Innholdsfortegnelse for January 3, 2024 i Autocar

RENAULT WILL CONTINUE to offer cars through traditional dealerships, and has no plans to follow rivals by adopting a direct ‘agency’ model. “We want to work very closely with our dealer network and our partners and not against them or without them. We think they are very important,” Bruno Vanel told Autocar. “They have been working with us for years. They are very important actors.” He said the role of a dealer remains an important touchpoint between Renault and its customers: “Okay, sometimes it’s a love/hate story – they don’t like them but they need them – and sometimes they have a personal relationship with people.” However, he added: “Having said that, you never say never. Maybe they will tell us that [the agency model] is better for them at…

Alfa Romeo has named its new small SUV the Milano, as a tribute to its Italian hometown, and confirmed that it will reveal the car in April. The Milano, which appeared for the first time in leaked images recently, will take Alfa Romeo back into the B-segment for the first time since in 2019, being aimed at long-time owners of the Mito supermini and Giulietta hatchback. It will also be the brand’s first electric car. Alfa Romeo has confirmed that the Milano will be sold with pure-electric and mild-hybrid petrol powertrains, but only the EV is currently planned to come to UK showrooms. In reference to widespread recent reports that the car would be called the Brennero, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told reporters: “As a matter of respect for…

QUITE HOW LONG the switch from heat engines (burning fuel to generate mechanical energy) to something else will take to mature is anybody’s guess. It’s likely to take a long time, and it’s probably fair to say that as far as battery-electric vehicles are concerned, what we see today is just the start of something, the proverbial tip of an iceberg or beginning of a journey down a very long road. The arrival of the BEV has sparked an emotional response among drivers (both for and against) considering that it is, after all, just another technology that will ultimately succeed or fail on its own merits. One of the things people get most vexed about is the uncertainty of whether or not they will be able to get a crucial…

Volkswagen is preparing to launch a 282bhp hot version of the ID 3 that will serve as an electric equivalent to the Golf GTI. The electric hot hatchback builds on plans first aired by Volkswagen with the unveiling of the smaller ID GTI concept at the Munich motor show in September last year, with unique exterior styling touches, an upgraded interior and a revised drivetrain offering significantly more power and torque than existing ID 3 models. Seen here in prototype form undergoing cold weather testing, the upcoming rangetopping ID 3 has two-wheel drive, like every Volkswagen that has worn the hallowed GTI badge over the past five decades. However, instead of being front-wheel drive, this latest sporting model will have rear-wheel drive, in line with every other ID 3. Although…

Hope springs eternal in motorsport as we step into 2024. Before a Formula 1 wheel has been turned, Max Verstappen is the hot favourite to win a fourth consecutive title – but there is genuine optimism that he and Red Bull will at least be pushed harder than in their phenomenal 2023 season. Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin will all believe they can kick on, and in the third season of this now familiar rule set, by logic the grid should concertina in the right direction. It needs to, for all our sakes. F1 will embark on a record 24-race schedule in March and a third season of one-team domination wouldn’t be great for business. F1 draws by far the most eyeballs and will continue to do so whatever…

The Toyota C-HR looks like a trainer you would see on display in a shopping outlet, carrying the logo of a well-known brand but with a funky design and in a garish colour. Do you buy it for the brand and live with the design? The looks will be polarising but credit to Toyota for managing to give the second-generation C-HR even more character than the first, in addition to proportions that can be appreciated by anyone. This is our third go in the C-HR but our first in the UK. On our roads and in its final UK spec, it excels dynamically and is one of the better and most interesting small SUVs you can buy in a class full of identikit options. At which end of the class…

ABARTH 600E DECEMBER Cute electric crossover gains a mean streak with lurid paint, stiffer chassis and extra power. BMW i4 OCTOBER Like the 4 Series but electric. Likely to also receive a bump in efficiency and therefore also range. AC COBRA GT ROADSTER JULY The pairing of a new 654bhp V8 with a carbonfibre body promises to deliver huge thrills in a classic Cobra package. BMW M3 OCTOBER Indomitable super-saloon/estate is given a new lease of life. Clearly, it doesn’t need much refreshing. AUDI A5 OCTOBER Combustion-engined A4 saloon/estate will be renamed A5 when replaced by an all-new model. BMW M4 APRIL High-performance version of the 4 Series is at the halfway point of its life cycle so needs a little touch-up. AUDI Q4 E-TRON MAY New rear motor will…

MILEAGE 3918 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if Honda’s new SUV can take on the Nissan Qashqai while maintaining the charms of the Civic it’s based on On its website, Honda variously describes the ZR-V as ‘sporty’ and ‘dynamic’ – which aren’t necessarily words you would always associate with a hybrid-powered family SUV. But if you look at Honda’s YouTube channel, you can find a short video in which Max Verstappen – you know, the triple Formula 1 champion – makes the ZR-V look very sporty and dynamic indeed when driving one through the mountains above Monaco. Since it arrived, I’ve mostly enjoyed the ZR-V for its relaxed driving manner, easy handling and effortless comfort and convenience. I usually flick it into Eco mode and just cruise along…

Tired of waiting I completely understand Robyn Hood’s frustration with the delay by Mercedes-Benz in fixing the steering box on his father’s GL and wonder if ‘post-Covid’ extended delays are the ‘new normal’ that we’re all supposed to put up with. My E-Class Coupé was delivered in December 2020 with a relatively minor fault: the engine cooling pump overruns when the car is parked and discharges the battery. This took 12 months to diagnose and has yet to be fixed after a very frustrating further 21 months. Both my dealer and Mercedes UK customer services have been diligent, but in the end they can do no more than pass on unfulfilled promises from the factory. Mercedes undoubtedly makes some of the world’s finest cars, but if it can’t maintain them…

Depending on who you believe, the Mk4 Kia Sportage, on sale from 2016-2021 and under the spotlight here, is either the most reliable second-hand family SUV you can buy or some considerable way down the league table. Kia’s bullish, industry-leading seven-year warranty supports the former claim, but it does contain exclusions that, judging by the forums, can lead to some disappointed owners. The model had the unenviable task of picking up where the much-praised Mk3, which gave arch-rival the Nissan Qashqai a proper scare, left off. Unfortunately, Autocar’s testers found the Mk4 wanting in too many areas to award it more than 3.5 stars. They hailed its larger and more practical cabin, solid finish, more sophisticated feel and agile handling but criticised its firm and noisy ride, its lacklustre design…

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS OFTEN alter the course of history, and there were two that gave us the fascinating story of Bristol Cars. The first was in 1909, when George White, chairman of The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, was visiting France and met Wilbur Wright, who was demonstrating his and his brother’s invention: the aeroplane. White immediately recognised the business potential so on his return founded The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, run out of an old tram shed in Filton. Having failed to get airborne a biplane bought from French firm Zodiac, the Bristol team improved on a Farman design they had seen detailed in Flight magazine, and so in July 1910 the Boxkite took to the clouds above Salisbury Plain. It proved a great commercial success and became the…

Renault is poised to bring back the Clio for a sixth generation, launching the reborn supermini alongside a new Captur crossover – as well as the electric 4 and 5 – as part of a renewed assault on the critical B-segment market in Europe. The Clio was updated in 2023 with a new look, revised trim structure and improved technology, and Autocar understands that Renault is likely to heavily update the current, fifth-generation car again in around two years’ time. Beyond that, plans are taking shape to introduce a completely new model in the second half of the decade that will take the Clio name into its fifth decade with a bold new look and highly advanced interior technology, but it will have a rigid focus on affordability – and…

The new plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-AMG SL is the most powerful version of the drop-top GT yet. The SL 63 S E Performance is the fifth plug-in hybrid from the AMG performance division and will be one of the fastest convertibles on sale when it lands this year. It gets broadly the same powertrain set-up as the hybridised GT 63 4-Door Coupé and S63 super-saloon. A 603bhp 4.0-litre twinturbocharged V8 is paired with a 201bhp electric motor on the rear axle for a combined output of 804bhp and a striking 1047lb ft of torque. The electric motor is connected to a two-speed gearbox, which works in tandem with the petrol engine’s seven-speed automatic gearbox, and unusually can send its power to the front wheels when the rears begin…

THE HYPER FORCE concept car is a “lucid dream” that Nissan is working on realising for a next-generation GT-R. Nissan programme design director Giovanny Arroba, who worked on the recent Tokyo motor show concept as well as the four others alongside which it starred, told Autocar that the electric supercar was already largely feasible for production before 2030, despite its extreme styling. “The shapes, proportion and stance aren’t based on pure fantasy,” he said. “It’s quite daring but a tangible dream to achieve by the end of the decade.” The Hyper Force has fourwheel drive and an output of 1341bhp. It has a solid-state battery, which Nissan is developing for mass production in 2028, and a new GT-R could provide a statement model in which to introduce this gamechanging new…

Battery passports will be mandatory for electric vehicles sold in the European Union from February 2027 to provide greater visibility of what has gone into them and where it has come from. The digital documents will be linked to the car’s VIN and a QR code that, when scanned with a digital device, will reveal detailed information about the sources and nature of the raw materials prior to manufacturing, along with post-manufacturing details, such as capacity and condition. The move is part of the new EU Battery Regulation, which requires the battery or vehicle manufacturer (depending on who produced the battery) to disclose the carbon emissions from production and gradually include greater proportions of recycled materials in the run-up to 2035, when the EU will ban sales of new ICE…

t’s 4.15am and I’m in my kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil while I have to be at a lay-by in Teesdale between 9.30am and 10am in a car that’s fuelled enough for the day, and I need to pick up a videographer from Leeds on the way. My phone says Leeds is 1hr 30min from our destination, so I should get to the videographer by 8am. And he’s 2hr 50min from my gaff near Bicester, so I could leave almost an hour later than now, at 5.10am. But that – and you’ll have known this as you read it – would be a mistake. Because by the time I get to Leeds for 8am, there will be loads of people getting to Leeds for 8am. So the kettle…

Might this be the most significant facelift that any grand touring sports car has ever had? The Aston Martin DB12, which we first sampled in France last year, isn’t quite all-new, but what it represents is quite easy to overlook. This is really the first of Aston’s major model introductions since Lawrence Stroll bought control of the company. The DBX SUV is really still an Andy Palmerera model. While there have been other low-volume, special-series cars since, the DB12 is the first big-ticket Aston to be designed and developed entirely under the Canadian’s ownership – and also since the arrival of Ferrari expats Amedeo Felisa and Roberto Fedeli into their leading CEO and CTO roles at Gaydon. So this car should tell us exactly how and where ‘the new Aston’…

When I searched online for studies into why people ride motorbikes, I didn’t expect the top result to be a page published by my neighbouring county council, Northamptonshire, encouraging people to get onto powered two-wheelers. What a thoroughly enlightened place. Given it’s home to some of the world’s smartest automotive minds (such as the Mercedes Formula 1 team) and top destinations (the Silverstone F1 and MotoGP circuit), maybe it’s understandable. But clearly Northants knows what those of us who ride also know: you can feel pretty good riding a bike. What I couldn’t find are statistics to say whether car lovers are more likely to ride too, thus slightly undermining the brief that acting magazine editor James Attwood pinged me after Steve Cropley and I banged on about bikes yet…

What did you do during Covid? Start writing a book that you never finished? Fail to learn an instrument? Steve Kempster started buying and selling cars from his driveway and now is turning over around £300,000 per month from his first showroom. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Bag a few cars for a song out of the classifieds, add a margin and ask the punters to form an orderly queue. If only… “There are three ways to succeed in this business: work, work and work,” says Kempster from his Sparco office chair, alongside that of his co-director, Richard Turrall. For Kempster, work started the moment he was made redundant from his job as a sales manager at a major multi-franchised dealer group, where he had been for more than 10 years.…

FEATURED THIS WEEK FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 8215 WHY WE RAN IT To see how well Alfa Romeo’s new plug-in hybrid small SUV balances rationality and emotion My more juvenile car friends continue to call our outgoing long-termer the toenail – and yes, its name doesn’t translate brilliantly into English – but having spent a good few months with it, I feel it deserves more respect than that. The Tonale plug-in hybrid was a long time coming compared with rival offerings, not least because incoming Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato insisted the car needed to be improved before it could be launched. The focus of those improvements was not the somewhat lacklustre nature of the powertrain – more of that in a moment – but the ability to eke out a…

MILEAGE 15,056 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if this hybrid can strike the sweet spot between a car and a van It has been seven months since the Corolla Commercial was delivered to my drive, and in that time I’ve managed to put a faintly ridiculous 15,000 miles on the clock – more than enough to find any faults in this hybrid car-van, erm, hybrid. And you know what? There are fewer of them than I can remember in anything else I’ve driven over an extended period of time. Purely as a means of transport, it has cemented itself in my mind as a fantastic car. Thanks to its utilitarian simplicity, I think it’s worth comparing to the Dacia Jogger – or any other product from the Renault Group’s…

The 29 November issue contained a couple of letters that struck a chord. As another reader of 70-ish years young, I too will never buy an EV unless I have no alternative, and I too find less and less relevant content in the pages of Autocar, but that’s not your fault. You have a job to do, and that job is not to pander to the prejudices of any particular sector of your readership but to keep us all abreast of the details of what is available for us to buy, whether we wish to or not. Generally not, in my case. Neither is it your fault that there seems to be a conscious effort by manufacturers to distance their EVs as much as possible from their ICE forebears in…

An owner’s view ANDREW MURRAY “I’ve owned my 66-reg Sportage 1.7 CRDi for a few years. I bought it for its large boot, and then later on I found myself commuting from Crawley to Bristol in it once a week. It was perfect for that and returned around 50mpg. I’ve only had to call on the warranty once, when the steering developed a crunching noise as I turned left. The garage quickly fixed it. I’ve had the water pump replaced recently, but otherwise the car has been totally reliable. That it’s also practical, comfortable and cheap to run is a bonus.” Buyer beware… ENGINE All petrol and diesel engines have a timing chain that should last the life of the engine. However, they are interference engines, which means that if…

A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost any circumstances, but the Autocar road test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model. It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making every week. Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while…

WHILE RENAULT LOOKS to secure its footing in the value-focused B-segment, the company is also investing heavily in expanding its offering in the larger and more expensive C-segment – and as part of that, it will launch a new SUV to rival the likes of the Toyota C-HR. The new crossover is understood to be only slightly larger than the Clio-based Captur, at around 4400mm long, and positioned to fill the gap between that car and the coupé-backed Arkana. It will effectively straddle the boundary between Renault’s small B-segment line-up and the larger Arkana, Austral and Rafale SUVs, priced from around £25,000. Product performance boss Bruno Vanel explained why Renault is expanding its line-up in this area: “We were a lot focused on the B-segment – maybe a little bit…

FUTURE VOLKSWAGEN car interiors will all draw inspiration from the ID 2all concept car, having physical buttons and controls. VW interior designer Darius Watola said the concept “showed a new approach for all models” and was in response to “recent feedback from customers” about the touchscreen-heavy approach the German brand had taken. The ID 2all’s interior has a row of physical (and backlit) buttons for the climate and a rotary dial on the centre console that controls the screen on the dash above. As well as that central touchscreen for infotainment, there is a second screen for driving information. Watola said a display in the driver’s eyeline was crucial for safety. He said “customers had a different view in Europe” than in other global markets and want “more physical buttons”.…

A new 1200-acre vehicle proving ground has opened in North Africa with a unique low-cost operating structure that is claimed to save car makers between 30% and 50% on new car testing costs. The Morocco Mobility and Automotive Centre (MMAC) is a joint venture between Anglo-French testing facility operator UTAC and German engineering consultancy FEV. They believe it will become an important year-round automotive testing hub, taking advantage of reliable dry weather and low operating costs while being located conveniently close to major manufacturers’ technical centres in Europe. “We can see a bright future for our Moroccan site, because it offers several advantages: [lower] costs and a high level of education and socioeconomic environment at a time when [manufacturers] are always looking at operating more efficiently,” said UTAC chairman Laurent…

ULTR A-LUXURY car makers are used to getting strange requests for personalisation. Part of the thrill of buying a top-end model is the ability to choose a unique specification. You can have paint matched to your wife’s eye colour, a picture of your kids embroidered into the headrests or a map of the stars from when you were born made out of LEDs in the headlining. Yes, there’s very little that these firms will refuse to do for their well-heeled customers – but there is a limit, as one customer found when he asked for his new £250,000 SUV to be converted into a van. He was hoping to benefit from the substantially lower rates of tax for commercial vehicles in Ireland by having the back seats removed and the…

MONDAY Happy New Year! Even though I’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve it, my start to 2024 has been distinguished by the arrival of an Audi SQ8 E-tron Sportback – a distinctly ritzy option as a first-ever electric daily driver. That last fact surprises even me: I’ve driven plenty of battery cars but never had to depend on just one. Given my addiction to rushing around the country, the next six months are going to be interesting for the number of times I misjudge the energy needed and get hamstrung by duff public chargers. Just before Christmas I did some rushing, so I’ve already put about 1200 miles under the SQ8’s wheels. First impressions? It’s a real milemuncher, like other big Audis. It’s very quiet and rides well most of…

Performance pick-ups were once the preserve of a few crazy modifiers in the US tuning V8s in full-size trucks like the Ford F-150. Without the luxury of wide roads and large parking spaces, European pick-ups have mostly remained unfettled, but since Ford unleashed the Ranger Raptor, more attention has been given to bolder, more badass and better iterations of standard trucks. Toyota jumped on the bandwagon last year with the Hilux GR Sport, a range-topping model with styling mods and minor front suspension changes. Despite the smattering of Gazoo Racing badges, new sports bar and revised grille design, under the skin it left everyone rather disappointed. Now, Toyota is looking to redress the balance with the Hilux GR Sport II, which ushers in more substantial changes. These are most noticeable…

THE CHEAP CAR LIVES! CITROEN C3 JULY This next-generation supermini majors on comfort, using high-riding suspension with hydraulic bump stops. Both petrol and electric power will be available, and in ë-C3 form Citroën promises it will be the cheapest ‘proper’ EV, offering five seats and a 199-mile range for around £22,000. DACIA SPRING OCTOBER This diddy electric car won’t hit UK shores before receiving a generational improvement to its interior quality. It should still be priced well below £20,000, getting you a 137-mile range and 50kW rapid charging. FIAT PANDA NOVEMBER The Italian cousin of the ë-C3 will hark back to its 1980 progenitor with retro design and a simple kit offering. It will also offer both combustion and electric powertrains and should undercut the £28,195 Fiat 500 EV. KIA…

MODEL TESTED E220D AMG LINE PREMIUM PLUS Price £68,785 • Power 194bhp • Torque 325lb ft • 0-60mph 7.2sec • 30-70mph in fourth 7.7sec • Fuel economy 45.5mpg • CO2 emissions 131g/km • 70-0mph 56.2m Quite a few all-new cars from all-new car makers enjoyed road test scrutiny last year, so let’s start the new year with something very much the opposite. No, not a classic car (we refer you to Classic & Sports Car for that) but the new ‘W214’ E-Class, which is one of the oldest model lines from one of the oldest car manufacturers. By Mercedes-Benz’s own count, it is the 10th generation of a largely unbroken lineage going back to 1947. Despite being very keen to refer to its heritage (and why wouldn’t it be?), Mercedes isn’t…

FIRST REPORT WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if this new Avenger is finally the Jeep to crack Europe I have worried that what has so far been a fairy-tale beginning for the new Jeep Avenger will come to an end at some point – and that some fingers will be pointed in my direction for being complicit. I went to the car’s launch back in November 2022 so was the first Autocar staffer to deliver a verdict on it. I raved about the Avenger so much that it got my vote for the 2023 Car of the Year – a title that it would go on to win – and my voice was the loudest among colleagues to name it Best Small Car at the 2023 Autocar Awards,…

MILEAGE 4266 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Volkswagen is looking to repeat the glory days with a massive family EV, but is it as easy to love as a bug? As the old saying goes, there are three inevitabilities in this life: death, taxes, and receiving a text that says “can you help me move house on Saturday?” as soon as you announce that you’re in possession of a large car or van. And so it was that, just half an hour after I’d sent my friends a picture of a VW ID Buzz being delivered to my house, the call of duty came. I feigned reluctance, but the truth is that I really wanted to see if this oversized five-seat MPV could prove itself more useful than your average estate…

GROUP TEST Aston Martin DB12 vs Italy Mighty new grand tourer flies the flag for Britain as it takes on key rivals from Ferrari and Maserati INTERVIEW Richard Hammond We chat with the former Top Gear host in his new workshop ROAD TEST Porsche 911 Dakar The ultimate go-anywhere 911 faces the ultimate test EVERY WEEK USED GUIDE BMW Z8 How to get your hands on this V8-engined sporting roadster OUR CARS Volvo V90 You can’t buy a new Volvo estate any more, so we’ve got a used one SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p26…

“Whatever happened to the £1000 car? It’s still alive and kicking” Whatever happened to the £1000 motor? If you believe certain people, it died some time in 2017. If you listen to me, it’s still alive and kicking. And rather than buy something dreary, there are always some slightly exciting options that could end in tears but have enough of an MOT to make it roadworthy while you sort out a few issues. So with fun in mind and a grand to spend, what did I find? There is just one brand I should really consider: Alfa Romeo. A 156 petrol would be a great idea and I chanced upon a 2003 2.0 JTS Veloce with an awful lot of previous owners. The MOT is comfortably into next year and…

Success is hard won in the automotive industry, and many factors have to align for a car to be a sales hit. And even when all of those elements do come together, there’s no guarantee that looks, innovation or being first to recognise a trend will translate to glory. History is packed with cars that bombed for many different reasons. So here’s our top of the flops. Renault Sport Spider 1996 The Sport Spider had two main problems, and neither of them was its lack of a windscreen when it first went on sale. No, the biggest issues were the Lotus Elise on one side and the Porsche Boxster on the other. In the rapidly expanding open-top sports car market of the mid-1990s, the Elise was by far the best…