s iPhone should be readily apparent. You can be the judge of the veracity of that statement but, says Honda, both products put eye-catching design and seamless functionality in pride of place, and both do so in return for a healthy price…

MODEL TESTED HYBRID4 104G/KM Europeans who have long wondered why, when designing an efficiency-biased hybrid-electric vehicle, you wouldn’t start with the most efficient kind of combustion engine may find something of a champion in this week’s road test subject. The 3008 Hybrid4 is the world’s first diesel-electric full-hybrid car and the first in a series of models from the PSA Group that will use the same powertrain. Aside from delivering class-leading fuel economy and CO2 emissions statistics, Peugeot’s new hybrid system makes this the only 3008 with four-wheel drive. The Hybrid4’s primary power source is a 1997cc turbo diesel engine mounted transversely up front and driving the front wheels through a six-speed automated manual gearbox. A small electric motor acts as a starter-generator for the engine and 1.1kWh, nickel-metal-hydride battery,…

Remember that knackered Mk2 Ford Escort you traded back in 1982 for £50 and a Duran Duran cassette? It would be worth £25,000 today in good condition. A restored 1970 Mini Cooper S? Try £40,000. Nostalgia and enthusiasts’ growing disillusionment with today’s tech-heavy and arguably less charismatic cars have caused prices to surge for models that until recently were easily accessible and often unremarkable. So, what’s the appeal? Depending on your age or experience, it might be a case of returning to a known quantity. While electric powertrains, active safety systems and vehicle-to-X connectivity are crucial components in the global automotive industry’s journey to a future that’s free of pollution and accidents, their advent is seen by some as no less than the death of the automobile. What was wrong…

How do you think Autocar writers switch off after a whirlwind week of driving around in new cars? Not by stamp collecting or pottering around in our gardens, you might be surprised to learn, but typically by driving around in older cars – cars that had long been on our wishlists and that we predicted would become too rare or too expensive to get our hands on in the future. These, then, are the cars we keep in our own garages, on our driveways and in our secret bunkers that one day will be remembered as among the most important models of their time. 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL 500 RACHEL BURGESS The R129-generation Mercedes-Benz SL is a hand-built, flagship sports car that at the time cost more to buy new than…

What’s it like being the son, or even just a relative, of a world champion? It opens a few doors but, at the same time, it creates a weight of expectation that can easily become a burden. But nobody has told Oliver Solberg that. The 18-year-old son of 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg made another bit of history recently when he became the youngest driver to take back-to-back victories on the same FIA European Rally Championship event. Last year, he became the youngest driver ever to win a European Championship event, taking victory on Rally Liepaja in Latvia aged only 17. This year, he did it again. So far, unlike in Formula 1, where there are two examples, a father and a son have never both won the World…

MILEAGE 132,096 LAND ROVER SERIES 3 My 30-year-old Black & Decker trolley is a rather important part of the Lorry. It works just as hard for a living, and this after being bent out of shape – again. Ex-Lotus designer Ron Hickman came up with the wonderful Workmate, but I can’t find any evidence of him being responsible for this trolley, too. I knew someone who worked with Hickman in Jersey, but he’s no longer around, so I can’t double-check. The trolley works like a traditional sack-shifter but drops down to a flat bed so you can double the load. Anyway, I will be bashing it back to normality with a hammer and a vice this week.…

What’s in a name? We all loved the Yeti, even though it looked insane and had an odd moniker. The Karoq’s name is odd, too, but the car beneath the badge is entirely and in some instances delightfully conventional. Larger than the Yeti both inside and out, the Karoq was created with practicality as its main brief – so it retained the smart touches and versatility that made its predecessor so popular, if not that standout styling. There’s a good array of engines. The petrol range has consisted of 113bhp 1.0-litre, 148bhp 1.5-litre and 187bhp 2.0-litre units. For diesel, you can pick between a 113bhp 1.6-litre and two 2.0 diesels of 148bhp and 187bhp. You can also seek out a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, while four-wheel drive is available on the…

FORD CORTINA CRAYFORD CONVERTIBLE Don’t baulk at the £20,376 paid for this Mk1 Cortina, because that was actually around the mid-estimate point. And given that the Crayford-built convertible is a very rare Ford, that price does seem to be justifiable. Fewer than 50 were made; 30 were sent to Bermuda for use as taxis, but none of those are known to have survived the humid climate and rigours of service life. This one had deteriorated to a poor state but was saved in 1988, when it was bought for £1000. During an extensive restoration, it received a few upgrades to bring it up to the level of the range-topping GT, such as the additional gauge pack and the remote gearlever.…

Retractable hardtops have largely gone out of fashion with sports car manufacturers, the reason being that the weight penalty of such a complex mechanism is not conducive to engaging dynamics. That’s a shame, really, because such an option allows you to switch at will between coupé and cabriolet yet suffer none of the noise or fragility penalties of a regular soft-top. This was demonstrated perfectly by the previous BMW Z4, which succeeded both roadster and fixed-roof models. Happily, this model, codenamed E89 and produced between 2009 and 2016, maintains a strong showing on the second-hand market, and buying one need not make you blow your top. The Z4 is an enticing prospect as an all-weather sports car, and its diverse array of drivetrains serves to enhance its appeal. There was…

GOT A STORY? Email our news editor lawrence.allan@haymarket.com “The aim is to turn around a firm that lost £6.5 billion in the first half of 2020” Renault is preparing for a wide-reaching overhaul and model blitz – and it’s pinning its revival hopes on two new electric SUVs and a renewed focus on C-segment models. The French brand’s new partnership arrangement with Nissan, announced earlier this year, will lead to a more extensive sharing of platform, technology and production resources to boost efficiencies. It will also result in Renault taking the strategic lead in Europe under new boss Luca de Meo, who has begun overhauling the brand’s product roadmap despite only starting his role in July. His aim will be to turn around a firm that recorded a £6.5 billion…

Land Rover has updated the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque for 2021 with new engines, revamped infotainment and a special-edition trim. The newly introduced 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid diesel engine is said to deliver “smoother stop-start operation and optimised fuel economy” over the outgoing non-hybrid version, thanks to a 48V electrical system and regenerative braking. In its entry-level D165 guise, the new unit produces 161bhp and 280lb ft – subtle boosts over the old D150. It can be had with front-wheel drive or, along with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive. This version is claimed to emit as little as 156g/km of CO2 in the Evoque and 163g/km in the larger Discovery Sport. The D200, with 201bhp and 317lb ft, comes exclusively with the automatic and four-wheel drive, raising…

KIA HAS DETAILED the plug-in hybrid version of its new Sorento seven-seat SUV, available from early next year. The powertrain comprises a 177bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 90bhp electric motor, fed energy by a 13.8kWh battery, for a total output of 261bhp and 258lb ft. As standard, drive is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. Kia claims the powertrain is the first of its kind to use an independent water cooling system for the battery. Kia is yet to homologate the model, so fuel economy, CO2 emissions and electric-only range can’t be provided. However, it’s claimed to be the Korean brand’s most advanced and efficient PHEV to date, and its battery requires almost no compromise in boot capacity.…

Two out of three proposed fee-demanding Clean Air Zones (CAZs) could be scrapped by councils as local pollution falls and concern grows over their economic impact, due to the pandemic. Bristol City Council has confirmed that it’s considering alternative methods to impose a CAZ beyond charging private motorists and businesses who drive older, more polluting vehicles into the centre. That news came a day after Leeds City Council confirmed that a review of its scheme will take place, because the government won’t fund its implementation if air quality in the city is within acceptable levels, as it currently is. “Local air quality has been improving for some time,” said Leeds Council’s deputy leader, James Lewis. “Leeds residents now breathe air that is considerably cleaner and safer than just a few…

AIR SUSPENSION, ONCE associated only with a luxury ride, has now been adopted across a wide range of premium cars, because of its versatility. Air suspension can arguably contribute to the most comfortable ride, drop the ride height low to ease getting in and out of an SUV, for instance, and reduce drag at higher speeds. It can then raise it for normal use, or even higher to increase ground clearance for off-road driving, and can be designed to change the spring rates in support of different driving modes. Air suspension can be used with any kind of damping system, including magnetorheological adaptive dampers and variable-stiffness anti-roll bars. Air suspension units replace existing coil springs and are integrated into suspension struts. Alternatively, air springs can be used independently of dampers,…

This is the latest mid-range version of Kia’s popular Sportage crossover. The car still comes in four trim levels but now with only three engines, rather than four, the top-of-the-range, four-wheel-drive and auto-only 2.0-litre CRDi diesel having been deleted. This 1.6-litre CRDi diesel inherits the 48V starter-generator mild-hybrid system the axed 2.0-litre diesel had. We’ve previously tested only GT-Line and GT-Line S versions of the facelifted Sportage, finding that their sports suspension made for a slightly unsatisfactorily firm ride. On standard suspension, the Sportage is softer and broadly comfortable around town, on well-surfaced country roads and on the motorway. The interior is reasonably pleasant and apparently solidly constructed, although Kia’s attempts to inject extra perceived quality (with chrome around the ventilation controls and air vents and a slightly shiny textured…

VERDICT In some ways, not least how much visual charm it offers, the E feels like something totally fresh and really interesting in the expanding electric car market. In the way it drives, however, it’s very much like a car designed and engineered ‘after’ the BMW i3, by a firm convinced it could go one better. So if the idea of a stylish, all-electric premium city car always enticed you but BMW’s feisty, springy, up-and-at-’em chassis tuning and alternative looks didn’t, here’s a Honda with comparable compactness, desirability and its own sense of style – but a much more relaxed and rounded urban ride to accompany its manoeuvrability. It’s like an i3 but a lot less quirky and more grown up. This car is sufficiently enjoyable to drive in town,…

Has it ever been harder for an ambitious youngster to climb the greasy pole to Formula 1 or establish a professional career in motorsport? It has certainly never been more expensive. A season in FIA Formula 3, two steps down from F1, costs north of £1 million and the final finishing school, FIA Formula 2, about £2m. Yes, those numbers are for a season. Just the one. “To be honest, I can’t get my head around it,” says Andy Meyrick, professional endurance racer and director of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Superstars young driver programme. “When I was doing F3 in 2008, it was £350,000, which is still a huge amount of money. But by hook or by crook it was just about obtainable, through either a team that…

I read with some interest your article on Gerry McGovern (8 July) and giving him the Sturmey Award for innovation. While I have no doubt of Gerry’s design abilities (the Range Rover Velar is a triumph), he seemed to glosss over his single biggest failing at Jaguar Land Rover: the design of the latest Discovery. The Discovery 3, designed by Andy Wheel in the early 2000s, was the car that turned Land Rover around. It was an instant success and remains a design icon. Big, square, bluff looks, incredible inside space, amazing ride and incredible off-road ability. Although the new Discovery is extremely capable, dynamically it’s no better than the Discovery 3 (and you can’t get a pallet in the back). This also brings me to the other problem that…

MILEAGE 6221 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the Juke can continue to hold its own in a crowded compact SUV class The Nissan Juke may have established the compact crossover segment, but the space is now flooded with rivals. New kid on the block the Ford Puma was named a Game Changer at this year’s Autocar Awards and received 4.5 stars in our road test. So which do we like best? I chew the fat with news editor Lawrence Allan, who has recently spent a chunk of time with a Puma, on comparisons between the two. RB The Juke has always stood out for its Marmite styling, but it has done well off the back of it. And this new model looks a lot more mature. Plus, the…

VW Golf GTI Rivage Long-time reader Bradley has dug this lovely survivor from the 1990s out of his friend’s barn: “Initially I was not at all sure what to do with it. Now, though, I have decided to go for a full restoration. My plan is to get it resprayed and the interior covered in cream leather. “It’s a Rivage Golf GTI Convertible with a genuine mileage of 49,000. There are only a few left in the UK; fewer than 50, I think. This one was stored in a garage for 12 years, so it needs some tender loving care. I’ll report back when it is done.”…

Audi S1 Price £13,950 It’s a wonder the S1 ever got past Audi’s accountants. True, it shared its 2.0-litre turbo engine with other Volkswagen Group cars, but the four-wheel drive system needed to handle 228bhp necessitated an entirely different multi-link rear suspension set-up and a new rear floorpan. This meant some versions pushed £30,000, which is no doubt why the S1 is far rarer than the Volkswagen Golf GTI. However, this should count in this diminutive rocket’s favour in future.…

An owner’s view ZHAOTONG LI “There’s no need to avoid any engines: it all depends on what you want the car for. The sDrive35i with the N54 engine offers strong performance but suffers from injector and fuel pump issues. The newer N20 turbocharged 2.0-litre engine gives good economy and up to 270bhp when you map it but suffers timing chain issues. The sDrive23i and sDrive30i have the N52 engine, which is older but more reliable.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE Expect a maximum of 41mpg from well-kept entry-level cars and around 30mpg from the range-topping six-pots. Lots of companies offer ECU tuning for substantial power gains on all engines, but read plenty of reviews to check reputability, ask to see all relevant paperwork and notify your insurer of any such modifications.…

Volkswagen will produce another Golf R estate, new spy shots have revealed. The Ford Focus ST Estate rival, seen cleverly disguised as a Golf Alltrack, will receive 329bhp from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The new Golf R hatchback is expected to be unveiled in the autumn, but it’s not clear whether the hot estate will make its debut at the same time.…

PORSCHE HAS UPDATED the Taycan for its 2021 model year. The electric sports saloon now features a new Functions on Demand (FoD) service that allows owners to purchase (or subscribe to monthly) and install new features over the air, including Power Steering Plus and the firm’s Innodrive adaptive cruise control. Also new is a battery preservation function that restricts charging capacity where appropriate to reduce power loss. A power guard feature prevents system overload during domestic charging and a universal Plug and Charge system will remove the need for multiple operator charge cards from next year. Battery optimisation allows the Taycan Turbo S to complete the 0-124mph sprint in 9.6sec – 0.2sec faster than before. Cars with adaptive air suspension can also be programmed to raise and lower the ride…

British car makers are already in talks with new start-up Britishvolt to source EV batteries from its UK gigafactory, which is planned to open in 2023. The company, which was founded only late last year, said confidence from the industry in its plans has grown following its commitment to a site in South Wales, including obtaining the relevant planning permissions. Britishvolt chairman Lars Carlstrom said: “Car manufacturers understand the importance of batteries that are locally produced. It has taken some time to bring confidence. People need to see we’re investing money and are intending to do this, that it’s not just something we say we’re going to do. “Now we’re deploying a workforce to build the factory and getting planning permissions, we’ve seen greater interest. We’re now in talks with…

No one can accuse BMW of failing to offering sufficient choice. Not with the X3, at least. With the addition of the X3 xDrive30e to its line-up, the German brand now provides buyers with four different types of powertrain for its mid-sized SUV: petrol, diesel, electric and, as seen here, a combination of petrol and electric. It’s an impressive achievement that has been made possible through the inherent versatility of the CLAR platform – a structure developed from the outset to support all four types of propulsion. It also brings the X3 into line with the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, both of which offer the same number of drivetrain choices when you count the related E-tron and EQC electric models within their respective line-ups. The latest plug-in hybrid BMW…

The E450 Cabriolet’s lack of bona fide rivals hasn’t caused Mercedes-Benz to sit back and leave it be. For 2020, the E-Class range has been facelifted, and in the case of this range-topping drop-top (AMG’s E53 firmly to one side), that facelift is fairly significant. The old E450’s twin-turbocharged V6 has been replaced by Mercedes’ latest 3.0-litre single-turbo in-line six. The same motor has already appeared in the latest CLS, S-Class and GLE models and features the same 48V integrated starter-generator to provide a degree of extra punch and help fill any accelerative flat spots. In E450 guise, the engine alone kicks out 362bhp and 369lb ft, and the EQ Boost system can dish out an additional 22bhp and 184lb ft at a moment’s notice. There’s an appealingly relaxed yet…

1 PEUGEOT e-208 GT Significantly rangier than the Honda, good looking, good to drive and competitively priced. Top of the compact EV pile. 2 MINI ELECTRIC LEVEL 3 It edges out the Honda by virtue of being just as desirable and more fun to drive, although it isn’t quite as spacious. 3 VAUXHALL CORSA-e ELITE NAV Not quite as stylish or as well priced as its class-leading Peugeot relative, but worth considering. 4 HONDA E ADVANCE Great-looking EV is a real urban specialist with high-tech appeal. Likeable and classy, but pricey and its range limits usability. 5 RENAULT ZOE R135 RAPID CHARGE ICONIC It’s slower and older than rivals and handles like it, but the full-house version has good range. *After £3000 government plug-in car grant…

Jimi Hendrix. Paul McCartney. John Lennon. Vincent van Gogh. Pablo Picasso. Richie McCaw. Michael Schumacher. Chances are you’ll instantly recognise each and every one of those names. I’d wager that it’s also likely you’ll have a rough understanding of the common thread that ties them all together, too. Undoubtedly, they’re all legends in their respective fields – imposing names attached to outstanding individuals who have cast exceptionally long shadows over the worlds of music, art and sport. These are figureheads with whom all promising newcomers will inevitably be compared in some capacity as they rise through the ranks of their chosen profession. Now, I reckon that if you do a small amount of mental contortionism, you could probably add the Audi A3 to that list. You see, in the car…

Hamilton breaks another record Mercedes-AMG driver Lewis Hamilton achieved the 156th podium finish of his Formula 1 career with a dominant victory in the Spanish Grand Prix two weekends ago, setting a new all-time record by usurping seven-time champion Michael Schumacher. Hamilton achieved the mark in 256 races, for a podium-to-start ratio of 61%. Schumacher took 295 starts to hit 155 podiums, giving him a ratio of 53%. Toyota back on top as WEC season resumes The works Toyota trio of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López extended their lead in the FIA World Endurance Championship with victory in the Spa Six Hours, the first race since the category’s Covid-19 shutdown. The squad led a dominant one-two for the Japanese marque. Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen won the…

OFFICIAL Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Every picture and detail of these two all-new, all-important luxury saloons COMPARISON Defender vs rivals A new Land Rover, a Mercedes G-Wagen and a Jeep Wrangler in a disused quarry INTERVIEW Ian Callum The 12 cars that most influenced the former Aston Martin and Jaguar design chief EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Skoda Octavia Estate Still the consummate box-ticking all-rounder? Over to our testers… FIRST DRIVE Volkswagen Golf GTE Our first test of Volkswagen’s latest plug-in hybrid hot hatch SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p50…

QUESTION I’m looking at a used Hyundai at a dealership, and they’ve just announced a new approved scheme. My dealer says it’s industry-leading because of the two-year warranty. Is it?Brian Rooney, via email ANSWER It’s certainly better than it was, but it only applies to cars that are up to three-and-a-half years old, so it only gets you an extra five months beyond the manufacturer’s standard cover period. Plus, the breakdown coverage only includes the UK and the Channel Islands, whereas the best cover all of Europe, too. So there are better schemes out there. MA QUESTION I need to clear my garden and I’d like to do it in as few visits to the tip as possible because of the queues. What can I buy for less than £1000?Barry…

Volkswagen Up £6995 For those hesitant about using public transport once they return to work after lockdown, buying a city car could be a tempting alternative, given their practicality, reliability and cheapness to buy and run. They have come a long way over the years, too, so any lingering visions you may have of crushed Coke cans can pretty much be dismissed. The best, if your budget can stretch to it, is the Volkswagen Up. It can be fairly nippy, especially if you find one like we did with the 89bhp 1.0-litre turbo engine. This turns the Up into a decent performer, meaning you don’t have to fork out £11,000 or more for the GTI version if your commute includes some out-of-town stretches. The Up is a relatively practical proposition,…