Autocar 11 March 2020

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THIS WEEK

‘I drove at Zandvoort in a Red Bull F1 car and scared the sh*t out of myself’

65

Issue 6401 | Volume 303 | No 11

NEWS

COMMENT

JLR’s EV push Factory converted to build all-new EVs 6 Mercedes’ boss speaks out EVs, F1, CO2 and more 10 Porsche 911 late to EVs No electric 911 before 2030 12 Peugeot 208 GTi Firm may use GTi tag on hot EV 15 Aston Martin’s future CEO on new regime and plans 17 Geneva motor show fallout Anger over axed event 18

MORE MOTORSPORT, NO LESS OF ANYTHING ELSE PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER T, NORTH COAST 500 38

TESTED Volvo XC40 T5 Twin Engine Plug-in hybrid SUV Volkswagen Up GTI It’s back! But better than ever?

BMW X5 M Competition 616bhp, 552lb ft unleashed Audi RS6 Avant Carbon Black ROAD TEST

24 27 29 30

FEATURES Chill, dude North Coast 500 by Boxster T – in winter 38 Bit-part players Named: our favourite car details 48 Autocar’s motoring manifesto Over to you, Boris 50 Get a shift on 10 of the greatest manual gearboxes 54 India’s Land Rover Tata Harrier takes on Mumbai 56 How to spec a Lotus Evija High-class configurator 60 Formula 1 preview David Coulthard’s candid views 65

WE DRIVE THE TATA HARRIER IN MUMBAI 56

OUR CARS Vauxhall Corsa First impressions of new supermini Volvo S60 Who needs an SUV with a 4dr like this?

Mercedes E300de Electric power to the rescue

70 71 73

EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Smarter gearshifts, courtesy of GPS Steve Cropley An ‘unGeneva’ British Bentley drive Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits Damien Smith Has Ferrari been cheating in F1?

Motorsport round-up F1, BTCC, Formula E, rallying Your Views Concerns over turning off lights on M1 Matt Prior Rolls-Royce Cullinan too plain? Try this

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FORMULA 1 PREVIEW BY DAVID COULTHARD 65

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James Ruppert Buying used gives you a free choice 74 As good as new Top advice on used Range Rovers 77 Spied in the classifieds Accord Type R, rare hot Mini 78 Used buying guide Lexus IS F: reliable BMW M3 rival 80 New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenos 82 Road test index Track down that road test here 89

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ANDREW FRANKEL AND HIS MERC ESTATE GET SWAMPED ON A FLOODED ROAD 73

with four wheels naturally extends to motorsport. This week, to coincide with the Formula 1 season opener in Australia, we have launched a new six-page motorsport section (p62).

We’ll focus on stories and interviews with real characters and personalities (Bernie Ecclestone is coming soon, for example) as well as hopefully inspiring you to get involved in some grassroots motorsport with your own car.

Don’t worry: nothing else in the mag has been lost to make way: it’s all extra added value on top of our existing features, some of which have undergone a design tweak and shuffle of their own. I’d love to know what you think of it.

One thing this magazine does lack is a Geneva motor show report, after it was cancelled at the last minute. The way it was handled by show organisers has lost them a lot of goodwill and there’s no guarantee the show will return next year at the strength it has traditionally been. That’s a 28 shame, because Geneva is always GOLF GTI such a feel-good event early in the year that previews so many great car launches ahead.

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Castle Bromwich overhaul to spawn three JLR EVs New XJ, J-Pace SUV and ‘Road Rover’ will be the fruits of £1 billion investment 6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

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The J-Pace will have a luxurious interior and avant-garde styling ❞

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aguar Land Rover is set to establish itself as one of the world’s leading makers of electric vehicles by converting its historic Castle Bromwich plant into a specialist EV production centre.

According to sources, three new pure-electric models will be rolling off the production lines by the end of next year to join the existing electric Jaguar I-Pace in showrooms.

The move is part of a major £1 billion investment in both Castle Bromwich and JLR’s factory in Solihull. Both are set

to be massively overhauled in preparation for the British manufacturer’s new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform.

Despite relatively poor sales last year (the company sold 161,601 units, down 10% on the 2018), Jaguar is also getting a significant boost in the form of two new flagship models.

JLR has already confirmed that the replacement for the Jaguar XJ luxury saloon will be a battery-electric model.

However, it’s understood that Castle Bromwich will also

produce two more vehicles, both crossovers. Land Rover’s upcoming ‘Road Rover’ will be sold as a pure EV, while the new Jaguar J-Pace flagship will also be built at the plant as an EV. All three new models are based on the MLA platform, which can be configured with three different types of drivetrain: battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and conventional internal combustion engine.

Insiders say the I-Pace will continue to be built on its unique platform in Austria and have a “normal lifespan”.

The MLA underpinnings will also be used for the nextgeneration Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, as well as

the Discovery 6. It’s expected the majority of each of those models will be sold as plug-in hybrids as increasingly ◊ SPY SHOT

JAGUAR F-PACE

Jaguar’s best-seller will soon be facelifted

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7

∆ stringent global CO2 regulations continue to bite.

The new XJ’s production design is expected to be unveiled towards the end of this year, before the first examples roll out of Castle Bromwich in spring 2021.

Julian Thomson, Jaguar’s new director of design, revealed earlier this year that the car wouldn’t be benchmarked against established luxury saloons.

He described it as a “fabulous-looking thing” while admitting the styling is unconventional. “It will be a beautiful car, with an engaging drive and luxurious interior… a cabin ambience that’s calm and refreshing,” he said, implying S PY S H OT

that Jaguar is planning on the electric XJ being more of a car for driving than being driven in.

Rather less is known about the upcoming J-Pace and the Land Rover model known only by its ‘Road Rover’ nickname, which won’t be used in production. Both will be sold as EVs, so it’s expected that they will be in the mould of low-riding crossovers rather than conventionally bluff SUVs. With battery range all-important, smaller frontal areas will be a key element of these new-generation models.

The J-Pace will be distinguished from the existing F-Pace (which will undergo a thorough facelift for the 2021 model year) by having a much

❝

Three new EVs will be rolling off JLR production lines by the end of 2021 ❞ more luxurious interior and more avant-garde styling, although it’s not expected to mirror the I-Pace too closely.

It’s also understood that the J-Pace will eventually be available with a conventional internal combustion engine powertrain. However, this variant is more likely to be built at Solihull alongside its new Range Rover sister vehicles, which will also use the MLA structure. This ICE version of the J-Pace will benefit from a

new range of hybrid options, including the straight-six petrol unit already seen in the facelifted Range Rover Sport.

Given the success of the E-Pace and F-Pace, which easily outsell their XF and XE saloon siblings, the addition of the J-Pace family to the line-up will make Jaguar an SUV-led brand, reflecting Porsche and Volvo.

While the new XJ is around the corner, well-placed sources say the future of the XE, XF and F-Type aren’t yet set in stone.

The F-Type is said to be “quietly profitable” for

the Jaguar brand, and the nameplate will live on, but the final form of its replacement hasn’t yet been signed off.

It’s believed that the shape of the new F-Type is far from being decided. Even though Jaguar’s design studio is said to have some very strong ideas, sources say other departments within the company have other plans for the model.

Jaguar sold 7227 examples of the F-Type globally last year.

The 9% drop in sales that figure represents is nonetheless impressive for a car that was about to be facelifted, but part of the F-Type’s profitability comes from the fact that it was loosely based on the structure of the old XK, which reduced development costs.

It’s unlikely that a sports car could be spun off the MLA

RANGE ROVER

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The ‘Road Rover’ will sit on JLR’s new MLA platform 8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

NEWS platform, but a more bespoke architecture is possible for a small-run vehicle, as JLR has shown with the I-Pace and the new Land Rover Defender, both of which use structures that have been heavily modified from their base architectures.

Perhaps of greater concern to Jaguar is the fate of the XE and XF. Despite a mid-life facelift, only around 3550 examples of the XE were sold in the US and around 8000 in the EU last year. The residual sales of 14,000 were partly in China and otherwise spread thinly across the rest of the world.

Insiders say there have been discussions within Jaguar about replacing both the XE and XF with a crossover model of some description, but things haven’t advanced beyond that.

With the SUV segment

hitting 38% of overall sales in the EU last year, making it the region’s biggest single segment and well ahead of superminis (which took 19%), it’s unsurprising that another crossover model has appeared on Jaguar’s radar. In contrast, the executive car segment accounted for just 2.3% of sales in the EU last year.

With the XE and XF’s current Castle Bromwich home set to be converted to all-EV production, uncertainty also surrounds where production will move to. A likely annual sales volume of around 40,000 leaves questions over the viability of continued production as JLR switches over to the MLA platform.

Becoming fully electric is another option.

HILTON HOLLOWAY

Sales of the XE fell by 15% last year, to 25,951 units

Future direction of the F-Type sports car is yet to be decided

BIG NAME, SMALL SALES H I LT O N H O L L O WAY

According to Jaguar Land Rover’s latest official figures, Jaguar sold 161,601 cars globally last year and produced a further 6251 at its joint venture in China.

That excluding-China figure is 10.6% down on 2018’s total of 180,833 cars, and 161,000 sales across six model lines remain a marginal proposition.

The biggest loser was the XF, which fell 50% to 15,628 units in 2019. That was followed by the XE, which was down 15% to 25,951 units. Although it was on run-out, the XJ managed to clock up 4017 sales.

Jaguar’s biggest seller was the F-Pace but, even so, that was down 14% from 56,563 units in 2018 to 48,484 last year. The E-Pace managed to edge up 2% to 42,939 units.

Although 2019 was the first full sales year for the

I-Pace, its sales of 17,355 were described by one of the suppliers for the car last month as “rather less” than had been planned for. Finally, F-Type sales slipped by 9% to 7227 units in 2019.

Including the XJ, Jaguar sold 45,596 saloons and 108,778 SUVs in 2019, each across three model lines.

The remaining was 7227 F-Type sports cars.

Clearly, Jaguar remains a very small brand by global standards, but by the end of next year it will have the electric XJ, the new J-Pace flagship and a thoroughly refreshed F-Pace and E-Pace, all of which is significant investment.

Perhaps there’s now a pause on decisions relating to the XE, XF and F-Type while bosses monitor a new-car market that’s in the middle of huge politically driven changes.

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JAGUAR XJ

FIRST APPEARANCE OF NEXT-GENERATION XJ

Jaguar sold 161,601 cars last year, a drop of 10.6%

The all-new electric Jaguar XJ has been spotted testing in its disguised production body, revealing the design evolution over its combustion-engined predecessor. Expect a similar trapezoidal grille design to that seen on the I-Pace, plus a long bonnet and high waistline giving it proportions not dissimilar to its predecessor’s. The Tesla Model S rival is expected to be unveiled towards the end of this year and go on sale in 2021.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9

Mercedes boss sets out stall

Ola Källenius talks EV strategy, F1, Smart, CO2 targets, autonomy and AMG hypercar n the absence of the Geneva motor show, Steve Cropley got on the phone to Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius for an update on what will be a testing couple of years for the brand.

One of your rivals has said that profitable electric vehicles will start with electric SUVs. Is that how you see it?

“We have made a very clear

decision that modern luxury is going to be all electric. So we’re really just talking about how fast we can get there.

We are ramping up our electrified ranges very quickly.

The cost structures of these cars are higher than we’ve been used to, so many of our early models will focus on the upper segments. But as the numbers move from the tens of thousands to the hundreds

of thousands, we will reap the benefits of scale.”

Are you on target to reach your CO2 targets next year?

“We are within striking range of our targets, but we can’t yet be sure of meeting them because we can’t steer consumer demand. We can influence it, but it is clear that 2020 and 2021 are going to be challenging.”

SUV demand keeps rising, but these models tend to generate more CO2. Should you re-educate the public about which cars to buy?

“SUV sales have been increasing for 20 years around the world. People love them.

The latest SUVs are getting closer to sedans in their CO2 footprint. In any case, I don’t think it’s fruitful to discuss the shape of the cars people

Källenius: “Modern luxury is going to be all electric”

buy. Our role is to provide the products our customers prefer, and to electrify them.”

Will there be an electric G-Class?

“The G-Wagen seems to transcend all segments. It’s its own company, almost.

But yes, the G-Wagen will go electric in a few years.”

Will you keep your connection with Formula 1?

“As you know, negotiations are proceeding right now over the framework of a new F1 agreement for the future.

It is important to us that any deal should be ecologically satisfactory as well as financially sound. But F1 remains a very, very attractive arena for us.”

You’ve been tight-lipped about the progress of your AMG One hypercar. Why is that?

“I wouldn’t say we’ve been quiet. In fact, the whole project is quite loud, as you’d expect of a car powered by an F1 engine.

Development of the car is proceeding and we are excited about it. When we reach the right stage, we will say more.”

We have seen General Motors quit right-hand-drive markets

Electric Fiat 500 to inspire new Panda and other EVs FIAT BOSS OLIVIER François has said the electric platform developed for the new 500 will be used for multiple future models across Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) brands.

The new-generation 500 is built on an all-electric architecture and is a key part of FCA’s plan for Fiat to focus on the city and family car markets.

Fiat is working on a production version of last year’s Centoventi concept – likely to take the Panda name – that will use the same platform.

That model is due in 2021, and François hinted that more cars could follow.

“When you invest in a new platform – and this is an all-new platform developed for electric cars and only electric cars – you don’t do it for just one car,” he said. “With one platform, you always promise to see other products… There’s potential to use this EV architecture across different nameplates and segments.”

FCA hasn’t disclosed full details of the architecture, but it’s understood to be designed for small cars, so Lancia could be its next destination. FCA is currently merging with the PSA Group, so it’s also possible it could be used for future city

cars from Peugeot and Citroën.

François said that while the electric 500 will be targeted at a premium audience to justify its price, the production version of the Centoventi will be more affordable. The 500 La Prima launch edition costs £29,000, but there will be cheaper versions.

Calling the new 500 a “Tesla in a pocket size”, François said: “The strategy of an all-electric 500 is because the nameplate is so good it can command a higher price. The business case for EVs only works at a higher price, since you need to embed the cost of the batteries.”

LOTUS EVIJA SOLD OUT UNTIL 2021

MERCEDES GLA PRICED FROM £32,640

The 1973bhp Lotus Evija electric hypercar is now sold out for 2020’s production run. The first handbuilt cars will roll off the line this summer. Just 130 Evijas will be made, but Lotus hasn’t said how many it can deliver this year. It costs £2.04 million.

Mercedes’ second-generation GLA crossover is priced from £32,640 in entry-level Sport trim.

That variant is powered by a 161bhp 1.3-litre turbo petrol motor. More powerful diesels and petrols are also available alongside higher-end trim lines.

10 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

Electric 500’s platform will underpin new EVs

NEWS

Mercedes to streamline range

G-Class “will go electric in a few years”

around the world. Are these markets as important to Mercedes-Benz as ever?

“Absolutely. Right-handdrive markets are extremely important to us. The UK is our second-biggest market in Europe, Japan is another vital area and we believe we still have good growth potential in Australia. Right-hand drive will continue as a cornerstone of our business.”

Why do you need a partnership with Geely to make the Smart marque work?

“We looked at the options for Smart and it’s clear the financial performance has never been satisfactory. We decided that the best option for fixing this was to move it to China, where a joint venture with Geely is more attractive and the technology and cost structures are right. This year will be our first producing all-electric Smarts and we have some really great new vehicles coming from the second half of 2022.”

Given the decline of motor shows and the special problems with Geneva this year, how do you view the future of motor shows?

“In general, we believe motor shows can still be very effective for us. We started the year at CES in Las Vegas, which has transformed itself into a kind of technology and motor show. For the future, we think motor shows will continue to have an important role, but we will be selective in how we use them. We are discussing developments to the format of the IAA, the [old] Frankfurt motor show. There is a plan to give it a more open format, to benefit consumers more.”

MERCEDES IS SET to dramatically reduce its model line-up and platform and powertrain options as it seeks to reduce complexity and optimise profit.

Markus Schäfer, the firm’s R&D boss, said the drive came as a result of its focus on electric vehicles and will result in cutting everything from car lines to single components used in its products.

“We are reviewing our product portfolio, especially as we announced so many pure EVs,” he said. “Knowing the complexity after the growth in the last couple of years means we are definitely reviewing our current line-up. The idea is to streamline – taking car variants out, but also platforms,

powertrains and components.”

Mercedes currently has 45 models, but Schäfer didn’t say how many it would axe.

He referenced models such as the G-Class, SL, GT and S-Class that each have their own platform currently. “There are many single platforms right now and the idea is to reduce this. In the future, we will have the same underpinnings with various cars and you’ll see the results pretty soon,” he said.

Talking about the future of more traditional powertrains such as the AMG V8 engine, Schäfer said: “The plan is not to kick out the V8 and V12, for example, so long as there is customer demand.”

However, he said the incoming Euro 7 legislation will

force the maker to reflect on which powertrains will be worth putting through the process.

“Probably, yes, [powertrain] variants will reduce. Of course, four-cylinder engines will make more sense than a V12. Let’s see what Euro 7 requirements are and go from there,” he said.

Mercedes has completed the introduction of four variants of its 2.0-litre unit, in four-cylinder and six-cylinder guises and in petrol and diesel forms. They are built on the same line and Schäfer said: “This family of four engines can respond to any market change immediately. We planned this protection a couple of years ago in order to protect us in terms of different demands and regulations.”

S-Class Cabriolet is tipped to be one of the axed models

You’ve switched your priority for autonomous driving from cars to trucks. Why is that?

“Because the business case for trucks looks more attractive.

Autonomy requires very, very sophisticated engineering, but we’re not giving up on cars.

We’re just being careful how we deploy our resources.”

End of the road for Bristol Cars IDIOSYNCRATIC BRITISH company Bristol Cars has officially been wound up, with a court-ordered liquidation process now under way.

Bristol owners Kamkorp lost a high-court appeal in late February and a liquidator has now been appointed to sell off assets to pay creditors.

However, the Bristol Owners’ Club claims it is “actively engaged” with the liquidators in order to “preserve what we can of the heritage and associated spares”, including a historic

archive that dates back to the car manufacturer’s formation in 1945.

Based in Windlesham, Surrey, with a now-dormant showroom in Kensington,

London, Bristol Cars had planned to launch its first all-new model in decades, the £250k Bullet speedster, in 2016. However, it never materialised.

Bullet speedster of 2016 was stillborn

TOYOTA GR YARIS OFFERS 257BHP FOR £30K The 257bhp Toyota GR Yaris will be priced from £29,995 when it goes on sale in the UK later this year. It will be offered in two specifications, including a £33,495 Circuit Pack model that has two Torsen limited-slip differentials. Unlike cheaper rivals, such as the Ford Fiesta ST, the GR Yaris features a great deal of bespoke engineering and a different bodystyle from the regular Yaris. Full UK specs will be announced later this year and customer deliveries are planned for November.

STOP VAT ON EVs, SAYS INDUSTRY BODY

METHANOL-HYDROGEN GUMPERT ON SALE

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for the chancellor to remove VAT from the sale of EVs, to give them a boost, in his budget. Zero-emissions-capable cars made up just 5.8% of the market last month.

Gumpert’s methanol fuel-cell sports EV, the Nathalie, is on sale now, priced at £353,520 in First Edition guise. It can do 0-62mph in 2.5sec and generates electricity by converting methanol to hydrogen. Refuelling takes three minutes.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11

Lightweight version of the Turbo S will be shown later this year

No electric 911 before 2030 Porsche sports car boss will “fight to let the 911 keep its engine”; hybrid also a way off

A

n all-electric 911 won’t be produced before 2030 at the earliest, according to Porsche sports car line director Frank-Steffen Walliser.

“The 911 will be the last Porsche to become electric,” he told Autocar, “coming hopefully after my retirement, so I’m not responsible any more and no one can blame me… I will fight to let the 911 keep its gasoline engine.”

Walliser also pulled back on suggestions that a hybrid version of the 911 is close by, despite the 992-generation platform having been designed to allow such a powertrain.

“It’s really difficult to do with the 911 and the way it’s packaged,” he said. “We want to keep it as a 2+2, we want to keep decent trunk space and we don’t want to destroy the shape of the 911.

“Also, I’m not ready to put that amount of additional weight into the car. If you wanted to make such a car, it would be easier to make a completely new car.”

Given the seven-year life cycle of each 911, this implies that a hybrid version could be further away than initial estimates of 2022 or 2023.

More immediately, Walliser is intent on turning around the reputation of the just-

12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

launched flagship Turbo S as being the fastest but not the most enjoyable model in the 911 range. “We are aware of the feedback and have taken steps to address it,” he said.

As a result, Porsche will later this year introduce a new lightweight version. “It will be a package the customer can choose, made up of some of our lightest parts and also looking at areas like sound insulation,” said Walliser. “It’s a number of small bits and pieces, but together they add up.”

When asked if that included measures such as removing the rear seats and replacing glass with polycarbonate, Walliser replied: “We are going in that direction.”

The lightweight package will also be available on the more affordable Carrera and Carrera S models, and this may well preclude the need for a Carrera T later in the life cycle.

Walliser insisted that the T version of the previous (991) 911 was well received but that it didn’t spend sufficiently long enough in the marketplace for Porsche to know for sure whether it should become a permanent fixture of the range.

He also ended speculation that the new 911 GT3, likely to be unveiled this time next year, will use a more highly tuned

version of the 4.0-litre engine created for the 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Boxster Spyder.

“The answer is no,” he said.

“We stick with the race engine.

It’s expensive, but we develop it on the track and learn more with every passing race. That’s

the way we will continue.”

Nor can Walliser see a role for this engine in other versions of the current 911 – including the GTS, which won’t be dramatically differentiated from lesser variants, as has now been done in the 718

range by using the 4.0-litre sixcylinder engine rather than the four-pot in the new GTS cars.

“There has to be a business case to do it, and sadly we can’t see what that is at present,” said Walliser.

ANDREW FRANKEL

PORSCHE WON’T JOIN ELECTRIC HYPERCAR ARMS RACE Porsche has no immediate desire to contribute to the emerging array of electric hypercars with four-figure power outputs, according to the company’s design chief.

Talking to Autocar, Michael Mauer expressed that he has other ideas about what is important for enthusiasts.

He said: “I think now it’s so challenging, with the weight of batteries, to find the best compromise of performance, drivability and lower weight.

“These hypercars are not only heavy, but they’re also very much driven by aerodynamics, so they end up looking very similar. There’s also the fact that the engine [power and character] isn’t a big deal any more [with EVs], and therefore I would love to do something different.

“What I personally find very challenging is not to

have another hypercar with 2000bhp, but for the Porsche brand to look into something smaller, something lighter, with more of a drivability focus.”

The comments reinforce an Autocar report (6 November) that Porsche’s plan to launch an electric successor to the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid of

2013 has been wound back because solid-state battery technology hasn’t progressed as quickly as had been hoped.

It’s believed that Porsche is instead pursuing a plug-in hybrid powertrain that was originally developed by its motorsport division for an aborted return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier.

New 918 would rival the Mercedes-AMG One and Aston Martin Valkyrie

IMAGE

First four-seat Koenigsegg is 1700bhp plug-in hybrid

NEWS

Enormous doors mean no B-pillars, aiding rear access

Front and rear passengers are cared for equally

Gemera is longer than BMW 5 Series, at 4975mm

OFFICIAL PICTURES THE GEMERA IS Koenigsegg’s first grand tourer, offering new-to-the-brand levels of practicality and an innovative plug-in hybrid powertrain that makes 1700bhp and 2580lb ft.

Claimed to seat four adults in comfort with ample room for luggage, courtesy of a 3m-long wheelbase, the new ‘mega GT’ promises new-found refinement

but also, thanks to features including four-wheel torque vectoring and four-wheel steering, rewarding dynamics.

The Gemera’s front axle is powered by a twin-turbcharged 2.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 600bhp.

Nicknamed the Tiny Friendly Giant, it uses Koenigsegg’s new free-valve technology,

which replaces a camshaft with computer-controlled actuators for the valves.

It combines with a 400bhp electric motor mounted on the crankshaft and a 500bhp motor for each rear wheel.

Like its Regera hypercar relation, the Gemera uses Koenigsegg’s direct drive and torque-converting Hydracoup

set-up rather than a gearbox.

All this means a 0-62mph time of 1.9sec and a 250mph top speed. And with a 15kWh battery, it can do 31 miles and 186mph on electricity alone.

Koenigsegg says the car can be at least as C02 -neutral as an electric car when its engine is running on ethanol or methanol.

Designed to meet all

global regulations and safety standards, the Gemera will cost more than £1 million. Just 300 examples will be produced.

Koenigsegg has also shown what it says will be the fastest car it ever makes, the Jesko Absolut. With at least 1600bhp and a lower-drag body, this lesstrack-focused Jesko could hit 310mph, simulations predict.

New Vauxhall Mokka in final testing stages

Pur Sport is just the latest special version of the 1479bhp Chiron

Crossover will introduce brand’s new design language

OFFICIAL PICTURES

New Chiron focuses on handling BUGATTI HAS REVEALED a new handling-focused special version of the Chiron. Called the Pur Sport, it features visual as well as mechanical revisions and is described by boss Stephan Winkelmann as “geared even more towards agility and dynamic cornering” in response to customer demand.

A redesigned body brings a large splitter, a new diffuser and a 1.9m-wide fixed rear spoiler to boost downforce.

The removal of the usual hydraulic wing system, plus the fitment of a 3D-printed titanium exhaust and new magnesium wheels (wrapped

in even stickier bespoke Michelin tyres), contribute to a total weight saving of 50kg.

A notably stiffer chassis and adaptive damper set-up is claimed to retain the same levels of comfort, while a new Sport+ driving mode slackens

Springs are stiffer by 65% at front and 33% at rear

the stability control for “more skilled cornering experts”.

A raised redline and 15% closer gears make for faster acceleration at low speed but reduce top speed to 217mph.

The 60 planned Pur Sports cost £2.6 million before taxes.

S PY S H OT

VA U X H A L L M O K K A X THE ALL-NEW Vauxhall Mokka X has been seen for the first time with productionpreviewing bodywork.

Expected to be revealed in the summer before deliveries commence later this year, the second-generation crossover is based on the PSA Group’s new CMP platform, as used by its sibling, the Peugeot 2008.

This means the new Mokka X will offer petrol, diesel and battery-electric powertrains.

Turbocharged three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol units of various outputs will be joined by a 1.5-litre diesel, while the EV should use a 136bhp motor and a 50kWh battery for an official range approaching 200 miles.

The prototype, spied winter testing with minimal disguise, has a lower and wider stance than its upright predecessor, while its front end clearly takes inspiration from the Vauxhall GT X concept of 2018.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13

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NEWS Peugeot 208 GTi may appear this October in concept guise

GTi in frame to return on 208 Peugeot boss suggests GTi performance badge could appear on hot 208 EV

P

eugeot could bring back the GTi badge on a future high-performance version of the 208, with the firm’s boss scotching rumours that the sub-brand has been ditched entirely.

CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said that although the GTi badge will always be associated with internal-combustionengined (ICE) cars, it “remained important” to Peugeot. The firm has recently introduced the Peugeot Sport Engineered (PSE) badge on a hot plug-in hybrid version of the 508, a nameplate that’s

PSE, as on 508, is new hot tag

set to be used on further performance Peugeot models.

The exception to that, though, would be the 208 and possibly then even only for the UK market. “In the UK, GTi has a real sense,” said Imparato.

“We are working on what could be the GTi of the future. If one car has it [a GTi badge], it would be the 208, even if it’s electric.

For the rest, it would be PSE.” The reason to switch to PSE instead of GTi is because “it’s not the same feel as a user: it’s a new performance”, said Imparato. “It’s not ICE and it’s not the same sensations.

“The only car that could claim GTi – even if electric – is 208, if we decide to have such a line with a car like that.”

This suggests the electric version of the 208 would be the basis for any GTi hot hatch, much as sibling brand Vauxhall is doing with an all-electric VXR

version of the Corsa, which shares its platform with the 208. A concept version may even appear as soon as the Paris motor show in October.

The production version of the 508 PSE high-performance plug-in hybrid will definitely

version of the 45 SUV concept shown last year.

“We didn’t do this car as a concept,” said design boss Luc Donckerwolke. “We don’t want to show something as a concept and then disappoint

Prophecy will make production

as Imparato sees “a big opportunity for a line-up of sporty cars” in this mould.

Should the 508 PSE be a success, Imparato said the PSE formula could be applied “on the 3008 and other cars”.

MARK TISSHAW

NEW 308 TO GO ON SALE IN 2022 The next generation of the Peugeot 308 is set to be launched in 2022 and will follow the same formula as recent Peugeots in offering electrified variants alongside combustion-engined models.

Peugeot CEO JeanPhilippe Imparato said the pace of the roll-out of new Peugeots will now slow, after having launched so many new cars so quickly, including the 208 and 2008. However, the

Rakish Hyundai to rival Model 3 THE HYUNDAI PROPHECY concept will be followed by an electric production car that maintains the same dramatic styling, the firm’s design chief has promised.

The concept, based on a new EV skateboard architecture, features a low-slung coupé roofline to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. It will be used as the basis for a Tesla Model 3 rival that’s likely to arrive in 2022, after the production

be launched in Paris. Imparato said the firm will not be pushing volume sales of that car and will consider sales of between 1000 and 2000 units a success.

The project is as much about “transforming electric cars” and the perception of them,

people. [The production version] will have the same form and architecture, with a long wheelbase and sloping design. It will have the same silhouette.

“We took the flat skateboard architecture used for an electric car and looked at how to use that for a flowing design concept.

With the silent propulsion of electric cars, we wanted a design that looked smooth, fluid and silent.”

next 308 is likely to be shown before the end of 2021 and go on sale in 2022.

“The 308’s sales this year to the end of January were the same as last year,” said Imparato. “This car was Car of the Year in 2014 and has been a huge sales success in Europe. It’s not as strong in the UK, where it deserves more than a 2.5% market share. But it’s long into its life and will live into 2020 and

2021. After that, something new will come.”

The next 308 is set to be built on an updated version of the EMP2 platform that underpins the current car. In line with the 3008 and 5008, which use that architecture, it’s likely to include a plug-in hybrid and in time an EV, alongside petrol and diesel versions, giving it the broadest powertrain line-up of any PSA model.

OFFICIAL PICTURE

HOT i20 N MOVES A STEP CLOSER A video showing the outline of what appears to be a longawaited i20 N hot hatch has been released by Hyundai. A prominent rear wing, large wheels and a bodykit create all the hallmarks of a Ford Fiesta ST rival, but such a car has yet to be confirmed officially.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15

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NEWS Stroll (left) and design boss Marek Reichman unveil V12 Speedster

CONFIDENTIAL

Aston to be ‘British Ferrari’

Refreshed firm pins hopes on new Ferrari-style business model

A

ston Martin put new investor and executive chairman Lawrence Stroll front and centre of the reveal of the V12 Speedster.

We sit down with CEO Andy Palmer to see how Stroll’s expertise (and money) will help revive Aston’s fortunes.

Lawrence Stroll talks about reducing inventories and rebalancing the company. What will the practical effects be?

“Lawrence has been the Canadian Ferrari importer a long time so he understands the Ferrari model very well.

We expect in future to make materially fewer sports cars, but to make every one of them solidly profitable. We built 5800 sports cars for wholesale last year. We’ll do fewer in 2020.”

Can you be more specific about numbers?

“Not possible, I’m afraid. There will be a delay while we get stock out of the system. We’ll have to swallow hard. And change what we do. It’s time for us to make good and try to become the British Ferrari, asking customers to spec their cars individually and wait for

Valkyrie (left) will arrive this year, Valhalla in 2022

now meeting, and some buyers prefer a more traditional grille, which we’re now providing. And we’re now offering the leasing deals many people want.”

them to be built. The DBX is already showing how we mean to go on. We’re building those cars only for retail and our order book for 2020 is full.”

What will your relationship with Red Bull be like in future?

“Red Bull’s contribution has been invaluable. Those guys have been great friends to our brand and we’ll continue as their title sponsor in F1 this year. Red Bull Technologies takes responsibility for the Valkyrie and that will continue after we launch it at the back end of the year. Beyond that, we will have a new relationship with the [F1] team currently known as Racing Point. It’s up to us to make proper use of that relationship.”

Your electrification plans for the Rapide E and Lagonda have been shelved. Is that a poor signal to send to the market?

“Our plans have gone back, but they’re far from dead.

We’ve finished the Rapide E engineering, learned a ton of stuff from it and its IP remains with us. But we’ve taken the opportunity to write down the capital expenditure of

Aston Martin’s Andy Palmer the electrification work. We’ve had some difficult years. We have to decide what our new priorities are.”

What are your priorities?

“We have to get to the midengined model bloodline – Valkyrie this year, Valhalla in 2022 and Vanquish in 2023 – and we have to bring our 3.0-litre V6 hybrid and plug-in powertrains into the whole model range as soon as possible, as a way of staying on the right side of clean air regulations. These powertrains need to be right across our range by the mid-2020s. But we’re not walking away from the Lagonda project. I’d hope that would regain its place in our priority list post-2024.”

The Vantage has had a slow start. Why is this and what can you do about it?

“Actually, we’ve grown our market share with this model.

But though our slice got bigger, the cake got smaller. Also, we were missing the Roadster, which will account for about 40% of potential volume.

There was a demand for a manual gearbox, which we’re

What are your immediate priorities this year?

“We have to balance demand and supply to remove extra stock out of the system and get back to building cars to order.

Then we have to ensure that DBX’s quality is perfect from the very first deliveries.”

How do these changes affect your own position as president and CEO? “That’s a difficult question because you never really know.

I’ve got plenty to prove. But Lawrence Stroll is more than interested in cars and he isn’t a passive guy – which I like.

He’s made it clear that the CEO’s role won’t change. I’d like to be here to see the DBX and the mid-engined models through their launches, and the Lagonda too.”

So you’re fundamentally optimistic about the future?

“We had four good years from the back end of 2014, when I arrived, but 2019 was very difficult and we now have plenty to prove. We need a bit of luck with the market, but we’re cutting our cloth to suit the new priorities and conditions. If I wasn’t optimistic, I wouldn’t be the right guy for this job.”

STEVE CROPLEY

VOLVO IS CONFIDENT it will meet its EU CO2 fleet average target of around 111-112g/km (95g/km is the industry baseline, but this is adjusted based on the average weight of models), thanks to the increased sale of plug-in hybrids and the launch of its first electric cars. So far, its PHEVs have typically been positioned as high-performance rangetoppers but it will add more ‘standard’ plug-ins.

KIA ALSO ASSERTS it will hit this year’s impending emissions targets. UK managing director Paul Philpott said: “The scale of the fines and the reputational damage [for missing the target] for a relatively new brand such as Kia mean we have too much to lose.” Kia will ramp up its electrified mix this year to meet those targets.

“WE PUT THE design first,” said Peugeot boss Jean-Philippe Imparato in describing why Peugeot’s comeback has been so successful, with a string of recent sales hits with the 3008 and 5008 and now the Car of the Year award for the new 208. “On top of all the investment choices, I protected the design,” he said. “Then the brand image recovers.”

JOST CAPITO, HEAD of Volkswagen R, said he was sceptical when his division was tasked with developing a hot ID electric road car.

“I always thought I’d be retired when electric cars became a thing because I’m a petrolhead,” said Capito.

“But they’re fun to drive.

At first, electric cars were something we had to do [for emissions] but now they’re something we want to do.”

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17

Geneva show was cancelled with just days to go because of the coronavirus outbreak

Axed Geneva faces angry backlash Manufacturers set for substantial losses following last-minute show cancellation

T

he declining influence of the traditional motor show is again being hotly discussed following the cancellation of the Geneva event, just four days before it was due to be staged, due to the threat of the coronavirus.

Manufacturers were last week investigating whether they could recover any of the substantial costs they had already paid to unveil cars at Geneva, with some privately angry that the show’s organisers had waited so long

before making the final call.

One large car maker, who wished to remain anonymous, put its total bill at ¤6 million (£5.2m), very little of which was recoverable. “We’ll probably have to eat it,” a source at the company said, adding that organisers “should have pulled the trigger sooner”.

One bone of contention among manufacturers was that the Geneva organisers waited until the Swiss government in effect banned the show on Friday by ruling that all

events with attendances of 1000 or more people must be cancelled. That triggered the so-called ‘force majeure’ clause where manufacturers couldn’t claim against the organisers for breaking their contract. In a press conference, show organisers specifically told exhibitors they couldn’t expect refunds.

“It feels like they were waiting for a ban when they should have cancelled a lot earlier,” one automotive CEO said, again on condition of

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar (above) and Morgan Plus Four were both set for high-profile reveals at Geneva 18 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

anonymity. That also meant the companies would find it much harder to claim back their expenditure on insurance.

“For Geneva to make that decision when they did and not pay any compensation, they must be barking mad,” said another senior executive, who also preferred not to be named.

“At a time when motor shows are under intense scrutiny, they should have been as helpful to automakers as they possibly could. Instead they did the direct opposite.”

Long before the show was cancelled, manufacturers have been finding more efficient ways to showcase their cars. Even Geneva, which is historically popular with many car makers partly because it is held on neutral ground with no ‘home’ exhibitors, was set to be down on brands this year after Ford, Peugeot, Nissan, Citroën, Volvo and Mini skipped the event. “Motor shows in general are on a slippery slope,” said

Pete Kelly, managing director at analysts LMC Automotive.

“Every show now has notable absences and automakers are clearly rationing their resources across not just shows but also other channels.

It’s hard to imagine them all going on as before.”

Car makers are experimenting with new events. Ford, for example, is taking its Go Electric Roadshow across the UK to 100 locations to promote the Mustang Mach E and the rest of its electrified range after launching in London in February.

“Increasingly Ford of Europe is concentrating on stand-alone events that let us present our new vehicles, technologies and services in a more flexible way,” said the company.

Audi, Toyota and Ford are among those that have in the past staged what are in effect private motor shows for media, dealers and customers, during which new models are

NEWS Car makers invest significantly in their show presence

UNDER THE SKIN JESSE CROSSE

FUEL-SAVING PREDICTIVE TECH PAVES THE WAY TO AUTONOMY

❝

Luxury brands are committed to Geneva, where the wealthy are given their own VIP day ❞

Organisers declared ‘force majeure’ when calling off Geneva

their own VIP day. For those companies, the cancellation this year was a blow. “I was very disappointed,” Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said during the digital reveal of the new Mulliner Bacalar roadster. “We created the best show stand we had ever built, then we had to stop everything.”

Morgan was due to reveal its new Plus Four entry model and was hoping for a repeat of last year when on the first day it took 60 orders for its new Plus Six roadster. “Yes it’s going to affect us,” said CEO Steve Morris. “It’s a tough world we live in and we don’t want any hiccups.” The firm salvaged some publicity by driving the car home and staging a reveal at its Malvern HQ instead.

Other makers were also quick to arrange presentations and press conferences via live streams, often at their own HQs. As the world’s media and enthusiasts watched this year’s Geneva reveals online, it was clear what was missing. LMC’s Kelly said: “It’s hard to convey digitally what new products look like in the flesh. For that, the shows still have a place.”

NICK GIBBS

IT’S BEEN SAID that we’ve been on the road to autonomous cars for several years now, because what we know as advanced driver assistance systems, such as autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control with stop-start, are all building blocks of the autonomous car.

Hyundai-Kia’s new ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Connected Shift System is another example of that, although the group isn’t the first to the party with this kind of technology. The idea of CSS, as we’ll call it, is that it’s predictive, selecting gears to suit traffic conditions up ahead. In effect it does pretty much what an efficient driving course would teach a human driver to do, looking and thinking ahead to control speed, be in the right gear and avoid unnecessary use of the brakes.

In the Hyundai-Kia system, the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) interprets data from 3D navigation to analyse gradients, elevation, curvature of bends in the road and road events while the cruise control radar does its normal job of monitoring the speed and distance of vehicles in front, with a camera keeping an eye on the lane ahead. Artificial intelligence software decides on the gear selection and de-clutches the transmission for coasting when conditions allow.

Hyundai-Kia says the number of shifts made on a twisty road is almost halved compared with a conventional transmission and braking (a real fuel economy killer) reduced by just over a tenth. The system also switches to Sport mode when it decides harder acceleration is likely, such as when joining a motorway. Still at the development stage, ICT will be tailored to take advantage of 5G-based traffic signalling and integrate with individual driving styles in future cars.

BMW showed something similar back in 2012, and the system initially saw production on the 7 Series. Predictive Power Management enabled the transmission to in effect see the road ahead and account for bends in the road. Foresight Assistant in Eco Pro mode prompted the driver to decelerate when it predicted an imminent

Predictive driving systems using artificial intelligence take us one step closer to full autonomy.

need to slow down, in turn avoiding using the brakes so much.

Route-Ahead Assistant calculated the most efficient route to take and enabled coasting when the road is clear. As part of its Efficient Dynamics approach, BMW also introduced smart stop-start, which doesn’t shut down the engine if it isn’t necessary and, when it does, restarts the engine when it’s time to go using radar and camera data rather than relying on the driver’s operation of the car’s controls.

The ICT and CSS isn’t available yet but the companies say they will roll it out on future cars. The evolution of assistance features like these do more than give efficiency gains; if drivers are aware of them, they can make day-to-day driving from A to B less of a chore (congested roads aren’t going away any time soon). Just occasionally, like one-pedal driving in a BEV with driveradjustable regenerative braking set to high, they can make it more fun and engaging, too.

TECHRULES’ TURBINE TECH Techrules, maker of the Ren supercar concept, with its gas turbine rangeextender, plans to start production of a 45kW stationary power generator this year, with a 15kW range extender version to be used in EVs set to follow next year. The turbines can run on biofuels and, according to the manufacturer, produce much lower NOx emissions than piston engines due to lower peak combustion temperatures.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 19

MARKUS PENTIKÄINEN, TEKNIIKAN MAAILMA

previewed and show-goers can check out the metal. The company can choose the time and place and doesn’t have to pay vastly inflated hotel bills that hurt participants at bigger shows, particularly Geneva.

Motor shows were already adapting. Last week, the IAA, organiser of the Frankfurt show, announced the biennial event would shift to Munich next year, and with it will come a whole new approach. “The IAA will no longer be just a motor show but a mobility platform,” said Bernhard Mattes, president of German car industry association, the VDA. “It will come out of the exhibition halls and reach into the towns and cities.”

Also searching for a new identity is the US’s famous Detroit show, which this year moves to a new summer slot after 2019’s visitor numbers shrank by 35,000 year on year.

For some car makers, however, a motor show is still an effective way to shift metal. Luxury and sports car brands have largely dropped the global shows but remain committed to Geneva, where the world’s wealthy are given

Date: 14.Feb 2020 12:19:12

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COMMENT

Steve Cropley MY WEEK IN CARS

Bentley’s convoy drove to Crewe, via Edinburgh and Carlisle airport

SATURDAY

First leg of a 450-mile drive to Edinburgh in the Flying Spur, our long drive broken by a relaxed lunch in one of those welcoming off-track restaurants only professional events organisers seem able to find in places as unpromising as Scotch Corner on the A1. The Spur was discreetly brilliant: shrinking around us and diminishing distance with its serene cruise, usually with just 2000rpm on the tacho. This, we realised, was why Bentley suggested we drive so far.

Over short distances, these cars feel luxurious, much like their rivals. Over longer distances, the magic carpet effect kicks in: they become fatigue fighters, still entertaining you with chassis poise and throttle response after many hours.

After lunch, we were top down in the V8 convertible, whose heated seats, steering wheel and air scarf maintained our comfort

❝

They shut the main runway so we could do 160mph ❞ even at 3deg C. The hood didn’t go up until big snowflakes started splatting the windscreen with an hour to run. By twilight, we were parked outside a plush hotel in the city centre.

SUNDAY

Two shorter legs, from Edinburgh to Grasmere, totalled 150 miles, both of them in the V8 coupé on serious driver’s roads, first heading south-west out of Scotland, then due south to another fine hotel near Grasmere. Loved this car’s deliberate but accurate steering, so perfect for holding it a few inches off the grass verges lining the road.

As we drove, I kept thinking of the million test miles that must have honed these superb cars.

At Carlisle airport, Bentley’s people persuaded staff to shut the main runway so we could do

AND ANOTHER THING… Bloodhound is in jeopardy. Ian Warhurst, backer of the jet-rocket-powered land speed record car, says the project urgently needs £8 million in sponsorship to complete its bid to beat 800mph next year. Warhurst rightly insists the project offers huge rewards to sponsors. Surely after 11 years it can’t be allowed to die?

160mph on the runway as a substitute for the autobahns on our original route.

MONDAY

A business day, almost. Jumped into the Bentayga (like a Bentley, only taller) for the swift dash south to Cockermouth, where Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport builds Bentley’s GT3 race cars, recently victorious in Australia’s Bathurst 12-hour race.

Wilson’s eye is now on Spa this June and, after Oz, I wouldn’t bet against a win. Then it was another two hours south to Crewe, to interview Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark and be shown the £1.5 million Bacalar convertible, only 12 of which will ever be built. Design director Stefan Sielaff explained the car with his usual lucidity and then I was regretfully delivered to the train station.

London by 10pm, in a state of controlled euphoria.

TUESDAY

Into our Twickenham office for the official start of the virtual Geneva show. Lots of phone interviews, car news and a rewarding boost in web traffic even though none of us was anywhere near Switzerland. Speculation ran all day that ‘real’ motor shows might disappear, but none of us truly believed it. When next they stage a disease-free Geneva show, I’ll be there.

GET IN TOUCH

steve.cropley@haymarket.com

@stvcr

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21

CHARLIE SPERRING

FRIDAY

Geneva’s cancellation was a major disappointment. First, because I’ve done 35 of them on the trot; second, because at the time I was bound for Leeds Castle, Kent, to join a crew of hacks driving Bentleys to the Swiss city via motoring pleasure domes such as the Spa circuit and the Schlumpf car collection in Mulhouse. On our 700-mile mission, we were due to drive four recent Bentleys (Flying Spur, GT V8, GTC V8 and Bentayga Speed). And now it was up in smoke.

Except it wasn’t. In short order, Bentley’s events team (who should arguably be running the country) produced an ‘unGeneva’ plan to divert us to the Crewe HQ via interesting, Bentleyrelevant places in the UK. It would put 800 miles under our wheels and have us in Cheshire by Monday to view Bentley’s Geneva exhibits that, in the meantime, would have returned by truck.

Date: 28.Feb 2020 15:47:45

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F I R ST D R I V E S N E W C A R S T E ST E D A N D R AT E D

TESTED 16.2.20, SURREY ON SALE NOW

VOLVO XC40 T5 TWIN ENGINE Plug-in hybrid compact SUV arrives with 28-mile claimed electric range

P

lug-in hybrids such as this new Volvo XC40 are a curious breed, but you can see why car makers keep churning them out.

The EU’s strict new CO2 targets come into effect this year, and PHEVs are a sure-fire way of reining in manufacturers’ fleet average emissions figures. And, of course, they make for a good stepping stone between regular internal combustion-engined cars and pure EVs. But if we’re to believe that every new car sold from 2035 (or perhaps 2032) will have to be emissionsfree, it’s tricky to ignore the feeling that they’re being developed and promoted at great expense in the knowledge they’ll soon be obsolete.

Anyway, you can see why the concept might appeal in the here and now. With its 81bhp electric motor and 10.7kWh battery, this XC40 T5 Twin Engine can travel as far as 28 electric-only miles before its 178bhp three-cylinder engine fires up and takes over the task of driving the front wheels. So if you charge it

24 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

regularly and use it mainly for short hops, it should theoretically cost very little to run – despite the fact that it’s actually a 1.75-tonne SUV. This ability to run on electricity alone for short distances is also why PHEVs are currently so inexpensive on the company car tax front. As long as you get your spec right, this XC40’s WLTP-certified CO2 rating drops as

low as 47g/km, equating to a massive benefit-in-kind tax saving when compared with a standard diesel or petrol XC40. This applies even if the owner then treats it as a regular car and runs it almost exclusively on petrol power, which doesn’t seem entirely sensible. But like it or not, it’s where we’re currently at in the world of new cars.

A 28-mile electric range is claimed; we saw only 21 miles offered on the trip meter

Past the points of potentially lower running costs and a cheaper company car tax rate, the XC40 PHEV still carries plenty of appeal as an ownership proposition. For starters, it looks as great as it always has, with the only real change to its suitably swish exterior being the addition of a charging port just over the front wheel arch.

The cabin continues to exude all of the lounge-like class that we so liked about the XC40 when it first arrived a few years ago. Even in the darker colour palette of our test car there’s an impressive sense of space in both the first and second rows, and an elevated level of material quality lends it plenty of upmarket appeal.

That said, the front seats err on the firm side, and their short squabs could provide a bit more in the way of under-leg support. But there’s plenty of adjustability to be found both here and in the steering column, the net result of which is that the XC40 is afforded an appealingly commanding and comfortable

TESTER’S NOTE Volvo offers a Type 2/ Mode 3 fast-charge cable as a £50 option.

With it, a home wallbox can top up the XC40’s battery in as little as two and a half hours. SD

R-Design trim’s firmer set-up keeps body roll in check, but the ride comfort suffers

Classy cabin feels spacious and is nicely finished in quality materials

❝

There’s a delay as the transmission rifles for a gear, but progress is swift once it’s found

❞ driving position with excellent visibility out of the cabin.

With its battery fully charged, the XC40’s crisp, clear digital dashboard informed us we had 21 miles of electric-only range rather than the 28 that Volvo claims.

Nonetheless, driving the XC40 on battery power alone is a relaxing undertaking – if not a particularly rapid one. With only 118lb ft and all of that kerb weight to cart about, the electric motor isn’t the last word in accelerative potency but is responsive enough to your inputs and still capable of getting the Volvo up to speed in a timely enough fashion.

Brake pedal feel is as good as nonexistent, however, and the transition from electric to petrol power isn’t

quite as smooth as you’d ideally like, particularly in those instances where you need to suddenly summon all of the car’s available shove at the drop of a hat. Hit the kickdown switch and there’s an extended delay as the petrol engine sparks up and the seven-speed transmission rifles around for a suitable gear, but progress is swift once it’s found.

The 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine doesn’t sound too bad, either, and emits an intriguingly sporty warble under load.

Ride comfort could be better, though. Our R-Design test car rode on firmer sports suspension, so there was a brittle, slightly agitated edge to its ride in the low-speed environments you’d expect to use

it most frequently. Of course, its vertical body movements felt wellchecked when travelling at speed, but we’d be likely to sacrifice some of that control for an additional level of pliancy around town.

Still, its steering is nicely weighted and pleasingly direct, allowing you to guide the car through bends with reassuring levels of confidence. It’s hardly the sort of car that eggs you on to drive it hard and fast, but the accuracy of its steering remains easy to appreciate when you’re simply moseying around town.

And it’s in town where the Volvo most feels in its element. Here you can take advantage of its limited electric-only range to bring running costs down, and probably improve greatly on the 45-50mpg average economy figure we saw during our time with the car.

It operates at its best within a fairly narrow window, then. But if it fits your usage patterns, there’s a lot going for this plug-in XC40. We’d just avoid the sports suspension.

SIMON DAVIS

@simondavisnz

VOLVO XC40 T5 TWIN ENGINE R-DESIGN Limited electric range makes XC40 PHEV a more city-friendly SUV, provided you use it correctly

AAABC Price Engine

£40,905 3 cyls in line, 1477cc, turbo, petrol, plus electric motor Power 259bhp (combined output) Torque 314lb ft (combined output) Gearbox 7-spd automatic Kerb weight 1741kg 0-62mph 7.3sec Top speed 127mph Economy 119.1-139.4mpg CO2, tax band 47-55g/km, 16-19% RIVALS Lexus UX, DS 7 Crossback E-Tense

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25

Date: 06.Mar 2020 10:15:30

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FIRST DRIVES TESTER’S NOTE The Up GTI’s particular brand of driver appeal, played out over a blanket of always-on stability and limited in its scope for disaster, represents precisely how much fun you’d want your 21-year-old having in their first car. It’s very cleverly judged. MS

TESTED 3.3.20, MIDDLESEX ON SALE NOW

VOLKSWAGEN UP GTI Baby hot hatchback returns to tempt entry-level enthusiasts

S

lightly pricier but no perkier.

That’s the short version of what has been done to Volkswagen’s smallest hot hatchback, the Up GTI, for 2020. The overall appeal of the car hasn’t been altered, though; it’s mostly just been preserved.

After its launch in 2018, the hot Up attracted a long waiting list, which VW struggled to satisfy with a limited right-hand-drive allocation.

That, combined with the WLTP emissions deadline, meant the old car was taken off sale in April last year.

Now that it’s come back, it’s one of the first VWs to get the firm’s redesigned brand logo. Otherwise, the car is exactly as it was outwardly, with double side stripes, 17in alloys, black mirror caps and that impish black bi-plane spoiler being the distinguishing features. It has just enough visual attitude to set it apart at second glance but not so much to risk looking daft or over-promise about the driving experience.

Inside, the car is mostly as it was, too: the ‘Jacara’ checked cloth seats have been retained, likewise the

red-spotted dashboard decoration.

Alongside other Ups, the GTI gets a camera-based active lane keeping system (with a button that makes it mercifully easy to turn off) as well as curtain airbags as standard.

The 5.0in ‘composition colour’ infotainment system is retained; it’s light on features and functionality but cleverly partnered with a vicelike phone mount so you can fix your smartphone on the dash and use all of its navigation and connected features. A no-nonsense, entry-level driver’s car doesn’t need more.

Nothing has officially changed about the Up GTI’s driving experience – nothing that VW has felt the need to communicate, at least – and that’s mostly to be celebrated. This makes an amusing feeder hot hatch partly as a result of its limitations rather than in spite of them, and it has character in abundance.

In 2018, Wolfsburg lowered and stiffened the standard Up’s suspension for the GTI, widening the axle tracks only by fitting 17in alloys with less positive wheel offset, and it

certainly didn’t over-endow the car with outright grip or body control.

As a result, outputs of 114bhp and 148lb ft felt like more than enough to enliven and examine the car’s chassis on a proper road. And they still do.

The stiffness of the original version may have been tempered slightly, and the associated vertical body control calmed down a touch – but this remains a busy, bustling B-road car.

Being so short and light, it changes direction very freely, although with a little bit of roll and only a medium-high grip level. A more typical hot supermini feels more adhesive and naturally agile, but the Up communicates its limits well and makes driving up to them more engrossing than you might think.

The 1.0-litre turbo triple has lots of mid-range and a likeable willingness to work – although anyone who remembers the pocket rockets of the 1990s will wish it revved more keenly and, probably, that VW hadn’t felt the need to digitally enhance its audible character quite so much.

It’s also a shame that VW didn’t

take the opportunity to make the car’s ESP system fully switchable; the way it kills your throttle control stone dead as soon as you left-foot brake is regrettable. Likewise, the firm could have better defined the shift quality of the car’s six-speed manual gearbox, which remains a touch imprecise.

There’s a little bit of room for improvement for a future facelift, then, but moreover just a whole lot of motive charm and driver appeal being offered for what still looks like a really appealing price. The Up GTI is exactly the kind of car that other makers are now ruling out of their product plans in order to drive people towards range-topping electrified options. Here’s hoping it continues to show them the error of their ways.

MATT SAUNDERS

@thedarkstormy1

VOLKSWAGEN UP GTI Baby GTI is bigger on character than outright performance but provides a lot of accessible driver appeal

AAAAC

It’s modestly well equipped but phone integration is good; Up GTI is agile and has decent levels of grip

£15,895 (3dr); £16,295 (5dr) 3 cyls in line, 999cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 114bhp at 5000-5500rpm Torque 148lb ft at 2000-3500rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 995kg 0-62mph 8.8sec Top speed 122mph Economy 53.3mpg CO2, tax band 120g/km, 28% RIVALS Suzuki Swift Sport, Abarth 595

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27

3dr Up GTI driven, 5dr car pictured

Price Engine

CD-2020-tour-ad-Autocar-2020.qxp_Layout 1 07/01/2020 10:02 am Page 1

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The event is a 2000 mile, 6-day

The event is a 2000 mile, 6-day

The event is a 2000 mile, 5-day

road tour that travels to Chalons-en-

road tour that travels to Lake

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Viaduct, the Massif Central and

cars are welcome.

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FIRST DRIVES TESTED 19.2.20, ARIZONA, US ON SALE NOW

BMW X5 M COMPETITION

Range-topping SUV arrives with a 616bhp petrol V8 MERCEDES-AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+ Price £105,000 (est) On sale June What’s new? New GLS gets the AMG treatment, with greater reserves and a luxurious cabin

T

he BMW X5 M50i is perhaps all the car you and I are ever likely to need. It’s roomy, well equipped, rapid enough to outrun all but the most focused of sports cars and compliant enough to be used every day. And if its CO2 credentials are a concern, there’s always the X5 M50d.

Still, there remain those with the necessary financial means who will always seek even greater exclusivity.

It is this small group of customers that M division is aiming at with this, the new, third-generation X5 M. As with the latest X6 M, featured last week, the 2020 X5 M is available in two distinct forms. Both run the same twin-turbo 4.4-litre petrol V8 from the M5. But while the standard model sold in other countries has 592bhp and 552lb ft, the rangetopping Competition model that will underpin UK sales gets 616bhp plus the same 552lb ft. That’s 89bhp

more than the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 used by the X5 M50i, which again produces the same 552lb ft.

The X5 M sends its reserves through an upgraded version of the X5 M50i’s eight-speed torque converter-equipped gearbox and multi-plate clutch four-wheel drive system with torque vectoring function at the rear wheels, delivering effortless part-throttle traits in town and rabid acceleration on the open road. It’s all accompanied by a compelling baritone exhaust note, which is played through the speakers for added effect.

A wide range of chassis tweaks, including a brace across the front suspension towers to add rigidity and a mix of 21in front and 22in rear wheels, shod with 295/35 ZR21 and 315/30 ZR22 tyres respectively, bring a more sporting feel in comparison with the X5 M50i in any one of the driving modes. It’s quite direct in

character by SUV standards and feels more agile than its 2300kg kerb weight suggests. However, the speed-sensitive steering wants for real feel and the ride is way too firm, even in its most relaxed mode, to be classed as comfortable on all but the smoothest roads.

The interior, with its own unique digital instruments and sports seats, is superb. It’s also a good deal more practical than the sloping-roofed X6 M, with the boot offering 650 litres of luggage space.

The X5 M should be commended for its explosive performance and outstanding road holding. But at £110,610, you pay handsomely for the privilege. At £74,620, the X5 M50i offers almost as much performance but with more relaxed driving traits and the sort of comfort that makes it more suitable as an everyday car.

It’s the one I’d have.

GREG KABLE

BMW X5 M COMPETITION Powerful and engaging but pricey and short of ride comfort next to the arguably better-balanced X5 M50i

AAABC Price Engine

Sports seats and bespoke digital dials are the high points of a superb cabin

£110,610 V8, 4395cc, twinturbocharged, petrol Power 616bhp at 6000rpm Torque 552lb ft at 1800rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 2295kg 0-62mph 3.8sec Top speed 180mph Economy 22.1mpg CO2, tax band 291g/km, 37% RIVALS Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, Porsche Cayenne Turbo

MERCEDES-AMG HAS wasted little time in launching a go-faster version of the new GLS, and it runs the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine as its GLE 63 4Matic+ sibling.

With 603bhp and 627lb ft along with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and fully variable 4Matic+ four-wheel drive system, it delivers huge urge when the conditions allow, propelling the GLS 63 to 62mph in just 4.2sec on the way to an optional 174mph top speed. It’s the imbibing effortlessness and surprisingly direct response from the steering at more moderate speeds that really appeals, though.

The luxurious cabin, with its own unique digital graphics, makes good on Mercedes-AMG’s claims that this new GLS is its best yet. YK

AAAAC

PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO S E-HYBRID Price £123,349 On sale Now What’s new? Plug-in hybrid bruiser arrives with up to 19 miles of electric range

TIME WAS WHEN the wildest Porsche, in spec-sheet terms at least, would be some form of 911. But today Porsche is an SUV maker that builds sports cars to protect its pedigree, and the wildest model it now makes is the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, whose plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain makes 671bhp and 664lb ft.

Despite weighing more than 2.5 tonnes, this car will match even the Audi RS6 in a straight line, but it’s a bit of a one-trick pony in this respect and not so satisfying to drive as lesser Cayennes. That BMW’s X5 45e costs half the price, goes more than twice as far in EV mode and isn’t exactly short on performance further consigns this wild Porsche to curiosity status. RL

AAABC R E AD MOR E ONLINE

autocar.co.uk 11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29

ROAD TEST

PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

No 5464

Audi RS6 Avant

Will the raft of clever tech improve the driving experience or make it feel more remote?

M O D E L T E S T E D C A R B O N B L AC K Price £100,650

Power 591bhp

30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

Torque 590lb ft

0-60mph 3.3sec

30-70mph in fourth 4.6sec

Fuel economy 19.5mpg

CO2 emissions 268g/km

70-0mph 43.9m

ROAD TEST till nobody does the uncompromisingly large, uncompromisingly fast and supremely usable performance estate car quite like Audi. Even now, with the concept so familiar that we’re at risk of taking its continued existence entirely for granted, with imitators closing in by degrees, and with almost as much in-house competition for the subject of this week’s road test to contend with as exists outside of the showroom.

It’s funny to think, then, that the biggest, quickest and most desirable of all of the wickedly purposeful but deliciously understated wagons to which Audi puts its name – the RS6 Avant – has yet to reach its 20th birthday. The very first came along in 2002; and yet the car has quickly taken on the inscrutable persona of one that has been around forever and must likewise survive that way not least because to lose it would be to lose one of the performance car ether’s true archetypes.

With this fourth-generation version, the RS6 will tear into its roaring 20s. Having dallied briefly but memorably with turbocharged V10 power a decade ago, the new version retains the turbocharged V8 engine type that has helped to define its character for so long. It also retains the permanent quattro all-paw driveline that has had equal influence in the casting of its character and place in the world.

And yet the list of new technology that’s ready to reinvent the dynamic abilities of this new version is long.

From mild hybridisation adopted to boost the car’s socially responsible fuel efficiency to four-wheel steering adopted to keep pace with a set of increasingly purposeful rivals, there is plenty that promises to make this Audi ’bahn stormer even better than its predecessors. Stand by to find out exactly what it all amounts to.

S

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

AAAAA

We like  Suitably monumental outright performance  Genuine any-weather, any-trip usability  Cabin mixes luxury with restrained performance purpose like no other

We don’t like  Character is more restrained than you may prefer  Not quite as agile or entertaining as rivals

There are quite plainly some notions of wider Volkswagen Group performance car hierarchy to which the new RS6 is wonderfully immune.

The car’s 3996cc V8 replaces the 3993cc unit that was co-developed with Bentley and first used in 2011.

It’s the same mill you’ll find in a current Bentley Continental GT, Bentayga V8, Porsche Panamera GTS and Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

In the RS6, however, the twinturbocharged lump (now with a perfectly ‘square’ cylinder bore/ stroke ratio; the last version’s V8 was slightly long-stroke) is allowed to develop more power and torque than in any of those other applications: fully 591bhp, and 590lb ft over a near-2500rpm spread of mid-range revs. The related RS7 Sportback is no more potent and neither is the new RS Q8 super-SUV. Within wider VW Group circles, only the madcap Lamborghini Urus uses the same motor to more spectacular

Range at a glance ENGINES

POWER

FROM

45 TFSI 55 TFSI 40 TDI 50 TDI S6 TDI RS6

242bhp 335bhp 201bhp 286bhp 344bhp 591bhp

£42,720 £50,205 £39,695 £48,605 £61,180 £92,750

TRANSMISSIONS 7-spd automatic 8-spd automatic Although the RS6 is available exclusively as an Avant estate, the cooking versions of the A6 and slightly quicker diesel S6 can be had as either a saloon or an Avant. The entry-level 40 TDI and 45 TFSI make use of four-pot diesel and petrol motors, while the mid-range cars come with larger, six-cylinder units.

The RS6 is available in different trim levels, with the standard car priced from £92,750. Our Carbon Black model starts at £100,650 and rangetopping Vorsprung from £109,250.

effect, along with Porsche’s Turbo S E-Hybrid models (in which outputs are, of course, electrically assisted).

Ironically enough, the motor does have some hybridisation here as well.

A 48V electrical architecture and starter/generator allow the engine to ‘harvest’ power at up to 12kW under regenerative braking and also mean the RS6 can coast at cruising speed in an ‘ignition-off’ state for periods of up to 40 seconds. It retains cylinder deactivation technology as well and all of that means the car tops 30mpg on the extra-urban test cycle of the outgoing ‘NEDC equivalent’ fuel economy lab test.

Like the last RS6, the new one has full-time mechanical four-wheel drive with a passively locking Torsen centre differential that splits 60% of drive to the rear axle by default, varying it by as much as 85% as traction deteriorates up front.

Rearward torque is then split actively and asymmetrically by Audi Sport’s locking rear differential, which can overdrive the outside wheel using a system of electrically controlled clutches. The car also uses brakebased electronic torque vectoring.

For suspension, the A6’s multilink front and rear axles have been specially redeveloped by Audi Sport, with tracks that are 40mm wider than a regular A6’s and a ride height that cradles the RS6’s body 20mm closer to the road – and ‘actively’ lower still at high speed if you stick ◊

Past RS6s were also offered as saloons

 Rather than the same units as lesser A6s, the RS6 adopts the slimmer matrix LED headlights of the A7 for a meaner stare. Adaptive laser light functionality is standard.

 Audi’s designers have achieved something special with the RS6’s wheel-to-body height ratio, a key reference where design proportions are concerned. Anything close to 2:1 makes for a very purposeful stance. The RS6’s might even be less than that.

 Audi Sport has junked the frame of Audi’s familiar hexagonal ‘single-frame’ grille to make for a more impactful look, very effectively achieved. Gloss black plastic hides the driver assistance sensors quite well, too.

 Our car was a bit of a mule but closest to Carbon Black trim. The carbonfibre look of the diffuser styling comes with Carbon Black trim (it’s gloss black on Vorsprung). Black tailpipes mark out the optional active exhaust.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31

Weights and measures

Kerb weight: 2075kg 2929mm

1107mm

72 0m

0m

112

959mm

990m

5651680 litres

x

a mm

1487mm

m

0.35

m

1030m m max

DIMENSIONS

4995mm

PA R K I N G Typical garage height

 Quilted leather seats afford plenty of support and adjustability and enhance the RS6’s impressive credentials as a genuinely comfortable long-distance tourer.

Typical parking space width (2400mm)

2070mm

Typical leg room 720mm 2110mm (with mirrors)

 There’s loads of space in the second row for adult passengers or younger family members. Panoramic sunroof is standard on Vorsprung models, or a £1950 option.

3730mm

W H E E L A N D P E DA L ALI G N M E NT No problems with pedal alignment. Positioning of both brake and accelerator makes for comfortable motoring over distance.

There’s excellent adjustability in the steering column and seat base, too.

35mm Height 410-730mm

175mm Width 1020-1260mm

H E AD LI G HTS Adaptive matrix LEDs are standard. We didn’t have the opportunity to test them this time, but the same units have shown excellent range on other occasions and are quick to prevent dazzling.

∆ with the car’s now-standard air suspension set-up. Steel coil springs with diagonally interlinked dampers – Audi Sport’s time-honoured RS6 suspension set-up labelled Dynamic Ride Control – come as standard if you opt for top-of-the-line Vorsprung trim, or as an option elsewhere.

This is the first RS6 to adopt fourwheel steering in addition to torquevectored four-wheel drive – and it’s standard on all UK cars. Carbonceramic brakes are available but remain among the options for most RS6 trim levels.

INTERIOR

AAAAB It’s a tribute to Audi’s interior designers that the brand’s big-car cabin architecture hangs together

32 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

Length 1160-1970 mm

Centre

equally well for a luxury, high-quality feel in a £50,000 A6 as it does in a £130,000 (as tested) RS6. This cabin is as tech laden and electronically sophisticated as you’d expect a flagship Audi to be, thanks to its sharp display screens and welljudged combination of cool metal and glossy black surface treatments.

The usual tasteful yet typically restrained sporting details do help to differentiate this performance model from its lower-order A6 siblings, though. Contrasting red stitching stands out on the black leather upholstery of our test car and the Alcantara steering wheel and gear selector feel suitably motorsport derived. There’s an impressive sense of space in the front half of the cabin, too, afforded in part by the optional

 RS6’s 565-litre boot isn’t quite a match for the E63’s 640-litre hold. Boxes, mats, trays and partitions are all available as accessories to help you to secure loads.

panoramic glass sunroof but also by the Audi’s sheer girth.

This airiness extends to the second row, where our tape measure recorded typical leg room of 720mm.

Although that’s 20mm less than in a BMW M5, the Audi has more head room (990mm versus 920mm). In any case, there’s more than enough room for two adults to sit comfortably and enough overall width for three children to fit across the back seats without too much complicated tessellation of booster seats.

The boot, meanwhile, has a seatsup capacity of 565 litres, extending to 1680 litres with the rear seats folded flat. The aperture itself is usefully wide; the boot floor is close to flush with the opening, which makes loading heavy stuff easy; and for

stowing cargo, you’ll find rails, nets, hooks and a handy elastic strap in the RS6’s boot, all of which help to prevent what you’re carrying from smashing itself to pieces while you’re enjoying what we’re coming to next.

PERFORMANCE

AAAAB We’ll start with the negatives. If the RS6’s immensely powerful 4.0-litre V8 disappoints in any aspect, it’s in the way it sounds. There’s a richness and an aggression to its deep, growling timbre that’s eminently appealing when you can hear it, but compared with the more expressive V8 of the Mercedes-AMG E63 and, to a lesser extent, the M5’s, the Audi’s engine just sounds a bit restrained.

Even with the optional RS sports ◊

ROAD TEST

 RS button on the steering wheel allows for quick access to your own customisable drive modes. Only the RS2 mode lets you deactivate the ESC.

 Select RS mode and the instrument binnacle throws up a unique, race-style display with large rev counter and g-force meter. Cool, if a little contrived.

 Chunky shifter is carried over from standard A6 models but, in the RS6, this is upholstered in Alcantara. It looks good – and feels even better.

Multimedia system

AAAAC

Audi’s flagship MMI Navigation Plus infotainment system and 12.3in Virtual Cockpit come as standard on all versions of the RS6 Avant.

The quality of the graphics and the rate of response to your inputs are, as we’ve experienced in the past, impressively crisp, but it remains a slightly awkward system to use on the move. The need to apply a fair bit of pressure to garner a response is one drawback, but the need to avert your eyes from the road for longer than you’d like is its greatest issue.

Still, the Virtual Cockpit is impressively configurable and the addition of an RS mode will no doubt appeal to some – even if some testers thought it looked a bit naff.

A £6300 Bang & Olufsen sound system was fitted to our test car as well. It’s pricey, certainly, but when set up correctly, it’s one of the best car stereos that we’ve come across.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33

❝ The RS6 Avant lunges off the line with incredible ferocity

❞

∆ exhaust fitted, the way in which its soundtrack swells into the cabin is akin to listening to a favourite music album from another room. In this sort of car, you’d just prefer to be able to hear it in more detail and at apparently closer range.

The other slight sticking point is that we averaged just 19.5mpg during our time with the car – a figure that dropped to 9.8mpg during performance testing. Allowing for the fact that this engine develops 591bhp and the car weighed 2.2 tonnes on our scales, fairly extreme fuel consumption isn’t exactly a surprise. However, it does erode the car’s everyday ownership appeal a bit and reveals that Audi’s economyboosting measures will have a rather limited effect should you choose to stretch the car’s legs.

And you will – because on summer tyres and a dry track, the Audi’s appetite for speed is even more voracious than its need for

fuel. The RS6 lunges off the line with incredible ferocity, although it takes a couple of runs and a bit of heat in the tyres to launch it completely cleanly. Initially, the rearward weight transfer as the car springs forward can make the front wheels momentarily scrabble for purchase, but from there on out, the rate at which the Audi accrues pace is nothing short of incredible for a car of its size. Excessive? Probably.

Unnecessary? Without question. But, above all else, utterly spectacular.

Our test car hit 60mph from a standstill in an average time of 3.3sec. The run to 100mph, meanwhile, was dispatched in 7.8sec. So it’s a match for the M5 up to 60mph, although the lighter BMW pips it by 0.3sec to 100mph. And while the Audi’s in-gear performance is certainly strong (30-70mph in fourth took 4.6sec), it’s still not quite as quick as the M5’s 4.0sec effort.

Either way, you’d have a very hard

time convincing anyone that the RS6 needed more grunt.

The eight-speed gearbox is well mannered. Aside from a slight tendency to shunt a bit at step-off, it changes gears swiftly and smoothly when up and running. The carbonceramic brakes, meanwhile, can be a bit grabby at low speed, but their power and robustness when you really need them is unquestionable, as our braking test results clearly show.

H A N D L I N G A N D S TA B I L I T Y

AAAAC Those used to fast front-engined Audis of old might be in for a surprise the first time they steer an RS6 towards a corner. At least, they might if the RS6 is fitted with the coil springs of our test car, which, even with optional winter tyres and standard four-wheel steering, was responsive.

(We tested the car on both ‘summer’ and winter tyres but performance tested it solely on ‘summer’ ones.)

In the past, the way to make an Audi estate feel really agile would have been to buy an RS4 instead, but at last here’s a big Audi wagon with a keenness that takes it from its traditional positioning of being ‘fast if a bit inert and uninvolving’ to something you really can compare to an M5 or E63 S – although few people would claim that it handles quite as incisively as those rivals.

Unlike either of those competitors, the RS6 can’t be placed into rearwheel-drive mode, nor is its fourwheel drive system as rear biased as those of its major rivals.

It doesn’t do precisely what big fast Audis always used to do, which is to understeer a bit on the way in to a corner and then a lot on the way out. Instead, it grips very well on the way in and now can be cornered very neutrally on the way out, thanks to its RS-tuned active rear differential.

We’re not talking about daft speeds to feel this, either. This is the kind of

 Plentiful grip quells any understeer on the entry to a corner and the car typically remains neutral thereafter, aided by well-tuned four-wheel steering and a clever driveline

34 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

ROAD TEST Track notes One of the first things you appreciate on track in the RS6 is the reduced need to consider its width compared with fast road driving. But even without oncoming traffic to contend with, the Audi still feels really quite large on Millbrook’s Hill Route.

That said, its four-wheel steering gives it surprising agility through tighter corners such as T2, but this doesn’t come at the expense of perceived stability. Grip levels are tremendous and, although you’re aware of its mass during quick, twistier sections of track, body control remains steadfast. This affords the car the ability to carry impressive speed through corners, although you never really shake the feeling that it’s more precise, grippy and assured than out-and-out fun.

The RS6’s steering is mute but predictable and makes you comfortable quickly, its relatively sedate on-centre response sharpening up naturally as you wind on lock.

demeanour you can sense in everyday brisk driving, not track lunacy.

Here, the active rear steer is really nicely judged, too. It’s rare that a manufacturer tunes these systems to feel as natural and predictable as Audi has done. You don’t end up cornering as if navigating the rim of a 50 pence coin. Rather, you just turn the moderately weighted, slightly soft yet accurate steering and feel the RS6 want to point towards a corner.

Unless, that is, you’re on the open road, in which case the rear wheels assist high-speed stability – which, even on winter rubber with some squidge in its tread blocks, is as good as you’d hope for a car with a top speed as high as the Audi’s.

On proper ‘summer’ performance rubber, it’s very good indeed.

C O M F O R T A N D I S O L AT I O N

AAAAC Another trait of previous fast Audis was a certain brittleness to the

 In Dynamic mode, you can feel the RS6 rotating into T5. Pare things back and you notice its nose wanting to push on as you scrub speed and begin to turn in.

T2 T4

T3

T6

T1

 Masses of grip and lateral stability enable you to take T1 at considerable pace.

T7

T5

FINISH ride, especially if you screwed up when choosing from the myriad suspension and wheel options.

Well, even on a lowered, steelsprung chassis with Dynamic Ride Control adaptive dampers and 22in wheels with 30-profile tyres, that’s not a criticism that we’d level at the latest RS6, which absorbs most bumps and surface lumps with admirable efficiency.

And because this particular car wasn’t air sprung, it also rode without the occasional hollow, echoey ‘sproing’ that can afflict cars that have a bag for a spring on each corner.

A good portion of our test took place on winter tyres, whose movement in the blocks, designed to find purchase in horrid conditions, undoubtedly gives the car a slightly softer edge than usual. Even on ‘summer’ performance rubber, though, the RS6 rides with surprising fluidity, dealing with

START more testing surfaces better than either of its performance rivals from BMW or Mercedes-AMG. Noise isolation is also first class. It probably helps that Audi’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine is naturally more muted than any comparable AMG unit or even BMW V8, but with low idle, cruising and revving noise, and with a fine-quality sound system, the RS6 is perhaps the easiest-going car in this class.

BUYING AND OWNING

AAAAC The new RS6 is available in Avantbranded wagon form only, and in four trim levels – the cheapest of which starts at £92,750. That’s a lot of money, clearly, but not an exorbitant figure when viewed in the context of the Audi’s current competitor set. It’s also made to seem more reasonable than it otherwise might in light of the fact that it’s roughly what an averagely equipped entry-level

Porsche 911 sports car will cost you in 2020. With the first car costing just under £60,000 in 2004, the same comparison could have been made when the first RS6 Avant was launched in the UK. The new car’s trim levels progress upwards from stock RS6 trim, through Carbon Black and Launch Edition versions, to culminate in near fully loaded Vorsprung, for which Audi is asking just shy of £110,000.

All cars get four-wheel steering, matrix LED active headlights, fully digital instruments and privacy glass as standard, while the Carbon Black version has slightly different exterior body trim from the glossier Launch Edition and Vorsprung versions.

Only with Vorsprung do you get Dynamic Ride Control interlinked suspension, Audi Sport’s active exhaust, a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo, a head-up display and a full suite of active driver aids for no extra cost, though. ◊

AC C E L E R AT I O N Audi RS6 Avant Carbon Black (9deg C, dry) Standing quarter mile 11.7sec at 121.8mph, standing km na, 30-70mph 2.8sec, 30-70mph in fourth 4.6sec 30mph

40mph

50mph

60mph

1.4s

2.0s

2.6s

3.3

70mph

80mph

90mph

100mph

110mph

120mph

130mph

4.2s

5.2s

6.5s

7.8s

9.4s

11.3s

13.4s

0

10s

BMW M5 (8deg C, damp) Standing quarter mile 11.5sec at 125.1mph, standing km 20.8sec at 159.1mph, 30-70mph 2.6sec, 30-70mph in fourth 4.0sec 30mph 40mph

50mph

60mph

1.5s

2.6s

3.3

2.0s

70mph

80mph

90mph

100mph

110mph

120mph

130mph

4.2s

5.1s

6.3s

7.5s

9.0s

10.6s

12.6s

0

10s

B R A K I N G 60-0mph: 2.73sec Audi RS6 Avant Carbon Black (9deg C, dry) 30mph-0

50mph-0

8.5m 0

70mph-0

22.3m 10m

43.9m

20m

30m

40m

BMW M5 (8deg C, damp) 30mph-0

50mph-0

9.3m 0

70mph-0

25.5m 10m

20m

50.3m 30m

40m

50m

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35

Data log AU D I R S 6 AVA N T C A R B O N B L AC K On-the-road price Price as tested Value after 3yrs/36k miles Contract hire pcm Cost per mile Insurance

£100,650 £129,815 £52,925 £1214.71 na 50E/£1195

73 litres

TYPICAL PCP QUOTE Three years/36,000 miles £1297.64 A £10,000 deposit will net you an RS6 Avant on a three-year, 36,000-mile PCP plan for just under £1300 per month. The optional final buyout comes to £49,600. Representative APR is 6.3%.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST 22in alloy wheels Four-wheel steering Sport rear differential Matrix LED adaptive headlights Privacy glass Virtual Cockpit digital instruments MMI Navigation Plus touchscreen infotainment system Top speed increased to 189mph Dynamic Ride Control suspension Parking assistance pack RS ceramic brakes RS styling pack, red Black styling pack Black exterior mirror housings Night vision assist Alcantara headlining Bang & Olufsen premium audio Panoramic glass sunroof RS active sports exhaust Head-up display Power door closure Options in bold fitted to test car = Standard na = not available

T E C H N I C A L L AYO U T

C8-gen RS6 sits on VW Group’s MLB-Evo platform, which is shared with everything from the Porsche Cayenne to the Lamborghini Urus. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 sits up front, its power directed to all four wheels via an eight-speed ’box, a Torsen centre differential and an e-diff at the rear axle. Four-wheel steering is standard, as is 48V mild-hybrid tech. We weighed the RS6 at 2217kg, split 55:45 front to rear. £1550 £1300 £380 £9700 £1970 £300 £115 £2200 £2100 £6300 £1950 £1450 £1450 £675

ENGINE

ECONOMY

Installation

TEST MPG

Track Touring Average

9.8mpg 32.8mpg 19.5mpg

CLAIMED

Low Mid High Extra high Combined

13.4mpg 21.6mpg 26.2mpg 25.7mpg 22.1-22.6mpg

Tank size Test range

73 litres 313 miles

Front, longitudinal, four-wheel drive Type V8, 3996cc, twin-turbocharged, petrol Made of Aluminium block and head Bore/stroke 86.0mm/86.0mm Compression ratio 10.0:1 Valve gear 4 per cyl Power 591bhp at 6000-6250rpm Torque 590lb ft at 2050-4500rpm Redline 6500rpm Power to weight 285bhp per tonne Torque to weight 284lb ft per tonne Specific output 148bhp per litre

E M I S S I O N S & TA X CO2 emissions Tax at 20/40% pcm

268g/km (NEDC eq) £621/£1241

C H A S S I S & B O DY

TRANSMISSION

BRAKES

SAFET Y

Construction

Type 8-spd automatic Ratios/mph per 1000rpm 1st 4.71/5.7 2nd 3.14/8.5 3rd 2.11/12.7 4th 1.67/16.0 5th 1.29/20.8 6th 1.00/26.7 7th 0.84/31.9 8th 0.67/40.0 Final drive ratio 3.20:1

Front 440mm carbon-ceramic discs Rear 370mm carbon-ceramic discs Anti-lock Standard, with brake assist Handbrake type Electric Handbrake location Centre console

ABS, ESC, ACC, high-beam assist, city assist pack Euro NCAP crash rating 5 stars (Audi A6) Adult occupant 93% Child occupant 85% Pedestrian protection 81% Safety assist 76%

SUSPENSION

STEERING

CABIN NOISE

Type

Spare

Front Multi-link, coil springs, interlinked adaptive dampers, anti-roll bar Rear As above

Turns lock to lock Turning circle

AC C E L E R AT I O N

AC C E L E R AT I O N I N G E A R

MPH 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 0-110 0-120 0-130 0-140 0-150 0-160

mph 20-40 30-50 40-60 50-70 60-80 70-90 80-100 90-110 100-120 120-140 140-160 160-180 180-200

TIME (sec) 1.4 2.0 2.6 3.3 4.2 5.2 6.5 7.8 9.4 11.3 13.4 – – –

2nd 1.5 1.3 – – – – – – – – – – –

3rd 2.3 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.9 – – – – – – – –

4th – 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.5 – – – – – –

5th – 3.6 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.5 – – – –

6th – – 4.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.1 4.3 4.4 – – – –

7th – – 7.4 5.6 4.7 4.7 5.0 5.4 5.8 – – – –

8th – – – 11.3 8.7 7.1 6.7 7.2 8.1 – – – –

THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2020, Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the RS6 Avant, contact Audi UK, Yeomans Drive, Blakelands, Milton Keynes, MK14 5AN (0800 699 888, audi.co.uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690). Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (01722 322888).

36 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

Electromechanical, rack and pinion 2.25 na

MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR 1 37mph 6500rpm 2 55mph 6500rpm 3 82mph 6500rpm 4 104mph 6500rpm 5 135mph 6500rpm 6 173mph 6500rpm 7 189mph 5945rpm 8 189mph* 4727rpm * claimed

RPM in 8th at 70/80mph = 1751/2001

Idle 40dB Max rpm in 4th gear 72dB 30mph 58dB 50mph 61dB 70mph 66dB

R E S I D UA L S 120 100

Mercedes-AMG E63 S Premium Plus Audi RS6 Avant Carbon Black

80 Value (£1000s)

Weight/as tested Drag coefficient Wheels Tyres

Aluminium/steel monocoque 2075kg/2217kg 0.35 10.5Jx22in 285/30 ZR22 101Y, Pirelli P Zero Mobility kit

60 40

BMW M5 Competition 20 0 New

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

 Despite costing more than its rivals when new, the RS6 should retain a greater percentage of its original value.

R OA D T E S T N o 5 4 6 4

Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk

ROAD TEST Testers’ notes SIMON DAVIS Audi Sport considers the RS6 to be its most illustrious model and you can see why.

Sure, it suffers from some of the same pitfalls as other RS cars, but its demeanour, pace and aesthetic make it impossible to dislike.

MATT PRIOR I’m sure there’s a sound reason for the light switches to all be separate buttons, but I still prefer a single round dial – especially for dipping to sidelights momentarily to say ‘thanks’ for giving way.

VERDICT

Spec advice

AAAAC

Bigger on luxury and usability than rawness or involvement udi Sport’s flagship super-estate is now even more devastatingly fast, remorselessly purposeful and more incredible-looking than it ever has been. But while the RS6’s altogether more hawkish appearance might hint at a heightened capacity for engaging its driver, this impression isn’t fully in sync with the way it drives.

The RS6’s unflappable all-weather traction leaves you in awe of its ability to cover ground, but its tight-lipped steering still doesn’t do as much to really involve you in the process as rivals might. Meanwhile, the disparity between the slightly muted audible character of its V8 and the volcanic straight-line performance it affords can be puzzling.

The BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 S are both more thrilling devices for different reasons, although only the latter comes in estate form. But the Audi’s luxurious, practical cabin, well-judged ride and overall refinement give it a suitability for everyday use on imperfect roads that neither of its rivals can match.

Being the most usable all-rounder in the class doesn’t necessarily equate to class champion. Even so, the appeal of the RS6 remains impossible to deny.

A

R OA D TEST R I VA L S Verdicts on every new car, p82 Price Power, torque 0-62mph, top speed CO2, economy

1

ALPINA B5 BITURBO TOURING More of a focus on luxury and comfort than inherent track capability but still a hugely entertaining and effective super-estate. Superb.

AAAAB £91,000 599bhp, 590lb ft 3.7sec, 200mph 248g/km, 23.5mpg

2

MERCEDES-AMG E63 S 4MATIC+ PREMIUM PLUS ESTATE Harder and sharper than the Alpina – and more powerful, too.

Not as easy to live with, mind.

AAAAB £100,050 604bhp, 627lb ft 3.5sec, 186mph 246g/km, 22.6-23.3mpg

3

AUDI RS6 AVANT CARBON BLACK A phenomenal all-rounder.

It doesn’t engage quite like an Alpina or AMG but is still devastatingly quick.

AAAAC £100,650 591bhp, 590lb ft 3.6sec, 189mph (derestricted) 263-268g/km, 22.1-22.6mpg

4

PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO S E-HYBRID SPORT TURISMO Hugely powerful, hugely expensive and, well, huge in general. Quick, but weighty.

Electric mode handy in town.

AAABC £142,279 671bhp, 627lb ft 3.4sec, 192mph 76g/km, 72.4-74.3mpg

As long as you like the carbonfibre styling, go for Carbon Black trim.

Add an Audi Exclusive paint shade if you’re feeling lavish (£3000) as well as DRC suspension (£1300), sports exhaust (£1450) and the comfort and sound pack (£1895).

Jobs for the facelift  Don’t lose the proper centre diff: the extra skiholiday traction on snow it affords over clutchbased 4WD is key for Audi RSs.  Bring a bit more life and feedback to the steering.  Although the muted refinement is welcome, it wouldn’t hurt for high revs to come with more noise.

5

VOLVO V60 T8 TWIN ENGINE POLESTAR ENGINEERED Nowhere near the other cars here in terms of raw pace, but still sweet to drive. Looks far cheaper in this company, too.

AAACC £57,205 400bhp, 494lb ft 4.6sec, 155mph 48g/km, 104.5mpg

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

NORTH COAST 500 DRIVE STORY

The North Coast 500 has become a magnet for driving enthusiasts, but in summer the route gets congested. Automotive agoraphobic Mike Duff takes his chances in winter – in a soft-top Porsche PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

Spectacular scenery and feats of civil engineering pepper the NC500

riving the North Heated seats, a wind Coast 500 in the deflector and beanie allow winter was meant for top-down motoring to be an adventure, but perhaps not quite as adventurous as this could turn out to be.

We arrive in Inverness with the far north of Scotland under a severe weather warning and conditions bad enough to have earned a name. This is going to be the Porsche Boxster T versus Storm Brendan.

I’ve never really held with the idea that driving for fun is a seasonal activity, or understood why so many interesting cars get tucked up for the winter. Many of my most memorable journeys have involved miserable weather, introducing another challenge to those of car and road.

The minimalist Boxster T is particularly well suited to d Snowplough foretells the conditions ahea such an austere adventure, combining almost all of the Boxster’s chassissharpening options with the basic 296bhp 2.0-litre flat-four turbocharged engine and – in this one – a six-speed manual gearbox.

The other motivation is to experience the North Coast 500 in what should be its purest form. Since it was first branded as such and publicised back in 2015, this coast-hugging 512-mile loop around the historic Scottish counties of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness has become hugely popular and a feature on many automotive bucket lists. But the thousands since drawn to drive and ride it have also created a marked increase in traffic during the summer, sometimes causing congestion on the often narrow, single-track roads and even bad feeling among locals. Hopefully that won’t be a problem during an amber weather alert in January.

D

40 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

There are plenty of petrol stations on (or near) the route, but also gaps – especially as many of the smaller ones close at night. It’s definitely worth planning ahead, especially in something with a smaller range.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

It’s an early start from Inverness.

Photographer Luc Lacey has done the NC500 before, he and Richard Webber looping it in a Fiat 500 in 2017 on a three-day schedule that he says turned out to be pretty tight. A potential problem already, then, as I’ve allowed just a day and a half.

The weather is mild enough

Tourists tend to stay away in the winter, and for good reason

to start with the roof down, the Boxster’s combination of seat heaters, wind deflector and an effective heater keeping the cabin temperate even with the thermometer reporting 5deg C. The scenery starts gentle – rolling rather than rugged – and with no rain and little wind I’m actually wondering if taking up Porsche’s offer to switch the Boxster to winter tyres wasn’t excessively cautious.

Muir of Ord is where the climatic adventure starts. Once on the A835 and heading west, traffic drops right off; frequently there are five minutes or even longer before seeing other vehicles. The woods that flank the road start to drop back as we climb into more angular terrain, the sort of Highland scenery chosen for shortbread tins. It’s also starting to feel gustier, with some serious steering input required to keep the Boxster on track.

Stopping next to the bleakly beautiful Loch Scaven reveals just how windy it is, and Lacey struggles to stand upright as he fights his ◊

NORTH COAST 500 DRIVE STORY

❝ It’s starting to feel

gustier, with some serious steering input required to keep the Boxster on track

❞

N AV I GAT I N G T H E N C5 0 0 Navigation is normally made easy by the lack of alternative routes, but sat-nav will try to avoid the NC500’s coastal loops unless you select a destination halfway along them. By plotting the following waypoints into the Porsche’s navigation system, we got it to follow the route almost exactly: Beauly, Muir of Ord, Applecross, Fearnbeg, Gairloch, Ullapool, Clashnessie, Laxford Bridge, Durness, Thurso, John O’ Groats, Conon Bridge, Inverness.

Thurso

Durness

John O’ Groats

Ullapool Kenmore Applecross

Inverness 0

20

40 miles

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 41

DARREN JONES

Conditions on the Bealach na Bà pass prove dicey – and icy

Date: 05.Mar 2020 14:38:34

P24 AAA £250 N24I AAA £I50 P24 AAC £250 P33 AAD £I50 R77 AAS £I50 M26 ABB £350 MI23 ABB £250 YI2I ABC £250 Y500 ABC £I50 P24 ABE £350 N28 ABE £250 SIII ABP £250 A458 ABP £I50 RI2I ABY £350 P2I ACB £350 P23 ACC £350 N28 ACC £250 PI2I ACC £I50 P33 ACD £I50 S66 ACF £I50 LE03 ACH £250 M27 ACH £350 M28 ACH £250 P27 ACK £350 PI2I ACK £250 N32I ACM £I50 K333 ACM £250 Y555 ACS £350 N2I ACT £350 N23 ACT £250 R24 ACT £250 S200 ACT £250 Y3I ACY £250 R29 ADA £250 P2I ADB £350 P29 ADB £250 K90 ADD £350 P32I ADD £350 N333 ADD £250 M2I ADG £250 P23 ADH £250 P23 ADR £250 RE03 ADS £250 N23 AFC £350 TII AFD £I50 NII AFR £I50 CI4 AFS £250 AFZ 959 £250 YI5 AGB £250 M25 AGE £350 M27 AGM £250 P27 AGS £250 M29 AGS £350 M24 AGY £350 AGZ 585 £350 PII AHD £I50 P29 AJA £350 N836 AJB £350 L28 AJD £350 P24 AJK £250 SI8I AJL £250 ME54 AJS £I50 R90 AKE £350 N8 AKP £250 L23 AKS £350 R29 AKS £250 P888 AKS £I50 P2I AKY £250 AKZ 646 £350 P23 ALA £250 L25 ALA £I50 L26 ALA £350 LI23 ALB £350 NI2I ALC £250 N26 ALD £250 P28 ALD £350 N24 ALE £250 P25 ALE £350 R29 ALE £350 N27 ALG £350 P27 ALH £250 N25 ALL £350 L27 ALM £350 P28 ALM £350 LI2I ALM £250 PI2I ALM £250 R32I ALM £I50 N29 ALP £350 P29 ALP £350 PI2I ALP £I50 RI2I ALP £250 MI2I ALS £350 N2I ALT £350 OX05 ALY £250 M32I AMD £250 P32I AMD £I50 T222 AME £250 M32I AME £350 N400 AME £I50 P2I AMF £350 MI23 AMH £350 P26 AMJ £250 L3I AMJ £350 L3I AMK £250 RI23 AML £250 RI23 AMM £250 L2I AMO £250 N32I AMP £250 BE55 AMS £250 P24 AMT £250 L3I AMT £350 NI2I AMW £250 PI2I AMW £350 L24 ANC £250 SLI4 AND £I50 AO5I AND £250 DU04 ANE £250 V3I ANJ £250 R23 ANS £350 HB53 ANS £350 M25 ANY £350 L23 APB £350 M28 APB £250 N333 APC £I50

N27 APH £I50 T29 APP £350 N26 APR £250 P27 APR £350 P32I APS £250 W9 APT £350 N26 APW £250 P333 APW £I50 RI23 ARA £250 Y900 ARB £250 Y700 ARC £350 P23 ARD £350 L2I ARE £250 P2I ARJ £250 P23 ARJ £I50 P28 ARK £350 N29 ARK £250 Y3I ARL £350 HE03 ARN £250 R27 ARR £250 R32I ARR £I50 EW08 ART £250 RI2I ART £350 PI5 ARW £250 N27 ARY £250 R3I ARY £350 L500 ARY £350 R29 ASA £250 L3I ASA £350 T88 ASA £350 P90 ASA £I50 LI0 ASB £350 N3I ASB £250 E9 ASJ £350 R2I ASP £350 ASZ 9I9 £350 ASZ 2067 £I50 ASZ 2068 £I50 ASZ 2089 £75 L28 ATH £350 G83 ATH £250 RI2I ATH £250 T600 ATH £I50 R24 ATS £350 N3I ATS £350 R32I ATS £250 PR04 ATT £250 L25 ATT £350 R28 ATT £350 R32I AUD £350 K800 AUD £250 L2I AVE £250 M2I AVE £350 AXZ 565 £350 XO02 BAB £I50 N23 BAB £250 PI2I BAB £350 P26 BAK £350 R222 BAK £350 P29 BAM £350 NI2I BAM £I50 P222 BAM £250 N24 BAN £350 Y339 BAR £250 N24 BAS £350 N900 BAS £250 M22 BAY £350 N28 BAY £250 P999 BAY £350 R24 BBB £I50 N3I BBS £350 P29 BBY £350 K6 BCR £250 R27 BEA £350 L24 BED £250 P29 BED £I50 S700 BED £350 N30 BEK £350 S400 BEK £350 R29 BER £350 RI2I BER £I50 P555 BER £250 R23 BES £350 P27 BES £I50 P28 BES £250 BFZ 42 4 £250 BFZ 545 £I50 BGZ 848 £350 BHZ 949 £350 BIG 9845 £250 GI4 BJB £250 L40 BJD £I50 L3I BJH £250 L26 BJM £350 PI2I BJW £I50 BJZ 272 £250 P32I BMC £250 GP03 BMW£250 P24 BON £350 P25 BON £250 F86 BON £350 P32I BOO £350 Y600 BOW £350 N26 BOY £250 R26 BOY £350 SI5 BRA £250 S25 BRA £I50 E6 BRH £250 R89 BRL £I50 P29 BRN £350 N28 BRO £350 P29 BRO £350 PI2I BRO £250 N400 BRO £I50 P23 BRU £350 R3I BRU £350 NI23 BRU £250 Y9 BSB £350 BSZ 434 £350 BSZ I046 £I50 BSZ I047 £I50 BSZ I428 £75 N28 BUC £350 M25 BUD £350

M26 BUD £250 P29 BUL £350 K52 BUL £250 N32I BUR £250 N27 BUT £250 M29 BUT £350 BXZ 223 £I50 L2I BYE £250 L2I BYS £250 L2I BYY £250 OY02 CAB £I50 Y700 CAB £250 P2I CAC £250 M27 CAC £350 NI23 CAD £350 P28 CAF £250 R29 CAF £350 MO05 CAG £I50 D83 CAG £350 PIII CAG £250 LI2I CAH £350 XI4 CAN £350 N23 CAP £350 N8 CBE £I50 Y44 CCC £250 M3I CCH £350 N3I CCH £250 M3I CCK £350 M2I CCO £350 N3I CCO £350 N8 CDK £I50 P26 CDS £250 R27 CEB £I50 R24 CEC £250 N25 CEC £I50 J80 CEC £350 M28 CEL £350 RI2I CEL £250 M3I CEM £250 M26 CER £350 N27 CER £I50 M29 CER £250 AC52 CES £I50 M23 CEY £350 L28 CFC £350 Y900 CFC £250 CFZ 338 £250 CFZ 5794 £I50 CGZ 626 £350 CGZ 2I34 £75 CGZ 4709 £I50 CGZ 47I0 £I50 R32I CHA £350 N200 CHE £250 M3I CHM £250 MI2I CHO £250 N23 CHR £350 RI2I CHR £250 N400 CHR £I50 PI2I CJC £350 LI2I CJH £350 NI2I CJP £250 LI23 CJP £350 P700 CJR £250 P26 CJT £350 M2I CKA £350 G3 CKM £250 JO07 CKS £250 L24 CKY £350 K3I CLA £350 NI2I CLB £350 YIII CLC £350 VI9 CLH £250 PI2I CLM £350 P24 CLW £350 M900 CMB£350 R900 CMB £250 MI2I CMC £350 P24 CMD £250 SI2 CME £250 W90 CMH £350 P26 CML £250 P23 CMR £250 L25 CMS £350 PI23 CMW £250 CNZ 3426 £I50 M2I COD £250 P24 COD £350 S4II COE £250 N28 COM £350 S66 COO £350 N99 COO £250 YII COP £350 NI23 COR £350 P32I COR £350 T32I COT £350 MI2I COY £350 WII CPB £250 HI6 CRA £350 L2I CRA £350 N27 CRA £250 R26 CRB £250 N888 CRG £250 YI23 CRS £250 P99 CSB £250 P2I CUN £250 P27 CUR £350 P24 CUT £350 R3I CUT £250 L9 CWS £250 CXZ 8I8 £250 R32I DAB £350 NI2I DAC £250 P28 DAF £250 L2I DAG £350 R28 DAG £250 P2I DAP £350 R2I DAP £250 M26 DAR £350 NI2I DAR £250 MI2I DAS £350 LX06 DAV £250 PL07 DAV £350 N24 DAW £350

Elite Registrations OPEN: MON-FRI 9AM-7PM, SAT 9AM-5PM, SUN I0AM-5PM

Tel: 01380 818181 elitereg.co.uk

All registrations are offered on a first come, first served basis. All are subject to VAT and the £80 Dept. for Transport transfer fee. Prices may fluctuate. See website for full terms. We have been trading for over 45 years. THOUSANDS MORE AVAILABLE. Write: P.O.Box 100, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 4TE Y600 DAW £250 PD02 DAY £250 PI56 DAY £350 P24 DCS £250 S3 DDM £250 P24 DDS £350 JO07 DDY £250 N27 DDY £350 M2I DEA £250 L32I DEC £350 R24 DEK £350 L25 DEK £250 Y400 DEM £350 N29 DER £350 P888 DER £350 DH06 DES £250 DO06 DES £350 DI6 DET £250 Y600 DEV £250 N3I DEW £350 T222 DEW £250 M32I DEW £350 N27 DEX £250 R27 DEX £350 DEZ I5I0 £350 DEZ 4866 £250 DFZ 3II £250 DFZ 747 £350 E7 DGD £250 M2I DGS £250 DGZ 535 £350 DGZ II47 £I50 DGZ 2444 £250 DHZ 6I6 £350 GI4 DJA £350 P300 DJC £350 L27 DJD £250 R27 DJE £250 L28 DJF £350 PI23 DJG £350 N23 DJH £350 P3I DJL £350 L32I DJP £350 W32I DJR £350 PI2I DJS £350 X297 DJS £250 NI2I DJT £350 Y700 DJT £250 DJZ 787 £350 DKZ 878 £350 P26 DLB £250 M3I DLE £350 P24 DLM £250 DLZ 929 £350 DLZ 9026 £250 P32I DMH £250 K888 DMH £350 L27 DMM £350 P2I DMR £250 W700 DMS£350 R32I DMW £250 N27 DOB £350 R700 DOB £250 AP09 DOC £250 V32I DOC £350 Y24 DOD £250 L25 DOD £350 N28 DOG £350 R70 DOL £350 P29 DOR £350 R29 DOR £350 P23 DOW £350 T999 DOW £350 AI5 DPS £250 P23 DRH £250 N24 DRM £250 EI0 DRP £250 P24 DRU £350 N27 DRU £350 P28 DRW £350 LI2I DRW £250 P23 DSB £250 TI6 DSM £350 P24 DSM £250 AI8 DSP £250 DSZ I2I3 £250 DSZ 2I08 £I50 DSZ 2I09 £I50 PI2I DUB £350 W26 DUF £250 S777 DUF £350 DXZ 383 £250 DXZ 838 £250 JO07 DYS £250 R28 EAM £250 NI3 EAR £250 M23 EAR £350 P24 EAR £250 P25 EAR £350 L2I EAS £350 P66 EAS £250 P2I EAT £250 EAZ 223 £250 EBZ 7II £250 N40 ECK £250 ECZ 6I6 £350 P23 EDS £350

P23 EDW £350 N23 EDY £350 P50 EDY £350 R2I EEE £250 L3I EEE £350 P23 EEL £350 P24 EEL £250 P2I EES £250 M28 EFC £350 EFZ 5I5 £250 P24 EGG £350 P29 EGG £250 R32I EGG £250 L555 EGG £250 EHZ 722 £250 N28 EJB £250 R29 EJM £350 EJZ 33I £I50 EJZ 939 £250 Y28 EKY £250 NI23 ELA £350 P3I ELE £350 PI23 ELE £250 R333 ELE £350 T888 ELE £250 P26 ELM £350 M29 ELM £350 PI23 ELS £350 YI5 ELY £250 R24 ELY £350 P28 ELY £350 R25 EMB £350 M26 EMB £250 L23 EMY £350 LI2I EMY £250 P2I ENA £350 N2I ENN £250 P2I ENY £350 P25 ENY £250 HI4 ERL £350 P26 ERN £350 R29 ERN £350 DI0I ERN £250 M28 ERS £350 P900 ERS £250 ERZ 575 £350 N60 ESA £350 N26 ESH £250 R26 ESH £350 C8 ESM £250 P23 ESS £250 S444 ESS £350 J900 EST £350 M900 EST £250 M27 ETH £350 N27 ETH £250 P29 ETT £350 MI2I ETT £350 R32I EVS £250 EXZ 443 £250 EXZ 448 £I50 P24 FAB £350 Y300 FAB £250 P3I FAR £250 P23 FAT £350 N90 FAT £250 RI FCB £350 VI5 FEB £350 RI2I FEE £350 K600 FEE £250 N27 FEN £350 R400 FEN £350 P24 FER £350 P25 FER £250 FFZ I5I £250 FGZ 223 £250 FJZ 669 £250 FJZ 822 £I50 P28 FLO £350 P6 FMH £250 P25 FOS £250 R29 FOS £350 P70 FRA £250 P88 FRA £350 R29 FRY £350 RI23 FRY £250 FRZ 8I04 £I50 P24 FUN £350 FXZ 449 £250 RI2I GAB £350 M32I GAB £250 N3I GAL £350 P26 GAM £350 HO04 GAN £350 N2I GAP £350 N23 GAP £250 W70 GAS £350 R900 GAS £250 Y300 GAV £350 M437 GAV £250 Y9 GBR £350 GBZ 779 £250 T3 GCD £250 GCZ 668 £I50 GCZ 686 £250 W9 GDC £350 N3I GED £350

RI23 GEF £350 L2I GEL £250 M3I GEL £350 P28 GEN £350 S999 GEN £250 PI2I GER £350 Y900 GER £250 GFZ 226 £250 N55 GGY £250 GHZ 696 £350 Y333 GJB £250 L2I GJM £350 P2I GJS £250 L25 GJW £350 GLZ 585 £350 Y24 GMS £250 M27 GOR £350 T333 GOR £250 R40 GOS £350 DO03 GRA £250 LI2 GTS £250 Y300 GUS £350 P23 GYM £350 N29 GYM £250 N27 HAD £350 R27 HAD £350 P28 HAD £250 N27 HAL £350 RI2I HAL £350 P23 HAM £350 W777 HAR £350 M28 HAS £350 MI23 HAS £250 R29 HAW £250 R3I HAW £350 T90 HAW £350 NI2I HAY £350 HBZ 667 £250 HBZ 773 £I50 HCZ 553 £250 HCZ 775 £I50 HDZ 585 £250 R90 HEB £250 P99 HED £350 W400 HEL £350 N27 HEM £250 RI2I HEM £350 P444 HEM £350 P23 HEP £350 R29 HEP £350 R3I HEP £250 R23 HER £350 P25 HER £350 N99 HER £250 R555 HEW £350 HFZ 433 £I50 HFZ 575 £250 HGZ 883 £250 HHZ 393 £250 HIG 7366 £350 HJZ I22 £350 HKZ 855 £250 P24 HLL £250 P3I HLL £350 G9 HMB £250 HNZ II3 £250 N24 HOB £350 R70 HOB £350 S900 HOB £250 L25 HOE £250 N29 HOP £350 YI2I HOT £250 V2I HOW £350 P25 HOW £350 NI2I HOW £250 R2I HUB £350 K900 HUD £250 N900 HUG £350 N29 HUN £350 N77 HUW £350

Y29 JCH P25 JCM RI2I JCM Y600 JDB MI2I JDC LI23 JDM N26 JDP P32I JDS P28 JEC T37 JEC R888 JED Y900 JEH P28 JEL T23 JER N24 JER P26 JER W6 JFH JFZ4 I4 JGZ 5893 JGZ 6670 JGZ 667I JGZ 6697 R23 JHN P26 JHN JIG I772 JIG 8009 Y400 JJC Y444 JJH P27 JJJ MI2I JJM P2I JJR PI23 JJS L25 JJW MI23 JJW AI5 JKW PI2I JLC PI23 JLM N27 JLP L29 JLR P24 JLS PI23 JLW P27 JMA L24 JMD LI2I JME MI2I JME LI2I JMH R34 JML N300 JMP PI2I JMR K70 JOC N27 JOD Y600 JOD N29 JOR K33 JOR S400 JOR L777 JOR M900 JOS Y700 JPB PI2I JPC L32I JPH V700 JPM KI6 JPR N32I JPS L3I JPW P333 JPW L3I JRC M28 JRD MI2I JRH Y700 JRH N23 JRP L26 JRS B789 JRS Y900 JRW JRZ I833 JRZ I834 NI2I JSB MI23 JSB NI23 JSC AI6 JSG N28 JSG

£350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £350 £250 £350 £250 £75 £I50 £I50 £I00 £350 £250 £350 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £250 £350 £350 £350 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £350 £250 £250 £350 £350 £250 £250 £350 £350 £350 £350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £250 £I50 £I50 £250 £350 £250 £350 £250

L27 KAM £250 P2I KAN £250 R66 KAN £350 N24 KAR £350 S752 KAR £250 KBZ 226 £250 KCZ 47 4 £350 P28 KEE £350 NI23 KEE £250 N32I KER £350 N23 KES £350 N28 KES £250 N27 KEY £350 KFZ 292 £250 KIG I248 £350 N3I KJH £250 M32I KJM £250 GII KJR £250 L26 KJW £350 MI23 KKY £350 Y80 KMC £350 NI23 KMC £250 N900 KNG £350 P23 KOP £350 P24 KOP £250 N3 KRH £350 R9 KRP £250 KRZ 232 £350 KRZ 3074 £50 KRZ 7567 £I50 KRZ 7568 £I50 M28 KTM £250 KXZ 767 £250 N29 KYL £350 Y32I KYM £350 RI2I LAB £250 N333 LAC £250 P24 LAD £250 M600 LAD £350 P23 LAH £350 R27 LAL £250 P29 LAN £250 R32I LAN £350 YIII LAR £250 N29 LAS £250 MI2I LAS £350 P23 LAT £250 N3I LAT £350 TI3 LAY £250 P23 LAY £250 MI2I LAY £350 LBZ 22 4 £250 M28 LCS £350 R26 LEC £350 P24 LED £350 N99 LEG £350 P26 LEM £250 L28 LEM £350 VI2I LEN £350 MI2I LEO £350 N32I LEO £250 P24 LER £350 P27 LER £250 P27 LET £350 N900 LET £250 P29 LEX £350 LEZ 942I £350 LFZ 266 £I50 LFZ 383 £350 LFZ 838 £250 LGZ 2509 £I50 LGZ 25I0 £I50 LGZ 4950 £75 LHZ 533 £250 LIG 972I £250 N32I LJC £250 NI2I LJH £350 M27 LJS £350 M500 LJS £250 Y300 LJW £350

P333 LSA £350 R888 LSA £250 L24 LUV £250 LXZ 775 £I50 LXZ 797 £250 P26 LYD £350 N3I LYD £250 MI23 LYS £350 NI2I MAB £350 P333 MAF £250 P23 MAH £350 N32I MAH £250 V26 MAJ £350 N3I MAK £350 RI2I MAK £250 P23 MAM £350 P25 MAM £250 N80 MAM £350 Y444 MAP £350 Y600 MAP £250 MF07 MAR£250 N3I MAW £350 RI23 MAW £250 P200 MCA £250 PI23 MCB £350 S333 MCD £350 NI2I MCH £250 G475 MCL £350 PI2I MCM £350 R23 MCP £350 N24 MCP £350 N27 MCP £250 M29 MCP £350 MI23 MCP £250 N23 MCR £350 T888 MCR £250 YI2I MCS £350 P23 MCW £350 MCZ 9040 £I50 R26 MDB £350 N23 MDC £250 M28 MDC £350 P2I MDH £250 LI23 MDS £350 P32I MDS £250 M28 MDW £350 MDZ 9700 £250 P2I MEC £350 P26 MED £350 R29 MED £350 N70 MED £350 P32I MED £250 GI9 MEE £350 P28 MEE £250 EL04 MER £250 T29 MES £350 T666 MES £250 J30 MEW £250 M27 MFC £350 MFZ 446 £250 P2I MGR £250 R29 MGS £250 MGZ 5833 £I00 MGZ 5903 £I50 MGZ 5904 £I50 T7 MHW £250 MHZ 656 £350 P32I MJD £350 X546 MJD £250 P2I MJE £250 PI23 MJF £350 P32I MJF £250 N2I MJK £250 M3I MJK £350 LI2I MJL £250 NI23 MJP £350 P32I MJR £350 GB56 MJS £250 P25 MLS £350 N29 MLS £250

SIMILAR REGISTRATIONS WANTED

FOR IMMEDIATE OUTRIGHT PURCHASE HXZ 533 M47 HYA IAZ 433 IDZ 445 IDZ 773 IFZ 499 IFZ 553 IHZ 353 IKZ I66 ILZ 88 4 IXZ 383 IXZ 4386 IXZ 4387 Y29 JAF R23 JAL P29 JAL TM09 JAM M32I JAP T800 JAP P28 JAT P2I JCG

£250 £250 £250 £I50 £250 £I50 £250 £250 £250 £250 £250 £I00 £I00 £350 £350 £250 £250 £350 £250 £350 £250

NI23 JSH L27 JSM P222 JSM R23 JSP R29 JSP P24 JSS M25 JUD Y900 JUD BI3 JUN P24 JUN N29 JUN P23 JUS JXZ 3II JXZ 8II R29 JYM P80 JYM P28 KAB T6 KAD L26 KAL N29 KAL L25 KAM

£350 £350 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £I50 £250 £350 £250 £350 £350 £250 £350

L24 LLE N24 LLS RI2I LLS S222 LLS Y22 LLY L29 LLY L32I LMB P24 LMH P25 LMR N32I LMS YI5 LMW AI7 LOK D42 LOK TI60 LOL L70 LON P24 LOO Y700 LOR R29 LOT N88 LOT N25 LOV N26 LSA

£250 £350 £250 £250 £250 £350 £350 £250 £250 £350 £250 £350 £250 £250 £250 £350 £250 £250 £350 £250 £350

R32I MLS £350 P29 MMM £350 R28 MMS £350 N26 MOD £350 P29 MOD £250 N23 MOE £350 V56 MOE £250 MI23 MOM£250 P23 MON £350 S7 MOP £250 N27 MOR £350 W28 MOR £350 P3I MOS £350 R26 MOT £350 W27 MOT £250 R2I MPB £250 W8 MPD £350 X33 MPG £250 K90 MPS £350 N27 MRC £350 PI23 MRC £250

P2I MRG £350 WI7 MRH £350 W29 MRH £250 B20 MRM £350 N27 MRP £250 YI2I MRS £250 LI2I MRT £250 LI23 MRT £350 L27 MRW £350 MRZ 727 £350 MRZ 2633 £I50 MRZ 2634 £I50 MRZ 3299 £75 P29 MSB £250 N29 MSC £350 P777 MSC £250 PI2I MUL £350 N23 MUR £350 Y999 MUR £250 M3I MUS £350 MI2I MUS £250 MXZ 379I £75 MXZ 6242 £I50 P26 NAB £250 R700 NAB £350 MI2I NAD £350 YI4 NAG £250 R24 NAG £350 M32I NAG £350 M2I NAH £350 M28 NAM £350 J600 NAM £250 CI5 NAN £350 M2I NAP £350 M25 NAP £250 P26 NAP £350 T28 NAR £250 N29 NAR £350 P25 NAY £350 L28 NAY £350 NBZ 552 £250 NBZ 799 £I50 NCZ 565 £350 WA04 NDA £250 J30 NDA £350 L24 NDS £350 R28 NDS £250 N23 NDY £350 NI23 NDY £250 NDZ 366 £350 P23 NED £250 M24 NED £350 Y444 NEL £250 P24 NER £350 MI23 NER £250 R26 NET £350 RI23 NET £250 N28 NEV £350 R32I NEV £250 M24 NEW £350 M26 NEW £250 NFZ 445 £250 NFZ 522 £I50 L28 NGE £350 NGZ I0I2 £I50 NGZ I022 £I50 NGZ I099 £75 NHZ 2II £350 LI2I NJB £250 P3I NJC £350 P28 NJM £250 E27 NJS £350 L25 NJW £250 N28 NJW £350 NJZ 229 £250 NJZ 337 £I50 T26 NKY £350 RI23 NKY £250 NLZ 334 £250 ME04 NNA £350 N23 NNN £250 L24 NNS £350 BO07 NNY £250 R28 NOR £350 P3I NOR £250 P222 NOR £250 MO07 NRO £350 NRZ 47 4 £350 N24 NUT £350 S800 NUT £350 Y32I OAK £350 OBZ 533 £250 N2I OCT £350 P23 OCT £250 OCZ 226 £I50 OCZ 696 £250 MI2I ODY £350 ODZ 566 £250 L3I OFT £350 OFZ 225 £250 OGZ 2084 £50 OGZ 6807 £I50 OGZ 6907 £I50 L27 OHN £350 OJI 535 £350 OJI 9700 £250 OJZ 878 £350

OKZ I9I £350 R27 OLA £250 LI9 OLD £250 R26 OLD £250 T3I OLD £350 L2I OLL £350 M24 OLL £350 P26 OLL £250 L25 OLY £350 L900 OLY £250 N24 ONE £250 R3I ONE £350 XI0 ONG £250 N3I ONG £350 M2I ONY £250 ONZ 727 £350 ONZ 49I0 £250 M24 ORR £350 L2I OSS £250 L2I OST £250 L3I OTY £350 N2I OVE £250 L26 OVE £350 T8 OWD £250 N2I OWE £350 OXZ I042 £I50 N2I OYD £250 LI2I PAB £350 Y400 PAD £250 L800 PAD £350 PII PAK £350 P2I PAK £250 Y888 PAL £350 P3I PAN £350 W555 PAR £350 V24 PAS £350 M32I PAS £350 JW5I PAT £350 S202 PAW £250 C6 PBB £250 W6 PCG £250 AI6 PCH £350 C2 PDE £250 H4 PDJ £250 H8 PDW £350 PDZ 939 £350 T99 PEA £350 N20 PEB £250 R3I PEG £350 P47 PEG £350 RI2I PEG £250 L24 PEP £350 PI2I PEP £250 RI2I PEP £350 N2I PER £350 P25 PER £350 S300 PES £350 P3I PET £250 NI2I PET £350 RI23 PET £350 PFZ 442 £250 L6 PGP £250 PGZ I039 £75 PGZ I264 £I50 PGZ I265 £I50 PI2I PHL £250 PHZ 789 £350 PHZ 8434 £I50 PIL 4465 £250 N29 PJC £350 E8 PJE £350 LI2I PJH £350 S3I PJR £350 M444 PJS £350 LI23 PJW £350 PKZ 828 £350 M24 PLE £350 W3 PLM £350 PLZ 262 £350 N23 PMB £350 N32I PMC £350 Y26 PMH £250 P5 PNK £250 PNZ 47 4 £350 M80 POL £350 RI2I POL £350 Y600 POP £250 R23 POR £350 P32I POR £250 R29 POT £350 R32I POT £250 N27 PRO £350 RI23 PRO £250 P3I PRS £250 PRZ 2482 £I50 PRZ 2483 £I50 PRZ 2703 £75 V4 PSD £250 P3I PSW £250 T2 PTD £250 L2I PUD £250 X30 PUG £350 S503 RAC £350 YI00 RAD £250 MC04 RAE £250 R23 RAG £350 N27 RAG £250

M26 RAH £350 L27 RAK £350 N27 RAL £350 HO07 RAN £350 N23 RAN £250 P26 RAN £350 P26 RAR £350 NI2I RAS £250 W2I RAT £250 R29 RAT £350 RI2I RAT £250 YI9 RAV £250 K70 RAW £350 Y800 RAW £250 RAZ I280 £350 RAZ 2354 £250 P2I RCB £250 E9 RCC £250 LI2I RCH £350 PI23 RCH £350 R27 RCM £250 P23 RCS £250 L26 RDS £350 N28 RDS £250 Y9 RDT £350 T99 RDY £350 N27 REA £350 P29 REA £250 L3I REB £350 N49 REB £250 OX04 RED £250 P3I REE £350 Y300 REG £350 S343 REG £250 T28 REL £250 R29 REL £350 M3I REL £350 NI23 REM £250 M32I REM £350 GO07 RES £250 P2I RES £350 M24 RES £350 K888 RES £250 M3I RET £350 YI4 REX £250 PIII REX £350 P700 REX £250 REZ 57I8 £I50 YI5 RFC £250 P2I RFC £350 RFZ 755 £250 K8 RGD £250 RGZ I062 £I50 RIG I048 £250 PI23 RJC £350 N29 RJD £250 M29 RJG £250 KI00 RJH £350 RJI 9443 £250 P24 RJL £250 L29 RJM £350 L27 RJP £350 L29 RJP £250 N8 RKG £250 L28 RKS £350 P32I RKS £250 RKZ 878 £350 EA04 RLS £250 P3I RLS £350 P3I RLY £350 RLZ I6I £350 P26 RMH £250 P32I RMS £250 GI2 RMW £350 L24 RNS £350 RNZ 363 £250 P28 ROC £350 RI23 ROE £350 PI4 ROL £350 L34 ROL £250 R32I ROO £350 M2I ROR £350 N29 ROW £350 NI23 ROW £250 P24 ROX £350 P8 RPA £250 W9 RPC £350 PI2I RRS £250 W23 RRY £350 RRZ I08I £I50 RRZ I082 £I50 RRZ I098 £75 N27 RSH £250 P2I RSM £250 L24 RSS £350 M24 RST £350 S6 RTG £250 L777 RTH £250 P23 RTS £250 M27 RTS £350 L24 RTY £250 P90 RUM £350 RI2I RUN £350 M25 SAD £350 P25 SAD £350 P3I SAD £250 T88 SAD £350 NI2I SAF £350 L2I SAG £250 P23 SAP £250 R28 SAP £350 N29 SAT £350 Y800 SAV £250 YI2I SAW £250 P23 SCB £250 J6 SCF £250 N23 SCH £250 F55 SCH £350 RI2I SCO £250 P24 SCT £250 L29 SCT £350 P28 SEA £250 R29 SEA £350 P23 SEC £350

P3I SEC £250 P26 SED £350 P23 SEL £350 P26 SEL £250 RI9 SEM £350 M25 SEN £350 P2I SEP £350 L29 SER £350 N3I SER £250 P26 SES £350 MI2I SES £350 PI2I SES £250 M3I SEW £350 M300 SEW £250 SFZ 535 £250 N3 SGD £250 W9 SHP £350 P29 SHP £250 N29 SHY £350 SHZ 359I £I50 SIB 4999 £350 SIG I452 £I00 SIG I659 £I50 SIL I7I4 £250 L29 SJD £350 PI23 SJF £250 N3I SJG £350 MI23 SJG £250 SJI 4625 £250 LI23 SJP £350 M32I SJS £350 SKZ 858 £350 N32I SLB £250 M32I SLC £250 P32I SLM £250 PI23 SLR £250 P26 SLS £350 LI2I SLS £350 P2I SMD £350 P24 SMD £250 P32I SMG £350 M3I SMP £350 L26 SMR £350 N26 SMR £250 YI2I SMS £350 NI23 SMW £250 R28 SOO £250 T29 SOO £350 P2I SPB £350 P27 SPB £250 V3I SPH £350 LI5 SPM £250 GI4 SPW £250 P28 SPY £350 P2I SRB £350 P23 SRC £250 N29 SRH £350 P333 SRH £250 LI23 SRS £250 N25 SSA £350 N23 SSS £350 R23 SSY £350 P25 SSY £250 T8 STD £250 N300 STR £350 L2I STS £350 P24 STV £350 P22 STY £350 SUI I224 £250 N23 SUL £350 T26 SUL £350 N60 SUL £250 M23 SUM £350 N25 SUM £350 G4I SUN £350 N25 SUS £350 P26 SUT £350 N800 SUT £250 Y32I SYD £250 R23 TAB £350 LI7 TAC £350 P23 TAC £250 P54 TAD £350 M24 TAF £350 N25 TAF £250 N25 TAG £350 RI2I TAG £250 P24 TAJ £350 P27 TAL £250 N27 TAP £350 C444 TAP £350 Y32I TAR £250 N28 TAT £350 S92 TAT £350 YIII TAT £250 Y600 TAY £350 TBZ 4I4 £250 R25 TCH £350 N333 TCH £250 A3 TDR £250 TDZ 622 £250 R24 TEC £350 M28 TEC £350 L66 TEC £250 N27 TEE £350 N29 TEE £250 M2I TEN £350 R26 TER £350 RI2I TER £250 R2 TET £350 M26 TEW £250 M28 TEW £350 TFZ 855 £250 TFZ 9I9 £350 MI23 THA £350 M32I THA £250 M8 THJ £250 THZ I834 £I50 TIG I356 £I50 TIG 2I66 £75 TIL 9774 £350 L3I TJB £350 Y444 TJB £250 L23 TJC £350

LI2I TJH £250 N26 TJM £350 P32I TJS £250 TJZ 252 £350 TJZ I922 £I50 TKZ 66 4 £I50 TKZ 696 £250 L28 TMC £250 RI2I TOD £350 N653 TOD £250 P24 TOP £350 R26 TOP £350 P27 TOP £250 AS05 TOR £250 N25 TOR £350 N29 TOR £250 Y222 TOY £250 L2I TRE £350 J600 TRE £250 G8 TSP £250 Y7 TSW £350 R23 TTS £350 P26 TTS £250 NI2I TTS £250 PI2I TTT £350 GO07 TTY £250 R3I TTY £350 NI2I TTY £250 TUI 42 4 £350 N28 TUR £350 TXI 868 £350 UBZ 399 £250 UCZ 656 £350 UCZ 733 £250 UDZ 747 £250 N25 UES £250 UEZ 939 £250 UFZ 8I8 £350 UHZ 299 £250 UHZ 429I £I50 UIG I082 £I50 UIG I08 4 £75 UJZ 255 £350 UJZ 525 £350 UJZ 626 £250 UKZ 585 £350 P27 ULY £250 ULZ 880 £250 ULZ 969 £350 L3I UNN £350 394 UPF £350 T29 USA £350 NI2I USH £350 P200 UTD £350 MY04 VAL £350 DU07 VAL £250 YI9 VAN £350 VAZ I700 £I50 VBZ 686 £350 VCZ 499 £250 VDZ 66I £250 RI2I VEE £350 HA04 VEN £250 P25 VEN £250 P2I VER £350 P23 VER £250 VFZ 262 £250 VFZ 42 4 £350 VHZ 228 £250 VHZ 433 £350 VIL 3232 £250 M28 VON £350 P29 VXR £350 PI23 VXR £250 J30 WAB £250 J66 WAC £250 PI2I WAG £250 R28 WAL £350 RI23 WAL £250 P222 WAL £250 GO06 WAN £250 N26 WAR £350 N28 WAR £250 P900 WAR £250 YI4 WAT £350 R32I WAT £350 M24 WAY £350 LI WCB £250 P24 WED £350 S900 WED £250 R29 WEL £350 PI2I WEL £250 CO07 WEN £250 P4I WEN £350 WEZ 6569 £250 WEZ 987I £I50 WHZ I0I9 £I50 WHZ I09I £I50 WIB 727 £350 WJZ 227 £250 PI23 WLS £350 J90 WMS £350 P23 WOO £350 M2I WOR £250 B2 WRH £250 A6 WRH £350 RI WSM £350 Y3I WYN £250 WZ I26I £350 XBZ 338 £250 XFZ 74 4 £I50 P29 YAN £350 YCZ 228 £I50 YCZ 448 £250 YDZ 633 £250 M28 YES £350 YFZ 353 £I50 YFZ 9I9 £250 YJZ 622 £I50 YJZ 868 £250 YKZ 242 £250 YKZ 55 4 £I50 YLZ 676 £250 MA04 ZDA £250

NORTH COAST 500 DRIVE STORY

❝

Doing 50mph in a roadster with a 50mph tailwind turns the cabin perfectly calm

❞ ∆ way to a vantage spot with camera gear. Driving forwards and backwards for pictures delivers the revelation that doing 50mph in a roof-down roadster with a 50mph tailwind turns the cabin almost perfectly calm. It’s like being in the eye of a storm, although there is a 100mph buffeting the other way.

Porsche’s recent announcement of the 4.0-litre 718 GTS might have thrown the perceived failings of the flat four into sharper relief, but there’s still plenty to like about this engine. It never tries to hide the fact it’s turbocharged, with a boosty delivery that makes it feel exciting and quicker than it is. But there’s also an abundance of mid-range that’s well suited to roads such as this, with plenty of immediate urge even cruising in sixth. Past Strathcarron, where the road narrows to one lane with passing places, average speed stays respectable.

Not for long, though. The weather gets rapidly worse, the rain hard enough to defy the best efforts of the wipers’ full monsoon setting to clear the screen and the sky – before 11am – twilight dark.

Then at Tornapress it’s time to turn off the A896 onto a road that looks more like a driveway than a thoroughfare, and past a sign that reads ‘Road Normally Impassable in Winter Conditions’. To emphasise the point, a snowplough appears in the other direction, its driver clearly surprised by the prospect of a bright yellow sports car.

The Highland wildlife poses as much of a hazard as the weather

The grunty, fleet-footed Boxster T is well suited to the rugged terrain

This is the Bealach na Bà, or Pass of the Cattle, which cuts across the mountains of the Applecross peninsula to reach the coast. It was opened in the 19th century and features the steepest ascent of any road in the UK, a 2045ft summit and an impressive crop of Alpinestyle hairpins on the way to the top.

Normally it’s the sort of location on which photographers would happily spend days, but as the Boxster climbs so the angry clouds seem to come down to meet us. Before long we’re travelling through a soupy greyness with visibility well under 100 yards.

By the time we reach the top we’re travelling between tall snowbanks, with the Porsche’s stability control light strobing as even the seasonappropriate ContiWinterContact tyres struggle to find grip.

Progress is slow and careful, especially on the long descent, and plans for a lunch at Applecross are nixed by the realisation there are now only four and a half hours of daylight left. The Boxster isn’t even the most adventurous vehicle to have made ◊

NORTH COAST 500 DRIVE STORY

❝ The storm is still

on top of us, savage squalls limiting the view of some of Scotland’s finest scenery

❞

∆ it here today – massive respect to whoever has beaten us here in a Tesla Model 3, which is charging through an extension lead outside the inn.

The storm is still on top of us, the Boxster’s cabin snug beneath the fabric roof but with savage squalls and near-horizontal rain limiting the view of what should be some of the finest scenery in Scotland.

Inclement-weather drivers often take five or more days for the full NC500, packing it with stops and detours.

But in the sodden conditions there’s no sense of loss in keeping rolling, covering pretty much every point of the compass on the long loop around Gairloch and Poolewe.

Four hours after leaving the A835 we rejoin it, having covered 160 miles. The direct route would have added just 19 to the odometer.

There’s a slightly surreal moment shortly afterwards as a Morgan 3 Wheeler appears out of the greyness heading in the other direction, its driver wrapped in layers of weatherproofing. It turns out to be a German journalist doing an even more adventurous Highland drive

A winter lap of the NC500 means quiet roads but short days

Thurso offers a welcome stop, with food and fuel for all

story, although he is being followed by a Range Rover support car.

Ullapool feels like a big city, with a sizeable CalMac ferry loading for what will doubtless be Travelling a storm-tossed run to at dusk in winter Stornoway. After 200 brings a substantial miles the Boxster still risk of meeting some has nearly half a tank sizeable wildlife. North left – the trip computer of Ullapool we saw dozens reporting an impressive of deer near the road and 29mpg – but it’s still wise a fair number making to take the opportunity to their way across it. brim it with super unleaded.

There’s no time for more than a rushed sandwich before getting back in the saddle – and facing up to an ethical dilemma.

Lacey is keen to take a picture at the spectacular, curved Kylesku Bridge, but following the full NC500 route to get there means another coastal detour past Lochinver, meaning it will be night when we reach the bridge. We opt to cut the loop out, saving 25 miles and an hour’s travelling but turning this into the NC475. On the plus side there’s still enough grey light when we reach the bridge for Lacey to take a spectacular shot lit by the Boxster’s headlights. ◊

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45

❝

With higher speeds and chassis loadings, I’m finding mild frustration with the winter tyres Kylesku Bridge detour shortens the route but adds aesthetic drama But now we’re out of light and – to no great surprise – it is raining hard again. The rough plan called for us to be considerably farther around the route before stopping, meaning a cautious drive north over an A-road that lacks cat’s end of the route eyes or painted markings, and End-of-life oil rigs mark the is barely discernible from the moorland it traverses. Out-ofseason accommodation in Durness turns out to be limited and, after a (brief) debate about staying in a backpacker’s hostel, we opt to push on for another two hours to get to Thurso. I know from previous trips that the bleak northern coastline is frequently spectacular, but we don’t see any of it beyond the blackness.

Thurso is short on frills but provides everything we need: dinner, bed, breakfast and another tank of 98 octane for the Boxster. As dawn breaks we’re already rolling, heading for a stop that isn’t on the official NC500 route but which is well worth a brief diversion. Dunnet Head, about five miles off the A836, is the northernmost point on the British mainland and one of the most bleakly beautiful spots I know. Early on a John O’ Groats is an cold Thursday morning we have essential if clichéd it to ourselves – the lighthouse is stop on the NC500 unmanned – with clear views across the savage-looking sea to Orkney.

There’s another, briefer, pause at John O’ Groats, more famous than Dunnet Head because of its greater distance from Land’s End but with considerably less rugged charm.

This leaves only the small matter of returning to Inverness, with the NC500 following the A99 and A9 down the east coast. It is still handsome country, but the views are

46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

❞ less distracting than yesterday’s and the roads are wider, faster and better-sighted. With higher speeds and chassis loadings, I’m finding mild frustration with the winter tyres for the first time – they definitely take the edge off the Boxster’s normally searing front-end responses. There’s also the novelty of other road users, the Porsche’s overtaking pace tested by a succession of lumbering trucks.

Boxster’s roof salutes There’s a final stop at Invergordon Dunnet Head, Britain’s to take in an impressive view, if not northernmost point exactly a scenic one, of a dozen or so oil rigs in the Cromarty Firth waiting to be scrapped. Scotland’s energy business is shifting fast – we caught distant glimpses of one of Europe’s biggest offshore wind farms farther north; maybe next time this drive will be in an EV running on locally harvested electrons.

The shadow of the spectacular Kessock Bridge seems like a good place for an end-of-journey shot, across the water from Inverness but with the The speed of the Porsche showing off Boxster’s roof its salt-encrusted operation – and the ability flanks. Although an to operate it while rolling at unlikely choice for low speeds – makes it brilliant a drive through a for dodging showers. Across storm, the Boxster T two days it was raised and has acquitted itself lowered more than 20 brilliantly – even times. when the weather has allowed few chances to demonstrate much of its performance or dynamic talent. It’s proof that rain doesn’t need to stop play. This hasn’t been a particularly glamorous loop of the North Coast 500, and certainly not a leisurely one, but it has been a proper adventure. L

NORTH COAST 500 DRIVE STORY N O R T H C OA S T 5 0 0 A LT E R N AT I V E S BEACH-RIDDLED COASTLINES, Tolkienesque terrain and charming waypoints linked by fantastic roads. For the most part, the North Coast 500 is all of those things. But its runaway popularity, in the summer months at least, means roads used to hosting more cows than cars have become busy with drivers, riders (both pedal and petrol-powered), caravanners and campers, each with different paces and priorities. And that’s not all: single-track stretches regularly cork the bottle, some of the roads and landscapes are pretty ordinary and the route is arguably too long. But fret not, for there are countless undiscovered circuits for you to enjoy. Here are our favourites, each paired with the perfect set of wheels.

The Brittany There and Back Again

CITROEN 2CV Can a loop be a loop if you use the same road there and back?

Of course, given you use the other side of the road for the return. It’s just a rather narrow loop. And, in my case, short, at just 7.6 miles all in. And I’ve only done it in a Citroën 2CV, but it meant everything to me.

Living in the claustrophobic confines of Jersey, my father bought a tiny cottage in Brittany where we’d spend our summers and said 2CV lived. Each morning one of us would take the 2CV to the boulangerie to get bread.

And save one junction, the idea was to do the whole trip flat. The only problem was a corner by a big house. It was easy on the way home because it was slightly uphill; on the way there it required more courage than I had. Both brothers reckoned they’d done it flat. I never did. And nor, I am sure, did they. ANDREW FRANKEL

Peak District Pass Master

DARREN JONES

Scottish Borders 55

L O T U S E V O R A G T4 1 0 S P O R T Few relish their daily commute, but the familiarity of a decade spent shuttling between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders resoundingly failed to breed my contempt. This compact but varied loop explains why, and the GT410 Sport’s dynamic versatility makes the ideal companion.

We begin in Selkirk beneath Sir Walter Scott’s statue then follow a lazy hillside meander above the equally mellow River Tweed before passing Scott’s baronial pile of Abbotsford and turning north at Galashiels.

This stretch of the A7 is exceptionally quiet and undeveloped for a singledigit A-road – and even quieter since the opening of the Borders Railway in 2015. The soft, rolling, agricultural terrain synonymous with the region yields swift, easy radiuses and well-sighted straights where the supercharged V6’s ready throttle, heady punch and raucous yammer would delight.

I’d take the Evora in optional touring spec for gentler Bilstein dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber to better suit the next section, which is tighter, rougher and wilder. After briefly entering Midlothian we break onto the skinny B7007 that quickly snakes up the Moorfoot Hills for panoramic views across Edinburgh and beyond, before disappearing southward into a cosy valley that’s more akin to Highland terrain.

The frost-crumbled Tarmac would barely bother the Evora, allowing full enjoyment of its direct steering and obliging chassis on the sharp corners that squiggle beside Leithen Water. It’s an imperfect, real-world back-road treat.

At Innerleithen it’s left onto the A72 (not before an ice-cream at Caldwell’s) for another languid Tweed-side stint. The main road peels from the river at Caddonfoot, allowing a final indulgence on the ducking, diving and downright beautiful A707.

Past the idyllic Yair House, a string of flowing uphill chicanes leads into a slippery, canopied Innerleithen section with a nasty Galashiels tightening left before Caddonfoot the intriguing remains of the Bernat Klein Studio peak through the trees.

Selkirk Then it’s back into Selkirk to finish – or repeat.

RICHARD WEBBER

ARIEL NOMAD Doing this job for what is approaching two decades has taken me a long way in search of great backdrops for worthy cars many times, so I was delighted to find some comparably epic, scenic roads closer to my Midlands home. To those who’ve never discovered it, I humbly commend the Peak District.

My route isn’t quite a loop but is none the poorer for it. It joins up several wellknown passes between Yorkshire and Lancashire, on the lovely lower back of the UK: Woodhead, Snake, Cat and Fiddle. Who doesn’t want to drive those?

Start on the Woodhead (A616) at Midhopestones and head south on the winding Mortimer Road past the superbly named village of Wigtwizzle. When you hit the Snake Pass (A57), head west to Glossop then south via main roads to Buxton, ending up on the Cat and Fiddle Pass (A537) running west again towards Macclesfield. Then, if you’ve time, turn around to explore the roads around Warslow and Hulme End to the south-east.

You could do it all in a longish spring day. There are one or two speed cameras and it’s narrow in places, so you won’t want to do it in anything wide or fast. And you want a widescreen view. I’d pick an Ariel Nomad, and perhaps a good coat and some thick gloves. MATT SAUNDERS

The South Hams 40

V O L K S WAG E N U P G T I My formative driving years were spent in Devon, so I’m heading there for a loop that plunges through the heart of the picturesque South Hams.

Start by heading west on the A379 from Plymouth, following it through the pretty market village of Modbury, the other side of which is a quick right-leftright kink with a wicked depression that, in my mind’s eye, has always made it a mini Eau Rouge (watch the dry stone wall on the exit).

From there it rollercoasters its way to Churchstow, where you hang a left onto the A381 and its heart-lifting elevation. Next it’s the bohemian delights of Totnes, after which you head east along Plymouth Road to Avonwick, where the fast and flowing A3121 funnels you back onto the A379 at Ermington.

The car? Well, a blast along these typically high-hedged and sinuous Devonshire byways fills me with nostalgia for the lightly modded 1979 Mini 1000 of my youth, so a modernday equivalent such as the Volkswagen Up GTI should do the trick. JAMES DISDALE

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 47

Ariel Atom 4 spaceframe

N I L E R E V IL A T E D E H T

30,000 d n u o r a qu a l, e up of e d a d e m t a s i e are cr ge car s a t r r e ures a v t p a a e e e s f o r Th h o t er m in t all of h o t e ion N t h . a s w r t , b r e e l m pa e o ser ve c urites , and s e e s d r , s u n o c o i of ’s favo n novat m i a l e u t f r e s u or u me of o o s e r a e so her

I suppose it’s a bit of a cop-out picking a whole spaceframe as a car part, but that’s what I’m doing.

The bronze-welded tubular steel spaceframe of the Ariel Atom 4 really is a work of rare genius.

Not only does it define the totally inimitable look of the car from without, but it’s also the filter through which so much of your enjoyment of the car is delivered when you’re within. You can see the front wishbones bobbing away through it; the brake caliper and brake lines, too, running to the beautiful milled-from-billet nearside front wheel hub. You can worship and adore the expensive Eibach pushrod suspension bolted to it; even poke your right elbow through it when you need a bit of extra leverage on the steering wheel. It’s no exaggeration to record that it, more than anything else, is what makes the Atom brilliant: like some full-sized Meccano set built on moneyno-object terms. MATT SAUNDERS

Pontiac GTO hood-mounted rev counter

No doubt current pedestrian impact regulations would rule out a comeback for one of my favourite car details. It’s the bonnet-mounted rev counter that was fitted as an option to Pontiac Firebirds from 1967 onwards and also to the Pontiac GTO. Buick pinched the part for its 1970 Skylark GSX as well. A pal of mine had a 1969 GTO and later a 1970 model, both of which had what Americans call ‘Hood Tachs’. I don’t remember either of them ever working but they looked cool and were quite a good idea because the last thing you wanted to do in a muscle car from that era was take your eyes off the road. COLIN GOODWIN

B M W 3 S E R I E S ( E 2 1) DOOR HANDLE

Bentley Continental GT rotating display

A gauche choice, given that you can buy a very respectable used car for the same money, but Bentley’s £4500 rotating display wins hands down, purely for its James Bond-esque element of surprise. Admittedly, the three sides of the rotating display don’t offer features such as weapon or ejector buttons, but nonetheless, this cool set-up has raised a smile on every person whom I’ve seen witness it. RACHEL BURGESS

48 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

The best interior door handle known to humanity belongs to the E21-generation BMW 3 Series.

It is ergonomically perfect. Instead of a plastic or chrome pull, which wastes valuable space on the door card and is a pointless engineering indulgence, the handle is incorporated into the pull. You don’t actually see it, just squeeze it. The more you use it, the more natural it becomes – until you try to exit from another vehicle and realise that the door pull won’t let you out.

JAMES RUPPERT

BIT-PART PLAYERS OUR FAVOURITES

S KO D A B O T T L E C L E N C H E R S

Set into the bottom of cupholders aboard most Skodas are five raised moulded plastic mounds. They look like a design quirk, or possibly a way of raising your drink above any spillages, until you place a bottle of pop (or similar) in there, whereupon they transform into the most useful thing you never knew you needed, vice-gripping the base of a bottle while you turn and open the lid. Anyone who has ever tried opening a bottle while driving – using either two hands or both legs and one hand – will immediately appreciate the safety significance of such a simple detail.

JIM HOLDER

F E R R A R I 3 6 5 G T B /4 ‘ D AY T O N A’ EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE

They say the shape of the shark ceased to evolve millions of years ago because it had reached a state of perfection. The door handle should have gone the same way half a century back. The world of car design should have looked at that tiny little silvery hook, so elegant in its own right, yet so respectful of and deferential to the rest of the car’s styling, and said: “Okay, no one is ever going to do it better than that.” And in the past 50 years, no one has, and I suspect no one ever will. After all, how do you improve on perfection? ANDREW FRANKEL

V O L K S WAG E N G T I TA R TA N

It’s tempting to pick Volkswagen part number 199 398 500 A, but since the firm has never actually used currywurst in a car build, it apparently doesn’t count. Instead, I’ll opt for another VW classic: the GTI’s tartan fabric trim. Forget plush leather, Alcantara or similar: GTI tartan is the only fabric I can think of that’s absolutely synonymous with a particular model. It’s as much a part of the GTI recipe as a tuned engine, revised suspension and twin exhaust pipes. JAMES ATTWOOD

F O R D M O N D E O E S TAT E M K 4 D A S H V E N T S

I’ve been thanking them for nearly three years.

HILTON HOLLOWAY

Mini head-up display

The first car I drove with a head-up display for any length of time was the third-gen Toyota Prius, about a decade ago. For no real reason other than being a luddite back then, I didn’t like it, and over the months running it, I actively tried to come up with ways to block its projection out of the top of the dashboard, such as with sheets of A4 that would then just glare onto the windscreen and make it worse… A head-up display next turned up again on a Mini Cooper I started running in 2014. For no real reason other than no longer being a luddite, I thought it was brilliant. Now, it’s my favourite piece of car kit bar none. Head-up displays stop your eyes from leaving the road to check the speed and reduce cognitive load and strain on your eyes. Sorry, Prius, it was me and not you. MARK TISSHAW

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DON’T BASH DRIVERS. THEY NEED THEIR CARS MORE THAN EVER

The temptation for a government with a huge majority to go after motorists with impunity may be hard to resist, but according to a recent RAC report, more than a third of UK drivers say they are more dependent on their car than they were 12 months ago. The proportion is the highest it has been in seven years.

Drivers blame the poor quality and high cost of public transport. The government has pledged to spend a chunk of the £5 billion earmarked for infrastructure projects on improving bus and cycle links. However, Autocar says that until these improvements arrive, don’t punish drivers if they prefer to let their car take the strain.

DEAR BORIS...

The UK government sets out its spending plans in the budget this week but what should motorists hope for? John Evans reveals Autocar’s vision. Over to you, Mr Johnson o this is budget week, when the government’s manifesto pledges are tested by the push and pull of competing demands before being passed through the washing machine of political expediency.

As this is written, we don’t know what chancellor Rishi Sunak’s red box contains but we know his boss, Boris Johnson, wants to spend large while, behind the scenes, he has an international climate change summit to plan for. Call us paranoid but these two things make us fearful for motorists because experience has taught us that to politicians on a mission, the humble car is both income generator and whipping boy.

This being so, and the government’s fiscal plans already laid, we humbly present Autocar’s motoring manifesto for the real world. If, amid the taxing and the green waving, it reminds the government that motorists have views as well, it has done its job.

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REVIEW THE DECISION TO BAN HYBRID CARS

The government’s pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 (or perhaps sooner, given subsequent announcements) has attracted a lot of attention. However, it now intends to outlaw hybrid cars, too. The government should be careful. Banning hybrids could contribute to an increase in emissions, as demonising diesel vehicles has.

The announcement’s timing is unfortunate because it comes as sales of hybrids are increasing. It would be a shame if the decision to ban them discouraged car makers from introducing more efficient models. Worse for the government, once it is in force, without hybrids to buy, motorists may be encouraged to keep their diesel and petrol cars for longer.

AUTOCAR MANIFESTO BUDGET CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ELECTRIC CARS We hope the budget will have spared it, but if not and the £3500 grant for plug-in electric cars expires as planned, Autocar asks that the government considers some other form of support to encourage the take-up of EVs. It is incentivising that should fuel EV growth, not banning alternatives.

Zero-rating benefit-in-kind tax for electric cars from April is a great start but that only benefits company car drivers. Instead, salary sacrifice can benefit every employee. Fortunately, from April, the scheme will include electric cars that employees will be able to lease, making repayments from their gross salary.

So that’s working people sorted, but how about others, such as the retired? They might appreciate a cut in the VAT charged on EVs. There would certainly be support for such a move, with a third of AA members saying they’d buy an EV if it were the same price as a diesel or petrol car.

A subsidy sounds worryingly like the tax payer is being asked to support those least in need of help but an increase in sales of new EVs will mean an increase in the supply of used ones at lower prices, which will benefit us all.

GIVE YOUNG DRIVERS A BREAK A review of insurance premium tax – set at 12% before chancellor Sunak rose to the dispatch box and charged on breakdown as well as motor insurance – would be welcome.

It generates more than £6 billion in income for the government but among those people paying the tax are many who can least afford it: young drivers.

They already pay sky-high insurance premiums, so we reckon they deserve a reduction in the charge, especially if they have a black box fitted to their car.

INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ERAs ON SMART MOTORWAYS Smart motorways are looking a little dumb after it was revealed that at least 38 people have been killed on them in the past five years. The schemes were given the green light when it was promised that emergency refuge areas (ERAs) would be located at least every 600m. However, since the roll-out, this interval has increased to as much as 2.5 miles on some sections.

Last October, transport secretary Grant Shapps ordered a review of smart motorways and halted the roll-out of new schemes until its results are known. One simple way to improve safety would be to retro-fit additional ERAs but, on the Reading section of the M4, which is being turned into a smart motorway, ERAs are still being built at approximately one-mile intervals.

Meanwhile, the roll-out of the stopped vehicle detection system, currently found only on sections of the M25 and M3, needs to happen faster. This is particularly important because, as it is, it takes 17 minutes for a stopped vehicle to be spotted, an additional three minutes to activate the red X signs closing the lane and a further 17 minutes for assistance to arrive.

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HARMONISE CITY CENTRE CLEAN AIR ZONES This summer, Birmingham and Leeds will become the latest UK cities to have clean air zones, following Glasgow, Southampton and London. More cities – including Edinburgh, Bristol, Derby and Nottingham – are planning to launch similar schemes.

The zones have a crucial role to play in reducing urban pollution but their individual qualifying and charging criteria risk confusing motorists and undermining the zones’ acceptance. For example, Birmingham and Leeds will each operate different restrictions.

Birmingham’s scheme imposes minimum emissions standards on vehicles including private cars, but Leeds’ scheme places no restrictions on private cars. Meanwhile, Glasgow’s zone applies to buses only, but cars will be included from December 2022.

It helps that all ultra-low-emission vehicles will be exempt from any charges. The government is also trialling an online zone checker, where motorists can see if their car will be subject to a charge. Even so, it is important that zones harmonise their entry and charging criteria across the country to avoid confusing and alienating motorists.

WE’RE WATCHING, MINISTER… Before the election, transport secretary Grant Shapps spoke of creating and maintaining a modern, fit-for-purpose transport system that makes people’s lives easier. He talked of making driving an electric car the norm during his time in office (he’s clearly planning on staying longer than his predecessors) and of wanting the UK to be a leader in autonomous technologies. Above all, he expressed the hope that his department will, more than ever before, champion the interests of transport users. Autocar and our readers will be watching.

KEEP SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

As the motor industry moves towards electrification, it’s important that the government does not dilute its support for this country’s work in the field of autonomous vehicle technology. The recent, successful completion of a 230-mile drive by an autonomous Nissan Leaf – a vehicle developed in the UK by the car maker and other organisations, including Cranfield and Leeds universities – proves that this country is a world leader in the technology.

That the Leaf’s level-five autonomous systems are years away from being adopted widely doesn’t matter. The lessons learned developing the car will feed into current level-two autonomy and, more important, level three, which is just around the corner and where a car can drive itself in certain circumstances. Other forms of transport and networks will benefit, too.

“These systems will help get us to zero road deaths,” Richard Billyeald, chief technical officer at Thatcham Research, told Autocar. “Step by step, the technology is making cars safer.

We can’t afford to back off.”

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AUTOCAR MANIFESTO BUDGET

DON’T IGNORE LOCAL ROADS In 2018/19, vehicle excise duty (VED) generated £6.4 billion. That same year, the then chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced a £30bn investment package for roads funded by VED over a five-year period from 2020 to 2025.

The money was to include an immediate payout of £420 million for pothole repairs, but the bulk of it – £28.8bn – is to be directed towards Highways England to develop and maintain motorways and major trunk roads.

Local authorities welcomed the funding but pointed out that the government spends 43 times more per mile maintaining national roads, which make up just 3% of all roads, than it does local roads, which they control. The Asphalt Industry Alliance claimed £8bn was required to fix outstanding maintenance issues with local roads. Speaking to Autocar, it said the £1bn governments have spent filling potholes over the past decade has been wasted. The RAC said drivers were twice as likely to break down as a result of hitting a pothole as they were in 2006.

The Treasury has confirmed that the new government will honour Hammond’s pledge.

However, traffic volumes on rural roads have been increasing since 2013 and experience of them suggests more of the VED pot should be used for their repair and maintenance. On this point, it would also help if local authorities were forced to ring-fence the money they receive from government for the roads for that same purpose.

GET A SOLID-GOLD TRADE DEAL FOR THE UK CAR INDUSTRY With his phrase ‘oven-ready deal’ still ringing in our ears, Boris Johnson and his negotiators are locking horns with their opposite numbers in the EU as they thrash out a trade deal. Whatever the outcome, the UK’s motor industry deserves one that reflects the huge contribution the sector makes to national prosperity. Recently, it has been hammered by muddled thinking on diesel and on Brexit, which caused a fall in production, investment to be scaled back and consumer confidence to melt away.

Fortunately, Europe still represents a golden opportunity for the UK. Despite the tensions, the proportion of cars made here that were exported to the EU rose in 2019. It’s why the government can’t afford to let its oven-ready deal burn to a crisp.

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HONDA S2000

With a 2.0 engine that could rev to 9000rpm and didn’t deliver all its torque until 7500rpm – beyond the rev limit of most of its contemporary rivals – Honda’s S2000 would have been nothing without a masterpiece of a gearbox. Happily, the six-speeder was a gem – one of the greatest of all time.

As the manual gearbox enters its autumn years, James Mills celebrates its finest hours by picking 10 of the greats where manual labour is a labour of love n the US, where everyone has a cause, it’s possible to buy a fairly complete wardrobe bearing the ‘Save the stick’ slogan. Stickers, too, are available to those who want to take up the cause. One wag came up with ‘Anti-theft device: this vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission’. It’s a gently amusing line with, perhaps, an unintentionally serious point.

The car industry is phasing out the manual gearbox, often claiming it is helping drivers by removing distraction when actually the truth is that economies of scale and emissions legislation are reducing choice, and sports cars in particular are becoming so powerful that the average driver would probably ruin their car’s clutch or transmission faster than they could dial

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the number for the maker’s roadside assistance.

And actually, setting aside the pleasure that is to be derived from driving a manual, operating one rather than letting an automatic do the work makes for a more attentive driver. All four limbs get involved in the physical act of driving, so there’s less temptation to handle a smartphone, more focus on the act of managing the machine and – assuming it’s a good gearbox – more pleasure to be had from perfecting all those upshifts, downshifts and heel-and-toe moments.

Obviously, it’s almost too late to do anything about it. Electric cars spell the end for the stick shift. So if you want to continue to revel in the simple act of changing gear, set aside a car that will continue to offer you the interaction.

Here are 10 that will get you engaged.

CATERHAM SEVEN

It’s hard to overstate what a transformation the six-speed gearbox made to the Seven when it was introduced in 1993. The closeratio unit made the lightweight roadster even more invigorating to drive, keeping the sweet-revving Rover K-Series engine singing away at the top of its rev range, with barely any discernible let-up between each gear. It had, and still has, one of the shortest throws of any manual gearbox and remains the highlight of the range after nearly three decades of service.

PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS 4.0

The final version of the 997-generation 911 GT3 RS featured an engine block that was shared with the 911 RSR race car and was able to summon more than 490bhp from its four naturally aspirated litres. Happily, the extra power and wider spread of torque over the regular RS meant the tall gear ratios worked better, while the gearshift remained a delight. But with only 600 of them made, prices have shot up faster than the engine’s rev counter.

They’re now around £400,000, compared with less than £130,000 when new.

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HONDA CIVIC TYPE R

For two Hondas to feature in this list tells you all you need to know about the Japanese car maker’s pedigree when it comes to gearboxes. The current Civic Type R has the best gearchange of any hot hatch on sale today and is all the better for shunning the dual-clutch automatics of certain competitors.

MANUAL GEARBOXES 10 GREATS MAZDA MX-5

Although the latest, fourth-generation MX-5 runs it close, the Mk1 MX-5 will always be the original and best when it comes to the drivetrain. To appreciate why, read what Autocar’s testers had to say in 1990: “The real ace up the MX-5’s sleeve is its gearbox. Rising no more than a couple of inches from the transmission tunnel, the well-weighted gearlever snaps through its tiny throws with millimetric precision. The whole driveline encourages you to drive as precisely as it operates. Co-ordinate the light, quick clutch with that rifle bolt of a gearchange and combine the two with the split-second reactions of the engine and you will be rewarded with a rare degree of driver satisfaction.”

FERRARI F430

The F430 isn’t the very last road-going Ferrari to feature a manual gearbox, but it’s one of the last and most accessible for anyone considering ownership of their first Italian sports car. With the exposed aluminium gate standing proud on the leather-trimmed transmission tunnel and the drama of an alloy ball-topped lever, it represents decades of theatre from Italy’s greatest showmen.

PEUGEOT 306 GTI-6

Somehow, the 306 GTi-6 never seemed to earn the acclaim it deserved. After all, in 1996, this was the first hot hatch to feature a six-speed gearbox, and with almost 170bhp, it was more powerful than most of its rivals. The close-ratio gearbox helped keep the 2.0-litre 16-valve engine on the boil – a good thing, too, as it liked to rev – and the steering feel and poise of the chassis could teach most modern hot hatches a thing or two. These days, you’ll need to source an example that has been well cared for, or it may prove a money pit.

FORD PUMA AUDI R8

With its low-slung body gently enveloping the mid-engined aluminium monocoque and quattro four-wheel drive system, the original Audi R8 – designed by Frank Lamberty and Julian Hönig – is ageing far better than its angular successor. And there was something about the way the first R8 drove that made it feel less like a product of Audi (even Quattro GmbH) and more visceral, as though Porsche’s GT division had had a hand in its creation. It was a high point under the watch of Stephan Reil, former technical director at Audi’s sports car division.

Both the V8 and V10 models were offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. And both gave a nod to Ferrari, with an aluminium gate celebrating the goodness of a stick shift.

Is there anything more satisfying than sliding behind the wheel of an affordable small car, setting off down the road and finding yourself grinning from ear to ear within the first mile?

Ford was at the top of its game when the Puma arrived in 1997. Led by Richard Parry-Jones, the firm’s engineering development chief, Ford effectively over-engineered its cars, investing in the ingredients that would make them feel good to drive. The Puma was a case in point: small, agile and perfectly happy to be taken by the scruff of the neck. The best examples had a zesty 1.7-litre Yamaha engine and a shortthrow gearlever topped by an alloy cap.

LAND ROVER DEFENDER

When it comes to a rough-and-ready, hands-on feel, you’d have to reach inside a gearbox to get a more mechanical sensation than changing gear in a Land Rover Defender. Unlike most cars on this list, which carry sporting pretensions, the Defender is all about unhurried shifts, an appreciation for the components at work and the hope that it won’t spring an oil leak out in the middle of nowhere.

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We’re not in Coventry any more

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TATA HARRIER DRIVING IN INDIA hat does everyone in the UK make of Jaguar “ Land Rover being owned by an Indian company?” This is a question that was asked a few times on my trip to India, and my reply was always the same: “It’s not something that anyone really thinks about or is bothered by, to be honest.”

British car companies have always enjoyed their best days under foreign ownership and, given that history, the fact that JLR is foreign-owned (as are Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Lotus, Aston Martin and now even Morgan) hardly even registers. While an Indian conglomerate owning JLR was a headline back in 2008, it’s still considered as British as Tetley tea.

Tata has been a very good owner for JLR. Despite the troubles of the past couple of years, the overall story since the conglomerate took over is pretty much one of exponential success. In its first full financial year under Tata ownership, 2009-10, JLR sold 208,000 cars. By 2018-19, that had increased to 578,000 cars.

Tata backed JLR, gave it the capital to succeed and left the management to get on with it. And, with Land Rover in particular, it has had a happy knack of making the right car at the right time – best seen with the Range Rover Evoque.

JLR has done plenty for Tata, too.

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For a long time, that was typically seen through revenues and profits – and lots of them. But now, despite the huge price and positioning gap between the Tata brand in its native India and Jaguar and Land Rover around the world, some proper JLR hardware has made it over to India to be used on a Tata model.

That model is the Harrier, Tata’s new flagship SUV. Underpinning it is a Tata version of the Land Rover D8 platform, which was used for the Discovery Sport until that car’s update last year.

Tata calls its platform Omega.

The two architectures share hard points and a fundamental design, but in going from D8 to Omega, plenty of changes were made to allow the Harrier to be sold in India at a price that works for a Tata and using locally sourced parts. That’s not just through material changes but also through updating the rear suspension design, for example.

This is something that’s becoming more common in India. For instance, the MQB A0 platform that underpins the Volkswagen Group’s small cars in Europe has been remade in India using 95% local parts to ensure it can be sold at the right price. Whereas ‘decontenting’ was the word before, now it’s very much ‘rebuilding’.

You’re still making a sandwich, just you’re using plain white loaf instead of fancy artisan bread.

That said, there’s one big change from Land Rover to Tata: the loss of four-wheel drive. While the Harrier’s underpinnings may be derived from Land Rover, its diesel engine and manual gearbox both come from Jeep, and repackaging them to fit the four-wheel drive system would be too costly, leaving only the front wheels to be driven by the diesel-and-manual combination.

Not that four-wheel drive is missed where I’m driving it: downtown Mumbai in Friday morning rushhour traffic. As soon as you get off the plane and into a taxi in India, you know you’re a long way from home in the context of driving. I’d arrived there on Monday morning, so I’d had a week wide-eyed and clenching my bottom in the passenger seat to see what I was in for.

A four-lane road? Try six or seven cars wide using the space, with bikes weaving in-between. And typically then at least one car or bike coming the wrong way towards you. Oh, and if you’re driving at night, don’t expect them to have any lights on.

Then there are the pedestrians: just walking out, zipping in and out I must share this of traffic like they’re from Delhi: we saw actors performing in only one major a hazard perception accident, and it was a test with little regard Porsche 911, stuck in the for their own safety. wall 100 metres past There are stray dogs, a toll booth. Doh! too. Not to mention terrible road conditions and the horn being used ◊

Land Rover’s Indian owner has borrowed parts for an SUV of its own. Mark Tisshaw takes on manic Mumbai in the Tata Harrier PHOTOGRAPHY GAURAV THOMBRE

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∆ by everyone several times a minute.

If you’ve ever driven in Naples, which is about as extreme as Europe gets, quadruple the intensity of that experience and you’re still not there.

Not the ideal location to test a car, then. Yet it’s a much calmer place at dawn, as I meet colleagues from Autocar India who have readied the Harrier for us. Mumbai is serene and beautiful in the early morning light, and this is the only real time you can get on the road if you want to move at more than about 10mph or have the chance to get out of second gear.

So I don’t spend too long looking at the Harrier before it’s straight to our first destination. Even on this short drive, I find a reassuring familiarity about the Harrier. Some of the switchgear and even the fonts used on the instrument screen and other controls are straight out of the Land Rover parts bin (and why not?), while the perceived quality is good for a car priced from the equivalent of around £13,500 (less than half of what an original Discovery Sport cost new), rising to about £17,500. Our test car sits nearer the top of the range. There’s a good, honest robustness to the Harrier on first impression.

Our first port of call is Bombay House, which is Tata’s global headquarters.

A lovely old Edwardian building in the pleasant Fort district, it’s also known for being a friendly home for Mumbai’s stray dogs; when it was refurbished in 2018, a special kennel was opened inside it as a safe place for them to go. Company grandee Ratan Tata is known for his love of Iconic Gateway dogs, and they quickly of India is surround me and the car – 85ft high in a way nowhere near as threatening as that sounds.

Parked outside Bombay House, the Harrier looks a smart-enough vehicle.

It’s fairly generic and nondescript, a bit like a previous-generation Hyundai. Hyundai, incidentally, is a brand that you now see everywhere on the roads in India, having become the second-biggest-seller in the country behind Maruti Suzuki, which holds a monopoly over the cheap small cars that continue to dominate.

So the Harrier is by no means offensive, even if it hasn’t inherited the visual flair from Land Rover’s design department like it has its underpinnings from the known by most locals as Victoria engineering team.

Terminus), an extraordinary gothic Back on the road and the traffic Victorian railway station that’s one is starting to appear. We’re on a of Mumbai’s several Unesco World photographic picture tour as much Heritage landmarks. as a road-testing one, and if this is The ‘no rules’ aspect of Indian a tricky place to be writing about roads is now in full view. Waiting cars, that’s nothing compared patiently for the storm to subside to with what the photographers appear in a picture, I’m swarmed by have to do. So it proves at our next all manner of vehicles by the side of stop, the bustling Chhatrapati the road, anticipating the cue from Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (still

The Harrier is based on the platform of the Discovery Sport

❝ There’s a good, honest robustness to the Harrier ❞

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the photographer. We get one clear shot of the Harrier after 15 minutes of set-up, so I’m glad not to stall the car’s rather sensitive clutch and then manage to collect my colleague ahead of our next stop.

As the volume of traffic increases, the Harrier is beginning to show its limitations and why it hasn’t been the market success that Tata hoped for.

Offering customers various engine

and transmission options is vital for success in India, yet Tata has so far sold the Harrier with just a 138bhp, 258lb ft 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Given the decline of diesel in India, having no petrol option seems an odd decision, and given the size and weight of the car (it’s 4.6 metres long and weighs 1675kg, putting it in the Audi Q5 category), the lack of an automatic ’box seems even stranger.

It makes the Harrier far from the most relaxing car to drive, especially in the stressful downtown Mumbai traffic as we head down the bustling Mohammed Ali Road, with manoeuvring tricky and even greater anticipation needed to ensure that I’m in the right gear at the right time to exploit any sudden gap in the traffic. Still, at least the brakes work

TATA HARRIER DRIVING IN INDIA

I was a passenger during one ‘prang’ in Mumbai, as a motorbike scraped up the side of our Hyundai Kona. Its rider just shrugged and off he went…

Driving in Mumbai required Tisshaw’s full concentration at all times

Tata had Bombay House built in 1924 and has had its HQ there ever since

A moment of calm before the storm

well, as one pedestrian who steps out in front of us is glad for…

Our last stop is the Gateway of India, a monumental arch that’s perhaps Mumbai’s most famous landmark, where our tour of the city ends and the Harrier heads back into the care of Autocar India.

It’s a car I’m pleased to have driven – yet, unlike Mumbai, I leave with no great memories of it. It is a sufficiently good product to have performed better than it has done, but is in no way outstanding, despite its touch of star quality from the Land Rover brand above. Endearing and likeable enough, then, but all a bit forgettable.

Yet perhaps the overriding emotion is one of relief at having handed back the car in one piece.

Time for good lie down. L

T H R E E FA M O U S TATA S

TATA NAN O The Nano was billed as the world’s cheapest car, costing around £1700 at launch in 2009. Tata hoped to build 250,000 per year but just 300,000 had been made when it was axed in 2018. Being known as a cheap car is what hindered it, as buyers instead opted for models with greater cachet.

TATA S I E R R A The Sierra was India’s first home-grown SUV model. Launched in 1991, it gained a cult following and was even exported to Europe, for markets including Germany and France. It lived until the end of the decade before being replaced by the Safari. Tata recently previewed a return for the Sierra with a concept car.

TAM O R ACE M O Three years ago, Tata announced it would launch the Tamo brand, whose first model was to be a tiny two-seat sports car based on the Racemo concept. Its spec was impressive, with a carbonfibre chassis and doublewishbone suspension, but the project was put on indefinite hold in 2018.

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VIRTUALLY THE PERFECT EVIJA

To ensure Lotus customers can create the 1973bhp Evija electric hypercar of their dreams, there’s a next-level configurator. Matt Prior visits the UK specialist behind it PHOTOGRAPHY OLGUN KORDAL 60 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

EVIJA CONFIGURATOR INSIGHT was about to write that you wouldn’t believe how good the computer-generated animations made by a small company called Realtime are – but the fact is you would.

That’s the point of them.

“Good CG is like a good sports referee,” says Paul McSweeney, Realtime’s client services director.

“You don’t notice it. You have to believe it straight away.”

Realtime is one of those small companies that keep the big industrial wheels turning, specialists whose name rarely gets attached to finished products because they supply, often confidentially, work that slips seamlessly into somebody else’s.

Realtime’s work – CGI animation and visual effects predominantly for TV and film, gaming and the car industry – is so immersive that, having watched it online, I showed up to Realtime’s converted barns, surrounded by farmland, a few miles from Blackpool, and wondered if this could really be where it all happens.

The banks of computers inside – big screens, gentle heat, lots of whirring – tell you it is. This is a place with a lot of processing and brain power.

And if you’re not watching Realtime’s stuff on the BBC’s War of the Worlds or in games your kids know if you don’t (Grid, Everwild, Game of Thrones and Jurassic World franchises), and you happen to have two million quid to drop on a car, Realtime will help Lotus sell you one.

Not that you’d know. Realtime has made the world’s most advanced car configurator but the idea is that a bod from Lotus shows up with a hugely powerful laptop – the sort that runs games with ease – to “a table, office, or wherever high-networth individuals hang out”, says RACING Alan Holroyd, Lotus’s digital COLOURS marketing manager, and talks Black and gold, green them through specifying an and yellow, red, white and Evija electric hypercar. gold – if it’s in the Lotus The Evija is not the kind of racing back catalogue, car Lotus has made before. chances are you’ll Not just because of the price, find it in the Evija but also because its electric configurator.

1973bhp will make it the most powerful production car in the world when builds start in a few months.

Between now and the last of 130 Evijas being constructed, perhaps half a dozen computers running Realtime’s configurator will tour the world. “The car should be configured in a Light sources greatly alter how yellow looks convenient environment, almost definitely not a dealer environment,” says McSweeney.

“It needed to be portable and touchscreen,” agrees Holroyd, “and show the Evija appropriately – and represent the technological leap.”

It looks, on a high3D resolution screen in front of Configurator is built to render images in me, like it does. The virtual

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It’s ultra-realistic and changes can be made very quickly Evija is sitting in a virtual studio, a digital recreation of Lotus’s own design studio in Hethel, Norfolk.

“Why not go behind the secret curtain at Hethel?” says McSweeney.

“This is the studio environment.

But while every company will invest in a configurator, it shows one environment in most cases.

We want to show how different a yellow can look in the desert, or in western Europe, or in a studio, so a customer doesn’t take delivery and say ‘this is not the colour I ordered’ – which does happen.”

A couple of swipes of the screen, then, and the car is sitting next to some palm trees and sand with warm sunshine on it, while a couple more prods later, it’s in the sort of spot Autocar would shoot a car in the autumn – and its body colour looks a bit different each time.

“The change between specifying a car in a studio and taking delivery of it can be quite dramatic,” says

E V I JA : O U R S P E C Well. Where do you begin? “Where I might start is with some design editions,” says Alan Holroyd.

Lotus, like Aston Martin and others, has a few base ideas to get people’s creative juices going.

There are general themes such as Origin, Launch, Heritage, Formula, Cup Yellow and Neon, or designs with dual-colour highlights that replicate some of Lotus’s famous racing colours, and some it would rather you didn’t see yet.

I go with yellow, subtle inside, with discreet wheel and brake caliper colour. Those and more can be changed – and little break-out boxes let customers write specific bespoke instructions, too. To be honest, I’d still be there now.

❝ Good computer generation is like a good sports ref.

You don’t notice it ❞

Tony Prosser, Realtime’s managing director. So while this stuff is all very fancy and impresses casual browsers like me, the fact is that it helps customers get the precise car they wanted.

So does how comprehensive the configurator is, how much you can personalise on the car, and how easily. “Some configurators are too complicated – and that affects the bottom line of the company,” says McSweeney.

The Evija is a doddle to use. You can open doors, extend wings, look inside and freely roam an environment so complex that even the shoulder of the tyre changes profile depending on whether you’ve chosen Pirelli P Zero or Trofeo rubber. And while most online configurators are pre-programmed 2D renderings, this one renders it in 3D as it goes.

It uses – and this is where, dear reader, I tried to keep up but my limits were being challenged like a 386 processor running Doom (ask your dad) – Epic Games’ Unreal Engine (v4), which looks hyper-realistic to me.

“The beauty of a game engine is that you can make changes very quickly,” says McSweeney. That gives it a use beyond showing it to customers, too: Lotus execs can look at different materials and colours and see if they fly. “It’s tremendous in that respect,” says Holroyd.

“You can show anyone in the company, deliver all of the colours and all of the materials quickly.

In a way, it competes with the live-action photo shoot.”

Next to me, a photographer shuffles nervously. L

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61

Six pages of news, insight and opinion from the world of motor racing

M OTO R S P O RT

AUTOCAR.CO.UK XX MONTH 2016

Damien Smith R AC I N G L I N E S

Ferrari’s pace in the second half of 2019 sparked allegations

ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW

The FIA, F1’s ruler, has fuelled rumours of cheating levelled at Ferrari avid Coulthard’s hope for a genuinely open fight between the top three teams in Formula 1 (see preview, p65) should not be dismissed as blind optimism. Mercedes-AMG may have been judged the winner of the ‘winter war’, but the usual caveats apply when it comes to pre-season testing. Six days in Barcelona, during which each team worked to its own specific agenda with new cars, was a scientific rather than sporting exercise. The first judgements on form can only follow after the first race.

Mercedes’ clever ‘dual-axis steering’ system, spotted early by rivals and the media, was probably only a tasty topping to the team’s promising start to 2020 – but it was also classic F1.

Engineers love getting one over on each other and here was a prime example of a team catching all its rivals on

D

the hop. The system allows the driver to change the toe angle of the front tyres by pulling and pushing the steering wheel, to change a car’s grip characteristics – and Mercedes technical director James Allison could not hide his glee as rivals admitted it would take months to replicate the innovation. Gaining that ‘unfair advantage’ through legal means has always been at the heart of motorsport.

But when teams are perceived to step over that line and cheat their way to an edge, howls of outrage follow.

That’s why an FIA statement on Ferrari after the last day of running in Spain dropped

a cloud over the new season that won’t quickly blow away – even though it concerned last year’s car.

Ferrari’s pace advantage in the second half of the 2019 season was accompanied by rumours about its fuel flow metering unit and a suggestion that the team had found a way to circumvent it, to exceed maximum flow rates and thus boost power.

When the FIA issued a clarification at the US GP, making clear any such action would be deemed illegal, it happened to coincide with the end of Ferrari’s run of six consecutive pole positions.

Then at the Abu Dhabi season finale, Ferrari copped

❝

Nowhere did it say Ferrari had cheated, but if Ferrari was innocent, wouldn’t the FIA have said so? ❞

a fine when its pre-race declaration of how much fuel was in Charles Leclerc’s car was found to be inaccurate.

He was lucky to keep his subsequent podium finish.

Teams smelt a rat – and the stench increased with this new FIA statement: following an investigation, the governing body said it had “reached a settlement” with Ferrari, but also declared that “the specifics of the agreement remain between the parties”.

The statement added: “The FIA and Scuderia Ferrari have agreed to a number of technical commitments that will improve the monitoring of all Formula 1 power units for forthcoming championship seasons as well as assist the FIA in other regulatory duties in Formula 1 and in its research activities on carbon emissions and sustainable fuels.”

Nowhere did it say Ferrari had been guilty of cheating –

MOTORSPORT Mercedes’ new dualaxis steering gives it a legal advantage

N E WS R O U N D - U P Ferrari has asked if its staff will be let into Australia

A L O N S O ’ S I N DY 500 RETURN

So Fernando Alonso is going back for a third attempt at the Indianapolis 500 as his quest for motor racing’s unofficial ‘Triple Crown’ continues.

Only Graham Hill has won the Monaco Grand Prix (five times), the Le Mans 24 Hours

Did Ferrari benefit from an illegal fuel flow meter in 2019?

and the Indy 500 – and, frustrated after snookering himself out of competitive F1 seats, Alonso has set himself the same impressive target.

An Indy win will complete his own triumvirate.

Last year, he failed to even qualify at the Brickyard in a bespoke – and ill-conceived – McLaren entry. This time, he’s back with McLaren, but as part of its new accord with the well-established Schmidt Motorsport team, with which it will enter the whole Indycar season. Alonso will race only at Indy in a third entry but, as he proved on his amazing debut in 2017, if he has a competitive car, he can be a contender for victory.

However, the fact remains that he could be in a better car than his Chevroletpowered Dallara. What he really wanted was a Michael Andretti entry, as he had in 2017, and thus a guaranteed high level of competitiveness.

But the deal fell through because Andretti is powered

by Honda – and Honda has not forgotten, and certainly not forgiven, Alonso’s verbal bashing of the brand when it under-delivered as McLaren’s engine partner in F1.

He is a fabulous driver, but the ‘troublesome’ perception created by his characteristic Latin temperament continues to colour a career that could – and should – have been greater than history dictates.

Coronavirus disruption The Australian Grand Prix was set to go ahead as scheduled this weekend as Autocar closed for press, despite the coronavirus outbreak causing chaos for the motorsport calendar. The opening rounds of the MotoGP season, in Qatar and Thailand, have both been postponed, due to travel restrictions implemented by the governments of those countries, along with several rounds of Japan’s highestprofile national championships.

With one of the biggest coronavirus outbreaks outside China in northern Italy, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said he wanted reassurances that his staff would be allowed into Australia before travelling there for F1’s first grand prix of the season. The Chinese GP has already been postponed.

Solberg to star in sprint Former world champion Petter Solberg will drive Richard Burns’ 2000 Rally GB-winning Subaru Impreza WRC in a new rallysprint event that will run on the Saturday evening of the Goodwood Members’ Meeting on 28/29 March. The event is open to Group B and World Rally cars, and will use a section of the track including Woodcote corner and the main straight. Other entrants include multiple British champion Jimmy McRae.

such as the Honda E could threaten the firm’s long-term F1 future. The manufacturer supplies Red Bull and Alpha Tauri but admitted financial pressure caused by its electrification drive was having an impact on negotiations for a new contract for 2021 onwards.

BTCC to start hybrid testing this year

British Touring Car Championship teams are in the midst of testing and preparation for this season, but series bosses are already looking ahead to 2022. That’s when cars will be fitted with mild-hybrid systems, which are

being developed by Cosworth Electronics. The first BTCC car fitted with the system will start testing at Snetterton in July.

Félix da Costa makes it a Formula E five

DS Techeetah’s António Félix da Costa made it five winners from five races in the 2019/2020 Formula E season with a dominant run in Marrakech. The win also gave him the points lead. While Félix da Costa dominated, team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne didn’t have such a good outing: he lost second place to Andretti BMW driver Max Günther on the last lap.

Félix da Costa was the fifth winner from five Formula E races

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

but if it was innocent, wouldn’t the FIA have said so? The easy assumption was that Ferrari had been caught doing something it shouldn’t but had been let off with a spot of community service.

That was never going to wash with rivals.

They responded with unprecedented fury, releasing a “surprised and shocked” joint statement that went as far as threatening legal action against the FIA. Naturally, Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo and Haas were not part of this new union.

What made it even more uncomfortable was the FIA’s own precedent in dealing with ‘cheating’ teams. Back in 2007, it found McLaren guilty of stealing Ferrari IP and punished the team with disqualification from the championship that year and a $100 million fine. This new case is more serious.

Then the punchline: in response, the FIA admitted it had suspected Ferrari of cheating – but couldn’t prove it. F1: you couldn’t make it up.

Electric push could threaten Honda’s Formula 1 future

The cost of developing electric technology for road cars

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63

Evans has adapted fast to the Yaris WRC and won in Sweden

WORLD R ALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 9 5

The rising sons 13 March 1996

Could this be Evans’ year?

Elfyn Evans has shown title-contender pace in his Yaris WRC so far

B

ack in February 2006, I stood in a bitterly cold car park at Chepstow races, waiting to speak to the driver of a Nissan Micra. When he arrived at the finish of the Wyedean Forest Rally, Elfyn Evans was as communicative as you’d expect a nervous 17-yearold who’d just finished his first rally to be. Much as I tried, he didn’t say much that made for exciting reading in my report for Motorsport News.

To say Evans has transformed from then to standing atop the Rally Sweden victory podium recently would be an understatement. Mind you, the Evans who dominated the second round of this year’s World Rally Championship in a Toyota Yaris WRC looks transformed even from last year. And he’s transformed into a true WRC title contender.

Evans’ talent quickly became apparent as he rose through the ranks from that 1.0-litre Micra to his first rally in a Fiesta

The pair were team-mates at M-Sport in 2017 and 2018 and got on well, making Evans an ideal number two to Ogier.

But after two events, it has been Evans leading the way.

Incidents masked his pace in Monte Carlo, but in Sweden there was no doubt he was the class of the field. He dominated.

He has quickly adapted to the Yaris WRC and has built the

❝

His Rally Sweden success doesn’t feel like it will be a false dawn ❞

confidence to go his own way on car set-up, rather than copying his teammate, and it’s paying off.

The hope now is that he can maintain it. The third round of the WRC takes place in Mexico this weekend and that event’s dusty gravel stages will be a hugely different challenge from Sweden.

Evans will face a heap of extra pressure, too. But he surely has the demeanour to cope.

He’s thankfully much better at answering questions now than he was as a 17-year-old, but he’s still one of the calmest, most considered and pleasant competition drivers I’ve met.

Unlike that 2017 Rally GB win, his Sweden success doesn’t feel like it will be a false dawn – but a sign that Evans has the talent to become Britain’s first WRC champion since Richard Burns in 2001.

Here’s hoping.

JAMES ATTWOOD

DAVID SCHUMACHER

GREAT R ACING CARS #1 LOTUS 79 (1978-1979)

Yes, it’s another one… David is the son of Ralf Schumacher, who won six grands prix while racing against his brother Michael in the early 2000s.

Like cousin Mick (Michael’s son), David is on the path to Formula 1 and has signed for the Charouz team to race in FIA Formula 3 this year, after finishing fourth in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2019. Mick looks odds-on for an F1 future, so will he and David echo their fathers and go head to head? If we’ve learned anything, it’s that history and motor racing both like going around in circles.

Funny how things come around. By the early 1980s, groundeffects Formula 1 cars were deemed a modern evil. Huge wads of downforce suction and rock-hard suspension left drivers barely clinging on. But the Lotus 79, which confusingly raced in 1978, was the finest of the breed. Mario Andretti took six wins to claim the title, and Lotus its last constructors’ crown. Now pure groundeffects is officially back, as the basis of the ‘new’ F1 cars for 2021. None will look half as good as this.

RISING S TA R

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

WRC for Cumbrian squad M-Sport in 2014. He began to show his speed as his WRC experience built, leading to a dominant victory on his home event, Wales Rally GB, in 2017.

That seemed like it would be a launch pad to the next step, but the following two years resulted in a handful of podiums and little more.

It seemed Evans had found his ceiling, valued as a consistent number two, but not world champion material.

Ironically, that perception might have helped Evans this year. When six-time world champion Sébastien Ogier moved to the title-winning Toyota squad for this year, Evans was picked to join him.

64 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

THE FORMULA 1 season will begin this weekend in Melbourne, Australia. For younger fans, this is per tradition, as Albert Park has now been a fixture for more than two decades.

The star of the very first race there was debutant Jacques Villeneuve. Like his partner at Williams, Damon Hill, the 24-yearold was the only son of a tragically taken F1 legend, so expectations were high.

And he oh-so-nearly met them, taking pole position before streaking off into the lead. However, on lap 34 of 58, the young Canadian “truly showed himself to be a chip off the old block, sliding wide into the rough under mounting pressure from his everpresent team-mate”.

This came after he had retaken the lead from Hill around the outside after their refuelling pit stops; “Epic stuff!” Autocar said.

The ’96 season opener is remembered today for a “horrendous accident” that sent Martin Brundle violently cartwheeling at turn three, in “the best possible advertisement for the constructional safety of the Jordan chassis”.

However, Villenueve’s “electrifying performance” during the two-horse race eclipsed this at the time.

Emerging from an FW18 stained brown by oil due to Villeneuve’s excursion, Hill said: “Jacques showed today that he is a genuine racer. It was a real thriller.”

The duo were joined on the first Melbourne podium

by Eddie Irvine, after his Ferrari superior, Michael Schumacher, was forced to retire with brake problems.

The ’96 title fight lasted all 16 races, ending in glory for Hill. But the Villeneuve name finally made the hall of champions next season.

MOTORSPORT Coulthard tips Hamilton/Mercedes as champions again

You don’t become faster, but you do get better

As a 13-time grand prix winner and Channel 4 commentator, David Coulthard has seen it all. But, as he tells Damien Smith, that doesn’t stop F1 from surprising him

F

But… in F1 you never know. David Coulthard, veteran of Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, says as much. Now an increasingly polished broadcaster on Channel 4’s excellent coverage, he has been around too long to take anything for granted. Autocar fires the questions on F1 2020 and DC fires straight back.

DC drove F1 for Red Is Lewis Hamilton Bull and remains a getting better ‘Red Bull athlete’ with each passing year?

“Arguably, yes, but I don’t think he’s getting faster.

He’s just a far more worldly version of the bright young thing that burst

into F1 in 2007. For sports people generally, but also for anyone in any business, you don’t become more talented – but you do become more effective in your delivery.”

Has Valtteri Bottas got any hope of beating him?

“Simple answer: of course, yes. Would I have put money on Nico Rosberg beating Hamilton in a fair fight across the 2016 season? No. But he did.

Valtteri is in the same vein. It’s been done before, so why not again? Will he do it? The evidence so far says no – but as he said so memorably on the radio after winning in Australia last year: ‘Go f*** yourself!’ I can relate to that.”

Can and will Sebastian Vettel turn his fortunes around this year?

“I think he can. He’s done it before, if you look at his last year at Red Bull beside Daniel Ricciardo [in 2014]. He seemed out of sorts. Nothing ◊

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 65

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

ormula 1 returns this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix, the first of 21 races – or 22 depending on a new date for the coronavirus-hit Chinese GP – that will play out around the world over the course of the next eight and a half months. Rules stability before the downforceimpaired revolution that is coming for 2021 should, in theory, deliver more of the same as last year: close racing, but another inevitable Lewis Hamilton/Mercedes double, as the 35-yearold chases Michael Schumacher’s records of 91 wins and seven titles.

2020 F1 calendar

Hamilton will be chasing a record seventh F1 title Bottas beating Hamilton is not inconceivable

15 March Melbourne, Australia 22 March Sakhir, Bahrain 5 April Hanoi, Vietnam Postponed Shanghai, China 3 May Zandvoort, the Netherlands 10 May Barcelona, Spain 24 May Monte Carlo, Monaco 7 June Baku, Azerbaijan 14 June Montréal, Canada 28 June Le Castellet, France 5 July Spielberg, Austria 19 July Silverstone, UK 2 August Mogyoród, Hungary 30 August Stavelot, Belgium 6 September Monza, Italy 20 September Marina Bay, Singapore 27 September Sochi, Russia 11 October Suzuka, Japan 25 October Austin, Texas, US 1 November Mexico City, Mexico 15 November São Paulo, Brazil 29 November Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi

∆ really flowed. The question is: will this be the end of another phase of mediocrity? It’s in his hands.”

Out of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, who has the most potential?

“Interesting. ‘Potential’ is a wonderfully overused word in motor racing. Many have had it. Few have become champions. So if I may, I’ll change the question to: who is most ready to win? Who will get their elbows out in the manner of Ayrton Senna? If you had to wave the pendulum one way or the other and pick one, you’ve got to go with Verstappen. But Charles is the real deal, too.”

Can McLaren break through the glass ceiling and take on F1’s top three teams?

“I’ve read team principal Andreas Seidl saying they won’t be ready until 2022 or 2023. I’m all for them covering their arses – but equally why not? Easy for me to say. I have no access to how limited their budget might be. But they have got a Renault engine that can win races and a Mercedes coming next year. As for the rest, the swishy bits that twist their car into the ground, they’ve got to understand vehicle dynamics as well as any other team. Are they really saying ‘our aero team is not good enough and we haven’t managed to recruit better people’? I doubt it. I don’t really understand, despite all my years in F1, how some teams get it right and some don’t. I don’t see why they can’t get the aero right and suddenly be in the mix. Why not?”

Verstappen is DC’s outside bet for title honours straws. I know from my point of view, I hung on to the opportunity to drive the best possible car for as long as I could. But there’s a bigger conversation: did Renault make the right decision to invest so much in one individual? It made sense to go for a talent like Daniel, but was it right to pay so much for him? If they say ‘we haven’t got the budget’, I can give them more than 20 million reasons why…”

On what we’ve seen so far, how do you rate McLaren driver Lando Norris?

“Very good [long pause, which just keeps going]. I’ve got nothing more for you! Beside [team-mate] Carlos Sainz Jr, both are exciting prospects with lots of potential. But we won’t really know until the pressure of expectation is suddenly on them.”

Why is F1 going to Vietnam?

“Another emerging market that has seen the benefits of the shop window that F1 brings. I’ve done a couple of show runs out there. There was general curiosity and interest. There are a couple of things that look like good decisions by the local government. The area will be developed and they’ll get external investment, too.

What does F1 get? A chunky payment, which works for the teams because they get a slice.”

Did Daniel Ricciardo make the worst possible decision by leaving Red Bull for Renault last year?

“He made the right decision for him. Last year was always going to be challenging. This year will decide whether it was inspired or in an emotionally charged situation he clutched at

66 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

Leclerc is “the real deal” but not in DC’s

top three

Is 21 or 22 races too many?

“I hear people say we can go up to 25. Personally,

MOTORSPORT

❝ It made sense for Renault to go for a talent like Ricciardo but was it right to pay so much for him? ❞

From top: McLaren could challenge the top three; Norris is “very good”; 2020 will be a telling year for Ricciardo

Who’s your tip for champion?

“Easy money: Hamilton. Second call: Vettel.

Outside bet: Verstappen.”

What one thing are you most looking forward to?

“I’m looking forward to seeing it be as close as I think it might be at the front.

I want to see Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull winning one each of the first three grands prix, in no particular order, and then we’re on. Then we’ve got a vintage year of F1.” L

DAV I D C O U LT H A R D O N …

Zandvoort’s return as the Dutch GP venue “If Monaco can have a grand prix, so can Zandvoort. It might not have the biggest paddock, but I drove around there with Max and Daniel in Red Bull F1 cars – and scared the sh*t out of myself. In fairness, I was 45 at the time…”

Williams: has it hit rock bottom?

“Yes. It could not have been any more uncomfortable for them last year and for those of us who are fans of the team.

Williams is not meant to be what Minardi was in the past.”

Channel 4’s highlights restriction “Sometimes we are pared back so much it’s: ‘Hello, how are you?

Let’s get to it.’ That being said, I grew up on that, on James Hunt and Murray Walker condensed into 30 minutes at 9pm on BBC

Two – and it was brilliant. So I do think too much of something can be… too much. But Sky do a great job across all sports. In all fairness to them, this scenario where we get to at least show highlights on terrestrial TV only happens because Sky allows it to happen, with the approval of F1.”

What would surprise him in 2020 [Long pause] “F***.”

[Followed by another long pause] “I think I’m so numb having been around so long that nothing surprises me with F1!”

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

knowing how much energy it took for me to be a grand prix driver even in my prime, I don’t know if I would have had the energy to do 21 races. You’d get on with it, but I used to be exhausted come the middle of the season – and I was fit. They don’t do the testing we used to do, which was every week, so maybe that’s why.”

YO U R V I E WS WRITE TO

autocar@haymarket.com Lessons from America

On the subject of undertaking, I must strongly disagree with Geoffrey George Weiner’s comment that this is “a ridiculous suggestion, sir!” (Your Views, 19 February).

For the past 42 years, I’ve driven many thousands of miles per year in the US. I’ve done 44 of the 50 states and will polish off the remainder this year. In all that time, I’ve never seen a case of careless undertaking.

The practice eliminates road rage caused through lane-hogging. Simply put, you travel at your preferred speed in your lane.

Another US practice is permitting, unless prohibited by signage, drivers to turn right at red traffic signals after first stopping. This would, of course, in the UK mean treating left turns at red lights as stop signs.

Both of these are actually superb ideas for us to introduce for safety in the first instance and convenience in the second, while both aiding traffic flow and reducing stress. Driving in America is an absolute joy. Perhaps Mr Weiner should try it for himself.

Christopher Monkhouse Prestbury, Cheshire

Instrumental solution

Chris Ryder-Phillips makes the point that drivers forget to turn on their lights because of the light from daytime-running lights (Your Views, 19 February). I believe the answer is simpler than this. For some time, cars have been made with instruments that are illuminated all the time.

In the ‘good old days’, the panel was lit only when you turned on the headlights. So drivers were prompted to turn on the lights not because they couldn’t see the road ahead but because they couldn’t read the dials.

Colin Charlesworth Via email

Recycled idea

The question from Terry Porter about insurers using recycled car parts interested me (Readers’ Questions, 19 February).

In the 1970s, I worked for the General Accident Insurance

Colin has had a bright idea about dials 68 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

LETTER OF THE WEEK

US has undertaking. Should UK allow it?

No likey no lighty

WIN

Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £48

I recently wrote to Highways England because I was concerned about the stretches of nonworking lighting on the M1 near London – one of the busiest motorways in the country.

I was really surprised by the reply I received from its contractors: “The lighting on the M1 between Junctions 3 and 6A has been permanently switched off as part of the TA49.

The TA49 is a set of standards that Highways England has complied with since 2016. It provides a methodology that we use to establish justification for replacing lighting equipment that has come to the end of its life. We undertake a careful assessment of the lighting and its location, taking into account accidents, traffic statistics and energy usage. It was agreed after assessment that the lighting in this area will be switched off and eventually removed.”

I love the fact that they say this “was agreed”, because I don’t recall any public consultation! So, despite the £6.5 billion raised in VED each year, we can’t afford to light a motorway. How can this make any sort of sense in terms of road safety?

‘golf buggies’, some of which were driven with a lack of consideration for pedestrians and no audible warning of their approach. It was sometimes quite intimidating, so the absence of noise from vehicles is a valid concern.

But even when cars fitted with a combustion engine are driven at low speed in a car park, most pedestrians don’t hear their approach. The driver could sound the horn, of course, but this can be startlingly loud to an unsuspecting pedestrian who just happens to be looking the other way.

Perhaps what is needed is a gentler warning sound in addition to the normal horn – something like a bicycle bell. This could be a reasonable and fair warning that doesn’t risk sounding too aggressive.

All vehicles could benefit from having such a device fitted.

Steve Seddon Market Drayton, Shropshire

Solo wasn’t the first

A correction regarding the Panther Solo (‘Can you handle it?’, 19 February): the Rover T3 gas turbine car, as featured in Autocar on 19 February 1958, pre-dated the Solo in being the first four-wheel-drive mid-engined car by 62 years.

Peter Saunders Bristol

Gordon Askwith Via email

Company, which set up a joint venture called, I think, Auto Economics with a salvage dealer in Bolney, West Sussex. The scheme was to send ‘total loss’ vehicles there for stripping and usable parts were then cleaned and listed. The idea was to persuade the insurers’ recommended repairers to use reclaimed parts in repairs to save money. The parts were also available for general sale.

I don’t know what happened to the venture, but I think there was opposition from both owners and repairers about second-hand parts being used. In addition, the repairers got trade discount on new parts from main dealers that weren’t

always passed on to the insurers. I couldn’t see any problem with it if an undamaged used light unit were, say, half the cost of a new one.

Anyway, there’s nothing new in this idea from insurers and the Vehicle Recyclers’ Association, then.

Peter Buckroyd Farnham, Surrey

Sound as a bell

Your report on the silence or otherwise of new electric vehicles (News, 26 February) reminded me of a winter trip I made to Zermatt, Switzerland, many years ago. No cars were allowed in the town centre and most transport was by electric

Jonathan takes issue with Range Rover’s security

On your marques, get set, go

I wonder why the PSA Group even started DS. Investing in one of its other brands would surely have made more sense (either Peugeot or Citroën), especially at a time when its finances were at an all-time low.

Then it added Opel, and now it’s adding Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat to the fold, all the while stating that no brand will be discontinued.

Why not? There’s nothing it can do with DS (low European sales, almost-down-to-zero Chinese sales, no image to speak of) that can’t be done with Lancia – or maybe even ditching both and doing a serious long-term investment in Alfa.

Just stop it. Alfa needs a C-segment hatchback and there’s still more than enough time for a reskin. PSA has done this before successfully, with both the current Citroën C3 (old Peugeot 208) and the new Vauxhall Corsa (new 208). Just cut down on your almost certain losses, PSA.

LETTERS G R E AT R E A S O N S T O B U Y

NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE ON SALE 18 MARCH

EDITORIAL Email autocar@haymarket.com Editor Mark Tisshaw Editorial director, Automotive Jim Holder Editor-in-chief Steve Cropley Managing editor Sami Shah Editor-at-large Matt Prior Deputy editor James Attwood Deputy editor – digital Rachel Burgess Deputy digital editor Tom Morgan Road test editor Matt Saunders Road testers Simon Davis, Richard Lane News editor Lawrence Allan Junior reporters Felix Page, Will Trinkwon Used cars editor Mark Pearson Used cars reporter Max Adams Chief sub-editor Kris Culmer Group art editor Stephen Hopkins Art editor Sarah Özgül Designer Rebecca Stevens Prepress manager Darren Jones Senior photographer Luc Lacey Photographer Olgun Kordal Junior photographer Max Edleston Senior videographer Oli Kosbab Videographer Tej Bhola SEO manager Jon Cook SEO executive Oliver Hayman Picture editor Ben Summerell-Youde

F E AT U R E

Tuga Via autocar.co.uk

Try Swindon, Elon

I’m reading in the national press that Germany is making it difficult for Elon Musk to build Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory. I wonder if anyone has told him that there’s a modern car factory in Swindon going begging, complete with skilled staff. He could save a lot of time and no doubt a shed load of money by setting up here.

G Williams Via email

Vanished without trace

I am the owner of a 2019-model Range Rover P400e Autobiography.

Last night, it was stolen from outside my home. Both keys were in the house, far away from the front door.

No tracker information recorder.

No alert given. Land Rover says it has no telematic information.

How can a £120,000 car vanish without trace? Land Rover says it has fixed its security problems.

This is self-evidently untrue.

These cars are ridiculous. They might as well be sold without locks.

Jonathan Cohen Via email

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We’ve driven the petrol car. Now we try the all-electric version

The Clio has impressed, so what of the small SUV it has spawned?

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11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69

O U R CA RS F E AT U R E D T H I S W E E K

MAZDA 3

MERCEDES-BENZ E300de

SUZUKI JIMNY

TOYOTA COROLLA

VAUXHALL CORSA

VOLVO S60

VAUXHALL CORSA It hasn’t won a group test, but can Vauxhall’s new supermini win our hearts?

FIRST REPORT WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To get to know Vauxhall’s new supermini and to test the combination of 1.2-litre petrol turbo triple and eight-speed auto

very home needs a small car. That’s a very simple conclusion to reach when you’ve been going about in big cars for months, as I have, and you get offered something that slips into every parking bay, fits down every street, turns lightly into every corner, looks great in a bright colour and makes a virtue of cuteness, all because of its size.

All of which goes to explain why I’m happy to be running a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Turbo Ultimate Nav Auto, a car that’s just 4.06 metres long and weighs 1090kg at the kerb. That’s less than half the weight of the full-size Volkswagen SUV that’s been my main

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70 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

transport these past few months, and you feel the benefit (plus one or two drawbacks) with every mile.

I’m also glad to be driving a car by Vauxhall, a marque I believe deserves more respect than it gets from people who think they know about cars. It’s traditional for a large proportion of our car-nut community to look past Vauxhalls almost without seeing them, despite the history of the brand being peppered with great and iconic models, many British-designed.

Now owned by progressive and profitable PSA, Vauxhall has already put a succession of modern-design cars on the road (MD Stephen Norman is bidding for a doublefigure market share with a range of six cars and three vans), and the biggest seller is likely to be the Corsa.

True, it hasn’t topped a group test so far, but what we’ve recently learned is that the modern crop of superminis sets such a high standard that it’s

fine to come fourth if your dealer is helpful and conveniently located and your financial deal is the right one.

My Corsa has arrived with around 2900 miles on the odometer, having already played a cameo role in press launch activities. It’s the bestequipped model you can get, with the Navi Pro package, leather seats, a driver’s seat massage function, automatic lights and wipers, adaptive cruise control and LED matrix headlights. There are only two options – £650 worth of Power Orange two-coat premium paint and a £110 15in steel spare wheel. The allin cost of £26,640 looks high, until you remember this model comes with every option including a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox that would otherwise add £1500.

So far the styling and colour have both come in for praise by onlookers and passengers. Slightly lairy paintjobs play well on superminis

SECOND OPINION I’ve spent time in auto and manual Corsas and prefer the latter. I like simple superminis, but also the eight-speed ’box didn’t greatly impress me when we road tested it. On our recent supermini giant test, the Corsa’s just-ordinary ride and handling, undistinguished practicality and slightly plain cabin failed to stand out against some really accomplished competition. Maybe living with one will make us better appreciate it. MS

Black pillars and roof look grown-up

VOLVO S60

Can our S60 muster any appeal when saloons are out of fashion?

MILEAGE 3780

❝

It’ll sustain high cruising speeds at low revs ❞

It’s nimble, stylish and easy to park: in short, it’s a great city car

(although this car’s black pillars and top give it a certain gravitas). It’s a reasonably roomy parents-and-kids five-door with decent-sized doors, and its boot is spacious enough for holiday luggage while leaving room for a 44-litre fuel tank that (with the 1.2-litre, 99bhp three-pot turbo and that eight-speed auto) gives an easy 400-mile range. The claimed best combined official fuel rating is 48.7mpg but you can beat 50mpg without trying too hard.

It has taken time to find my ideal driving position: the Corsa Ultimate has a power-adjust driver’s seat but it’s one of those designs that changes the cushion angle fairly radically as it rises, and most of those angles don’t suit my backside. I’ve found a position not far off the floor that doesn’t quite give the view over the bonnet I’d have liked, but at least it is long-distance comfortable.

Talking of long distances, the motorway performance is a nice surprise. The engine’s torque means it’ll sustain high cruising speeds at low revs – 70mph and 2000rpm in eighth is a common combination – and wind noise is fairly low. Road noise isn’t too intrusive, although other rivals set better standards. I’d like to try this car on 16in wheels if

they were available; how many times have you heard that before?

One fascination for me, going in, was to investigate how a small threepot turbo engine would work with an eight-speed auto: I’m delighted to find it’s one of the car’s best features.

The step-off is brisk (in the hunt for smoothness you have to be a bit delicate with power applications) and the progression through the gears is smooth and refined. There are three driving modes and you can intrude with the well-sited paddles if that’s your fancy. The Eco setting is a bit dismal, dulling throttle response as you’d expect, but Sport delivers extra alertness even if it can be annoyingly reluctant to pick up eighth gear. Most of the time, Normal does the job.

My one disappointment is this car’s secondary ride. It rides flat and with good control but rumbles and bucks on poor surfaces, as if the tyres were hideously over-inflated (they’re not) or radically low in profile (they’re pretty sensible 45-section hoops on 17in wheels). My memory says there are better-riding Corsas down the range. Still, the combination of alert steering and a sweet-sounding, flexible engine – with a generous 151lb ft – still makes zipping about town fundamentally pleasurable.

So far it’s the convenience that I’m enjoying most. And the economy.

Surprises are the decent open-road performance and the sweet engine.

This Corsa is not a car whose unique qualities make a quick and powerful impression, but I suspect its subtle character traits will grow on me.

WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To find out if the magic touch Volvo has with its premium SUVs translates to this compact executive saloon

ashion is a fickle business. Take family cars. Not so long ago the three-box saloon was the default choice, with almost every selfrespecting driveway up and down the land featuring a variation on the theme. SUVs were the niche option.

Today the roles are reversed, and choosing a four-door puts you among the few, not the many. This point was neatly highlighted on a recent long weekend away, when our S60 was joined by a Land Rover Discovery Sport, which is arguably the standard bearer for the family-friendly SUV. It’s not hard to see why cars like the Landie have become such a hit. On paper these bigger, taller machines appear far more amenable to the demands of family life. However, spend time with these cars back to back and you quickly realise that there’s little between them when it comes to family friendliness.

Okay, so the Disco has seven seats, but this aside there’s little in it for interior accommodation, with the

F

LOVE IT H E ATE D SCR E E N Heated windscreens have been around a while now, but I still marvel at the Volvo’s ability to melt a thick layer of ice in minutes.

LOATHE IT HYPE R AC TIVE ALE RTS The rear cross-traffic alert is jumpier than most, often chiming a warning and applying the brakes when there’s nothing there.

Volvo’s less upright rear seats actually scoring more highly for comfort.

The lower-slung S60 means loading kids in is a little less straightforward, but the rear doors are long and open more than wide enough.

And the lack of a hatchback doesn’t hurt as much as you’d think, with the Volvo’s boot being more than big enough for most occasions. There are numerous handy shopping bag hooks, too, and our car’s wipe-clean boot liner is perfect for the messy realities of family life. Even loading a bike in the back is a doddle, once you’ve found the folding rear seat release buttons (they’re in the back shelf behind one of the headrests).

Some will miss the high-set driving position of an SUV, but the ground-hugging Volvo brings its own rewards, not least a greater sense of connection with the road and the fact that passengers don’t get thrown about so much in the corners.

Ultimately, the Land Rover’s appeal doesn’t really stem from any extra usefulness (yes, it’s brilliant off road, but how many owners will honestly test those credentials?) but rather the image it projects of an active, up-foranything lifestyle. But be honest with yourself and a traditional saloon will do everything you need, and in a more compact, better-driving and more efficient package. As three-box saloons go, the Volvo is proving to be one of the better ones.

JAMES DISDALE

TEST DATA VO LVO S60 T5 I N SCR I P TI O N Price £39,185 Price as tested £46,940 Faults None Expenses None Economy 30.7mpg Last seen 26.2.20

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE autocar@haymarket.com Boot looks restrictive but can swallow a family-sized load

STEVE CROPLEY

TEST DATA VAU X H A L L C O R S A 1 . 2 T U R B O U LT I M AT E N AV AU T O Price new £25,990 Price as tested £26,640 Options Power Orange paint £650, 15in steel spare wheel £110 Economy 45.6-48.7mpg (WLTP) Faults None Expenses None

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE steve.cropley@haymarket.com 11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71

£ 2 MILLIO0 N Over

APPR OVED

OUR CARS

Suzuki Jimny MILEAGE 12,235

MERCEDES-BENZ E300de Quick thinking on a flooded road helps to avert certain disaster

LAST SEEN 4.3.20

As I got back into the Jimny after filling up with petrol, a man slowly walked around the circumference of the Jimny, inspecting it closely.

I looked at him, enquiringly, and he said: “I just wanted to see which Jimny it was.” The limited if cult-like appeal of the Jimny was confirmed by his niche car: a Dodge Caliber.

One thing’s for sure: no other car I’ve driven has ever had this reaction. RB

MILEAGE 10,777 WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT Because a plug-in hybrid diesel seems like the best of both worlds. But can reality live up to the theory?

ou have probably noticed it has been a trifle damp of late, and nowhere more so than in the Welsh borders, where I live. But the Benz has been pretty oblivious to most of it, its Pirelli Sottozero tyres cutting through the water as if it were parting the Red Sea. Until one day the family and I found ourselves on the outskirts of Hereford shortly after the Wye had breached its banks.

A major roundabout to the north of the city was entirely underwater.

But we had a long drive to the north of England ahead and I couldn’t face the prospect of turning around. I watched a few lorries wade through, noting where on the roundabout the water was shallowest. I then nosed into the water myself and gingerly made my way around the outside. And save for the slightly disconcerting sound of water lapping around the car, all was fine.

Y

LOVE IT E LEC TR I C TO TH E R ESCU E Electric drive not only means you don’t need to disturb the neighbours in the morning but also that you can wade through floods without drowning the engine.

LOATHE IT CO M PRO M I S E D BOOT The way the battery reduces boot space as well as affecting its shape means large and heavy items have to be stowed at an awkward and inefficient angle.

Mazda 3 MILEAGE 7230 Switching to electric-only mode saved the diesel engine an early bath What I’d not seen was the deeper flood on the road ahead. But I judged even that to be passable: you just needed to go fast enough to create a small bow wave to push the water to the sides of the car and not over it.

And all was going just fine until I saw the beaten-up pick-up coming the other way. You will have seen them yourselves: jacked-up suspension, huge tyres, bullet-headed moron at the helm. And he was having a great time showing the world just how much water he could displace, giving not one thought for the consequences on any passing motorist on whom it might be displaced.

What I saw was a wall of water coming towards us and it was pretty clear that we were going to get swamped. The E300de is a great car but it’s no off-roader, and if the engine air intake was even briefly submerged, we were going to have a major problem on our hands and the car urgent need of a new engine.

But, and for once, I actually managed to have a decent idea.

Thankfully, the flood was long, otherwise I’d never have had time to think of it, but in the event, I had time to hit the E-mode button, which

shut the motor down at once. And swamped we duly were. Briefly, I could see nothing through any window other than bits of debris in the brown swirling water.

I don’t know if the engine would have survived if I’d left it turning.

What I do know is that, powered by electricity alone, we sailed through and emerged the other side entirely unscathed.

It was, I must say, a benefit of hybrid drive I’d never considered before, but right there and then, it was easily the car’s best asset and one I’ve been grateful for ever since.

Where we’d have been without it is anyone’s guess, but mine is up the creek, and without a paddle.

ANDREW FRANKEL

TEST DATA M E RCE D ES - B E NZ E300 d e ESTATE Price £49,700 Price as tested £58,115 Faults None Expenses None Economy 57.7mpg Last seen 19.2.20

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE autocar@haymarket.com

LAST SEEN 19.2.20

The mild-hybrid (MHEV) Mazda 3 has a display that you get on full-hybrids, showing the juggling of battery and motor – although the battery can never solely propel the car. The most interesting MHEV trait is a little boost when upshifting. The display also tells you when you’re in compression ignition mode, which it usually claims to be until about 5000rpm. LA

Toyota Corolla MILEAGE 4984

LAST SEEN 4.3.20

The Corolla has a raised boot floor to house the hybrid battery, creating two ‘pockets’ in the corners. I find them handy to keep things upright but it seems they also make a useful bin. I’m not entirely sure which of my colleagues left their waste in it, but I hope they enjoyed their nutritious lunch of a four-pack of barbecue pork pies and a large Caramac bar. JA

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 73

What to buy, where to buy it and how much to pay

USED CARS W H A T WS TE ALMO T B O U G HE E K T H IS W

FIAT G R AN D E PU NTO 1. 4 T- J E T S PO RTI N G If this pretty Punto’s 120bhp doesn’t thrill you, its 152lb ft will.

The 1.4 T-Jet petrol engine is flexible, offering spirited in-gear urge. The Sporting is a rare car now, but we dug out this 2009reg with 72,000 miles priced at £1450 in the classifieds. Little detail was available, though, so, as we say, ‘almost bought’.

James Ruppert THE HIGH PRIEST OF BANGERNOMICS Convertible E220 CDI from 2011 with 98k miles is £7795

PLEASE YOURSELF

Buy used and you can choose whatever the heck you like here’s now an expiry date on new cars into which we have to pump diesel or petrol. It was 2040, got brought forward to 2035 and now seems to be just 12 years away.

The good news, if there actually is any, is that at the moment used cars remain legal currency for infinity.

That means we can and should go out and buy what we damn well please.

I still adore a diesel, and there are a lot of very interesting ones in circulation. Some are perfectly suited to their roles, such as a MercedesBenz E-Class Convertible. How does £7795 sound? What you will get is an E220 CDI BlueEfficiency SE Edition from 2011 – a dealer car with 98k miles that will do an easy 50mpg.

It looked like a fairly mint, year’sMOT dealer car, but what a beauty at that price. There’s room for the family in the back, too.

If you want to take just that one special friend with you, then get the same engine in the SLK shape. I spied a 2012 example with 100k miles and an AMG Sport logo on it for just £7900. There was nothing wrong with it as far as I could tell, although maybe a solid roof might be better.

The BMW 6 Series is such a huge lump of coupé and, as tempted as I’ve been to bag a V8, there is the 3.0d to enjoy. So a 635d Sport from 2007-09 is £5000 as an entry point. It’s likely to have done around 140k miles and could be saving up some big

T

suspension and brake bills at the very least, provided the engine doesn’t need any work. You can expect it to have all the toys as well, such as outdated sat-nav and worn-in leather.

The main reasons for going diesel are to lap up miles and to shift stuff.

To do that in a classy way, you can sign up for an Audi A6 Avant. There are some colossal-mileage examples

❝

You shouldn’t be bullied into something that you can’t afford ❞ Just £2k can buy a diesel Audi A6 Avant from 2005 or 2007

around, and that just proves the point that they can take it. I came across a 2007 2.0 TDI SE with a reasonable 104k miles and a full MOT. It was on a very ordinary dealer lot with a price to match, at a fraction over £2k.

For the same money and still at a boggo dealer, I spotted a rather more complicated 2005 A6 3.0 TDI quattro with an extra 45k miles on the clock.

Don’t give up on diesel just yet.

No one can be completely sure how long they will last in the current ban-it, ULEZ climate. There are so many great diesels to choose from and you shouldn’t be bullied into something that you may not be able to afford or that isn’t as cool. For the used car buyer, the future remains wonderfully wide open.

TA L E S F R O M R U P P E R T ’ S GA R AG E

MILE AGE 8 4,332

BMW 320 I’ve piled on a good few miles, but the starting shenanigans are getting worse. Even using the car regularly doesn’t seem to help much. It’s an old car, so just twisting the ignition and going isn’t an option. Part of me wants to stick a fuel injection system on it and be done with it.

Once running, it’s not a problem, and I never feel after a few hundred miles that it won’t ever start again. Last year, I went to a BMW specialist who, I thought, quoted something fairly absurd for their expertise. I think I need another chat with them.

READERS’ QUESTIONS

I am a 77-year-young QUESTION petrolhead but now want to switch to an electric car. A used one would be a good starting point before I commit to the one I really want. What can you suggest for £10,000?

Bernard Brignall, via email

If you’re just testing the water, go with a car you can resell easily, ANSWER such as a Renault Zoe. We found a one-owner 2016-reg Expression Nav with 20,000 miles and the improved R240 motor for £9250. It has a range of 80-110 miles; not a lot by current standards but, if your driving’s local and you can charge at home, decent enough. You have to lease the battery (it’s around £50 a month), but at least it’s guaranteed and it’s transferable to the next owner. JE

READER’S RIDE

My husband says QUESTION my car isn’t insured when I leave it running on our driveway to clear the windscreen and go into the house for a few minutes. Is he making it up just to make me suffer?

Sally Johnson, via email

Renault Twingo Chris has an inspiring story for us all about a truly wonderful purchase. “Yesterday, I flew from Glasgow to Berlin to realise a long-held (and modest) dream of owning a Mk1 Twingo. I now own this 1998 Liberty special edition, complete with foldy roof and air-con.

SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO

“I got up at 5am to get a shot at the Brandenburg Gate, then did 400-plus miles to Amsterdam for the ferry to Newcastle, never missing a beat. I think I might now have the only Mk1 Twingo in Scotland. Is there a more fun way to spend €1500 [£1280]? I don’t think so.”

Check your policy but, generally, your insurer will refuse to pay out if ANSWER you left your car unattended with the keys in it and it was damaged or stolen or valuables were taken from it. This applies even if you can clearly see it from your house. So don’t chance it. JE

james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO

autocar@haymarket.com 11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 75

OUTSTANDING! ALL YEAR ROUND

EUROALL SEASON I AS210

TYRES falkentyre.com

USED CARS

AS GOOD AS NEW

RANGE ROVER

Do-it-all cars are seldom more classy, but John Evans has some important advice NEED TO KNOW In the What Car? Reliability Survey, the Range Rover is bottom of the luxury SUV class. Battery, gearbox and suspension faults are to blame. It’s why you should favour cars with a full service history and a quality warranty.

If you tow, seek out a Range Rover fitted with the Advanced Tow Assist (ATA) available from August 2016. It can automatically reverse car and trailer in the direction you indicate on a dial.

Beware of oil dilution issues affecting the DPF and triggering the ‘oil service due’ warning light.

In light of our increasingly wet climate, it’s good to know a Rangie has a wading depth of 900mm.

TOP SPEC PICK

4.4 SDV8 but producing fewer emissions and claimed fuel economy of 44mpg.

Prices start at around £33,000 for a 2013-reg HEV Autobiography with 45,000 miles compared with £30,000 for a 3.0 TDV6 or 4.4 SDV8 of the same age and mileage but in entry-level Vogue trim. Its complex tech is just another thing to worry about, so we’d plump for that 4.4 SDV8. The supercharged 5.0 is juicy but reminds us of V8 petrol Rangies of old, which were always irresistible.

An approved used 2013-reg 5.0 S Autobiography is around £38,000.

A standard-length Range Rover is roomy enough, but a long-wheelbase version arrived in 2014. The same year, the model received updates ranging from fancier puddle lights to a clever Cargo mode that, as the rear seats are folded, senses when

5.0 Supercharged gained more power and a new 3.0 V6 Supercharged was slotted beneath it, offering better economy but decent performance. A 2017-reg with 43,000 miles is £48,000. But company car drivers demanded better and Range Rover duly delivered with the P400e, a plug-in hybrid with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, together producing 398bhp. Its pure-electric range is 31 miles. There are quite a few on the market, with an 8000-mile, 2018-reg Vogue SE weighing in at £71,000.

Of all the engines, we’d be drawn first to the 4.4 SDV8 for its blend of effortless performance and bearable economy, but if buying the lowerpowered 3.0 TDV6 meant having something younger with lower mileage and a watertight history, we’d leap on it.

AU D I Q3 35 TFS I S PO RT £1761 deposit, £294 per month, 48 months, 10,000 miles per year The Q3’s standard-fit safety kit includes blindspot monitoring and a lane-keeping system that can steer the car back into its original lane to avoid a head-on collision. All this and it is beautifully built, is immensely practical and has a high-tech interior.

VOLKSWAGEN T- CROSS 1.0 TSI S £1208 deposit, £201 per month, 48 months, 10,000 miles per year The T-Cross, Volkswagen’s smallest and most affordable SUV, performed well in all of Euro NCAP’s safety tests. Being based on the Polo, this comfortable and practical car shares a lot of that model’s safety technology and adds lane-keeping assistance.

B MW 320 i M S PO RT AUTO £1925 deposit, £321 per month, 48 months, 10,000 miles per year Lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection as standard are just two reasons why the BMW 3 Series should be on your shopping list. That it’s comfortable, great to drive and superbly well built are three more.

3 . 0 T D V6 V O G U E Smallest but still strong diesel and well-equipped Vogue trim help make buying a Range Rover more affordable. Prices from £22,000 for a 2013-reg with 85,000 miles.

OUR PICK

5.0 V8 SUPERCHARGED 565 AUTO B I OG’ Y DY N A M I C A big name for a big hitter.

This top-spec long-wheelbase Range Rover has performance figures to embarrass a supercar.

WILD CAR D

ONES WE FOUND 2014 3.0 TDV6 Vogue, 93,000 miles, £24,995 2015 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE, 80,000 miles, £28,995 2016 5.0 V8 Supercharged Autobiography, 60,000 miles, £40,500 2018 3.0 TDV6 Vogue, 37,000 miles, £49,995

B MW Z4 s D R IVE 2 .0 i S PO RT £2603 deposit, £434 per month, 48 months, 10,000 miles per year Agreed, it’s hard to believe a lowslung convertible could feature here, but the Z4 really is a safe car, with automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning as standard.

Options include adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 77

For more lease deals, visit whatcar.com

Range Rover may be expensive, but think how many cars you’re getting: hatchback, estate, off-roader, tow car, luxury car, workhorse… The list goes on. Some might say its list of mechanical and electrical faults goes on, too. Which is why buying the cheapest Rangie you can find isn’t a good idea.

Instead, aim high and buy from a respected dealer that has inspected the car thoroughly and is prepared to put a quality warranty on it. Then borrow it for 24 hours and give it a proper workout, watching for glitches such as the oil service warning light and a creaky infotainment system and taking a note of its fuel economy.

It’s the Mk4 Range Rover we’re talking about here, launched in 2013 and still going strong, as it should continue to until the axe falls in 2021 with the arrival of its successor.

It was updated in 2014 and again in 2016. From launch, power was provided by a choice of 3.0 TDV6 or 4.4 SDV6 diesels and a supercharged

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SAFE CARS: BEST LEASE DEALS

AUTO B I OG R APHY Vogue SE is a wiser choice, but Autobiography delivers 5.0 V8 petrol. They the fronts are in a luxury punch with a sliding were joined shortly the way and moves panoramic sunroof, front after by a 3.0 SDV6 them forward. massaging seats and HEV hybrid with The big refresh reclining rear power comparable to the was in 2016, when the seats.

BUY THEM BEFORE WE DO

SWEET SPORTS SALOON

Honda Accord Type R £4500 emember when Honda made interesting cars?

It still does (NSX, Civic Type R, E…), but its critics are convinced the firm stopped doing so years ago when models such as the Accord Type R were sparkly new.

Which is why people still get a bit hot under the collar about them.

We found a very tidy-looking 2002reg with 120,000 miles for £4500.

That’s about top money for one of

R

these but, with so few good ones left, that’s understandable. This is a facelift version (slatted grille, red ‘H’ badge and, if they hadn’t been changed, black tailpipes). It comes with a fresh cambelt and tons of workshop receipts as evidence of regular maintenance. The seller claims it has always been garaged but we guess he’s speaking for himself, not the car’s previous four keepers.

So the first thing we’d do is check

CL ASSY HOMEGROWN GT

Jaguar XK 4.2 £10,595 Be dressed to impress with a Jaguar XK. This one’s a 2008-reg (so just before the 4.2-litre V8 became a 5.0) with 88,000 miles and full main dealer history. Bodywork is described as excellent, but it’s underneath that trouble can strike, so get it on a ramp.

for rust. With these Accords, it nibbles away at the front bulkhead, out of sight. Even owners can be unaware of it. A fresh MOT should provide some reassurance that all is well there and in other structural places. It can also lurk behind window rubbers and on wheel arches.

The plastic undertray that traps water and debris takes its fair share of scalps in the form of rotten brake pipes and fuel lines. An MOT tester

ST YLISH FIVE-POT FLYER

BMW 135i M Sport Coupé £10,290

A LOT OF FUN FOR THE MONEY 78 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

An unsung hero. The 3.0-litre engine is a beast, the gearbox is precise and the body’s so rigid that the car rides beautifully, even on run-flats. Chuck in a locking diff and M Sport bodykit and this 2008-reg with 45,000 miles and full BMW service history is a snip.

WILD CARD

isn’t allowed to move undertrays, so don’t take a current ticket as proof that these components are sound.

Even a healthy engine will slurp its way through a litre of oil every 1000 miles, so check the level and the grade used. Until it warms through, it’ll sound tappety, but what you don’t want to hear are other noises suggesting worn con-rod shells or a failing crank pulley.

JOHN EVANS

Audi TT RS quattro £13,295 That discreet RS badge, backed by 335bhp and 332lb ft from a 2.5-litre turbo five-pot, is hard to beat when it comes to TT bragging rights. It’s no Porsche Cayman but, at £13,295 for this 2010 car with 88,000 miles and a heated leather interior, we’ll forgive it.

Mini JCW World Championship 50 £12,000 The World Championship 50 of 2010 was a limited edition (just 250 copies). However, rather than tweaking its performance, Mini just emptied the options bin into it, so it’s loaded with every extra as standard.

USED CARS AU C T I O N WAT C H

CLASH OF THE CLASSIFIEDS U S E D C A R D E S K D O E S B AT T L E BRIEF

Find me an interesting LPG-powered car – money no object.

AUDI S4 4.2 V8 TRACK CAR Release your inner Mattias Ekström with this S4 track car. The 2003-reg 4.2 V8, with 100,000 miles on the clock, made £8480 at auction. As well as its boy-racer carbonfibre rear spoiler and front splitter, it has more grown-up mods, including fully adjustable, rose-jointed upper and lower camber control arms, Powerflex racing bushes, a stage two remap with full stainless steel exhaust and even a gel racing battery behind the passenger seat. That’s the front passenger seat, by the way: there are no rear seats. This S4 isn’t road legal, so the owner’s next day out will be a trailer sale.

FUTURE CLASSIC

Vauxhall Ampera 1.4i VVT Electron Price £7995

It may have arrived with a fanfare and departed with a whimper, but the Ampera, a rangeextender with a 71bhp electric motor-generator and an 85bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine, was a bold move on GM’s part. The electric-only range was 25-50 miles. When that was exhausted, there was up to 310 miles of range available from the petrol engine driving the wheels via the generator to ensure the battery also received a trickle charge. If that ran dry, there was a further four miles of get-you-home reserve charge in the battery. Clever stuff.

Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG £13,000

Dodge Ram 5.7 V8 £52,995 MAX ADAMS A car running on LPG is a great way to save money on fuel and road tax costs. But it also has the added benefit of chucking out half the toxins of regular petrol, which makes this 2004 E55 a fantastic best-of-both-worlds car: kind to the local environment, yet still interesting for those of us who like driving.

MARK PEARSON Yes, mine is a bit like that, too. My 2018 Dodge Ram pick-up is an economy car, first and foremost, thanks to its LPG-ness, so will save you loads on running costs. I think at last someone has found a car that’s both deeply practical and kind to the environment. What I think most people will appreciate, though, is its subtlety.

MA Subtle! Not only is your Ram the size of a monster truck, but some monster has painted it up to look like the General Lee, too.

MP But you’re ignoring the fact that it has a leather interior and Apple CarPlay. And it can transport more than one tonne. Oh, and there’s a Hemi V8, too.

MA While mine doesn’t have the latest smartphone connectivity, it more than makes up for this in brutal V8 power. My E55 has 476bhp, which is considerably more than yours.

MP Oh God, yes, I’d forgotten you’ve chosen something, too, so exciting is mine. Oh. A Mercedes. How nice.

VERDICT

LPG – the drink of choice for monsters and generals.

JOHN EVANS

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79

HOW TO BUY A

LEXUS IS F F

Other models from Lexus’s performance F brand include the LFA and RC F

THE F WORD Lexus gave the IS its full-on F treatment in 2008, creating a 417bhp BMW M3 chaser.

John Evans says the main problem you’re likely to have with a used IS F is finding one ooner or later, most car manufacturers decide to let their engineers play on a race track to show the world what they can make. Most recently, Kia did it with the Stinger GT S, and back in 2008, Lexus did it with the IS F. Coming from a brand lauded for its super-refined and reliable hybrid saloons, the IS F’s arrival was a pleasant surprise. Here was a car pitched to take on rivals such as the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG and it wielded a big and unusual stick in the form of a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre petrol V8 producing 417bhp.

Drive was sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with flappy paddles, a lockup mechanism from second gear upwards for faster shifts and an

S

80 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

ability to go right to the rev limiter.

(Check for unusual engine noises caused by over-enthusiastic revving.)

Below stairs, suspension components were forged from lightweight materials and the antiroll bars were beefed up. The only duff ingredient in this fascinating mix was the adoption of electric power steering.

It was expensive, too, but buyers forgave it because of its quality, technical specification, exclusivity and Lexus’s reputation for customer service. Reviewers praised its styling, engine note, chassis balance and strong brakes but criticised its hesitant gearbox, fidgety ride and absence of a proper limitedslip differential (instead, it has an electronically controlled open diff).

Fortunately, Lexus was listening,

at least to complaints about the diff, and swapped the existing unit for a proper limited-slip diff in 2010. The sat-nav system was also upgraded.

More changes followed a few months later when the IS F’s ride deficiencies were partly addressed with the fitment of revised springs and shock absorbers. The rear suspension was also adjusted to provide greater stability. At the same time, the instrument binnacle was restyled and, outside at the front, LED daytime-running lights joined the existing HID headlights.

Despite these changes, only around 200 IS Fs had been sold in the UK by the time the axe fell in 2014. That’s good news if you like the idea of driving something a lot more exclusive than an M3 but not so good if you like plenty

of choice when shopping for your next car. At the time of writing, we found only around 10 IS Fs for sale.

However, they looked like good cars.

Conversations with a handful of private sellers were encouraging, too. To an owner, they had nothing but praise for their IS F’s reliability and had taken real care of it. Our advice, though, would be to avoid paying their asking prices, which are on the high side.

We really tried to unearth problems with the model. The only relatively widespread issues we found, courtesy of a Lexus technician who owns an IS F, concerned leaky water pumps (earlier cars were most affected and problem pumps were replaced under warranty) and a leaky heat transfer plate. So not that much. If only we could say the same about an M3.

USED CARS H O W T O G E T O N E I N YO U R GA R AG E

An owner’s view

J AC K J O R D A N “It’s a rare and breathtaking car, the IS F. Mine is a 2008-reg with 59,000 miles. The gearbox is quick to change and the engine’s power is intoxicating.

It’s a Lexus so very reliable apart from the well-documented water pump problem that affected earlier cars.

Mine was changed without fuss under warranty. And that’s another thing about running a Lexus: the dealers.

It doesn’t matter how old your Lexus is: they’re always attentive and quick to resolve any problems and their rates are reasonable. With enthusiastic driving, the IS F will get through brakes and rear tyres, but it’s a performance car, so what do you expect?”

Buyer beware…

Quad pipes signal – visually and aurally – the V8’s potency

ENGINE The V8 is strong and capable of power upgrades, especially if you abide by the 5000-mile oil change interval.

On earlier cars, the water pump can spring a leak so check the coolant level and look for coolant stains around the engine bay. A more serious problem is the curse of the leaking valley or heat transfer plate. You can expect labour hours to run into double figures.

Beware cheaper sealant fixes.

TRANSMISSION It’s a good idea to have the fluid level checked at the next service as some owners have reported a dip. Under full power and when changing up, listen for a squeak as the engine’s serpentine belt slips. Replacement of both it and its tensioner isn’t cheap.

❝

It was expensive, but buyers forgave it for its quality, technical spec and exclusivity ❞

STEERING, SUSPENSION Owners of earlier IS Fs report concerns with their cars’ ride quality. Autocar’s testers felt the F was softly sprung but not softly damped, so it felt harsh and pattered over all but the smoothest roads. At speed, over crests, it felt floaty, too. So if your chosen car feels like this, it’s meant to. The electric power steering feels remote but should be accurate and direct. It’s also very sensitive to wheel alignment.

BRAKES Autocar declared these to be excellent, but with 1720kg and 417bhp to control, they wear out quickly.

B O DY Look for signs of body repairs, especially at the rear.

INTERIOR Check the driver’s seat bolsters and ensure everything works, including the infotainment system.

Also worth knowing

Where an insurer has purchased genuine Lexus parts for accident repairs, a record of the sale is held by Lexus and available to view if you ask your dealer. It’s worth doing since new rear wheels, for example, could suggest repairs to the body following a spin.

How much to spend

£ 12 , 0 0 0 - £ 1 5 , 4 9 9 Choice of early, high-mileage cars, most with a full Lexus service history.

Includes a privately advertised 2009reg with 106,000 miles for £12,500. £ 1 5 , 5 0 0 - £ 17, 4 9 9 Lower-mileage 2008-reg cars with solid Lexus service histories. Still many privately advertised cars at this money, competing with dealer examples at similar prices. £ 17, 5 0 0 - £2 0 , 9 9 9 More desirable 2010 cars with limitedslip diff and upgraded infotainment. £2 1 , 0 0 0 - £22 , 5 0 0 Mainly 2011 to 2013 cars with the revised suspension settings. Includes an approved used 2013-reg with 69,000 miles for £22,500.

One we found

L E X U S I S F, 2 0 0 8 /5 8 - R E G , 7 9, 0 0 0 M I L E S , £ 1 4 , 9 9 5 Privately advertised IS F has full Lexus service history, including recent major service. It compares with £17,000 for a mint, private-sale 2008-reg with full Lexus service history and 59,000 miles.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 81

Thanks to Daniel McGreavy, technician (lexus.co.uk/centres/leeds), and lexusownersclub.co.uk

Solidly built cabin brims with kit, so check it all works

NEW CARS A Z P

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For full reviews of every car listed here, visit our website, autocar.co.uk ECONOMY EXPLAINED Between the various figures produced on the old-style NEDC, transitional NEDC Correlated and new-style WLTP laboratory emissions and fuel economy tests, it has become tricky to compare manufacturers’ claimed efficiency on the latest new cars. When you see a fuel economy and CO2 figure reference elsewhere, it’s often without explanation.

So, to provide as fair and clear a basis for comparison as possible, you’ll only ever read WLTP combined fuel economy and CO2 figures in Autocar’s first drive reviews, features and comparison tests – and on these data pages.

Those are the aggregated result of four lab tests carried out across as many different cruising speed ranges – although they’re sometimes expressed as a range rather than as one specific figure to show the different results recorded by the heaviest and lightest available examples of the car in question (depending on optional equipment). Not all car makers have published these figures yet, however.

In road tests, you’ll also see our own independently produced real-world fuel economy test results for comparison with the lab test claims. We produce an average, track and touring figure for each car we test, as often as possible on a brim-to-brim test basis.

While ‘average’ represents the overall economy returned by a new car over a full road test and ‘track’ is relevant only to intensive performance testing (the length and conditions of which can vary slightly), ‘touring’ gives the best guide of the kind of economy you might see from a car at a steady 70mph motorway cruise.

We do real-world efficiency and range testing on electric cars, too, expressing the former in terms of miles per kilowatt hour, as manufacturers do increasingly widely by convention.

CCCCC Inherently dangerous/unsafe. Tragically,

ABCCC AACCC AABCC AAACC AAABC AAAAC AAAAB AAAAA

2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio

(bh

187 503

p)

p To

e sp

143 191

ed

(m

ph

)

0-6

7.1 3.9

2 0/6

mp

h

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52.3 27.2

Stelvio 5dr SUV £37,215–£88,220

C

k (g/ O2

m)

TBC TBC

irredeemably flawed.

Appalling. Massively significant failings.

Very poor. Fails to meet any accepted class boundaries.

Poor. Within acceptable class boundaries in a few areas. Still not recommendable.

Off the pace. Below average in nearly all areas.

Acceptable. About average in key areas, but disappoints.

Competent. Above average in some areas, average in others. Outstanding in none.

Good. Competitive in key areas.

Very good. Very competitive in key areas, competitive in secondary respects.

Excellent. Near class-leading in key areas and in some ways outstanding.

Brilliant, unsurpassed. All but flawless.

Po

r we

(bh

p)

p To

e sp

ed

(m

ABARTH

)

0-6

2 0/6

mp

h

) m y nge n o /Ra

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C

k (g/ O2

m)

Po

207 197 276 503

134 134 143 197

6.6 7.2 5.7 3.8

42.8 30.1 30.4 24.6

ALPINA

B5 4dr saloon/5dr touring £89,840–£91,840 599

200-205 3.5-3.7 23.5

B7 4dr saloon £115,805

599

205

4.2

TBC

345

171

4.9

TBC

158

4.9

31.4

252 288

4.5 4.4

TBC TBC

272

TBC

TBC

328

TBC TBC

ARIEL

Atom 0dr open £39,950

AAAAB

Simple, purist concept remains but everything else has changed… for the better. LxWxH 3520x1880x1122 Kerb weight 595kg 2.0 turbo

320

162

2.8

NA

Nomad 0dr open £38,000 2.4 K24 i-VTEC

NA AAAAA

235

125

3.4

NA

NA

ASTON MARTIN

Vantage 2dr coupé £120,955-£165,050 503

195

3.5

11.6

DB11 2dr coupé/2dr open £147,955–£175,050 503 630

187 208

4.0 3.7

10.8 13.4

230 265

Effortlessly fast, intoxicating to drive: the big Aston is better than ever. LxWxH 4712x2146x1280 Kerb weight 1693kg 715

211

3.7

13.5

Rapide AMR 4dr saloon £194,950

285 AAAAC

The Rapide is one of the most elegant four-door sports cars in the world. LxWxH 5019x1929x1360 Kerb weight 1995kg 6.0 V12

599

205

4.2

13.8

Ec

) y e) km o m ang (g/ o n MPG/R CO 2 (

AAAAC

3.0 55 TFSI quattro

305

AU D I

A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £18,445–£31,285

335 335 282 282

155 155 155 155

5.6 5.7 5.9 5.9

28.0-29.7 27.7-28.8 37.7-40.9 37.7-38.7

216-228 223-232 182-196 190-197

AAAAB

A rounded, uber-luxurious addition to the premium EV niche.

LxWxH 4901x1935x1629 Kerb weight 2490kg 50 quattro 71kWh 55 quattro 95kWh

308 403

118 124

6.8 5.4

175 233

Q2 5dr SUV £22,750-£44,510

0 0 AAAAC

Audi’s smallest SUV is a decent stepping stone from the A3 to the

AAAAC Q range. LxWxH 4191x1794x1508 Kerb weight 1205kg Classy and demure estate lacks the dynamic sparkle of rivals.

1.0 30 TFSI 114 122 10.3 44.8-46.3 137-142 LxWxH 4725x1842x1434 Kerb weight 1370kg 1.5 35 TFSI 148 131 8.5 40.9-42.2 152-157 2.0 35 TFSI 148 136 8.9 39.2-39.8 160-164 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 141 6.5 33.2-34.9 184-192 2.0 40 TFSI 187 148 7.5 37.2-38.2 168-172 2.0 SQ2 TFSI 298 155 4.8 32.1-33.2 192-199 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 34.4-35.3 181-185 1.6 30 TDI 114 122 10.5 43.5-44.8 166-170 3.0 V6 TFSI RS4 Avant 448 155 4.1 29.1 219-220 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 8.1 44.1-46.3 160-168 2.0 30 TDI 132 131 9.8 49.6-54.3 137-150 2.0 35 TDI 148 132 9.2 45.6-47.1 157-163 Q3 5dr SUV £31,600-£60,875 AAABC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 143-144 7.6-7.9 43.5-44.1 167-171 Typically refined and competent but feels more like an A3 than an Audi SUV. LxWxH 4388x1831x1608 Kerb weight 1385kg 3.0 50 TDI Allroad quattro 282 155 5.3 38.2 194 3.0 S4 TDI quattro 342 155 4.9 39.2-40.4 186-187 1.5 35 TFSI 148 128-131 9.2-9.6 36.7-37.7 169-176 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 30.4-30.7 208-210 A5 2dr coupé £34,580-£87,390 AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.3 31.0 205-207 Refreshed coupé gets a sharper look and a refreshed interior. Still 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 28.8 223-231 mundane to drive. LxWxH 4673x1846x1371 Kerb weight 1390kg 2.0 35 TDI 148 128 9.2 44.1-44.8 165-167 2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.9 38.7-40.4 158-165 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 39.2-40.9 182-188 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.2 38.7-40.4 158-165 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 137 8.0 37.7 196-197 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 4.8 36.2-36.7 TBC AAABC 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 443 155 3.9 29.4-29.7 212-213 Q3 Sportback 5dr SUV £32,750-£62.025 2.0 40 TDI 187 150 7.7 48.7-52.3 142-151 A more sporting take on the compact SUV, with similarly stable 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 44.8-46.3 160-165 handling. LxWxH 4500x1856x1567 Kerb weight 1460kg 148 126 9.6 47.9–48.7 134–132 3.0 V6 S4 TDI quattro 345 155 4.8 40.4-40.9 180-183 1.5 35 TFSI 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 136 7.4 31.0 207 A5 Sportback 5dr coupé £34,580–£87,390 AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.5 37.7 171 Refined, good-looking four-door coupé is sadly short on charm and 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 28.5 224-231 finesse. LxWxH 4733x1843x1386 Kerb weight 1425kg 2.0 35 TDI 148 126 9.3 50.4–51.4 148–146 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 9.1 38.2-39.8 160-167 2.0 40 TDI 188 134 8.3 38.2 191-195 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.5 38.2-39.8 160-167 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.8 35.8-36.2 178-179 Q5 5dr SUV £41,735-£68,025 AAAAC 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 Quattro 448 155 3.9 28.8-29.4 215-216 Appealing combination of Audi allure, affordable SUV practicality 2.0 35 TDI 148 135 9.1 47.1-49.6 149-158 and attractiveness. LxWxH 4663x1893x1659 Kerb weight 1720kg 2.0 40 TDI 187 150 7.5 47.9-51.4 144-155 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 147 6.4 30.4-32.5 198-211 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.6 44.1-45.6 162-167 2.0 50 TFSI e quattro 249 148 6.1 128.4 49 3.0 S5 TDI quattro 345 155 4.9 39.8-40.4 183-186 2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 363 148 5.3 108.6 56 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 136 8.1 36.2-38.2 193-204 A5 Cabriolet 2dr open £38,510-£55,415 AAAAC 3.0 V6 TDI SQ5 quattro 342 155 5.1 32.8-34.8 216-224

trim is best. LxWxH 4673x1846x1383 Kerb weight 1600kg

2.0 40 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 2.0 40 TDI AAAAA 2.0 40 TDI quattro

DBS Superleggera 2dr coupé/open £231,680–247,500 AAAAA 5.2 V12

A4 Avant 5dr estate £32,500-£82,725

236

The stunning replacement for the already seductive DB9 is tyreshreddingly good. LxWxH 4739x2060x1279 Kerb weight 1875kg

4.0 V8 5.2 V12 AMR

155-159 160-164 177-180 135-143 144-148 144-150 181-182

AAAAB More practical than smaller options. Lower-powered, steel-sprung

The faster, cleverer, more hardcore entry-level Aston tops its class. LxWxH 4465x1942x1273 Kerb weight 1630kg 4.0 V8

h

E-tron 5dr SUV £59,900-£85,900

AAAAA 155 162

mp

40.4-40.9 39.2-39.8 35.8-36.2 51.4-54.3 49.6-51.4 49.6-51.4 40.4-40.9

A much, much greater car and achievement than the sum of its parts suggests. LxWxH 4180x1980x1252 Kerb weight 1080kg 1.8 Turbo 1.8 Turbo S

/62

8.6 7.3 5.6 9.5 8.9 7.4 4.8

ALPINE

A110 2dr coupé £47,810–£56,810

0 0-6

139 155 155 133 136 146 155

Pleasant BMW SUV impressively enhanced with the usual Alpina toolkit. LxWxH 4732x1897x2015 Kerb weight 2015kg 330

)

148 187 242 132 148 187 342

AAAAC

3.0 BiTurbo

ph

2.0 35 TFSI 2.0 40 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 3.0 30 TDI 2.0 35 TDI 2.0 40 TDI quattro AAAAC 3.0 S4 TDI TBC TBC TBC TBC

The excellent 5 Series receives some Alpina tweaking to make it a brilliant cruiser. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 1870kg

XD3 5dr SUV £57,900

(m

Technical tour de force benefits from Audi’s knack of making very good limousines. LxWxH 5172x1945x1473 Kerb weight 1920kg

AAAAC

3.0 BiTurbo

ed

40.4-41.5 153-157 38.7-39.8 161-165 33.2 192-193

A 7 Series with a power boost gives BMW a worthy challenger to the AMG S-Classes. LxWxH 5250x1902x1491 Kerb weight 2060kg

D5 S 4dr saloon £63,080

p To

e sp

8.9 7.2 5.2

AAAAC

4.4 V8 BiTurbo

p)

137 155 155

Is it the best alternative to an M5? Yes, at least from a practicality viewpoint. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 2015kg 4.4 V8 BiTurbo

(bh

148 187 298

Alfa’s first SUV is a solid effort. Choosing the petrol version gives it 3.0 55 TFSI quattro LWB charisma. LxWxH 4687x1903x1671 Kerb weight 1604kg A4 4dr saloon £31,100-£49,490 AAAAC 3.0 50 TDI quattro 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 130 7.6 45.6 TBC High quality and competent but leaves the dynamic finesse to its 3.0 50 TDI quattro LWB rivals. LxWxH 4726x1842x1427 Kerb weight 1320kg 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 Q4 AWD 187 130 7.6 43.5 TBC 2.2 Turbo Diesel 210 Q4 AWD 2.0 Turbo 200 Q4 AWD 2.0 Turbo 280 Q4 AWD 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio

r we

A8 4dr saloon £73,755-£106,450

LxWxH 4423x1793x1409 Kerb weight 1380kg

187 242 187 187

150 155 150 145

7.9 6.5 8.4 8.0

A6 4dr saloon £39,365-£77,635

36.7-37.2 34.0-34.4 45.6-46.3 42.8-43.5

173-174 186-187 161-164 171-172

2.0 45 TFSI quattro 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 2.0 40 TDI 2.0 40 TDI quattro 3.0 50 TDI quattro 3.0 S6 TDI quattro

242 335 201 201 282 344

155 155 152 153 155 155

6.0 5.1 8.1 7.6 5.5 5.0

A6 Avant 5dr estate £41,785-£109,240

Q7 5dr SUV £58,575-£120,640

33.6-34.0 30.1-30.7 47.1-48.7 44.8-46.3 38.7-39.2 35.8-36.2

188-192 209-212 153-158 161-164 188-191 203-206

AAAAC

AAAAC

Unengaging to drive and light on feel, but the cabin is both huge and classy. LxWxH 5052x1968x1740 Kerb weight 2060kg

3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 3.0 V6 45 TDI quattro 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro AAAAC 4.0 V8 SQ7 TDI

Supremely well-constructed but a bit soulless to drive. A smart office on wheels. LxWxH 4939x1886x1457 Kerb weight 1645kg

338 228 282 429

155 142 152 155

5.9 7.3 6.3 4.8

25.2-26.9 32.5-33.6 32.1-33.2 37.2

Q8 5dr SUV £77,230-£120,640

239-253 220-228 221-231 200

AAAAC

Striking and effective coupé-SUV range-topper leaves us wanting more. LxWxH 4986x1995x1705 Kerb weight 2145kg 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 4.0 V8 RS Q8 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 4.0 V8 SQ8 TDI

335 592 282 429

155 155 152 155

5.9 3.8 6.3 4.8

26.2-25.7 20.2-20.3 32.5-32.8 36.2

TT 2dr coupé £32,475–£65,310

246-249 315-318 225-228 235-240

AAAAC

A capable and high-tech throwback that’s a timely reminder of Still serves up plenty of pace, style and usability for the money. It’s what Audi does best. LxWxH 4939x1886x1467 Kerb weight 1710kg better to drive, too. LxWxH 4191x1966x1376 Kerb weight 1365kg

2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 AAABC 4.0 RS6 quattro 596 174 3.6 Quite pricey, but a rounded car with plenty of rational appeal.

2.0 40 TDI 201 149 8.3 LxWxH 4029x1746x1418 Kerb weight 1105kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 150 7.8 1.0 25 TFSI 94 118 10.8 48.7-49.6 128-131 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 1.0 30 TFSI 114 126 9.5 46.3-50.4 126-139 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 7.7 44.1-44.8 142-145 AAABC 2.0 40 TFSI 197 146 6.5 40.4 158 A7 Sportback 5dr coupé £49,075-£113,540

595 3dr hatch/2dr open £16,960–£27,760

ph

1.5 35 TFSI 2.0 40 TFSI quattro AAAAB 2.0 TFSI S3 quattro

Well inside the top 10 list of our favourite cars. A revelation and a riot to drive. LxWxH 3215x1850x1425 Kerb weight 670kg

S TA R R AT I N G S E X P L A I N E D

BCCCC ACCCC

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32.5-33.2 29.4-30.1 22.1-22.6 44.8-46.3 43.5-44.8 37.7-38.2 35.3-35.8

193-197 213-217 283-290 161-166 166-170 193-196 206-210

2.0 40 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 2.5 TT RS quattro

194 242 242 302 395

155 155 155 155 155

6.6 5.8-5.9 5.2 4.5 3.7

40.9 39.8 35.3 34.9-35.3 30.7-31.0

TT Roadster 2dr open £34,225-£67,060

155-156 161-162 181-182 182-183 207-209

AAAAC

Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with prestige and design-

AAABC icon style. LxWxH 4191x1966x1355 Kerb weight 1455kg The Fiat 500’s Abarth makeover makes it a true pocket rocket.

Easy on the eye and to live with, but let down by stolid dynamics. 2.0 40 TFSI 194 155 6.9 39.8 160-162 LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1070kg A3 Sportback 5dr hatch £22,715–£50,275 AAAAC LxWxH 4969x1908x1422 Kerb weight 1880kg 2.0 45 TFSI 242 155 6.0-6.1 38.7 165-166 1.4 T-jet 145 143 130 7.8 37.2-39.2 TBC All the above but with the added convenience of five doors and a 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 32.8-33.6 190-195 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.5 34.0-34.4 187-188 usefully larger boot. LxWxH 4313x1785x1426 Kerb weight 1180kg 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 1.4 T-jet 165 Turismo 162 135 7.3 35.3-38.2 TBC 335 155 5.3 29.7-30.1 214-215 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 302 155 4.8 34.0 187-188 1.4 T-jet 180 Competizione 177 140 6.9 36.2-36.7 TBC 1.0 30 TFSI 114 128 9.9 47.1-49.6 128-135 4.0 RS7 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-22.4 286-288 2.5 TT RS quattro 395 155 3.9 29.7-30.1 213-215 1.4 T-jet 180 Essesse 177 140 6.7 36.2-36.7 TBC 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 8.2 44.1-44.8 142-147 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.3 45.6-47.9 155-164 2.0 40 TFSI 187 152 6.8 37.7-38.2 167-169 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 155 7.0 44.1-45.6 162-169 R8 2dr coupé £114,480-£154,185 AAAAC 695 3dr hatch/2dr open £23,745–£29,970 AAABC 2.0 TFSI S3 quattro 298 155 4.7 34.4 186 3.0 45 TDI quattro 227 155 6.5 37.7-38.2 193-195 Usable but no less involving or dramatic for it. V10 is deliciously A convincing track-day 500 with decent dynamic ability, but overly 2.5 TFSI RS3 quattro 396 155 4.1 29.7 214 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 37.7-38.2 193-196 brutal. LxWxH 4426x1940x1240 Kerb weight 1590kg firm ride spoils it. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1045kg 1.6 30 TDI 114 126 10.4 51.4-54.3 138-143 3.0 TDI S7 quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3-35.8 205-208 5.2 V10 RWD 538 201 3.7 22.2 289 1.4 T-jet 180 Rivale 177 140 6.7 36.2-36.7 TBC 1.5 35 TDI 148 135 8.1 54.3-55.4 133-135 5.2 V10 FSI quattro 567 201 3.4 21.6 297 20 40 TDI quattro 181 143 6.8 44.1-44.8 165-167 5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610 205 3.1 21.4 299 A L FA R O M E O

Giulietta 5dr hatch £19,445–£26,185

AAACC

Long in the tooth but still seductive, shame it’s not rounded or lavish enough. LxWxH 4351x1798x1465 Kerb weight 1305kg 1.4 TB 120 1.6 JTDM-2 120 2.0 JTDM-2 170

A3 Saloon 4dr saloon £24,445-£51,275

AAAAC

Undercuts the case to own an A4. Upmarket interior and good to drive. LxWxH 4458x1796x1416 Kerb weight 1240kg

1.0 30 TFSI 114 131 9.9 46.3-48.7 132-139 1.5 35 TFSI 148 139 8.2 54.3-56.5 131-136 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 155 6.8 39.8-40.9 155-160 2.0 TFSI S3 quattro 298 155 4.7 34.4-34.9 184-186 Giulia 4dr saloon £33,065–£81,220 AAAAB 2.5 TFSI RS3 quattro 396 155 4.1 29.7-30.1 213-214 Handsome and special dynamically but lacks finesse and comes 1.6 30 TDI 114 131 10.4 51.4-54.3 137-143 as an auto only. LxWxH 4643x1860x1436 Kerb weight 1429kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 181 147 6.8 45.6 132 2.0 Turbo Petrol 200 197 146 6.6 36.2 TBC 2.0 Turbo Petrol 280 276 149 5.7 33.6 TBC A3 Cabriolet 2dr open £30,550-£43,680 AAAAC 2.2 Turbo Diesel 160 158 137 8.2 53.3 TBC Compact, affordable, usable and refined. Strong performance, too.

118 148 168

121 121 133

9.4 10.0 8.3

82 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

37.1-38.2 TBC 47.1-49.6 TBC 45.5-47.9 TBC

R8 Spyder 2dr open £123,170-£162,875

AAAAC

Taking the roof off the R8 enhances the drama tenfold.

LxWxH 4426x1940x1245 Kerb weight 1680kg 5.2 V10 RWD 538 5.2 V10 quattro 567 5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610

200 200 204

3.8 3.5 3.2

20.9 21.2 21.1

307 301 304

BAC

Mono 0dr open £165,125

AAAAB

An F-22 Raptor for the road, only significantly better built.

LxWxH 3952x1836x1110 Kerb weight 580kg 2.5 VVT

305

170

2.8

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3 Series Touring 5dr estate £32,765-£50,795

) y e km o m ang (g/ on G/R CO 2 Ec (MP )

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(g/ O2

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152 181 254 371 148 188 188 263 261

137 143 155 155 133 142 142 140 155

8.7 7.5 5.9 4.5 8.8 7.1-7.9 7.4 5.6 5.4

4 Series 2dr coupé £35,440-£71,130

1.2 PureTech 110 1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 100

152-157 154-159 139-146 191 143-144 115-121 121-124 161-163 142-146

AAAAB

34.9-37.2 31.0-33.6 24.7-28.5 46.3-50.4 43.5-45.6 40.9-42.2 38.7-39.2 39.2-40.4

171 185 225 151 158 173 183 183

4 Series Convertible 2dr open £41,130-£71,355

sDrive20i xDrive20i M35i sDrive18d xDrive18d xDrive20d

189 189 302 148 148 185

141 TBC 155 129 128 137

7.7 7.6 4.9 9.3-9.8 9.2 7.7

37.2-39.8 34.9-36.2 33.6-34.0 47.9-52.3 46.3-49.6 45.6-50.4

X3 5dr SUV £40,670-£77,500

154-159 164-169 187 132-137 143-148 146-151

130 143 155 132 143

9.4-9.6 7.7 4.7-4.9 8.8-9.0 7.5-7.6

107 127 96

ed

(m

ph

)

0-6

115 124 109

0/6

11.3 10.4 12.8

1.2 PureTech 110 1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 100 1.6 BlueHDi 120

107 128 96 118

117 120 114 125

1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 130 1.6 BlueHDi 160

126 126 158

125-128 10.8 130 11.3 130 9.2

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AAABC 51.5 47.3 62.7

124 135 118 AAABC

9.3-9.7 8.2 10.6-11.2 8.7

51.5 47.3 63.4 58.2

124 135 117 127

still the best. LxWxH 4942x2126x1498 Kerb weight 1630kg

AAABC 520i 530i 540i xDrive 33.6-36.2 177-181 520d 34.4-35.8 180-184 520d xDrive 31.4 204 530d 45.6-47.9 159-161 530d xDrive 45.6-48.7 160-162

181 248 335 187 187 261 261

139 155 155 147 144 155 155

8.2 6.5 5.1 7.8 7.9 5.8 5.6

34.9-38.2 34.0-36.7 28.2-30.4 44.1-47.9 42.2-46.3 40.9-43.5 37.7-41.5

competition. LxWxH 5151x2000x1805 Kerb weight 2395kg

164 165-170 194-199 139-140 148 160-164 170-179

6 Series Gran Turismo 5dr hatch £44,220-£59,425

xDrive40i M50i xDrive30d M50d

218i 220i 225xe 216d 218d 220d 220d xDrive

134 181 248 335 148 187 187

127 142 125 121 129 141 138

9.3 7.4 6.7 11.1 9.0-9.1 7.6 7.5

39.8-44.1 142-149 37.2-38.7 150-156 88.3-100.9 44 55.4-58.9 124-130 49.6-55.4 129-136 50.4-53.3 134-135 47.9-51.4 141-148

218i 220i 216d 218d 220d 220d xDrive

134 181 335 148 187 187

127 137 119 127 138 135

9.5-9.8 7.8 11.8 9.6 8.2 8.0

38.2-40.9 35.3-36.2 53.3-55.4 47.9-51.4 47.9-49.6 45.6-47.1

oddball, though. LxWxH 5007x1894x1392 Kerb weight 1720kg

630i 640i xDrive 620d 620d xDrive 630d 630d xDrive

254 335 198 198 261 261

155 155 137 135 155 155

6.3 5.3 7.9 8.0 6.1 6.0

32.1-34.9 26.9-29.1 42.8-46.3 40.4-44.8 40.4-43.5 37.2-40.9

183-191 204-215 159-167 165-175 170-177 181-190

155 155 155 155

6.1 4.7 7.0 5.4

93 99

7.3 6.9

i8 2dr coupé/roadster £115,105–£127,105 374

155

4.4-4.6

Z4 2dr coupé £37,425–£55,255

188 182

0 0

7 Series 4dr saloon £69,555–£139,110

750i xDrive M760Li xDrive 730d 730d xDrive 740d xDrive

527 583 261 261 315

155 155 155 155 155

4.0 3.8 6.1 5.8 5.2

25.7-26.9 20.8-21.6 41.5-43.5 39.2-40.9 37.7-39.8

243-245 306 166-172 177-183 178-185

8 Series 2dr coupé/2dr open £72,155-£130,425

AAAAC

X1 5dr SUV £28,825–£40,000

AAAAC

1.2 PureTech 110 1.5 BlueHDI 100 1.5 BlueHDI 130

European rivals. LxWxH 5050x1863x1447 Kerb weight 1850kg 199

3.7

144 161 50 129 157 AAAAB

109 109 116

11.5 12.3 10.3

37.5-42.4 147 55.6 133 54.2 137

CUPRA

AAABC

First model from Seat’s stand-alone performance brand has decent pace and precision. LxWxH 4376x1841x1615 Kerb weight 1615kg 2.0 TSI 300

296

153

5.2

32.5

197

DACIA

Sandero 5dr hatch £6985–£10,085

AAACC

A clever budget prospect but its limitations are unavoidable, even after a smart facelift. LxWxH 4069x1733x1519 Kerb weight 969kg 1.0 SCe 75 0.9 TCe 90 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

71 87 99

98 109 114

14.2 11.1 11.1

51.4 129 47.1-47.9 140-141 53.3 124

Sandero Stepway 5dr hatch £9225-£11,725

AAABC

A more expensive and slightly more rugged cheap car – but still limited. LxWxH 4089x1761x1555 Kerb weight 1040kg 1.0 SCe 75 0.9 TCe 90 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

73 87 99

98 104 114

15.1 11.1 11.1

48.7 136 47.1-47.9 140-141 46.3 137

Logan MCV 5dr estate £8485-£13,105

AAACC

Lacks its stablemates’ charms but retains their cheapness.

LxWxH 4501x1733x1552 Kerb weight 980kg 1.0 SCe 75 0.9 TCe 90 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

71 87 99

98 109 114

14.7 11.1 11.6

48.7 136 47.1-47.9 140-141 46.2 129

Duster 5dr SUV £11,025-£19,105

TBC

TBC

Escalade 5dr SUV £93,260

AAABC

A value champion. If cheap family transport is what you require, the Duster delivers. LxWxH 4315x2000x1625 Kerb weight 1147kg 99 128 148 99 111 111

105 118 121 108 111 108

12.5 11.1 10.6 TBC 10.5 12.1

46.3 42.8 TBC 44.1 57.7 51.4

138 149 162 150 128 145

DS

3 Crossback 5dr SUV £22,120-£39,490

AAABC

First foray into compact SUVs comfortably competes with more established rivals. LxWxH 4118x1802x1534 Kerb weight 1205kg

1.2 PureTech 100 1.2 PureTech 130 1.2 PureTech 155 CTS-V 4dr saloon £85,428 AAAAC 1.5 BlueHDI 100 Eat your heart out, Germany – but lacks handling finesse of its 50kWh E-Tense 640

108 101 128

Ateca 5dr hatch £38,105

CAD I LL AC

6.2 V8 RWD

44.2 39.6 166.2 57.3 47.3

Boxy, slightly quirky and immensely practical van-based car returns to top form. LxWxH 4403x1921x1849 Kerb weight 1398kg

1.0 TCe 100 4x2 AAAAC 1.3 TCe 130 4x2 1.3 TCe 150 4x4 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 128.4 49 1.5 dCi 115 4x2 1.5 dCi 115 4x4 AAAAC

Better to drive than ever, but makes a better open-top cruiser than AAAAC a true sports car. LxWxH 4689x1942x1293 Kerb weight 1485kg Rules on in-car entertainment and diesel sophistication; otherwise sDrive20i 195 155 6.6 38.7-39.8 161-162 2 Series Gran Tourer 5dr MPV £27,460–£37,740 AAAAB too bland. LxWxH 5098x1902x1478 Kerb weight 1755kg sDrive30i 255 155 5.4 37.7-38.7 166-167 Brings a proper premium MPV to the table. Third row seats aren’t 740i 338 155 5.5 31.7-34.0 189-199 M40i 338 155 4.6 33.2 192-193 adult-sized, though. LxWxH 4556x1800x1608 Kerb weight 1475kg 745e 283 155 5.1-5.2 104.6-141.2 46 150-151 157-163 131-137 137-142 142-148 150-154

10.5 8.2 TBC 10.4 8.6

Berlingo 5dr MPV £20,495-£27,305

If BMW’s plug-in hybrid is what the future of the sports car looks like, we welcome it. LxWxH 4689x1942x1293 Kerb weight 1485kg 1.5 eDrive

117 134 140 117 131

249-250 Logan MCV Stepway 5dr estate £12,425-£14,685 AAACC 290 Given a rugged makeover but still lacks charm. Extremely 219-220 practical, though. LxWxH 4528x1761x1559 Kerb weight 1090kg 235 0.9 TCe 90 87 106 12.4 45.6 138-139 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 99 114 11.6 46.2 129 AAAAB 1.5 dCi 95 93 111 13.0 61.4 123

Our favourite high-end small car happens to be an EV, and it could change motoring. LxWxH 3999x1775x1578 Kerb weight 1245kg 167 180

129 178 223 129 174

24.6-24.8 21.6-21.9 32.8-33.6 31.0-31.4

i3 5dr hatch £35,350–£37,840

AAABC 120Ah 2 Series Active Tourer 5dr hatch £25,595–£37,550 AAAAC A large improvement on the 5GT and dynamically sound. Still an 120Ah S

BMW’s FWD hatch is a proper contender but not as practical as some of its rivals. LxWxH 4342x1800x1555 Kerb weight 1360kg

338 523 262 398

AAABC

Smooth-riding SUV has an easy-going nature, but not the most dynamic. LxWxH 4500x1859x1670 Kerb weight 1530kg

AAAAC 1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 PureTech 180 1.6 PureTech 225 PHEV 1.5 BlueHDI 130 1.5 BlueHDI 180

Essentially a prettier 3 Series. Good, but not better than the regular saloon. LxWxH 4640x1825x1404 Kerb weight 1520kg

46.9 136 58.6-60.1 123-126 47.0 158

C5 Aircross 5dr SUV £24,465-£36,805

Continues where the last one left off. Dynamically good and more

Downsized X6 is respectable enough if not loveable, but the X3 is a

4 Series Gran Coupé 4dr coupé £35,390-£50,030

Better than its 1 Series forebear but lacks truly distinguishing premium qualities. LxWxH 4432x1774x1413 Kerb weight 1440kg 134 181 335 148 187

pe

Interesting and novel to look at but flawed to drive.

LxWxH 4157x1729x1480 Kerb weight 965kg

AAAAC better option. LxWxH 4671x1881x1624 Kerb weight 1735kg M40i 336 155 4.9 25.9-26.9 209 X4M Competiton 503 155 4.1 26.7 259 4.0 V8 542 171 4.5 21.7 302 420i 181 146 7.5-7.7 34.9-37.1 172-173 xDrive20d 187 131 8.0 39.2-41.5 161-165 6.0 W12 Speed 626 190 3.9 19.2 335 420i xDrive 181 144 7.8-8.1 33.2-25.8 182-183 xDrive30d 254 145 5.8 36.7-40.9 180-184 430i 248 155 5.9 34.4-37.2 174 M40d 322 155 4.9 35.3-27.2 184 BMW 440i 321 155 5.1 30.7-31.7 188 1 Series 5dr hatch £24,460–£36,745 AAAAB 420d 187 146 7.4-7.6 46.3-51.4 151-152 X5 5dr SUV £58,055-£110,600 AAAAC May not drive like a traditional BMW but delivers on upmarket hatch 420d xDrive 187 144 7.5 43.5-46.3 160 More capable, convenient, refined and classy SUV that’s a more values. LxWxH 4319x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1365kg satisfying drive. LxWxH 4922x2004x1745 Kerb weight 2110kg 430d 254 155 5.6 40.9-41.5 174 118i 138 132 8.5 40.9-45.6 135-139 430d xDrive 254 155 5.3 38.2-39.2 185 xDrive40i 335 155 5.5 25.0-27.2 228-241 M135i xDrive 302 155 4.8 34.4-35.8 176 435d xDrive 308 155 4.8 39.2-39.8 183 xDrive45e 282 TBC 5.6 188.3-235.4 31 116d 114 TBC 10.1-10.3 54.3-61.4 119-123 M50i 523 155 4.3 22.6-23.2 276 AAAAB X5M Competition 118d 148 134 8.4-8.5 54.3-57.6 123-126 5 Series 4dr saloon £37,950–£98,090 623 155 3.8 22.1 292 120d 187 144 7.3 55.4-57.6 129-133 The perfect compromise between the comfy E-Class and dynamic xDrive30d 261 130 6.8 34.0-37.7 198-210 120d xDrive 187 TBC 7.0 48.7-58.3 139-142 XF, and then some. LxWxH 4936x2126x1479 Kerb weight 1530kg M50d 395 155 5.3 32.5-33.6 222-229 520i 181 146 7.8 38.2-40.4 153 2 Series 2dr coupé £26,075-£75,310 AAAAB 530i 248 155 6.2 35.8-38.2 154-161 X6 5dr SUV £59,755–£113,300 AAABC A proper compact coupé now. Could be better equipped, however. 530e 248 146 6.1-6.2 117.7-128.4 32-43 The world’s first off-road coupé, but appearances make it difficult LxWxH 4432x1774x1418 Kerb weight 1420kg 540i xDrive 335 155 4.8 29.4-31.4 184-192 to love. LxWxH 4909x1989x1702 Kerb weight 2065kg 218i 134 130 8.8-8.9 35.8-38.2 168-172 M5 Competition 616 155 3.3 23.5-24.1 251 xDrive40i 338 155 5.5 26.4-28.5 225-230 220i 181 143 7.2 36.2-38.2 170-174 520d 187 147 7.5 44.1-52.3 131 M50i 523 155 4.3 23.0-23.5 272 M240i 335 155 4.6-4.8 32.5 197 520d xDrive 187 144 7.6 43.5-48.7 141 X6M Competition 623 155 3.8 22.4 287 M2 Competition 404 155 4.2-4.4 28.2-29.1 226 530d 261 155 5.7 43.5-45.6 152-158 xDrive30d 254 143 6.7 32.5-33.6 196-201 M2 CS 448 174 4.0 28.5 226 530d xDrive 261 155 5.4 39.2-41.5 168-174 M50d 375 155 5.2 29.4-30.1 216 218d 148 132 8.3-8.5 47.9-52.3 149-153 220d 187 143 7.1-7.2 47.1-50.4 153-156 5 Series Touring 5dr estate £40,200-£56,315 AAAAB X7 5dr SUV £72,305–£91,840 AAAAC 220d xDrive 187 140 7.0 43.5-46.3 163-166 The excellent 5 Series made in more practical form. The 520d is BMW’s largest SUV yet crowns the line-up, but faces strong AAAAB

Crewe’s first attempt at a luxury SUV is a solid effort. The Diesel is wondrous. LxWxH 5140x1998x1742 Kerb weight 2505kg

218i 220i M240i 218d 220d

T

s op

C4 Cactus 5dr hatchback £21,750-£35,290

AAAAC luxurious inside. LxWxH 4708x1891x1676 Kerb weight 1750kg New from the ground up, with the looks and technology of a class A talented gran tourer with the ability to remove the roof. What’s xDrive20i 181 134 8.3 29.4-31.4 179-181 winner. LxWxH 5316x1879x1483 Kerb weight 2437kg not to like? LxWxH 4640x1825x1384 Kerb weight 1700kg xDrive30e 288 130 6.1 134.5 51-54 6.0 W12 632 207 3.8 19.1 337 420i 181 146 8.2-8.4 34.0-35.8 181-183 M40i 355 155 4.8 25.7-26.6 209 430i 248 155 6.3-6.4 32.8-35.3 183 X3M Competition 503 155 4.1 26.9 261 Mulsanne 4dr saloon £240,880-£301,960 AAAAC 440i 321 155 5.4 29.7-30.4 194 xDrive20d 187 132 8.0 39.2-41.5 154-156 If the Rolls Phantom is best from the back seat, the Mulsanne is M4 Competition 444 155 4.3-4.5 26.9-28.0 229 xDrive30d 261 149 5.8 36.7-38.7 181-183 best in the front. LxWxH 5575x1926x1521 Kerb weight 2685kg 420d 187 146 8.1-8.2 44.1-46.3 160 M40d 321 155 4.9 35.3-36.7 187 6.75 V8 505 184 5.1-5.3 17.4 365 430d 254 155 5.9 39.2-39.8 180 6.75 V8 Speed 530 190 4.9 17.4 365 435d xDrive 308 155 5.2 37.7-38.2 189 X4 5dr SUV £44,215-£80,420 AAABC

2 Series Convertible 2dr open £29,600-43,900

)

Funky-looking C3 gets a jacked-up, rugged SUV look.

LxWxH 4155x1765x1637 Kerb weight 1088kg

AAAAC

AAAAC LxWxH 4640x1825x1377 Kerb weight 1475kg Refined and improved in every area, making the Conti a superb 420i 181 146 7.3-7.5 grand tourer. LxWxH 4850x1966x1405 Kerb weight 2244kg 420i xDrive 181 144 7.6-7.8 4.0 V8 542 198 3.9 23.9 268 430i 248 155 5.8-5.9 6.0 W12 626 207 3.6 20.8 308 440i 321 155 5.0-5.2 M4 Competition 444 155 4.0-4.2 Continental GTC 2dr open £167,055-£216,195 AAAAB 420d 187 146 7.2-7.4 Immensely capable and refined open-top cruiser with effortless 420d xDrive 187 144 7.3 performance. LxWxH 4850x2187x1399 Kerb weight 2414kg 430d 254 155 5.5 4.0 V8 542 198 4.0 23.3 275 430d xDrive 254 155 5.2 6.0 W12 626 207 3.7 20.2 317 435d xDrive 308 155 4.7

Bentayga 5dr SUV £141,780-£187,980

hp

A talented GT and a brilliant B-road steer that is very well-equipped. X2 5dr SUV £29,755–£44,550 AAAAC Proves crossovers aren’t always worse than the hatchbacks on Grand C4 Spacetourer 5dr MPV £26,385-£35,290 AAAAC 35.3-37.7 169-171 which they’re based. LxWxH 4360x1824x1526 Kerb weight 1460kg Alternative MPV offers something fresh, comfy, spacious and 33.6-36.2 178-180 sDrive18i 138 127 9.6 39.8-43.5 148-153 quietly upmarket. LxWxH 4602x1826x1638 Kerb weight 1297kg

BENTLEY

Continental GT 2dr coupé £162,165-173,385

Flying Spur 4dr saloon £170,480-£207,780

40.9-42.2 40.4-41.5 39.2-40.4 33.6 51.4 49.6-50.4 47.9-51.4 45.6 42.8-43.5

r (b

C3 Aircross 5dr hatchback £18,525-£22,400

AAAAB

Towering everyday appeal. Arguably the best all-rounder sensible money can buy. LxWxH 4620x1811x1430 Kerb weight 1565kg 318i 320i 330i M340i xDrive 318d 320d 320d xDrive 330d 330d xDrive

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98 128 153 98 132

112 124 129 112 93

10.9 9.2 8.2 11.4 8.7

7 Crossback 5dr SUV £31,155-£56,075

46.0-52.0 42.2-47.1 41.7-45.7 54.4-62.7 191-206

113 117 128 102 0

AAABC

DS’s first premium SUV certainly has the right price tag, equipment

AACCC and appeal. LxWxH 4570x1895x1620 Kerb weight 1420kg 3 Series 4dr saloon £30,945-£48,870 AAAAA Has dynamism to spare, but not quite the breadth of ability of the Cadillac’s luxury SUV remains too large and ungainly for the UK. 1.2 PureTech 130 129 122 10.2 42.2-48.0 138 best sporting GTs. LxWxH 4843x1902x1341 Kerb weight 1830kg LxWxH 5179x2061x1896 Kerb weight 2635kg Latest 3 Series has a growth spurt, but size is no obstacle for an 1.6 PureTech 180 178 137 8.9 35.2-38.5 152 engaging drive. LxWxH 4709x1827x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg 840i 335 155 5.0 33.2-33.6 190-193 6.2 V8 AWD 420 112 6.7-6.9 TBC TBC 1.6 PureTech 225 EAT8 218 141 8.3 33.6-36.5 157 318i 152 138 8.4 44.1-42.8 145-149 M850i xDrive 523 155 3.7 26.2-26.9 255-260 1.5 BlueHDi 130 TBC 121 11.7 49.3-55.3 134-141 C AT E R H A M 320i 181 146 7.1 41.5-43.5 124-127 M8 Competition 623 155 3.2-3.3 25.2-25.4 252-254 2.0 BlueHDi 180 EAT8 171 134 9.9 42.7 154 320i xDrive 181 142 7.6 41.5 155 840d xDrive 316 155 4.9 39.2-40.4 183-184 Seven 2dr open £26,490–£53,885 AAAAB FERRARI 330i 254 155 5.8 38.2-41.5 134-139 The 360 is the sweet spot in the revised range, giving the Seven 330e 288 155 5.9 188.3-201.8 37-38 8 Series Gran Coupé 4dr saloon £70,080-£120,925 AAAAC just the right hit of performance. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 490kg Portofino 2dr open £164,480 AAAAC M340i xDrive 369 155 4.4 34.0-34.9 185 Four-door grand tourer offers greater practicality than its two-door 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 270 135 122 5.0 NA NA The entry-level Ferrari has the power, the looks and the touring ability. LxWxH 4586x1938x1318 Kerb weight 1664kg 318d 148 132 8.3-8.4 52.3-55.4 109-116 siblings. LxWxH 5072x1932x1397 Kerb weight 1800kg 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 310 152 127 4.9 NA NA 320d 187 146 6.8-7.1 49.6-56.5 110-118 840i 335 155 5.2 31.7-33.2 194 2.0 Duratec 360 180 130 4.8 NA NA 3.9T V8 591 199 3.5 14.7-28.0 230-436 320d xDrive 187 144 6.9 47.1-49.6 119-121 M850i xDrive 523 155 3.9 24.4-24.6 260 2.0 Duratec 420 210 136 3.8 NA NA 330d 263 155 5.5 44.1-47.9 133-138 M8 Competition 623 155 3.2 25.4 254 2.0 Supercharged 620S 310 145 3.4 NA NA 488 2dr coupé/open £197,418–£278,850 AAAAA 330d xDrive 263 155 5.1 42.2-47.1 136-140 840d xDrive 316 155 5.1 38.2-39.2 187 2.0 Supercharged 620R 310 155 2.79 NA NA Calm ride mixed with explosive performance.

Pick of the premium bunch but a tad unrefined and has ordinary handling. LxWxH 4439x1821x1598 Kerb weight 1395kg sDrive18i sDrive20i xDrive20i xDrive25e sDrive18d xDrive18d xDrive20d

138 189 189 218 148 148 187

127 138 TBC 120 126 126 136

9.7 7.4 7.7 6.9 9.3-9.4 9.3-9.4 7.8

39.2-40.9 149-156 36.7-38.2 156-157 34.4-35.8 166-167 134.5-148.7 50-51 47.9-49.6 133 46.3-47.9 144-145 45.6-47.9 148

LxWxH 4568x1952x1213 Kerb weight 1475kg

CITROEN

3.9T V8 GTB AAABC 3.9T V8 Pista Slightly cheaper than its Toyota sibling but less visually charming. 3.9T V8 Pista Spider

C1 3dr hatch/5dr hatch £10,555-£14,525

LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 855kg 1.0 VTI 72

71

99

12.6

58.9

109

C3 5dr hatchback £16,230-£20,395

650 710 710

F8 Tributo 2dr coupé £203,476

203-205 3.0 212 2.85 211 2.85

13.5-25.9 247-478 15-26.2 245-430 15-26.2 245-430 AAAAA

The last hurrah for the pure internal combustion V8-powered

AAABC mid-engined Ferrari. LxWxH 4611x1979x1206 Kerb weight 1435kg Funky, fresh look gives a lease of life, shame that underneath isn’t 3.9T V8 Tributo 710 211 2.9 21.9 292

the same. LxWxH 3996x1749x1474 Kerb weight 976kg 1.2 PureTech 82 1.2 PureTech 110 1.6 BlueHDi 100

79 107 96

107 117 115

12.8 9.3 10.6

51.3 52.2 67.0

125 122 111

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 83

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2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

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35.8-48.7 170-171 31.7-46.3 181

Galaxy 5dr MPV £33,200-£39,060

AAABC

Huge seven-seat MPV. Easy to place on the road but not cheap to buy. LxWxH 4848x1916x1747 Kerb weight 1708kg 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

148 188 188

122-123 10.9 129-131 9.6-9.8 128 10.6

33.6-52.3 162-164 35.8-52.3 172 31.7-44.8 186

Ecosport 5dr SUV £18,680-£22,495

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1.4 T-GDI 140 138 2.0 T-GDI 275 N Performance 272

1.0 T-GDi 120 1.4 T-GDi 140 1.6 CRDi 115 1.6 CRDi 136

118 138 113 134

Kona 5dr hatch £17,535-£32,220

3.5 3.4

812 Superfast 2dr open £260,963

AAAAB 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 111 11.0-11.6 34.4-44.1 135-136 1.0T Ecoboost 140 138 115 10.2 39.8-43.5 136 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 100 99 105 13.6 48.7-56.5 128-130 13.5-25.2 253-477 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 125 123 113 10.7 53.3 139 9.9-21.0 308-648 Puma 5dr SUV £20,595-£27,395 AAAAC AAAAA Compact crossover finally has a class leader capable of appealing

More powerful than the F12, but with better road manners making it the star of the range. LxWxH 4657x1971x1276 Kerb weight 1630kg 211

2.9

99 104

123 123 153

119 119 124

10.0 9.8 8.9

49.6 132-133 52.3 125-126 47.1-51.4 126-135

Mustang 2dr coupé/open £39,385-£49.035 AAAAC AAABC American muscle built for the UK, in coupé and convertible forms.

F I AT

Super-desirable, super-cute city car. Pleasant, if not involving to drive. LxWxH 3571x1627x1488 Kerb weight 865kg 68 69

to petrolheads. LxWxH 4620x1883x1666 Kerb weight 1280kg

1.0T Ecoboost 125 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 125 11.2-20.0 320-572 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 155

500 3dr hatch/2dr open £12,555-£19,355 1.2 69hp 1.0 Mild Hybrid

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9.2 6.1

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49.6-52.3 141-151 34.0 188 AAABC

117 126-129 117 123

11.4 9.2-9.5 11.3 10.9

47.9-49.6 44.8-46.3 58.9-60.1 56.5-57.6

130-139 142-143 123-124 126-127

AAACC

3.9T V8 6.3 V12

777

T

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Another solid car. Good value and practical but lacks excitement.

LxWxH 4585x1795x1465 Kerb weight 1245kg

1.6 Hybrid 141 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid 141 Electric

6.5 V12

)

i30 Tourer 5dr estate £17,845–£26,345

Another four-wheel-drive grand tourer Ferrari that is more usable than the FF. LxWxH 4922x1980x1383 Kerb weight 1865kg 198 208

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2.0 20d 180 AWD 2.0 25d 240 AWD 3.0 V6 30d 300 AWD

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177 236 295

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36.8-40.0 177 35.4-38.5 182 34.2-36.6 196

I-Pace 5dr SUV £64,495–£74,995

AAAAB

Fast, refined and the first of its kind from a European manufacturer. LxWxH 4682x1895x1558 Kerb weight 2133kg EV400

398

124

4.5

258-292 0

JEEP

Compass 5dr SUV £25,890-£36,135

AAACC

Facelifted version of the pumped-up Fiesta is okay, but developing- Ioniq 5dr hatch £22,835-£34,950 AAABC Wants to be a catch-all crossover, but is beaten by more roadworld roots show. LxWxH 4096x1765x1653 Kerb weight 1280kg focused rivals. LxWxH 4394x2033x1629 Kerb weight 1430kg First attempt at electrification for the masses is a good effort.

LxWxH 4470x1820x1450 Kerb weight 1370kg 1.0T Ecoboost 100 98 105 11.9 39.8-44.1 133 1.4 Multiair II 140 138 119 9.9 37.7 TBC

GTC4 Lusso 2dr coupé £198,165–£238,402 592 670

r (b

12.9 13.8

44.1 53.3

119 TBC

What’s not to like? LxWxH 4784x1916x1381 Kerb weight 1653kg

2.3 Ecoboost 5.0 V8 5.0 V8 Bullitt

286 444 453

145 155 163

5.8 4.8 4.6

30.1-31.7 202-207 23.2-25.7 269-275 23.9 270

139 139 118

115 110 103

10.8-11.1 61.4-62.8 103 10.6 247.8 26 10.2 193 0 AAAAC

Hyundai’s first crossover is the perfect blend of practicality, value and style. LxWxH 4165x1800x1550 Kerb weight 1233kg 1.0 T-GDi 120 2WD 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 4WD 1.6 GDi Hybrid 2WD Electric 39kWh Electric 64kWh

118 175 134 134 201

112 127 119 96 104

12.0 7.9 10.2 9.6 7.6

Nexo 5dr SUV £69,495

44.1-44.8 34.0-33.6 52.3 180 280

146-147 147 122-123 0 0

1.4 Multiair II 170 4WD 1.6d MultiJet II 120 2.0d MultiJet II 140 4WD 2.0d MultiJet II 170 4WD

167 118 138 167

124 115 118 122

9.5 11.0 10.1 9.5

32.5 47.9 42.8 38.2

Renegade 5dr SUV £19,535-£31,645

TBC TBC TBC TBC AAABC

Middling compact crossover with chunky looks but no obvious charm. LxWxH 4236x1805x1667 Kerb weight 1346kg 1.0 GSE T3 120 1.3 GSE T4 150 1.6d MultiJet II 120 2.0d MultiJet II 140 4WD 2.0d MultiJet II 170 4WD

118 148 118 138 167

115 122 111 113 122

11.2 9.4 10.2 9.5-10.2 8.9

38.2 38.2-39.8 45.6-48.7 37.7-40.4 35.8

151 151 TBC TBC 196

AAABC

Impressive effort that heads in the right direction for fuel cell cars. Grand Cherokee 5dr SUV £51,135-£87,864 AAABC LxWxH 4670x2060x1640 Kerb weight 1814kg The best Jeep on sale by some margin. Comfortable and wellequipped. LxWxH 4828x1943x1792 Kerb weight 2266kg 95kW fuel cell 161 130 9.6 42mpkg 0

3.0 MultiJet 250 4WD 247 126 8.2 TBC TBC Tucson 5dr SUV £22,625-£35,865 AAABC 6.2 V8 Hemi Trackhawk 710 180 3.7 TBC TBC AAAAC Classy, roomy cabin and predictable handling. A very competitive A costly option but has some style to fill out some of its missing The GT is back as a race car for the road. Compelling if not perfect. SUV. LxWxH 4475x1850x1650 Kerb weight 1379kg Wrangler 2dr/4dr SUV £40,480-£49,980 AAAAC substance. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC LxWxH 4808x1928x1692 Kerb weight 1912kg 1.6 GDi 132PS 130 113 11.5 35.3 183-185 Heavy-duty off-roader goes anywhere, but lacks on-road manners.

1.4 95hp 93 103-111 12.8-13.2 34.0-34.9 168 3.5 V6 Ecoboost 650 216 3.0 TBC TBC 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 175 125-126 8.9-9.2 34.9-36.2 183-185 LxWxH 4223x1873x1840 Kerb weight 1827kg 1.6 CRDi 115PS 113 109 13.7 48.7-49.6 143-145 2.0 GME 265 110 7.3-7.6 25.4-26.4 249-256 500X 5dr hatch £18,640–£24,840 AAABC Ranger 4dr pick-up £25,924-£48,784 AAAAC 1.6 CRDi 136PS 134 114-116 10.6-12.0 45.6-47.1 146-151 2.2d MultiJet II 200 4WD 197 114 9.5 28.8-30.4 234 Familiar styling works rather well as a crossover. Drives okay, too. Capable pick-up becomes off-road monster in Raptor spec, but 2.0 CRDi 185PS 182 125 9.5 40.9 180-182

500L 5dr MPV £19,520

AAACC

LxWxH 4248x1796x1600 Kerb weight TBC 1.0 Firefly Turbo 120hp 1.3 Firefly Turbo 150hp

118 148

117 124

10.9 9.1

loses VAT incentives. LxWxH 5277x1977x1703 Kerb weight 1866kg

41.5 40.9

Panda 5dr hatch £10,085–£16,585

2.0 EcoBlue 130 2.0 EcoBlue 170 2.0 EcoBlue 213 AAABC 3.2 Duratorq TDCI 200 TBC 139

Hasn’t kept pace with its rivals, but sells robust, practical charm better than most. LxWxH 3653x1643x1551 Kerb weight 940kg 1.2 69hp 0.9 Twinair 85 1.0 Mild Hybrid

68 83 69

96-102 14.2-14.5 44.8 103-110 11.2-12.1 37.2 96 14.7 50.4

TBC TBC 127 AAABC

A ’90s reboot that has been on a diet. Decent to drive and ample interior space. LxWxH 4368x1792x1495 Kerb weight 1195kg 93 118 118

115 124 124

12.1 36.2-36.7 TBC 9.6 36.7 TBC 9.8-10.2 48.7-51.4 TBC

Tipo Station Wagon 5dr estate £15,970–£21,295

AAABC

Estate version is more practical, which mixes well with its driving characteristics. LxWxH 4571x1792x1514 Kerb weight 1205kg 1.4 95 1.4 T-Jet 120 1.6 Multijet II 120 FO

93 118 118

115 124 124

12.3 36.2 TBC 9.8 34.4-36.7 TBC 10.1-10.4 48.7-50.4 TBC

FORD

Fiesta 3dr/5dr hatch £16,125-£26,285

128 158 210 197

106 109 106 109

13.5 11.8 10.5 10.6

42.8 40.4-43.5 30.7 32.1-36.2

173 184-207 201-233 221-231

G I N E T TA

AAABC

A balanced, affordable and fine-looking track-day car. Some of the finish isn’t quite up to snuff. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 840kg 135

125

TBC

NA

NA

136 154

90 90

9.0 8.3

137 131

0 0

Jazz 5dr hatch £14,790–£18,400

1.0T Ecoboost 100 1.0T Ecoboost 125 1.5T Ecoboost 150 1.5T Ecoboost 182 2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 1.5 EcoBlue 95 1.5 EcoBlue 120 2.0 EcoBlue 150 2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST

99 123 148 180 276 94 118 148 188

116 119-124 127-130 137-138 155 114 117-122 127-130 137

12.1 10-11.7 8.8-9.7 8.3-8.4 5.7 11.4 10.0-10.8 8.5-9.3 7.6

Focus Estate 5dr estate £21,855-£33,685

44.1-50.4 37.7-49.6 38.2-46.3 38.7-44.1 34.3 56.5-64.2 49.6-62.8 44.1-57.6 50.4

120 130-142 133-137 139-140 179 118 119-127 125-129 187

99 123 148 180 276 94 118 148 188

114 120-123 129 137 155 112 118-120 127-129 137

12.5 10.3-10.6 9.0 8.5 5.8 11.8 10.3-11.1 8.7-9.3 7.7

Mondeo 5dr hatch/4dr saloon £24,440-£32,250

53.3 51.4 48.7 46.3-48.7 34.4 62.8 62.8 60.1 50.4

122 128-134 133-136 133-140 187 120 120-126 125-130 187

AAAAC

Does what great Fords do, by over-delivering on practicality, handling and value. LxWxH 4871x1852x1482 Kerb weight 1455kg 1.5 Ecoboost 165 2.0 TiVCT hybrid 187 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

165 184 148 188 188

138 116 131-133 138 137

9.2 9.2 10.7-10.9 8.9 9.1

Mondeo Estate 5dr estate £25,930-£33,130

128 180 120

116-119 10.2-11.4 42.2 148-153 134 7.8 47.1-47.9 151 119 10.0 54.3-56.5 132-136

CR-V 5dr SUV £27,250-£38,640

AAAAC

Tardis-like SUV stalwart has lots of space for five and a big boot.

LxWxH 4605x1820x1685 Kerb weight 1515kg

1.5 i-VTEC 1.5 i-VTEC AWD AAABC 2.0 i-MMD hybrid

Almost as good to drive as the hatch, but a Skoda Octavia will carry more. LxWxH 4669x1825x1481 Kerb weight 1485kg 1.0T Ecoboost 100 1.0T Ecoboost 125 1.5T Ecoboost 150 1.5T Ecoboost 182 2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 1.5 EcoBlue 95 1.5 EcoBlue 120 1.5 EcoBlue 150 2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST

Cleverly packaged and comfortable. Bland performance and forgettable, though. LxWxH 4294x1772x1605 Kerb weight 1241kg

1.5 i-VTEC 130 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo 182 1.6 i-DTEC

32.1-36.7 40.9-52.3 36.7-61.4 49.6 45.6

133-138 129-131 136-146 145-148 155

AAAAC

171 171 181

130 9.3 38.7 167 124-129 9.8-10.0 32.5-36.2 178 112 9.2 38.2 162

NSX 2dr coupé £149,940

AAAAB

Honda’s supercar given a modern reboot, and it’s some piece of engineering. LxWxH 4487x1939x1204 Kerb weight 1725kg 3.5 V6 hybrid

573

191

2.9

26.4

i20 5dr hatch £14,205-£18,855

242

AAAAC

Combines decent performance with good practicality and running costs. LxWxH 4035x1734x1474 Kerb weight 980kg 98 118 74 83

113-117 118 99 106

10.8-11.4 10.2 13.6 12.8

47.9-49.6 46.3 46.3 45.6-46.3

i30 5dr hatch £17,385–£29,495

129-134 139 137 138-141

AAABC

A vast and enjoyable estate that majors on everything a great Ford As good as we’ve come to expect from Hyundai, but not one inch should. LxWxH 4867x1852x1501 Kerb weight 1476kg better. LxWxH 4340x1795x1455 Kerb weight 1194kg 1.5 Ecoboost 165 2.0 TIVCT hybrid 187 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

165 184 148 188 188

135 116 128-130 138 137

9.3 9.2 9.8-10.4 9.0 9.2

S-Max 5dr MPV £30,800-£42,460

35.3 40.9-52.3 50.4-51.4 47.1-50.4 44.1

133-138 133 139-152 152-153 158

AAAAC

Better to drive and better looking than most but not quite the class leader it was. LxWxH 4976x1916x1655 Kerb weight 1645kg 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150

148

123

10.3

34.0-53.3 159-160

1.0 T-GDi 120 118 1.4 T-GDi 140 138 2.0 T-GDi 250 N 247 2.0 T-GDi 275 N Performance 272 1.6 CRDi 115 113

118 127-130 155 155 118

11.1 8.9-9.2 6.4 6.1 11.0-11.2

45.6 42.2-46.3 34.9 34.0 58.9-60.1

i30 Fastback 4dr saloon £20,695–£29,985

132-142 142-152 185 188 124

AAABC

Combines good looks with sensible practicalities and dynamic charm. LxWxH 4455x1795x1425 Kerb weight 1287kg 1.0 T-GDi 120

118

117

11.5

127

9.4-9.5

38.7-40.4 179-189

54.3

135

Picanto 5dr hatch £10,045-£14,775 1.0 MPi 1.25 MPi 1.0 T-GDi

66 83 99

100 13.8 49.6-50.4 127-129 100-107 11.6-13.2 42.2-49.6 129-151 112 10.1 48.7 133

AAAAB

295 597 177 177

155 186 140 140

5.4 3.3 7.6-7.9 7.8

XF 4dr saloon £35,480-£52,700

30.0-33.2 TBC 45.7-51.1 40.8-44.7

190 TBC 146 161

152 155 132 136 136 153 155

6.6 5.8 8.7 8.0-8.1 8.4 6.5 6.2

XF Sportbrake 5dr estate £37,700-£55,025

83 99 118

107 115 118

12.5 10.3 9.8

45.6-46.3 138-140 48.7 132-133 44.8-47.1 137-142

Ceed 5dr hatch £18,840-£25,985 AAAAC AAAAB Third-generation hatchback can now compete for class honours.

Outstandingly broad-batted dynamically, plus a pleasant cabin.

LxWxH 4954x1987x1457 Kerb weight 1545kg 246 295 160 177 177 236 295

1.25 MPi 1.0 T-GDi 99 1.0 T-GDi 118

31.5-34.4 29.9-32.6 46.1-50.4 44.8-50.9 40.2-44.4 38.5-42.7 40.8-43.2

186 196 147 146 167 175 169

LxWxH 4310x1800x1447 Kerb weight 1315kg

1.0 T-GDi 118 1.4 T-GDi 138 1.6 T-GDI 201 1.6 CRDi 114 1.6 CRDI 134

118 138 201 114 134

116 128-130 142 118 122

10.9 8.6-8.9 7.5 10.6 10.2

47.9-50.4 43.5-46.3 38.2 57.6-58.9 57.6

Ceed Sportswagon 5dr estate £19,840–£23,700

127-134 139-148 169 126-129 129

AAAAC

All of the above, but with cavernous, more practical load space.

LxWxH 4600x1800x1465 Kerb weight 1389kg

AAAAB 1.0 T-GDi 118 118 118 10.9 47.1 136-137 1.4 T-GDi 138 138 128-130 8.8-9.1 44.1-45.6 141-146 1.6 CRDi 114 114 119 10.7 56.5-58.9 127-132 30.8-33.3 192 28.9-31.0 206 Proceed 5dr hatch £24,320-£29,080 AAABC 45.8-48.2 153 Alluring and interesting, but not quite as special to drive as it looks.

LxWxH 4605x1800x1422 Kerb weight 1405kg 44.0-48.4 153 39.3-43.1 172 1.4 T-GDI 138 138 127-130 8.8-9.1 42.8-45.6 142-150 37.8-41.5 179 1.6 T-GDI 201 201 140 7.2 39.3 163 40.1-42.1 172 1.6 CRDI 134 134 124 9.8-10.0 54.3-56.5 132-136

Superb XF is now available in the more practical Sportbrake form.

It’s a win-win. LxWxH 4954x1987x1496 Kerb weight 1660kg 2.0t 250 2.0t 300 AWD 2.0d 163 2.0d 180 2.0d 180 AWD 2.0d 240 AWD 3.0d V6 300

246 295 160 177 177 236 295

150 155 136 138 136 150 155

7.1 6.1 9.3-9.4 8.8 8.9 6.7 6.6

F-Type 2dr coupé £54,475-£97,270

AAAAB

A full-blooded assault on Porsche’s backyard, with noise, power and beauty. LxWxH 4482x1923x1311 Kerb weight 1525kg 2.0t 300 5.0s V8 P450 5.0s V8 575 R AWD

295 447 567

155 177 200

5.7 4.6 3.7

F-Type Convertible 2dr open £59,995-£102,360

30.3-31.2 215 26.0-26.8 239-246 26.4 243 AAAAB

Costs serious money, but you get a serious car with a likeable wild side. LxWxH 4482x1923x1308 Kerb weight 1545kg 2.0t 300 5.0s V8 P450 5.0s V8 575 R AWD

295 447 567

155 177 186

5.7 4.6 3.7

E-Pace 5dr SUV £29,715-£49,920

30.4-31.1 217 26.0-26.6 241-247 26.4 243-247

134 143 151 124 120 127-128 139

7.7 6.6 5.9 9.5 9.9-10.1 8.7-9.4 7.0

F-Pace 5dr SUV £36,290–£73,200

27.8-30.1 27.1-29.5 26.2-28.1 39.1-42.6 36.3-41.7 36.1-41.1 34.5-36.9

213 215 226 174 177 180-188 200

AAAAC

Credible first SUV effort is as refined and dynamic as a Jaguar should be. LxWxH 4746x2070x1667 Kerb weight 1690kg 2.0 25t 250 AWD 2.0 30t 300 AWD 5.0 V8 SVR 550 AWD 2.0d 163 2.0 20d 180

246 295 548 160 177

AAABC

Crossover-styled hatch that drives well, but lacks practicality and polish. LxWxH 4395x1826x1483 Kerb weight 1332kg

1.0 T-GDI 118 1.4 T-GDI 138 1.6 CRDi 114 1.5 CRDi 134

118 138 114 134

115 124 118 122

10.9 9.1 11.0 10.2

45.6 42.8 52.3 53.3

Soul EV 5dr hatch £37,295

140-146 150-151 141 138 AAAAC

Electric-only hatch with looks that divide opinion, but competitive range. LxWxH 4220x1825x1605 Kerb weight 1757kg 64kWh

201

104

7.6

280

Stinger 4dr saloon £41,100

0 AAABC

AAAAC Sleek coupé-shaped saloon has the appeal and dynamics to rival

Jaguar’s second SUV looks enticing, but can it make an impact like the F-Pace’s? LxWxH 4411x1984x1649 Kerb weight 1775kg 198 245 295 148 148 177 236

Xceed 5dr hatch £20,825-£28,405

135 145 176 121 129

6.8 6.0 4.1 10.2 8.5

27.2-29.2 26.2-28.0 22.1 40.9-44.8 39.9-43.4

209 216 281 158-175 162

Europe’s best. LxWxH 4830x1870x1400 Kerb weight 1717kg 3.3 V6 T-GDi

365

168

4.7

27.7

Niro 5dr SUV £24,895-£37,995

233 AAABC

Kia’s first full hybrid is a solid attempt, but it lacks the refinement of better rivals. LxWxH 4355x1805x1545 Kerb weight 1500kg

1.6 GDi Hybrid 1.6 GDi Hybrid PHEV 64kWh e-Niro

139 139 198

101 107 104

11.1 10.4 7.5

Stonic 5dr SUV £17,785-£20,785

TBC TBC 282

TBC TBC 0 AAABC

Kia’s first crossover is striking and reasonably good considering the value. LxWxH 4140x1760x1520 Kerb weight 1160kg 1.4 MPI 1.0 T-GDi 1.6 CRDI

98 118 108

107 115 112

12.2 9.9 10.9

Sportage 5dr SUV £20,985–£35,665

45.6 141 46.3-47.1 137-138 57.6 128 AAABC

Good ride, handling and usability. Looks good and is decent value.

LxWxH 4480x1855x1635 Kerb weight 1454kg 1.6 GDi 1.6 T-GDi 1.6 T-GDI AWD 1.6 CRDi 114 1.6 CRDi 134 1.6 CRDI 134 AWD 2.0 CRDi 182 48V AWD

130 174 174 114 134 134 182

113 127 125-126 109 112 112 125

11.1 8.9 8.8-9.2 11.4 10.8-11.4 11.6 9.2

Sorento 5dr SUV £30,240-£43,365

34.9-35.7 34.4-34.9 31.7-32.5 49.6 44.8-47.1 42.8-43.5 39.8-40.4

179-184 184-187 198-203 150 158-167 169-173 183-186

AAAAC

Kia moves upmarket with a smart, well-priced and nicely appointed seven-seater. LxWxH 4780x1890x1685 Kerb weight 1932kg 2.2 CRDi

84 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

AAACC

Nice drive and cabin, but now overshadowed by rivals.

LxWxH 3595x1406x1485 Kerb weight 935kg

Tops the pile thanks to outstanding driver appeal. Poised and Rio 5dr hatch £12,985-£18,465 AAABC engaging but refined. LxWxH 4672x1967x1416 Kerb weight 1450kg Looks great and is well-priced, but nowhere near its European rivals. LxWxH 4065x1725x1445 Kerb weight 1155kg 2.0t 250 246 155 6.2 32.6-25.1 177

2.0 P200 AWD HYU N DAI 2.0 P250 AWD i10 5dr hatch £12,505-£15,005 AAAAC 2.0 P300 AWD Prioritises maturity over fun, resulting in a car that is practical and 2.0 D150 well-priced. LxWxH 3665x1660x1500 Kerb weight 933kg 2.0 D150 AWD 1.0 MPi 67 97 14.6 53.3 114-119 2.0 D180 AWD 1.2 MPi 84 106 12.6 51.4 124 2.0 D240 AWD

1.0 T-GDI 100 1.0 T-GDI 120 1.2 MPI 75 1.2 MPI 84

197

XE 4dr saloon £34,280-£154,300

AAAAC 2.0t 250 Not the most compact or vivacious but has decent handling and is 2.0t 300 AWD cleverly packaged. LxWxH 3995x1694x1550 Kerb weight 1066kg 2.0d 163 1.3 i-VTEC 99 113-118 11.2-12.3 48.7 131-135 2.0d 180 2.0d 180 AWD Civic 5dr hatch £19,715–£34,395 AAAAC 2.0d 240 AWD A fresh look while remaining practical, refined and upmarket. Lacks 3.0d V6 300

AAAAB some dynamism. LxWxH 4518x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1275kg Dynamically superb and continues the Fiesta legacy. No longer the 1.0 VTEC Turbo 126 124 125-126 10.2-11.2 47.9 141-152 class leader, though. LxWxH 4040x1735x1476 Kerb weight 1113kg 1.5 VTEC Turbo 182 179 125-136 8.2-8.5 46.3 137-150 1.1 75 73 103 14.5 53.3 121 2.0 VTEC Turbo Type R 315 169 5.8 33.2 TBC 1.0 Ecoboost 95 93 105-113 10.6-13.8 55.4-56.4 116-129 1.6 i-DTEC 120PS 118 125 10.1 62.8 117 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 121 10.0 46.3-49.6 118-130 1.0T Ecoboost 140 138 125 9.0 46.3-48.7 124-131 Civic 4 Door 4dr saloon £26,410-£26,935 AAAAC 1.5T Ecoboost 200 ST 197 144 6.5 40.4 158 Saloon bodystyle gives Civic a more upmarket feel, without hurting its refined drive. LxWxH 4648x1799x1416 Kerb weight 1314kg 1.5 TDCi Duratorq 85 83 108 12.5 55.4-60.1 113-119 1.0 VTEC Turbo 126 124 130 10.7 46.3-47.9 TBC Focus 5dr hatch £20,675-£32,495 AAAAB Better to drive and look at than before, and impressively good HR-V 5dr SUV £20,720-£28,400 AAABC

value. LxWxH 4378x1825x1471 Kerb weight 1369kg

2.2 CRDI 200 AWD

H O N DA

ambitious price. LxWxH 3894x1752x1512 Kerb weight 1520kg 100kW 113kW

AAABC

Another big Korean SUV with lots of space for not a lot of cash.

Slick and comfy. LxWxH 4700x1880x1675 Kerb weight 1939kg

2.0t 300 AWD 5.8 V8 SV Project 8 AAABC 2.0d 180 Eminently likeable, with good dynamics but a limited range and 2.0d 180 AWD

E 5dr hatch £29,660-£32,160

KIA

Santa Fe 5dr SUV £38,810-£43,310

JAG UAR

G40 Club Car 2dr coupé £35,000 (+champ pack) 1.8 Zetec

Tipo 5dr hatch £14,970–£20,965 1.4 95 1.4 T-Jet 120 1.6 Multijet II 120

GT 2dr coupé £420,000

197

127

9.0-9.6

37.7-41.5 177-196

N E W CAR PR I CES P

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AAAAC 3.5 V6 RX450h

Eccentric looks and sharp handling but expensive.

LxWxH 3738x1915x1202 Kerb weight 847kg 290 280

143 143

3.9 4.1

NA NA AAAAC

Junior Lambo mixes usability and drama skilfully, in both coupé and Spyder forms. LxWxH 4459x1924x1165 Kerb weight 1389kg 201

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2.9

Aventador 2dr coupé/open £274,201-£440,376

308

124

7.7

20.3

332

AAABC

181

110

8.5

46.3-53.3 120-136

LOTUS

Elise 2dr open £40,375-£48,275

AAAAC

217 242

145 151

4.2 3.8

36.7 36.2

P

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156 181 258 385 469 503 192 241 302

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140 149 155 155 155 180 149 155 155

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8.2-8.3 7.7 5.9 4.7 4.1 4.0 6.9 5.9 5.6

C-Class Estate 5dr estate £32,045–£79,528

A delicate, vivid and unfettered drive; if you want a daily driver, shop elsewhere. LxWxH 3824x1719x1117 Kerb weight 830kg

1.8 VVT-i 220 AAAAC 1.8 VVT-i 246

)

1.6 C180 1.5 C200 2.0 C300 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 4.0 V8 AMG C63 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 2.0 C220d 2.0 C300d 2.0 C300de

35.3-37.1 178-185

Refreshingly different premium SUV is a credible, if not classleading, alternative. LxWxH 4495x1840x1520 Kerb weight 1620kg 2.0 250h

LAMBORGHINI

631

hp

UX 5dr SUV £29,945-£41,415 NA NA

Huracán 2dr coupé/open £198,362-£218,192 5.2 V10 Evo

r (b

)

sense. LxWxH 4890x1895x1690 Kerb weight 2100kg

X-Bow 0dr open £57,345–£70,717 2.0 R 2.0 GT

P

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h mp

Expensive. LxWxH 4803x2032x1665 Kerb weight 1829kg

2.0 P250 2.0 P300 5.0 V8 P550 SVAD 2.0 D180 2.0 D240 3.0 V6 D275 3.0 V6 D300

248 298 548 178 238 272 298

135 145 170 120 135 135 150

7.1 6.2 4.5 8.9 7.4 7.0 6.7

27.7-30.8 26.9-29.8 23.0 37.8-42.0 36.5-41.1 34.7-38.0 34.7-38.0

208 215 279 177 181 195 195

2.0 Skyactiv-G 165 AAAAB 2.2 Skyactiv-D 150 Sharp, uncompromising track car. Unforgiving on the road.

2.2 Skyactiv-D 184

Exige 2dr coupé £60,075-£101,075

162 148 181

125 10.3 36.7-38.2 168 112-127 9.4-10.3 43.5-49.6 151 129 9.6 39.8-42.8 175

handling. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1440kg

GranCabrio 2dr open £108,475-£131,520

AAACC 3.8 V8

Fantastic looks and soundtrack but an average chassis overall.

LxWxH 4971x1945x1461 Kerb weight 1973kg

y e o m ang o n MPG/R

) (g/

km

(

CO 2

37.7-43.5 37.7-43.5 35.3-39.8 28.0-29.4 25.5-25.9 25.5-25.9 45.6-53.3 43.5-49.6 235.4

146 146 158-171 218 247 247 134 157 32

Ec

)

AAAAC

Decent practicality and fantastic interior. It’s a shame that it’s only ordinary to drive. LxWxH 4702x1810x1457 Kerb weight 1495kg

TBC TBC

1.5 C200 181 146 7.9 2.0 C300 258 155 6.0 2.0 C300e 316 155 5.5 6.5 V12 S 730 217 2.9 15.4 499 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.8 LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1125kg 6.5 V12 SVJ 759 217 2.8 15.8 486 4.0 V8 AMG C63 469 155 4.2 3.5 V6 VVT-i 350 345 162-170 3.8-3.9 28.2 TBC MX-5 2dr open £19,485-£29,885 AAAAA 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 174 4.1 Urus 5dr SUV £164,017 AAAAC 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 407 180 3.4 28.7 TBC Brilliantly packaged, priced and perfectly poised but more vibrant 2.0 C220d 192 145 7.0 than the original. LxWxH 3915x1735x1225 Kerb weight 1050kg Lambo’s second SUV is more alluring and aims to use the V8’s 3.5 V6 VVT-i 430 428 180 3.2 27.7 TBC 2.0 C300d 241 155 6.0 power better. LxWxH 5112x2016x1638 Kerb weight 2200kg 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 127 8.3 44.1 142 2.0 C300de 302 155 5.7 4.0 V8 631 189 3.6 22.2 325 Evora 2dr coupé £86,385-£93,875 AAAAC 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 136 6.5 40.4 155 Dynamically it puts nearly everything else in the shade. Shame C-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £36,405-£81,730 L AN D ROVE R about the interior. LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1395kg MX-5 RF 2dr open £23,085-£31,785 AAAAA Nice balance of style, usability and driver reward.

LxWxH 4696x1810x1405 Kerb weight 1505kg Range Rover Evoque 5dr SUV £31,705-£51,490 AAAAC 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 404 174-190 4.1-4.2 25.7-26.7 TBC Remains perfectly poised and vibrant, even with a folding metal roof. LxWxH 3915x1735x1230 Kerb weight 1090kg Refined, luxurious baby Range Rover has matured for its second 1.6 C180 156 140 8.5 M A S E R AT I generation. LxWxH 4371x1996x1649 Kerb weight 1891kg 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 126 8.6 44.1 142 1.5 C200 181 149 7.9 2.0 P200 198 134 8.0 29.1-31.3 204 Ghibli 4dr saloon £52,985-£91,965 AAACC 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 124-126 7.9-8.7 37.7-40.4 155 1.5 C200 4Matic 181 145 8.4 2.0 P250 248 143 7.0 29.1-31.2 205 Maser’s compact exec has the allure but lacks power and is poorly 2.0 C300 258 155 6.0 McLAREN finished in places. LxWxH 4971x1945x1461 Kerb weight 1810kg 2.0 P300 298 150 6.3 28.9-30.9 207 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.7 2.0 D150 148 125 10.5 42.1-44.9 165 3.0d V6 271 155 6.3 33.2-35.7 TBC 540C 2dr coupé £135,055 AAAAC 4.0 V8 AMG C63 469 155 4.0 2.0 D150 AWD 148 122 11.2 39.9-40.0 176 3.0 V6 345 166 5.5 23.5-24.9 TBC The affordable end of McLaren’s spectrum isn’t any less enthralling 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 180 3.9 to drive. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1449kg 2.0 D180 178 127 9.3 38.2-41.5 178 2.0 C220d 192 149 7.0 2.0 D240 238 140 7.2 37.8-40.9 181 GranTurismo 2dr coupé £94,420-£125,055 AAACC 3.8 V8 533 199 3.5 23.2 276 2.0 C220d 4Matic 192 145 7.3 Not short on richness or desirability and well capable of stirring 2.0 C300d 4Matic 241 155 6.0 Range Rover Velar 5dr SUV £45,250–£86,675 AAAAC the soul. LxWxH 5652x1948x1481 Kerb weight 1873kg 570S 2dr coupé/open £149,055-£164,805 AAAAA Dubbed the most car-like Landie ever and it doesn’t disappoint.

4.7 V8 453 185 4.8 19.7 313 Blisteringly fast and exciting supercar-slayer with hugely appealing C-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £40,249-£84,481

Big, hairy V12 has astonishing visuals and performance. Handling could be sweeter. LxWxH 4797x2030x1136 Kerb weight 1575kg

ph

562

204

3.1

23.2

276

36.7-40.9 34.5-38.7 176.6 27.4-28.8 25.0-25.5 24.8-25.5 44.8-51.4 42.8-47.9 217.3

165 165-181 35 222 252 252 141-148 159-161 34

AAAAC 35.3-42.8 37.7-42.2 35.3-39.8 35.8-39.8 28.0-29.4 25.0-25.5 25.0-25.5 46.3-52.3 42.8-47.9 42.8-48.7

158 150 158 158 218 251 251 137 150 153

AAAAC

Take all the good bits about the coupé and add the ability to take the roof off. Bingo. LxWxH 4686x1810x1409 Kerb weight 1645kg

1.6 C180 156 137-138 8.9 33.6-41.5 154-166 AAAAA 1.5 C200 181 146 8.5 36.2-40.4 166 1.5 C200 4Matic 181 143 8.8 33.2-38.2 168 2.0 C300 258 155 6.2 34.0-37.7 167 Quattroporte 4dr saloon £73,885-£113,815 AAACC 3.8 V8 562 204 3.3 23.2 276 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.8 27.4-28.5 225 Now a full-sized executive limo, with some added flair. Off the pace 4.0 V8 AMG C63 469 155 4.2 24.6-24.8 258 in several key areas. LxWxH 5264x1948x1481 Kerb weight 1860kg 600LT 2dr coupé/open £187,680-£203,680 AAAAA 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 174 4.1 24.4-24.8 258 Range Rover Sport 5dr SUV £65,250-£101,800 AAAAB 3.0d V6 271 155 6.4 33.2-35.7 199 Lighter, faster and more athletic than the 570S. McLaren at its very 2.0 C220d 191 145 7.5 44.8-49.6 145 best. LxWxH 4604x2095x1191 Kerb weight 1356kg Bigger and better; a cut-price Range Rover rather than a jumped-up 3.0 V6 339 167 5.1 23.5-24.9 223 2.0 C220d 4Matic 191 142 7.8 40.9-46.3 158 Discovery. LxWxH 4850x2073x1780 Kerb weight 2111kg 3.8 V8 592 204 2.9 23.2 277 2.0 C300d 242 155 6.3 42.2-47.1 157 2.0 P300 298 125 7.3 24.0-26.1 245 Levante 4dr SUV £60,765-£157,765 AAACC 2.0 P400e PHEV 401 137 6.7 75.3-86.9 69 Italian flair and good looks in abundance, but diesel not as 720S 2dr coupé/open £215,055-£247,055 AAAAA CLS Coupé 4dr saloon £55,005-£77,845 AAAAC sonorous as petrols. LxWxH 5003x1968x1679 Kerb weight 2109kg The start of an era for McLaren and what a way to begin it is.

3.0 P400 398 140 6.2 24.9-27.4 234 Retains the sleek coupé style and has more tech – without losing LxWxH 4543x2059x1196 Kerb weight 1419kg its allure. LxWxH 4996x1896x1436 Kerb weight 1935kg 5.0 V8 P525 522 155 5.3 18.9-20.2 315 3.0d V6 271 143 6.9 29.1-30.0 189 5.0 V8 P575 SVR 572 176 4.5 18.9 339 3.0 V6 339 156 6.0 20.7-22.4 249 4.0 V8 710 212 2.9 23.2 276 2.0 CLS350 313 155 6.0 32.1-34.9 177 3.0 SDV6 302 140 7.1 28.5-32.0 233 3.0 V6 S 424 164 5.2 20.9-22.4 253 3.0 CLS450 4Matic 356 155 4.8 31.4-34.0 189 4.4 SDV8 336 140 7.2 25.5-27.0 275 3.8 V8 GTS 526 180 4.3 20.6-21.4 308 GT 2dr coupé £165,180 AAAAB 3.0 V6 AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 30.1-31.0 206 3.8 V8 Tropheo 576 186 4.1 20.6-21.4 308 Woking’s most user-friendly car to date is still a McLaren first and 3.0 CLS300d 4Matic 242 155 6.4 40.4-46.3 162 foremost. LxWxH 4683x2095x1213 Kerb weight 1530kg Range Rover 5dr SUV £83,645–£179,665 AAAAB 3.0 CLS400d 4Matic 330 155 5.0 37.7-41.5 178 MAZDA Wherever you are, the Rangie envelops you in a lavish, invincible 4.0 V8 612 203 3.2 23.7 270 sense of occasion. LxWxH 4999x2220x1835 Kerb weight 2249kg 2 5dr hatch £15,825-£18,325 AAAAC E-Class 4dr saloon £38,540-£98,360 AAAAC 3.0 SVD6 272 130 7.9 29.1-31.5 235 Grown-up, well-made and drives with charm and vigour; engines Senna 2dr coupé £750,000 AAAAA A wee bit pricey, and less sporting than its rivals, but still comfy aren’t brilliant. LxWxH 4060x1695x1495 Kerb weight 1075kg and luxurious. LxWxH 4940x1852x1452 Kerb weight 1680kg 4.4 SDV8 336 135 7.3 25.4-26.6 278 Astounding circuit performance made superbly accessible.

LxWxH 4744x2155x1229 Kerb weight 1309kg 3.0 P400 398 140 6.3 25.1-26.7 240-245 1.5 Skyactiv-G 75 74 106 12.1 49.6 121 2.0 E200 181 149 7.5 38.2 192 2.0 P400e 399 137 6.8 75.7-85.1 75 1.5 Skyactiv-G 90 88 110-114 9.4-12.0 49.6 120 4.0 V8 789 208 2.8 22.7 280 3.0 E450 363 155 5.1 31.7 202 5.0 V8 P525 522 155 5.4 18.9-20.0 322 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 29.7-31.4 205 MERCEDES-BENZ 5.0 V8 P565 SVAD 562 155 5.4 18.9 338 3 5dr hatch £21,825-£30,525 AAAAC 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 594 155 3.4 22.8-23.7 270 Pleasing dynamism teamed with good practicality and punchy A-Class 5dr hatch £23,740-£56,560 AAAAC 2.0 E300e 330 155 5.7 188.3 41 Discovery Sport 5dr SUV £31,885-£50,090 AAAAB diesel engines. LxWxH 4060x1695x1495 Kerb weight 1274kg A little bit of luxury in a desirable, hatchback-sized package.

2.0 E220d 191 149 7.3 53.3 144 Seven seats, at home on-road and off-road, plus new-found 2.0 Skyactiv-G 122 120 122 10.4 42.2 139-142 LxWxH 4419x1992x1440 Kerb weight 1445kg 2.0 E300d 242 155 6.2 47.9 TBC desirability. LxWxH 4599x2069x1724 Kerb weight 1732kg 2.0 Skyactiv-X 180 178 134 8.2-8.5 51.4 125-142 1.3 A180 136 134 9.2 42.2-47.9 133 3.0 E350d 282 155 5.7 47.1 173 2.0 D150 148 121 10.5 42.0-47.8 159-165 1.3 A200 163 140 8.2 40.9-47.9 133 2.0 E300de 312 155 5.9 217.3 39 2.0 D150 AWD 148 118 10.7 38.0-40.9 181-185 3 saloon 4dr saloon £23,305-£28,285 AAAAC 2.0 A250 224 155 6.2 37.7-41.5 155 2.0 D180 178 126 9.1 37.3-40.4 183-187 Refined and dynamically satisfying in a saloon bodystyle.

2.0 A250e 258 146 6.6 256.8 25 E-Class Estate 5dr estate £40,860-£99,505 AAAAC 2.0 D240 238 137 7.2 36.6-39.6 187-191 LxWxH 4460x1795x1440 Kerb weight 1299kg 2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.7 33.6-35.8 179 Far more practical than its rivals, but pricier and less sporty than those closest to it. LxWxH 4933x1852x1475 Kerb weight 1780kg 2.0 P200 198 129 8.5 28.5-30.8 208-212 2.0 Skyactiv-X 180 178 134 8.2 52.3 122-127 2.0 AMG A45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 3.9 33.6 194 2.0 P250 247 140 7.1 28.4-30.5 210-214 1.5 A180d 116 126 10.5 53.3-61.4 118 2.0 E200 181 144 8.1 31.0-35.3 192 6 4dr saloon £24,705-£32,485 AAABC 2.0 A200d 148 137 8.1 53.3-58.9 125 3.0 V6 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 29.4-30.7 208 Discovery 5dr SUV £47,435-£70,750 AAAAB A compelling mix of size, economy and performance. Interior is a 2.0 A220d 187 146 7.0 52.3-57.7 129 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 594 155 3.5 22.6-23.3 208 let-down. LxWxH 4870x1840x1450 Kerb weight 1465kg The country bumpkin given elocution lessons without losing its 2.0 E220d 189 146 7.7 41.5-47.1 156 rugged capabilities. LxWxH 4970x2073x1888 Kerb weight 2115kg 2.0 Skyactiv-G 145 143 129 9.5 40.3-42.2 152 A-Class Saloon 4dr saloon £25,635-£44,930 AAABC 3.0 E300d 242 155 6.5 40.4-46.3 168 2.0 SD4 234 121 8.0 33.6 220 2.0 Skyactiv-G 165 162 135 9.1 42.2 152 Larger, more grown-up A-Class adds premium touch to smallest 3.0 E350d 282 155 5.7 45.6 178-180 Merc saloon. LxWxH 4549x1796x1446 Kerb weight 1465kg 3.0 V6 Td6 251 130 7.7 31.5 235 2.5 Skyactiv-G 194 191 138 8.1 38.2 167 3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic 335 155 5.1 37.2-40.9 195-200 2.0 Si4 295 125 7.3 25.8 247 2.2 Skyactiv-D 150 148 130 9.1 55.4 137 1.3 A180 133 134 8.9 42.8-48.7 135 2.0 E300de 312 155 5.8 166.2-176.6 41 2.2 Skyactiv-D 184 181 140 7.9 47.9-53.5 140 1.3 A200 161 143 8.1-8.3 42.8-48.7 131 LEXUS 2.0 A250 220 155 6.3 38.2-42.2 152 E-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £45,140-£68,740 AAAAC CT 5dr hatch £26,270-£33,270 AAAAC 6 Tourer 5dr estate £25,705–£33,485 AAABC 2.0 A250e 258 149 6.7 256.8 25 Big, laid-back four-seat tourer. Borrows looks from the ravishing S-Class Coupé. LxWxH 4846x1860x1431 Kerb weight 1685kg Hybrid-only hatch has a pokey cabin and mismatched character Attractively styled but only average to drive.

2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.8 32.9-36.7 173 traits. LxWxH 4350x1765x1445 Kerb weight 1465kg LxWxH 4805x1840x1480 Kerb weight 1465kg 1.5 A180d 114 128 10.6 56.5-64.2 115 2.0 E300 237 155 6.4 31.0 206 1.8 VVT-i CT200h 134 112 10.3 53.2-54.3 119 2.0 Skyactiv-G 145 143 129 9.5 41.5 155 2.0 A200d 148 141 8.2 58.9 125-129 2.0 E350 295 155 5.9 TBC 191 2.0 Skyactiv-G 165 162 135 9.1 41.5 155 2.0 A220d 188 153 7.1 57.7 128-129 3.0 E450 4Matic 362 155 5.6 29.1-31.4 216 ES 4dr saloon £35,195-£45,675 AAABC 2.5 Skyactiv-G 194 191 138 8.1 37.2 172 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.4 30.1-31.4 205 Gatecrashes the German-controlled saloon market in a way the GS 2.2 Skyactiv-D 150 148 130 9.1 47.1-53.3 141 CLA Coupé 4dr saloon £30,310-£58,460 AAAAC 2.0 E220d 189 150 7.4 43.5-50.4 146 could never manage. LxWxH 4975x1865x1445 Kerb weight 1680kg 2.2 Skyactiv-D 184 181 140 7.9 47.1-51.4 144 May use A-Class underpinnings, but engineered to be much 2.0 E220d 4Matic 189 149 7.6 42.2-47.1 167 sportier to drive. LxWxH 4688x1830x1439 Kerb weight 1490kg 2.5 VVT-i ES300h 218 112 8.9 48.7-53.2 119-127 3.0 E300d 4Matic 242 155 6.3 42.2-47.9 TBC CX-3 5dr SUV £19,395-£24,194 AAAAC 1.3 CLA180 133 134 9.0 42.8-47.9 134 IS 4dr saloon £33,260-£42,960 AAABC Another supermini SUV with a sporting bent. Quite pricey but nicely 1.3 CLA200 161 142 8.2 42.8-47.9 134 E-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £48,745-£72,235 AAAAC Sleek compact executive car is well-made and interesting but still appointed. LxWxH 4275x1765x1535 Kerb weight 1230kg 2.0 CLA250 222 155 6.3 38.7-42.2 153 Refined and sophisticated four-seater in the same mould as the a left-field choice. LxWxH 4680x1810x1430 Kerb weight 1620kg S-Class Cabriolet. LxWxH 4846x1860x1429 Kerb weight 1780kg 2.0 Skyactiv-G 121 118 119 9.0 42.8 141 2.0 AMG CLA35 4Matic 302 155 4.9 34.9-37.2 172 2.5 VVT-i IS300h 220 125 8.3 44.1-50.0 137-142 2.0 Skyactiv-G 150 148 124 8.8 34.9-38.2 160 2.0 AMG CLA45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 4.0 33.2 193 2.0 E300 237 155 6.6 30.0 206 1.5 Skyactiv-D 115 103 114 9.9 54.3 114 2.0 CLA220d 188 152 7.1 53.3-57.7 127 2.0 E350 295 155 6.1 TBC 195 LS 4dr saloon £75,395–£101,400 AAABC 3.0 E450 4Matic 362 155 5.8 28.8-30.7 220 Luxury saloon gets more tech and opulence but is let down by its CX-30 5dr SUV £22,925-£32,025 AAAAC CLA Shooting Brake 5dr estate £32,280-£59,470 AAABC 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic 429 155 4.5 29.7-30.7 209 hybrid powertrain. LxWxH 5235x1900x1460 Kerb weight 2270kg Dynamic qualities, a classy interior and a handsome look set it The most practical of the A-Class range, but it suffers for its 2.0 E220d 192 147 7.7 42.8-48.7 152 challenging styling. LxWxH 4640x1777x1435 Kerb weight 1430kg 2.0 E220d 4Matic 3.5 V6 VVT-i LS500h 348 155 5.4 35.7-36.2 176-208 apart from rivals. LxWxH 4395x1795x1540 Kerb weight 1334kg 192 145 7.9 41.5-45.6 171 2.0 Skyactiv-G 122 120 116 10.6 42.8 141 1.3 CLA180 119 130 8.8-9.1 35.8-40.9 126 3.0 E300d 4Matic 242 155 6.6 40.9-46.3 178 RC 2dr coupé £40,230-£79,890 AAABC 2.0 Skyactiv-X 180 176 127 8.5-9.0 43.5 133-146 1.3 CLA200 154 140 8.5 35.3-40.9 125 An also-ran, but the V8 RC F packs plenty of character and handles 2.0 CLA250 220 155 6.4 37.7-40.9 157 S-Class 4dr saloon £75,855-£183,235 AAAAA well enough. LxWxH 4695x1840x1395 Kerb weight 1736kg CX-5 5dr SUV £26,710-£36,725 AAAAC 2.0 AMG CLA35 4Matic 302 155 4.9 36.2 171 Mercedes has given the S-Class a refresh and an added boost of tech. LxWxH 5141x1905x1498 Kerb weight 1970kg 2.5 VVT-I RC300h 220 118 8.6 40.9-45.5 141 Offers powerful diesel engines and strong performance, plus a 2.0 AMG CLA45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 4.0 32.8 191 welcoming interior. LxWxH 4550x1840x1675 Kerb weight 1575kg 2.0 CLA220d 5.0 V8 RC F 470 168 4.5 25.0 268 188 142 7.8 43.5-48.7 112 3.0 V6 S450 L 389 155 5.1 33.2-26.2 177 3.0 V6 S500 L 457 155 4.8 33.2-36.2 177 LC 2dr coupé £78,140-£88,530 AAAAC B-Class 5dr hatch £27,640-£37,840 AAABC 3.0 V6 S560e L 472 155 5.0 104.6-128.4 59 Superb-looking coupé shows flickers of what made the LFA great.

A slightly odd prospect, but practical and classy nonetheless.

4.0 V8 AMG S63 594 155 4.3 23.2-24.4 263-273 LxWxH 4770x1920x1345 Kerb weight 1935kg LxWxH 4393x1786x1557 Kerb weight 1395kg 6.0 V12 S650 Maybach 611 155 4.7 19.5-20.0 328 5.0 V8 LC500 470 168 4.4 24.4 262 1.3 B180 136 132 9.0 40.4-47.1 138 2.9 S350d 282 155 6.0 38.7-44.1 168 3.5 V6 LC500h 354 155 4.7 34.8 184 1.3 B200 163 139 8.2 39.8-46.3 138 2.9 S400d 335 155 5.4 38.7-44.1 169 2.0 B250 161 139 8.2 46.3 159 NX 5dr SUV £37,095-£47,595 AAACC 1.5 B180d 116 124 10.7 51.4-60.1 120 S-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £113,170-£141,215 AAAAC Some good ideas, but dramatically off the pace to drive.

2.0 B200d 148 136 8.3 51.4-57.7 129 More tech and cleaner engines make the opulent luxury tourer LxWxH 4630x1845x1645 Kerb weight 1905kg more appealing. LxWxH 5027x1912x1414 Kerb weight 2065kg 2.0 B220d 187 145 7.2 50.4-56.5 132 2.5 VVT-I NX300h 4WD 194 112 9.2 35.7-37.1 171-173 4.0 V8 S560 455 155 4.6 26.4-27.7 235 C-Class 4dr saloon £29,030–£79,972 AAAAC 4.0 V8 AMG S63 594 155 4.2 24.1-24.6 261 RX 5dr SUV £51,550-£64,500 AAABC Merc ramps up the richness, but the engines and dynamics aren’t 6.0 V12 AMG S65 611 155 4.1 18.6 262

Low flexibility, but hybrid option makes a degree of economic

4.7 V8

453

177-179 4.9-5.0

18.5

328

570GT 2dr coupé £154,000

The 570GT retains the lusty, fast appeal of its sister car, even with added practicality. LxWxH 4530x2095x1201 Kerb weight 1498kg

refined enough. LxWxH 4686x1810x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 85

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S-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £124,965-£151,310

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455 594 611

155 155 155

4.6 4.2 4.1

3.7 V6 Cyclone

178 237 356

3.0

155 155

4.0 V8 GT 4.0 V8 GT C 4.0 V8 GT R

469 550 577

188-189 4.0 196-197 3.7 198 3.6

4.9 4.3

29.7 27.4

215 215

109 141

112 87

12.4 8.5

38.6 163

166 0

MINI

3dr Hatch 3dr hatch £16,185-£34,995

AAAAB

Three-pot engines and cleverly designed interior make the Mini a AMG GT 2dr coupé/open £98,920-£191,415 AAAAC superb choice. LxWxH 3821x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1190kg Million-dollar looks and a railgun V8, but extremely firm chassis 1.5 One 101 121 10.1-10.2 43.5-47.9 130 affects its usability. LxWxH 4544x1939x1287 Kerb weight 1615kg 1.5 Cooper 134 130 7.8-7.9 43.5-47.9 131-132 23.0-23.5 274-275 21.9-22.1 292 22.1 290

AMG GT 4-Door Coupé 4dr saloon £140,495

AAAAB

New four-door, four-wheel-drive GT may be a confusing car to contemplate, but it’s a deeply impressive one to drive. LxWxH 5054x1953x1447 Kerb weight 2100kg 4.0 V8 GT63 S 4Matic+

639

196

3.2

21.4-22.1 291

EQC 5dr SUV £65,720-£74,610

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280

140

5.5

NA

NA AAABC

335

166

4.2

38.2

180 AAAAC

Refreshed look and better handling makes it an enticing choice.

Has its flaws, though. LxWxH 3991x1743x1455 Kerb weight 1490kg

AAAAB 1.0T GDi 44.5kWh EV

356 442

ed

Micra 5dr hatch £13,930-£19,865

Big, luxurious drop-top is classier than a royal stud farm. Few feel more special. LxWxH 4631x1877x1315 Kerb weight 1735kg 3.0 V6 SL400 4.7 V8 SL500

pe

NISSAN

37.2-40.4 167 35.3-37.2 178 31.7-32.5 199

SL 2dr open £79,995-£93,185

T

s op

Feels like progress in lots of ways, but not yet the driver’s car it might be. LxWxH 3890x1756x1220 Kerb weight 1075kg

AAABC 147-149 6.9-7.0 155 5.8 155 4.7

)

Plus Six 2dr open £78,050-£90,050

Another small convertible exhibiting all the charm that a Mercedes should. LxWxH 4143x1810x1301 Kerb weight 1435kg 2.0 SLC200 2.0 SLC300 3.0 V6 AMG SLC43

hp

More advanced, but pricey and needs better brakes.

LxWxH 4010x1720x1220 Kerb weight 950kg

26.4-27.2 238 23.7-23.9 268 18.6 272

SLC 2dr open £36,590–£49,000

r (b

Roadster 2dr open £55,129-£55,196

AAAAC

As above but with the added allure of a retractable fabric roof.

LxWxH 5027x1912x1420 Kerb weight 2150kg 4.0 V8 S560 4.0 V8 AMG S63 6.0 V12 AMG S65

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2.0 Cooper S 189 2.0 John Cooper Works 227 2.0 John Cooper Works GP 302

145-146 6.7-6.8 152 6.1-6.3 164 5.2

38.7-43.5 146-147 38.7-40.4 159 34.0 167

5dr Hatch 5dr hatch £16,925-£23,365 101 134 189

70 98 115 88

98 114 121 111

16.4 10.9 9.9 11.9

46.3 45.6-50.4 47.9 52.3

119 10.1-10.5 42.8-47.1 132 129 8.1-8.2 42.2-47.1 133-134 143-144 6.8-6.9 38.2-42.8 147-147

107 126-139 133 110

3008 5dr SUV £25,855-£46,735

AAAAC

Cleverly packaged Peugeot offers just enough SUV DNA to make the difference. LxWxH 4447x2098x1624 Kerb weight 1250kg

1.2 PureTech 130 126 117 10.5-10.8 36.5-43.6 113 1.6 PureTech 180 178 136 8.0 35.2-39.6 128 AAAAC 1.6 Hybrid 223 146 5.9 157.2-222.3 29 Better looks, better value and better range from this second-gen 1.6 Hybrid4 298 149 5.9 166.2-235.1 36 electric hatch. LxWxH 4387x1768x1520 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 119 9.5 48.0-56.3 104 40kWh 147 89.5 7.9 168 0 2.0 BlueHDi 180 175 131 8.9 42.3-47.1 121 62kWh 214 98 6.9-7.3 239 0 5008 5dr SUV £27,945-£39,935 AAAAC Juke 5dr hatch £17,425-£24,025 AAABC Less MPV, more SUV, and shares its siblings’ good looks. Competent

Leaf 5dr hatch £29,845-£39,395

High-riding, funky hatch is a compelling package. High CO 2 figures,

AAAAB though. LxWxH 4135x1765x1565 Kerb weight 1605kg 1.0 DiG-T 117 113 112 10.4 46.3

Mini charm in a more usable package, but still not as practical as rivals. LxWxH 3982x1727x1425 Kerb weight 1240kg 1.5 One 1.5 Cooper 2.0 Cooper S

1.0 71PS 1.0 IG-T 100 1.0 DIG-T 117 1.5 dCi 90

Qashqai 5dr SUV £20,545-£34,325

to drive, too. LxWxH 4641x1844x1640 Kerb weight 1511kg

1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 PureTech 180 1.5 BlueHDi 130 AAAAB 2.0 BlueHDi 180 135-141

The defining modern crossover. The Mk2 is better in all areas, hence its popularity. LxWxH 4394x1806x1590 Kerb weight 1331kg

126 178 129 175

117 135 119 131

10.4-10.9 8.3 10.7 9.1

36.5-44.2 35.2-39.6 48.0-56.3 42.3-47.1

136 161 134 124

P O L E S TA R

1.3 DIG-T 140 138 120 10.5 40.1-41.4 153-161 1 2dr coupé £139,000 AAAAC AAABC 1.3 DIG-T 160 158 123-124 8.9-9.9 40.0-41.4 153-161 Limited-run sports GT delivers petrol-electric performance and A fun open-top car but compromised on practicality and dynamics. 1.5 dCi 115 113 112 12.3 51.9-53.7 139-145 Swedish styling. LxWxH 4586x2023x1352 Kerb weight 2345kg LxWxH 3821x1727x1415 Kerb weight 1280kg 80kWh 400 4Matic 402 112 5.1 232-259 0 1.7 DCI 150 148 119 9.5 46.4-50.2 155-160 2.0 plug-in hybrid 596 155 4.2 353.1 29 1.5 Cooper 134 128-129 8.7-8.8 41.5-45.6 141-142 PORSCHE GLA 5dr SUV £26,090-£37,920 AAABC 2.0 Cooper S 189 142-143 7.1-7.2 38.7-40.9 154 X-Trail 5dr SUV £27,050-£36,820 AAABC Not the most practical crossover but good looking and very decent 2.0 John Cooper Works 227 150 6.6 37.2-38.7 164 There aren’t many cheaper ways of owning an SUV. Has a better 718 Boxster 2dr open £46,651–£73,405 AAAAB AAAAB

Brisk, tidy-handling electric SUV has everything needed to do well on UK roads. LxWxH 4762x1884x1624 Kerb weight 2495kg

to drive. LxWxH 4417x1804x1494 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.6 GLA180 1.6 GLA200 2.0 GLA250 4Matic

120 152 204

124 134 143

8.7-9.0 8.1-8.4 6.6

35.3-40.4 159-163 34.9-39.8 160-167 32.5-35.8 180

Convertible 2dr open £20,115-£29,240

Clubman 5dr hatch £21,980-£35,675

1.5 Cooper GLB 5dr SUV £34,510-£49,080 AAABC 2.0 Cooper S Boxy SUV mixes rough-and-tumble styling cues and seven-seat 2.0 JCW All4

versatility. LxWxH 4634x1834x1659 Kerb weight 2085kg 1.3 GLB 200 2.0 AMG GLB 35 2.0 GLB 200d 2.0 GLB 220d

160 302 148 188

129 155 127 135

9.1 5.2 9.0 7.6

40.4 32.5 47.9 47.9

160 197 156 154

GLC 5dr SUV £40,610-£89,090

134 189 302

127 142 155

9.1 7.1-7.2 4.9

2.0 290 170 4.9-5.1 2.0 T 296 170 4.7-5.3 AAABC 2.5 S 339 177 4.4-4.6 Old-school and profoundly mechanical coupé. The Healey 3000 of 4.0 GTS 396 182 4.5 today – but meaner. LxWxH 4265x1845x1315 Kerb weight 1496kg 4.0 Spyder 414 187 4.4 3.7 V6 323 155 5.3 23.3-23.6 274 AAABC 3.7 V6 Nismo 339 155 5.2 23.2 276 718 Cayman 2dr coupé £44,845–£75,403

39.2-43.5 143-144 36.7-39.8 156 34.9 183

Countryman 5dr hatch £23,380-£36,975

2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 2.0 GLC 300e 4Matic 3.0 V6 AMG GLC43 4Matic 4.0 V8 AMG GLC63 4Matic+ 4.0 V8 AMG GLC63 S 4Matic+ 2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic

255 315 388 472 502 191 242

149 143 155 155 155 135 145

6.3 6.5 4.9 4.0 3.8 7.9 6.6

34.9 128.4 25.0-26.9 22.4-23.5 22.4-23.2 48.7 44.1

196-201 51 232-242 283 289 153 167

MITSUBISHI

Mirage 5dr hatch £10,560-£14,045 1.2 Mi-VEC

79

107

AAACC

Decent engines, but otherwise an unexceptional crossover.

LxWxH 4355x1770x1640 Kerb weight 1260kg 148 148

118 118

Eclipse Cross 5dr SUV £24,445-£30,515

2.9 GLE 450 4Matic 2.0 GLE 300d 4Matic 2.9 GLE 350d 4Matic 2.9 GLE 400d 4Matic 2.0 GLE 350de 4Matic 3.0 V6 AMG GLE 53 4Matic+

1.5 Mi-VEC 2WD 1.5 Mi-VEC 4WD

362 242 268 328 317 432

155 140 143 152 130 155

5.7 7.2 6.6 5.7 6.8 5.3

32.5 39.2 36.2 35.3 256.8 26.7

196 205 206 209 29 240

GLE Coupé 5dr SUV £71,250-£79,335

10.2 12.5

37.7 34.4

171 185 AAACC

Stylish, future-looking mid-sized SUV shows where Mitsubishi’s destiny lies. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1425kg 160 160

124-127 9.3-10.3 33.2-37.7 177-192 124 9.8 32.5 196

Outlander 5dr SUV £29,375-£44,225

AAABC

Creditable effort, but still cheap in places: PHEV a boon for fleet

AAAAC users. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1565kg Diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain adds class-leading range and tax- 2.0 Mi-VEC 4WD 148 118 13.3 32.5 196 busting emissions. LxWxH 4946x2014x1716 Kerb weight 2295kg 2.0 Mi-VEC PHEV 200 106 11.0 139.7 46 3.0 GLE 400d 4Matic 327 149 5.7 33.6 221 3.0 AMG GLE 53 4Matic 432 155 5.3 25.7 251 Shogun Sport 5dr SUV £37,705 AAACC

Has a fitness for purpose that could appeal to those who tow or

G-Class 5dr SUV £96,170-£146,440

AAABC haul big loads. LxWxH 4785x1815x1805 Kerb weight 2100kg 2.4 DI-DC 4WD 179 112 11.0 32.8 227

Massively expensive and compromised, but with character in abundance. LxWxH 4764x1867x1954 Kerb weight 2550kg 3.0 G350d 4Matic 4.0 V8 AMG G63 4Matic

282 577

124 137

7.4 4.5

25.2-25.9 288-289 18.6-18.8 343

121

10.7

44.5-47.5 163-207

MORGAN

3 Wheeler 0dr open £31,195-£40,129

562 591

196 196

2.9 2.5

20.2 19.6

316 325

NOBLE

M600 2dr coupé £248,000–£287,600

AAABC

Deliciously natural and involving; a bit ergonomically flawed.

LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 1198kg 4.4 V8

662

225

3.0

NA

PEUGEOT

108 3dr/5dr hatch £9690–£14,985 71

100

13.0

AAAAA

The eccentric, characterful and brilliant Morgan is a testament to GLS 5dr SUV £75,565-£92,065 AAABC English creativity. LxWxH 3225x1720x1000 Kerb weight 525kg The replacement for the massive GL can still seat seven in 2.0 V-twin 68 68 115 7.0 NA NA comfort. LxWxH 5216x2030x1823 Kerb weight 2415kg 2.0 V-twin 82 82 115 6.0 NA NA

2.0 2.0 T 2.5 S 4.0 GTS 4.0 GT4

53.5-57.3 93-95

TBC TBC TBC 246 TBC

AAAAA

290 296 339 396 414

170 170 177 182 188

4.9-5.1 4.9-5.3 4.4-4.6 4.5 4.4

31.4-33.2 31.4-32.8 29.1-31.0 25.9 25.7

911 2dr coupé £82,793–£98,418

TBC TBC TBC 247 TBC

AAAAB

Wider, eighth-generation 911 is still eminently fast, and capable at all speeds. LxWxH 4519x1852x1300 Kerb weight 1565kg

3.0 Carrera 3.0 Carrera 4 3.0 Carrera S AAABC 3.0 Carrera 4S

Sister car to the Aygo – and a distant second to most city car rivals. LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg

31.4-33.2 31.4-32.8 29.1-30.7 25.9 25.7

Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding driver involvement. LxWxH 4379x1801x1295 Kerb weight 1335kg

NA

208 3dr/5dr hatch £16,280-£32,750

11.7-12.8 47.9-55.4 113-123

ASX 5dr SUV £20,695-£26,465

The ML replacement isn’t inspiring to drive but does come with a classy interior. LxWxH 4819x2141x1796 Kerb weight 2165kg

3.8 V6 3.8 V6 Nismo

AAACC 1.0 72

A straightforward hatchback – but not for the likes of us.

LxWxH 3795x1665x1505 Kerb weight 845kg

2.0 MI-VEC 2WD AAAAC 2.0 MI-VEC 4WD

GLE 5dr SUV £59,255-£81,010

148

370Z 2dr coupé £29,995–£40,495

Bigger than before, but still more funky than useful. Still not all that pretty, either. LxWxH 4299x2005x1557 Kerb weight 1440kg GT-R 2dr coupé £81,995–£151,995 AAAAC 1.5 Cooper 136 124 9.7 37.2-40.9 149-150 Monstrously fast Nissan has been tweaked and sharpened. Still a blunt object, though. LxWxH 4710x1895x1370 Kerb weight 1725kg 1.5 Cooper All4 136 122 10.3 35.3-40.4 161

AAAAC 2.0 Cooper S 192 140 7.5-7.6 35.8-38.2 158 Not exactly exciting to drive, but does luxury and refinement 2.0 Cooper S All4 192 138 7.6 34.4-36.2 173 better than most. LxWxH 4656x1890x1639 Kerb weight 1735kg 2.0 JCW All4 302 155 5.1 34.4 185 2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 255 149 6.2 34.4 187-198 2.0 Cooper D 150 129 9.1 47.9-54.3 130-136 2.0 GLC 300e 4Matic 315 143 5.7 128.4 51 2.0 Cooper D All4 150 127 9.0 46.3-49.6 145-146 3.0 V6 AMG GLC43 4Matic 388 155 4.9 27.7 233-245 1.5 plug-in hybrid 220 123 6.8 156.9 41 4.0 V8 AMG GLC63 4Matic+ 462 155 4.0 22.2 288 4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ 502 155 3.8 22.1 293 Electric 3dr hatch £27,900-£33,900 AAAAC 2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 191 134 7.9 47.9 154 Won’t break records on range or usability, but has plenty of zip and driver appeal. LxWxH 3850x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1440kg 2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic 242 144 6.5 44.1 168 33kWh 180 93 7.3 144-145 0 GLC Coupé 5dr SUV £45,235-£90,915 AAAAC

A coupé-shaped SUV destined to be outrun by the X4 – unless you’re in an AMG. LxWxH 4732x1890x1602 Kerb weight 1785kg

range of engines, too. LxWxH 4640x1820x1710 Kerb weight 1505kg Our idea of drop-top heaven. Exceptional to drive, whether cruising 158 123 11.5 37.8-38.5 166-169 or hurrying. LxWxH 4379x1801x1280 Kerb weight 1335kg

AAAAC 1.3 DiG-T 160 1.7 dCi 150

Cheery and alternative Mini ‘six-door’ takes the brand into new territory. LxWxH 4253x1800x1441 Kerb weight 1375kg

380 380 444 444

182 180 191 190

4.0 4.0 3.5 3.4

26.6-28.5 26.2-28.2 27.2-28.5 25.7-27.2

911 Cabriolet 2dr open £92,438–£108,063

TBC 211 209 TBC

AAAAC

Fewer compromises than ever, if rewarding only at full attack.

LxWxH 4519x1852x1297 Kerb weight 1585kg

AAABC 3.0 Carrera 380 180 4.2 26.2-28.0 TBC 3.0 Carrera 4 380 179 4.2 25.9-27.7 TBC 3.0 Carrera S 444 190 3.7 26.4-28.0 TBC 1.2 PureTech 75 72 106 14.9 53.6 113 3.0 Carrera 4S 444 188 3.6 25.0-26.6 TBC 1.2 PureTech 100 98 117 9.9 53.0 121 1.2 PureTech 130 128 129 8.7 51.9 123 Panamera 4dr saloon £74,225-£149,617 AAAAA 50kWh e-208 136 93 8.1 194-217 0 Revamped big saloon is an absolute belter, making it almost the perfect grand tourer. LxWxH 5049x1937x1423 Kerb weight 1815kg 1.5 BueHDi 100 99 117 10.2 71.4 104 3.0 V6 4 321 162 5.5-5.6 25.0-26.9 192-197 308 5dr hatch £21,135-£31,055 AAAAB 2.9 V6 4S 428 179 4.4-4.5 TBC 191-196 Classy all-round appeal makes it a serious contender, but rear 2.9 V6 E-Hybrid 449 172 4.6-4.7 78.5-85.6 60 space is a little tight. LxWxH 4253x1804x1457 Kerb weight 1190kg 4.0 V8 GTS 458 181 4.1 22.2-23.5 235 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.1 40.4-47.7 124 4.0 V8 Turbo 533 190 3.8-3.9 22.1-23.0 238-242 1.2 PureTech 130 126 128-129 9.1-9.6 41.3-48.9 123 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 671 192 3.4-3.5 74.3-80.7 74 1.6 Puretech 260 GTI 258 155 6.0 37.8 169 1.6 BlueHDi 100 99 112 12.2 54.9-63.8 115 Panamera Sport Turismo 5dr estate £76,372-£143,444 AAAAA 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 127 9.8 53.2-62.7 118 The Panamera in a more practical form, and now it’s a good-looking beast. LxWxH 5049x1937x1428 Kerb weight 1880kg 2.0 BlueHDi 180 EAT8 175 140 8.2 45.0-49.4 141 2.9 V6 4 321 160 5.5 24.6-25.6 200 308 SW 5dr estate £22,085-£30,145 AAAAC 2.9 V6 4S 428 177 4.4 24.8-25.6 199 Estate bodystyle enjoys the classy appeal of the hatchback.

2.9 V6 E-Hybrid 449 170 4.6 76.3-80.7 64 LxWxH 4585x1563x1472 Kerb weight 1190kg 4.0 V8 GTS 458 179 4.1 22.2-23.2 242 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.6 40.4-47.7 124 4.0 V8 Turbo 533 188 3.8 22.1-22.8 243 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 9.5-10.0 41.3-48.9 123-131 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 671 192 3.4 72.4-74.3 76 1.5 BlueHDI 100 99 111 12.3 54.9-63.8 115 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 126 10.0 53.2-62.7 118 Taycan 4dr saloon £83,422-£138,881 AAAAB 2.0 BlueHDi 180 EAT8 178 139 8.4 45.0-49.4 52.5 First all-electric Porsche shows the rest of the world how it should

A big improvement for Peugeot, if not for the supermini class.

LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 1065kg

be done. LxWxH 4963x1966x1381 Kerb weight 2305g

508 4dr saloon £26,040-£40,630

AAAAC 79kWh 4S 527 155 4.0 207-253 0 93kWh 4S 568 155 4.0 240-288 0 93kWh Turbo 671 161 3.2 237-279 0 38.0-41.8 145 93kWh Turbo S 751 161 2.8 241-256 0 36.3-39.8 151 166-235 27-38 Macan 5dr SUV £47,823-£69,865 AAAAB 51.4-59.8 116 Spookily good handling makes this a sports utility vehicle in the purest sense. LxWxH 4692x1923x1624 Kerb weight 1770kg 45.2-51.1 140 45.0-50.6 147 2.0 243 139 6.7 25.7-28.2 185 3.0 V6 S 351 157 5.3 23.9-25.7 204 AAACC 3.0 V6 Turbo 434 167 4.3 23.5-24.8 224

Stylish and likeable but lacking the polish of more premium rivals.

LxWxH 4750x1859x1430 Kerb weight 1535kg

1.6 PureTech 180 178 143 7.9 1.6 PureTech 225 223 155 7.1 AACCC 1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 X-Class 5dr pick-up £35,238–£47,412 AAAAC Has its appeal but not as rewarding to drive as it could be.

1.5 BlueHDi 130 129 129 9.4-9.7 Lifts the bar on commercial vehicle comfort while retaining tough LxWxH 4010x1630x1220 Kerb weight 795kg 2.0 BlueHDI 160 158 143 8.4 qualities. LxWxH 5340x2113x1819 Kerb weight 2234kg 1.6 i4 Sigma 110 115 8.0 NA NA 2.0 BlueHDi 180 174 146 8.0 2.3 X220 d 163 105 12.9 TBC TBC 2.3 X250 d 190 109 11.8 TBC TBC Plus 4 2dr open £35,455-£44,161 AABCC 508 SW 5dr estate £27,640-£42,430 3.0 V6 X350 d 285 127 7.9 TBC TBC Needs more chassis finesse, but the Plus 4 still charms Bodystyle takes the edge off the 508’s style yet doesn’t fully 3.0 GLS 400d 4Matic

327

148

6.3

32.8

227

nonetheless. LxWxH 4010x1720x1220 Kerb weight 927kg

MG

3 5dr hatch £9805-£13,105

2.0 GDi AAABC

Neatly tuned and nice sporty styling. Breaks the mould for sub£9000 superminis. LxWxH 4018x1729x1507 Kerb weight 1125kg 1.5 VTI-Tech

104

108

10.4

42.3

HS 5dr SUV £17,785-£23,965

152 AAACC

Goes big on metal for the money but covers its budget roots with mixed success. LxWxH 4574x1876x1664 Kerb weight 1489kg 1.5 T-GDI

162

118

9.9

36.2-37.2 TBC

ZS 5dr SUV £16,355-£30,495

AAACC

Much improved on previous MGs, but still lacks the sophistication of its closest rivals. LxWxH 4314x1809x1611 Kerb weight 1190kg 1.5 VTi-Tech

104

109

4/4 2dr open £41,292

10.9

86 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

41.5

155

154

118

7.5

NA

NA

address practicality. LxWxH 4778x1859x1420 Kerb weight 1430kg Cayenne 5dr SUV £58,530-£123,514 AAAAB 1.6 PureTech 180 178 140 8.0 38.0-41.8 156 Refreshed look, improved engines, interior and a better SUV overall. LxWxH 4918x1983x1696 Kerb weight 1985kg 1.6 PureTech 225 223 153 7.4 36.3-39.8 167

1.6 Hybrid 1.5 BlueHDI 130 2.0 BlueHDI 160 2.0 BlueHDI 180

223 128 159 178

155 129 140 144

8.3 9.9-10.1 8.5 8.4

166-235 51.4-59.8 45.2-51.1 50.3

2008 5dr SUV £20,160-£37,775

27-38 128-131 149 147

3.0 V6 3.0 V6 E-hybrid 2.9 V6 S 4.0 V8 Turbo 4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid

335 456 428 533 671

152 157 164 177 183

6.2 5.0 5.2 4.1 3.8

22.2-24.1 60.1-72.4 TBC 20.2-20.8 52.3-58.9

210 74 219 261 90

AAAAC

Compact crossover has most rivals licked, but class is still waiting Cayenne Coupé 5dr SUV £63,464-£126,111 AAAAC for a game changer. LxWxH 4300x1770x1550 Kerb weight 1205kg Little different to drive than the standard car but certainly has an appeal all of its own. LxWxH 4931x1983x1676 Kerb weight 2030kg 1.2 PureTech 100 98 115 10.9 52.0 123 1.2 PureTech 130 1.2 PureTech 155 50kWh e-2008 1.5 BlueHDi

128 153 136 98

122 129 93 115

8.9 8.2 8.5 11.4

50.6 46.6 TBC 62.7

126-136 137 0 118

3.0 V6 3.0 V6 E-Hybrid 2.9 V6 S 4.0 V8 Turbo 4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid

335 456 428 533 671

150 157 163 177 183

6.0 5.1 5.0 3.9 3.8

22.2-23.9 60.1-70.6 21.9-23.7 20.2-20.8 52.3-57.6

215 75 216 261 90

N E W CAR PR I CES P

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Leon ST 5dr estate £19,855–£38,290 AAAAC AAABC Good-looking and responsive hatchback-turned-estate.

RADICAL

Rapture 0dr open £110,000

)

h mp

Not as well mannered as some lightweights but spectacular in its track day element. LxWxH 4100x1790x1130 Kerb weight 765kg

122 129 134 155 122 132-134

10.1 9.5 8.2 5.2 10.6 8.7-8.8

51.4-52.3 49.6-50.4 44.8-48.7 33.6 57.6-58.9 54.5-55.4

AAABC 1.0 TSI 95 Zany solution to personal mobility is suitably irreverent and 1.0 TSI 115 impractical. LxWxH 2338x1381x1454 Kerb weight 474kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 MB L7e 17 50 NA TBC 0 1.6 TDI 95

93 113 148 93

11.2 9.8-10.0 8.3 11.9

45.6-48.7 44.1-46.3 44.8-48.7 49.6-56.5

123-125 128-129 131-142 189-190 127-129 131-136

131 130-139 131 129

1.2 Dualjet 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 4x4

1.3 TCe 140 1.8 RS 300 1.5 Blue dCi 115

138 298 113

127 9.5 162-163 5.4-5.7 118 11.1

46.3 34.9 62.8

137-150 185 121-126

Tarraco 5dr SUV £28,950–£39,940

Seat’s largest SUV brings a hint of youthful exuberance to a practical category. LxWxH 4735x1839x1674 Kerb weight 1845kg

1.5 TSI EVO 150 Mégane Sport Tourer 5dr estate £19,725-£23,985 AAABC 2.0 TSI 4Drive 190 Stylish and refined estate car is still bland like the hatch. Smaller 2.0 TDI 150 than its predecessor. LxWxH 4626x1814x1457 Kerb weight 1409kg 2.0 TDI 4Drive 150 1.3 TCe 140 138 127 9.8 47.1 139-152 2.0 TDI 4Drive 190 1.5 Blue dCi 115 113 129 11.4 64.2 119-127

Grand Scenic 5dr MPV £23,515–£28,255

AAABC

Good-looking seven-seat MPV is bland to drive and the third row seats are tight. LxWxH 4634x1866x1655 Kerb weight 1495kg 1.3 TCe 140 1.7 dCi 120

138 117

119 120

10.3 12.1

46.3 51.4

Captur 5dr SUV £17,625-£24,825

156-160 145-158

AAAAC

148 188 148 148 188

125 131 126 123 130

9.7 8.0 9.8 9.8 8.0

35.3-37.2 39.0 37.2-47.1 37.2-39.8 37.2-38.2

167-170 206 156-157 187-188 193-194

S KO DA

Citigo-e 3dr hatch £20,455–£22,815

1.0 TCe 100 1.3 TCe 130 1.3 TCe 155 1.5 dCi 95 1.5 dCi 115

97 128 151 93 113

107 121 126 110 116

13.3 10.6 8.6 14.4 11.0-11.9

Kadjar 5dr SUV £21,125-£31,385

136-137 141-148 142-146 124-130 125-131

138 158 113 148

126 130 117 123

10.4 9.9 11.7 10.0

42.8 44.1 56.5 49.7-54.3

147-152 149-50 135-136 142-155

1.7 Blue dCi 150 2.0 Blue dCi 190

148 188

118 123

11.8 10.1

R O L L S - R OYC E

Wraith 2dr coupé £251,295–£288,465

45.6 40.9

161-162 181-183

Karoq 5dr SUV £22,560-£35,780

624

155

4.6

Dawn 2dr open £275,295-£313,725 6.6 V12

563

155

5.0

16.7-17.1

372-381

6.75 TV12

563

155

5.1-5.2

LxWxH 3557x1643x1474 Kerb weight 1160kg 12.3

Ibiza 5dr hatch £15,835–£22,105

10.9 9.7

92 113 148 113

117 125 136 124-125

10.9 9.8 8.2 10.1-10.3

162

0

50.4-51.4 124-128 49.6-51.4 125-129

50.4 49.6-51.4 47.9-49.7 58.9-60.1

127-127 125-129 130-134 123-127

AAAAC

113 148 241 113 148 182

126 136 155 126 135 142

9.6-9.7 7.8-7.9 6.4 9.8 8.1 7.7

Octavia Estate 5dr estate £20,895-£31,055

45.6-50.4 44.1-48.7 37.7 53.3-58.9 53.3-56.5 47.9

126-141 132-145 169 126-139 132-139 156

AAAAC

Class-leading amount of space and practicality. Comfortable, too.

LxWxH 4667x1814x1465 Kerb weight 1247kg 113 148 188 241 113 148 182

124-125 9.8 134 7.9-8.0 143 7.4 155 6.5 124-125 9.8-9.9 132-134 8.2-8.3 135-140 7.7-8.2

42.8-48.7 42.8-46.3 35.3-39.8 36.7 51.4-56.5 52.8-53.3 45.6

131-149 137-149 160-182 174 131-144 140-149 174

AAAAC

Another great Czech value option that’s big on quality and space if not on price. LxWxH 4861x1864x1468 Kerb weight 1340kg

AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 2.0 TSI 190 2.0 TSI 272 4X4 6.75 TV12 563 155 5.2 17.0-17.3 370-377 1.4 iV PHEV 1.6 TDI 120 S E AT 2.0 TDI 150 Mii Electric 5dr hatch £22,800 AAABC 2.0 TDI 190 Not as desirable or plush as the e-Up but nearly as good to drive.

2.0 TDI 190 4X4 81

115 122

Does comfort and practicality like no other. Good, frugal engines too. LxWxH 4670x1814x1461 Kerb weight 1225kg

Big, bold new 4x4 begins the next era for the brand, with a model that convinces. LxWxH 5341x2164x1835 Kerb weight 2730kg

81

94 108

Superb 5dr hatch £24,505-£39,900 19.5-19.6 341-356

Cullinan 4dr SUV £254,055

37kWh electric

148 188 270 215 118 148 187 187

137 148 155 138 128 135-137 145 143

8.3-8.5 7.7 5.5 7.7 10.5-10.6 8.5-8.6 8.3 8.0

40.9-45.6 141-157 35.3-38.2 TBC 32.8 194 148.7-188.3 33-42 52.3 142 50.4-52.3 140-146 50.4 147 44.8 166

Superb Estate 5dr estate £25,785-£41,605

79 93 113 93

106 113 121 113

14.6 10.9 9.3 7.5

Leon 5dr hatch £18,860–£32,825

AAAAB enormous boot. LxWxH 4856x1864x1477 Kerb weight 1365kg 1.5 TSI 150 148 135 8.4-8.6 39.2-43.5 146-163 2.0 TSI 190 188 142 7.7 35.3-37.7 167-172 49.6-50.4 125-128 2.0 TSI 272 4X4 270 155 5.6 32.5 197-198 51.4-52.3 122-124 1.4 iV PHEV 215 138 7.8 148.7-176.6 36-42 48.7 131 1.6 TDI 120 118 127-128 10.6-10.7 49.6 148-150 56.5-58.9 127-130 2.0 TDI 150 148 132-135 8.6-8.8 49.6-52.3 142-150 2.0 TDI 190 187 TBC TBC 48.7 151-152 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 190 4X4 187 142 7.4 43.5 170-171

A creditable effort and a notable improvement in form, with plenty of niche appeal. LxWxH 4282x1816x1459 Kerb weight 1202kg

Kamiq 5dr SUV £17,690–£24,735

1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 2.0 TSI Cupra 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI 150 1.6 TDI 115

113 128 148 288 113 148

121 126 134 155 122 134

9.8 9.4 8.2 6.0 9.8 8.4

EQ Fortwo 3dr hatch/open £20,350-£27,135

51.4-53.3 45.6-50.4 44.8-48.7 38.7 57.6-58.9 55.4-56.5

120-125 126-129 131-143 170 125-129 134-137

AAABC

Skoda’s supermini platform has birthed a practical but predictable compact crossover. LxWxH 4241x1793x1553 Kerb weight 1251kg 93 112 148 112

112 120 132 119

11.1 9.9 8.3 10.2

48.7-49.6 47.1-48.7 46.3-47.9 55.4-56.5

129-131 131-136 134-139 132-134

ph

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0-6

0/6

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AAAAC 106 106 103

11.8 11.4 11.1

52.9 54.1 48.6

126 117 127 AAABC

Electric Drive

79

100

90

11.9

35.8

178 AAABC

81

it’s no class leader. LxWxH 3840x1735x1495 Kerb weight 890kg 1.2 Dualjet 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 4x4 1.4 Boosterjet Sport

11.5-11.8 74-83

0

EQ Forfour 5dr hatch £20,785-£23,085

87 87 138

111 105 130

11.9 12.6 8.1

56.4 49.7 47.0

Vitara 5dr SUV £20,849-£25,149

113 128 TBC AAABC

Utterly worthy addition to the class drives better than most.

LxWxH 4175x1775x1610 Kerb weight 1075kg 1.4 Boosterjet 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip

136 136

124 124

9.5 10.2

43.6 37.7

SX4 S-Cross 5dr SUV £25,709-£25,809

131 139 AAABC

A worthy crossover if not a class leader. Refreshed looks give a lease of life. LxWxH 4300x1785x1585 Kerb weight 1160kg 1.4 Boosterjet 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip

136 136

124 124

9.5 10.2

40.6 37.7

157 164

TESLA

Model S 5dr hatch £82,245–£96,845

AAAAB

Large range makes it not only a standout EV but also the future of luxury motoring. LxWxH 4978x1963x1445 Kerb weight 2108kg

AAACC Long range Performance

Pricey, EV-only two-seater has urban appeal but is short on performance. LxWxH 2695x1663x1555 Kerb weight 1085kg

602 602

155 155

4.1 2.4

379 368

Model 3 4dr saloon £43,045–£56,545

0 0 AAAAC

Lowest-price, biggest-volume Tesla yet arrives in the UK after

AAACC wooing the US. LxWxH 4694x1849x1443 Kerb weight 1726kg Four doors give the Smart more mainstream practicality. Still Standard range plus 235 140 5.3 254 0 expensive, though. LxWxH 3495x1665x1554 Kerb weight 1200kg Long range 346 145 4.4 348 0 Electric Drive 79 81 12.7 71-80 0 Performance 449 162 3.2 329 0

126 113

99-106 11.0-12.0 35.3-38.2 166 107-109 12.0 45.3-54.3 140

Tivoli XLV 5dr SUV £20,060-£23,100

AAABC

Now grown in size for more practicality but that doesn’t increase the Tivoli’s appeal. LxWxH 4440x1798x1635 Kerb weight 1405kg 126 113

99-106 11.0-12.0 34.9-37.2 173 107-109 12.0 42.8-51.4 144-184

Korando 5dr SUV £19,995–£31,995 161 133 133

118-120 12.0 112 12.0 112 12.0

TBC 48.7 43.5

Musso 5dr SUV £25,131–£35,031

172 159 178

178

115-121 12.2

TBC

Rexton 5dr SUV £35,450-£38,950

TBC AAABC

A vast improvement. Better on the road but without ditching its argicultural roots. LxWxH 4850x1960x1825 Kerb weight 2102kg 2.2d 181

178

115

AAAAB

A genuine luxury seven-seat electric SUV that also has a large range. LxWxH 5036x2070x1684 Kerb weight 2459kg Long range Performance

602 602

155 155

4.7 2.8

315 303

0 0

T OYO TA

Aygo 3dr hatch £9855–£14,055

AAACC

Impactful styling does a lot to recommend it, but not as refined nor as practical as some. LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg 1.0 VVT-i

71

99

13.8

56.5

Yaris 5dr hatch £15,425-£20,690

113-114 AAABC

11.3-11.9 34.0

Turismo 5dr MPV £19,680-£26,180

Toyotas. LxWxH 3495x1695x1510 Kerb weight 975kg

1.0 VVT-I 1.5 VVT-I 1.5 VVT-I Hybrid

67 108 71

96 108 102

15.3 48.7 131 11.0-11.2 45.6-47.1 135-141 11.8 56.5 112

C-HR 5dr SUV £25,665-32,635 AAAAC AAACC Coupé-shaped crossover certainly turns heads and impresses on

Practical pick-up has a refined engine and direct steering, but ride needs refinement. LxWxH 5095x1950x1840 Kerb weight 2155kg 2.2d 181

Model X 5dr SUV £87,245–£104,845

AAACC Stylish interior but ultimately a scaled-down version of bigger

Competitive towing capabilities and generous kit, but still lacks dynamics. LxWxH 4450x1870x1629 Kerb weight 1610kg

219-220 AAACC

the road. LxWxH 4360x1795x1565 Kerb weight 1320kg 1.8 Hybrid 2.0 Hybrid

119 181

105 112

11.0 8.2

57.7-58.9 109-110 53.3-54.3 119

Camry 4dr saloon £30,035-£31,315

AAAAC

Toyota’s biggest global seller returns to UK with ULEZ-friendly hybrid power. LxWxH 4885x1840x1445 Kerb weight 1595kg 2.5 VVT-I Hybrid

215

112

8.3

51.4-53.3 120-126

Corolla 5dr hatch £24,180-£30,015

AAAAC

Incredibly ungainly but offers huge real estate for the money.

LxWxH 5130x1915x1850 Kerb weight 2115kg

Rebranded hatch has rolling refinement, interior ambience and affable handling. LxWxH 4370x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1340kg

2.2d 178

1.8 VVT-I Hybrid 2.0 VVT-I Hybrid

175

Impreza 5dr hatch £25,795

108-116 TBC

TBC

TBC

SUBARU

AAACC

Appealing hatchback has been steadily improved but still feels old-fashioned. LxWxH 4415x1740x1465 Kerb weight 1374kg 1.6i

112

112

12.4

TBC

Levorg 5dr estate £30,010

TBC AAACC

Impressively practical but only offered with an automatic gearbox and one trim. LxWxH 4690x1780x1490 Kerb weight 1568kg 2.0i

148

121

11.7

32.6

TBC

No-nonsense crossover doesn’t quite make enough sense.

LxWxH 4450x1780x1615 Kerb weight 1355kg 2.0i

148

120

10.7

35.7

Forester 5dr estate £35,475-£38,475 148

117

34.7

Outback 5dr estate £32,465-£35,465

TBC

33.0

TBC

The GT86’s half-brother looks great in Subaru blue. Cheaper, too.

LxWxH 4240x1775x1320 Kerb weight 1242kg 140

7.6

122 180

111 111

11.1 8.1

33.3

191

AAAAC

57.6-62.8 103-113 53.3 119-121

RAV4 5dr SUV £30,655-£37,700

AAACC

A solid option but ultimately outgunned by Korean competition.

LxWxH 4605x1845x1675 Kerb weight 1605kg 194 194

112 112

8.4 8.4

48.7-50.4 126-129 47.8-48.7 129-131 AAABC

A real go-anywhere vehicle. Totally rugged and available with seven seats. LxWxH 4335x1885x1875 Kerb weight 2010kg 171

109

12.1-12.7 27.4-31.7 234-255

GT86 2dr coupé £27,820-£29,515

AAAAB

Almost the most fun you can have on a limited budget. Splendid.

LxWxH 4240x1775x1320 Kerb weight 1247kg 197

130-140 7.6-8.2

33.2

191 AAAAC

Brings welcome muscle, fun and variety to the affordable sports car class. LxWxH 4379x1292x1854 Kerb weight 1541kg

AAAAA 3.0i

197

57.6-62.8 103-112 53.3 119-121

GR Supra 2dr coupé £53,010-£56,810

BRZ 2dr coupé £30,715 2.0i

1.8 VVT-I Hybrid 2.0 VVT-I Hybrid

AABCC 2.0i

Acceptable in isolation but no class leader.

10.9 7.9

More practical estate bodystyle proves just as capable with hybrid power. LxWxH 4650x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1440kg

AAACC 2.8 D-4D

11.8

111 111

Land Cruiser 5dr SUV £35,285–£54,635

TBC

Solid, spacious and wilfully unsexy. A capable 4x4 nonetheless.

LxWxH 4610x1795x1735 Kerb weight 1488kg 2.0i e-Boxer

122 180

Corolla Sports Tourer 5dr estate £25,450-£31,730

2.5 Hybrid AAACC 2.5 Hybrid AWD

XV 5dr SUV £30,795-£32,795

AAAAC LxWxH 4815x1840x1605 Kerb weight 1612kg Even more commendable than above, primarily thanks to its 2.5i 172 130 10.2

Reinvigorated Ibiza is more mature and takes the class honours from the Fiesta. LxWxH 4059x1780x1444 Kerb weight 1091kg 1.0 MPI 80 1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 115 1.6 TDI 95

SMART

1.6 128 AAAAC 1.6d 115

Octavia 5dr hatch £19,695-£29,855

1.0 TSI 115 Ghost 4dr saloon £233,235–£270,405 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 ‘A ffordable’ Rolls is a more driver-focused car than the Phantom.

2.0 TSI 190 4x4 Still hugely special. LxWxH 5399x1948x1550 Kerb weight 2360kg 2.0 TSI 245 vRS 6.6 V12 563 155 4.9-5.0 16.5-17.3 367-384 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150 Phantom 4dr saloon £362,055-£434,055 AAAAA 2.0 TDI 184 vRS

Phantom takes opulent luxury to a whole level.

LxWxH 5762x2018x1646 Kerb weight 2560kg

50.4-51.3 124-127 49.6-51.4 125-128

language for Skoda. LxWxH 4362x1793x1471 Kerb weight 1381kg

1.0 TSI 115 AAAAB 1.5 TSI 150 2.0 TSI 245 vRS 1.6 TDI 115 17.3-17.9 357-369 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 184 vRS AAAAB

Essentially as above, except with a detuned engine and in elegant convertible form. LxWxH 5295x1947x1502 Kerb weight 2560kg

10.8 9.6

(m

AAAAC Given mature looks, more equipment and a hybrid powertrain, but

Yeti replacement may not have its forebear’s quirkiness, but it’s brilliant otherwise. LxWxH 4382x1841x1603 Kerb weight 1265kg

1.5 GDI-Turbo Scala 5dr hatch £16,930-£24,110 AAAAC 1.6L 2WD Undercuts rivals on price and ushers in a sharp new design 1.6L 4WD

An intimate and involving Rolls. Not as grand as some, but other traits make it great. LxWxH 5285x1947x1507 Kerb weight 2360kg 6.6 V12

114 121

Far more practical, majoring on boot space while doing what a good Skoda should. LxWxH 4271x1958x1473 Kerb weight 1182kg

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 115 Koleos 5dr SUV £27,965–£32,965 AAABC 1.5 TSI 150 Koleos name returns and is a vast improvement on before, but no 1.6 TDI 115

class leader. LxWxH 4672x2063x1678 Kerb weight 1540kg

94 108

ed

Swift 5dr hatch £13,789-£19,079

AAAAC

Fabia Estate 5dr estate £15,260-£19,105

AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 110

Fine value, practical, decent to drive and good-looking, but the Qashqai is classier. LxWxH 4449x1836x1607 Kerb weight 1306kg 1.3 TCe 140 1.3 TCe 160 1.5 Blue dCi 115 1.7 Blue dCi 150

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 110

87 87 87

1.5 VVT

Fabia 5dr hatch £12,630–£18,220 AAABC 1.6 128 AAAAC Comfortable, affordable, easy to drive and attractive, but no more 1.6d 115

47.9 45.6 45.6 56.5-58.9 56.5-58.9

pe

Charming 4x4 is capable and affordable but retains its dynamic foibles. LxWxH 3645x1645x1725 Kerb weight 1135kg

S S A N G YO N G A Czech take on the city car is more fun to drive than its plain-Jane exterior suggests. LxWxH 3597x1641x1478 Kerb weight 1214kg Tivoli 5dr SUV £14,485–£20,165 AAABC 37kWh iV electric 80 81 12.3 170 0 Trails the Duster as the best-value small crossover – but not by much. LxWxH 4195x1795x1590 Kerb weight 1270kg

Jacked-up Clio is among the better downsized options. Stylish and so than its rivals. LxWxH 4009x1958x1452 Kerb weight 1151kg fluent-riding. LxWxH 4122x1778x1566 Kerb weight 1184kg 1.0 MPI 60 58 98 16.6 50.4 127

T

s op

Jimny 3dr SUV £16,564–£19,064

1.0 TSI 115 113 116 10.6 40.4-44.1 146-159 Zoe 5dr hatch £29,170-£32,870 AAABC Ateca 5dr SUV £23,025-£36,975 AAAAB 1.5 TSI 150 148 126 8.1-8.3 38.2-41.5 154-167 A far more practical zero-emission solution. Attractive price, too. Seat’s first SUV is very good. So good, in fact, it’s a Qashqai beater. 20 TSI 190 4x4 188 132 7.3 33.2 192 LxWxH 4084x1730x1562 Kerb weight 1470kg LxWxH 4363x1841x1601 Kerb weight 1280kg 1.6 TDI 115 113 116 11.0-11.1 46.3-49.6 149-159 50kWh R110 107 84 11.4 239 0 1.0 EcoTSI 115 113 114 11.0 42.8-42.8 147-154 2.0 TDI 150 148 127 9.0 49.6-50.4 147-150 50kWh R135 132 87 9.5 239 0 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 123 8.6 33.6-41.5 150-154 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 148 121 8.8 42.8-44.8 165-173 2.0 TSI 190 4Drive 187 132 7.9 32.5-33.6 190-191 2.0 TDI 190 4x4 188 131 7.4 41.5 177 Clio 5dr hatch £14,685-£20,825 AAAAC 1.6 TDI 115 113 114 11.5 44.1-54.3 145-148 Plusher, smoother, and much more mature. A car of substance as 2.0 TDI 150 148 122 9.0 46.3-50.4 149-151 Kodiaq 5dr SUV £26,450-£44,480 AAAAC well as style. LxWxH 4047x1728x1440 Kerb weight 1148kg 2.0 TDI 190 4Drive 187 132 7.5 TBC 180-181 Skoda’s first seven-seat SUV is a viable alternative to a traditional MPV. LxWxH 4697x1882x1676 Kerb weight 1430kg 1.0 SCe 75 72 100 16.4 52.3 121-122 1.0 TCe 100 98 116 11.8 47.9-54.3 117-131 Alhambra 5dr MPV £31,315-£39,170 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 148 123 9.3 36.2-37.7 165-176 1.3 TCe 130 128 124 9.0 49.6 131 This cheaper version of the VW Sharan is spacious, versatile and 2.0 TSI 190 4x4 188 TBC TBC 30.0-31.7 201-205 good to drive. LxWxH 4854x1904x1730 Kerb weight 1755kg 1.5 dCi 85 82 110 14.7 67.2 110 2.0 TDI 150 148 123 9.8 44.8-46.3 161-165 1.4 TSI 150 148 124 9.9 33.2-35.8 178-179 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 148 120-122 9.4-9.6 38.7-42.8 172-190 Mégane 5dr hatch £18,325-£50,585 AAABC 2.0 TDI Ecomotive 150 148 123-124 10.2-10.3 38.7-44.1 168-169 2.0 TDI 190 4x4 187 130 8.3 38.7-39.2 188-191 Stylish and refined but bland. Trophy-R hot hatch an altogether 2.0 TDI 177 174 130 9.3 40.4 182 2.0 BiTDI 239 4x4 vRS 237 136 7.0 35.3 211

different prospect. LxWxH 4359x1814x1447 Kerb weight 1340kg

)

SUZUKI

AAAAC 107 113 127 107

hp

Cute and rugged-looking 4x4 city car capable of tackling roads bereft of asphalt. LxWxH 3700x1660x1595 Kerb weight 855kg

Seat’s second SUV doesn’t disappoint, with it taking charge of the class dynamically. LxWxH 4138x1780x1543 Kerb weight 1165kg

R E N A U LT

Twizy 2dr hatch £6695–£7795

r (b

Ignis 5dr hatch £13,289-£16,769

LxWxH 4549x1816x1454 Kerb weight 1236kg

1.0 TSI 115 113 2.2 Turbo 360 165 3.1 NA NA 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 RXC GT 2dr open £145,000 AAABC 2.0 TSI Cupra 288 Designed for pounding around a track; out of its element on the 1.6 TDI 115 113 road. LxWxH 4300x1960x1127 Kerb weight 1125kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 3.5 V6 400 400 179 2.8 NA NA 3.5 V6 650 650 180 2.7 NA NA Arona 5dr SUV £18,035-£25,125

P

e ow

335

155

4.3

Prius 5dr hatch £24,350-£29,010

34.5

188 AAAAC

Better all round compared with its predecessors. Challenging looks, though. LxWxH 4540x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1375kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid

120

112

10.6

Prius Plug-in Hybrid 5dr hatch £31,125-£34,095

58.9-67.3 94-109 AAAAC

Plug-in version is clever and appealing. Seems more comfortable in its skin. LxWxH 4645x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1530kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid

120

101

11.1

Prius+ 5dr MPV £27,895–£30,220

188.3-217.3 29-35 AAACC

Expensive, old and ugly variant of the Prius, but can carry seven.

LxWxH 4645x1775x1575 Kerb weight 1500kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid

132

103

11.3

47.1-48.7 132-135

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 87

N E W CAR PR I CES W H AT ’ S C O M I N G W H E N

P

e ow

r (b

hp

)

T

s op

pe

ed

(m

ph

)

0 0-6

/62

mp

h E

m y nge n o /Ra c o MPG

)

C

(

(g/ O2

km

)

P

1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 1.6 TDI 120 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 190 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion 2,0 BiTDI 240 4Motion

e ow

r (b

215 116 148 188 188 238

hp

)

T

s op

pe

138 124 130-132 144 140 150

ed

(m

ph

)

0 0-6

/62

mp

7.6 11.5 9.1 8.1 7.9 6.7

Arteon 4dr saloon £33,075–£43,775

h E

m y nge n o /Ra c o MPG

)

C

(

201.8 48.7 53.3-57.6 47.9-48.7 45.6 37.2-38.2

(g/ O2

km

)

P

e ow

r (b

hp

)

T

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pe

ed

(m

ph

)

0-6

0/6

2m

ph Ec

y e o m ang o n MPG/R (

) (g/

km

)

CO 2

33 151 128-138 153-155 163 192-193

AAABC

VW’s flagship saloon is well-made and luxurious but rather bland to drive. LxWxH 4862x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1505kg

Toyota Yaris On sale September, price £16,000 (est) Toyota’s European sales star moves to a new generation with essentially nothing carried over.

The fourth-gen Yaris gets a new platform, a sporty external redesign and a clever new three-cylinder hybrid powertrain that is promised to be 15% more powerful than the old top-line motor yet 20% more efficient. Non-hybrid motors are also available. There is lots of noise about it being more fun to drive than ever, which our test of a prototype seems to verify. We’re a few weeks away from a definitive verdict, though.

MARCH

Alpina B3, BMW X5 M, X6 M, Fiat Panda Mild Hybrid, Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-AMG GLE 53, GLE 53 Coupé, Skoda Citigo-e iV, Smart EQ Forfour facelift, EQ Fortwo facelift, Uniti One, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet, Volvo XC40 PHEV APRIL

Aston Martin DBX, Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, GLB 35, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Polestar 1, Porsche 718 Boxster GTS, 718 Cayman GTS, Seat Leon M AY

Audi A3 Sportback, Ford Kuga, Hyundai i20, i30 facelift, Land Rover Discovery Sport PHEV, Range Rover Evoque PHEV, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, Mini JCW GP, Skoda Octavia, Vauxhall Insignia facelift

2.0 TSI 190 2.0 TSI 272 4Motion 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 190 Insignia Grand Sport 5dr hatch £20,075–£42,510 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion The good-looking and tech-filled Insignia makes an attractive 2.0 BiTDI 240 4Motion

proposition. LxWxH 4897x1863x1455 Kerb weight 1714kg 1.5 Turbo 140 1.5 Turbo 165 1.6 Turbo D 110 1.6 Turbo D 136 2.0 Turbo D 170 2.0 BiTurbo D 210 4x4

138 162 108 134 167 207

130 9.3 138 8.4 127 10.9 126-131 9.9-10.2 139-140 8.2-8.4 144 7.4-7.5

46.3 46.3 57.7 57.7 53.3 37.7-40.9

Crossland X 5dr SUV £18,435-£24,460

140 140-141 128-129 130-131 138-140 186-197

AAABC

Vauxhall’s small SUV is competent enough but lacks any real character. LxWxH 4212x1765x1605 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.2i 83 1.2i Turbo 110 1.2i Turbo 130 1.5 Turbo D 102 1.5 Turbo D 120

81 108 128 101 116

105 117 128 111 114

14.0 10.6 9.1 9.9 10.8

47.1 47.1 44.1-48.0 61.4 55.4

106 109 108-113 106 103

Grandland X 5dr SUV £23,945–£46,650

J U LY

Aston Martin Vantage Volante, Audi S3, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda Jazz, Jaguar F-Pace facelift, Jeep Gladiator, Lamborghini Sián FKP 37, Lexus LC Convertible, Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, GLE 63 Coupé, Pininfarina Battista, Porsche 911 Turbo, Volkswagen Golf GTE, ID 3 AU G U S T

Alpina B8, Jaguar XF facelift, Jeep Renegade PHEV, Honda Civic Type R facelift, Kia Sorento, Lotus Evija, Mercedes-AMG GT R Black Series, Seat Ateca facelift, Volkswagen Touareg R PHEV SEPTEMBER

Audi A3 saloon, Q5 facelift, Cupra Leon PHEV, Jaguar E-Pace facelift, Maserati Ghibli facelift, Levante facelift, Quattroporte facelift, Mercedes-AMG GT 73 4-Door Coupé, Mercedes-Benz E-Class facelift, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, Skoda Octavia PHEV, Toyota RAV4 PHEV, Yaris, Volkswagen Golf GTD, Golf GTI, Golf R OCTOBER

Audi A3 E-tron, RS3, Cupra Formentor, DS saloon, Ferrari Roma, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Tucson, Maserati sports car, Mercedes-Benz CLA PHEV, Mini Countryman facelift, Skoda Octavia vRS, Ssangyong Korando EV, Subaru Levorg, Volvo XC40 Recharge N OV E M B E R

1.2 Turbo 110 1.5 Turbo D 100 1.5 Turbo D 130

108 99 128

109 107 115

11.9 12.7 10.6

42.4 122-125 50.8-50.9 107-111 50.7-50.9 106-112

Up 3dr/5dr hatch £12,470–£23,195

AAAAC

It’s no revolution, but VW’s hallmarks are in abundance.

LxWxH 3600x1428x1504 Kerb weight 926kg

138-178 160-190 102-107 117-121 130-168 149-197

2.0 T5 AWD 2.0 T6 AWD 2.0 D4 AWD AAAAC 2.0 D5 AWD

Dull overall, but it’s a capable MPV, well-made and hugely refined.

LxWxH 4527x1829x1659 Kerb weight 1436kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

148 113 148

118 11.4 118 11.4 128-129 9.3

39.8-41.5 154-161 50.4 148-155 50.4-52.3 143-147

AAAAB

AAAAC

Good handling and nice engines, but its working-class roots still show through. LxWxH 4370x1809x1485 Kerb weight 1244kg 1.2 Turbo 110 1.2 Turbo 130 1.2 Turbo 145 1.4 Turbo 145 1.5 Turbo D 105 1.5 Turbo D 122

108 128 143 143 102 118

124 134 137 130 124 127-130

10.2 9.9 9.7 9.3 10.2 9.7-10.2

54.3 54.3 54.3 50.4 65.7 56.5-64.2

Astra Sports Tourer 5dr estate £20,365-£26,115

120-121 119-120 121-124 131-134 113-115 117-132

AAAAC

More composed and practical than the hatchback.

LxWxH 4702x1809x1510 Kerb weight 1273kg 1.2 Turbo 110 1.2 Turbo 130 1.2 Turbo 145 1.4 Turbo 145 1.5 Turbo D 105 1.5 Turbo D 122

108 128 142 142 102 118

124 134 137 130 124 130

10.0 9.5 9.0 9.2 10.2 9.8

88 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

53.3 53.3 53.3 47.9 65.7 64.2

123 122 124 134 114 118

7.4 6.3 8.8 7.5

32.5 32.5 43.5 40.9

196 196 171 181 AAAAC

126 160 186 243 258 147 147 187

115 124 130 140 127 124 124 130

10.9 9.3-9.6 8.4-8.5 6.5 7.3 9.9-10.2 10.4 7.9

41.5 39.2-41.5 35.3-36.7 34.0 117.7-141.1 47.1-51.4 44.8 44.1

XC60 5dr SUV £38,100–£64,530

154 154-162 174-181 189 45-55 143-156 165 166

AAABC

Compact crossover delivers a classy, substantial feel on UK roads. Looks like a small XC90 and carries on where the old one left off. A good, capable cruiser. LxWxH 4688x1999x1658 Kerb weight 1781kg 2.0 B5 AWD (P) 2.0 B6 AWD (P) 2.0 D4 2.0 B4 AWD (D) 2.0 B5 AWD (D) AAAAC 2.0 T8 Twin Engine AWD

47.1-47.9 45.6-47.1 44.1 52.3-54.3

134-135 137-140 145-148 136-140

1.0 60 1.0 115 GTI e-Up

2.0 TSI 190 4Motion 2.0 TSI R 300 4Motion 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

187 298 113 148

134 155 116 124

7.2 4.9 10.3 8.6

Tiguan 5dr SUV £25,000–£42,675

34.0-34.4 32.1 49.6-52.3 49.6-52.3

186 197 138-139 141-147

AAAAC

1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 119 10.2 42.8-44.8 128-150 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 126 9.2-9.3 38.2-42.2 143-168 2.0 TSI 190 4Motion 188 133 7.5 31.4 204 2.0 TSI 230 4Motion 228 142 6.3 30.1-30.4 211-212 Polo 5dr hatch £15,400–£23,830 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 150 148 125-127 9.3 47.1-50.4 146-157 A thorough going-over makes it more mature, but the Polo is still a 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 124-125 9.3 43.5-45.6 163-171 bit boring. LxWxH 4053x1946x1461 Kerb weight 1105kg 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion 187 131 7.9 39.8-40.4 186-187 1.0 80 78 106 15.4 51.4 125-126 2.0 BiTDI 240 4Motion 238 143 6.2 35.3 210 1.0 TSI 95 93 116 10.8 46.3-50.4 127-139 1.0 TSI 115 113 124 9.5 46.3-51.4 124-137 Tiguan Allspace 5dr SUV £31,485–£45,100 AAAAC 2.0 TSI GTI 200 197 147 6.7 39.8 159-160 Has all the Tiguan’s sensibility and refinement, now with the bonus of seven seats. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 1.6 TDI 95 93 115 10.8 57.6 127 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 123 9.5-10 36.7-38.7 165-175 Golf 3dr/5dr hatch £18,765–£31,075 AAAAB 2.0 TSI 190 4Motion 188 130 7.8 30.7 208 Does exactly what everyone expects. Still the king of the family 2.0 TSI 220 4Motion 217 139 6.8 28.5 224 car. LxWxH 4258x1790x1492 Kerb weight 1206kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.7 44.8 164-165 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 130 9.1 52.3 122 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 123-124 9.8 39.8 183-185 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 134 8.3 51.4 124-125 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion 187 130 8.2 39.2 190 2.0 TDI 115 113 126 10.2 65.7-67.3 110-113 2.0 BiTDI 240 4Motion 237 142 6.8 34.9 213 2.0 TDI 150 148 133-134 8.6 62.8 117 e-Golf 134 93 9.6 TBC 0 Touareg 5dr SUV £49,435–£58,835 AAAAC 59 113 81

100 119 80

14.4 8.8 12.4

50.4 53.3 159

124-127 120-121 0

248 298 185 194 232 386

130 140 127 127 137 140

6.9 5.9 8.4 8.3 7.1 5.5

36.2-38.6 33.2 47.9 46.3 46.3 83.1-100.9

167-177 188 155 159 159 53-69

2.0 B5 AWD (P) 2.0 B6 AWD (P) 2.0 B5 AWD (D) 2.0 T8 Twin Engine

248 298 233 387

134 140 137 140

7.7 6.3 7.6 5.8

33.6 31.0 44.1 80.7-113

191 198 167 57-80

VUHL

05 0dr open £59,995–£89,995

AAAAC

Mexican track-day special has a pleasingly pragmatic and forgiving chassis. LxWxH 3718x1876x1120 Kerb weight 725kg 2.0 DOHC Turbo 2.3 DOHC Turbo RR

285 385

152 158

3.7 2.7

NA NA

NA NA

WESTFIELD

Sport 2dr coupé £19,950–£35,800

AAAAC

Sport Turbo is very quick and fun but not a patch on the Caterhams. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC

1.6 Sigma 1.6 Sigma 2.0 Duratec 2.0 Ecoboost

135 155 200 252

TBC TBC TBC TBC

TBC TBC TBC TBC

TBC TBC TBC TBC

Mega 2dr coupé £16,950

TBC TBC TBC TBC AAABC

Mega engine makes it rapid, but isn’t as fun as Caterham’s R range.

And you have to build it yourself. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC

2.0 VTEC S2000

240

TBC

TBC

NA

NA

ZENOS

E10 0dr coupé £26,995–£39,995

AAAAB

The latest in a long line of mid-engined British marvels. Expect a dedicated following. LxWxH 3800x1870x1130 Kerb weight 700kg Hints of ritziness and sportiness don’t impinge on this functional Golf Estate 5dr estate £22,155-£37,000 AAAAB luxury SUV’s appeal. LxWxH 4878x2193x1717 Kerb weight 1995kg 2.0 Ecoboost S 250 145 4.0 NA NA Practical load-lugging estate doesn’t erode the well-rounded Golf 3.0 V6 TSI 340 335 155 5.9 26.2-26.9 205-244 2.3 Ecoboost R 350 155 3.0 NA NA package. LxWxH 4567x1799x1515 Kerb weight 1295kg 3.0 V6 TDI 231 228 135 7.5 34.0-34.4 214-217 108 128 148 296 113 148

124 131 135 155 124 134-135

10.2 9.5 8.7 4.8 10.7 8.9

49.6-50.4 129 48.7-50.4 132 47.9-49.6 TBC 32.5-32.8 194 52.3-54.3 TBC 52.3-53.3 TBC

1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

113 128 148 113 148

3.0 V6 TDI 286

282

148

S60 4dr saloon £38,285–£56,105

11.3 9.6 8.8 11.0 9.2

48.7 46.3-49.6 42.8-46.3 52.3-55.4 50.4-52.3

132 116-122 120-122 113-116 120-122

33.6-34.4 215-220 AAAAC

Fresh-faced saloon now sits comfortably among the ranks of its German peers. LxWxH 4761x1916x1437 Kerb weight 1616kg

2.0 T5 248 AAAAC 2.0 T8 Twin Engine 390 2.0 T8 Twin Engine Polestar 399

119 126 132 119 130

6.1

V O LV O

145 155 155

6.5 4.6 4.4

V60 5dr estate £35,025-£57,206

39.8 162 122.8-176.5 42 104.5 61 AAAAB

Spacious and comfortable, with a characterful, Scandi-cool design.

LxWxH 4761x1916x1427 Kerb weight 1729kg

2.0 T4 187 137 7.2 38.7 166 2.0 T5 246 145 6.7 38.7 166 2.0 T8 Twin Engine 387 155 4.9 113-166.1 TBC Passat 4dr saloon £25,610-£40,970 AAAAC 2.0 T8 Twin Engine Polestar 401 155 4.6 104.5 TBC Lands blows on rivals with its smart looks, civilised refinement, 2.0 D3 147 127 9.5 51.4-55.4 134-143 quality and usability. LxWxH 4767x2083x1476 Kerb weight 1367kg 2.0 D4 187 137 7.6 52.3-55.4 134-141 VA U X H A L L 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 137 8.7 47.1 135-136 Corsa 3dr/5dr hatch £15,780-£34,160 AAABC 2.0 TSI 190 188 148 7.5 37.2-37.7 169-172 V60 Cross Country 5dr estate £40,600-£40,775 AAAAC Refined, stylish and practical, but its engines aren’t so good.

1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 215 138 7.4 217.3 30 Brings extra ride height, all-wheel drive and off-road body cladding.

LxWxH 4060x1765x1433 Kerb weight 1141kg LxWxH 4784x1916x1499 Kerb weight 1792kg 1.6 TDI 120 116 127 11.3 51.4 144 1.2 75 72 108 13.2 53.3 125 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.9 58.9-60.1 124-133 2.0 T5 248 140 6.8 35.8 180 1.2 100 97 121 9.9 52.3 125-126 2.0 TDI 190 188 147 7.9 49.6-50.4 146-149 2.0 D4 187 130 8.2 47.9 155 1.5 Turbo D 102 98 117 10.2 70.6 110-111 2.0 TDI 190 4Motion 188 144 7.7 47.1 156 50kWh E 132 93 8.1 209 0 2.0 BiTDI 240 4Mtion 238 153 6.4 39.8 187 S90 4dr saloon £37,825–£57,655 AAAAC

Astra 5dr hatch £18,915–£26,785

140 140 130 140

Volvo’s take on the crossover aims to rival BMW, Mercedes and Audi. LxWxH 4425x1910x1658 Kerb weight 1626kg

1.5 T2 1.5 T3 AAAAB 2.0 T4 AWD Full-sized seven-seater offers versatility, space, VW desirability 2.0 T5 AWD and tidy handling. LxWxH 4854x1904x1720 Kerb weight 1703kg 1.5 T5 Twin Engine AWD 1.4 TSI 150 148 122 9.9-10.7 34.4-37.2 172-186 2.0 D3 2.0 TDI 150 148 119-121 10.3 40.9-44.1 169-180 2.0 D3 AWD 2.0 TDI 177 175 130 9.3 40.4 182 2.0 D4 AWD

T-Cross 5dr SUV £16,995–£26,740

250 310 185 228

XC40 5dr SUV £25,275–£38,625

Sharan 5dr MPV £33,765-£41,190

An improvement on the previous model and will continue to sell by the bucket load. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg

Probably the least appealing member of the Golf family but still resolute. LxWxH 4338x2050x1578 Kerb weight 1335kg

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA, BMW iX3, Citroën C4 Cactus EV, Ford Puma ST, McLaren Elva, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Porsche 911 GT3, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Tesla Model S Plaid, Toyota GR Yaris, Wiesmann sports car

Touran 5dr MPV £28,540–£34,025

36.2-38.2 33.6-35.3 56.5-58.9 47.9-50.4 44.8-47.1 37.7-39.2

VW’s junior SUV is beguiling and sophisticated. It drives rather well, AAABC too. LxWxH 4234x1992x1573 Kerb weight 1270kg XC90 5dr SUV £53,500–£71,930 AAAAC Van-based people carrier is usable, spacious and practical, if not 1.0 TSI 115 113 116 10.1 45.6-53.3 134-135 Clever packaging, smart styling, good to drive: Volvo’s closest thing very pretty to look at. LxWxH 4403x1841x1921 Kerb weight 1430kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 127 8.3 42.8-45.6 140-147 to a class-leader. LxWxH 4950x2008x1776 Kerb weight 1961kg

Golf SV 5dr MPV £22,290–£30,645

DECEMBER

7.7 5.6 9.1 8.0 7.8 6.5

Combo Life 5dr MPV £21,340–£29,430

1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 2.0 TSI 300 4Motion R 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

Alfa Romeo Tonale, Alpina XB7, McLaren 765LT, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, MG HS PHEV, Peugeot 508 by Peugeot Sport Engineering, Porsche Panamera facelift, Seat El-Born, Tesla Model Y, Toyota Corolla GR

149 155 137 148 145 152

AAACC LxWxH 4108x1760x1584 Kerb weight 1270kg Does well to disguise its 3008 roots but too bland to stand out in a 1.0 TSI 95 93 112 11.5 congested segment. LxWxH 4477x1811x1630 Kerb weight 1350kg 1.0 TSI 115 113 120 10.2 1.2 Turbo 130 128 117 10.9-11.1 37.7-42.8 141-145 1.5 TSI EVO 150 147 124 8.5 1.6 Hybrid 223 140 8.6 192-210 34 1.6 TDI 95 93 111 11.9 1.6 Hybrid4 298 146 5.9 204-225 32 1.5 Turbo D 130 128 119 10.2 54.3 136-138 T-Roc 5dr SUV £20,520–£38,865

V O L K S WA G E N

JUNE

Aston Martin Valkyrie, BMW M2 CS, M8, Citroën C5 Aircross PHEV, Ferrari SF90 Stradale, Honda E, Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, Morgan Plus Four, Polestar 2, Renault Mégane facelift

187 270 148 187 187 236

Passat Estate 5dr estate £27,605-£45,855

Volvo’s mid-sized exec majors on comfort, style and cruising

AAAAC ability. LxWxH 4963x2019x1443 Kerb weight 1665kg 2.0 T4 185 130 8.7 37.7 169 2.0 T5 248 140 6.8 37.7 171 44.1-45.6 141-145 2.0 T8 Twin Engine AWD 310 155 4.8 108.6-166.2 46 35.8-36.2 176-178 2.0 D4 185 140 8.2 50.4 147 33.2 199 2.0 D5 AWD 228 145 7.0 43.5 169

All the Passat’s redeeming features in spacious, practical estate form. LxWxH 4767x2083x1516 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 2.0 TSI 190 2.0 TSI 272 4Motion

148 188 268

133 144 155

8.9 7.7 5.8

V90 5dr estate £39,835–£60,405

AAAAC

Luxury estate takes on the 5 Series and the E-Class. Comfy and a good cruiser. LxWxH 4936x2019x1475 Kerb weight 1679kg 2.0 T4 2.0 T5 2.0 T6 AWD 2.0 T8 Twin Engine AWD 2.0 D4 2.0 D5 AWD

185 248 307 310 185 228

130 140 155 155 140 145

8.0 6.7 6.1 4.8 8.5 7.2

V90 Cross Country 5dr estate £46,985–£53,160

37.7 169 37.7 171 32.5 198 108.6-166.2 46 50.4 147 43.5 169 AAAAC

Volvo’s large comfy estate given a jacked-up, rugged makeover.

LxWxH 4936x2019x1543 Kerb weight 1826kg

ROAD TEST ROAD TEST

INDEX To

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INDEX

Thebestnewcarsratedas onlyAutocarknowshow 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 on the same stretches of asphalt 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 benchmark lap times are sometimes taken, they’re never an end in themselves.

We record and publish stopping distances, too, as well as taking cabin noise measurements at various cruising speeds and benchmarking either indicated or brim-to-brim fuel economy. We independently measure leg room, head room, boot space and certain key exterior vehicle dimensions, and we also weigh every car we test.

Just as every new car is different, however, the road test has developed to be versatile enough, week by week, so as to best assess and reflect the suitability of each test subject to its intended purpose. It now includes modular sections describing in detail the limit handling of a new car, or its semi-autonomous assisted driving technologies or its off-road capability.

All of this goes to bringing you the most thorough, relevant and fair test of a new car we can produce.

The scores reproduced here are the ones we gave the cars at the time; they don’t necessarily represent what those same cars might score today if they were rejudged against current class standards. Meanwhile, the design of this page has been reappraised so as to make it a more space-efficient reference. Using the test dates listed below, you can either look up an old test on digital platforms such as Readly or Exact Editions or order a back issue over the phone (0344 848 8816).

In that vein, it only remains to wish you many happy hours lost in the many numbers of our road test archive and to thank you for reading.

Matt Saunders, road test editor ABARTH 124 Spider AAAAC

A L FA R O M E O Giulia Quadrifoglio AAAAB Stelvio 2.2D 210 Milano AAABC Quadrifoglio AAAAC 4C Spider AAACC

ALPINA B3 Biturbo AAAAB

ALPINE A110 Premiere Edition AAAAA

ARIEL Atom 4 AAAAA Nomad AAAAA

ASTON MARTIN Vantage V8 AAAAB DB11 Launch Edition AAAAB Rapide S AAAAC DBS Superleggera AAAAA

AUDI 22.3.17 A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S line AAABC 2.10.19 6.9.17 A3 RS3 AAAAC 4.11.15 A4 2.0 TDI S line AAAAC 29.3.17 S4 TDI AAAAC 18.9.19 3.1.18 RS4 Avant AAAAC 14.2.18 9.1.19 A5 S5 AAABC 11.1.17 27.1.16 A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI S line AAABC 8.3.17 14.11.18 A6 40 TDI S line Avant AAAAC RS6 Avant Carbon Black AAAAC 11.3.20 29.8.13 A7 Sportback 50 TDI Sport AAABC 11.7.18 7.12.16 TT RS AAAAC 26.6.19 E-tron 55 quattro AAAAB 16.5.18 Q2 1.4 TFSI Sport AAAAC 9.11.16 20.3.19 SQ2 quattro AAAAC 15.3.17 Q5 2.0 TDI S line AAAAC 9.10.19 SQ5 quattro AAABC 21.6.17 26.10.16 24.6.15 Q7 SQ7 4.0 TDI AAAAC 26.9.18 Q8 50 TDI S Line AAAAC 30.12.15 R8 V10 Plus AAAAC 23.5.18 21.9.16 B E N T L E Y 20.3.13 Continental GT W12 First Edition AAAAB 21.11.18 2.5.18 21.9.11 Mulsanne 6.75 V8 AAAAC 18.5.16 Bentayga W12 AAAAB

BMW

LAMBORGHINI

1 Series 118i M Sport AAAAC 30.10.19 2 Series 220d Convertible AAAAC 1.4.15 15.6.16 M2 AAAAB 2 Series Active Tourer 218d Luxury AAAAC 24.12.14 3 Series 320d M Sport AAAAA 15.5.19 15.1.20 330d xDrive M Sport AAAAB 18.9.13 4 Series 435i M Sport AAAAC 9.7.14 M4 AAAAC 31.5.17 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB 18.4.18 M5 AAAAB 6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC18.11.17 11.11.15 7 Series 730Ld AAAAC 16.1.19 8 Series 840d xDrive AAABC M8 Competition Convertible AAABC5.2.20 21.2.18 i3 1.3S Range Extender AAAAC 17.9.14 i8 AAAAB X1 xDrive20d xLine AAAAC 14.10.15 X2 M35i AAABC 25.9.19 17.1.18 X3 xDrive20d M Sport AAAAC X4 M Competition AAACC 13.11.19 X5 xDrive30d M Sport AAAAC 2.1.19 X5M AAAAC 13.5.15

C AT E R H A M Seven 620S AAAAC

9.3.16

CHEVROLET Corvette StingrayAAAAC

8.10.14

CITROEN C3 Puretech 110 Flair AAABC 28.12.16 C3 Aircross P’tech 110 Flair AAABC 7.3.18 C4 Cactus 1.6 BlueHDi 100 AAACC 16.7.14 C5 Aircross BlueHDi 180 AAABC 13.2.19

CUPRA Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive AAABC

23.1.19

DACIA Sandero 1.2 75 Access AAACC Duster SCe 115 Comfort AAAAC

27.2.13 22.8.18

DALLARA Stradale AAAAB

16.10.19

DS 3 BlueHDi 120 AAABC 23.3.16 3 Crossback Puretech 155 AAACC 10.7.19 7 Crossback Puretech 225 AAABC 19.9.18

FERRARI 488 GTB AAAAA 488 Pista AAAAB 812 Superfast AAAAC

25.5.16 7.8.19 25.7.18

F I AT Panda 4x4 Twinair AAAAB 500 Abarth 595 AAAAC Tipo 1.6 Multijet Lounge AABCC

17.4.13 26.2.14 2.11.16

FORD Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost AAAAC ST-3 1.5 T Ecoboost AAAAB Focus 1.5 Ecoboost 182 AAAAB ST AAAAC RS AAAAA S-Max 2.0 TDCi Titanium AAAAC Mondeo 2.0 TDCi AAAAC Mustang 5.0 V8 GT F’back AAAAC Bullitt AAAAC Ecosport 1.5 TDCi AABCC Kuga 2.0 TDCi AAAAC Ranger Raptor AAAAC

9.8.17 15.8.18 20.2.19 11.9.19 4.5.16 26.8.15 14.1.15 24.2.16 5.12.18 3.9.14 13.3.13 28.8.19

HONDA Civic 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo AAAAC 2.0 Type R GT AAAAB Clarity FCV AAAAC CR-V 1.5T EX CVT AWD AAABC NSX AAAAB

19.4.17 25.10.17 12.7.17 7.11.18 5.10.16

HYUNDAI i10 1.0 SE AAABC 29.1.14 7.1.14 i20 1.4 SE AAAAC 27.12.17 i30 N AAABC 13.9.17 1.4 Premium SE AAABC Kona Electric 64kWh Premium SE AAAAC 31.10.18 Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi P’m SE AAABC 6.3.19 12.6.19 Nexo AAABC

JAGUAR F-Type V8 S Convertible AAAAC V6 S Coupé AAAAB 2.0 Coupé R-Dynamic AAAAC XF R-Sport 2.0 AAAAB Sportbrake 300 R-S AAABC XE R-Sport 2.0 AAAAB XJ 3.0d LWB AAAAC E-Pace D180 AWD SE AAABC F-Pace 2.0d AWD AAAAC SVR AAAAB I-Pace EV400 S AAAAB

12.6.13 11.6.14 22.11.17 2.12.15 17.4.19 1.7.15 9.6.10 11.4.18 11.5.16 24.7.19 12.9.18

JEEP

R O L L S - R OYC E

LEXUS LC 500 Sport+ AAAAC NX 300h AAACC RC F AAACC ES 300h Takumi AAABC LS 500h Premier AWD AAACC

LOTUS Elise Cup 250 AAABC Evora S 2+0 AAAAC Exige S AAAAB

18.10.17 1.10.14 18.2.15 6.2.19 6.6.18

M A S E R AT I Ghibli Diesel AAABC Levante Diesel AAACC S Granlusso AAABC

McLAREN 570S 3.8 V8 AAAAA 600LT Spider 3.8 V8 AAAAB 720S 4.0 V8 AAAAA Senna 4.0 V8 AAAAA P1 AAAAA

MERCEDES-AMG

KIA 25.4.18 1.3.17 29.8.18 27.2.19 20.11.19 31.8.16 1.5.19 2.3.16 8.4.15

S E AT

SMART SKODA

22.4.15 6.11.19 2.9.15 22.7.15 28.6.17

Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE-L AAAAC Scala 1.5 TSI 150 DSG AAABC Octavia vRS 245 Estate AAAAC Superb 2.0 TDI SE AAAAB 1.4 TSI iV 218PS SE L AAAAC Karoq 2.0 TDI 150 Scout AAABC Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Edition AAAAC

21.1.15 31.7.19 16.8.17 9.9.15 26.2.20 30.1.19 23.11.16

VA U X H A L L Corsa 1.2T 100 auto AAABC 22.1.20 Crossland X 1.2T 130 Elite AAACC 7.6.17 30.9.15 Astra 1.6 CDTi 136 SRi AAAAC 13.4.16 ST CDTi Biturbo SRi 137 AAAAC Combo Life 1.5 TD 100 Energy AAABC 27.12.18 Insignia Grand Sport 2.0D SRi VX-Line AAAAC 3.5.17 Insignia Sports Tourer GSI 2.0 Biturbo D AAACC 30.5.18 10.1.18 VXR8 GTS-R AAAAC

VOLKSWAG EN Up GTI 1.0 TSI 115 AAAAC 21.3.18 31.1.18 Polo 1.0 TSI 95 SE AAAAB 1.8.18 GTI AAAAC Golf GTI Performance DSG AAAAB 10.7.13 24.8.16 GTI Clubsport S AAAAB 20.5.15 GTE AAAAC 2.8.17 1.5 TSI R-line AAAAB T-Roc 2.0 TSI SEL 4Motion AAAAB 24.1.18 27.9.17 Arteon 2.0 BiTDI 240 AAABC 4.2.15 Passat 2.0 TDI 190 GT AAAAC 7.9.16 GTE AAAAC 3.2.16 Touran 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAC 22.6.16 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAB Caravelle 2.0 BiTDI Exec. AAAAC 23.12.15 Touareg 3.0 TDI R-Line Tech AAABC 8.8.18 2.1.20 Grand California 600 AAABC

V O LV O XC40 D4 AWD First Edition AAAAB 7.2.18 24.12.19 S60 T8 Polestar En’d AAABC V60 D4 Momentum Pro AAAAC 27.6.18 5.7.17 XC60 D4 AWD R-Design AAABC 13.7.16 S90 D4 Momentum AAAAC 17.6.15 XC90 D5 Momentum AAAAC

WESTFIELD

30.3.16 S S A N G YO N G Sport 250 AAAAC 22.5.19 Tivoli XLV ELX auto AAACC 14.9.16 ZENOS 24.5.17 E10 S AAAAB 10.10.18 S U B A R U 7.5.14 XV 2.0i SE Lineartronic AAACC 28.2.18 Levorg GT 1.6i Lineartronic AAACC 13.1.16

A-Class A45 S 4Matic+ Plus AAAAB 4.3.20 3.6.15 C-Class C63 AAAAB 8.2.17 C63 S Convertible AAAAB 24.4.19 C63 S Coupé AAAAB 17.10.18 CLS 53 4Matic+ AAAAC 29.7.15 GT S AAAAC 10.5.17 R AAAAB GT 4-Door Coupé 63 4Matic+ AAAAB 13.3.19 6.7.16 SLC 43 AAABC 13.6.18 GLC 63 S 4Matic+ AAABC

MERCEDES-BENZ A-Class A200 Sport AAAAC B-Class B180 Sport AAAAC CLA 250 AAACC C-Class C220 Bluetec AAAAC E-Class E400 Coupé AAAAC S-Class S350 Bluetec AAAAA S63 AMG Coupé AAAAC GLA 220 CDI SE AAABC GLC 250d AAAAC G-Class G350d AMG Line AAAAC GL 350 AMG Sport AAAAC GLS 400d AAABC X-Class X250d 4Matic AAABC SL 500 AAAAC

4.4.18 7.7.10 21.5.14 1.6.16 19.2.20

12.3.14 Forfour Electric Drive Prime Premium 30.11.16 AABCC 23.8.17 8.5.19

MAZDA 2 1.5 Skyactiv-G SE AAAAC 3 2.0 Skyactiv-X AAAAC MX-5 1.5 SE-L Nav AAAAB CX-3 1.5D SE-L Nav AAABC CX-5 2.2D Sport Nav AAAAC

Phantom AAAAA Ghost AAAAC Wraith AAAAB Dawn AAAAC Cullinan Black Badge AAAAC

Ibiza SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAB 19.7.17 29.6.16 Leon Cupra SC 280 AAAAC 26.3.14 30.3.11 Arona SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAC 15.11.17 3.4.13 Ateca 1.6 TDI SE AAAAB 19.10.16

4.7.18 3.4.19 21.8.19 23.7.14 14.6.17 16.10.13 3.12.14 14.5.14 10.2.16 17.7.19 24.7.13 12.2.20 20.6.18 8.8.12

29.11.17 7.10.15

SUZUKI Swift 1.0 SZ5 AAABC 17.5.17 25.3.15 Celerio 1.0 SZ4 AAABC Baleno 1.0T Boosterjet SZ5 AAABC 3.8.16 SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ4 AAABC 30.10.13 28.11.18 Jimny 1.5 SZ5 Allgrip AAABC 29.4.15 Vitara 1.6 SZ5 AAABC

TESLA Model 3 Standard Range Plus AAAAC4.9.19 20.4.16 Model S P90D AAAAB 15.2.17 Model X 90D AAAAC

T OYO TA Yaris GRMN AAABC Corolla 2.0 Hybrid ST AAAAC GT86 2.0 manual AAAAA Prius Business Edition AAAAC Mirai AAAAC C-HR Excel 1.8 Hybrid AAAAC GR Supra Pro AAAAC

28.3.18 5.6.19 4.7.12 16.3.16 27.4.16 4.1.17 14.8.19

GREATEST ROAD TESTS OF ALL TIME

MG 3 1.5 3Form Sport AAABC ZS EV Exclusive AAACC

25.12.13 4.12.19

MINI Mini Cooper S AAAAB Cooper S Works 210 AAAAB Clubman Cooper D AAABC Convertible Cooper AAAAB Countryman Cooper D AAABC Plug-in Hybrid AAABC

2.4.14 6.12.17 25.11.15 6.4.16 22.2.17 26.7.17

MITSUBISHI Eclipse Cross 1.5 First Edition 2WD AAACC 14.3.18 16.4.14 Outlander PHEV GX4hs AAABC

MORGAN 3 Wheeler AAAAA

6.6.12

NISSAN Micra 0.9 N-Connecta AAAAC DIG-T 117 N-Sport AAACC Juke 1.0 DIG-T 117 AAABC Qashqai 1.5 dCi 2WD AAAAB X-Trail 1.6 dCi 2WD AAABC GT-R Recaro AAAAB

26.4.17 27.3.19 29.1.20 19.2.14 13.8.14 16.11.16

NOBLE M600 AAAAB

14.10.09

PEUGEOT

Compass 2.0 M’jet 4x4 L’d AAACC 3.10.18 Renegade 2.0 M’jet 4x4 L’d AAABC28.10.15 Wrangler 2.2 M’Jet-II Ov’d AAAAC 10.4.19 Stinger 2.0 T-GDI GT-L S AAABC Rio 1.0 T-GDI 3 Eco AAABC Ceed 1.6 CRDi 115 2 AAABC Proceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC Xceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC Niro 1.6 GDI DCT 2 AAABC e-Niro First Edition AAAAB Sportage 1.7 CRDi ISG 2 AAABC Sorento 2.2 CRDi KX-4 AAABC

Macan Turbo AAAAB 4.6.14 11.10.17 Cayenne Turbo AAAAC 5.9.18 19.6.19 R E N A U LT 3.7.19 Twingo Dynamique AAABC 29.10.14 LAND ROVER 31.7.13 Zoe Dynamique AAABC Discovery Sport D180 AWD SE AAAAC 27.11.19 Clio TCe 100 Iconic AAAAB 8.1.20 Mégane 1.5 dCi Dyn. S Nav AAACC 17.8.16 12.12.12 RS Trophy-R AAAAC 23.10.19 Range Rover 4.4 SDV8 AAAAB Range Rover Velar D240 HSE AAABC Grand Scénic dCi 130 Dyn. S Nav AAABC 30.8.17 25.1.17 Range Rover Sport 3.0 TDV6 AAAAB Kadjar dCi 115 Dyn. S Nav AAAAC 21.10.15 2.10.13 Koleos dCi 175 4WD Sig. AAACC 20.8.17 SVR AAAAA 15.4.15

Huracán Performante AAAAB Aventador SVJ AAAAC Urus AAAAC

208 1.2 VTI Active AAACC 18.7.12 11.2.15 GTi 30th AAABC 15.1.14 308 1.6 e-HDi 115 AAAAC 24.10.18 508 GT BlueHDi 180 AAAAC 19.6.13 2008 1.6 e-HDi AAABC 3008 1.6 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 18.1.17 5008 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 1.11.17

PORSCHE 718 Boxster AAAAB Cayman S AAAAB Cayman GTS AAAAB 911 GT2 RS AAAAC Carrera S AAAAB 918 Spyder 4.6 V8 AAAAA Panamera 4S Diesel AAAAA

8.6.16 10.8.16 9.5.18 18.7.18 29.5.19 22.10.14 1.2.17

MAZDA MX-5

note, communicative steering and back-to-basics dynamics meant you had to drive it properly to get the most from it, but it delivered unrivalled thrills for the price.

TESTED 14.2.90

The original MX-5 was the two-seat sports car the UK had been longing for since the demise of the original Lotus Elan – and Mazda knew so too.

In fact, Mazda used the original Elan as the inspiration behind the MX-5’s development, going so far as to recreate the snappy gearbox feel of the iconic 1960s sports car.

Its little twin-cam four-cylinder engine produced a modest 114bhp but, with doublewishbone suspension all round, the emphasis was on the driver to exploit the MX-5’s adjustable chassis, conserving momentum and keeping the pace up. The fact that the MX-5 wasn’t overtyred like a lot of small sports cars also reinforced the car’s brilliant balance and throttle adjustability – a light lift or reapplication of the accelerator would have the nose tucking in or pushing wide at will.

It wasn’t particularly well equipped (electric windows, a CD player and alloy wheels were the only options), but it fulfilled the open-topped sports car brief perfectly. The fruity exhaust

FOR Handling, balanced chassis, price, brilliant fun AGAINST Short on equipment, firm ride, road roar FA C T F I L E

Price £14,925 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1598cc, petrol Power 114bhp at 6500rpm Torque 100lb ft at 5500rpm 0-60mph 9.1sec 0-100mph 27.7sec Standing quarter 16.5sec 50-0mph na 60-0mph na 70-0mph na Top speed 114mph Economy 24mpg W H AT H A P P E N E D N E X T. . .

The MX-5 always sold well in the roadster-hungry UK market, so for 1994 Mazda enlarged the MX-5’s powerplant to 1.8 litres, increasing power to 131bhp before the 146bhp Mk2 was released in 1998. In 2006, the third generation of the MX-5 was introduced and, although the new car was more refined, it lost some of the tactility and character of the original. Today’s excellent fourth-generation model was launched in 2015.

11 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 89

Matt Prior

E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 95

TESTER’S NOTES

Soviet dream machines 16 May 1981

“High standards of appearance and aerodynamics,” you see

ansory’s cars are the real reason the Geneva motor show was cancelled.

The coronavirus may be frightening, but it’s not half as frightening as Mansory.

I’m sorry, it’s too easy to be mean.

For the uninitiated, let me explain – or just examine the pictures above.

Mansory is a German tuner of luxury vehicles, and its stand at Geneva is legendarily spectacular. Bypassed by the studious and sensible, it’s a riot of colour and bare carbonfibre. The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan Coastline barely scratches the surface.

It’s fair to say that what Mansory produces isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.

Too strong for me, certainly. It tends to take cars that wouldn’t always sit in my dream garage anyway (the Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, BMW X6 and a golf buggy, for instance) and go full on at their bodywork and tuning their wheels and interiors.

How brash are Mansory’s products?

Put it this way: it offers a Cullinan edition called the Billionaire.

It makes wide-bodies, composite add-ons and wheels so big that you could put them on their side and seat

M

Three-litre Clio made VW boss go Lupo

90 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 MARCH 2020

❝

Mansory and its ilk make cars for those who unashamedly champion them far and wide ❞ eight around them for dinner. What it calls its Refinement, Performance and Interior Programmes are what I call “aargh!’’. Bluntly, I think some of the vehicles it puts out look terrible.

And I love it. Not because ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, because if that was true and so there were no science or objectivity to aesthetics, you wouldn’t be able to study design at university. No, I love that, even if some of its output is a little squiffy proportionally, it puts huge energy into making cars for people who love them and who want to express themselves with them. It isn’t my form of art, but it is art.

Besides that, are they so bad? Do you really think the Coastline looks worse than the original Cullinan?

There are cars that look a bit like Mansory’s in my virtual garage in Grand Theft Auto. And that aqua-blue interior in a Cullinan may make me feel slightly queasy, but I own a 1973 Baja Beetle in which it would look utterly fantastic.

Also, this particular Cullinan has been pictured with different wheels on each side of the car, which is probably for the marketing photos but actually a work of genius. Can’t decide which set of alloys you like?

Pick one for each side; it’s not like you’ll ever see the two together.

Most of all, though, I like Mansory and others of its ilk because, while there are plenty of people in the world who would like to see the back of cars completely, they make cars for those who unashamedly champion them far and wide. I’m for anyone who celebrates anything automotive.

And if it’s not my cup of tea?

Well, I don’t have to drink it.

I sold you a duff link in a recent Renault Mégane feature (‘Diamond Cut’, 26 February), pointing you to my column for a story that wasn’t there about a three-litre Clio. So here it is.

The ‘three-litre car’, one that could sip fuel at just three litres of petrol per 100km (about 94mpg), was once what manufacturers strived for.

On the approach to the Paris motor show one year, Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piëch heard that Renault planned to launch a ‘three-litre’ Clio.

Enraged, he directed his team to rush a super-frugal Lupo prototype to a nearby test track and make sure journalists got in it. Which they did.

And then Renault launched a Clio with a 3.0-litre V6 in its middle.

GET IN TOUCH

matt.prior@haymarket.com @matty_prior

KIT CAR BUILDING was a challenge in the Soviet Union. Indeed, the law dictated until 1965 that even 1.0-litre engines couldn’t be used.

This change “allowed enthusiasts to build much better cars”, Autocar would later explain, “in many cases using three-cylinder, two-stroke Wartburg or Skoda engines”. Those of up to 1200cc – as made by Lada and ZAZ – became legal in 1971.

“Building your own car in Russia has a number of additional problems that may not be understood in this country,” we added. “Nevertheless, the number of people rebuilding crashed Ladas, removing all the crumpled bodywork and designing their own cars, is increasing. Even glassfibre is now becoming available.”

Examples included an Alfa-like Lada coupé (pictured), a sports GT Lada and a seven-seat amphicar.

G E T M O R E AU T O C A R

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FURTHER OPTIONS As well as installing the above engine tunes, we are able to further individualise your car with additional features. Some of which are shown here. Contact us for further details.

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Exhaust tuning (Pop’s & crackles)

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Date: 05.Mar 2020 10:48:21