Innholdsfortegnelse for April 21, 2021 i Autocar

AUDI HAS REVEALED the production-ready Q4 E-tron before UK deliveries of the electric SUV begin during the second half of this year. The Q4 is Audi’s fourth dedicated electric vehicle, following the E-tron, E-tron Sportback and recently unveiled E-tron GT, and the first to be based on parent Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric vehicle platform, as used for the Volkswagen ID 4 and Skoda Enyaq. The Q4 E-tron is produced in two distinct bodystyles. A standard SUV model places an emphasis on overall practicality, while a sleeker, rakish-roofed Sportback takes on a more sporting role. These production versions retain largely the same designs as their respective concepts, with a bluff front end dominated by a blanked-off grille, heavily structured air ducts, angular headlights with LED functionality, a contoured bonnet and deeply…

MASERATI HAS TAKEN its next step towards total electrification with the unveiling of the Levante Hybrid, which follows the Ghibli saloon in adopting 48V mild-hybrid functionality for improved efficiency. On sale late this year, the car pairs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a belt-integrated starter-generator, which recovers energy under braking and deceleration to charge a boot-mounted battery. This in turn powers an ‘eBooster’ electric motor to provide a slight power boost under acceleration and at low revs. Despite cutting emissions by 18% (to 231-252g/km) over the non-electrified petrol V6, the all-wheel-drive Hybrid offers comparable outputs of 325bhp and 332lb ft, which gets it from 0-62mph in six seconds, and to a top speed of 149mph. The new powertrain also weighs less than the V6 and offers improved weight…

Your app pings: you’re next up at the ‘smart bar’. You finish your coffee and saunter over, feeling slightly smug you’ve jumped the queue of people who turned up on spec. You stare at a guy at the next table miming the actions of a rally driver, until you realise he is wearing VR goggles and is virtually test driving the brand’s new car. At the ‘bar’ you draw out your phone and open the app that mirrors the infotainment screen of your car parked in the shopping centre’s basement. A brand ‘scholar’ walks you through the latest update, indicating the extra range and new features. You agree to the terms and your car is updated via secure wi-fi. You leave, realising that you haven’t been pressured to spend any…

Look at this new Porsche 911 GT3 on paper alone and you could be tempted – forgiven, indeed – to think we’ve been here before. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Or near as makes not much difference. Bit heavier, bit more powerful, a lot more expensive. Flat six, no turbos, two pedals or three. Nothing to see here, move right along. And what a mistake that would be. Because when you drive it, and for reasons we’ll be getting to directly, you realise it is one of the most-changed GT3s of them all. The most? The improvement from first to second generation of the original 996 was undoubtedly larger, but conceptually and in the way the car now begs to be driven? Yes, I’d say so.…

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always been a repository for the firm’s latest powertrain, suspension and safety technology. On the face of it, that would seem to be the case with this box-fresh new W223-generation version, which has just arrived on UK roads. But chauffeurs be warned: this time around, only really well-heeled S-Class owners may get the benefit of everything the car can do. Having had its platform and suspension widely overhauled, the new S-Class will ultimately have camera-based predictive E-Active Body Control suspension, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering – a combination not seen on any of its predecessors. There will be 48V mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains on offer, as well as world-first frontal airbags for those oh-so-important people travelling in the rear seats. Limited autonomous driving functionality should…

The defining trait of the newest addition to the Volkswagen Golf engine line-up is subtlety. At a time when Volkswagen is making bold statements about its electric ambitions with its advertising campaign for the ID 4, the addition of a 48V mild-hybrid system to the Golf’s entry-level three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo petrol is so subtle that you’d barely notice it. And that’s not intended as a criticism. As is typical for these things, the electric system for the new eTSI-branded unit takes the form of an integrated starter-generator, which attaches to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The motor clearly isn’t there to offer extra performance: the unit has the same power and maximum torque as the existing non-electrified 1.0-litre (which uses a six-speed manual). It offers only a subtle 1.3mpg improvement in…

1 BMW M4 COMPETITION Fast, fantastically engaging and impressively usable, all at the same time. Pity about the looks, but a force to be reckoned with all the same. 2 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO Firecracker Alfa saloon lays on the charm with balletic handling, good looks and a soulful V6. Interior could be smarter. 3 MERCEDES-AMG C63 S COUPE Thundering C63 S is on its way out, taking its epic twin-turbo V8 with it. Handling not as graceful as the Alfa’s or BMW’s, but grab one while you still can. 4 LEXUS RC-F Two-door Lexus brings a wickedly old-school atmospheric V8 to the table. Not as sharp as some here but enticingly characterful. 5 AUDI RS5 Exceptionally fast regardless of the road conditions, but the RS5 doesn’t do much to involve you in the process.…

WO Bentley’s old company car is perhaps the ultimate in automotive politeness: as you open the passenger door, you have to step aside and let the driver in first. Not because of some Nascar-like welded driver’s door, but because the gearlever is on the right of the driver’s seat so it’s a lot easier to enter from the left. Pleasantries done, you’re then sitting on the very bench on which WO once perched. This Mulliner-bodied 8 Litre was his daily driver, using it for around a year before the company hit the buffers in 1931 and got sold to Rolls-Royce. Only 100 examples were ever made but it was proudly proclaimed to be capable of 100mph, no matter what sort of bodywork was fitted. This very magazine hit a 0.5-mile…

Luca de Meo, Renault Group boss and architect of an aggressive, all-encompassing EV-based turnaround plan called ‘Renaulution’, says the project’s catchy name occurred to him one morning in the shower. “I often have ideas while I’m getting ready for work,” he says. “So I use those waterproof notepads you can get on Amazon. I knew straight away this name would work because it combined ‘revolution’, which conveyed a real sense of urgency, and ‘Renault’, which was intended to make clear we would use our own talents for this. There would be no consultants.” Even from the outside it was obvious the Renault Group had become too orthodox in its approach, says de Meo, who began his automotive career at Renault and remembers its adventurous, avantgarde soul. But because of the…

“The moment is approaching when the electric car will become the more viable in Europe” Under Renaulution, the linking of the Lada and Dacia brands in one business unit will not only build a division making over a million cars a year, but will also further improve economies of scale for the group’s remarkable CMF-B platform (best known as the basis of the new Clio) on which all-new Dacia-Lada models in the short to medium term will be based. If all current plans reach fruition, says Dacia-Lada division CEO Denis Le Vot, the Renault Group could soon be making up to eight million cars on the same underpinnings. Le Vot is tasked with taking advantage of the “huge opportunity” to link the Lada and Dacia marques under their skins, while…

Andrew Frankel literally wrote the book that Autocar uses to this day to educate budding road testers about the primacy of fitness for purpose when assessing a new car. But I know where he’s coming from. It’s easier when you can think as an interested driver would, with a close eye on dynamic appeal, when deciding a verdict. Half of the big group tests we do are of driver’s cars of one form or another, because we think you’ll be more interested in tests like that. Our instinct then is to give the nod to the betterdriving car; all else being equal, it’s generally the reasonable thing to do. But sometimes it isn’t… One of the first twin tests I wrote, in March 2010, featured the Jaguar XJ. I drove…

Commentating on motorsport has been my passion for 30 years, and while I have stepped back from Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage this year, the microphone is still a part of me. That moment of going live on air and communicating with the viewer never fails to boost adrenaline levels and sharpen my mind. Race-day build-up is intense: I avoid drinking too much coffee as my heart rate is already increasing, and I steer away from a generous lunch as I don’t want to be heard burping on the formation lap. Walking through the paddock near race time helps me pick up the vibe of the event as drivers are suiting up and heading for their cars. Over the years, I have had several jet lag-induced dreams of being caught…

As Ben Edwards says, the undoubted master of motorsport commentary was Murray Walker, who died recently. Even though ‘Muddy Talker’ stood down from full-time commentary 20 years ago, his distinctive, excitable style meant he remained the voice of F1 for many. Walker’s commentary was so distinctive that most fans remember key moments in F1 history through his words. “And look at that! Colossally… that’s Mansell!” Nigel Mansell, Adelaide, 1986 “This is what we were fearing might happen!” Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, Suzuka, 1988 “It’s happened immediately!” Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, Suzuka, 1989 “And I’ve got to stop… because I’ve got a lump in my throat.” Damon Hill, Suzuka, 1996 What was his secret? In December 2017, Steve Cropley visited Walker to watch that year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix…

Best car in the world If luxury saloons are the world’s best cars, the S-Class has been the best of the best. We pit the new one against a Flying Spur Dacia Sandero And this may very well be the best value car in the world. Just how good is it? Matt Windle We meet the man leading Lotus into an exciting new era for the sports car brand EVERY WEEK Ford Transit Tourneo Van-based MPV is still a popular and practical buy. We get the keys to one Hyundai Ioniq 5 Our first taste of Seoul’s stylish new electric saloon SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p38…

MILEAGE 6881 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see how easily a hot-shoe rally-replica fits into daily life I’VE HAD A spell without track or test days or long work drives in the GR. Which means it has become, of all things, a local runabout. A Yaris. Appalling, I know, but it’s pretty good at it. Space is limited in the back, so think of it as a three-rather than full four-seater. You can get a small person behind the driver, but scooch the front passenger seat forwards and an adult can sit behind an adult, although access is tight. I tend not to fold the driver’s seat forwards if I can help it, because it doesn’t remember the backrest angle when you slide it back, meaning a bit of faffing…

We’ve not seen the Golf for a bit, but all of a sudden exciting things are occurring. An imminent MOT, some in-car lighting modifications and quite possibly a new tyre. But first of all let’s deal with the big issue: the windscreen. Like all these things, it started small and rapidly spread, and after a day it was as you can see in the picture. It’s covered under our multi-car policy – well, it covers three of the motors – and it seems that mobile services are suspended right now. Rather like the old days, you’re obliged to go to a centre, none of which are conveniently located. The excess is £115, and at the time of writing the appointment is tomorrow.…

Just as there is more than one way to skin a cat, so there is more than one way to design a coupé. That said, most manufacturers would aim to make theirs as fun to drive as possible (see BMW 4 Series), but with its A5 coupé, Audi has chosen to give sporty drivers something cooler and more restrained. It’s practical, too, thanks to split rear seats and a huge 465-litre boot. You need more practicality? Then look no further than the A5 Sportback, a five-door variant with engines and trims that ape the coupé’s. New, prices were the same too, but on the used market, a like-for-like Sportback appears to be a tad cheaper, perhaps because there are more of them. Back to the coupé. The generation we’re talking…

From March next year the Mondeo will be no more, bringing to an end this country’s nearly 30-year love affair with the model. In truth, that affair cooled in recent years, but even so, some versions never lost their appeal. They include the ST200. Based on the Mk2 Mondeo and launched in 1999, its 2.5-litre V6 engine was tweaked by Ford’s special ops team to produce 202bhp. Admittedly, its successor, the Mk3 ST220, is more popular with fast Ford enthusiasts, but a good ST200 is still desirable. At least the person who bid £4860 for this one with 112,000 miles at a recent auction thought so.…

“An anachronism, albeit a strangely likeable one,” concluded Autocar when we tested the then new MG RV8 in 1993. With the car’s leaf springs, rear drum brakes and wood and leather-trimmed interior on the one hand, and a widened track, modern engine management system, Quaife limited-slip diff and 190bhp fuel-injected 3.9-litre alloy V8 on the other, the statement summed up the roadster perfectly. Japan loved the model, eventually buying 1600 (80%) of the near-2000 cars that were built between 1992 and 1995. Most of these had extras such as air conditioning fitted to them and were finished in Woodcote Green. Around 800 of them have since been repatriated to the UK, and they populate the classifieds today. The idea for the RV8 came when Rover’s Heritage Division began making MGB…

It was a novel idea at the time: we’d assess the cars first and largely keep the photographers at bay until later. It was 2005, I think, and the idea of Adam, then Autocar’s road test editor. We were planning a big race-trackbased group test, to take place over several days. Previously, car testing and photography on jobs like this would have happened around each other – with photographers and hired hands nipping off in a few test cars at a time to unused parts of a circuit to take pictures, possibly of the car going sideways, while assessment carried on elsewhere. But not any more: we’d noticed on-track photography wore down the tyre shoulders, affecting steering response and accuracy. So we should test first thing, on fresh tyres. There…

THE NEW CITROEN C5X doesn’t slot easily into any one market segment, blending elements of SUVs, estates and saloons in its silhouette, and that’s just the way design boss Pierre Leclercq wanted it. “We had a conversation in which someone said they couldn’t really identify what it was, and that’s probably the best compliment for us,” he said, “because we are always trying to find a new silhouette and new ways of making cars.” HOWEVER, CITROEN’S premium-focused sibling brand, DS, is much more certain about the shape and positioning of its closely related 9 saloon. “There won’t be an estate version,” UK managing director Jules Tilstone told Autocar, pouring cold water on suggestions that DS could follow the Peugeot 508 in offering the 9 in two bodystyles. “It’s an E-segment…

THE CHINA-ONLY ID 6 SUV is Volkswagen’s largest electric model yet and the first to offer seven seats as an option. Sold in ‘X’ SUV and ‘Crozz’ coupé forms, the family EV is offered with 58kWh or 77kWh battery packs for a claimed maximum range of 365 miles on China’s NEDC cycle. Measuring 30cm longer than the ID 4, its cabin is said to offer a “lounge character”. The top-rung 4Motion car has 302bhp and hits 62mph from rest in 6.6sec.…

Because double wishbones are better than MacPherson struts at keeping as much of the tyre as possible on the road and working. The more consistent the contact patch can remain through the suspension’s arc of operation, the more grip the car will develop, the more reliable its handling will be and the better the tyres will wear. So why don’t all cars have them? They are expensive to develop and simply not needed for most cars. A MacPherson strut provides less wheel control and fewer options for tuning, but it has done the job well enough to serve on all road 911s for 58 years. It’s also cheaper to produce and more space efficient – two reasons why it appears on almost all affordable cars. Interestingly, though, the GT3’s luggage…

Did you know AC Cars celebrates its 120th birthday this year? Neither did we. It would be all too easy to assume the tiny sports car maker had disappeared years ago, its legacy living on only through numerous replicas and kits of its most famous offering, the fearsome Anglo-American Cobra. AC has never really been away. Since the late 1990s, it has been quietly going about its business under the eye of current owner Alan Lubinsky. But only recently has there been a concerted effort to put the brand back in the spotlight. It started with the Cobra MkIV 378 that was launched three years ago and has continued with the recent reveal of an on-trend all-electric version of the even more retro MkII. Yet for those who have V-Power…

MODEL TESTED COMPETITION Price £74,205 • Power 503bhp • Torque 479lb ft • 0-60mph 3.9sec • 30-70mph in fourth 4.5sec • Fuel economy 20.4mpg • CO2 emissions 231g/km • 70-0mph 41.4m Whether you think of this week’s test subject as the second generation of a particular M division performance coupé or as a de facto sixth-generation version of an even more influential one, we can probably all agree that the arrival of the new BMW M4 Competition represents a significant moment for enthusiasts and keen drivers the world over. The M4 is the modern inheritor of the legacy of that oh-so formative M3 homologation special of 1986 and brings with it plenty to talk about besides its styling – which, like that of so many modern BMWs, is intended to…

The M4 Competition’s performance on MIRA’s dry circuit was impressive, and all the more so considering our test car was some way from being in what BMW might consider a track-optimised specification (standard iron brakes, regular PS4S tyres). Yes, it worked those brakes hard, but they still survived close to an hour’s examination without serious fade. The tyres resisted overheating to give finely balanced but robust grip that could be adjusted with tyre pressure, for superbly absorbing, throttle-adjustable handling. M Dynamic mode for the electronic stability control gives a reassuring safety net in the wet and dry without killing chassis response stone dead. Switch it off and you can adjust traction control on its own through 10 settings, the least intrusive of which permit lurid and indulgent oversteer. However you…

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The Bacalar spearheads a new era at Bentley, one in which it hopes its coachbuilding division, Mulliner, will lead a personalisation charge to give customers ever-more exclusive cars (if the idea of ‘more exclusivity’ doesn’t sound like a paradox too far). Mulliner claims to be the world’s oldest coachbuilder, starting out around 500 years ago when it was a saddle maker. Its links with Bentley date back to 1923, when it exhibited a two-seat 3 Litre Bentley at the Olympia Show in London. But the bond grew stronger from 1952, when Mulliner built the R-Type Continental, before the coachbuilders officially became part of Bentley in 1959. Now Mulliner has three arms within Bentley: Classic (to recreate icons such as the Blower), Collections (where customers can specify unique personalisation options) and…

Since Luca de Meo’s arrival, Renault has solidified its commitment to F1 by bringing it under the Alpine banner, making a long-term commitment to keep racing and laying down a three-model EV future for what is for now a one-model company, complete with a partnership with Lotus. “I regard F1 as the PhD of automotive,” says de Meo. “When I arrived at Renault, a lot of smart people said I had to stop the sport after 44 years. Also, I had to close Alpine because it had only one product, and I had to dissolve the team of 400 top engineers at Renault Sport. “Alpine could be a great basis for an emotional, pure-electric car, a mixture between a mini-Tesla and a mini-Ferrari. Some people in the company decided this…

The recent debate on the rise of large SUVs in urban areas was sparked by a report that centres on the role of advertising in promoting “false promises of safety and superiority” with such vehicles. It was published by the New Weather Institute, a “think tank” that focuses on a “rapid transition to a fair economy”. The Mindgames on Wheels report claims that large SUVs account for a third of all vehicles sold, three-quarters of them registered to people living in urban areas. It calls for a ban on the advertising of such cars, arguing that “the human health and climate damage done by SUVs is huge and needs to be undone”. While the report does raise some interesting issues, it seems to merge two separate – but often related…

Vandoorne bounces back DS Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne and Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne shared the Formula E wins in Rome recently. Vandoorne had a dramatic weekend: he started race one on pole but was involved in an early clash. He then battled up the order, though crashed again after hitting a manhole cover while swerving to avoid a slowing car. Vandoorne recovered by fighting through the order and fending off Alexander Sims for the race-two win. New leadership for Merc tech team The Mercedes-AMG F1 team has revamped its technical team. Current tech boss James Allison will step back from day-to-day management and move into a new chief technology officer role with a focus on “the strategic challenges” of the sport’s incoming new rules. Mike Elliott will replace him as technical…

Daniel Sexton Gurney was one of motorsport’s great all-rounders. The American followed Phil Hill and broke into Europe with Ferrari in the 1950s. Brilliant in sports cars, he scored Porsche’s only grand prix win at the 1962 French GP, then moved to Brabham. He might have been champion in 1966 had he stayed, but instead he became a constructor, creating the fabulous Weslake V12-powered Eagle in which he won the 1967 Belgian GP, a week after winning Le Mans with Ford (where he invented the custom of spraying champagne in celebration). Gurney also won in Indycars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and even Nascar. He died in 2018, aged 86.…

Back or forth? David Duvall’s criticism of in-car touchscreens (31 March) was spot on. I drive a Volkswagen Touareg with a massive and impressive touchscreen, and I’ve come to hate it. It takes too much attention to use anything but the simplest functions. It is my fourth Touareg and, as a result, will be my last. Bring back knobs and switches. There are other ‘advances’ that also need to be reconsidered. As mentioned by Matt Prior (Tester’s Notes, 31 March), what about a spare wheel in every car? It’s all very well providing a tyre repair kit, but not every puncture can be repaired by a squirt of foam. And if you’re in a phone-signal black spot, of which there are many, in the absence of a Very pistol how…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 1269 WHY WE RAN IT To find out which end of this dynamic family hatch’s spectrum best suits it Have you ever experienced a small irritation getting in the way of something that would otherwise be great? For instance, you’re having a romantic meal with your partner in a fancy restaurant but somebody at a nearby table keeps laughing really obnoxiously. The Smiths’ Bigmouth Strikes Again comes on the radio, but all you can hear is that stupid highpitched backing vocal. Or you find a family hatchback that looks terrific, is thoroughly enjoyable to drive and is eminently practical but has all of its auxiliary functions on a complex and sometimes frustrating touchscreen. I am loath to start an article about any car negatively but feel I…

MILEAGE 1971 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To evaluate the depth and especially breadth of ability of the luxury SUV cohort’s now established leader WINTER LOOKED LIKE ending, so I took the Bentayga back to its maker’s Crewe HQ to swap its 21in winter tyres for a set of ‘summer’ Pirelli P Zeros on the finest set of 22in 10-spoke alloys you ever saw. Then I had 123 miles, mostly on two of the UK’s coarser and noisier motorways, the M5 and M6, to evaluate the difference between the two sets. Even allowing for the Bentley’s refinement and general excellence, the differences are fascinating. The main benefit is in steering authority around the straight-ahead: there’s an enhanced feeling of precision that allows tiny steering corrections to be effective. Along with that…

Good old Gwyn has been doing the old-car thing. “I found this automatic petrol M-reg (1994) Mk3 Volkswagen Golf without an MOT for £125,” he writes. “I thought it would be a good runaround for my daughter on the farm (to save using her nice Audi A3). It’s had sheep in the back and all sorts, and eight years later, with a lot of surface rust, it still passes the MOT – the latest at 99,000 miles with no advisories. And I thought it might last a year or two! She has it serviced once a year and it runs like a bird.” SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO • james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO • autocar@haymarket.com…

RANGE ROVER SPORT D300 HSE £4397 deposit, £733 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year The versatile, upmarket Sport has a breadth of talent, being outstanding off road, quick and refined on, and richly appointed inside. D-badged mild-hybrid diesels bring muchneeded improvements in economy. AUDI Q7 55 TFSI QUATTRO SPORT £3511 deposit, £583 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year A desirable and accomplished SUV with a huge interior and a high level of refinement. The driving experience is a little remote and the car lacks charisma, but it’s potent and efficient. Want more performance? Try the RS Q8. BMW X5 xDRIVE45e xLINE £4358 deposit, £726 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year Now in its fourth generation, the X5 is maturing nicely. It still satisfies the…

We debated long and hard over the future classic prospects for this model, launched in 2010. In its favour are its Mugen associations and scarcity (as its name implies, just 200 were made). It was a cheaper follow-up to the Type R Mugen launched the previous year. That car had a hand-built 237bhp 2.2-litre engine and cost a stiff £38,595. Just 20 were built and it's a sure-fire future classic, if you can find one. But we couldn’t, so this, the 200, with its 198bhp 2.0-litre engine, will have to do. Our 2010-reg find has done 118,000 miles.…

An expert’s view WILLIAM DE LA RIVIERE, BEECH HILL GARAGE “RV8s are luxurious things with ruched leather and a burr elm dash. Many owners only drive them on sunny days, then stick them in the garage. Build quality is good and the galvanised steel panels rarely rust, while the engine and gearbox are reliable. There are companies that will remap the ECU. Up to 400bhp isn’t unknown, although I wouldn’t want that in an RV8 with its crude suspension. Be wary of buying anything too cheap, though. A colleague here in the workshop bought what he thought was a bargain and he’s still fixing it. Not all RV8s have been pampered…” Buyer beware… ■ ENGINE The low-pressure, high-volume lubrication system needs a good quality, semi-synthetic 10W/40 oil, changed every year…

12 March 1983 ALPINAS ARE ALMOST invariably ace, but the B9 3.5 of 1981-87 must be among the most appealing of all. An upgraded version of the Mk2 (E28) 5 Series, it came three years before BMW revealed the first M5. The B9 got Munich’s 3430cc six-cylinder M30 engine, uprated from 218bhp to 245bhp; Bilstein dampers, stiffer springs and an LSD; and a bodykit that slashed front lift and drag generation. “It’s not so much that there always seems to be more than enough performance on tap but that it comes with such smoothness,” reported our man John Miles. “Alpina’s suggestion that this kind of ride-and-handling compromise offers better comfort on long journeys than a car with softer suspension has to be right, for the press-on driver especially. “It’s probably…

MERCEDES-BENZ’S ELECTRIC car line-up continues to grow with the unveiling of the EQB at the 2021 Shanghai motor show ahead of a planned start to UK sales later this year. Set to rival the Audi Q4 E-tron (p6), it is based on the GLB, alongside which it is produced at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Kecskemét, Hungary. Full details have yet to be revealed, but Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the top-of-the-range four-wheel-drive EQB 350 4Matic will be among the first variants to hit the UK. It uses two electric motors – an asynchronous unit mounted up front underneath the bonnet and a synchronous unit housed within the rear axle – with a combined output of 288bhp. Other models set to be added to the line-up include the front-wheel-drive EQB 250, running a…

For the first time in its 35-year history, the BMW M3 is now optionally available with four-wheel drive, in addition to the standard rear-wheel-drive format. The new M3 Competition M xDrive enters production in July alongside a mechanically identical four-wheel-drive version of its M4 coupé sibling. Prices start from £77,015 and £78,315 respectively, each some £2260 more than the standard Competition variants. The addition of a powered front axle should add around 50kg to the weight of the regular M3 and M4 Competition models (which weigh 1730kg and 1725kg respectively), but it delivers, according to BMW, “track-focused performance with impeccable usability”. While outright outputs from the duo’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engines are unchanged at 503bhp and 479lb ft, the improved traction cuts the 0-62mph time from 3.9sec to 3.5sec, making…

SUPERCHARGING IS THE age-old method for boosting power by forcing air into an engine under pressure, feeding it with more oxygen to burn more fuel and generate more power. It has another use too: that of providing an excess air supply to promote cleaner combustion (rather than boost power), and in that role, as an air pump, one of the latest examples of its use is by Mazda on its Skyactiv petrol engines. The latest application of supercharger technology as a ‘blower’ is by Tenneco, which has got together with supercharger manufacturer Eaton to develop a Cold Start Thermal Unit (CSTU) for diesel cars and trucks. The focus here is not on internal combustion but the exhaust system, and with Euro 7 regulations looming, the pressure remains on to reduce…

MONDAY Car companies with decisive leaders make better cars. Don’t take my word for it, just read a few names: Henry Ford, Ettore Bugatti, Enzo Ferrari, William Lyons, Colin Chapman and Elon Musk. This truth is one reason why I feel distinctly bullish about the future of the Renault Group, now led by Luca de Meo, interviewed at length in this issue (p48). We met via Zoom, and during an hour together I found his deeper explanation of the ‘Renaulution’ plan especially exciting from the new products point of view. (Latest official pronouncement on the prospect of a new Renault R4: “Why not?”) I’ve known de Meo in previous roles. He knows how to take full control without either standing on ceremony or cramping the style of his lieutenants. He…

Leaving an interval of just two and a half years between the introduction of your new flagship SUV and the arrival of its updated, ‘facelifted’ successor could be construed as an admission of serious error, given that a four-year gap is more typical. So the fact that the Mk4 Santa Fe only went on sale in the second half of 2018 but has now been reconceived with aesthetic tweaks and an almost entirely new platform, plus an electrified overhaul of the engine line-up, represents an awkward volte-face from Hyundai. However, to spin it another way, the industry is changing impossibly fast at the moment. And the fact that Hyundai has quickly read the room, swapped out the high-CO2 2.2-litre diesel engines, replaced them with downsized hybrid petrols and slid its…

Marvel at the new D-Max V-Cross’s standard-fit 4.2in digital display, advanced touchscreen and eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat – emblematic of Isuzu’s pursuit of the ‘lifestyle’ market. Of note, too, is that this is the only vehicle in its segment with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, courtesy of its larger airbags, reinforced chassis and updated suite of advanced driver assistance tech. It’s unfathomably capable off road, too. Raised air intakes increase wading depth to 800mm, underbody protection has been improved and electronic aids such as hill descent control and shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive are fitted as standard. It’s raw and clunky, and occupants will slide about no end on the flatbottomed seats, but few mainstream SUVs are so unstoppable at this price. On the road, however, the 1.9-litre turbo diesel can’t…

TRANSMISSIONS 8-spd automatic ■ The 4 Series line-up is a relatively diverse one. Non-M division models are available in both coupé and convertible bodystyles, with a choice of four-cylinder or six-cylinder petrol engines, or a sole four-cylinder diesel. Rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models are both available, too, although all 4s sold in the UK come with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. For now, the M4 Competition is only available as a coupé, though a four-door Gran Coupé and a convertible will no doubt join the line-up in the near future.…

VERDICT Our verdict might only matter if you can look the new M4 Competition in the face and still be interested in what lies behind it. Even if you can’t, you should know how versatile and complete a performance car this is. From chassis to powertrain to interior, this M4 is objectively and demonstrably better than the car it replaces, and its rivals, by quite a leap. It offers striking and tangible handling poise, fine precision and superb controllability, along with trademark M division positivity of feel flowing through its axles, driveline and engine and back through to its controls. The M4 Competition is indulgent to drive but also more usable than ever, and the way the configurability of its driving experience can be negotiated via those steering wheel-mounted driving…

With no roof, a price of £1.5 million and a ‘production’ run of just 12, it’s safe to say that the Bentley Bacalar is not designed for these shores, or most people. But as an illustration of what Mulliner can do, it’s quite some statement. This barchetta version of the Continental GTC is the car that’s designed to show off just how personalised a Bentley can be. It’s a shop window into the world of Mulliner, Bentley’s ‘haute couture’ department that is capable of various levels of personalisation, from this bespoke Bacalar to a unique paint finish on your otherwise relatively run-of-the-mill Conti GT. It’s a world that Bentley sees as being vital to the future of the company. The Bacalar may be the first of the modern, limited-edition Bentleys,…

Tesla is never shy about tearing up the car development rule book. True to form, the EV maker recently pushed the boundaries by ditching the steering wheel as we know it, replacing it with a yoke design in Model S and X updates. But Tesla isn’t the first to create a steering wheel that’s something other than round and spoked. Here are some of the circle-squaring innovators that went before it. 1940 CHEVROLET SPINNER With no power assistance, the steering on cars of the 1930s and 1940s was very heavy at low speeds. Chevrolet’s answer was to offer the $12.50 option of a built-in spinner, which in theory made it easier to turn the wheel. The option was unpopular and short-lived; it was offered for just two model years. 2004…

“We have very strong products coming. Some are no-brainers, in fact” There’s one overarchingly powerful reason why the recently announced ‘memorandum of understanding’ between Alpine and Lotus over a future co-operative sports car project has a great chance of success: it’s the fact that, before he took the reins of Renault’s Alpine division, CEO Laurent Rossi was the French group’s head of corporate partnership and strategy – negotiating the deal was part of his job. “It has been going for quite a while,” Rossi says, “but it’s still an exploration. Alpine and Lotus have common DNA – the culture of lightness is the obvious one – and we also face the same challenges in the marketplace, so it makes a lot of sense.” Rossi says Alpine’s side of the project…

The increasing popularity of SUVs is clear from a quick look at the new car sales charts. But while such cars are popular with buyers, not everyone approves. A recent report caused plenty of headlines by saying that people should think carefully before buying large SUVs, both because of the space they take up on the road and because of the extra pollution they can cause. I suspect that, as an Autocar reader, you too might shake your head at the popularity of SUVs. Not necessarily for the reasons stated above but because what you or I want from a car and what typical car buyers want from a car are two completely different things. Allow me to illustrate my point. Ask me what new car I’d buy with my…

During the 1990s, car magazines told the car buying public just how excellent the Alpine A610 was. It was a true, worthy Porsche 911 rival, they said. Alpine went on to sell about, I think, 10 per year. Ditto the original Honda NSX. Maybe 30 or so were sold per year. There was a year in the late 1990s when more examples of the Jaguar XJ220 – by then well out of production, but with some still unsold owing to that decade’s earlier recession – were newly registered than NSXs. Fortunately, I wasn’t around to write about either of those cars. Although in 2006, I did review the Nissan Qashqai, this new whizzy crossover thing, a car to replace the Primera hatchback. The same money as a large family car…

Jake Hill is one of the new young lions of the British Touring Car Championship. Along with drivers such as Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher, Hill is emerging to take over the mantle of old-guard drivers such as Matt Neal, Jason Plato and even Colin Turkington. At 27, Hill is heading into his eighth BTCC season, so he has served his apprenticeship and is ready to bid for the title with former F1 racer Mark Blundell’s refreshed MB Motorsport team, which has evolved from the successful Motorbase Performance operation. Hill is fiercely competitive in the car but open and personable out of it. That has been key to him getting into the BTCC as there was no silver spoon for this youngster: he has got to where he is now…

ALMOST ALWAYS HAS there been a Scandinavian driver near the front of any given top-flight rally, and especially when that rally is in wintry territory. So it proved on Rally Sweden in 1967; indeed, despite this rally being run since 1950, it wasn’t until 2004 that a non-Nordic driver finally conquered it. The event could hardly have been easier to grasp for the casual viewer, we reported, being a series of special stages in snowy forests and over frozen rivers and lakes linked by “very easy” road sections. The first three special stages were each finished fastest by a Swede (amid several mechanical retirements), although the fourth and sixth had to be scrubbed as markers were destroyed and drivers got lost. Vic Elford missed a left turn entirely, getting his…

A number of Autocar’s reviewers and readers have commented on the challenges of using the new infotainment systems fitted to the latest Volkswagen Group family cars, which is then compounded by the absence of traditional controls for key functions such as heating. Having switched a few months ago from a Mk3 to a Mk4 Seat Leon, we fully support these views. We continually struggle with the system, and I believe a large part of the problem is that, in right-hand-drive cars, you need to use your left hand to operate the touchscreen. However, most people are right-handed, with the result that you are spending more time looking at the screen while attempting to operate it. In Continental Europe, where these cars are built and tested, cars are left-hand drive, so…

MILEAGE 1043 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if the Mk8 Golf remains the world’s most rounded family hatchback Touchscreens, then. Aside, perhaps, from BMW kidney grilles, no aspect of modern car design seems to – sorry – touch a nerve quite like the removal of buttons and other switchgear from dashboards in favour of shiny touchscreens and haptic controls. Even the Golf Mk8, a car designed with a laser-focus on balancing technological advancement with evolutionary familiarity, isn’t immune. The biggest difference between the latest Golf and its predecessor is its touchscreen-heavy, button-light dashboard, which has attracted determinedly mixed press from both our reviewers and car buyers. I’ve been running the Golf for a few months now, so it feels time for a considered look at that dashboard. The…

QUESTION I bought a new Ford Fiesta in 2018 and the battery keeps needing recharging. The dealer said to run the car every three days but it hasn’t helped. Can you advise? Jan Howells, via email ANSWER No new car in good working order needs to be driven every three days to recharge its battery. The dealer is avoiding its responsibility to properly investigate the problem. Unless you are leaving the car’s lights on or causing the battery to lose its charge in some other way, the cost of investigating the problem and putting it right is covered by the car’s warranty. Incidentally, in some cases, the Fiesta’s Bluetooth module has been at fault – a problem cured by a software update. JE QUESTION My dog enjoys my Mini convertible…

Our trawl of great-looking cars begins with an E-Type, the best looking of them all. It’s a subjective judgement, of course, but Enzo thought it was at the time, so that’s good enough for us. Our find is a Series 2 registered in 1969. The 4.2-litre 2+2 automatic was overhauled in the 1980s, with a rebuilt engine and sundry new panels fitted. A new speedo was also installed and the odometer currently shows 17,000 miles. The car has a heritage certificate confirming all of this. Series 1 E-Types are the prettiest but Series 2s like this are more usable thanks to improved seats, ventilation and lights. They’re also cheaper. If we were serious, we’d be all over the engine checking for leaks from the head gasket, looking for smoke and…