Innholdsfortegnelse for March 31, 2021 i Autocar

MINI HAS COMBINED elements of its electric future “with the rich racing history of John Cooper Works” to create the Pacesetter: a radical one-off reworking of the Mini Electric, which will be used as a pace car in the 2021 Formula E championship. A toned-down production version of the Pacesetter is planned and Mini boss Bernd Körber said the car shows that “the message is clear: electrification and John Cooper Works are a good fit”. The drivetrain is carried over wholesale from the Mini Electric, so the Pacesetter makes 181bhp and 206lb ft, but “rigorous” lightweighting measures have resulted in a tangible performance boost, cutting the 0-62mph sprint time by 0.6sec to 6.7sec. Weight has been shed chiefly by removing the rear seats, as well as ditching the infotainment system…

Cupra will put its dramatic Tavascan SUV concept into production in 2024 as its second electric car after this year’s Born hot hatch. The production version of the Tavascan is likely to use the 2019 show car’s 302bhp dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain, which was paired with a 77kWh battery for a range of around 280 miles. It will also largely retain its eye-catching styling in an attempt to give the EV a different focal point from combustion-engined cars. Cupra has also confirmed that it will start selling cars in Australia in 2022 as part of a wider expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.…

MERCEDES-BENZ’S AMG performance division has revealed details of its two new ‘E Performance’ plug-in hybrid drivetrains, which pair a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with a rear-mounted electric motor producing up to 201bhp and 221lb ft. This new layout improves weight distribution over the gearbox-integrated electric motor used by Mercedes-Benz PHEV models. AMG says this is crucial to retaining its cars’ characteristic dynamic behaviour, despite the addition of about 200kg. It also allows a higher combined torque rating as the electric motor uses its own two-speed gearbox, rather than sharing the petrol engine’s nine-speed unit, to send power to the rear – and, for short periods, the front – wheels. Energy for the motor is stored in a 400V 6.1kWh lithium ion battery that uses cylindrical…

A lot, as has been shown by BMW’s M division and, perhaps of more relevance to Hyundai, by the R sub-brand of Volkswagen. While we’ve never been offered it here in the UK, an N derivative of the asymmetric Veloster is sold in the US, although it differs little from the i30 N. Along with the i30 N Fastback and the i20 N tested here, that takes the N count to four, but what happens next? In 2019, we published spy shots of an extraordinary-looking machine thought to be a development car for an upcoming four-wheel-drive, petrol-electric hybrid that could function as an N halo: the RM16. Oh, and it was also mid-engined. Then last year the 799bhp RM20e broke cover. As an electric rear-driven coupé, it previewed another potential…

It’s hard to shake the feeling that the car posing the biggest threat to the new Volvo XC40 P8 comes from within the Geely Group itself. The Swedish manufacturer’s first fully electric production model is effectively a Polestar 2 in an XC40-shaped frock; and in P8 guise – currently the only variant of this new Volvo that’s available in the UK – the two cars are extremely close when it comes to on-paper specification. Considering they share the same CMA architecture, the same 75kWh (usable capacity) battery and the same electric motors (one at each axle for all-wheel drive), that alignment is unsurprising. Both cars are good for 402bhp and 487lb ft, and the Polestar can hit 62mph from rest in 4.7sec, the Volvo in a not dissimilar 4.9sec. There’s…

MODEL TESTED PRO PERFORMANCE LIFE Price £30,490* • Power 201bhp • Torque 229lb ft • 0-60mph 7.0sec • 30-70mph in fourth na • Economy 2.5mpkWh CO2 • emissions 0g/km 70-0mph 46.5 m 1938, 1974, 2020. It’s a chronological sequence that Volkswagen dearly hopes will look right and natural when we gaze back on events in decades to come. That’s how important the cartoon-faced electric subject of this week’s road test is to the world’s largest car maker brand; to its ambitions in an automotive sphere that is changing more quickly than many could have imagined. Beetle begets Golf, which begets ID 3: VW’s past, present and future. At least, that’s the plan. And despite the software glitches that delayed the ID 3’s launch last year, it’s not going so badly.…

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It takes just a short hour on a group call with employees at Mini Oxford for us to get a very strong sense of remains, even though it’s part of a huge corporate company in the BMW Group. Talking to people who have been part of the reinvention of the brand over more than 20 years, it’s a surprise to hear tales of experimentation, can-do engineering and production and a remarkable freedom to find its own way. For the first 14 years of its second life, Mini was a kind of boutique operation, making a lot out of not very much, with engineering work executed by outside contractors and the design team based in a small studio in Munich. As veteran Mini public relations boss Andreas Lampka tells me, the…

Honda withdraws from the BTCC Honda has ended its works support of the Team Dynamics squad in the British Touring Car Championship, citing the need to invest elsewhere. This follows the Japanese firm’s announcement that it will stop supplying Formula 1 engines after 2021 in order to focus on electrification. The multiple-title-winning BTCC team will continue to run a pair of Civic Type Rs, however, with new driver Dan Rowbottom joining alongside returning champion Gordon Shedden. Van Gisbergen remains unbeaten in Supercars New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen maintained his unbeaten run in the Australian Supercars series by winning all three races at Sandown recently – despite racing with a broken collarbone. The Holden Commodore driver suffered the injury in a mountain bike crash a few weeks previously, requiring a metal…

She hit the mainstream in the UK when Top Gear signed her as a presenter, but the reason Sabine Schmitz landed such a high-profile TV gig was simply because she was the real deal. Tributes have been generous and plentiful since her death from cancer at just 51 this month. She will be remembered as one of that elite band who can rightly call themselves Nürburgring specialists. Twice a winner of the Nordschleife’s lairy 24-hour sports car race (in 1996 and 1997), she grew up in a family that ran a hotel local to the world’s most famous track, then spent her life learning every inch of it. Perhaps more importantly, Schmitz carried her talent, passion and expertise with constant good humour and grace. She will be sorely missed.…

ABT CUPRA Mattias Ekström WRX and DTM champion Claudia Hürtgen Former DTM and Le Mans racer ANDRETTI UNITED Timmy Hansen WRX front-runner Catie Munnings European Ladies Rally champion HISPANO-SUIZA XITE Oliver Bennett WRX racer Christine Giampaoli Zonca Rally veteran ROSBERG X RACING Johan Kristofferson Three-time WRX champion Molly Taylor Australian Rally champion ACCIONA SAINZ Carlos Sainz Sr Two-time WRC champion Laia Sanz 13-time Women’s Trial champion CHIP GANASSI RACING Kyle LeDuc Six-time Pro4 champion Sara Price Motocross rider, off-road racer JBXE Jenson Button Formula 1 champion Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky Swedish Touring Car race winner VELOCE Jamie Chadwick W Series champion Stéphane Sarrazin WEC front-runner X44 Sébastien Loeb Nine-time WRC champion Cristina Gutiérrez Dakar Rally stage winner…

A touchy subject James Attwood has been given the impression that the worship of touchscreens by Volkswagen and others is partly down to customer demand (Our Cars, 10 February). Really? I’d say it’s because it costs them less than buttons and switches.s. Is there a great demand by drivers to prod at a screen and take their eyes off the road instead of moving a switch by feel when they need to adjust the cabin temperature? Not from me there isn’t. And voice control? You end up looking at the screen for even longer after you ask for it to be colder and it directs you to Oldham. Touchscreens are erratic as well. I had a good long test drive in a Volkswagen ID 3 last year. Halfway through the…

MILEAGE 6440 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see how easily a hot-shoe rally replica fits into daily life We’ve reached the first service for the GR Yaris, service intervals than it does the number of miles we’ve driven lately. Normally we would have taken the car to a main Toyota dealer (any can do work on the GR Yaris, even though not all carry demonstrators) to have the fixed-price £165 interim service carried out. (A 12,000-mile major service costs £375.) However, Toyota GB has at its headquarters a GR Yaris without the Circuit Pack that’s fitted to our car. I’ve been intrigued to test the difference, so for a back-to-back test, I took our black car to the workshop in Sussex and, while it was being looked at, headed across…

Mercedes-Benz 230 CE Michael bought a cracker of an old car for just £875: “I had a lease car for company use at the time – a Mercedes CLK convertible – and realised that I was going to rack up a large mileage charge because of my daily commute in the final year of the contract. This 1991 Mercedes 230 CE pillarless coupé was in good condition, with 87,000 miles and a tan leather interior that was factory-fresh and looked unused. The car was very reliable, with very good economy, and took on the role of the daily commute. In the end, I part-exchanged it for a Volkswagen Touareg. Both cars had bags of character, and I would have both back on the fleet today if I had the room…

TOYOTA GR YARIS £1498 deposit, £499 per month, 48 months, 8000 miles per year This rally special has entered Toyota’s new model lists with a sparkling chassis and suspension that are perfectly tuned for Britain’s B-roads. With a 1.6-litre three-pot turbo engine making 257bhp and four-wheel drive, it won five stars on our road test. MERCEDES-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+ £3040 deposit, £507 per month, 48 months, 8000 miles per year We called Mercedes’ hottest hatch “utterly ridiculous,” but for all the right reasons, chief among them being that its 416bhp 2.0-litre turbo motor has a higher specific output than the Ferrari 488 Pista. It’s quick in a straight line and great in corners, too. FORD FOCUS ST 2.3 ECOBOOST £2402 deposit, £400 per month, 48 months, 8000 miles per year…

Ford Puma 1.6 Zetec £2395 Today’s Puma is a compact crossover, but 1997’s Puma was a rather good coupé that was advertised as a ‘driver’s dream’. There was a choice of four engines, but easily the most popular was the 1.7-litre 16-valve unit. Still, today, condition matters more than engine, which is why our attention was drawn to this rare 1.6 Zetec. A one-owner, 2001-reg car, it has done 77,000 miles and has a full service history. At least from the photos, it appears to be immaculate. A bargain classic if ever there was one.…

An expert’s view NERSESS DER NERSESSIAN, FORRERA “When the A-Class first came out, everybody wanted one, but a couple of years later, I began hearing stories of many of them being scrapped. I wondered why, so I started working on them. I soon realised that it wasn’t the cars at fault but the people working on them. Owners love the A-Class. It’s roomy, practical and, above all, easy to get in and out of. I have a bad back and so do many of my older customers, so we find the A-Class a dream.” Buyer beware… ▪ ENGINE Check old invoices, if they still exist, for work done, paying attention to small but vital jobs such as spark plug, fuel filter and pollen filter changes. A rubbing sound at tickover…

BOSSES AT VOLKSWAGEN Group luxury brands Porsche and Bentley have discussed their plans to demonstrate the feasibility of synthetic fuels as an alternative to electrification. Porsche R&D chief Michael Steiner went so far as to suggest that the use of e-fuels could allow the firm to continue selling combustion-engined cars alongside its EVs, even after 2030 in the UK. The UK government plans to ban the sale of new ICE cars from 2030, but Steiner said: “We’re convinced this is a misunderstanding. The problem isn’t the internal combustion engine itself, it’s the fuel you burn.” Porsche has partnered with Siemens Energy to build an e-fuels development plant in Chile, and it has previously said that such fuels – which emit no CO2 when burned – can be used in its…

Lexus has showcased its EV ambitions with the radical LF-Z Electrified concept, which “incorporates driving performance, styling and technologies that Lexus plans to realise” with its next-generation electric cars. The Japanese premium brand was one of the front-runners in the first wave of electrified production cars. It now aims to build on that heritage by launching 20 new or upgraded models, of which 10 will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric, by 2025. Lexus has hinted at plans to launch sports cars, “cars appropriate for chauffeur driving” and “models in entirely new categories” as part of this new strategy, and it will reveal the first two additions to its line-up later this year. The LF-Z concept gives clues as to what to expect from the brand’s new-age electric cars.…

THE ABSENCE OF a manual gearbox on the latest crop of performance cars has been a growing source of consternation for many who just don’t find any kind of semi-automatic ’box involving enough. The new BMW M3 Competition isn’t offered with a manual at all in the UK. Its transmission isn’t a dual-clutch automatic, though. Instead, BMW has reverted to a ZF-supplied eight-speed torque-converter automatic with paddle shifters to gain efficiency. Since the spectre of CO2 reared its head, manufacturers have worked hard to find compelling alternatives to torque-converter autos back when the nickname ‘slushbox’ was still relevant. Before that, the automated manual (AMT) was the first attempt to take charge of shifting in a way that gave manufacturers some chance of controlling what the engine was doing, efficiency-wise. Used…

MONDAY My first proper chance to bond with a new Land Rover Defender, and what a superb creation it turns out to be. The example I’m punting is a short-wheelbase 90 SE powered by the D250 (247bhp) 3.0-litre Ingenium six-cylinder diesel and equipped with air suspension. It also has the bog-basic 18in white steel wheels (the best, to me) plus off-road tyres, rubber mats and a snorkel, and is thus prepared for rougher treatment than it’ll get in my hands. What I’m most impressed by is the first-level stuff – the quality, the design inside and out, the powertrain refinement, the creamy torque, the accurate steering, the suspension’s quiet, long-travel bump absorption and, the biggest surprise of all, the cushioned quietness of the tyres on any surface. This weekend, I’ll…

While ancient immortals may insist that there can be only one, Toyota clearly begs to differ when it comes to SUVs given their continued popularity. The firm already offers the C-HR, RAV4 and Land Cruiser in the UK; recently revealed the Yaris Cross; is putting the finishing touches to an electric SUV; and has even reinvented its Aygo city car as a crossover. But that still leaves room for something bigger, which explains why Toyota has finally brought the Highlander to these shores. Now in its fourth generation, the Highlander has long been a key part of Toyota’s line-up in the US and other countries. To Americans, it’s a mid-size SUV, but over here the seven-seater is very much on the large side. It’s not exactly subtle, but the Highlander…

Mazda’s innovative 2.0-litre compression-ignition petrol engine has lately come in for its first major overhaul, and the revised unit gets an outing first in the latest Mazda 3 hatchback and this newly updated CX-30 crossover. The engine has received new, reprofiled intake cams, a lowered compression ratio, new pistons, revised control software and a new 24V belt-driven mild-hybrid system. That last element mostly works to refine performance, rather than to boost it significantly, flattening out the torque curve and enhancing throttle response at low revs. Even so, the engine (dubbed e-Skyactiv-X) yields an extra 6bhp and 12lb ft of torque when working its hardest and makes for a CO2 emissions saving of 5-11g/km, depending on the model. In the CX-30, it impresses most for low-load cruising refinement, but it’s also…

DIMENSIONS PARKING WHEEL AND PEDAL ALIGNMENT Brake pedal lines up with the middle of the driver’s seat, instead of being offset to the right or left. Driving position is comfortable, with decent adjustability in the seat base. A little more reach adjustment in the steering column would have been appreciated by some testers. HEADLIGHTS Entry-level Life cars get full automatic LEDs as standard. Business models and up gain VW’s ‘IQ Light’ LED matrix system, which includes auto-dip and cornering functions.…

I know what you’re thinking: we’ve lost the plot. It’s just not a how could it be? It’s like asking the well-meaning Old Boys squad from your local rugby club to play 80 minutes against a first-string All Blacks side. The result is only going to go one way, and in an uncomfortably brutal fashion. Yet there’s method to our madness here, because the Ford Puma ST and the Lamborghini Urus have more in common than a 444bhp difference in power and £140,000 gap in price (you could buy nearly six Pumas for the cost of one Urus) would have you believe. You see, these two are essentially the bookends of an increasingly popular genre: the superheated SUV. It’s obviously not a new concept (Porsche has been at it for…

If you can say one good thing for lockdowns, it’s that all those extra hours sitting at home give you time to think. And, as Autocar writers are prone to do, we’ve mostly been using that time to think about cars. In particular, we’ve been thinking about used cars. With all that extra time, we’ve found ourselves trawling used car websites and dreaming about what we might buy when this is finally all over. So for Autocar’s annual Used Car Hero award, we’ve decided to pick our ultimate lockdown dream car. Each team member has nominated the car they’ve spent the most time dreaming of buying for the past few months. Now the real fun begins: we’ve got to argue among ourselves and pick a winner. There will probably be…

The UK is blessed with some of the leading historic racing teams in Europe. Teams that spend much of the racing season criss-crossing the continent, taking cars to major historic race meetings for customers to race. It’s a significant business and one of the things that British firms do very well. This year, though, they’re facing a double whammy as they rebuild after a pandemic-decimated 2020. Brexit has created challenges in terms of carnets and transporting cars and equipment in and out of the UK, but the lengthening shadow of Covid-19 over the racing season in Europe is an even bigger concern. The paperwork system is new, and it’s taking some time for team bosses to work out what they need to do to take cars, tyres, spares, tools and…

Peugeot vs Hispano 24 September 1910 IN THE VERY early days of motoring, the cheapest cars were very small, light and low-powered things, widely called voiturettes. The most prestigious title was the Coupe des Voiturettes, a race set up in 1906 by L’Auto – the popular magazine that in 1903 had created the Tour de France for bicycles. Long road courses were used in Rambouillet, then Compiègne and from 1909 Boulogne. We reported on the second running at this 23.5-mile circuit, as the four-cylinder cars came under threat from one- and two-pot newcomers. The event got off to an awful start, as Coupe holder Giosuè Giuppone was killed on a trial run. Thankfully, the race was free of tragedy as well as “remarkably fine”, with Hispano-Suiza battling Lion-Peugeot (a maker…

Extreme E’s home from home is the RMS St Helena, a former Royal Mail ship that has been converted into a floating hub for the championship. But it won’t just be shipping electric race cars around the world: it’s also key to XE’s environmental mission. As part of the renovation for XE, the St Helena has been fitted with a laboratory (replacing a swimming pool) so that, while it’s in the environmentally damaged locations, scientists will be able to research climate change to guide conservation efforts. As the series’ bosses note, without XE, it would be impossible to find funding to put such research facilities in place in those locations. XE is also conducting legacy programmes in each location, with a vow to ensure it leaves each in a better…

FEATURE Noble: the golden era We look back at the rise of Noble, revisiting the supercar-slaying M12 and catching up with founder Lee Noble TWIN TEST Volkswagen Tiguan R vs Mercedes-AMG GLB Golf R and A45 have gained SUV siblings. Are they any good? FEATURE Dealers come back Dealers may reopen on 12 April. Here’s what to expect – and what deals will be on offer EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Suzuki Across The Toyota RAV4 PHEV by another name is given the full eight pages FIRST DRIVE Audi Q5 Sportback Our first test of the latest addition to Audi’s ever-growing SUV line-up SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p40…

QUESTION Can I get an economical family hatchback no older than a 14-reg that’s well-equipped, fun to drive and cheap to insure, with reasonable performance and low mileage, for £6000? Helen Holgate, via email ANSWER Yes, but just the one: a Ford Focus 1.25 Zetec. With luck, you will find a 2014-reg with around 35,000 miles for your money. Don’t accept any tat. It should be as blemish-free as any seven-year-old car has a right to be and with a full service history, although not necessarily main-dealer. The 123bhp 1.0 Ecoboost engine is a gem: sweetly thrummy and torquey low down. It’s so smooth that it’s easy to be in the wrong gear. Expect around 40mpg. JE QUESTION I haven’t been using my car and am worried that leaving it…

Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 R auto £35,500 With the prospect of Jaguar becoming an electric the big supercharged V8 engine under the bonnet of this F-Type is suddenly even more attractive. It produces 543bhp and a thumping 502lb ft, sufficient to launch the car from 0-62mph in 4.0sec. This R version of the F-Type is one down from the pants-on-fire SVR but the better choice. Cheaper, too. Our example is a 2014-reg car with 57,000 miles and a full Jaguar service history. It looks fabulous in Stratus Grey metallic paint with, inside, black and ivory two-tone leather sports seats. Features include four-wheel drive, 20in alloys, an electronic active differential and LED headlights. It also has Jaguar’s adaptive dynamics system that controls vertical body movement, roll and pitch. When new, it…

A hoy. The annual Autocar Awards are incoming, gongs is for the Readers’ Champion, and this year an idea of mine has apparently been the inspiration. A few weeks ago, I imagined my dream 10-car garage and posted it on social media, and around 1000 people gave me theirs in response (the Porsche 911 was the top-named model, by the way). So we’re asking a similar but slightly more relevant question for this year’s Readers’ Champion at the Autocar Awards. We would like to know your dream three-car garage, although there are caveats, because the cars have to fit into three categories. These are Daily Driver (a new car for everyday use, costing around £30,000); Just For Fun (a new car to enjoy driving, costing around £50,000); and Wildcard (a…

Mini is about to undergo a major shake-up as its BMW parent executes plans to dramatically extend the British brand’s line-up and transform it into an electric-only maker by 2030. Between late 2022 and 2025, Autocar understands, Mini will launch a super-compact three-door electric city car just 3.5m long, before capping the new range with a bigger Countryman crossover and a spacious, long-range electric MPV. These last two models are expected to be at least 4.5m long, making them the biggest Minis yet. Today’s 3-Door Hatch and 5-Door Hatch will be replaced, as will be the Convertible and Clubman, Autocar understands. A step towards becoming a fully electrified brand has been taken with the unveiling of the one-off electric Mini JCW Pacesetter (see separate story, right), which will be used…

Prodrive, the Banbury-based race car builder and technology company, has confirmed that it has begun developing what it believes will be the world’s first ‘desert hypercar’ for private sale and aims to have a prototype running by the end of this year. When complete, the super-exclusive machine is expected to find buyers at more than £1 million apiece. David Richards, Prodrive’s founder and CEO, has confirmed exclusively to Autocar that the new car will be built at its HQ in Banbury by Prodrive’s own team of engineers and technicians, who have built many specialist and competition cars over the years and who are currently responsible for the Le Mans class-winning Aston Martin GT cars that race around the world. The new Dakar-derived hypercar project (likely to be sold as the…

Seat will lead the development and production of the Volkswagen Group’s long-anticipated entry-level compact electric cars on the new ‘MEB-Lite’ platform, the first of which are due in 2025. The new EV architecture, a modified version of the existing MEB platform, will be used for affordable electric Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen cars with a targeted starting price of €20,000 (about £17,000). Seat will launch an ‘urban electric vehicle’ (a crossover with similar dimensions to its current Arona) in 2025, although it has yet to finalise if it will be sold under the Seat or more upmarket Cupra brand. Volkswagen will launch its first model on the platform – likely to be a crossover badged the ID 2 – around the same time. The Volkswagen Group aims to build ‘MEB-Lite’…

SKODA WILL SOLIDIFY its position as the Volkswagen Group’s most value-focused brand by ushering in new entry-level versions of its existing models, as well as an affordable electric car to sit beneath the new Enyaq iV SUV. Speaking at Skoda’s annual results conference, at which the brand announced that its global sales dipped 19.1% in 2020 (due to the pandemic) but its European market share rose 0.5%, boss Thomas Schäfer said: “We’re adding affordable, entry-level variants to each of our existing model series. “These have been costed down to the last penny and will therefore appeal to a larger target group. “At the same time, we’re intentionally holding on to models like the Fabia Combi [Estate], as they show that Skoda is serious about affordable mobility.” The next-generation Fabia will…

KIA SAYS IT is taking “electric performance to another level” with the GT version of its new EV6 electric flagship, which will top a range comprising rear- and four-wheel-drive variants with a choice of battery capacities. The dual-motor EV6 GT sends 577bhp and 546lb ft to both axles and can achieve 0-62mph in 3.5sec and a top speed of 162mph. That makes it the quickest Kia yet, as well as faster and more powerful than the Porsche Taycan 4S. The standard EV6, meanwhile, is available in either rear-wheel-drive form with a 77.4kWh battery giving 316 miles of range or with four-wheel drive and a 58.0kWh battery, which will provide a range closer to 250 miles. The rear-wheel-drive version uses a 226bhp motor on the rear axle and is capable of…

The new UK boss of DS believes a focus on offering a premium buying experience with new dealerships and personal customer service is key to growing the brand in Britain. DS was spun off from fellow Stellantis marque Citroën six years ago, with the aim of creating a French rival to German premium brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But while DS has shown encouraging growth in some European markets – and is particularly strong in its homeland – it is lagging behind in the UK. DS sold 2379 cars here in 2020, giving it a market share of just 0.15% – down from 0.19% the previous year. UK boss Jules Tilstone, who previously served as the firm’s European commercial chief, told Autocar: “As a new, conquest brand, Covid-19…

‘S-bend ahead’ warns the instrument binnacle. Sigh. In the era of assertive, borderline bolshy electronic driver aids, there are more patronising interventions than this, but still. Is it necessary for the thing to tell me the road is about to go one way then t’other? Except this is no warning, as the next line reveals. ‘Press OK for N mode’. Now this is more like it. Because in prompting you to select N mode, this car doesn’t want you to slow down. Instead, it wants you to say yes to sharper throttle response, a meatier exhaust note, less prohibitive stability control and less assisted steering. If anything, it wants you to speed up. Welcome to the new Hyundai i20 N. For Britain, it’s only the second N Performance product after…

Volkswagen’s range of R-badged performance derivatives is currently undergoing a major strategic expansion; something signalled a couple of years ago by the arrival of the T-Roc R crossover and now indicated to even more conspicuous effect by this all-new, range-topping version of the brand’s largest SUV in Europe, the Touareg. There have been performance-flavoured Touaregs before, but what this new go-faster version really shows is how much more broadly defined the role of the Volkswagen R-branded car may be in the years to come than once it was. When you stretch a sub-brand, you inevitably have to flex and change it in order to accommodate the Arteon Shooting Brakes, Tiguan SUVs and everything else you want it to work on in between. But with this Touareg, I wonder if Wolfsburg…

The Kia Sorento may qualify as mid-sized in the US, where it sits below the gargantuan Telluride, but in Britain it’s one of only a few seven-seat large SUVs that are capable of zero-emissions driving. While the Ford Kuga PHEV makes do with five seats and the similarly sized Skoda Kodiaq is limited to combustion power only, the plug-in hybrid Sorento promises up to 35 miles of electric-only range from its 13.8kWh battery pack. It shares its 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with the conventional Sorento Hybrid but gains a more powerful electric motor for a combined 261bhp, which is sent to both axles via a six-speed automatic transmission. The most potent Sorento is also the most environmentally friendly, with official CO2 emissions of 38g/km qualifying it for a company car-friendly…

VOLKSWAGEN ID 3 PRO PERFORMANCE LIFE Has the range, usability, performance and value to stand out, but little charm. KIA E-NIRO 2 New 64kWh 2 is now the only e-Niro that qualifies for the grant. Spacious, but standard equipment not so strong now. PEUGEOT E-2008 ALLURE Offers more equipment and interior style than the Mokka while qualifying – just – for the latest government PiCG grant. VAUXHALL MOKKA-E SE NAV Looks good and drives well enough, plus the price has come down so all variants now qualify for the £2500 grant. NISSAN LEAF TEKNA Plenty of kit, and good drivability and value, from well-established EV. Real-world range is about 130 miles.…

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Britain’s first ‘smart of the westbound M42 near Birmingham. The Highways Agency’s term for the scheme was Active Traffic Management (ATM), because it employed technologies including a system called Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling (Midas) and strategies including part-time use of the hard shoulder as a live lane, with emergency areas to control the traffic. More ATM motorways followed until, in 2013, the agency changed the name to smart motorway. Shortly afterwards, it closed some hard shoulders permanently, converting them to live or ‘running’ lanes. In 2016, the Parliamentary Transport Select Committee criticised this move, saying: “[The Department for Transport] needs to demonstrate that all-lane running schemes do not make the road any less safe than the traditional motorway with a hard…

When the new FIA Extreme E (XE) World Championship the historic city of Al-’Ula in Saudi Arabia this weekend, it won’t just be the first round of a new motorsport series but also the start of a whole new concept – one that’s provocative, challenging, groundbreaking and exciting in equal measure. The brainchild of Formula E founder Alejandro Agag, XE is an off-road championship for identical 550bhp electric SUVs competing head-to-head on off-road courses marked out by gates. Each team features a male and a female racer who must swap at the midpoint of each race, and competitors can earn a boost by performing big jumps and winning online fan votes. The races will take place without spectators (although that no longer seems novel) in five remote locations affected by…

WRITE TO autocar@haymarket.com Gloves are off I know that things are a bit strange at the moment, but it’s not the 1920s, so why is Tom Morgan not slating a supermini that requires its driver to wear a hat and gloves to keep warm in winter (Our Cars, 17 February)? If the Renault Zoe requires the heating to be switched off in order to reach its destination, it’s either a one-star design or in need of urgent repair. Fast-acting heated seats that leave your hands, limbs and head freezing just don’t cut it. Presumably the air conditioning is similarly unusable in the summer if your trip is longer than the end of the road. If the Zoe represents the state of the art, it seems to me that BEVs continue…

BMW 320 I don’t want to go on about having a bunch of Road Fund Licence-free motors, but it was a nice surprise to receive a ‘vehicle tax reminder’ the other day for the Baby Shark. When I got the buff brown envelope, I was initially a bit concerned, because I had forgotten that it was due. I’ve been using the Shark recently and checking all the vitals, as it’s due for a 200-mile run. I’m looking forward to that. It certainly starts better than it did a year ago. There is a technique, but actually the best trick is to be patient. I do have a list of things that will make it better as I continue organising my motoring priorities.…

The five-door version of the previous Insignia clearly thought its replacement, launched in 2017, needed a grander title, hence Grand Sport. It set the bar pretty high in terms of customer expectations. As things turned out, the new car was impressive: handsome, roomy, comfortable and great value. Indeed, we ranked it our third-favourite mid-size business car. Of course, since it was launched, the world has changed. Unless it has a premium badge, nobody wants a mid-size business saloon any more. At the same time, EVs are making old fossil-fuel burners such as the Insignia, which doesn’t even have a hybrid in its range, look yet more passé. And that’s good news for used car buyers spoiled rotten by the huge choice of cheap yet still youthful Insignias. How about £8990…

AUDI A1 QUATTRO The A1 quattro was an ultra-limited model launched in 2012. Just 19 examples of the 252bhp four-wheel-drive hot hatch came here, costing £41,000 – a price that made the 355bhp Mercedes-AMG 45, which was £38,000 when it arrived a year later, look a bargain. All A1 quattros were finished in white with gloss black roofs. One came up for auction recently. It had 38,000 miles on the clock, a relatively high figure for something so rare; three previous keepers in the logbook; and a good service history, although not exclusively from Audi. So, not perfect but good enough. Good enough to be worth £33,500? Someone thought so……

If you weren’t around in 1998, you will find it was at the arrival of the original A-Class, Mercedes-Benz’s first Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback. The year before, there had been the infamous elk test, when early cars had tipped over while swerving, and the expensive rectification work that followed. However, with all that behind us, we looked forward to experiencing the new model and discovering how Mercedes had managed to give its compact car the cabin space of a C-Class saloon. Not only that, but we also wanted to see how it had shoehorned the engine under the floor to improve occupant safety in a crash and how it felt to sit so high. We also wanted to try our hand at sliding and even removing the car’s individual rear seats…

Aston Martin’s Jaguar 19 February 1983 ASTON MARTIN AND Jaguar were both members of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group in the 1990s and 2000s, but this wasn’t the first time that they had collaborated. In 1979, celebrity Noel Edmonds was invited to drive Aston’s Bulldog concept. Inspired, he started work with designer John Evans and Bulldog engineering boss Keith Martin to improve his Jaguar XJS. Jaguar gave access to technical drawings and engineering data, and once the design was complete, it discussed with Aston the issues of homologation and production. The first conversion was to cost £43,000 (about £190,000 today), pricey because that included a full-size clay model, layout drawings, track testing and wind tunnel work. Aston was keen, but the idea had to be shelved because its Tickford coachbuilding arm…