Autocar 18 March 2020

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New baby McLaren

NEW BENTLEY

Forget tradition: meet the new shape of luxury 18 – 25 March 2020

All electric – but still a proper GT

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Fuel economy and CO2 results for the Corsa-e 100KW (136PS). Mpg (l/100km): N/A. CO2 emissions: 0g/km. Electric range up to 209 miles (WLTP).

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‘I’ve experienced less physical violence while crashing’

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THIS WEEK

Issue 6402 | Volume 303 | No 12

NEWS Bentley’s first EV High-riding saloon due in 2025 Jeep’s eco push Aim: be world’s greenest SUV firm McLaren PHEV New twin-turbo V6 plug-in hybrid Apex AP-0 Track-inspired UK electric supercar Budget How spending plans will affect motorists

6 10 12 15 16

Vauxhall Corsa-e First verdict on electric supermini 22 Mountune Ford Focus RS It has 513bhp. Yes, 513bhp 27 Audi Q8 RS Heavy metal thunder: 2315kg, fiery V8 29 Renault Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition ROAD TEST 30

FEATURES It shouldn’t happen to a ’Vette Or is midships okay? 38 What were they thinking? Cars that broke the rules 46 Alpine A110 triplets We discover the best version 48 A bit special Inside JLR’s special ops division 52 Car theft investigation Why is car crime still rising? 56 Drive like an F1 driver Frankel tests a single-seater 63

OUR CARS MG ZS Final reckoning on value-led electric SUV Skoda Superb Replacement arrives after a prang

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EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Why shredded wheat can fuel a CO2 cut 17 Steve Cropley ‘Building’ the perfect no-frills 911 19 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 20 Damien Smith Confusion over Le Mans and WEC 60 Motorsport round-up F1, BTCC, Nascar, Colin McRae 61 Your Views US road trips beat driving across Europe 66 Matt Prior Have we really had enough of experts? 90

DEALS James Ruppert The best first cars for £2000 72 As good as new An A6 for execs… and everyone else 75 Spied in the classifieds Porsche, Plymouth, BMW 76 Used buying guide Sporty Celicas from just £500 78 New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenos 80 Road test index Track down that road test here 89 Autocar, ISSN number 1355-8293 (USPS 25185), is published weekly by Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. The US annual subscription price is $199.78. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Autocar, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.

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BENTLEY’S EV, PLUS A NEW FLAGSHIP SUV 6

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BUSINESS AS USUAL, AS BUSINESS GETS UNUSUAL THERE’S NO escaping talk about the

impact of the coronavirus at the moment. As we’ve detailed in recent weeks, it has already caused the cancellation of the Geneva motor show and factory closures and plummeting sales in China.

Now, international launch events for the first drives of several new cars MID-ENGINED C8 MEETS CORVETTE OWNERS 38 have been postponed – including the Porsche 911 Turbo, Seat Leon and Ferrari SF90 – along with a number of big news events.

That has clearly forced some changes upon us and a shuffling of FIVE-STAR A110 vs TWO FASTER VERSIONS 48 our contents ❝ here, but the show at Autocar is very much going on. We’ll still be filling our pages in the coming weeks with all our regulars plus lots of exciting, off-diary features to inspire, engage and interest you, like we have in all 125 years of our existence. We also know it might ❞ be tricky for you to get to the shops, COLIN GOODWIN FALLS FOR THE MID-ENGINED so now is the time to subscribe. Visit C8, SO WHY WOULDN’T HE BUY ONE? 38 autocar.co.uk/subscribe, or see page 20.

We’ll try to relieve the boredom of any period of self-isolation. But here’s a thought: what better JAG’S XJ SUV way to self-isolate than being on your own in the car, enjoying the simple pleasure of driving?

TWENTY YEARS AGO, I'D HAVE ROBBED A BANK TO BE ABLE TO BUY THIS CORVETTE

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All-new J-Pace heads trio of hi-tech world beaters

11 – 18 March 2020

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Bentley’s first EV to be high-riding saloon in 2025

British firm aims to push eco credentials with the help of cutting-edge electric tech

B

entley has begun conceptual work on a new high-riding saloon that it’s preparing to launch as its first fully electric car. The radical model will further the firm’s ambition to establish itself as the

6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

most environmentally and sustainably led premium luxury car maker in the world.

In their bid to establish global leadership in these areas, Bentley bosses want to follow this year’s launch of the brand’s first hybrid models by

revealing its first electric car by 2025. That date is already challenging designers and engineers as they wrestle with delivering a vehicle with sufficient range for customers looking for a grand touring experience along with the

performance capability of today’s cars.

Heavy investment in battery technology is already helping to reduce the cost and improve the capability of batteries. However, it’s believed that the next notable

step forward will come when solid-state batteries reach production, something that is not expected to happen until closer to the end of the decade. As such, Bentley is likely to launch its first electric car using a more mature

END IN SIGHT FOR BENTLEY RACING IN GT3, BUT ELECTRIC ENDURANCE HAS APPEAL

Electric Bentley could be similar to Jaguar I-Pace

have a business built around selling more but, looking forward around 10 years, perhaps sooner, then I can’t see a place for racing as it is today fitting with our goals.

“What we are keen to look into, though, is pureelectric endurance racing, particularly if they have a genuine link back to pushing the boundaries of battery energy management.

Races of at least 1.5 hours but ideally up to four – even if it was two hours, then

charging, then two more – would be something we’d like to be part of.

“As I sit here today, I’m not aware of any such initiative, but I’d be surprised if it isn’t being looked at. Formula E is interesting but not for

version of today’s lithium ion battery technology.

However, Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark has hinted to Autocar that his teams have already hit on one potential solution by designing a car with similarities to, but more extreme than, the Jaguar I-Pace. This machine combines a traditional saloon shape with a higher-riding bodystyle to accommodate the battery pack without pushing up into a full-SUV format, which is aerodynamically inefficient

and therefore reduces range.

The upcoming Jaguar XJ and a related J-Pace model, plus a Land Rover – dubbed the Road Rover but not expected to carry that name into production – are set to follow a similar path, although Bentley’s interpretation is being envisioned to set new performance benchmarks for the industry.

“If we’re to launch an electric car in the mid-2020s, then it either needs to be smaller than

Bentley. One-make racing doesn’t push boundaries.

The cars would need to be prototypes, using technology that pushes our understanding of what’s possible. If that was possible, we’d definitely explore it.”

today’s cars or the same size but not as upright, and smaller isn’t an appealing solution, as it implies a lower price segment,” said Hallmark. “The prediction is battery technology will have moved forward again by that date and that will put us at the edge of what we think we need to give customers: 300-350 miles of range, or enough to cruise at a 65mph average for five hours.

“We need to be looking at how we can deliver ◊

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

Bentley’s race programmes with the Continental GT3 can’t be sustained if the brand is to achieve its environmental ambitions, CEO Adrian Hallmark has admitted. He said: “We’re committed to the cars we’ve built and

∆ slippier cars with a profile that gets the most out of it aerodynamically in order to deliver on that promise.”

The target date of 2025 and Hallmark’s comments confirm growing evidence that the first Bentley EV will crown a position of environmental and sustainability leadership that the company has been building towards in recent years.

Bentley’s Crewe factory was certified as carbon-neutral late last year, underlining an increasingly holistic approach to sustainability that has extended as far as making honey from on-site beehives.

The EXP 100 GT concept – revealed last year and created to celebrate the firm’s centenary by looking ahead to its next 100 years – also hinted at the powertrain, materials and production methods that Bentley is working towards.

The EXP 100 GT has an electric powertrain that uses four 201-335bhp electric motors and an advanced torque-vectoring system to distribute a combined output of

between 800bhp and 1340bhp to all four wheels, depending on spec. Combined peak torque is just over 1100lb ft, delivering an estimated 0-62mph of 2.5sec, along with a top speed of 186mph. Although the figures should be regarded as long-term targets, they hint at the sorts of performance levels that Bentley engineers believe will be possible in time.

Likewise, the EXP 100 GT’s interior featured innovative material use, including natural woods, glass, fabrics and leather. Some materials introduced on the concept have already transferred to production in the Bacalar, such as rice pigment paint, sheep’s wool and riverwood.

Bentley is well advanced in developing alternatives to the interior styles that have dominated its cars for decades – albeit combined with technical advances such as biometric seating to monitor and potentially boost the well-being of occupants.

“Bentley has very little to fear from an electric future,”

❝

The EXP 100 GT hinted at the powertrain and materials that Bentley is working towards ❞ 8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

said Hallmark. “In fact, many of the facets of electrification are what define Bentley.

“Sure, today in a GT, you can hit 207mph, but that doesn’t mean very many of our customers drive around at that speed very often, if at all. We’re not a brand that is in any way defined by offering hypercar or supercar performance.

“What they do enjoy every time they go out is superrefinement, effortless pace and total comfort. Electrification will only enhance all of those, so for customers, the tradeoff is about 12 cylinders for 2000 or so electrical cells.

Everything else is improved.”

Hallmark said he hoped Bentley would be in a position to pioneer any major battery or electrical architecture breakthroughs made by the Volkswagen Group, of which Bentley is a member, because of its relatively small scale and its customers, who have traditionally been willing to pay a premium to be at the cutting edge of technology.

“At Bentley, we are looking

Bentley’s Crewe factory was certified carbon-neutral last year to build 11,000 to 12,000 cars a year in a worldwide market of about 85 million,” said Hallmark. “Our values are about delivering the very best money can buy, and that puts us in a position where we can lead in whatever direction we turn to.

“Yes, one goal is to lead in electrification in the luxury segment, but we also feel that sustainability can be about far more than just electrification.

Our customers are happy to pay a premium if they can buy a car that is truly carbonneutral, and that is now a core

mission of the company.”

Hallmark also highlighted the Volkswagen Group’s investment of $100 million (£78.5m) in Californiabased battery specialist QuantumScape as a likely route to the brand becoming a leader in the development of solid-state batteries, which he described as “game changing” in terms of the energy density they could deliver for the same manufacturing costs.

“Once solid-state batteries can be productionised, then the growth in capability will

NEWS become exponential,” he said.

“Of course, they will initially be at the top end of the price scale, but which car maker within the [Volkswagen] Group is best placed with customers to carry that cost? I very much hope that Bentley can be at the vanguard of that and it seems logical that we should be.”

Hallmark also confirmed that emissions regulations and customer tastes mean that Bentley’s iconic W12 will be phased out, although he didn’t specify a time frame. Asked if the 12-cylinder engine had a limited lifespan, he said: “Yes, absolutely. For 100 years, we’ve tried to make engines bigger and more powerful. For the next 10 years, we’re going to try to make them disappear.

“We want to do this in a progressive and customerorientated way. We don’t hate engines, but we do love the idea of electrification. We’ll offer hybrid options alongside combustion engine options on every model by 2023.”

JIM HOLDER AND MIKE DUFF

Flagship SUV in frame to replace Mulsanne BENTLEY IS SET to replace its ageing Mulsanne saloon flagship with a new rangetopping SUV, CEO Adrian Hallmark has hinted.

The new model could potentially sit at the top of an extended range of SUVs complementing the Bentayga, which has already transformed the firm’s sales volumes and accounted for 47% of Bentleys sold in 2019.

“Our ambition is to fill the Mulsanne price space,” said Hallmark. “It will not be a sports car, because we will not build sports cars. The clear indication is that luxury car buyers see SUVs as being far more attractive, and that is where we see the potential.

I can definitely see gaps for more derivatives of Bentayga and other opportunities within the SUV space.”

Hallmark admitted that slipping sales meant there was no rational case for engineering a new saloon in the vein of the current Mulsanne.

“In the good old days, 20 years ago, when the Arnage was on the road with the Silver Seraph, the global four-door sales were about 1500 to 2000 a year combined,” he said. “Now they are less than

1000, and we’re more than 50% of that.

“The cost of developing those cars with the technology and requirements for emissions and crash means they are no less expensive to develop than a car you can sell 5000 of,” he said. “If we only see potential for 400 to 600 a year, it makes the business case extremely tough.”

MIKE DUFF

Limo-style SUV would sell better than a big saloon

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Electric EXP 100 GT concept had up to 1340bhp and 1100lb ft

More Bentleys to follow Bacalar template ONE-OFF BENTLEYS are “possible but unlikely”, CEO Adrian Hallmark has revealed.

His comments come in the wake of Bentley unveiling the £1.5 million Bacalar, of which just 12 examples will be built.

Created by Bentley’s Mulliner coachbuilding division, which is set to take on significantly more bespoke projects in the coming years, the Bacalar sold out before it was revealed. It now has a waiting list of customers willing to take up build slots if anyone with a reservation drops out.

“The aim is for Mulliner to create cars whenever we have credible models with a

customer demand for them,” said Hallmark. “We won’t work to a set schedule, but we will respond to ideas. If one of those ideas was a one-off, we would consider it and it is true that a Mulliner project must be rare, precious and desirable, but I’d prefer to work on scales of around 10 to 20 cars.

“There are only so many people prepared to buy these products and a small amount of scale allows us as a company to develop and establish skills around the bespoke technologies that can help us grow. Some of the lighting and grille structures on Bacalar have taught us a lot as a business.”

All 12 examples of the £1.5m Bacalar are sold 18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9

❝

Think about an electric or PHEV Wrangler Rubicon: you're going to get the most capable Jeep ever ❞

Jeep jumps into electrification Plug-in hybrids and EVs to make Jeep “the world’s most sustainable SUV company”

J

eep is fully ready to embrace electrification and wants to become “the greenest, most sustainable SUV company in the world”, its boss has said.

A number of electric Jeeps are potentially on the cards, including an ‘adventure’ model making full use of the benefits of EVs for off-roading: namely instant torque to the individual wheel that needs it, reduced nature-disrupting noise and the ability to provide highvoltage power for camping.

“There are so many things we need to bring together to make Jeep a modern, contemporary brand that will break through and sustain for the next 80 years,” Christian Meunier told Autocar. “That’s a big transition in our world.

“There was a little evolution every year, but there’s a big revolution happening now. To make Jeep the greenest, most sustainable SUV company is a little bit of a challenge, but it’s the most exciting one.”

Meunier added that we’ll soon see a “lot of things we are working on, like BEV”. In Europe, the focus is on three core models: the Renegade, Compass and Wrangler. Jeep showcased plug-in hybrid versions of all three, badged 4xe, at CES in January. Each is set to be launched this year.

Meunier continued: “PHEV has a very strong role to play for us, we believe, because it gives a lot of advantages: a 50-kilometre [31-mile] range, zero emissions and then removes the [range] anxiety.

“So I think for markets like Europe and China, it’s critical.”

Former Jeep CEO and now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief Mike Manley said in 2018 that there would be four EVs in Jeep’s portfolio by 2022.

It’s not clear if this plan has been altered or wound back following the substantial executive reshuffling since that statement, but Meunier’s comments suggest launching EVs is still a priority for Jeep.

Meunier was quick to point out that electrification brings just as much in performance as it does ecological credentials.

“Think about a Wrangler Rubicon, full electric or PHEV,” he said. “This is a car that’s going to do 0-60mph in six seconds, potentially, so you’re going to get acceleration

you’re never going to get with an engine. You’re going to get the most capable Jeep ever.

“The opportunity is twofold, with the compliance and the ecology and sustainability, but in my mind, it’s also an opportunity to improve the capabilities of our trucks and SUVs and make it even more exciting off road and on road.”

The high-voltage batteries of EVs would also allow them to serve as external power sources – a trait Jeep reckons will appeal greatly to hardcore off-roaders, adventurers and campers alike. It would enable the car to power a variety of electrical equipment, including compressor kits, welders, lights and camping gear.

Meunier is convinced the US – Jeep’s home market and

BRAINTREE TO GET FIRST EV SERVICES

NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW POSTPONED

EV charging firm Gridserve will open the first of its planned 100 service stations this summer. Part of a £1 billion scheme, the Essex site will have space for 24 EVs to charge at a rate of up to 350kW, plus a lounge, supermarket and EV education centre.

The New York motor show has been postponed from early April to August due to the coronavirus outbreak. The move follows the postponement of Beijing and cancellation of Geneva, and casts doubt over other large motoring events.

10 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

overwhelmingly its biggest – will move to electrification faster than most people predict, giving his brand the volume necessary for an extensive roll-out of electrified models and variants.

“Either you try to be compliant and do the bare minimum or you embrace it and go full speed on it,” said Meunier. “The latter is the way we should go, because we have the opportunity to make some really, really exciting products, and I think the company is convinced of that. You’ll see a lot of electrified products in the next few years. It’s not about having small cars to offset big cars; every car will have a role to play.”

MATT PRIOR AND LAWRENCE ALLAN

NEWS Jeep’s new 4xe PHEVs get up to 240bhp and 30-mile electric range

IMAGE

Share prices hit by coronavirus THE VALUE OF numerous car companies fell sharply last week as market uncertainty caused by the coronavirus shook the industry.

On 12 February, Aston Martin’s shares were selling for just under £4.60 each, but their value had more than halved by 12 March, falling below £2 for parts of the day.

This meant that the ailing company was worth less than £500 million as Autocar went to press – a dramatic fall from the £4.3 billion it was valued at when it was initially floated in London on 3 October 2018.

Aston Martin’s ‘Geneva’ press conference (held at its Gaydon HQ after the motor show was cancelled) failed to make much impact, despite the introduction of billionaire Lawrence Stroll as executive

chairman alongside the new V12 Speedster.

Many car brands have seen their value drop substantially as a result of the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Nissan reported its sales in China fell 80% in February, while the value Renault was

down 25% at one point last week and Volkswagen Group shares plummeted 22%.

Other industries are similarly affected, but the complexity of automotive supply chains mean that the impact is being felt more acutely.

V12 Speedster had little effect on Aston shares

Electric Mercedes E-Class spied Renegade is the best-selling Jeep in Europe and the UK

MERCEDES-BENZ WILL follow next year’s EQS electric luxury saloon with the smaller, E-Class-equivalent EQE in 2022, and the first prototypes have now been spied testing.

Despite the heavy disguise, it’s clear to see that the EQE is a markedly different design to today’s E-Class, with a flowing, aerodynamically optimised shape, a long wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs.

The EQE will be the second

model based on Mercedes’ new, aluminium-intensive MEA platform after the EQS; other EQ models share underpinnings with combustion-engined cars.

C53 has mild-hybrid four-pot

The initial EQE is expected to have more than the 402bhp and 564lb ft of the EQC, plus a range of close to 370 miles.

Also seen testing recently was the first AMG version of the next-generation C-Class, which is due in 2021. Set to be named C53 and replacing the six-pot C43, it will join the new C63 in using a four-cylinder engine but get mild, rather than full, hybrid assistance. Its motor is adapted from that of the A45.

S PY S H OT

MERCEDES-BENZ EQE Renegade and larger Compass will soon be offered as PHEVs

Long wheelbase will afford long range and S-Class space inside

ROLLS REVIVES THE ROARING TWENTIES

PAVEMENT PARKING BAN CONSIDERED

Rolls-Royce has outlined a two-seat version of the Dawn, limited to just 50 examples. Inspired by 1920s roadsters, the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection features a buttressed titanium panel in place of the rear seats, along with other bespoke features.

Parking on pavements could be banned in England to help pedestrians, the Department for Transport has said. It’s long been illegal in London, but only lorries are banned elsewhere. The AA has warned this could cause more “parking chaos”, however.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11

New model will replace existing Sports Series

❝

We see opportunities in terms of the instant torque and filling the gaps in the powerband ❞

McLaren PHEV due this year

Brand’s first mainstream hybrid will have twin-turbo V6 and 20-mile electric range

M

cLaren will launch its first mainstream hybrid car later this year, with sources suggesting it will sit towards the lower end of the British sports car maker’s three-tier model range in terms of power and performance.

The new car will be part of its Sports Series and will use a twin-turbocharged V6 as part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

It’s tipped to be revealed this summer ahead of deliveries commencing later this year.

While McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt declined to comment on specifics, he admitted that he’s excited at the possibilities

of using electrical power to boost performance yet also reduce emissions.

“We have experience of hybrid systems with cars like the P1, P1 GTR and Speedtail, and that recipe of offering a car that can be both truly economical and thrilling to drive remains our goal,” said Flewitt. “McLaren is all about building the best driver’s cars, and we see opportunities with hybrid [powertrains], in terms of the instant torque and filling the gaps in the powerband.”

While any hybrid’s main drawback is additional weight, Flewitt and McLaren COO Jens

Ludmann both suggested that the engineers at Woking have managed to claw back the large majority of the deficit.

“At McLaren, we’re fortunate that we’re not so constrained by building to a price,” said Ludmann. “Our customers want the best, so that’s what we obsess over.”

With the new car expected to be capable of travelling around 20 miles on electricity alone and recording strong longerdistance fuel economy, Flewitt questioned the government’s recent announcement that it wants to ban the sale of new hybrid cars as early as 2032.

Flewitt said: “Hybridisation could play a key role in the journey [to net zero emissions], and I believe that a longer transition period of running hybrids and full EVs alongside each other could be part of the answer. We’ve invested in this technology with the goal of paying back that investment over a number of years.

“We believe it will meet customer requirements sooner than full EV. To set a deadline for its end before we have launched it is detrimental to the perception of the steps forward we’ve made, and it both stalls the demand and potentially

causes people to hold on to or buy older, more polluting cars.”

However, Flewitt admitted that McLaren is likely to have an electric car ready ahead of the deadline, meeting the firm’s internal criteria of offering an all-round package at least as good as today’s equivalent cars in terms of both driver engagement and usability.

“Building the car to the deadline is less of a problem,” he said. “What I’d like clarity on is how we as a country will be ready to support those vehicles in terms of infrastructure, supply chain and so on.”

JIM HOLDER

Reports of the engine’s death are greatly exaggerated VOLKSWAGEN TECHNICAL chief Matthias Rabe believes combustion engines still have a long future in the car industry, due to environmentally friendly fuels.

The company has set itself a target of net zero carbon emissions and made a huge investment in electric vehicle technology to achieve that.

Yet Rabe said engines “will have a longer future than some people predict”, assuming widespread future adoption of synthetic fuels made from

12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

biomass or other materials.

“We will come to e-fuels,” said Rabe. “If you look at the aviation industry, e-fuels are in high demand because [planes] won’t go electric, otherwise you won’t cross the Atlantic.

“We take our CO2 targets very seriously and want to be a role model on CO2 , but that doesn’t mean we will exclude the combustion engine.”

Volkswagen is committed to “a broad field” of powertrain options for at least the next decade, Rabe added.

New VW Golf hasn’t veered away from combustion power

NEWS 570S hybrid test mule was recently spied on the road

PSA still “eager to invest” in UK Limited-run Speedtail is a parallel hybrid

McL A R EN A DVOCATES SY NTHE TIC F UEL McLaren is advancing plans to create a development car that runs on synthetic fuel to prove the technology’s validity as an alternative to battery-electric vehicles for lowering the ecological impact of motoring, COO Jens Ludmann has revealed.

While the project is still in the planning stage, Ludmann revealed that the company believes synthetic fuels can be a viable alternative to electric power if the production of batteries is included as part of an EV’s total CO2 impact.

Ludmann said: “The technology around synthetic fuels is still being developed, but if you consider that it can be produced using solar energy, easily transported and then pumped [into cars] as we know today, there are potential benefits in terms

of emissions and practicality that I’m keen to explore.

“Today’s engines would need only small modifications, and I would like to see this technology get some more airtime.”

However, Ludmann stressed that he doesn’t envisage synthetic fuel engines replacing battery-electric vehicles.

“It’s too hard to say with certainty how far off synthetic fuel is from reaching production reality,” he said, “whereas battery technology is here. Then you also have the potential to combine synthetic fuel with a hybrid system, which would make it cleaner still.

“I’m not saying this to hold back battery technology but rather to highlight that there could be valid alternatives that we should consider.”

PSA GROUP BOSS Carlos Tavares remains “eager to invest” in Vauxhall’s factory in Ellesmere Port should a suitable business case be made for it off the back of trade deal talks between the UK and the European Union.

However, if tariffs are imposed on cars or car parts, Tavares said the UK government would need to make the investment, because it “would not be ethical” to make employees at profitable PSA factories elsewhere in the world pay for arrears at Ellesmere Port, where the Astra is produced, just to keep it running.

To that end, Tavares repeated his call for a free trade deal between the EU and its former member state.

“If conditions of trade are positive and there are no tariffs, then most of the investment would be made by PSA,” he said. “We don’t want to be a burden and want to bring wealth and value, but it is fair to ask the UK to create the business for this to fly.”

The factory in Cheshire, north-west England, is set to switch to a four-day week on 23 March. Vauxhall claims employees will work “extended hours” to match their current five-day week but refuses to rule out further job cuts. The decision was taken due to a slowdown in Astra sales – particularly of the Sports Tourer estate.

Tavares said that while PSA “respects and loves” its workers at Ellesmere Port,

“it’s also time for the UK government to respect and love its people and support them”.

He continued: “We’re trying to support them and we’re really crossing fingers for good sense to prevail.”

A decision on whether or not Ellesmere Port will be one of two PSA plants to build the next-generation Astra, due to arrive in 2021, hinges on the outcome of these trade talks.

Tavares said that he is very happy with the overall performance of the OpelVauxhall business and that it had generated €1.1 billion (£969.6 million) in profit last year, at a margin of 6.5%.

“I express thanks to, and appreciate the efforts of, all Vauxhall employees,” he said.

Ellesmere Port built its first Vauxhall in 1964 and has made the Astra since 1981

Two-door Range Rover is brought back from the brink NIELS VAN ROIJ Design has revealed the Adventum Coupé, a two-door Range Rover inspired by the SV Coupé that Land Rover cancelled in January last year.

The work of the Dutch car designer also responsible for a Tesla Model S shooting brake and coachbuilt by Bas van Roomen, the Adventum Coupé stays faithful to the original SVO creation, with custommade aluminium bodywork that uses only the bonnet, wings and bootlid from the standard Range Rover.

It’s powered exclusively by

Land Rover’s 517bhp 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8.

Van Roij says that each Adventum Coupé “can have striking materials and colour schemes for both interior and exterior. Everything is possible: unique fuel filler caps, duo-tone

Each car will be unique inside

exterior paints... even refined embroidery is a possibility.”

The first example built features red leather upholstery and a hand-made teak floor.

The Adventum Coupé can be commissioned for just under £235,000, with construction starting once a £43,500 deposit is placed.

That’s very close to what Land Rover planned to charge for the SV Coupé. However, when the manufacturer suffered a financial downturn, it canned the project in order to focus its resources on new mass-produced models.

Almost every panel is newly fabricated

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13

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Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO 2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted, variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. * There is a new test used for fuel consumption and CO2 figures. The CO2 figures shown however, are based on the outgoing test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration.

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NEWS

CONFIDENTIAL

Distinctive fin is needed for lidar sensors to work

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES

UK firm unveils EV supercar Apex AP-0 is driver’s car with focus on comfort and 320-mile range

T

he new Apex AP-0 is an electric supercar engineered and built in the UK and designed

by Guy Colborne, the Brit behind the Elemental RP1.

The AP-0 is described as race-inspired and road legal.

While the car revealed here is a concept, the model is due to make production in late 2022, with prices starting from around £150,000.

The AP-0 is just the latest in a list of electric supercars being revealed worldwide from a variety of start-up companies and established players, including the Dendrobium D-1, Pininfarina Battista, Rimac C_Two and Lotus Evija.

The ethos behind the AP-0 is more in line with the RP1 or KTM X-Bow, but Apex intends to offer more on-road comfort than those track-day specials, given that the AP-0 isn’t an open-top.

Apex claims the AP-0 is capable of a 0-62mph sprint of 2.3sec, thanks to rear-wheel drive, 650bhp and 428lb ft of torque. Top speed is 190mph.

Despite the figures, though,

Two-seat interior contains an array of digital displays

it’s not intended as a hypercar.

“This is reflected in price, power output and vehicle weight,” said Apex. “Instead, this is a sports car that was designed to be light, fast and a statement of intent for Apex to create the world’s finest zeroemissions sports cars, which are usable and comfortable on the road but transform into pure driver’s cars on a track.”

The AP-0 will get an official WLTP range of 320 miles from its lithium ion battery and can be charged to 80% in less than 15 minutes from a 350kW CCS rapid-charger.

It’s also capable of level three autonomy, including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.

However, Apex says its system is advanced enough for level four (self-driving in all but the trickiest scenarios) once this becomes “safely achievable”.

Apex claims the AP-0 weighs 1200kg – significantly less than the majority of electric sports cars – thanks to the use of a carbonfibre tub at its core.

This structure uses modular spaceframes and a centre spine

that links the front and the rear. The bodyshell is wrapped around the tub and spine but still exposes the carbonfibre chassis. Batteries are mounted in the floor at the front and rear in a bid to achieve the lowest possible centre of gravity.

The AP-0 uses a pushrod suspension system, as seen in Formula 1, and has automatic ride height adjustment using adjustable coilovers.

Highlights of the dramatic design include the fin (which gives the lidar sensors the height they need to work effectively) and the crossshaped lights that feed into it.

Inside, there are bucket seats and a racing-like feetup driving position. The lidar generates detailed maps of the car’s surroundings, creating a 3D image. Apex says the technology enhances its

driver assistance systems by more accurately identifying potential hazards, pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.

There’s also a holographic augmented-reality display and a race instructor that helps the driver learn new tracks.

Apex is headed by Hong Kong-based brothers Jason and Gary Leung, but the firm will operate its engineering, design and manufacturing from a site near Woking in Surrey.

Once up and running, the facility will be able to build 500 examples of the AP-0 per year.

Apex previously launched the 620kg, 400bhp 2.3-litre Ford Ecoboost-powered AP-1, of which more than 10 have been sold so far. The Leung brothers say the AP-1 continues to serve as a testbed for improving the production AP-0.

RACHEL BURGESS

Q&A GUY COLBORNE, AP-0 DESIGNER You designed the Elemental RP1. How different is the AP-0?

“The RP1 was designed with race engineering in mind.

With the AP-0, we were able to get into a deeper level of technology. The RP1 was about stripping weight out; this is also about being more refined and luxury.”

What will change from this concept to the

production car?

“We’re going to work on ingress and egress, push the tub down a bit. And then practicality aspects: whether we can package in a ‘frunk’ for luggage.”

Is this the craziest car you’ve yet designed?

“Probably not. That was the Daewoo Mirae concept, a five-seat sports car. But we’ve pushed the boundaries with the AP-0, and it’s the car I’m most proud of.”

CAR COMPANY BOSSES have expressed that the 2021 Geneva motor show might not be needed to unveil new models, since makers held their own events after the cancellation of this year’s show. Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark said it could be “not absolutely necessary to attend” in future if feedback is positive and Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer has echoed that sentiment.

COUPÉS AND convertibles are dying off in mainstream brands’ line-ups because there simply isn’t the spare investment capital needed to develop them, according to Peugeot boss JeanPhilippe Imparato. Electric cars, 5G connectivity and autonomous cars are huge, sequential investments that will dominate resources for a decade or more. “I love these cars,” said Imparato, “but today there are three other topics first.”

VIETNAM’S ONLY global car company, Vinfast, could rescue Holden workers and facilities after the Australian brand was killed by General Motors.

Reports from the region claim Vinfast is setting up an engineering hub that is currently being staffed by a number of ex-Holden employees and is interested in Holden’s proving ground.

GOOD NEWS FOR manual gearbox fans: not only does the new Volkswagen Golf GTI get one as standard, but its maker is committed to offering stick-shifts in the long term. VW tech chief Matthias Rabe said: “Some people enjoy going back to their roots and changing gear manually, and so long as there is a demand, we will continue to offer them.”

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15

Budget gives motorists a boost

Chancellor Rishi Sunak backed EVs in the budget last week

Chancellor outlines plans to invest in EV tech, extend the plug-in grant, improve road networks and fix potholes – but it isn’t all good news

M

easures to combat the coronavirus pandemic captured wider attention but the government’s 2020 budget included several policies that will directly affect drivers and the car industry.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak introduced policies that included a huge investment in roads and EV charging infrastructure and more tax breaks for electric cars.

Here are the key motoring decisions and what the industry thinks about them.

TAXES ■ Vehicle excise duty (VED, or road tax) to rise in line with the retail price index from 1 April.

■ Zero-emission cars to be exempt from the VED ‘expensive car supplement’ for vehicles costing more than £40,000.

■ Fuel duty remains frozen.

Although there were suggestions that fuel duty

would rise, Sunak kept it frozen for a 10th consecutive year.

He claims this provides drivers with average savings of £1200 per year compared with 2010.

Nicholas Lyes, head of policy for the RAC, said the “welcome” move would “be a relief to drivers up and down the country”.

AA president Edmund King said a fuel duty rise would “have had a negative impact on both households and business at a time when the economy is fragile, given the current circumstances”.

As well as exempting zeroemission cars from the VED supplement, the government has published a request for evidence to review VED rates.

Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), said she is “pleased” by both moves, but King warned that any VED review “could lead to higher rates of car tax for new and used cars”.

Public rapid-charging will get £500m investment

16 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

Government will create a £2.5bn pothole fund, remove grant for £50k-plus EVs and improve road network ELECTRIC CARS ■ Plug-in car grant reduced from £3500 to £3000 and vehicles costing more than £50,000 now excluded.

■ Plug-in car grant to be extended until 2022/23, thanks to £403 million of additional funding.

■ £500m investment in rapidcharging hubs and £1 billion in green transport solutions.

■ More than £900m to be invested in nuclear fusion, space and electric vehicles research and development.

(SMMT), said investment in EVs is “essential if we are to begin to meet extremely challenging environmental ambitions”.

However, he added that “more needs to be done to maximise the opportunities” created by EV technologies.

King was more guarded; although he praised the chancellor’s investment in EV research and development, he “would have liked to have seen more immediate investment for gigafactories”.

Although the plug-in car grant for each new vehicle has been cut by £500, the decision to extend the offer until 2023 has been broadly welcomed, especially with EV prices set to dip as more of them are produced.

The RAC’s Lyes said: “It will provide a real long-term boost for drivers who plan on changing their vehicle in the next couple of years but find the current up-front costs prohibitive.”

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

■ The government will invest

INVESTMENT £27bn in strategic roads in England between 2020 and 2050, including work on: ■ 20 connections to airports and ports, more than 100 junctions and 4000 miles of road.

■ Investment work on the A66, A46, M60 and A303 and building the Lower Thames Crossing.

■ Creation of a £2.5bn pothole repair fund, which is enough to fix an estimated 50 million potholes.

■ £300m towards tackling NOx emissions in urban areas.

The government has also added £1bn to the Transforming Cities fund, which will support a range of projects in 12 cities.

The investment will be used to finance projects including road initiatives, such as a new Central Park Bridge in Plymouth. There will also be £4.2bn spent on five-year transport schemes for eight other city regions.

King called the major investment in the road network “fantastic news” that was “long overdue”.

However, he added that although the new pothole fund will fill around 50 million potholes, “there will still be some way to go before our local roads are completely smooth”.

Lyes said that “while additional funding from the chancellor to fix our local roads is helpful, what has been committed is simply not enough”.

Robinson welcomed the move to improve 4000 miles of road, saying: “An efficient transport infrastructure is key to a strong economy and the investment is welcome news.”

WILL TRINKWON

Safety improvements for smart motorways

UNDER THE SKIN JESSE CROSSE

HOW WHEAT (AND OTHER PLANTS) CAN FUEL A CO2 CUT FOR YOUR CAR

detection technology will be “substantially” accelerated.

There will be an increase in the number of Highways England traffic officer patrols to reduce response times and the maximum space between emergency refuse areas will be set to one mile or, “where feasible”, three-quarters of a mile.

Improvements will also be made to increase education about the smart motorway system among drivers and additional camera monitoring will aim to catch motorists who ignore the red X signs that mark lane closures.

AA president Edmund King called the measures “a victory for common sense and safety”.

New measures include extra monitoring to catch red X dodgers

S PY S H OT

HYUNDAI i20 N

HYUNDAI i20 N SHOWS GO-FASTER FACE The Hyundai i20 N has been spied testing with nearproduction bodywork. Although it’s still unconfirmed, the model is set to go on sale early next year, with styling inspired by the i30 N, including red brake calipers, a bespoke front bumper and twin exhausts. Powertrain details are scarce, but it’s likely to use the i30 N’s 2.0-litre turbo engine or a tuned 1.6-litre turbo. It’s also tipped to have an electrified element.

TALK TO JUST about any emissions expert in the car industry and they’ll all agree on one thing. The quickest way to reduce CO2 emissions across a national or even global fleet of vehicles is to switch to a ‘cleaner’ fuel such as petrol blended with ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Because the plant material used to make the ethanol absorbed CO2 when it was growing, the combustion of ethanol is carbon neutral. At least, that’s the theory.

To be fully carbon neutral, so must the entire life cycle of the ethanol, including the growing of crops as a feedstock, harvesting, production and delivery.

The UK is to switch from E5 (5% ethanol in petrol) to E10 (10%) and that may have an impact on drivers of old bangers. Higher concentrations of ethanol have been used in Europe and elsewhere since 2011, and in the UK new cars since 2011 have been compatible with it. The rule-of-thumb advice given by motoring organisations is that if a car was made in 2002 or earlier, steer clear of E10.

Ethanol is hygroscopic (absorbs water from the atmosphere) and that can cause corrosion in the fuel system if fuel is left for long periods. But then, so is hydraulic brake fluid and we manage with that. Ethanol also has a corrosive effect on seals made of natural, neoprene or silicone rubber, but there are usually ethanol-proof alternatives available. In a 2009 study, classic car insurers Hagerty in the US found the effects of E10 on classic car fuel systems to be minimal.

Like most other more sustainable fuels, including hydrogen, E10 hasn’t caught on in the UK until now. But according to the RAC, 17% of German drivers, 32% of French drivers and a whopping 63% of Finnish drivers fill up with it. E25 has been mandatory in Brazil since 2007, while E10 and E15 are available in other parts of the world. In the US, E85 is also on sale for flex-fuel vehicles with engines configured for the high concentration of ethanol.

The use of food crops like wheat to make ethanol is controversial and, in global volumes, may not be feasible. But these

are labelled ‘first-generation’ biofuels and the future is expected to lie with secondgeneration advanced ‘cellulosic’ biofuel made from plant and wood waste and pretty much anything that grows.

Other alternatives to improving the emissions from liquid fuels include synthetic fuels. Audi has been collaborating with partners for several years on a research project to make e-benzin, which is said to be almost CO2 neutral. A synthetic e-diesel project has yielded production volumes of around 400,000 litres per year using sustainable hydroelectric power as the only energy source.

Blending ethanol with petrol doesn’t make engines free of toxic emissions or help with air quality in urban areas in the same way as electric vehicles can. But it can help reduce CO2 emissions, so long as producing the stuff doesn’t emit almost as much greenhouse gas as it saves.

A SUPER-SUB FOR COBALT Cobalt, the scarce and controversial ingredient of lithium ion batteries, is also used in engines for things like turbocharger wastegates. Component supplier Tenneco has come up with a substitute: a new type of sintered steel that, it says, makes it possible to reduce the cobalt content of components significantly. Battery and EV manufacturers are also pushing to reduce the amount of cobalt used in cathodes to improve battery life and safety.

SHUTTERSTOCK

DYNAMIC HARD SHOULDERS will be removed from smart motorways under a series of measures to improve safety on the controversial roads.

The 18 measures have been introduced following a government review sparked by concerns over the safety of smart motorways, on which hard shoulders have been converted into live lanes.

On average, 11 people per year have died in accidents involving a stationary car being stranded in a live lane.

Dynamic smart motorways, where a part-time hard shoulder can become a live-running lane, have been abolished, and the roll-out of stopped vehicle

NEWS

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17

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COMMENT

Steve Cropley MY WEEK IN CARS

The day started with an Up GTI and ended with Rolls-Royce

SATURDAY, SUNDAY

An exhilarating weekend dashing about the Cotswolds in the latest Volkswagen Up GTI, a car that has been around for years and I have heard plenty about but never driven. Its zippy engine and Mini-like handling – along with the glorious simplicity of its styling and character – make you wonder why on earth you need anything bigger or pricier for honest driving enjoyment. Conclusion: you don’t.

TUESDAY

I’ve finally lifted my nose from what must surely be one of the most remarkable car books ever written. Conservatively named Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Car Engineer, it follows the 41-year career of its author, Peter Hill, who started at Crewe as “a humble apprentice”, rose high in the engineering ranks and left at the turn of the century when the two marques split.

The book, many years in creation, is an intimate insider’s guide to a hectic era, detailing design and engineering challenges, model changes, funding difficulties, secret concept cars, ‘now it can be told’ test sessions and much more, all of it over 540 riveting pages.

The writing style is nothing like your usual author-ese: it’s an entirely guileless account of Hill’s experiences, packed here with the minutiae of technology (with supporting drawings) and there with the author’s view of the company’s marketing and political challenges.

Sure, it’s opinionated, but the author’s authority is irresistible. Only those who truly study these cars and this era will read every word, but for them this book will be an absolute treasure.

❝

I’ve got a configurator obsession ❞ WEDNESDAY

Scottish driving routes are all the rage, and the latest and most fascinating – if the shortest – is the Jim Clark Trail, promoted by the recently expanded Jim Clark Museum in Duns. It’s only 50 miles of driving, but it connects the champion’s birthplace and grave, the museum, the place where his driving career began and where he watched his first motor race. It’s also an absorbing journey through some of the most uplifting countryside anywhere.

For soft southerners, it’s worth a driving trip to Scotland on its own. And, of course, if you’re prepared to venture 300 miles north (Scotland’s bigger than you think), you can tackle the North Coast 500 while you’re out. For full Jim Clark

AND ANOTHER THING… London’s traffic is light at present, apparently because large swathes of the population are avoiding contact with their fellows and potentially the Covid-19 virus by staying at home.

Surprises me: I’d have thought the traffic would swell as people used their own cars as isolation devices like I’m doing.

Trail details and more, visit jimclarktrust.com.

FRIDAY

I’ve got a configurator obsession. What attracts me most is finding enticing specifications by ticking as few boxes as possible. It’s not about saving money (not one of my strengths; ask the Steering Committee), but I have always had the abiding feeling that car companies engineer ideal models, shortly before allowing marketing types to spoil them.

They do this by adding needlessly bigger wheels, shiny tailpipes, slabs of meaningless carbonfibre, aero gadgetry that works only above 120mph and £5000 sound-lab audio systems, even though a car’s continual background noise (in sound-lab terms) is never less than awful.

My recent drive in a no-frills Porsche 911 Carrera has added fuel to this fire: it convinced me that a superb car can be built for precisely £85,010, a cool £30,000 less than people usually pay for a loaded 911 S. My choice would be a white-with-black Carrera (£82,793) with Crayon seat stitching (free), model identification deleted (free), Sports Seats Plus (£324), LED headlights (£699), parking sensors and rear camera (£464), a heated steering wheel in Alcantara (£505) and a £225 outdoor cover. That’s a wonderful car and an outrageous bargain. And I’ll bet that compared with most 911 deals, it would save me the cost of a supermini.

GET IN TOUCH

✉ steve.cropley@haymarket.com

@stvcr

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 19

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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 9.3.20, BERLIN, GERMANY ON SALE APRIL PRICE £27,665

VAUXHALL CORSA-E British brand’s fully electric car will go up against the likes of the Mini Electric with a 209-mile official range and 100kW charging

Y

ou know some big change is afoot when the humble Vauxhall Corsa is reconfigured in such a way that it can run on nothing but the electrons that flow from a power socket. In fact, it seems entirely fair to state that this new electric Corsa-e – which has an official WLTP range of 209 miles – is the most important car that Vauxhall and German twin brand Opel have launched since, well, the original Corsa arrived on the scene way back in 1982.

Of course, the Spanish-built supermini was originally known as the Nova here in Britain, before the decision was made to import the Corsa moniker from the Continent in the early 1990s.

But even with that rebranding occurring in between the first and second generations, very little has stood between the small Vauxhall and continued sales success year after year after year. Well, very little aside from a certain blue oval-badged rival; but let’s not get bogged down in a game of whose sales are greater than whose.

With the arrival of this new electric version, Vauxhall and its new French owner will no doubt be hoping to spur the Corsa on to even greater heights.

As with its combustion-engined sixth-generation counterpart, the Corsa-e sits atop the PSA Group’s Common Modular Platform (CMP) – an architecture we’re ◊

TESTER’S NOTE The PSA Group’s infotainment still isn’t the slickest on the market. Its responses can be fairly slow and at one point the sat-nav had trouble pinpointing my location. I certainly wasn’t driving through an office block like it thought I was. SD

❝

The Corsa-e works really hard to isolate you from external interference

❞ Interior is of high quality, but it could certainly be a more exciting design ∆ rather familiar with now, seeing as it also underpins the likes of the new DS 3 Crossback and Peugeot 208, plus their respective electric versions.

However, it’s interesting to note that, despite the CMP being developed from the ground up to accommodate full-scale electrification, the process of converting a standard petrol Corsa into a zero-emissions Corsa-e isn’t as straightforward as you might think. It’s certainly not a question of dropping a few battery cells in the boot and calling it job done.

In fact, in order to properly

accommodate the entirety of the 50kWh battery pack while also making the Corsa perform and handle as it should despite having an additional 345kg to lug about, some light surgical alteration was required. This included pushing the rear torsion beam farther back, widening both the front and rear tracks ever so slightly and extending the wheelbase by a few millimetres.

At the same time, the front subframe was stiffened to increase torsional rigidity, the spring and damper rates were revised and the steering response was recalibrated.

Rolling acceleration is very quick at urban speeds 24 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

The positioning of the battery and the additional mass it entails also lower the Corsa-e’s centre of gravity by 10% from the standard car. The pack itself is shaped to roughly resemble an H, with the bulk of its weight sitting directly beneath the rear bench and a smaller section under the front seats.

It powers a synchronous electric motor that drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission and develops a modest 134bhp and 192lb ft. So, the Corsa-e isn’t exactly bristling with performance, but even with 1455kg of car to transport, the motor still lends it quite a sharp turn of initial pace. On a dry surface, you could imagine it matching Vauxhall’s claimed 0-62mph time, but it’s the way it accelerates between 20mph and 50mph that will be of greatest relevance in the congested urban environments that most examples of this model will call home.

Even in Normal driving mode, wherein power and torque are slightly limited unless you hit the accelerator’s kickdown switch, the Corsa-e’s appetite for snatching gaps in the traffic is fun to exploit.

An extended poke of the throttle makes it spring forward with impressive but not startling urgency, but press the pedal all the way to the floor and, on slippery, uneven streets, it will vigorously spin its

front wheels until the traction control steps in to make things civil again.

Provided you’re not too foolhardy with your right foot, the Corsa-e actually makes for an impressively mature and appealingly polished runabout. The regenerative braking proffered by the motor isn’t too forceful, even in its strongest setting, and brake pedal feel is reasonable, too. You can definitely tell when the friction brakes step in, but the transition is generally pretty smart – certainly smart enough so as not to be off-putting to a first-time electric car buyer, which is precisely the point.

Through the busy streets of Berlin and on the congested motorways that surround the German capital, it became apparent that the Corsa-e really works hard to isolate you from external interference. There’s an appealing calm that sets over the cabin when you’re cruising at speed, too. Wind noise is minimal and there isn’t a great deal of road roar to be experienced, either (at least on our smoothly surfaced test route).

In fact, this sense of calm is only really punctuated by the odd thump as you roll over an expansion joint or rut. And unless you happen to drop into an absolute crater, these intrusions are smartly rounded off, with their sharp edges impressively dulled by the time the initial shock is transferred to the base of your seat.

FIRST DRIVES THE W H AT A ND W H Y OF REGEN BRAKING Unlike many of the latest electric cars, particularly those of South Korean origin, the Corsa-e isn’t equipped with multiple settings for its regenerative braking.

There are just two rates available: the standard D setting, wherein deceleration occurs at a rate of 0.6 metres per second squared and the more forceful B, wherein the rate of deceleration upon lifting off the throttle increases to 1.3 metres per second squared.

The primary reason for not introducing even greater levels of regeneration is simple: Vauxhall wanted the driving experience to feel as similar to that of a petrol or diesel model as possible, so as not to intimidate first-time buyers.

But lead development engineer Thomas Wanke also cited another, more intriguing reason. On the old Ampera range-extender EV, the regenerative braking was so powerful that drivers weren’t using the friction brakes at all. By going unused for extended periods, many corroded, leading to costly repair bills come MOT time.

Despite the extra weight of the battery, the ride remains impressive You hear a bit of a hollow thumping sound here and there as the suspension goes about its business, but the cabin generally feels calm and well-insulated.

What it doesn’t really feel is particularly opulent or style-led in its design; next to the decidedly chic Peugeot e-208, the Corsa-e wants for visual pizzazz. Build quality is generally good, though, and there’s impressive adjustability on offer that enables you to sit surprisingly low down, despite the presence of the battery pack beneath your seat.

What’s more, there’s decent room in

the second row, while 267 litres is a usable-enough size for the boot.

The additional mass of the electric powertrain becomes noticeable during directional changes, but the steering is accurate and sensibly weighted enough that it doesn’t sap confidence from the driver. You don’t get the sense that there’s endless grip available or that the car takes particular delight in being driven enthusiastically. But when operated within its comfort zone, there’s a likeable maturity about its driving experience that will no doubt carry plenty of sway with its target market.

With prices starting at £27,665 after the government’s plug-in car grant, it’s reasonably expensive by regular Corsa standards. Included in that price, though, is the installation of a home wallbox that’s capable of charging the battery to maximum capacity in about 7.5 hours.

The Corsa-e supports 100kW DC rapid-charging as standard, too, which brings the charge time down to around half an hour. Given that many manufacturers will charge you extra for the fastest possible charging capability, Vauxhall’s transparency on this front is refreshing.

The Corsa-e is far from the most charismatic electric supermini; the Honda E and Mini Electric have it licked in that regard. But while you get the sense that such cars will appeal to those who have already come around to the idea of electric car ownership, the Corsa-e’s ease of use and the relative familiarity of its driving experience are no less significant. In fact, they could just be what it takes to get a tentative customer off the fence and into the showroom. That can’t be a bad thing.

SIMON DAVIS

@simondavisnz

VAUXHALL CORSA-E Feels impressively mature and packs plenty of usable performance. Lacks some driver and style appeal, though

AAAAC Price Engine Power Torque Gearbox Kerb weight 0-62mph Top speed Range CO2, tax band RIVALS

Corsa-e has the same boot volume as the Corsa but not its underfloor well

£27,665 (after gov’t grant) Synchronous electric motor 134bhp at 3674-10,000rpm 192lb ft at 300-3673rpm 1-spd, direct drive 1455kg 8.1sec 93mph 209 miles (WLTP) 0g/km, 0% Renault Zoe, Peugeot e-208, Mini Electric

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25

Date: 14.Feb 2020 12:19:12

£5 W IN 00 0

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FIRST DRIVES TESTER’S NOTE I’d like to try Mountune’s M400r, which doesn’t go so far as the new engine internals of the M520 but is still quick enough and costs less.

Despite the appalling turning circle it brings, I’d also take the firmer, lowered KW suspension. The car’s weight demands it and the rear axle is more planted – and playful – than with the standard hardware. RL

TESTED 5.3.20, ESSEX ON SALE NOW

MOUNTUNE FORD FOCUS RS Adrenaline-charged fun awaits in this ferocious 513bhp mega-hatch

M

ountune’s M520 belongs back in time, when no-name electric cars with 2000bhp didn’t show up out of nowhere and we thought supercars making barely one-third of that were pushing the boundaries of what normal humans could handle. If you want a date, try March 2000, which was the month Porsche showed a concept version of the Carrera GT in Geneva.

This is the era you need to mentally revisit to fully appreciate such an extreme take on the Ford Focus RS. We’ve become worryingly immune to big numbers, so let’s be clear: 513bhp is an unhinged degree of power for a C-segment hatchback and it has been achieved by the company that, while Porsche was formulating its V10 supercar, was supplying fourcylinder turbo engines for the works Focus WRC cars of Sainz and McRae. The M520 also uses a four-cylinder turbo engine, although one based on the 2.3-litre Ecoboost that serves in the latest Focus ST. Mountune fits a new BorgWarner turbocharger with low-friction ceramic bearings and a low-inertia turbine. Then there are upgraded camshafts and valvetrains,

a more powerful fuel pump and a host of new gaskets, hoses, studs and nuts. Any car due for conversion also needs, as a prerequisite, to use Mountune’s own intercooler and air intake, big-bore exhaust and forged engine internals, to take the strain.

Elsewhere, the front driveshafts have been beefed up and there’s a Quaife torque-biasing differential to replace Ford’s open diff. The rear axle, which in the standard Focus RS is never asked to cope with more than 240bhp of the engine’s 345bhp total, has been left untouched.

From scratch, it all costs around £15,000, but the promise of Nissan GTR-troubling performance with Mountune’s trademark drivability has meant no shortage of orders.

In truth, the car feels experimental and illicit, which will scare many people away but should also secure it massive appeal among the hardy few. Ominously little happens below 2600rpm, when the car is mild mannered but for some driveline shunt if you don’t finesse gearshifts.

On Michelin Cup 2 tyres and with lightly revised suspension geometries, it also steers genuinely

well: still slightly too elastic in its action but responsive, feelsome and with an authentic heft missing from the set-up in the latest Focus ST. Our car’s optional two-way KW adjustable dampers are also worth having and give the M520 the same solid but supple brand of body control found in the BMW M2 Competition, even if the front axle needs a very firm hand on cambered or rutted roads.

Fuel economy varies between 30mpg cruising off boost and as little as 8mpg for cross-country blasts.

But what blasts they are. At around 2800rpm, the torque curve spikes violently as the turbo wakes up and piles on 250lb ft in the space of 1000rpm. The acute torque steer that follows is a candid reminder that the throttle pedal goes both ways, although if you keep your cool, you’ll find the M520 never drags you screaming into a hedge. Even on a perfectly smooth, straight and dry road, you can spin up all four wheels if you give it everything in fourth gear, and frankly the car seems as though it’d be happiest with all the electronic aids switched off, wheels constantly over-rotating a touch and

It’s a thrilling car to drive, once you learn to trust it, and the rear axle is happy to become involved in your progress

McRae himself at the helm. Do get it properly hooked up, though, and you’ll accumulate speed in a way that makes a Volkswagen Golf R feel completely pedestrian.

And once you have become accustomed to the explosive torque delivery, and you trust the chassis to just about cope with the onslaught, you can start to savour the experience. After all, here we have a four-wheel-drive car with a manual ’box and a heavily boosted engine that doesn’t suffer from obvious lag.

It’s a car that needs to be learned and respected, one more often thrilling to drive fast than enjoyable, and one that can slide neatly but misbehaves often. It’s flawed, but for the fast Ford diehards who’ve been waiting for a spiritual successor to the Escort Cosworth, this is probably that car.

RICHARD LANE

@_rlane_

MOUNTUNE FORD FOCUS RS M520 Truly unruly at times but massively exciting, not least because of its motorsport-grade personality

AAABC Price £15,000 (est – upgrade) Engine 4 cyls, 2261cc, turbocharged, petrol Power 513bhp at 5550rpm Torque 516lb ft at 4000-4700rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1599kg 0-62mph 4.0sec (est) Top speed 175mph (est) Economy WLTP figures na CO2, tax band WLTP figures na RIVALS BMW M2 Competition, Mercedes-AMG A45 S

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27

FIRST DRIVES TESTED 12.3.20, MIDDLESEX ON SALE NOW

AUDI RS Q8

Flagship SUV weighs 2.3 tonnes and packs a 592bhp V8 JAGUAR F-TYPE R P575 AWD Price £97,280 On sale Now What’s new? Top-of-the-range sports car is given more power, revised suspension, refreshed styling and four-wheel drive

W

hen you first drive the Audi RS Q8 down a busy, potholed high street, you find you need a good imagination.

The five-metre, 2.3-tonne, 592bhp, £101k behemoth purring under your backside may feel like an ordinary, £67k Q8, but it’s actually a genuine Nürburgring record-holder, 12 seconds faster around the famous 16-mile circuit than the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupé that are simultaneously its relatives and its rivals.

The fact that this mighty machine’s low-speed ride and refinement are so impressive will come almost as a disappointment to some. Same goes for the classy interior and enveloping leather seats: they say luxury rather than top-end performance. But few cars demonstrate as starkly as this Audi how sophisticated electronics

allow a car as unlikely as this to be a storming performance flagship.

Such a tall and heavy SUV really shouldn’t be agile or fast around a circuit. But give it 592bhp at 6000rpm, eight quick-shifting gear ratios and the kind of low-end torque that we’ve come to expect of a twin-turbocharged V8 and it will erupt off the mark – with almost no wheelspin – to 62mph in just 3.8sec.

It will also manage 190mph flat out (but is limited here to 155mph).

Give this self-same SUV a fourwheel drive system that directs up to 80% of torque to the rear wheels and it will have an unexpectedly sophisticated throttle-steering capability. Give it a torque-vectoring rear differential, plus four-wheel steering and the option of a PorscheLamborghini-Bentley 48V adaptive roll control system and it will turn

in to corners brilliantly and keep gripping and turning with nearperfect stability no matter how long and fast they turn out to be.

Also give it adaptive air suspension and it will prove comfortable over potholes yet also planted at 120mph.

And off road, it will even lift itself 50mm to do some mud-plugging.

Here in overcrowded, speedrestricted Britain, the RS Q8 will hardly ever get the chance to demonstrate the extent of its capabilities. But if you still fancy one of these – and the fact that it undercuts its British, German and Italian relatives makes three decent reasons – you can rest assured that it will cope beautifully at all the speeds and in all conditions that are allowable.

STEVE CROPLEY

@stvcr

AUDI RS Q8 TFSI QUATTRO Audi’s top-spec SUV offers huge performance yet copes perfectly well with the daily driver role too

AAAAC

Interior is a luxurious tech-fest with subtle sporting touches

Price £100,900 Engine V8, 3996cc, twinturbocharged, petrol Power 592bhp at 6000rpm Torque 590lb ft at 2200-4500rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 2315kg 0-62mph 3.8sec Top speed 155mph (governed) Economy 20.2mpg (combined) CO2, tax band 277g/km, 37% RIVALS L amborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupé, BMW X6 M Competition

WE’VE DRIVEN THE rangetopping R version of the facelifted Jaguar F-Type abroad already, and on UK roads its reappraised suspension tuning makes it feel pretty familiar: like the burly, firm and slightly unruly hot rod it always was, even with four-wheel drive. It’s not a subtle driver’s car, but it is a compelling one.

That 567bhp V8 lays on mid-range torque in especially spectacular supply, and the way it snarls to 5000rpm, then crackles as you finally lift your right foot, is something else.

Overall, this car probably has more power and go-faster purpose than it really needs. But if you like wildness and excess in your daily-driven sports car, you’ll love it. MS

AAAAC

BMW M235i GRAN COUPE xDRIVE M PERFORMANCE Price £37,255 On sale Now What’s new? Hottest version of new five-door packs a 302bhp four-pot and four-wheel drive

THE NEW BMW M235i Gran Coupé isn’t a particularly good-looking car.

But be that as it may, it’s impressively effective at tackling challenging B-roads at pace. Its petrol engine lacks character but pulls hard and is paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s slick and decisive.

Four-wheel drive and intuitively paced steering let it corner neutrally and with impressive grip, but it’s hard to shake the sense that this is a more derivative device than the reardriven six-cylinder M235i two-door.

Still, even on passive dampers, the Gran Coupé rides cracked British back roads in a tidier fashion than its Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 rival. It’s a pity it doesn’t look as good, then. SD

AAABC R E AD MOR E ONLINE

autocar.co.uk 18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29

ROAD TEST

PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON

No 5465

Renault Captur

Renault’s market-leading crossover supermini is back in second-generation form M O D E L T E S T E D 1 . 3 T C E 130 S E D I T I O N E D C Price £23,395

Power 129bhp

30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

Torque 177lb ft

0-60mph 9.4sec

30-70mph in fourth 11.3sec

Fuel economy 39.8mpg

CO2 emissions 124g/km

70-0mph 46.3m

ROAD TEST he first-generation Renault Captur was one of those uncommon, enduringly successful cars that managed to find more buyers in its final year of production than during its first. Surprised? We were. We liked the original Captur of 2013 because it was undemanding to drive, attractive to look at, decently frugal if you went for the right engine and generally more mature than the Nissan Juke, which lit the touchpaper for this sort of car but has always been a highly divisive product. But we didn’t like the Captur that much, its poor body control, light steering and a remote driving experience in general blotting its copybook. No, the reason this car can boast about that sort of sales statistic is because that sort of sales statistic is indicative of a rapidly and inexorably growing class, which the B-segment SUV – small crossovers, in other words – continues to be and in which the Captur’s mix of style and value made it particularly successful.

Which is why we now have the second-generation Captur. Unlike the original, whose only true rival was the Juke, this one will enter a pool teeming with strong alternatives, including the new Ford Puma, Volkswagen T-Cross and Peugeot 2008.

Renault has not simply refreshed this car’s aesthetic, though. The Mk2 Captur is built on the RenaultNissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s new supermini platform and has been engineered from the start to take hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, although traditional options will persevere alongside those low-carbon options for the foreseeable future. The car is substantially longer than before, too, with an enlarged interior that hints at the same uplift in comfort and opulence seen in the latest Clio, with which the new Captur shares so much hardware. This platform also ushers in a suite of driver assistance systems reserved until very recently for larger, more expensive cars, and its increased stiffness in theory paves the way for improved road manners.

In other words, Europe’s bestselling small crossover by far might just have become even harder to beat as an all-rounder. We’ll now discover whether any incoming sales records are truly deserved.

T

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

We like  New smarter and – mainly – more practical interior  Crisp, intuitive handling  Strong on value and style – which isn’t a common combination

We don’t like  It has lost the old Captur’s fluent, absorbent ride  Mid-range petrol lacks slick drivability to match its outright stats

AAAAC The original Captur shared its underpinnings with the contemporary Clio and that is still the case here, although this 85%-new CMF-B platform is substantially more advanced than its predecessor.

It can facilitate modern safety and assistance systems and can house a broad range of powertrains, including those with substantial battery packs. Engine insulation is also said to have improved noticeably, despite the platform weighing 50kg less than its

Range at a glance ENGINES POWER FROM

1.0 TCe Play 1.5 dCi Play 1.3 TCe Iconic 1.5 dCi Iconic 1.3 TCe Iconic EDC 1.6 E-Tech Hybrid 1.6 E-Tech PHEV

99bhp 94bhp 129bhp 113bhp 153bhp tbc 158bhp

£17,595 £19,395 £20,295 £21,695 £22,895 tbc tbc

TRANSMISSIONS 5-spd manual (1.0 TCe) 6-spd manual (1.3 TCe, 1.5 dCi) 7-spd dual-clutch automatic (1.3 TCe 155; optional elsewhere) Renault offers plenty of choice on engines and, with rivals having phased out diesels and limiting choice on power much more, that could be a selling point for the car.

The UK range is kept very simple, with three equipment levels (Play, Iconic and S Edition) mirroring Renault’s offering on other models.

A Launch Edition model is available for a limited time as well.

predecessor. More weight has been saved by using an aluminium bonnet and a composite bootlid.

At its launch, the Captur will be offered with three petrol turbo engines and two diesels, all of which are new. The entry point is a 1.0-litre TCe petrol triple with a respectable 99bhp and 118lb ft, although a fourcylinder petrol is available with either 129bhp or 153bhp and as much as 199lb ft. The diesel options, both powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, develop either 94bhp or 113bhp, and each touts the best fuel economy of the traditional options, at 58.9mpg combined. However, when the 158bhp Captur E-Tech arrives (for which 150 patents were registered), with its two electric motors, dogclutch gearbox, 9.8kWh battery and 29 WLTP miles of electric range, it will become the first plug-in hybrid available in this class and will head the range for spec-sheet efficiency.

Our test car comes in 129bhp 130 TCe trim and with an optional sevenspeed dual-clutch gearbox in place of the standard-fit six-speed manual.

The Captur has grown considerably in length – by 110mm, with the wheelbase accounting for 20mm of that. It is also taller and wider than the car it replaces and will be one of the largest cars in the class.

The design itself, with its ‘floating’ roof, is an evolution of the original (which, for the record, was ◊

Mk1 arrived in 2013 with Juke in its sights

 LED headlights are fitted as standard across the entire Captur range and are surrounded by smart-looking C-shaped running lights. The visual relationship to the handsome Mk5 Clio is clear.

 As is the trend on all new Renaults, an oversized ‘lozenge’ badge dominates the Captur’s gently restyled front grille. Chrome brightwork lends it an appealingly upmarket appearance.

 Cameras embedded under the door mirrors come as part of the Captur’s 360deg Around View monitor. It’s a £350 option and comes in handy when squeezing into tight city spots.

 The C-pillar is much more substantial and stylised on the Mk2 Captur than on the original model. The chrome strip makes for a smart-looking dividing line between the body and contrastingcoloured roof.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31

Weights and measures

52

0m m

4221275 litres

0 107

Kerb weight: 1259kg 2639mm

876mm

1576mm

mm

x ma

920m m

960m m ma x

DIMENSIONS

712mm

4227mm

 Seat heaters can be had only as part of the optional £800 Luxury Pack, which also introduces full-leather upholstery. Strangely, our test car had them anyway.

PA R K I N G Typical garage height

Typical parking space width (2400mm)

2050mm

Typical leg room 520-680mm

2010mm (with mirrors)

 Rear bench slides through 16cm, allowing for an increase in boot capacity when needed. The rear seats also split and fold 60:40.

3540mm

W H E E L A N D P E DA L ALI G N M E NT Centrally positioned brake pedal is wide enough to be entirely comfortable, although the pedals themselves seem set close to you in a shallow footwell.

30mm 150mm Width 880-1000mm

Height 580-810mm

Length 780-930-1480mm

H E AD LI G HTS LED headlights are standard across the range. Their range and brightness are good but not outstanding.

10mm Centre

∆ one of the first cars of its kind with a floating roof), although every body panel is new and the belt line higher.

Beneath the body, the suspension is carried over from the Clio, with a torsion beam at the rear and pseudoMacPherson struts (in which a lower wishbone is fitted and the anti-roll bar done away with) at the front.

Wheel sizes range from 16in to 18in.

INTERIOR

AAABC Open the driver’s side door and the relationship between this new Captur and the Mk5 Clio is immediately recognisable. Like that of its supermini sibling, the compact crossover’s cabin has been thoroughly overhauled, and its adoption of Renault’s fresh new

32 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

interior architecture marks it out instantly as one of the more visually appealing cars in its class.

While it looks smart throughout, the Captur’s interior doesn’t impress consistently under closer tactile inspection. The soft-touch plastics that cover the dashtop and the major clusters of switchgear escape criticism, but your fingers don’t have to stray too far into the cabin’s lower reaches to discover harder, cheaperfeeling surfaces and fixings. The shifter for the automatic transmission feels particularly flimsy and brittle, and will loudly recoil and rattle around in its housing if you try to put the car into gear with a quick flick of the wrist. For something that will be used so often by the driver, that’s a peculiar oversight in a car in which

 Adjustable boot floor improves the Captur’s versatility. Its 422-litre capacity is superior to that of the Skoda Kamiq (400 litres) as well.

such trouble has plainly been taken elsewhere to boost perceived quality.

Our testers weren’t universally impressed by the amount of cabin space on offer, either. Our tape measure revealed that the smaller Clio offers 40mm more maximum head room than its larger sibling, although neither feels underprovisioned for it. The sunroof that was fitted to our test car was partly responsible for this deficit, and would be worth avoiding if you’re catering for taller occupants.

The car’s second row is big enough for taller adults – but only just. Even with the Captur’s sliding rear bench pushed all the way back, there’s still only 680mm of leg room to be found, while head room is a pretty average 920mm. Admittedly, that’s more than

you will find in the Clio; and the car’s raised hip point is not to be forgotten when accounting for ease of entry and exit. But when a humble Volkswagen Polo can conjure 950mm of head room and 690mm of leg room, the loftier Captur’s efforts are made to look no better than respectable.

Still, there are at least plenty of useful storage bins and trays dotted around the place. The multi-layered peninsula-like console that protrudes from the dash is particularly useful, offering a wireless charging pad and lots of space to stash wallets, phones and keys. Boot space, meanwhile, stands at an impressive 422 litres with the back seats in their rearmost position; 536 litres when they are slid forward; and 1275 litres when folded flat. ◊

ROAD TEST

 This 7.0in TFT screen is easy enough to read but looks a little odd flanked by huge water temp and fuel gauges. Full 10.0in screen will hopefully look smarter.

 Snug key holder is a useful touch. It keeps the flat, smooth fob from inadvertently sliding out of your trouser pockets when you’re on the move.

 Accessible, easy-to-find USB ports are highly underrated. Too many manufacturers seem intent on hiding them away in obscure places. Well done, Renault.

Multimedia system

AABCC

Cheaper versions of the Captur feature a smaller, 7.0in infotainment system either with or without built-in navigation, whereas S Edition models like our test car come with Renault’s range-topping 9.3in screen as standard.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t win many points for graphical sophistication or responsiveness. Not only is there a noticeable amount of lag when transitioning from one function to the next, but it also seems to struggle with simply scrolling down an individual page. There’s a clunkiness that it never really seems capable of overcoming.

That said, it is at least well equipped. Satellite navigation, DAB radio and Bluetooth are all included as standard, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Our S Edition test car also benefits from a wireless smartphone charging pad.

A Bose sound system was included as an option on our car at a cost of £350. Its sound quality was fine, if not exactly outstanding. You’d probably get away without it.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33

❝ It’s more intuitive

in its handling than a great many rivals

❞

PERFORMANCE

AAACC For smoothness, responsiveness, free-revving flexibility and more, the Captur’s mid-range petrol twopedal powertrain falls frustratingly short of expectations. This is most apparent in the low speed, inner-city environments in which you’d hope for a compact crossover to flourish.

The fault here lies primarily with its awkwardly calibrated and slowwitted dual-clutch transmission.

At step-off, there’s a frustrating hesitancy about the manner in which it hooks up. This combines with an inconsistent throttle response to compromise the car’s ability to move away cleanly. Apply too little gas and you’ll creep off the line after a noticeable delay; sink your right foot a little deeper into the pedal’s travel and it’ll suddenly engage and shunt you forward with an undignified

lurch, often spinning the front wheels and triggering the traction control in the process, as if the throttle response was tuned mainly to cover for the gearbox’s tardiness.

In terms of the transmission’s intuitiveness in operation, things don’t improve much when you’re up and running. Here, it’s too eager to select and to hold high gears even when travelling at fairly modest speeds, so you find you’re constantly needing to kick down to tap back into the engine’s torque reserves. This is particularly frustrating when you’re only looking to achieve a minor rally in speed. You don’t need to cover too great a distance, suffice it to say, before foibles like that begin to grate.

The car’s 1.3-litre engine isn’t above criticism, though it’s certainly less vulnerable to it than the gearbox. Its initial power delivery is conspicuously boosty, and it quickly starts to sound and feel strained as

you really wind the revs out. That said, it does at least lend the Captur strongish usable, if not outstanding, real-world performance – and is refined and quiet enough at cruising crank speeds. On a dry, cold track, the run from 30-70mph took 9.2sec, while 0-60mph was dispatched in 9.4sec. This made the car only fractionally slower than the larger but slightly more powerful Kia Xceed 1.4 T-GDi (8.7sec and 9.3sec respectively) we road tested last year and gave it a second-or-so’s advantage over the going rate for petrol-powered compact crossovers at least in outright terms.

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

AAAAC The Captur gets off to a good start in this section simply by being more natural-feeling and intuitive in its handling than a great many of its crossover-class rivals.

Instead of doing some doomed impression of a bigger, softer-sprung SUV, or setting out to deny its raised ride height entirely and pretending it’s a warm hatchback, the Captur is an agreeable moderate. It’s got medium-paced steering with progressive on-centre response that makes it easy to guide along the road, and moderately sprung suspension that, while probably placing it towards the sportier end of the class’s dynamic spectrum, simply makes for good body control and fairly clean, crisp chassis response.

There’s a little bit of weight in the steering, but only just enough to push against and feel reassured by. By and large, the car goes where you point it with a pleasing sense of accuracy and linearity; is predictable in most respects; maintains good vertical control of its mass, even at speed; and is governed by stability and traction control electronics that,

 Keen drivers will find the stability and traction controls overly intrusive but the correlated responses of its steering and chassis make the car easy to position in corners

34 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

ROAD TEST Track notes The Captur is plainly one of the better-handling cars of its ilk yet it still isn’t one an interested driver would really seek out and it stops a way short of engaging its driver when driven quickly.

Like the related Clio, the Captur steers with an intuitive pace and weight that’s well matched to the rate of handling response of its chassis and that makes it easy to place in corners. With the vast majority of drivers in mind, that’s as it should be – although the car’s grip level is pretty ordinary and its outright agility likewise; and while that grip level is quite nicely balanced and the chassis seems potentially playful at first, the non-switchable stability and traction controls wield an ultimately suffocating hand.

The suspension prefers smoother surfaces to broken and uneven ones, riding bumps in a slightly wooden and brittle fashion that would make it less than ideally suited to quicker cross-country driving.

while always on, intervene discreetly enough so as not to intrude. Dynamic qualities such as these may seem fairly elementary but they’re not common among a lot of the Captur’s rivals, whose softened, jacked-up suspension and over-assisted controls can make for quite an unintuitive driving experience by comparison.

The Captur’s lateral body control is good, and it avoids the tendency to tumble quickly onto its outside wheels that can afflict cars of this type and make them feel a little unsteady on turn-in. Even on optional 18in wheels, it doesn’t have much in the way of handling agility or a particularly high outright grip level, though, and it stops some way short of conjuring lasting driver appeal.

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

AAABC In a similar fashion to its Mk5 Clio sibling, the Captur’s ride seems to

 Each transmission bump elicits quite a nasty thwack from the rear axle, although the electronics ensure stability is maintained under lateral load.

T2

T4

T3

T6

T1

 Well-matched chassis and steering response rates make the car easy to position in both slow and fast corners, although it stops short of being fun.

T7 T5

FINISH have lost some of the easy-going fluency of its immediate predecessor.

Its vertical body movements now feel as though they’re being monitored far more closely than before, which admittedly makes for a usefully taut primary ride when travelling quickly on rolling stretches of road.

However, the by-product of this additional control is a firm, slightly brittle town ride. The car frequently shudders and trips its way over poorly maintained surfaces, all the while transferring a considerable amount of suspension thump back into the cabin. The Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-Cross both do a considerably better job of isolating their occupants from these sorts of intrusions, although the larger 18in alloys that had been optionally fitted to our test car wouldn’t have played to the Captur’s favour.

Nevertheless, the driving position

START

is generally pretty good (slight lack of headspace aside), thanks to abundant adjustability in the steering column and seat base. The seats themselves err on the softer side of things but provide decent enough support over lengthier drives.

There is a bit of notable wind and road noise at motorway speeds, but not enough to warrant particular criticism. At a 70mph cruise, our microphone returned a reading of 67dB, which is actually quieter than the 70dB we measured in the 94bhp Seat Arona back in 2017.

BUYING AND OWNING

AAAAC The good news if you like the look of the Captur is that it costs less to buy than almost all of its major rivals, including the Volkswagen T-Cross, Peugeot 2008 and Ford Puma, and our S Edition example (with rear-view camera, parking

sensors, wireless phone charging and automatic headlights) is also forecast to hold its value better than many.

The French car is, however, undercut by the comparatively characterless but practical Skoda Kamiq. The other thing to note is that, like the Clio, the Captur’s interior ambience is quite dependent on spec and colour, for which there are optional packs (for orange, red and blue), and not until S Edition do you get a leather-trimmed steering wheel.

Testing suggests that owners can expect day-to-day fuel economy of around 40mpg, with a real-world driving range of 420 miles. This is respectable but no more, falling just shy of various Volkswagen Group equivalents that we have tested of late. On a long-distance tour, we saw better than 50mpg from the car, which is more competitive but not worth singling out for particular praise in this class. ◊

AC C E L E R AT I O N Renault Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition EDC (8deg C, dry) Standing quarter mile 17.4sec at 83.1mph, standing km 31.6sec at 103.5mph, 30-70mph 9.2sec, 30-70mph in fourth 11.3sec 30mph 40mph

50mph

60mph

3.4s

7.0s

9.4s

4.9s

0

70mph

12.5s

80mph

90mph

100mph

15.9s

21.7s

28.2s

10s

20s

Nissan Juke 1.0 DIG-T Tekna (6deg C, raining) Standing quarter mile 18.9sec at 76.2mph, standing km 34.6sec at 93.5mph, 30-70mph 11.8sec, 30-70mph in fourth 20.3sec 30mph

40mph

50mph

60mph

4.0s

6.0s

8.4s

11.9s

0

70mph

80mph

15.8s

10s

100mph

90mph

21.0s

30.0s

20s

44.8s

30s

40s

B R A K I N G 60-0mph: 2.83sec Renault Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition EDC (8deg C, dry) 30mph-0

50mph-0

8.6m 0

70mph-0

23.7m 10m

46.3m

20m

30m

40m

Nissan Juke 1.0 DIG-T Tekna (6deg C, raining) 30mph-0

50mph-0

9.8m 0

70mph-0

26.4m 10m

20m

51.9m 30m

40m

50m

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35

Data log R E N AU LT C A P T U R 1 . 3 T C E 13 0 S E D I T I O N E D C On-the-road price £23,395 Price as tested £27,055 Value after 3yrs/36k miles £11,325 Contract hire pcm £244.06 Cost per mile 50 pence Insurance 15/£501

TYPICAL PCP QUOTE

48 litres

3 years/36,000 miles (10% deposit) £322 Renault’s finance deals aren’t the most generous you’ll find if you shop around, operating off a 4.9% interest rate and with only £1000 manufacturer finance contribution. It takes the edge off the Captur’s value-for-money appeal a little, but leaves it in a competitive position.

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

The all-new Captur follows the latest Clio and the Nissan Juke by adopting the alliance’s CMF-B platform, although the layout conferred is familiar three- and fourcylinder engines mounted transversely and driving the front axle. Suspension is independent up front and a torsion beam at the rear, with weight distributed 60:40.

£660 £300 £350 £1000 £800 £350 £200

Installation

Type

Made of Bore/stroke Compression ratio Valve gear Power Torque Redline Power to weight Torque to weight Specific output

POWER & TORQUE Front, transverse, front-wheel drive 4 cyls in line, 1333cc, turbocharged, petrol Aluminium block and head 72.2mm/81.3mm 10.5:1 4 per cyl 129bhp at 6000rpm 177lb ft at 1600-3250rpm 6000rpm 102bhp per tonne 141lb ft per tonne 97bhp per litre

250

ECONOMY 250

177lb ft at 1600-3250rpm

200

Power output (bhp)

ENGINE

200

129bhp at 6000rpm

150

150

100

100

50

50

0

0

Engine (rpm) 2000 4000 6000

TEST MPG

Track 23.1mpg Touring 53.1mpg Average 39.8mpg

CLAIMED

Low 33.2mpg Mid 47.1mpg High 53.3mpg Extra high 42.8mpg Combined 44.8mpg

Torque (lb ft)

Cruise control with speed limiter LED headlights Front, side, head and curtain airbags Longitudinal roof bars Two-tone paintwork 9.3in touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone mirroring, two USBs, FM/DAB tuner Wireless smartphone charging Front and rear parking sensors Reversing camera 7.0in digital instrument screen Flame Red metallic paint 18in Pasadena alloy wheels 360deg Around View monitor Comfort pack (including heightadjustable passenger seat, flying console, E-shifter, opening sunroof) Luxury pack (including leather heated seats, steering wheel) Bose premium audio Spacesaver spare wheel Options in bold fitted to test car = Standard na = not available

Tank size Test range

48 litres 420 miles

E M I S S I O N S & TA X 0

8000

CO2 emissions Tax at 20/40% pcm

124g/km (NEDC eq) £109/£218

C H A S S I S & B O DY

TRANSMISSION

BRAKES

SAFET Y

Construction Steel monocoque Weight/as tested 1259kg/1363kg Drag coefficient na Wheels 7.0Jx18in Tyres 215/55 R18 95H,

Goodyear EfficientGrip

Performance Spare Spacesaver (optional)

Type 7-spd dual-clutch automatic Ratios/mph per 1000rpm 1st 4.46/4.4 2nd 2.65/7.3 3rd 1.63/11.9 4th 1.11/17.5 5th 0.86/22.6 6th 0.68/28.6 7th 0.55/35.3 Final drive ratio 4.18:1

Front 280mm ventilated discs Rear 225mm drums Anti-lock Standard, with brake assist Handbrake type Electric Handbrake location Right of centre console

ABS, ESC, AEBS, LKA, LDW, TSR, E-Call Euro NCAP crash rating 5 stars (2019) Adult occupant 96% Child occupant 83% Vulnerable road users 75% Safety assist 74%

SUSPENSION

STEERING

Idle 42dB Max rpm in 4th gear 75dB 30mph 60dB 50mph 64dB 70mph 67dB

Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar Rear Torsion beam, coil springs

Type Electromechanical,

rack and pinion Turns lock to lock 2.4 Turning circle 11.0m

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

MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR

MPH TIME (sec) 0-30 3.4 0-40 4.9 0-50 7.0 0-60 9.4 0-70 12.5 0-80 15.9 0-90 21.7 0-100 28.2 0-110 37.8 0-120 - 0-130 - 0-140 - 0-150 0-160 -

mph 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 20-40 2.7 3.8 6.6 – – – 30-50 – 3.8 5.3 7.6 12.9 – 40-60 – 4.2 5.6 7.4 9.4 15.4 50-70 – 5.6 6.0 7.6 9.9 13.7 60-80 – – 6.9 8.2 10.7 15.8 70-90 – – 8.5 9.4 11.8 20.0 80-100 – – 13.5 11.7 14.0 – 90-110 – – – – – – 100-120 – – – – – – 120-140 – – – – – – 140-160 – – – – – – 160-180 – – – – – – 180-200 – – – – – –

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 Captur, contact Renault UK Customer Services, The Rivers Office Park, Denham Way, Rickmansworth, WD3 9YS (0344 335 0000, renault. 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 18 MARCH 2020

CABIN NOISE

R E S I D UA L S 30

26mph 6000rpm 44mph 6000rpm 72mph 6000rpm 105mph 6000rpm 120mph 5311rpm 120mph 4199rpm 120mph* 3396rpm * claimed

RPM in 7th at 70/80mph = 1981/2264

25

VW T-Cross 1.0 TSI 115 R Line DSG Renault Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition EDC

20 Value (£1000s)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

15 10

Peugeot 2008 1.2T 130 Auto Allure

5 0 New

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

 Captur matches T-Cross for residual strength on percentage basis, which is impressive. The 2008 is equally new.

R OA D T E S T N o 5 4 65

Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk

ROAD TEST Testers’ notes MATT SAUNDERS I’m not so keen on the S Edition’s standard instrument screen, which has a curious layout. Wait six months until you buy and the optional fully digital alternative will be available; not to mention even more engines to choose from.

AAABC

SIMON DAVIS Renault needs to improve the quality of its automatic shift lever as a priority.

It’s one of the flimsiest, least haptically pleasing fittings I’ve come across; and, if anything, you’d have expected it to add richness and perceived quality to the car.

New Captur should prove popular, but not with this powertrain

Spec advice

VERDICT

enault has done a lot right with this second-generation Captur. It’s a much more complete product than its predecessor, with a roomier and richer cabin, significantly better on-board technology and a more secure handling character.

A broad range of engines, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions incoming, will only go on to distinguish the car even better than it does now. It’s important to choose wisely from that range, because the 1.3-litre mid-range two-pedal petrol engine option we tested doesn’t have the drivability or the enthusiastic fizz you might hope for.

Wider test experience has already confirmed that other Captur engines are better.

An often wooden-feeling and occasionally noisy ride also disappointed our testers, who had hoped for more of the supple fluency of the original Captur. Combined with the shortcomings of the powertrain, this robs the car of the driver appeal that might otherwise be a decisive selling point.

Still, with greater versatility and perceived quality than its predecessor, and being similarly strong on value and style, it won’t be short of ways in which to convince buyers.

R

R OA D TEST R I VA L S

1

2

3

4

Wider experience suggests the 1.0-litre manual is the powertrain to go for. We’d avoid the larger, 18in alloy wheels but wouldn’t miss out on the 9.3in touchscreen.

Jobs for the facelift  Keep developing the calibration of the EDC dual-clutch gearbox, which can be frustratingly unresponsive.  Free up the engine’s power delivery at high revs.  Dial back in some of the likeable suppleness and fluidity of the old Captur’s ride.

5

Verdicts on every new car, p80

VOLKSWAGEN T-CROSS 1.0 TSI 115 R LINE DSG Practical, drivable, comfortable and smart, it still bosses the class for all-round appeal.

AAAAB

SEAT ARONA 1.0 TSI 115 FR SPORT DSG Arona’s mix of dynamism, sporty style, drivability and value means it pips the Renault to second.

AAAAC

RENAULT CAPTUR 1.3 TCE 130 S EDITION EDC Delivers on packaging efficiency, visual appeal and value but lacks a little dynamic polish.

AAABC

NISSAN JUKE 1.0 TSI TEKNA DCT Practicality is no match for the Renault. Limited engine range.

Desirable and decent to drive.

AAABC

MAZDA CX-3 2.0 SPORT NAV+ AUTO Fine-handling Mazda is now in run-out but worth seeking out.

Smart interior and tidy to drive.

AAABC

Price Power, torque 0-62mph, top speed CO2, economy

£25,065 113bhp, 148lb ft 10.2sec, 120mph 114g/km, 43.9mpg

£23,235 113bhp, 148lb ft 10.0sec, 113mph 112g/km, 46.3mpg

£23,395 129bhp, 177lb ft 9.6sec, 120mph 124g/km, 44.8mpg

£23,895 115bhp, 148lb ft 11.1sec, 112mph 116g/km, 44.8mpg

£23,095 119bhp, 152lb ft 9.9sec, 116mph 140g/km, WLTP figures na

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37

OKAY, BOOMER?

Typical Chevrolet Corvette buyers are Americans in their late fifties.

Will the radical move to a mid-engined layout for the C8 put them off ?

Colin Goodwin shoots the breeze with an owners’ club in Nevada PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES LIPMAN

he logic in Chevrolet lifting the venerable small-block V8 out of the nose of the Corvette and dropping it behind the seats is easy to understand. The engineers had got as much out of the frontengined, rear-wheel-drive format as they could; if they wanted more performance, especially on the track and in racing, going mid-engined was the logical move.

However, there’s also another reason, and a more important one at that. The front-engined sports car is old-fashioned. For those of us who grew up fantasising about owning a Jaguar E-Type, Aston Martin V8 Vantage or Ferrari Daytona, the format is still highly emotional.

For younger enthusiasts, though, a sports car is mid-engined (unless it’s a Porsche 911). Not so much for its dynamics but for the way it looks.

The Vanquish Vision concept shown at Geneva last year demonstrates that Aston Martin is thinking along similar lines.

T

38 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

It is a risky move, though. The Corvette is mostly bought by baby boomers; what if this change to a mid-engined layout for the C8 puts them off? You can’t overnight change your customer base, even if your underlying theory is correct. So what do current Corvette fans think of the C8? Well, there’s only one way to know, and that’s to ask them.

Welcome to the car park of the Bootleg Italian Bistro in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vegas is where Chevrolet is holding the international launch of the C8 Corvette Stingray; later today, we’ll be driving the cars on a road trip out to Lake Mead and the day after to the nearby Spring Mountain race circuit for some track driving. I’m beyond excited.

On this gorgeous sunny Sunday morning, we’re joined by a large group of enthusiastic members of the Las Vegas Corvettes Association. Last month, I got in touch with club president Benita Klaizner and asked her if she could get together a group of owners to have a butcher’s at the C8 and tell ◊

NEW CORVETTE OWNERS’ VIEWS

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39

Date: 11.Mar 2020 15:07:45

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NEW CORVETTE OWNERS’ VIEWS ∆ me what they thought of it.

In the interests of science and for my own enjoyment, I asked Benita if she could manage an example of each Corvette from the formative C1 onwards. Benita is a girl who gets things done, and sure enough we have seven generations of Corvette here, plus a bright yellow C8 brought by the man from Chevrolet. “Is it okay if other members come along?”

Benita had asked me. “Of course,” I’d answered. “The more the better.”

And what a fantastic collection of cars we’ve ended up with here.

I know from experience that the original Corvette isn’t particularly dynamic on the road. It would have been unwise back in the day to take on a Porsche or Jaguar in one, but there’s no doubting the fact that Dan Crochet’s 1958 model is one of the most stylish sports cars ever made.

“I had a 1981 Corvette after I left college but bought this one 22 years ago,” says Dan. “I wanted a C2, but my wife loves C1s and twisted my arm. The ’58 is the only year that the car had this washboard bonnet and chrome boot straps. Critics at the time said the car was gaudy but, once I realised how special it was, I had to have one.

“It’s powered by a 283-cubic-inch [4.6-litre] engine with twin fourbarrel carburettors and pushes out 245bhp. The car was restored in 1990, and I take it out at least once a month for a drive up BUYING A C8 HERE into the mountains.”

The new Corvette is expected Dan is interested to land on our shores, and for the in the C8, but it’s first time with right-hand drive, in pretty obvious that early 2021. Ian Allan Motors in Virginia nothing could take Water, Surrey, is the UK’s only official the place of his ’58.

General Motors dealer and has been selling Like most of the new Corvettes and Camaros for several club members here, years. Already it has taken a substantial Slim Stephens has number of orders for the car, and a long history of ◊

HOW THE C8 DRIVES

Boot space causes much more concern than engine location

thin 1958 C1’s interior is truly a

g of beauty

Twenty years ago, I would have robbed a bank to have been able to buy myself this new Corvette. Today, though, I don’t see the point of owning a very high-performance car, and so I’d be more likely to spend my money on one of these classic Corvettes.

The C8 is, however, pretty much my perfect mid-engined supercar.

The small-block V8 has enormous character and is a much more emotive engine than Ford’s V8, due, I suspect, to its two-valve combustion chambers. The motor not only sounds fantastic but shakes slightly at tickover and cranks over with the torque reaction as you hit the throttle.

At the launch event, Chevrolet displayed a cutaway C8 chassis that showed the layout as well as how well the car is put together. Put an Audi or Ferrari badge on the aluminium monocoque and nobody would know.

The new Corvette has a definite Lotus feel to it in the way it both rides and handles. The Nevada roads were smooth but, even so, the C8 felt supple and compliant. On the track, there was a hint of confidenceinspiring understeer on turn-in that reminded me of the Esprit.

About the only part of the C8 that I don’t like is the Allegro-style quartic steering wheel (the designers call it a ‘squircle’), but I’d get used to that.

When it comes to the UK early next year, the C8 is likely to cost around £80,000 and will be fitted with the Z51 performance upgrade package that’s a $5000 (£3810) option on our test car. This is an awful lot of car and performance for such money.

But it’s more than that: I’d rather have this more characterful car over a McLaren, regardless of price.

they’re not fantasy orders, either, because I’ve seen the list of names.

Clockwise from front: the C8, C1, C4, C7, C6, C5, C2 and C3

Date: 11.Mar 2020 10:58:04

3 REMAINING

THE CORVETTE V8:

3 REMAINING

The Corvette Grand Sport’s racing heritage is simply unmistakable.

With a 466 hp 6.2L V8 engine, 630 Nm of torque and acceleration capable of 0–100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, this powertrain has only one goal in mind: pole position. Available either as Coupe or Convertible.

GOING G GOING GONE

THE VERY LAST OF THE TRULY ICONIC 6.2 V8 CORVETTE & CAMAROS FROM CHEVROLET *

ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR THE NEW CORVETTE C8 FOR 2021 DELIVERY *Right hand drive

10 REMAINING

9 REMAINING THE CAMARO V8: Experience the Camaro V8. The sixth generation of this iconic sports car combines maximum performance, breathtaking design and innovative technologies. The 453 hp (333 kW), 6.2 L V8 engine with 617 Nm of torque makes it the highest-performing Camaro of all time. As Coupe or Cabriolet.

CORVETTE & CAMARO V8 All these UK Iconic Chevrolets have been pre registered in August 2019 and carry over the balance of the 3 year Manufactures Warranty & European Breakdown cover.

These are the very last of these models to come into the UK, all have very high specification and in various colours / trims.

For all of those wishing to own a piece of American Chevrolet V8 history do get in touch.

Arrange a test drive with your Chevrolet Partner:

Sandhills Lane, Virginia Water GU25 4BT

01344 842801 www.ianallanvirginiawater.co.uk

NEW CORVETTE OWNERS’ VIEWS

❝ The C8 has a definite

Lotus feel to it in the way it rides and handles

❞

couple own this 2013 C6 Grand Sport 60th Anniversary Convertible as well as a 2015 C7 Stingray that lives at their ect he dislikes house in the Czech Republic.

Goodwin spies the one C8 asp They’re currently having a 1972 C3 restored as well. ∆ Corvette ownership. “I’ve owned “We’ve already ordered a C8,” this 1965 C2 Convertible for a couple says Benita, “and I can’t wait for of years,” he explains, “but I worked it to arrive. Each Corvette that on it for 10 years when it was with we’ve owned has been better than its previous owner. It’s got a 327 the last. I love the style of the new [5.4-litre] engine with a new cam, car, and I’m sure that it’s going to a high-rise manifold that I’m about be a car to be reckoned with.” to swap for a Holley EFI system Scarlett and Gino Montoya (no and a four-speed gearbox. I had relation to Juan Pablo) are here in a big-block ’64 coupé in the ’60s their 2014 C7 Convertible. Actually, and then bought a new C3 in 1973.” it’s Scarlett’s. “I was a school teacher, Like several of the members, Slim and this car was a retirement present is concerned that the C8 won’t be as to myself, bought new,” she explains. practical as his car, due to its lack of “We’ve had a C5 and a C6 in the past.” luggage space. Actually, as Chevrolet “And I had a ’57 fitted with a 409 dealers will no doubt demonstrate [6.7-litre] engine that I used to drag to potential owners, you can transfer race in the ’60s,” says her husband. a C7’s full luggage load straight The Montoyas are among those into the C8’s front and rear boots. concerned about the luggage space Originally from Canada, Benita of the C8 but, as discussed, I suspect Klaizner is a long-time Corvette it won’t take much of a salesperson owner. She’s married to Jim, who to convert them. “The convertible slipped the bounds of communist might prove to be a temptation Czechoslovakia in 1972, and the difficult to resist,” says Gino. ◊

’96 C5 used an all-new V8, breaking a lineage stretching back to ’53

T H E PA N T E R A R E B O R N? I’ve not heard of anyone suggesting this, but to me the new Corvette is the De Tomaso Pantera reincarnated.

Think about it: an affordable, rocksolid American V8 with an abundance of horsepower that will be cheap to maintain. And even in the worst-case scenario of the engine spreading itself across the road, a replacement wouldn’t break the bank.

Plenty of owners had fun with the Pantera’s 351-cubic-inch [5.8-litre] Ford Cleveland V8 by fitting Weber

downdraft carburettors or just giving it higher-compression pistons and a hotter cam. No doubt America’s huge speed shop community will offer a vast array of goodies for the C8.

I loved the Pantera, but my passion waned slightly when I made the mistake of driving one, due to a terrible driving position, poor quality and the fact it isn’t particularly fast.

Now it has a successor that follows the formula but executes it to 2020 standards.

Original Corvette was more boulevard cruiser than sports car

Pantera is fantastic to look at but not so much to drive

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 43

❝ It’s clear the revolutionary new C8 has already been taken to their bosoms

❞ You can sign up Carl Hastings for a C8 too, but he’ll be waiting for secondhand examples to fall within his reach. Meanwhile, he’s enjoying his 1990 C4. “I’ve had this car for 20 years, but I also ol Ken’s Corvette love started at high scho had an early [1986] C4 before it,” he says. “I owned a 1964 327 [5.4-litre] convertible in 1967, but these C4s were the first Corvettes makes it one of the last C5s made,” that could get good gas mileage.” he explains. “I’ve done 216,000 If I were Ken Ackeret’s local miles in it, and it has been extremely Chevrolet dealer, I’d have him top reliable. My wife has a C5 too, of my list of potential customers and we’ve also got a 2019 Sebring for the C8. Ken’s here in his Targa Orange Grand Sport hard-top.”

Blue 1972 C3. “The C3 was the Of all the classic Corvettes we have first Corvette that I was aware of here this morning, it’s Ken’s C3 that when I was in high school,” he says. appeals to me the most; the one I can “I’ve owned this 350 [5.7-litre] fourimagine owning. As with him, this is speed car for five years. It has been the first model of Corvette that I was in the club for most of its life and aware of. The C1 is the most beautiful has been really well looked after.” but would be out of my budget.

Ken also has a C5 that he’s owned The last of our seven generations from new. “It’s a 2004 model, which is Jim Gregorio’s C5. Jim has spent

44 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

“They do have Department of Transportation stamps on them…” I suspect that they’re not entirely road legal, but then America is funny about things like that.

While clearly looking forward to getting his hands on a C8, Jim’s dream Corvette is a 1967 model that has been given the restomod treatment. “That’s getting really popular here,” he explains. “An LS7 engine with Z06 suspension would give me the perfect combination of ’60s style with modern performance, reliability and handling.”

Talking with all the owners of the seven model generations, as well as the other Las Vegas Corvettes Association members, it’s clear that the new and revolutionary C8 has already been taken to their bosoms.

Some have already ordered theirs and

Every generation has offered a convertible

the past 42 years working on Corvettes, both at private specialists in Connecticut and for two Chevrolet dealers in Las Vegas.

There isn’t much he doesn’t know about these cars. His own C5 is far from stock, as they say here, with a dry-sump engine and numerous suspension modifications.

I’m rather impressed by his tyre choice: essentially a slick with one groove cut into it. “Er, yes,” he says.

NEW CORVETTE OWNERS’ VIEWS What goes better with your Burger King than talk of cubic inches?

C8 has a 12.0in digital instrument display and an 8.0in touchscreen

THANK CHEVY FOR THAT The Corvette launch was one of the best I’ve attended in decades, and not just because I was so excited to drive the car. Not once during the three days did anyone mention connectivity, driver assistance or mobility.

Instead, I sat at dinner next to engineers who talked about pistons, crankshaft materials and synchro rings. In a life now full of dull crossovers and lectures on future mobility, others are either it was indescribably waiting for the launch refreshing.

of the convertible or the faster and more extreme versions that are likely to follow.

I’m not at all surprised by their willingness to accept the C8, because it’s not the first time that I’ve witnessed dedicated owners welcome in the new world. Look how readily Rolls-Royce enthusiasts ushered the BMW-produced Phantoms into their fold. Same with Bentley owners and Volkswagen-era cars and traditional Mini owners with the BMW product.

As club president Benita herself proves, the passion for America’s sports car runs across many decades, and just because you own a 1972 model, it doesn’t mean that you won’t like a sixth-generation car or indeed the newcomer. I do suspect, however, that even these committed Corvette enthusiasts would draw the line at a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain… L

Odd wheel and row of buttons would take some getting used to

The C3 of 1967-82 is the Corvette of Goodwin’s dreams 18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45

YOU CAN’T DO THAT! Oh, yes, they can – and they have.

James Disdale picks 10 of motoring’s great unthinkables, from a front-drive Lotus to a fast, entertaining big Volvo

hevrolet’s decision to relocate the Corvette’s engine has caused not a small amount of controversy. While the enthusiasts on the previous few pages seem accepting, others are loudly pondering whether the C8 can

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really be a ’Vette after abandoning seven decades of front-engined tradition. Yet the US firm isn’t the first to mess with a tried and tested formula in the pursuit of greater performance or profit – or both.

Here are 10 examples that have travelled a similarly contentious path with varying levels of success.

TU RBOCHARG E D H O N DA V TEC Honda has long been a hard-line exponent of naturally aspirated engines, such as the VTEC units in a long line of Civic Type R hot hatches that stuck with natural aspiration long after competitors went turbocharged.

Yet it wasn’t long before the Honda looked weak-kneed next to rivals, so the unthinkable happened in 2014 and the Civic’s VTEC gained forced induction. Performance gains were huge, but some of the magic was lost.

Honda learns fast, though, and the latest blown Type R is the best yet.

PO RSCH E CAYE N N E Nearly a quarter of a century on, it’s easy to forget just how controversial the first Cayenne really was. Porsche was a dyed-in-the-wool sports car manufacturer and to even be thinking about the possibility of just maybe making an SUV was heresy, especially one that would go on to have a diesel engine. There was no precedent for this car and, allegedly, no appetite for it among zealots of Zuffenhausen’s usual offerings. Yet as we now know, the Cayenne was a massive sales hit, helping Porsche to ride the early SUV wave and on to previously unimagined profitability.

LOTUS E L AN (M100) When a car maker revives a famous name, it usually does so with a healthy dose of respect for its history. Not so Lotus when it relaunched the Elan in 1989, 14 years after Colin Chapman’s lithe version last appeared. Out went the classic front-engined (naturally aspirated, obviously) and rearwheel-drive layout and in came front-wheel drive and turbocharging. The new Elan was actually cracking to drive, but Lotus loyalists were less than impressed. Plus, there was the Mazda MX-5: launched at the same time, it was cheaper and, ironically, almost a carbon copy of the original Elan.

VO LKSWAG E N K70 It can be hard to break free from design dogma and, for decades, VW stuck to its tried and tested formula of slinging an air-cooled engine behind the rear axle. By the late 1960s, however, VW was being left behind commercially and technically, so a revolution was needed. Step forward the K70. Based on the NSU Ro80, it ripped up the VW playbook by featuring front-wheel drive and a water-cooled inline engine. Rust issues and high prices meant it was short lived, but the Passat, Golf and Polo that followed used the same layout to dazzlingly successful effect.

46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

10 MOULD-BREAKERS UNTHINKABLES 2WD L AN D ROVE RS When your products are tightly entwined in four-wheel-drive folklore and your best remembered advertising tagline is the ‘Best 4x4 by far’, then going two-wheel drive should be a no-no. Yet that’s what Land Rover did with its Freelander 2 eD4 in 2011. Aimed at lowering emissions and running costs, it dispensed with the standard car’s propshaft and rear differential, yet it retained Terrain Response and mud and snow tyres, making it as effective off road as some of its all-wheel-drive rivals. It was so successful that it spawned similar Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport models.

FO RD Most of the examples here are of individual cars but, in the past year alone, Ford has played fast and loose with its heritage. First up was the Puma, which applied the name of a much loved 1990s coupé to a crossover. There was resistance from some quarters but, in many respects, the new car retains the fun-loving spirit of its predecessor.

Likely more difficult to swallow will be the Mustang Mach-E, which is aiming to channel the essence of the firm’s famed muscle car into an all-electric SUV. Ford will be hoping it doesn’t make the same mistake as when it applied the RS1800 moniker from its rallywinning and bespoke-built Escort Mk2 to a tarted-up Fiesta.

FRO NT-WH E E L- D RIVE B MWs BMW believed you couldn’t claim to produce the ‘Ultimate driving machine’ unless you made your cars rear-wheel drive. For decades, even its smallest models sent power to the rear. Then in 2014, it launched the front-wheel-drive 2 Series Active Tourer, based on the same platform as the Mini. BMW fans were only mildly upset because, well, it was ‘just’ an MPV. Then came the bombshell in 2019 when the 1 Series turned from rear- to front-wheel drive. But despite howls of derision from some quarters, the switch hasn’t harmed the car’s engaging driving dynamics.

S KO DA FAVO RIT Like VW, Skoda seemed happily wedded to a rear-engined formula for decades. But with the Iron Curtain crumbling in the 1980s, the firm knew it needed a radical rethink if it was to tap into lucrative Western markets, and so the Favorit was born. Its five-door hatchback layout and front-wheel drive were revolutionary for the Czech brand but, thanks to some help from Porsche (yes, really), Bertone and British firm Ricardo, it proved to be a surprise hit. In fact, it was such a success that its fellow adherent to the rear-engined rules, VW, bought the company.

VO LVO 850 Volvo’s 700-series cars pretty much saved the company after they were launched in 1982, so you’d expect the Swedes to have stuck to the same sensible template for their replacement. But boxy styling aside, the 850 forged a bold new path for big Volvos. It was the first large model to get frontwheel drive and it had transverse five-cylinder engines that liked to spin and sing. Perhaps most shocking, it was genuinely fun to drive and the scorching T5s were enthusiast cars. It was a huge sales hit and shook off the brand’s staid image, paving the way for its current ice-cool machines.

PO RSCH E 718 Porsche has the best part of 80 years of experience with four-cylinder engines but that didn’t stop purists getting extremely hot under the collar when the 718 Boxster and Cayman were launched in 2015. By ditching the howling flat sixes of previous generations for turbocharged flat fours, Porsche took a hit, both critically and commercially. Initially, the brand stuck to its guns but soon plans were in place to secure the return of the naturally aspirated six. The result was the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder, which were swiftly followed this year by the GTS 4.0.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 47

RIOTOUS BROTHERS The Alpine A110 is that rarest of things: a car that achieved a five-star road test rating. However, there’s now also a more focused, more powerful A110 S. Or you can look to the aftermarket for the fine-tuned Life110. Matt Prior plays the field PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON

THREE OF A KIND COMPARISON es, it’s convention to test a group of cars that are differently shaped, but this isn’t a normal group test.

At least they’re a different colour.

What we have here is a five-star car in the shape of the (dark blue) Alpine A110, a slightly flawed but brilliantly refreshing small French two-seat sports car with a bespoke aluminium platform and a Renault Sport engine in its middle to drive its back wheels.

We’ve said an awful lot about the A110 already but, to recap, it’s a revelation. Weighing just 1103kg (in Pure form, or 1123kg as the Légende), it has agility in spades, while the ride over poor surfaces is doubly impressive. What we particularly love about it is its lack of convention; Alpine knows a great driver’s car doesn’t necessarily need to have incredibly stiff suspension and that not everything has to feel like it was developed on a race track.

However, the white car here is the newer Alpine A110 S, which is definitely not an A110 mark two but a different take on the original; the two are meant to do different things.

The S is a more, well, trackish, tieddown, focused version of the A110.

Some of the things that the standard car deliberately isn’t, in fact.

To that end, it has a bit more power – a 40bhp increase to 288bhp, although torque remains the same, at 236lb ft, because that’s the operating limit of the standard dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

A suspension drop puts the S 4mm closer to the ground, stiffens the springs by 50%, stiffens the anti-roll bars by 100%, retunes the dampers and adds 10mm of width to the standard 205/40 front and 235/40 rear tyres.

That said, you can spec the 215/245 rubber on the standard A110 too if you pay for the optional forged wheels (sorry, this test will get a little geekily detailed). ◊

Life110 changes add £3041 to the price of the standard Alpine

Racing-derived lip is meant to reduce high-speed lift; sports seats are very comfy

Those two would be sufficient on their own to make for a test of which is better in real-world Britain, but you will have also noticed the third car in the pictures: the lighterblue one. It’s owned by, and a project of, David Pook, formerly a Jaguar Land Rover dynamics specialist and now the proprietor of Life110.

Pook will take your standard A110 and can change it, he thinks for the better. And if you thought details were complex already, brace yourself.

On Pook’s own car, the dampers are unchanged, but the new Eibach springs are 30% stiffer and the car sits a full 16mm lower. The wheels are 18in Evo Corse items, as used in the Alpine Cup racing series. They can run the standard or 10mm-wider rubber, ideally the latter, and are half-an-inch wider than even those forged Alpine alloys, which effectively stiffens the tyre sidewall for better response and accuracy.

There’s a carbonfibre lip spoiler, too, but where it gets really detailed is in the geometry settings. The regular A110 doesn’t run very much camber but has lots of range of adjustment, while Pook’s investigation found it runs toe-out at the front and toe-in at the rear – a trick usually reserved for front-wheel-drive cars and one of the reasons people have reported the A110 to be borderline for

stability at high speeds. Now his car runs toe-in at the front.

You can spec any of the Life110 modifications – geometry (£156), springs (£480), spoiler (£750) and wheels (£1655) – individually, but this car has them all.

But let’s begin with the regular A110. The goodness is all there, you know. I’ve driven it down to our meeting point and had a great early morning blast, even in poor wintry conditions. From there, I head out on a short but testing driving loop that consists mainly of small, heavily cambered and poorly surfaced roads that are, in short, rubbish. And the A110 is enjoyable on those, too. It just turns so ably, smoothening and gliding over surface imperfections.

There isn’t much you’d pick over it.

Probably not the A110 S in these conditions. There’s a reason that Alpine reckons the regular model will outsell the S by three to one (an unusual ratio when it comes to top-spec variants), and it’s all about use on roads like these.

The S is a different kind of A110, not a better or worse one. Its ride is more tied-down, no doubt, and with that comes more stability.

It’s impossible to say precisely how much each mechanical

Standard A110 rolls more than most sports cars, but that’s not a bad thing

Life110 is run by ex-JLR dynamics expert David Pook

Alpine offers three styles of 18in alloy rim

No modern car is better suited to a British back road 50 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

S gains Dinamica steering wheel sections

THREE OF A KIND COMPARISON D I E P P E O R S T U T T GA R T ?

A110 has one of the best steering set-ups there is

❝ The S has more steering feel, weight and accuracy but also more fidget and conventionality ❞ modification is responsible for each dynamic characteristic change, but there’s more focus and more steering feel, weight and accuracy. Also more fidget and conventionality, though.

If the regular A110 feels like it was designed with nothing else in mind, the S seems more ‘normal’. If it had come out first, you’d have sworn it had been conceived with a Porsche benchmark in mind. Quicker?

Perhaps, but the extra urge is at the top end so, in these conditions and on this road, you don’t notice much of it.

Then there’s the Life110. A halfway house? Yes and no. In some ways, it’s just different again – simply another nuanced option. But in tone, it’s more ‘regular improved’ than ‘S wannabe’.

The ride is ever so slightly firmer than the standard car’s, although not by nearly as much as the S, despite it riding even lower. It’s a shame to lose

some of that plushness, but the A110 has plushness to spare and there are big gains to be had elsewhere. The steering is the biggest, with more precision, self-centring and road feel than a regular A110. So the Life110 feels more responsive when you turn and is more composed, while the magic of the regular A110’s agility, plus nearly all of its waft, is retained.

There are conditions, then, in which each variant would be best.

I could imagine some big cheeses being presented with all three, having to decide which they ought to sell and saying ‘er, all of them?’.

But if I had access to them all, with the kind of driving I do, I suspect I’d drive the Life110 most, the A110 next often and the A110 S the least – while wondering what Pook’s geometry and wheel but not spring changes would be like on the standard car. L

Given the A110 S feels like a more conventional mid-engined sports car than the regular A110, as if it were developed with a rival in mind, lining it up alongside that rival feels the right thing to do.

Step forward the Porsche 718 Cayman T, the nicest of the turbocharged four-cylinder Caymans. It starts out life as a 2.0-litre model and then gets a load of options that you could throw at the standard car but would cost you more in individual add-on fees if you did.

There’s a limited-slip differential with torque vectoring, active suspension (PASM) with a drop in ride height, active drivetrain mounts and 20in (rather than 18in) alloy wheels. PASM on the Cayman T is 20mm lower, rather than 10mm lower as a usual option, but other than that (plus some decals, fabric door handle loops and barely relevant details), this is a regular car with options.

The Cayman T costs £52,055, which isn’t so far from the £56,810 of the A110 S, although either can come in at around £60,000 once specced up.

Both are terrific cars, especially on smoother roads, and the Alpine feels like it were specifically targeting the Porsche. Despite the extra security and stability over the regular A110, the A110 S still turns more quickly than the Cayman and gives great steering feel while it’s at it. It probably rides better than its German rival, too.

However, the Cayman has terrific reserves of ability and a cornering stance that’s more adjustable on the throttle. There’s a better driving position and a greater sense of all-round solidity, too, plus it comes with a fine manual gearbox (a dual-clutch automatic is an option).

The A110 S probably outnoises it (a slight matter of taste), so this ends up an exceptionally close contest. I would pick the A110 S, just, while remembering that, in truth, if I wanted an A110, the S isn’t the version to have anyway.

Alpine wins for ride, Porsche wins for handling

Prior asks Pook about his toes.

Camber, too

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Ryton the money

First drive revealed that this Nürburgring special also works surprisingly well on the road

A batch of 300 Jag XE-based Project 8s were built to demonstrate SVO’s engineering depth and bespoke performance capability. The last few are leaving the building now.

The Special Vehicle Operations arm of Jaguar Land Rover does some extraordinary things. Steve Cropley visits its state-of-the-art base for a first-hand look PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

our first thought when you step over the threshold of Jaguar Land Rover’s £20 million Special Vehicle Operations division in Ryton-onDunsmore, just outside Coventry, is that you’ve arrived in the foyer of a Formula 1 team’s headquarters.

The place has the same wall-towall modernity of a classy, new piece of industrial architecture, the same aura of forensic efficiency of a grand prix team and the distinct feeling that nothing here happens by accident or just the passage of time.

But whereas F1 teams make half a dozen cars a year and don’t build the engine, this place handles vehicles

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by the thousand. Managing director Michael van der Sande says SVO’s job is to take JLR’s already potent and luxurious models and “amplify” their characteristics, at times “turning them up to 11”.

Among manufacturers of premium cars, there’s a powerful demand for bespoke and specialist vehicles that seems currently to defy economic cycles. BMW has its Alpina and Mercedes has its AMG, and on this spot, where Peugeot once built numerous undistinguished 206s, specialist Jaguars and Land Rovers now start their lives.

SVO builds several different kinds of bespoke car. Broadly speaking, there’s the uniquely specified,

hugely valuable type that involves wholesale re-engineering, complex painting and often lengthening and armouring to meet some ultra-rich customer’s whim.

Then there’s the most common type, production SVR models whose enhanced packages still allow them to be made on JLR’s regular production lines; the Range Rover Sport SVR and Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic are good examples. Such cars, around 10,000 of them per year, don’t need a special trip through the new SVO Technical Centre, because they’re built to suit the facilities of JLR’s regular assembly processes.

And somewhere in the middle

You visit a studio to choose your materials

Eye-catching Range Rover changes colour dramatically from different perspectives 52 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

JLR SVO INSIGHT

❝ The Project 8 shows that SVO is equipped for complex engineering ❞ of these is a breed of standard cars whose owners desire only special paint jobs: SVO handles around 5000 of these a year and has an innovative robotised plant whose smart ovens, JLR claims, save enough heating to power 65,560 homes for a year.

Quality is extraordinarily high.

The production-line SV models may not be built on SVO’s premises, but they’re still very much the business of van der Sande and his engineering director, Jamal Hameedi, whose spectacular pedigree includes time as the global engineering chief of Ford Performance, responsible for cars including the Focus RS and latest GT. They decide in the first instance exactly what these profitable and strong-selling SVR cars will be like and then set about developing them.

SVO’s contribution to group

earnings is described by van der Sande as “very significant”, although nobody inside or outside the group will talk precise figures. It’s obvious, and becomes clearer as we walk around, that this is a very highmargin business. The most modified cars we come across, some kept secret until their owners see them for the first time, are akin to works of art and so can require months in preparation.

If you’re a serious bespoke customer here on a visit, you’ll probably be accompanied by someone from your local dealership.

Having signed in, you turn right out of the foyer into a luxurious design suite where you can view, touch, feel and smell samples of paint and trim materials, fascia textures and badgework. This is where you propose and mock up – on a gigantic digital configurator – your desired

vehicle. “People can spend up to half a day in here,” says van der Sande.

“We encourage them to do it. And we often offer one of our designers to assist with choices. Clients usually find their suggestions helpful.”

Do customers ever insist on bad choices? According to designer Adam Hatton, who has particular expertise with bespoke projects, it’s rare. “Clients have strong likes and dislikes,” he says, “but they’re rarely adamant. We advise them, no more than that. In rare cases, we might emphatically discourage someone from making a choice we think they’ll regret. But we have to understand their priorities – that some apparently odd choices work better in different cultures and light conditions than the UK’s.

“It’s one reason why we usually issue high-quality renderings.

They show what a car will be like with pretty good accuracy and they’re especially handy for people who can’t come to Coventry.”

Beyond the design studio is a spacious, sumptuously curtained meeting room, all carpets and soft sofas, where clients can relax, chat with SVO experts and eat food specially prepared by in-house chef Graham Edwards, a former protégé of Raymond Blanc, whose task is to create dishes that suit clients from all corners of the globe. As well as being a private meeting room, this can be a superb viewing room: the curtains roll back to reveal floor-to-ceiling glass walls displaying the well-lit vastness of the 20,000-square-metre Technical Centre’s car creation bays.

Immediately outside are the last handful of the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 super-saloons from the promised ◊

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Range Rover Sport SVR was the division’s pioneering product. Sales are still going up after four years.

“We’re bouncing off our production capacity limit,” says SVO boss van der Sande.

Bespoke items are tested, tested and then tested again ∆ batch of 300 being prepared for delivery. This machine is van der Sande’s quiet pride and joy, not just because its 592bhp supercharged V8 engine makes it the most powerful road-legal Jaguar in history but also because of the extensive re-engineering it entailed.

“It’s very different from the base car,” he says proudly. “We even had to shift the headlights forward to make a bit more space. The Project 8 is a completely focused track car; only the bonnet is unaltered. We dialled everything else up to 11…”

Van der Sande views Project 8 as the perfect demonstration that SVO is just as well equipped for complex engineering as for amazing trim and paint makeovers. “You learn enormously from projects like this,” he explains. “They test the limits of a design. Lessons we’ve learned from the Project 8’s sealed

aerodynamic floor are already being incorporated into the tooling of the next-generation models…”

Past this line-up of Project 8s, we turn right, staring into the well-ordered build bays, where big projects are proceeding under the hands of technicians whose very body language tells you they’re the best in the business.

On one side are armoured Range Rover Sentinels with reinforced floors and two-inch-thick armoured screens and side windows. They weigh four tonnes at the kerb yet still have the ability to jump kerbs and accelerate very quickly indeed.

Across the wide aisle is possibly the most eye-grabbing Range Rover I’ve ever seen, brilliantly black-topped but with an extraordinary metallic colour on its lower flanks that flips between a luminous greeny yellow and a more subdued grey. It’s worth

❝ This extraordinary metallic colour is worth £15,000 on its own ❞ Handles inspired by your sporting rifle, sir?

SVO has produced 300 examples of its 592bhp Jaguar XE 54 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

£15,000 on its own, I learn, and when you examine the flawless edges and lustrous surfaces, you can see where all that money goes.

This car is at Ryton for much more than painting. It’s to be completely retrimmed and equipped with a beautifully engineered SVO rear console (the work of Hameedi’s team) that contains all manner of storage spaces, screens, switches and ventilation outlets. It’s as expensive as the paint, we estimate,

JLR SVO INSIGHT Supercharged V8 means bombproof Sentinel can still do 0-62mph in 10.4sec

A BOSS WHO “A LWAYS WA N T S TO DELIVER” Michael van der Sande, managing director of SVO, has taken a more interesting path than most to reaching the job he loves. Dutch by birth, his mother and grandmother were rally drivers and one of his early girlfriends was a Ford dealer. As a kid, he made the key decision to follow a career with cars and arrived in the UK 25 years ago, landing at Bentley and RollsRoyce in Crewe. From there, he began a 12-year marketing career with Harley-Davidson, working at the US firm’s headquarters in Milwaukee, as well as in Africa and the UK. He then took a oneyear posting with Tesla as global director of sales and marketing before moving to Aston Martin “at the depth of the crisis” but still helped launch the Rapide and One-77. Next he spent five years in Paris with Renault, working closely with design boss Laurens van den Acker, before leading the launch of Alpine for two and a half years. In June 2018, he started at SVO, which he labels the greatest gig of all.

“When you’re passionate about something,” he says, “you always want to deliver.”

You can even get diamond-encrusted dials

SVO offers all manner of paint finishes yet there’s a demand for 800 to 900 of these every year.

“You don’t just build that console and bung it in the car,” explains van der Sande. “You test its functions endlessly, then you fit it to test cars and you subject it to tough road trials.

After that, it might be okay.

“Cars earmarked for major work come to us as primed and recoated bodies,” he continues. “We paint them, build them up and fit their complex body parts. It takes two weeks to paint and five or six weeks to build. And for the most complex jobs, like this one, you might need six to eight weeks more. We estimate five months for a job like this, then try to beat it by a week or two.”

How does van der Sande view the future of vehicle personalisation?

The demand is durable, he believes, but the challenge is to meet the rising

quality standards of customers while growing slowly. Launching new line-built SVR models is another challenge; the reason the company began at the top of its price list with the Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic, Range Rover Sport SVR and Jaguar F-Type Project 7 was that the potential profit margins were very generous. Even the most recent pair, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography, cost £75,000 and often much more once extras have been taken into account.

Would SVO ever do a Range Rover Evoque SVR? It’s a possibility, allows van der Sande, but not in the short term. SVO is limited by how quickly its engineering teams can grow.

“We’re in an intentional period of slow growth,” he says. “We want to build strong foundations, and we believe this is how you do it.” L

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Each day, 350 vehicles are stolen. Vehicle thefts have risen by more than 50% in the past six years – and despite ‘sophisticated’ anti-theft tech, they’re still rising. Why? WORDS BY JOHN EVANS

56 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

CAR THEFTS INVESTIGATION One vehicle is stolen every four minutes on average in the UK

MOST STOLEN CARS IN 20 19 *

Ford Fiesta

Range Rover

Volkswagen Golf

Ford Focus

The image above is staged and not a real theft

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how she felt. That’s the number of cars that police believe have been stolen each day so far this year. It compares with 330 stolen each day in 2019, or 120,000 over the year, and is further evidence of the apparently unstoppable rise in car crime that has seen vehicle thefts increase by over 50% in the past six years.

According to the Office for National Statistics, just 40% of stolen vehicles are recovered. Most of these are damaged and 20% written off. The UK’s car crime capital is Manchester, where there are almost 51 crimes per 1000 vehicles, a figure that includes theft from, as well as theft of, a motor vehicle.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

New technologies such as keyless entry and ignition systems were meant to make cars safe from thieves and render mechanical locking devices, such as the traditional Krooklok, redundant. What their designers didn’t take account of, however, was car thieves’ determination to overcome

BMW 3 Series

Vauxhall Astra

any new obstacle in their path and the changing nature of car crime, which has evolved from the casual thieving and joy riding of the 1990s to the organised and targeted activity it is today.

“There’s a significant amount of organised criminal activity, with cars being stolen to order,” says Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, a vehicle telematics and locater company. “Cars are stolen for one of four reasons: for export, ◊

❝ Just 40% of stolen vehicles are

Land Rover Discovery

Mercedes E-Class

BMW 5 Series

recovered and most are damaged

❞

Audi A3 18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 57

*Figures provided by the DVLA

ne night in January, while Helen Chambers and her husband were asleep, a thief broke into the couple’s home in Romford, Essex, and stole the key to their 2012-reg Audi A6 2.0 TDI parked on the road outside. The first they knew of the theft was when they looked out of their bedroom window to be greeted by the sight of an empty parking space.

“It was done so quickly and discreetly that I think the thief must have been staking out our house,” Chambers told me when I phoned her after seeing her report of the theft and appeal for information on Stolen Cars UK, a public Facebook group.

The police were quick to respond and viewed the video footage that had been captured on the couple’s CCTV camera. Unfortunately, the thief’s face was barely visible in the poor light and he was wearing gloves so had left no fingerprints. It’s a problem that police investigating car crime encounter all too frequently.

Recently, Suffolk police admitted it had failed to solve 95% of car crime in the past three years, mainly because of what it described as “limited forensic opportunities”.

Reflecting on the loss of the family’s Audi, Helen said, despairingly: “You work hard, only to have your dream car stolen.”

On the same day, around 350 other vehicle owners discovered exactly

Inside the Thatcham crime lab Since the 1990s, Thatcham Research, the insurer-funded vehicle and technology research organisation, has been testing vehicle security systems for the insurance industry. Last year, it launched a rating system to help car buyers. Called the Consumer Security Rating, it includes a relay attack test.

Cars achieving the highest rating, called Superior, include the BMW 1 Series, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Skoda Superb and Ford Puma.

The centre’s crime lab is home to some of the equipment it uses for the test, much of it sourced by police forces during raids and arrests. Assorted

relay attack devices, OBD (on-board diagnostic) key programmers, GPS jammers that can disrupt GPS-based trackers (this is a growing problem) and signal jammers that criminals can use to prevent a key locking a car fill one table.

“It’s a game of cat and mouse,” says Steve Launchbury, lead vehicle security research engineer. “As soon as a new car enters the market, criminals steal and strip it to learn how its security works.”

Richard Billyeald, chief technical officer, says that Thatcham’s new security tests are meant to inform and educate not only the public but also car makers.

As well as high-tech devices, Thatcham uses old-school tools

∆ often to Eastern Europe; to order, for their identity to be changed and the vehicle sold on within the UK; for parts, which is a growing problem and where the vehicle is stripped down in a so-called ‘chop shop’; and to be used in further crimes.”

Neil Thomas, director of investigative services at AX Innovation, a fleet management company, says car crime is like an industry. “It’s run on the same scale,” he says. “High-value models are being targeted by criminals who need specific cars to sell or to strip for sale or cloning. They’ll place their order with an associate using an encryption messaging service such as WhatsApp. Their messages will include details of a vehicle’s location and instructions on how to check for and remove tracking devices.”

Increasingly, criminals are turning to county lines techniques borrowed from the drug world to steal cars. So-called ‘clean skins’, young people with no criminal record, are recruited to steal

58 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

Thatcham’s crime lab has theft kit seized by police during raids and arrests

“Our job is to help car makers understand their vulnerabilities and, partly as a result of our new consumer rating, they’re responding,” he says.

“Sleeper keys with motion sensor technology that deactivates the fob when left undisturbed are a simple but effective step forward.

“The next big challenge will be the connected car that can be controlled from your phone. It’s convenient but represents a new security risk.”

ry Thatcham’s Billyeald (left) and Launchbu

cars from outside the criminal’s immediate area in return for cash or food for their family.

Thomas says that once stolen, many cars – a lot of them premium models including Audis, BMWs, Mercedes and Range Rovers but also hot hatches – are driven to a location and left for up to four days to establish whether a tracking device is fitted. When the all-clear is sounded, the car will be fitted with duplicate plates that identify it as an identical but legitimate vehicle so as not to trigger any ANPR cameras, started using a reprogrammed key if necessary and driven away. It might then be sold to a black market buyer, who is unlikely to pay much more than £2000 for a stolen Range Rover, for example. A Ford Fiesta might be sold for just £200.

Having bought the stolen car, a criminal may attempt to sell it to an unsuspecting member of the public,

advertising it at less than its market value to attract interest. On arrival at what is likely to be a rented address, the buyer is told there is finance to settle, a story intended to reassure them that the seller and the car are legitimate.

Thomas tells how a 2013-reg Range Rover Evoque 2.2 SD4 Dynamic (inset, left) was sold in this way. It had been stolen in Oxford, cloned in Birmingham and given a new identity, before being advertised for £8150. The criminal gave the buyer a settlement letter purporting to be from the finance company and quoting an account number and sort code. In fact, the finance company was a national charity with no connection to the car.

The buyer settled the finance, paid the criminal a balance of £5000 in cash and in return was given the vehicle’s key and a logbook. The key was a replacement that had been reprogrammed and the logbook fake.

However, disposing of an entire car in this way is a risky affair for the criminal. That’s why breaking vehicles for their parts, either to sell to other criminals for cloning stolen cars or to unsuspecting members of the public, is an increasingly popular alternative. High-value cars including Bentleys and Lamborghinis, but also Range Rovers and Jaguars, are often disposed of in this way.

Many are broken down and stripped in chop shops. In the case of vehicles with tracking devices fitted to them, depending on the age of the car, the subscription to the service may have lapsed, allowing the vehicle to go unlocated. Thomas says that police are increasingly targeting chop shops. One recent raid by West Midlands Police yielded three stolen Mercedes E-Classes. “It’s a more effective approach than trying to solve every car theft because you get straight to the criminals who are

❝ Criminals are turning to techniques from the drug world to steal cars

❞

CAR THEFTS INVESTIGATION

ordering the thefts and disposing of the cars,” he says.

Other forces are reporting similar successes. In February, Essex Police raided 20 properties as part of an investigation into a gang suspected of having stolen up to 90 cars worth a total of £4 million since 2018, including Range Rovers and

sports cars. They made 15 arrests and recovered 25 stolen vehicles.

As part of the raids, the police targeted criminals suspected of coding replacement keys, enabling the vehicles to be cloned and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

The police haul included the equipment that the criminals used

to overcome the keyless entry systems fitted to the cars they had stolen, a technique called a relay attack. It works by one criminal holding a device up against the door of the car, amplifying the signal it broadcasts around the perimeter of the vehicle. Another criminal stands near the owner’s home with a device that picks up the signal the key emits and relays it to his accomplice, who can then open the car’s door and start the engine.

This vulnerability of keyless systems is well known and was demonstrated in a number of security tests by our sibling title What Car?.

In 2019, it tested seven popular cars fitted with the systems and found that two of the cars (an Audi TT RS and a DS 3 Crossback) could be accessed and driven away in just 10 seconds. Others took up to 60 seconds, although one, a Land Rover Discovery, could not be started.

Tracker’s Wain claims that 92% of the cars stolen with the company’s location device fitted to them were taken in this way in 2019.

The year before, the figure was 88%.

He says keyless theft is spreading from London and the home counties to the Midlands and the north of England. The Association of British Insurers, which last year reported a steep rise in motor theft payouts, has urged car makers to tackle what it describes as this “high-tech vulnerability”.

Keyless car theft is a serious and growing problem but, arguably, car owners should be even more concerned about a method of theft known as a Hanoi burglary, named after a major police investigation of the same name into car key burglary carried out some years ago. Not only were cars broken into but, in order for the burglars to get their keys, homes were, too.

The point is this: as car makers improve their keyless entry systems

HOW TO KEEP YO U R C A R S A F E FROM THIEVES  Keep your keys away from windows and out of view but don’t hide them away.  Have the car windows etched with the vehicle’s registration and VIN numbers.  Remove all valuables, including portable sat-navs.  Park in a well-lit place. If it’s on your driveway, park the car facing the house so the thief will have to reverse it.  If your car has keyless entry, check if you can disable the system and, if not, see if a software update is available so you can. Store the key in a Faraday pouch that blocks the signal but check it works.  Manually check the car is locked in case the locking signal has been jammed.  Fit a mechanical lock such as a gear or steering wheel lock as a deterrent.

with features such as motion sensors that disable the key and prevent it from transmitting when left undisturbed (using this feature, the cars that What Car? tested could not be entered or driven away), criminals may be forced to break into homes for the key itself.

“We’re not there yet,” says Thomas. “Most car thieves who use keyless entry want a quiet life but, given the scale of the industry they’re supporting, they may, if sleeper keys become more widespread, be forced to take desperate measures.

“It’s why you should leave your car keys at the bottom of the stairs.

Better that than a thief going any further to look for them.” L

T R U E S T O RY: H O W A B M W X 5 WA S S T O L E N A N D T H E N R E C OV E R E D

1

2

3

AX Innovation helped recover this X5. After its theft, data (1) shows it was driven within speed limits to a ‘safe’ location (2) to check for tracking devices. CCTV (3) can also…

4

5

6

…be used to help trace its route. X5 was then left in a quiet cul-de-sac (4) where spotters in a flat (5) kept an eye on it. Damage (6) included criminals’ search for tracking kit.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59

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

Toyota must produce a road-going version of its GR Super Sport

ENDURING HEADACHES FOR WEC Confusion over rules in top class casts doubt over hypercar future s the 24 Hours of Le Mans in crisis?

It’s certainly in a tangle.

In the long term, more manufacturers could take on the great race, thanks to enticing new car regulations, plus a welcome and longawaited accord with the American IMSA sports car series. But in the short term, top-class entries are at a record-equalling low for LMP1’s supposed ‘big goodbye’ this June, and the new hypercar category, due to take a bow in 2021, might well be a one-horse race. It’s all a little underwhelming and rather confusing.

Some clarity was due to be forthcoming this weekend when the World Endurance Championship and IMSA were scheduled to race on the same bill at Sebring in Florida, until the coronavirus forced the 1000-mile WEC race and IMSA’s Sebring 12 Hours, one of endurance racing’s

I

‘big three’ along with the Daytona 24 Hours and Le Mans, to be cancelled. More details on the WEC/IMSA accord will have to wait.

Beyond immediate and obvious health priorities, the foggy future needs demisting. In short, here’s the state of play. Le Mans has been working on a new hypercar-based class, LMH, to replace the LMP1 hybrids, which have become too expensive to build and run. Toyota is the last manufacturer standing this year, and it’s on course for a Le Mans hat-trick in June with a two-car entry as LMP1 bids farewell (at least as the headline class). Rebellion’s pair of non-hybrid Gibson

cars has bloodied Toyota’s nose in WEC races, winning twice – but only because of synthetic ‘Balance of Performance’ handicapping.

Can Rebellion pull off a major coup at the big one?

Yes, if the BoP is strongly in its favour – in which case its victory would be devalued anyway. If Toyota must race with two hands tied behind its back, is it really a race at all? Le Mans’ credibility this year rests on the BoP being fair to both the high-tech works team and the privately funded, lower-tech ‘indies’ from Rebellion and Ginetta.

After this, the WEC hypercars are set to make their debut at Silverstone on 5 September, then race

❝

Toyota is building a purebred racer, but no other major car maker currently fancies taking that route ❞

at Le Mans for the first time in 2021. Toyota is building a purebred prototype racer that will be turned into a road car to meet the new LMH rules, but no other major car maker currently fancies taking that route. Others prefer to turn their existing road-going hypercars into racing cars – which is far from the same thing. This was Aston Martin’s choice with the Valkyrie.

The two LMH strands were to be pulled together using BoP to make them equal in performance, but now Aston Martin has frozen its plans to race the Valkyrie.

The reason given was the confusion created by the deal to invite IMSA racers to join the party in the WEC from autumn 2021 – although it also follows in the wake of Lawrence Stroll’s buy-in to the beleaguered car maker and his plans to take it back into Formula 1 as a works entry with the team currently called Racing Point, which

MOTORSPORT Aston Martin has put its sports car racing plans on hold

THE FRANCO AMERICAN ALLIANCE

So, what about this IMSA deal? The US has tended to take a lower-tech and more cost-effective approach to endurance racing, and that will continue with its new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) hypercar class, due to be launched next year.

As the catchy name hints, these new prototypes, based on next-generation LMP2 cars, will feature a rear-axle energy retrieval system to bring IMSA closer into line with the marketing needs of modern car makers and allow entrants to style them to look like road-going hypercars. Now a deal has been struck for them to race against the LMH hypercars in the WEC and at Le Mans – although it’s not yet clear whether the LMH class will be allowed to race at Daytona and Sebring in return. That’s a possible point of clarity for this weekend.

The agreement between WEC and IMSA has been

Rebellion has needed a helping hand to dent Toyota’s dominance

welcomed as the first step towards a long-awaited single – and surely sensible – global rulebook for sports car racing, which might (or might not) be drawn up later this decade. But for now, BoP will be used to equalise the two codes, as well as the two strands of the LMH category (still with us?).

Purists turn their nose up at artificially playing with performance, especially when it’s so convoluted, but realists point out that it’s the only way to lure in more manufacturers, given they all have different agendas, model types and attitudes to motorsport. Take Peugeot: it has already announced an intention to return to Le Mans in 2022 and initially planned to do so with some form of LMH hypercar. But it might now choose an LMDh programme instead, once it has some clarity on how the rules will converge, which is the most cost-effective and, presumably, which is the most likely to result in a shot at victory. Accord clarifications, whenever they now come, could well be crucial to Peugeot’s decision, and that of others who might like to join it.

You may well wonder what happened to the days when people just built the fastest cars they could to a given set of rules and went racing. If only it could still be so simple.

F1 race cancellation came the day the cars were set to hit the track

Australian Grand Prix cancelled The Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix was cancelled hours before practice was due to begin last Friday after a McLaren team member tested positive for the coronavirus. The diagnosis prompted the Woking-based team to withdraw from the event on Thursday, sparking discussions between F1 bosses, race organisers and teams. A further 14 McLaren team members are now quarantined in Australia. The announcement that the race would be called off came as fans were queueing outside the Melbourne circuit – and after Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel had already flown home.

The Bahrain GP, scheduled for this Sunday, seemed almost certain to be scrapped too as Autocar went to press, with F1 bosses potentially looking at delaying the season until the Azerbaijan GP in June.

Artistic licence reinstated in F1

Expect the return of cool one-off F1 helmets this year

Neate fit for Focus team

British Touring Car Championship regular Andy Neate will join Ollie Jackson and Rory Butcher in a three-car line-up at Motorbase this year.

Neate will begin in a previousgen Ford Focus and switch to the team’s new Focus ST midseason. Meanwhile, Howard Fuller will replace Mike Bushell in a Team Hard Volkswagen CC for the opening three rounds while the latter recovers from a heart condition.

Nascar nuts go nuts over nuts

There’s much social media grumbling in the Nascar sphere after the premier stock car category announced a switch from 15in to 18in wheels for the planned new 2021 car. As part of this, wheels will no longer be held in place by five small lug nuts but a single larger one, which sparked complaints that it’d remove some of the drama by making pit stops shorter and easier. Yes, people complain about strange things at times.

Next-gen Nascar machines will have 3in-larger wheels

Stand down the fun police: motorsport bosses will allow Formula 1 drivers to change their helmet designs as often as they like this season. Since 2015, drivers have been forced to stick to one design for the whole year, except for one race each. Unfortunately, bosses didn’t introduce a rule requiring drivers to have better helmet designs that people can easily recognise, like in the old days…

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

he has owned since 2018.

So, other than privateer creations from the likes of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, Toyota might well be left with an open goal at Le Mans next year. Then again, that has arguably been the case in LMP1 for the past three years since first Audi and then Porsche withdrew.

N E WS R O U N D - U P

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61

Ian Gywnne piloted Colin McRae’s 1992 Subaru Legacy RS

CHESTER R ALLY REVIVAL

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

Our first rally champ 29 November 1995

Remembering Colin McRae Family, fans and colleagues mark 25 years since Scot’s WRC title n motor racing, it’s drivers like Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna who are revered as legends taken too soon.

In rallying, it’s Colin McRae and Richard Burns who were lost to the sport tragically young, but not before creating an enduring legacy.

It was on a cold, late-winter day that McRae, who died in 2007 in a helicopter accident, was celebrated by family, friends and fans as the Chester Rally Revival marked 25 years since one of the crowning moments of his always spectacular career.

Back in 1995, McRae was at the height of his fame and fans loved him for his relentless commitment. He took his works-backed Subaru Impreza by the scruff of its neck and hurled it around the stages. As had been the case right from the start of his stellar career, there were no percentages: it was all or nothing.

❝

There were no percentages with Colin McRae: it was all or nothing ❞

for the sport and love for his son. Jimmy drove the glorious 5.0-litre Chevrolet Firenza Can-Am of Mick Strafford and, at the end of an emotional day, confirmed that it had been “a great day out”.

Nicky Grist was Colin’s co-driver for six tumultuous seasons, and he brought his own Toyota Celica GT4 to the event, with current British Rally champion Matt Edwards along for the ride. Then the irrepressible Ian Gwynne fielded the Subaru Legacy that McRae took to second place on the 1992 Swedish Rally.

The rest of the field included 555-liveried Imprezas, Mk2 Ford Escorts and even a brace of Lancia Stratos replicas. Fans came out, drivers put on a show and it was a wonderful way to celebrate a man who inspired a generation of rally fans.

PAUL LAWRENCE

GREAT R ACING CARS #2

NICK CASSIDY

PORSCHE 917 (1969-1971)

This New Zealander is making big waves right now. The 25-year-old last year became the first ‘foreign’ champion in Japan’s premier Super Formula since 2011 and will defend his crown this year while also vying to add a second Super GT title to the one he claimed in 2017. He has also shown his promise recently by topping Formula E’s rookie test, setting an impressive new lap record on the Marrakech street circuit as he did so, one day after the series regulars had raced on it. The wider racing world should take note.

While sports car racing ties itself in knots today, let’s recall one of the greatest Le Mans winners. The Porsche 917 was an untamed beast on its first appearance at the 24 Hours. Then, exactly 50 years ago, it became the stuff of folklore when Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann delivered Porsche its first overall Le Mans win.

A second followed in 1971 before the monstrously fast ‘king of the Mulsanne’ was outlawed by a change in the rules (yes, they were a problem back then, too).

RISING S TA R

PAUL LAWRENCE

That 1995 World Rally Championship season had turned sour when team orders forced McRae to hand victory in Spain to his team-mate Carlos Sainz and leave them tied on points for a winnerJimmy McRae drove a Firenza Can-Am takes-all showdown on the Network Q RAC Rally crews on a tour of Cheshire and in the British forests.

Shropshire, taking in venues Unsurprisingly, McRae with RAC Rally heritage. It attacked from the word go and was not competitive, but headed Sainz by 36sec after some spirited driving kept five hours of flat-out rallying. the fans nicely entertained.

The donuts and champagne Three crews stood out at spraying took place at Chester the head of the event and race course, and that was pride of place went to Colin’s the base for the recent Rally father, Jimmy, who at 76 Revival event. The idea was has lost none of his passion to send a gaggle of cars and

62 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

“A SEASON THAT started so badly came good with the kind of result that most teams can only dream about,” reported Autocar after that 1995 WRC finale. “Colin McRae won the RAC Rally for the second year in succession; Subaru snatched the world title and the Prodrive-run Impreza 555s took first, second and third places.

“Ten years ago, McRae and Derek Ringer teamed up with the ambition to win the world title. Ten years ago, David Richards formed Prodrive with the same, single-minded goal. For them and many others, the scenes at the finish in Chester last week were a dream come true.

“The bad blood between McRae and Carlos Sainz after the debacle in Spain was there for all to see.

Despite attempts to take the heat out of it, a series of interviews by McRae before the start just stoked the fire. In the event, it was a one-way battle.

“McRae’s time through Hamsterley, 28sec quicker than anyone else over 17 miles, was so fast that, at first, even Sainz refused to believe it. He repeatedly queried the results over team radio.

And from that moment on, it was clear which way the crown was going.

“For the first two days, Sainz and co-driver Luis Moya relied on the fact that McRae was going to make a mistake and, to be fair, it very nearly paid off.

“But by the time Sainz realised McRae wasn’t, it was too late to stop the charge. He tried in Wales but looked and sounded resigned to defeat by the end of the penultimate day.

“So, Britain has its first WRC champ, the youngest in the series’ history.”

MOTORSPORT

Kiwi single-seater started life as a Lotus project

So, you fancy yourself as a Formula 1 driver?

You won’t get much closer than by driving the 675bhp V8-powered, 609kg Rodin FZED single-seater, as Andrew Frankel discovers on track in New Zealand hen people talk about a breathtaking experience, what they usually mean is that it was highly memorable. And driving the Rodin FZED was clearly that.

But it was also breathtaking in the most literal sense: when I was finally allowed to let the car rip, I either momentarily lost the ability to breathe or simply forgot to do so.

Weeks later, it’s still not entirely clear.

But that’s what happens when an engine making 675bhp is allowed to power a car weighing 609kg. For the world’s fastest road car, the 300mph Bugatti Chiron, to match the FZED’s power-to-weight ratio, it would need – wait for it – another 500bhp.

W

Rodin Cars’ founder, Australian businessman David Dicker, reckons the FZED is the closest thing you can buy to a Formula 1 car while still keeping costs within the reach of the merely very wealthy, rather than the fabulously rich. The FZED costs around half a million quid, which isn’t much more than one of the more expensive GT3 race cars you can buy, and its 3.8-litre Cosworth V8 will go 3000 miles between rebuilds – after which you will probably need rebuilding too.

It doesn’t require an army of boffins to fire up and even very tall, middle-aged men can be made to feel entirely comfortable within its confines and not in the least bit ridiculous.

The car started life in 2011 as the Lotus T125 project. After that stalled, Dicker bought five unsold chassis and set about turning them into FZEDs. By replacing as much of the car as possible with titanium printed in-house, including every single fixing, he managed to carve more than 40kg out of the already flyweight 650kg Lotus. The engine has more power for fun yet develops it at lower revs for reliability. The entire management system is new and aimed at making the car far more drivable. There’s also a new pedal box, seat system, clutch actuator, steering wheel and so on and on.

The car is now a very different beast.

The only problem is that if you want a test drive, you need to go to

New Zealand’s South Island and visit the extraordinary facility that Dicker has had built there, which includes three test tracks, a factory containing some of the most advanced titanium 3D-printing machines in the world and a full pits complex with garaging and hospitality. This guy is serious.

Dicker will fly you out, put you up and provide you with an instructor: affable, unflappable Aussie racer Mark Williamson, who will then spend two days with you until he feels you’ve seen and done enough to be let loose in an uncorked FZED. To give you some idea of the level you need to reach, you learn the track in a derestricted McLaren 570S GT4 racer. It’s some trainer. After at least two stints in that, each comprising ◊

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63

FZED is so lean even the steering wheel is

carbonfibre

A bespoke seat is created for each drive

r

Frankel is tall for an F1 driver, at 6ft 4in, but fits fine ∆ dozens of laps, you do the same all over again in a Dallara Formula 3 car – because if you don’t do that and therefore fully acquaint yourself with the dark art of downforce, there’s literally no point even sitting in the FZED. After each session, Williamson assiduously talks you through the telemetry data and on-board camera footage. You’ll then get two sessions in said FZED, one using about 80% revs and throttle, one unlimited. And if, after that, you buy one, Rodin will knock the entire cost of the trip off the purchase price.

So, and because space is short, we’ll skip the build-up. Imagine that you’re now in the FZED, fully trained and immensely comfortable, because

64 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

your seat has been made for you and you alone. You hold the titanium steering wheel and as the external starter spins the engine, you catch Cosworth V8 is derived from Indycar unit it on the throttle and hold it at a deafening 4000rpm Rodin fabricates many of its parts in-house idle. The clutch is operated by hand, which I don’t you’ve ever braked in a road like, but there’s space for only two car until they start to respond. pedals and your left foot has to But the massive Avon slick tyres in the FZED, there isn’t one at all. operate the carbon-carbon brakes. have been in blankets for hours Training means your fingers For the first two laps, all you think and you don’t want to lose that automatically tug the right lever about are those brakes. They aren’t heat, either, so as soon as you’re four times, but the acceleration from, like carbon-ceramic items: if they happy with the brakes, you go. say, 60mph to 170mph is such that don’t have temperature, they don’t The acceleration is such that it you have no time to even think about work. At all. So you drive with both actually redraws the circuit for you. it, let alone savour it. You come out feet on both pedals, accelerate up to In the McLaren and Dallara, the of the corner, the world goes stark, 120mph and then brake harder than track has quite a long straight; staring mad and you brake. That’s it.

MOTORSPORT

FROM ZED TO ZERO

❝ You come out of the corner, the world goes mad and you brake ❞

If you can believe it, the FZED is merely an amuse-bouche for what is coming next from the ever-fertile mind of David Dicker. His real focus is now on the FZERO, a car he has designed largely himself, for which a bespoke twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V10 racing engine making more than 1000bhp is now being designed and whose name has nothing to do with emissions and everything to do with what’s one better than Formula 1. The FZERO is closed, will generate many tonnes of downforce and has a suggested 0-186mph time of 10sec. It can be made road-legal, will cost around $1 million (quite cheap, compared with anything comparable, such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie or Mercedes-AMG One) and should be on the track before the end of this year.

The next best things to buying a Formula 1 car

 Actually, you can buy an F1 car.

Functioning historic chassis can cost similar money to a front-line supercar like the McLaren 720S. But if it costs a small fortune to buy, it’ll cost a damn big one to run.

Except it’s not because, compared with what it’s like under braking, the FZED’s acceleration is quite sane.

Under full braking from more than 170mph, the combined effects of the downforce and those brakes are such that I’ve experienced less physical violence while crashing. One reason your belts are done up so tight that breathing becomes difficult is that you would be black and blue for days were they not. You could probably snap a rib or two for good measure as you’re slammed forward. But you must remember to back off the brakes as the downforce bleeds away, else you’ll be left with mechanical grip alone and staring at two stationary Avons while still doing 70mph.

Corners are actually easier than expected. The FZED has a brand new, Öhlins-based damper system, because Dicker thought the Lotus set-up wasn’t fit for purpose. And somewhat to my surprise, you can slide the car around a bit in the slower turns. The steering is light, hyperaccurate and thunderbolt-fast.

In the quick bits, you just have to commit, and do so at turn-in speeds that have genuinely never occurred to you before. And then you have to control the throttle.

Try to balance the car in the way that comes naturally to people like me, who race historic cars, and the resulting fore-and-aft pitch will play havoc with the floor under the car,

from where most of the downforce is extracted. So that’s a bad idea.

I never found out how close to the car’s limits I came. I posted decent times in the McLaren and Dallara but was miles off in the FZED. I like to think I lost out mainly through failing to understand its unfathomable braking performance, but maybe not. Then again, if, as a prospective owner, I’d boarded the plane home from New Zealand feeling I already knew all there was to know about this car, I’d probably not buy one. As it is, you might go 10 seasons and by the end still be finding out things about not just the FZED but yourself, too. With such machinery, that’s how it should be. L

 The Caparo T1 is probably the closest thing to a road-legal F1 car.

This British creation gets 575bhp and weighs 500kg; you do the maths. On sale now for £189,995.

 A recent Dallara Formula 3 car will teach you all you need to know about downforce and blow your mind in the process. A very fit, 15-year-old example should cost you less than £30,000 to buy.

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MOTORSPORT IMAGES

The FZED can sprint from 0-99mph in an unbelievable 5.0sec

YO U R V I E WS WRITE TO

autocar@haymarket.com No more BEVs

In possibly less than 10 years, the huge investment in battery manufacturing, recycling and charging stations may start to be redundant as more fuel cell cars become available. These are more attractive than BEVs because of fast refuelling and longer range.

Will concentrating on BEVs be seen as unwise policy? Guaranteeing a charging point every 30 miles doesn’t address the needs of apartment dwellers or terraced housing with no front gardens. And battery power may not be feasible for HGVs; their battery packs could weigh three or four tonnes, reducing payload, whereas fuel cell HGVs would be feasible. Some heavy industrial vehicles already use fuel cells – forklift trucks, for example.

BEVs aren’t sustainable in the long term, because lithium and cobalt are of limited occurrence and will rise in cost as they grow scarcer. Also, we would need 300 times the existing worldwide recycling capacity (which doesn’t recover 100% of material).

And if air quality is the reason for BEVs, they produce more particulates because they are heavier. Ironically, current diesels produce the least.

What’s more, converting the road fleet doesn’t fix the problem of ports, where 17 large container ships emit more NOx than total UK road traffic.

And what about diesel locomotives?

To encourage the use of FCEVs, we must have hydrogen plants and refuelling points at regular filling stations. This would be a diversification for the oil industry and less of a burden than providing a nationwide battery charging network that will soon start to be redundant.

BEVs should be regarded only as a stopgap until more FCEVs are available. Hydrogen production by renewable energy is the sustainable long-term solution. If the UK would encourage provision for hydrogen refuelling, manufacturers would be encouraged to accelerate their development programmes.

Dr Ing. Colin Mynott Crick, Northamptonshire

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Is Mini’s proud patriotism a bad idea? should only become more trendy.

Skinny jeans were in, but now Billie Eilish has made baggy jeans and tops the thing to be seen in. Can the same type of change happen to the wheels on our cars? Big wheels are a fashion and times do change.

Andy Lever Manchester

Barmy bureaucracy

Graham Samways Bath

Velocity satisfaction

I enjoyed reading your article about Renault Sport Méganes (‘Diamond cut’, 26 February). I’ve owned a standard Mégane RS 225 from new and thoroughly enjoyed it; it now has 139,000 miles on the clock yet still feels and drives well. I’ve attached a photo of it with the Renault Vel Satis that belonged to my father and I have now taken over; that’s a different type of car altogether!

Smaller is better

66 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

Letter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £48

My wife and I love road trips for our holidays.

In recent years, we have explored large parts of North America, and the process of driving from one state to another, and even between the US and Canada, has been totally stress-free and not requiring of any special equipment.

This year, we plan to drive from our home in Bath to Austria and Slovenia and back. In order to comply with all the regulations, we will need the following: vignettes to allow transit on motorways in Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia; an emissions sticker in order to enter certain French and German cities that have lowemissions zones; a warning triangle, fluorescent jackets (reachable within the car, not in the boot), a fire extinguisher, insurance documents, a first aid kit in a strong, dirt-proof box, a breathalyser, spare bulbs and the car’s V5C document.

We must also disable any camera or radar detection equipment and the dashcam in Austria. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, we should take an International Driving Permit, even though we don’t really need one!

I think next year we’ll return to the US, where life seems so much easier.

Mark Gilbert Portishead, Somerset

Mark’s RS is still super after 139k miles

WIN

Over the past 20 years, wheels have got bigger and bigger – 22in wheels

aren’t shocking now; they just fill the arches of massive SUVs. How soon will the fashion turn around?

Smaller wheels give more miles from a tank or battery, allow for larger, more pliant sidewalls and can look quite cool in the street, contrasting the sea of 19in and 20in alloys.

I’ve just passed a new BMW 3 Series with what looked like 16in wheels, and it looked great! The new Honda E gives better range with smaller wheels, as do many other battery-electric cars, so that makes those the more desirable models, doesn’t it? And once people experience the improved ride smaller wheels offer on potholed roads, they

Anti flag

Why do the designers of the new Mini Electric think that we want the British flag in the tail-lights?

It’s an interesting car, but I wouldn’t buy it for that reason alone.

David Nicholson Karori, New Zealand

BMW’s masterpiece

Andrew Frankel’s piece on buying back his Mercedes-Benz A-Class (‘Family reunion’, 26 February) got me thinking about how I feel about my BMW i3s. I think this car, along with the original Mini and the Audi A2, really moved the game on in terms of day-to-day practicality and personality in delivering a Tardis on wheels. I hope that I still feel as warmly about my i3 in 20 years as he did when reunited with his A140.

Piers Daniell Warwickshire

Life-long lease

Here’s an interesting fact regarding electric cars sold by Renault on a lease battery scheme of £60 per month. If you insure your car on a third party, fire and theft policy, then you have an accident and the car is written off, you have to continue to pay the lease for the rest of your life or pay Renault Finance £3000 to have the battery removed.

Is this fair? My son has been left in this situation for going green.

LETTERS G R E AT R E A S O N S T O B U Y

NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE O N SALE 25 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

DRIVEN

Tarbet Balfour Via email

Policy failure

I would like to know why a British company is limiting the choice of engines available to buy in the UK. I can go onto the US and German Land Rover websites and order a base-spec Land Rover Defender 110 with the P400 MHEV engine, but I can’t order this in the UK without being forced to buy a 110X! What is going on at Land Rover?

They told me: “The options and derivatives that are available for the new Defender have been based on feedback from each of the markets.

This has been carefully reviewed and considered by our marketing team.”

This is a mockery. I was going to order a car, but not now.

Suhail Khawa ja Via email

Eye for an i4

The interesting thing about the new BMW i4 is that it has a low traditional saloon silhouette with an even longer bonnet than usual. Presumably, then, there’s no skateboard platform with batteries as is often seen? No engine, so what’s under the bonnet? Surely not batteries, else the car could never get anywhere near BMW’s favoured 50/50 weight balance. Maybe trick electronics get around this problem.

But whatever qualities it will have, there’s simply no getting away from that hideous grille. The competitors must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of disgruntled BMW owners jumping ship.

Jeremy Via autocar.co.uk

No B-pillar, no transmission tunnel and ‘suicide’ doors: genius, according to Piers

The original car magazine, published since 1895 ‘in the interests of the mechanically propelled road carriage’

New Land Rover Defender The verdict is in. Read Matt Prior’s review of the most important new car launched so far this century C O M PA R I S O N

I NTERVI EW

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Valentino Balboni Legendary Lambo test driver has a new job – and it’s not what you would expect…

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Ford Puma

BTCC 2020 preview

All signs are that there is a new small SUV class leader. We test the theory

The runners and riders for the UK’s biggest motorsport championship

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18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67

O U R CA RS F E AT U R E D T H I S W E E K

BMW 330e

MAZDA 3

MG ZS EV

SKODA SUPERB

VOLVO S60

MG ZS EV MG’s EV debutant proved in equal parts liberating and irritating – but will that make handing back the keys any easier?

FINAL REPORT

MILEAGE 4217

WHY WE R AN IT To see if reborn MG’s poster child is as easy to live with as the established names in the class and whether electric or petrol is the pick of the range

s ownership experiments go, our time with the ZS has been nothing if not thorough. Two custodians ran three different cars over several months, covering more than 12,000 miles in total.

But the figure that makes the most interesting reading? Just how many MG has managed to sell.

Even before taking delivery of our first petrol-powered ZS, the

A

68 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

affordable SUV was already proving a winner for MG, accounting for more than half of the brand’s total UK sales in 2018. This helped to grow MG’s market share to such an extent last year that it now exceeds Jeep.

The ZS EV we ended this test with was a big reason for that growth, MG having sold out an initial batch of 1000 launch models in barely two weeks. MG’s pledge to match the government’s electric car grant for the first few thousand customers certainly helped but, having now lived with one, I can’t deny that you get an awful lot of car for your money.

While most of its electric rivals are supermini or even city car sized, the ZS delivers a higher-riding bodystyle with plenty of space for a

Winter range of about 135 miles was plenty for Morgan’s commute family of four. I can’t think of another EV at this price that can swallow a mountain bike without at least one of the bike’s wheels being detached first. Our well-equipped Exclusive model also had plenty of useful tech, including fast-acting heated seats and a reversing camera with significantly better image quality than, say, a Peugeot 3008’s.

You also got the benefits of an electric powertrain. First custodian Olgun Kordal had few complaints over the responsiveness of the 1.0-litre turbocharged three-pot petrol engine, but he thought the naturally aspirated 1.5 that replaced

it left plenty to be desired in terms of drivability and outright poke. The ZS EV was far more entertaining, with much quicker off-the-line pace than either combustion-engined model – but only in the racier of the three driving modes and with a frontdriven axle prone to wheelspin under a heavy foot. Eco mode arguably took things too far in the other direction, artificially dulling the throttle pedal without much gain in extra range.

A fairly mild winter certainly helped on that front. Our ZS optimistically reported 170 miles after a full charge but, even on the

TEST DATA

Electric ZS can accommodate a bike with its wheels on

L OV E I T

M G Z S E V E XC L U S I V E MILEAGE 317 4217 PRICES List price new £26,995 (after £3500 government grant) List price now £27,495 (after £3000 government grant) Price as tested £27,540 Dealer value now £19,890 Trade value now £16,650 Private value now £18,720 OPTIONS Black Pearl metallic paint £545 FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE WLTP range 163 miles Test range 145 miles (summer), 135 miles (winter) Battery capacity 45kWh TECH HIGHLIGHTS 0-62mph 8.5sec Max power 141bhp Max torque 260lb ft Transmission 1-spd automatic Boot 470-1100 litres Wheels 17in, alloy Tyres 215/50 R17 Kerb weight 1534kg SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS Contract hire (pcm) £366.56 0g/km CO2 Service costs None Other costs None Electricity costs £136.08 Running costs inc elec £136.08 Cost per mile 5 pence Depreciation £10,345 Cost per mile inc dep’n £3.28 Faults None PREVIOUS REPORTS 27 Nov 2019, 4 Dec, 2 Jan 2020, 15 Jan, 22 Jan, 29 Jan, 5 Feb, 12 Feb, 26 Feb, 4 Mar Mileage start Mileage at end

It occasionally failed to charge in our office car park

SECOND OPINION The electric ZS is definitely the one to have, but only if its range will meet your needs. I didn’t like the limp performance of the 1.5 manual, or the mannered auto ’box of the 1.0T – and the EV suffers with neither.

But MG does need to sort out those half-baked driver aids on it. OK

coldest days, I typically found 130140 miles of usable range. And with a guaranteed charging point at one end, weekday commuting was never a problem. I do wonder whether the incoming crop of superminis capable of more than 200 miles will encourage customers to look elsewhere. Even if the average UK car owner accrues just 35 miles per day, seeing a higher range figure on the dashboard is a sure-fire way to eliminate range anxiety.

I also had much more luck with public charging points in the ZS than I did with the BMW i3s I ran last year, with almost every stop going to plan and hardly any chargers being out of service. Is it simply luck of the draw or is the infrastructure actually improving? It’s tough to tell, but I hope it’s the latter.

There were, however, interior

❝

The ZS EV was far more entertaining than either of the combustion-engined models ❞ niggles and irritations that peppered our overall experience. The door handles felt cheap and didn’t pop back into place when you opened them. Interior plastics were equally scratchy, with an abundance of fake chrome. And the infotainment system was so sluggish that when MG’s press office called to let us know the sat-nav system had stopped working because it needed a licence update, I had to admit I hadn’t noticed: I’d exclusively used my phone connected to Android Auto ever since we’d taken delivery.

The biggest bugbear were the constant beeps, boops and warnings the car seemed desperate to alert you to. I don’t need to be told to remember my keys when I’m getting in the car, do I? I counted two or three different alerts every time I pressed the start button, when the ZS insisted on going through a minute and a half of pre-flight checks on the dashboard.

Everyone who borrowed the car reported the same and living with it every day was infuriating.

Lane keep assist was the worst

offender. It demanded you reposition the car towards the centre of the road with only a slight deviation, to the point that I gave up and turned it off.

That the setting is buried in a menu in the infotainment rather than a physical button means that irritated drivers are much less likely to turn it back on for motorway driving, where it’s a lot more useful.

There’s no denying the ZS’s value, either with a petrol engine or electric motor, but it has quite a few rough edges. It’s like a value-brand TV you’d find in a supermarket: it hasn’t had the usability testing and user experience work that goes into a more well-known model. Buyers who’ll spend at least three years with a ZS as their only car need to decide if that’s a price worth paying. But going purely by those impressive sales figures, plenty already have.

TOM MORGAN

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE tom.morgan@haymarket.com

ELECTRIC EASE OF USE Enough range for most family commuters, with a responsive powertrain that’s not short on poke.

L OAT H E I T

DRIVING POSITION Long-distance journeys proved so uncomfortable that we had to invest in a back pillow. There was no lumbar support, either.

INFOTAINMENT Software was sluggish and constant audio alerts were quickly irritating.

INCONSISTENT CHARGING The car sometimes refused to start charging, even when plugged in correctly.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69

DEPRECIATION IS CALCULATED FROM TAKING THE TRADE VALUE FROM THE ORIGINAL LIST PRICE MINUS OPTIONS

Higher vantage point and size are ZS EV draws

INTERIOR SPACE Roomy enough for two adults or three children in the second row, with luggage.

£ 2 MILLIO0 N Over

APPR OVED

OUR CARS

BMW 330e MILEAGE 4093

SKODA SUPERB ESTATE Is this stand-in any less superb than our top-spec Skoda?

MILEAGE 3756 WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To see whether the latest Superb can cut it as an object of not only supreme practicality but also luxury

ou might have noticed that the Superb pictured above is a different colour to the one that’s graced these pages over the past few months. The reason for the switch is simple: the grey one was crashed into.

Now don’t worry, yours truly is fine – and the bloke in the van that hit me wasn’t hurt either. But the Skoda was a bit mushed; its rear bumper and hatch were looking particularly sorry for themselves, and in its battered state, there was no way I could reasonably expect it to carry on with its daily duties – at least until a repair job had been carried out.

So it was promptly collected by the good people at the Skoda UK press garage, and this red one arrived to take its place. And while I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see my bells-and-whistles, range-topping Laurin & Klement model taken away prematurely, this one’s arrival at least provides the perfect opportunity for an impromptu spec comparison.

Silver linings and all that, I guess.

This new Superb is a 148bhp diesel

Y

LOVE IT FRO NT- D R IVE R Since switching cars, my average economy has increased and my fuel bills have decreased.

LOATHE IT D I R EC T- S H I F T G E AR BOX Hesitant transmission is still a sticking point when paired with this lower-powered engine.

L&K lost its lustre after being rear-ended SE L, a car that – in standard guise – comes with a price tag of £31,670.

So it’s not exactly entry-level, then, but it’s a damn sight cheaper than the 187bhp, 4WD L&K model I’ve been running about in up until now. And while I’ve become rather accustomed to the luxurious level of kit that comes as standard on that £40,295 model (£41,845 after options), this one by no means feels spartan.

Crucially, it retains the heated front seats of the last car. In the middle of what has been a particularly cold and stormy winter, that’s a big win. Less of a win is the fact the heated steering wheel has disappeared, but I guess you can’t have it all all the time.

Meanwhile, the Virtual Cockpit has been replaced by traditional analogue dials and Skoda’s 8.0in Amundsen infotainment system steps in for the old car’s 9.2in Columbus unit. While I hardly need to squint to see the dials or the smaller touchscreen, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the old car’s flashier screens at least a little bit.

Elsewhere, the SE L forgoes the adaptive dampers that come as standard on L&K cars. So the ride’s not quite as conspicuously cushioned as it was before, but as far as passive set-ups go, this is still a very good one.

I’m less enamoured with the

drivetrain, however.

Performance from the 148bhp engine obviously isn’t as strong as from the 187bhp model, and the DSG gearbox can still be frustratingly hesitant when you’d ideally like it to do its job and get you moving. But with power being sent exclusively to the front wheels rather than all four, my average fuel economy has been looking healthier. Where I was seeing 40-43mpg in the old car, this one is delivering better than 50mpg.

But it’s the 660-litre boot that remains the Superb’s defining feature. While the smaller hatchback would probably still carry all of my photography clobber with little bother, I love that with the estate I never have to think about whether or not something will fit. I simply open the boot, pack everything in and leave whatever sodden rural car park I happen to be based in for that particular photoshoot.

Admittedly, the Superb is still not the most interesting car to drive from an enthusiast’s point of view. But after a long day of hiding in bushes and taking pictures of the exotic machines the road testers constantly run about in, I can’t help feeling a bit smug about the fact that – come home time – the car I’ll drive away in will be infinitely more comfortable.

OLGUN KORDAL

TEST DATA S KO DA SU PE R B 2 .0 TD I 150 PS DSG S E L Price £31,670 Price as tested £33,825 Faults None Expenses None Economy 55.4mpg Last seen 4.3.20

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE olgun.kordal@haymarket.com

LAST SEEN 4.3.20

By rights I ought to be concentrating on this 330e’s excellent, efficient powertrain, but when I drove the car, I couldn’t put aside my obsession with its phenomenal steering: supremely accurate, perfectly weighted and geared, with a wheel of ideal diameter and rim size. Who, I kept wondering, can be enjoying a better steering system? My answer: nobody, even at treble the money. SC

Mazda 3 MILEAGE 7432

LAST SEEN 11.3.20

Former Autocar road tester and current bloke on telly Chris Harris recently called the Mazda 3 “the most interesting looking and sounding family car to launch in the past year”. From somebody who doesn’t hold back his distaste for many modern cars, that’s some praise. I have to agree: few models in its class look and feel so special. LA

Volvo S60 MILEAGE 4448

LAST SEEN 11.3.20

A dash from Hertfordshire to the Cairngorms allowed the Volvo to play to its strengths, with its superb seats and hushed motorway refinement leaving me feeling as fresh as when I’d set off some eight hours and 500 miles earlier. Better still, the steady cruise yielded a best-ever brimto-brim figure of 37.4mpg. And, of course, the views were stunning. JD

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71

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

LI N CO LN TOWN CAR So, does a stretched Town Car ride better than a Mercedes S-Class, can it navigate a multistorey car park and does the smell of old sick ever leave it?

The answers to these and other questions await the purchaser of the 2004-reg example we found for £4450, easily recouped from a couple of hen nights and a school prom. Be our guest…

James Ruppert THE HIGH PRIEST OF BANGERNOMICS

It’s hard to find a tidy Polo for £2k, but it is possible

FIRST PRINCIPLES

What sensible car can a newbie driver get for less than £2000? irst cars. This question never, ever gets old.

It’s simply repeated frequently. As is the answer. It’s all about insurance. I may be asked for a first-time car with character, air conditioning or alloy wheels, but it always boils down to the quote, most likely from your friendly comparison site. Anyway, I was asked to point a buyer with £2000 and reliability at the top of their wish list in the right direction.

Oh, and they wanted excitement.

No chance of that.

The usual suspects have to be from the Far East. I’d always recommend a five-door anything, because it will be easier to resell when car number two is on the horizon. Even so, a threedoor Toyota Yaris is a harmless little thing that doesn’t break down. Best to spend £1500 so that there is money free for upsets and what’s left goes in the insurance pot. So a 2004 Yaris 1.3 T Spirit with a little over 60,000 miles, just one owner and a full year’s MOT at £1500 means you can’t go wrong. I also saw a 2007 Zinc special edition in similar condition, but the Zinc trim might put the insurance up.

You could also look at the Kia Picanto. What a superb five-door city car that is: tiny, but all the doors and, best of all, they do tend to be looked after. Good to find a 2009 one with a full Kia history and 80,000 miles. I couldn’t believe that this very clean and tidy one-owner example was just £1500.

F

You’re on less certain ground with the mass-market ones. I have a soft spot for Ford Fiestas because they are quite nice to drive and there are loads about, so it is possible to separate the terrible ones from the keepers. A 2007 1.25 Style Climate with 90,000 miles and two previous owners is also a safe way to get you inside a ULEZ. For just £1500.

There are dreary and bland Nissan

❝

First cars? It always boils down to the insurance quote ❞

Micras, but my personal experience of Polos leads me to Volkswagen.

A budget of £2000 doesn’t buy you anything that tidy and I’d avoid the overworked 1.2 three-cylinder.

The best I could find was a 2007 1.4 Match with over 110,000 miles. I sold a similar one a few years ago for double that, so the price seems very reasonable and I know for a fact that it will, if the criteria are right, be a cheap insurance deal.

That’s all very fascinating and slightly boring. Just say, though, that by ‘first car’, we actually mean the first private motor after a lifetime of company car hacks. In that case, £1500 is going to get you a 2002 BMW 325Ci Sport convertible that’s a dealer part-exchange looking for a new home. Now you’re talking.

Just £1500 buys a 2002 BMW 325Ci Sport convertible

TA L E S F R O M R U P P E R T ’ S GA R AG E

MILE AGE 106,983

PORSCHE CAYENNE Here’s something that I could regret, but I’m going to do it anyway and get the Flying Pig’s stupid plastic coolant pipes swapped for aftermarket metal ones. It was never a recall issue, because it’s not a safety item, but it is a design fault and, after a year of dripping, it has become rather annoying. I spoke to a Porsche specialist, told them what needs to be done and they sent me a quote. £5000? £2000? Nah… £60. Actually, that was to put it on a ramp and plug it into a diagnostic system. I’ve made other arrangements and watched a couple of Russians on a video with spanners. More details soon.

READERS’ QUESTIONS

I’m looking to buy a QUESTION used VW Golf. After your story about advanced driver assistance systems not reporting faults (12 February), how can I tell if the adaptive cruise control is faulty? Do I have any redress?

Simon Clarke, via email

The Golf will display a warning message if there is a problem with ANSWER its front-mounted radar. However, the message can suddenly vanish, only for it to return several weeks later. Problems with it are not covered by VW’s approved used warranty so check the front bumper and radar mount before buying and make it a condition of sale that any faults with it within a reasonable time are the dealer’s responsibility. JE

READER’S RIDE

I had a Mazda Eunos years ago and am toying with the idea of buying another grey (private) import. Any tips?

QUESTION

Kev Maudsley, via email

Vauxhall Vectra David loves his Vauxhall Vectra (a C-generation one): “I never thought I’d hear myself saying that, either. But needing an emergency set of wheels, I paid £300 for a 1.8 2005 Vectra and discovered something of a hidden gem. Quiet, comfortable and huge, it quickly became an indispensable part of my life. Two MOTs later and now on 156,000 miles, it shows no sign of stopping.

SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO

“Costs have been minimal, just regular servicing, and on a run I can squeeze 600 miles out of a tank!

I love its quiet, safe character, which means long journeys are a breeze. Last year, I drove 25,000 assured, enjoyable miles in it. These are well-built cars of huge value and capabilities – and the Vectra C owners’ forum offers invaluable advice.”

Any import less than 10 years old needs to be examined by the DVSA ANSWER and, if all is okay, given what’s called an IVA certificate. Cars over 10 years old are exempt. The internet has made sourcing cars easier. Try an auction service like JDM Auction Watch or dealer and auction service like Torque GT. We have no personal experience of either business so this is not a recommendation. JE

✉ james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO ✉ autocar@haymarket.com 18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 73

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18/12/2019 15:27

USED CARS

AS GOOD AS NEW

AUDI A6 SALOON

This desirable exec four-door looks quite a bargain. John Evans dispenses top advice NEED TO KNOW In the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the A6 ranks fourth in its class, just ahead of the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Jag XF. Condition-based servicing means A6s may have gone for up to 19,000 miles without an oil change – good for fleet managers’ bottom lines but not necessarily engines’ bottom ends.

The 2.0 TDI has a cambelt that must be changed every five years or 140,000 miles.

Larger wheels on S line trim upwards spoil the ride.

Revised cars from September 2014 have Euro 6-compliant engines. Check the V5 document for confirmation.

OUR TOP SPEC from driving such a comfortable, wellappointed and wellengineered car that is also economical and inexpensive to tax. Perhaps of greater appeal, though, is that most A6s are attractively priced, not least because buyers are favouring SUVs over executive saloons.

How about £13,500 for a 2016reg 2.0 Ultra SE Executive S tronic with 33,000 miles? And road tax is just £30. You want something meatier? A 2016-reg 3.0 TDI quattro SE Executive S tronic with 28,000 miles is £15,995, or a same-age and mileage 3.0 BiTDI quattro SE Tiptronic (its V6 produces 316bhp and 479lb ft of torque) is £19,995.

These 3.0-litre engines are seriously muscular but the 2.0 TDIs are also powerful and serve most drivers perfectly well.

Those are the diesels, but if you hanker after a petrol, and have the patience to scour the classifieds for one, you’ll be rewarded by a choice

and, later in the model’s life, a 1.8 TFSI. Prices start from £13,000 for a 2011-reg 3.0 TFSI quattro SE S tronic with 37,000 miles. Which just leaves the potent S6, a model that deserves its own guide and costs from £20,000 for a 2013-reg with 44,000 miles.

This fourth-generation A6 was facelifted in 2014, when it gained styling tweaks, upgraded infotainment and more efficient engines. A second refresh came in 2016 (additional equipment and technology, redesigned front air intakes and a restyled rear end).

Throughout, the core trims remained SE and S line, with the fully loaded Black Edition arriving in late 2012. SE is the most comfortable thanks to its smaller alloy wheels and steel springs. If your budget will allow, go for the post-2016-facelift SE with additional equipment.

M IN I COUNTRYMAN 1.5 COOPER CL ASSIC ALL4 £941 deposit, £314 per month, 36 months, 8000 miles per year It’s bigger than the Mini hatch and with the potential for some light off-roading, yet the Countryman is still huge fun to drive. The cabin is roomy and adaptable, too, and those leasing figures look tempting.

DACIA DUSTER 1.5 BLUE DCi COM FORT 4x4 £968 deposit, £323 per month, 36 months, 8000 miles per year Good ground clearance, ample wading depth, a no-nonsense interior and the diesel engine’s low running costs are highlights here. The latest models are also well equipped, with a touchscreen and a sat-nav on Comfort-spec cars.

FIAT PAN DA 0.9 T WINAIR CROSS 4x4 £662 deposit, £221 per month, 36 months, 8000 miles per year All-wheel-drive Pandas are famed for their off-road agility, being able to play in the mud and take on all comers twice their size. Meanwhile, touches such as an engine scuff plate keep the model looking neat and tidy for the street.

AU D I A6 2 .0 TD I SE EXECUTIVE U LT R A This entry-level model avoids the S line’s stiffer ride but still spoils you with front and rear parking sensors, four-zone climate control, leather seats, a multimedia interface and a digital radio.

OUR PICK

AU D I S6 Its 4.0-litre V8 should be ample justification but there are some pretty wild features too, among them active noise cancellation, a quattro drivetrain with a sports diff and figure-hugging sports seats.

WILD CAR D

ONES WE FOUND 2013 2.0 TDI S line, 159,000 miles, £5995 2015 2.0 TDI Ultra SE, 80,000 miles, £10,495 2017 2.0 TDI Ultra SE Executive, 28,000 miles, £15,000 2019 2.0 1.8 TFSI S line S tronic, 13,000 miles, £20,750

JEEP REN EGADE 2.0 MULTIJET LIM ITED 4WD £1817 deposit, £606 per month, 36 months, 8000 miles per year On road, the Renegade isn’t so hot, but its 4x4 heritage shows on any trail. Switching automatically from 2WD to 4WD, it bounds around thanks to its torquey engine, good ground clearance and short overhangs.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 75

For more lease deals, visit whatcar.com

o paraphrase Henry Ford, you can have any Audi A6 saloon of 2011-18 you like, so long as it’s diesel.

In fact, make that a 2.0-litre diesel, or 2.0 TDI as Audi has it. We exaggerate, of course, but only a little. The fact is that A6 2.0 TDIs outnumber any other A6 saloon variants of the same generation by a huge margin.

It’s not surprising, given the A6’s target market and the company car tax structure when it was new. Then there’s the engine itself, which bows only to the BMW 520d in terms of civility. The 2.0 TDI Ultra, launched in 2014, is extremely economical, too.

This emphasis on diesel could seem less of a draw for used car buyers, whose mileage might not appear to justify choosing an oilburner and for whom benefit-in-kind tax savings are irrelevant. However, for these people, there are still good reasons to choose an A6 2.0 TDI or its siblings, the 3.0 TDI and highperformance 3.0 BiTDI. They include the sheer pleasure to be gained

T

SMALL 4x4s: B EST LEASE DEALS

S LI N E This mid-spec trim has a rear diffuser, sports front of 2.0 and 3.0 TFSI seats and Alcantara. Pity engines (there’s a 2.0 about its firmer suspension TFSI hybrid but it’s but the larger alloys as rare as hen’s teeth) look the part.

BUY THEM BEFORE WE DO

POTENT PR ACTICAL PORSCHE

Porsche 944 S2 £12,995 he 944 was a car into which you could get most medium-sized domestic appliances – the Porsche Club GB’s experts know a practical sports car when they see one. They know a good one, too, praising the 944 of 1982-92 for its agile handling, strong performance, aggressive looks and easy cruising ability.

The testers on Motor, Autocar’s then sister publication, agreed. In

T

1986, they set a 944 Turbo against an Audi Quattro, praising the Porsche’s less laggy engine, beautifully weighted steering, impeccable balance and immense grip.

The 944 evolved from the smaller, less powerful 924 and passed through various iterations culminating with the S2-based SE of 1991. The pick of the lot is the standard S2 launched in 1990, powered by a 3.0-litre engine with 208bhp. We

RORT Y REAR-DRIVE ROADSTER

CL ASSIC ’80s COUPE

76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

BMW Z4 M Roadster £12,500 The Z4 M Roadster is softer than the coupé and better for it. Both have feelsome hydraulic steering, a speedsensing diff and a 338bhp 3.2-litre six-pot engine. This private 2007 example has just 60,000 miles on the clock and a full service history.

found a 1992-reg with 83,000 miles for £12,995. Finished in white and with blue leather, it has stacks of history, possibly as a result of having had eight previous keepers. The advertisement carries pictures of the car’s stamped service book pages but you’ll need to examine them carefully to establish where the gaps are.

We have an Autocar reader to thank for pointing out that on 16-valve engines it’s vital that the timing chain

Are Capris getting better looking with age? This 87,000-mile Mk3 S of 1982, five years before the axe fell, looks an eyeful in bright red with original ‘strobe’-effect Recaros. Recent work includes a new clutch, brakes and – no surprise – welding.

JOHN EVANS

Renault Sport Mégane R26R

HARDCORE AND HARD TO FIND

£19,995 Lightness was key to the R26R. It shared its 227bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine with the R26, but this car set a Nürburgring lap record thanks to its 123kg weight advantage. Only 230 made it here. Our example is number 105, a 2009-reg with 24,000 miles.

Ford Capri 2.0 S £8400

tensioner pads are changed and the chain itself checked. If it fails, it will take the cam sprockets with it.

On a test drive, listen for a whining transaxle. Unless the clutch has been replaced, it’s probably due one. Our find looks solid but scrutinise the body for rust on sills, wheel arches, suspension mounts and jacking points. Inside, be sure the headlining is secure and the dash isn’t cracked.

Plymouth Prowler WILD CARD

£24,997 We recently called the Prowler one of the greatest car flops of all time. It was underpowered and hobbled by a four-speed auto ’box but, if you can get over that, there’s much to enjoy in its 50:50 weight distribution. This is a 2011-reg import with 45,000 miles.

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 a cool JDM car for £10,000.

FERRARI 412 For years, the V12-powered 400, 400i and 412 were the go-to cars for people after a ‘bargain’ Fezza and a cure for hypersomnia. Today, the few that remain fetch stronger money (from around £50,000). Even so, one fortunate punter managed to hook a 1986reg 412 with 73,000 miles for about half that sum.

The hammer fell at £27,560. It came from a private collection and, according to the sale catalogue, was originally ordered by Peter de Savary, an English entrepreneur, who subsequently lost it in a game of golf. Not in a bunker, we presume…

FUTURE CLASSIC

Ford Focus ST170 Price £3500

You could argue that at its advanced age the future has already arrived for the Mk1 Focus ST170, but still prices remain stubbornly low. You can get into a runner from as little as £750 but there are signs its fortunes may be turning. For example, we spotted an immaculate 2002-reg with 45,000 miles and a good service history for £3500. Strong money when you can get into a 2007-reg Mk2 ST with 60,000 miles for the same price, but the ST170 is much rarer and blessed with a really sweet chassis.

Honda Beat £6999

Honda Civic Type R EP3 £9490 MARK PEARSON Small is beautiful, as Michael Schumacher noted many years ago. Wait, what? No, it was EF Schumacher, in fact, but whatever, he was right. Cars are too big, too heavy and too complicated now. What you need is a low, light, analogue, mid-engined two-seat roadster like this delightful 1992 JDM Beat. No car was ever more nimble. It’s like a McLaren F1 but without the vulgarity. What you got, Max? MAX ADAMS I have also gone for a Honda, but mine’s a 2003 Japanese-spec Civic Type R. An EP3, no less. It may look like the regular hot hatch, but this Championship White example gets a raft of go-faster extras that UK-spec cars missed out on: a limited-slip differential, close-ratio gearbox, better brakes, stiffer anti-roll bars and, oh yeah, more power.

MP The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the bold. My little thing is a gorgeous companion on a summer’s day. A lovely naturally aspirated engine and swift responses. Manga/ anime features, too, so plenty to look at. I like yours but isn’t it a bit… crashy?

MA Only if you overcook things in the corners. Mine has the fully independent rear suspension, remember, so it’ll ride better than the FN2 that came after it.

MP Hmmm, I value my fillings so I’ll take the Beat. Oh, wait, it’s up to John, isn’t it? John?

VERDICT

Manga/anime? Just give me the Type R. JOHN EVANS

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 77

HOW TO BUY A

TOYOTA CELICA

THE THINKING BOY’S RACER The Toyota Celica T Sport and GT had a variable valve timing engine that gave them a revvy nature that still appeals today. John Evans finds out more ven in 2005 when things like disproportionately large rear spoilers were all the rage, Autocar’s tester thought the then new Celica GT a bit OTT. “Buy one if you want to be looked at,” he wrote. However, he also said the model had sweet handling, a reasonable ride, a slick gearbox and, beyond 6000rpm, a great engine.

The GT was based on the more restrained-looking T Sport and powered by the same 1.8 VVTL-i engine but with 188bhp. The letters stand for ‘variable valve timing and lift control with intelligence’, a variation on the standard car’s VVT-i system that increases the intake and exhaust lift between 6200rpm and the 8000rpm redline to boost power.

It really works, although below

E

78 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

6250rpm the engine feels no livelier than the 143bhp VVT-i.

For that reason, if you find a good VVT-i for a fair price, you should think twice about paying top dollar for a higher-mileage VVTL-i. For example, a tidy 2004 1.8 VVT-i with 67,000 miles and full history costs around £1950 from a dealer. The same money will buy a T Sport VVTL-i of about the same age but with at least twice the mileage. You can add another £1000 for a 1.8 VVTL-i GT. These two are expensive, but in their favour is relative scarcity and that screamer of an engine. Say what you like about the GT’s questionable aesthetics but it’s a future classic in the making.

This seventh-generation Celica, or Celica T230 to use Toyota’s codename, was launched in the

UK in 2000 in VVT-i form. It’s a compact 2+2 coupé with a low-slung driving position, light controls, crisp steering, a quick gearchange and sharp handling. It was regarded as one of the best-handling front-drive cars of its time, at least by some.

The VVT-i is well equipped, having air-con, ABS, alloys and electric front windows. The optional Premium Pack added the leather and climate control that the more powerful T Sport VVTL-i, which arrived towards the end of 2000, had as standard.

The facelift came in 2003, bringing improved brakes and trim as well as aerodynamic tweaks, albeit some of them of the Max Power variety. The GT landed in 2005, just 12 months before the Celica was dropped.

Today, prices start from as little

as £500 for a VVT-i with around 120,000 miles. The example we’ve seen is a 2004-reg but, in truth, and despite the facelift, condition is more important than year. Prices top out at around £5500 for the last VVTL-i GTs with around 80,000 miles.

Being a Toyota, the Celica is a reliable thing, but there are one or two issues to watch for. They include, on the VVTL-i, sticky valve lifters, and on the VVT-i, excessive oil consumption. Elsewhere, check the condition and alignment of the front spoiler and for rust on the underside of the car and the rear subframe.

Despite its noble lineage (the Celica GT-Four ST205 of the mid-1990s is sought after) the Celica T230 is a sleeper, but that only means it’s top value – for now.

USED CARS H O W T O G E T O N E I N YO U R GA R AG E

Seat stitching can wear but otherwise the cabins are solid

Lotus

The Celica’s 1.8 VVTL-i engine, codenamed 2ZZ-GE, also powers versions of the Lotus Elise and Exige.

Celica was renowned as a great-handling front-wheel-drive car

I S H R AT ‘ R AY ’ R E H M A N , CELICA COLLECTOR “I love the Celica GT for its quality, reliability and sporty character. You have to let the Yamaha-designed VVTL-i engine warm up before it will let you rev it to the full. A recurring problem is damaged chin spoilers, which careless drivers whack on speed humps. Prices are holding for the best cars with low mileage. I sold one with 30,000 miles for £5000 last year and now it’s advertised for £7000. It shows confidence in the model. Conversely, higher-mileage cars can hang around.

I’ve had a 2006 VVTL-i with 83,000 miles on sale since Christmas without a bite. I’m sure it’ll go by spring.”

Buyer beware

■ ENGINE All engines have timing chains. On the VVTL-i, over-revving or oil starvation can damage the oil pump. Check that from around 60deg C and at 6200rpm its cam lifters work. Pre-2003 facelift versions had weaker lift bolts that prevent the lifters operating properly.

If the bolts aren’t broken, the problem may lie with blocked lift filters. Inspect the sump for corrosion and leaks.

Check the oil level – the VVT-i can consume up to a litre every 600 miles.

■ WHEELS AND BRAKES A humming from the rear could be a wheel bearing but you need to buy the complete hub at around £150.

Branded wheel centre caps fade; the only source is eBay. Inspect the brake master cylinder for leaks and the disc’s inner faces for corrosion and pitting.

❝

Being a Toyota the Celica is a reliable thing, but there are issues to watch out for ❞

■ B O DY The front lower lip can sag and may need to be refitted and reinforced.

Surface corrosion underneath is common and treatable but a badly rusted rear subframe is an MOT fail.

Make sure the bootlid struts haven’t failed. Check the spare wheel well for water ingress. Expect the headlights to have misted up at least slightly and the nose and bonnet to be chipped.

■ INTERIOR Worn seat stitching is common but repairable. Check you can switch off the traction control via the button to

the right of the steering wheel. Make sure you have both ignition keys and that their casings aren’t cracked.

Also worth knowing

UK registered cars were manual only so an automatic will be a grey import.

Not surprisingly, given the engine’s fondness for revving, such cars are rare, but if you’re tempted, check it conforms to UK regs. Rumours are that they’re not so well protected from rust but, generally speaking, Japanese imports arrive free of corrosion to begin with.

How much to spend

£5 0 0 - £9 9 9 Early, high-mileage VVT-is with part service history. £1000 - £1999 Tidier VVT-is still around 100,000 miles. Includes a 2003-reg with a full Toyota service history and 91,000 miles for £1945. £2 0 0 0 - £2 9 9 9 Decent VVT-i cars below 100,000 miles including a 2003-reg with 35,000 miles and one owner for £2799. £3 0 0 0 - £5 4 9 5 More VVTL-i cars with up to 100,000 miles but in good condition and with solid service histories, including a 2006-reg GT with 77,000 miles advertised for £5000.

One we found

T OYO TA C E L I C A 1 . 8 V V T- i , 2 0 0 4 /0 4 , 6 6 K M I L E S , £3 8 5 0 Not the rarer and more powerful VVTL-i, but the VVT-i is as quick in the real world and this is a one-owner car with a full Toyota service history.

Finished in Crystal Silver rather than the ubiquitous Thunder Grey, too.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79

Thanks to John French (JPF Toyota Specialist)

An expert’s view

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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

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Stelvio 5dr SUV £37,215–£88,220

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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.

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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

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13.8

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3.0 55 TFSI quattro

305

AU D I

A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £18,445–£31,285

335 335 282 282

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CO 2

AAAAC 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

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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

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8.9 7.2 5.2

AAAAC

4.4 V8 BiTurbo

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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

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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

80 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 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

P

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152 137 8.7 181 143 7.5 254 155 5.9 371 155 4.5 148 133 8.8 188 142 7.1-7.9 188 142 7.4 263 140 5.6 261 155 5.4

1.2 PureTech 110 1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 100

AAAAB

34.9-37.2 171 31.0-33.6 185 24.7-28.5 225 46.3-50.4 151 43.5-45.6 158 40.9-42.2 173 38.7-39.2 183 39.2-40.4 183

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

37.2-39.8 154-159 34.9-36.2 164-169 33.6-34.0 187 47.9-52.3 132-137 46.3-49.6 143-148 45.6-50.4 146-151

X3 5dr SUV £40,670-£77,500

ed

(m

ph

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0-6

0/6

2m

ph Ec

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AAABC

107 115 11.3 51.5 124 127 124 10.4 47.3 135 96 109 12.8 62.7 118 AAABC

1.2 PureTech 110 1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 100 1.6 BlueHDi 120

107 117 9.3-9.7 51.5 128 120 8.2 47.3 96 114 10.6-11.2 63.4 118 125 8.7 58.2

1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 BlueHDi 130 1.6 BlueHDi 160

126 125-128 10.8 46.9 136 126 130 11.3 58.6-60.1 123-126 158 130 9.2 47.0 158

124 135 117 127

Essentially a prettier 3 Series. Good, but not better than the regular saloon. LxWxH 4640x1825x1404 Kerb weight 1520kg

still the best. LxWxH 4942x2126x1498 Kerb weight 1630kg

2 Series Convertible 2dr open £29,600-43,900

AAABC 520i 530i 540i xDrive 9.4-9.6 33.6-36.2 177-181 520d 7.7 34.4-35.8 180-184 520d xDrive 4.7-4.9 31.4 204 530d 8.8-9.0 45.6-47.9 159-161 530d xDrive 7.5-7.6 45.6-48.7 160-162

Better than its 1 Series forebear but lacks truly distinguishing premium qualities. LxWxH 4432x1774x1413 Kerb weight 1440kg

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

34.9-38.2 164 34.0-36.7 165-170 28.2-30.4 194-199 44.1-47.9 139-140 42.2-46.3 148 40.9-43.5 160-164 37.7-41.5 170-179

6 Series Gran Turismo 5dr hatch £44,220-£59,425

competition. LxWxH 5151x2000x1805 Kerb weight 2395kg 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

38.2-40.9 150-151 35.3-36.2 157-163 53.3-55.4 131-137 47.9-51.4 137-142 47.9-49.6 142-148 45.6-47.1 150-154

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

32.1-34.9 183-191 26.9-29.1 204-215 42.8-46.3 159-167 40.4-44.8 165-175 40.4-43.5 170-177 37.2-40.9 181-190

155 155 155 155

6.1 4.7 7.0 5.4

i3 5dr hatch £35,350–£37,840

167 93 7.3 188 0 180 99 6.9 182 0

155 155 155 155 155

4.0 3.8 6.1 5.8 5.2

25.7-26.9 243-245 20.8-21.6 306 41.5-43.5 166-172 39.2-40.9 177-183 37.7-39.8 178-185

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

Ateca 5dr hatch £38,105

AAAAB

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 98 14.2 51.4 129 87 109 11.1 47.1-47.9 140-141 99 114 11.1 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 98 15.1 48.7 136 87 104 11.1 47.1-47.9 140-141 99 114 11.1 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 98 14.7 48.7 136 87 109 11.1 47.1-47.9 140-141 99 114 11.6 46.2 129

Duster 5dr SUV £11,025-£19,105

99 105 12.5 46.3 128 118 11.1 42.8 148 121 10.6 TBC 99 108 TBC 44.1 111 111 10.5 57.7 111 108 12.1 51.4

TBC TBC

Escalade 5dr SUV £93,260

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

European rivals. LxWxH 5050x1863x1447 Kerb weight 1850kg

AAABC

A value champion. If cheap family transport is what you require, the Duster delivers. LxWxH 4315x2000x1625 Kerb weight 1147kg

98 128 153 98 132

CAD I LL AC

640 199 3.7

144 161 50 129 157

108 109 11.5 37.5-42.4 147 101 109 12.3 55.6 133 128 116 10.3 54.2 137

1.0 TCe 100 4x2 AAAAC 1.3 TCe 130 4x2 1.3 TCe 150 4x4 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 1.5 eDrive 374 155 4.4-4.6 128.4 49 1.5 dCi 115 4x2 1.5 dCi 115 4x4 Z4 2dr coupé £37,425–£55,255 AAAAC

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

If BMW’s plug-in hybrid is what the future of the sports car looks like, we welcome it. LxWxH 4689x1942x1293 Kerb weight 1485kg

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 46 527 583 261 261 315

Berlingo 5dr MPV £20,495-£27,305

i8 2dr coupé/roadster £115,105–£127,105

7 Series 4dr saloon £69,555–£139,110

750i xDrive M760Li xDrive 730d 730d xDrive 740d xDrive

129 117 10.5 178 134 8.2 223 140 TBC 129 117 10.4 174 131 8.6

24.6-24.8 249-250 Logan MCV Stepway 5dr estate £12,425-£14,685 AAACC 21.6-21.9 290 Given a rugged makeover but still lacks charm. Extremely 32.8-33.6 219-220 practical, though. LxWxH 4528x1761x1559 Kerb weight 1090kg 31.0-31.4 235 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

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

Downsized X6 is respectable enough if not loveable, but the X3 is a

4 Series Gran Coupé 4dr coupé £35,390-£50,030

C5 Aircross 5dr SUV £24,465-£36,805

Continues where the last one left off. Dynamically good and more

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 118d 148 134 8.4-8.5 54.3-57.6 123-126 5 Series 4dr saloon £37,950–£98,090 AAAAB X5M Competition 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

134 130 181 143 335 155 148 132 187 143

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Interesting and novel to look at but flawed to drive.

LxWxH 4157x1729x1480 Kerb weight 965kg

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

218i 220i M240i 218d 220d

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C4 Cactus 5dr hatchback £21,750-£35,290

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

)

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

hp

Funky-looking C3 gets a jacked-up, rugged SUV look.

LxWxH 4155x1765x1637 Kerb weight 1088kg

40.9-42.2 152-157 40.4-41.5 154-159 39.2-40.4 139-146 33.6 191 51.4 143-144 49.6-50.4 115-121 47.9-51.4 121-124 45.6 161-163 42.8-43.5 142-146

4 Series 2dr coupé £35,440-£71,130

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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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10.9 9.2 8.2 11.4 8.7

7 Crossback 5dr SUV £31,155-£56,075

46.0-52.0 113 42.2-47.1 117 41.7-45.7 128 54.4-62.7 102 191-206 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 5 0-51 47.9-49.6 133 46.3-47.9 144-145 45.6-47.9 148

CITROEN

LxWxH 4568x1952x1213 Kerb weight 1475kg

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

650 203-205 3.0 13.5-25.9 247-478 710 212 2.85 15-26.2 245-430 710 211 2.85 15-26.2 245-430

F8 Tributo 2dr coupé £203,476

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 12.8 51.3 125 107 117 9.3 52.2 122 96 115 10.6 67.0 111

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 81

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2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 188 129 9.5 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD 188 128 9.8

Galaxy 5dr MPV £33,200-£39,060

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35.8-48.7 170-171 31.7-46.3 181 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 150 148 122-123 10.9 33.6-52.3 162-164 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 188 129-131 9.6-9.8 35.8-52.3 172 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD 188 128 10.6 31.7-44.8 186

Ecosport 5dr SUV £18,680-£22,495

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i30 Tourer 5dr estate £17,845–£26,345

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49.6-52.3 141-151 34.0 188 AAABC

Another solid car. Good value and practical but lacks excitement.

LxWxH 4585x1795x1465 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.0 T-GDi 120 1.4 T-GDi 140 1.6 CRDi 115 1.6 CRDi 136

118 138 113 134

117 11.4 126-129 9.2-9.5 117 11.3 123 10.9

47.9-49.6 130-139 44.8-46.3 142-143 58.9-60.1 123-124 56.5-57.6 126-127

AAACC

1.6 Hybrid 141 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid 141 Electric

3.9T V8 6.3 V12

Kona 5dr hatch £17,535-£32,220

592 198 3.5 670 208 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

to petrolheads. LxWxH 4620x1883x1666 Kerb weight 1280kg

1.0T Ecoboost 125 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 125 2.9 11.2-20.0 320-572 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 155

123 119 10.0 49.6 132-133 123 119 9.8 52.3 125-126 153 124 8.9 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

500 3dr hatch/2dr open £12,555-£19,355

Super-desirable, super-cute city car. Pleasant, if not involving to drive. LxWxH 3571x1627x1488 Kerb weight 865kg 1.2 69hp 1.0 Mild Hybrid

)

1.4 T-GDI 140 138 129 9.2 2.0 T-GDI 275 N Performance 272 155 6.1

Another four-wheel-drive grand tourer Ferrari that is more usable than the FF. LxWxH 4922x1980x1383 Kerb weight 1865kg

777 211

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2.0 20d 180 AWD 2.0 25d 240 AWD 3.0 V6 30d 300 AWD

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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

6.5 V12

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68 99 12.9 44.1 119 69 104 13.8 53.3 TBC

What’s not to like? LxWxH 4784x1916x1381 Kerb weight 1653kg

2.3 Ecoboost 5.0 V8 5.0 V8 Bullitt

286 145 5.8 30.1-31.7 202-207 444 155 4.8 23.2-25.7 269-275 453 163 4.6 23.9 270

139 115 10.8-11.1 61.4-62.8 103 139 110 10.6 247.8 26 118 103 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

118 112 12.0 175 127 7.9 134 119 10.2 134 96 9.6 201 104 7.6

Nexo 5dr SUV £69,495

44.1-44.8 146-147 34.0-33.6 147 52.3 122-123 180 0 280 0

1.4 Multiair II 170 4WD 1.6d MultiJet II 120 2.0d MultiJet II 140 4WD 2.0d MultiJet II 170 4WD

167 124 9.5 118 115 11.0 138 118 10.1 167 122 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

118 115 11.2 38.2 151 148 122 9.4 38.2-39.8 151 118 111 10.2 45.6-48.7 TBC 138 113 9.5-10.2 37.7-40.4 TBC 167 122 8.9 35.8 196

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

loses VAT incentives. LxWxH 5277x1977x1703 Kerb weight 1866kg

2.0 EcoBlue 130 2.0 EcoBlue 170 2.0 EcoBlue 213 AAABC 3.2 Duratorq TDCI 200

118 117 10.9 41.5 TBC 148 124 9.1 40.9 139

Panda 5dr hatch £10,085–£16,585

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 96-102 14.2-14.5 44.8 TBC 83 103-110 11.2-12.1 37.2 TBC 69 96 14.7 50.4 127 AAABC

A ’90s reboot that has been on a diet. Decent to drive and ample interior space. LxWxH 4368x1792x1495 Kerb weight 1195kg 93 115 12.1 36.2-36.7 TBC 118 124 9.6 36.7 TBC 118 124 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

93 115 12.3 36.2 TBC 118 124 9.8 34.4-36.7 TBC 118 124 10.1-10.4 48.7-50.4 TBC FORD

Fiesta 3dr/5dr hatch £16,125-£26,285

128 106 13.5 158 109 11.8 210 106 10.5 197 109 10.6

42.8 173 40.4-43.5 184-207 30.7 201-233 32.1-36.2 221-231

G I N E T TA

G40 Club Car 2dr coupé £35,000 (+champ pack)

AAABC

135 125 TBC NA

NA

136 90 9.0 137 0 154 90 8.3 131 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

99 116 12.1 44.1-50.4 120 123 119-124 10-11.7 37.7-49.6 130-142 148 127-130 8.8-9.7 38.2-46.3 133-137 180 137-138 8.3-8.4 38.7-44.1 139-140 276 155 5.7 34.3 179 94 114 11.4 56.5-64.2 118 118 117-122 10.0-10.8 49.6-62.8 119-127 148 127-130 8.5-9.3 44.1-57.6 125-129 188 137 7.6 50.4 187

Focus Estate 5dr estate £21,855-£33,685

99 114 12.5 123 120-123 10.3-10.6 148 129 9.0 180 137 8.5 276 155 5.8 94 112 11.8 118 118-120 10.3-11.1 148 127-129 8.7-9.3 188 137 7.7

Mondeo 5dr hatch/4dr saloon £24,440-£32,250

53.3 122 51.4 128-134 48.7 133-136 46.3-48.7 133-140 34.4 187 62.8 120 62.8 120-126 60.1 125-130 50.4 187 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

165 138 9.2 32.1-36.7 133-138 184 116 9.2 40.9-52.3 129-131 148 131-133 10.7-10.9 36.7-61.4 136-146 188 138 8.9 49.6 145-148 188 137 9.1 45.6 155

Mondeo Estate 5dr estate £25,930-£33,130

AAAAC

128 116-119 10.2-11.4 42.2 148-153 180 134 7.8 47.1-47.9 151 120 119 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

171 130 9.3 38.7 167 171 124-129 9.8-10.0 32.5-36.2 178 181 112 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 26.4 242

AAAAC

Combines decent performance with good practicality and running costs. LxWxH 4035x1734x1474 Kerb weight 980kg 1.0 T-GDI 100 1.0 T-GDI 120 1.2 MPI 75 1.2 MPI 84

98 113-117 10.8-11.4 47.9-49.6 129-134 118 118 10.2 46.3 139 74 99 13.6 46.3 137 83 106 12.8 45.6-46.3 138-141

i30 5dr hatch £17,385–£29,495

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

165 135 9.3 184 116 9.2 148 128-130 9.8-10.4 188 138 9.0 188 137 9.2

S-Max 5dr MPV £30,800-£42,460

35.3 133-138 40.9-52.3 133 50.4-51.4 139-152 47.1-50.4 152-153 44.1 158 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 120 118 118 11.1 1.4 T-GDi 140 138 127-130 8.9-9.2 2.0 T-GDi 250 N 247 155 6.4 2.0 T-GDi 275 N Performance 272 155 6.1 1.6 CRDi 115 113 118 11.0-11.2

i30 Fastback 4dr saloon £20,695–£29,985

45.6 132-142 42.2-46.3 142-152 34.9 185 34.0 188 58.9-60.1 124 AAABC

Combines good looks with sensible practicalities and dynamic charm. LxWxH 4455x1795x1425 Kerb weight 1287kg 1.0 T-GDi 120

127

9.4-9.5 38.7-40.4 179-189

118 117 11.5 54.3 135

Picanto 5dr hatch £10,045-£14,775 1.0 MPi 1.25 MPi 1.0 T-GDi

66 100 13.8 49.6-50.4 127-129 83 100-107 11.6-13.2 42.2-49.6 129-151 99 112 10.1 48.7 133

AAAAB

295 155 5.4 597 186 3.3 177 140 7.6-7.9 177 140 7.8

XF 4dr saloon £35,480-£52,700

30.0-33.2 190 TBC TBC 45.7-51.1 146 40.8-44.7 161

152 155 132 136 136 153 155

6.6 5.8 8.7 8.0-8.1 8.4 6.5 6.2

83 107 12.5 45.6-46.3 138-140 99 115 10.3 48.7 132-133 118 118 9.8 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

31.5-34.4 186 29.9-32.6 196 46.1-50.4 147 44.8-50.9 146 40.2-44.4 167 38.5-42.7 175 40.8-43.2 169

XF Sportbrake 5dr estate £37,700-£55,025

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

118 116 10.9 138 128-130 8.6-8.9 201 142 7.5 114 118 10.6 134 122 10.2

47.9-50.4 127-134 43.5-46.3 139-148 38.2 169 57.6-58.9 126-129 57.6 129

Ceed Sportswagon 5dr estate £19,840–£23,700

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 56.5-58.9 127-132 246 150 7.1 30.8-33.3 192 295 155 6.1 28.9-31.0 206 Proceed 5dr hatch £24,320-£29,080 AAABC 160 136 9.3-9.4 45.8-48.2 153 Alluring and interesting, but not quite as special to drive as it looks.

LxWxH 4605x1800x1422 Kerb weight 1405kg 177 138 8.8 44.0-48.4 153 177 136 8.9 39.3-43.1 172 1.4 T-GDI 138 138 127-130 8.8-9.1 42.8-45.6 142-150 236 150 6.7 37.8-41.5 179 1.6 T-GDI 201 201 140 7.2 39.3 163 295 155 6.6 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

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

295 155 5.7 30.3-31.2 215 447 177 4.6 26.0-26.8 239-246 567 200 3.7 26.4 243

F-Type Convertible 2dr open £59,995-£102,360

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

295 155 5.7 30.4-31.1 217 447 177 4.6 26.0-26.6 241-247 567 186 3.7 26.4 243-247

Jaguar’s second SUV looks enticing, but can it make an impact like the F-Pace’s? LxWxH 4411x1984x1649 Kerb weight 1775kg 134 7.7 143 6.6 151 5.9 124 9.5 120 9.9-10.1 127-128 8.7-9.4 139 7.0

F-Pace 5dr SUV £36,290–£73,200

27.8-30.1 213 27.1-29.5 215 26.2-28.1 226 39.1-42.6 174 36.3-41.7 177 36.1-41.1 180-188 34.5-36.9 200 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

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

118 115 10.9 138 124 9.1 114 118 11.0 134 122 10.2

Soul EV 5dr hatch £37,295

45.6 42.8 52.3 53.3

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 0

Stinger 4dr saloon £41,100

AAABC AAAAC Sleek coupé-shaped saloon has the appeal and dynamics to rival

E-Pace 5dr SUV £29,715-£49,920 198 245 295 148 148 177 236

Xceed 5dr hatch £20,825-£28,405

246 135 6.8 295 145 6.0 548 176 4.1 160 121 10.2 177 129 8.5

27.2-29.2 209 26.2-28.0 216 22.1 281 40.9-44.8 158-175 39.9-43.4 162

Europe’s best. LxWxH 4830x1870x1400 Kerb weight 1717kg 3.3 V6 T-GDi

365 168 4.7 27.7 233

Niro 5dr SUV £24,895-£37,995

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

139 101 11.1 TBC TBC 139 107 10.4 TBC TBC 198 104 7.5 282 0

Stonic 5dr SUV £17,785-£20,785

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

98 107 12.2 45.6 141 118 115 9.9 46.3-47.1 137-138 108 112 10.9 57.6 128

Sportage 5dr SUV £20,985–£35,665

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

130 113 11.1 34.9-35.7 179-184 174 127 8.9 34.4-34.9 184-187 174 125-126 8.8-9.2 31.7-32.5 198-203 114 109 11.4 49.6 150 134 112 10.8-11.4 44.8-47.1 158-167 134 112 11.6 42.8-43.5 169-173 182 125 9.2 39.8-40.4 183-186

Sorento 5dr SUV £30,240-£43,365

AAAAC

Kia moves upmarket with a smart, well-priced and nicely appointed seven-seater. LxWxH 4780x1890x1685 Kerb weight 1932kg 2.2 CRDi

82 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 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

i20 5dr hatch £14,205-£18,855

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

A balanced, affordable and fine-looking track-day car. Some of the finish isn’t quite up to snuff. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 840kg 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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KTM

X-Bow 0dr open £57,345–£70,717

Eccentric looks and sharp handling but expensive.

LxWxH 3738x1915x1202 Kerb weight 847kg 2.0 R 2.0 GT

)

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308 124 7.7

631 201 2.9 20.3 332

AAABC

181

110

8.5

46.3-53.3 120-136

LOTUS

Elise 2dr open £40,375-£48,275

AAAAC

e ow

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hp

)

T

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(m

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0-6

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2m

156 140 8.2-8.3 181 149 7.7 258 155 5.9 385 155 4.7 469 155 4.1 503 180 4.0 192 149 6.9 241 155 5.9 302 155 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

P

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

AAAAC

Junior Lambo mixes usability and drama skilfully, in both coupé and Spyder forms. LxWxH 4459x1924x1165 Kerb weight 1389kg

Aventador 2dr coupé/open £274,201-£440,376

hp

UX 5dr SUV £29,945-£41,415 NA NA

LAMBORGHINI

5.2 V10 Evo

r (b

)

sense. LxWxH 4890x1895x1690 Kerb weight 2100kg AAAAC 3.5 V6 RX450h

290 143 3.9 NA 280 143 4.1 NA

Huracán 2dr coupé/open £198,362-£218,192

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

248 135 7.1 298 145 6.2 548 170 4.5 178 120 8.9 238 135 7.4 272 135 7.0 298 150 6.7

27.7-30.8 208 26.9-29.8 215 23.0 279 37.8-42.0 177 36.5-41.1 181 34.7-38.0 195 34.7-38.0 195

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

GranCabrio 2dr open £108,475-£131,520

162 125 10.3 36.7-38.2 168 148 112-127 9.4-10.3 43.5-49.6 151 181 129 9.6 39.8-42.8 175

handling. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1440kg

AAACC 3.8 V8

Fantastic looks and soundtrack but an average chassis overall.

LxWxH 4971x1945x1461 Kerb weight 1973kg

Ec

) y e) km o m ang (g/ o n MPG/r CO 2 (

37.7-43.5 146 37.7-43.5 146 35.3-39.8 158-171 28.0-29.4 218 25.5-25.9 247 25.5-25.9 247 45.6-53.3 134 43.5-49.6 157 235.4 32 AAAAC

Decent practicality and fantastic interior. It’s a shame that it’s only ordinary to drive. LxWxH 4702x1810x1457 Kerb weight 1495kg

217 145 4.2 36.7 TBC 242 151 3.8 36.2 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

36.7-40.9 165 34.5-38.7 165-181 176.6 35 27.4-28.8 222 25.0-25.5 252 24.8-25.5 252 44.8-51.4 141-148 42.8-47.9 159-161 217.3 34 AAAAC 35.3-42.8 158 37.7-42.2 150 35.3-39.8 158 35.8-39.8 158 28.0-29.4 218 25.0-25.5 251 25.0-25.5 251 46.3-52.3 137 42.8-47.9 150 42.8-48.7 153 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

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 83

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S-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £124,965-£151,310

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3.0

109 112 12.4 38.6 166 141 87 8.5 163 0 MINI

3.0 V6 SL400 4.7 V8 SL500

356 155 4.9 29.7 215 442 155 4.3 27.4 215

3dr Hatch 3dr hatch £16,185-£34,995

4.0 V8 GT 4.0 V8 GT C 4.0 V8 GT R

469 188-189 4.0 23.0-23.5 274-275 550 196-197 3.7 21.9-22.1 292 577 198 3.6 22.1 290

2.0 Cooper S 189 145-146 6.7-6.8 38.7-43.5 146-147 2.0 John Cooper Works 227 152 6.1-6.3 38.7-40.4 159 2.0 John Cooper Works GP 302 164 5.2 34.0 167

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

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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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

AAAAB

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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

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

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NISSAN

178 147-149 6.9-7.0 37.2-40.4 167 237 155 5.8 35.3-37.2 178 356 155 4.7 31.7-32.5 199

AMG GT 4-Door Coupé 4dr saloon £140,495

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Feels like progress in lots of ways, but not yet the driver’s car it might be. LxWxH 3890x1756x1220 Kerb weight 1075kg

AAABC

SL 2dr open £79,995-£93,185

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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

455 155 4.6 26.4-27.2 238 594 155 4.2 23.7-23.9 268 611 155 4.1 18.6 272

SLC 2dr open £36,590–£49,000

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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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70 98 16.4 98 114 10.9 115 121 9.9 88 111 11.9

46.3 107 45.6-50.4 126-139 47.9 133 52.3 110

101 119 10.1-10.5 42.8-47.1 132 134 129 8.1-8.2 42.2-47.1 133-134 189 143-144 6.8-6.9 38.2-42.8 147-147

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 2 9 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 46.3 135-141

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

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

Qashqai 5dr SUV £20,545-£34,325

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 36.5-44.2 136 8.3 35.2-39.6 161 10.7 48.0-56.3 134 9.1 42.3-47.1 124

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

120 124 8.7-9.0 35.3-40.4 159-163 152 134 8.1-8.4 34.9-39.8 160-167 204 143 6.6 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

160 129 9.1 302 155 5.2 148 127 9.0 188 135 7.6

40.4 32.5 47.9 47.9

160 197 156 154

GLC 5dr SUV £40,610-£89,090

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

134 127 9.1 39.2-43.5 143-144 189 142 7.1-7.2 36.7-39.8 156 302 155 4.9 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

255 149 6.3 315 143 6.5 388 155 4.9 472 155 4.0 502 155 3.8 191 135 7.9 242 145 6.6

34.9 196-201 128.4 51 25.0-26.9 232-242 22.4-23.5 283 22.4-23.2 289 48.7 153 44.1 167

MITSUBISHI

Mirage 5dr hatch £10,560-£14,045 1.2 Mi-VEC

79

148 118 10.2 37.7 171 148 118 12.5 34.4 185

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

32.5 196 39.2 205 36.2 206 35.3 209 256.8 29 26.7 240

GLE Coupé 5dr SUV £71,250-£79,335

AAACC

Decent engines, but otherwise an unexceptional crossover.

LxWxH 4355x1770x1640 Kerb weight 1260kg

The ML replacement isn’t inspiring to drive but does come with a classy interior. LxWxH 4819x2141x1796 Kerb weight 2165kg 362 155 5.7 242 140 7.2 268 143 6.6 328 152 5.7 317 130 6.8 432 155 5.3

AAACC

Stylish, future-looking mid-sized SUV shows where Mitsubishi’s destiny lies. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1425kg 160 124-127 9.3-10.3 33.2-37.7 177-192 160 124 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

282 124 7.4 577 137 4.5

25.2-25.9 288-289 18.6-18.8 343

10.7

44.5-47.5 163-207

MORGAN

3 Wheeler 0dr open £31,195-£40,129

562 196 2.9 20.2 316 591 196 2.5 19.6 325 NOBLE

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

4.4 V8

3.0 Carrera 3.0 Carrera 4 3.0 Carrera S AAABC 3.0 Carrera 4S

662 225 3.0 NA PEUGEOT

108 3dr/5dr hatch £9690–£14,985

Sister car to the Aygo – and a distant second to most city car rivals. LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg 71

100 13.0

53.5-57.3 93-95

327 148 6.3 32.8 227

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 42.3 152

HS 5dr SUV £17,785-£23,965

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

ZS 5dr SUV £16,355-£30,495

36.2-37.2 TBC 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 10.9 41.5 155

84 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

154 118 7.5 NA

NA

290 170 4.9-5.1 296 170 4.9-5.3 339 177 4.4-4.6 396 182 4.5 414 188 4.4

31.4-33.2 TBC 31.4-32.8 TBC 29.1-31.0 TBC 25.9 247 25.7 TBC AAAAB

Wider, eighth-generation 911 is still eminently fast, and capable at all speeds. LxWxH 4519x1852x1300 Kerb weight 1565kg 380 380 444 444

182 180 191 190

4.0 4.0 3.5 3.4

26.6-28.5 TBC 26.2-28.2 211 27.2-28.5 209 25.7-27.2 TBC

911 Cabriolet 2dr open £92,438–£108,063

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

508 4dr saloon £26,040-£40,630 AAAAC Stylish and likeable but lacking the polish of more premium rivals.

LxWxH 4750x1859x1430 Kerb weight 1535kg

4/4 2dr open £41,292

nonetheless. LxWxH 4010x1720x1220 Kerb weight 927kg

MG

3 5dr hatch £9805-£13,105

AAAAA

911 2dr coupé £82,793–£98,418

NA

1.6 PureTech 180 178 143 7.9 38.0-41.8 145 1.6 PureTech 225 223 155 7.1 36.3-39.8 151 AACCC 1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 166-235 27-38 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 51.4-59.8 116 Lifts the bar on commercial vehicle comfort while retaining tough LxWxH 4010x1630x1220 Kerb weight 795kg 2.0 BlueHDI 160 158 143 8.4 45.2-51.1 140 qualities. LxWxH 5340x2113x1819 Kerb weight 2234kg 1.6 i4 Sigma 110 115 8.0 NA NA 2.0 BlueHDi 180 174 146 8.0 45.0-50.6 147 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 AAACC 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

2.0 2.0 T 2.5 S 4.0 GTS 4.0 GT4

AAABC

Deliciously natural and involving; a bit ergonomically flawed.

LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 1198kg

31.4-33.2 TBC 31.4-32.8 TBC 29.1-30.7 TBC 25.9 246 25.7 TBC

Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding driver involvement. LxWxH 4379x1801x1295 Kerb weight 1335kg

M600 2dr coupé £248,000–£287,600

208 3dr/5dr hatch £16,280-£32,750

107 11.7-12.8 47.9-55.4 113-123

ASX 5dr SUV £20,695-£26,465

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

148 121

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

be done. LxWxH 4963x1966x1381 Kerb weight 2305g 79kWh 4S 93kWh 4S 93kWh Turbo 93kWh Turbo S

527 568 671 751

155 155 161 161

4.0 4.0 3.2 2.8

Macan 5dr SUV £47,823-£69,865

207-253 0 240-288 0 237-279 0 241-256 0 AAAAB

Spookily good handling makes this a sports utility vehicle in the purest sense. LxWxH 4692x1923x1624 Kerb weight 1770kg 2.0 3.0 V6 S 3.0 V6 Turbo

243 139 6.7 351 157 5.3 434 167 4.3

25.7-28.2 185 23.9-25.7 204 23.5-24.8 224

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

223 155 8.3 166-235 27-38 128 129 9.9-10.1 51.4-59.8 128-131 159 140 8.5 45.2-51.1 149 178 144 8.4 50.3 147

2008 5dr SUV £20,160-£37,775

3.0 V6 3.0 V6 E-hybrid 2.9 V6 S 4.0 V8 Turbo 4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid

335 152 6.2 456 157 5.0 428 164 5.2 533 177 4.1 671 183 3.8

22.2-24.1 210 60.1-72.4 74 TBC 219 20.2-20.8 261 52.3-58.9 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

128 122 8.9 153 129 8.2 136 93 8.5 98 115 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

22.2-23.9 215 60.1-70.6 75 21.9-23.7 216 20.2-20.8 261 52.3-57.6 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.

Not as well mannered as some lightweights but spectacular in its track day element. LxWxH 4100x1790x1130 Kerb weight 765kg

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

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

138 127 9.5 46.3 137-150 298 162-163 5.4-5.7 34.9 185 113 118 11.1 62.8 121-126

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

138 119 10.3 46.3 156-160 117 120 12.1 51.4 145-158

Captur 5dr SUV £17,625-£24,825

AAAAC

148 125 9.7 188 131 8.0 148 126 9.8 148 123 9.8 188 130 8.0

35.3-37.2 167-170 39.0 206 37.2-47.1 156-157 37.2-39.8 187-188 37.2-38.2 193-194

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

97 107 13.3 128 121 10.6 151 126 8.6 93 110 14.4 113 116 11.0-11.9

1.5 VVT

Kadjar 5dr SUV £21,125-£31,385

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 110

Far more practical, majoring on boot space while doing what a good Skoda should. LxWxH 4271x1958x1473 Kerb weight 1182kg

AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95 Fine value, practical, decent to drive and good-looking, but the 1.0 TSI 110

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

138 126 10.4 158 130 9.9 113 117 11.7 148 123 10.0

42.8 147-152 44.1 149-50 56.5 135-136 49.7-54.3 142-155

class leader. LxWxH 4672x2063x1678 Kerb weight 1540kg

148 118 11.8 45.6 161-162 188 123 10.1 40.9 181-183 R O L L S - R OYC E

Wraith 2dr coupé £251,295–£288,465

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

Cullinan 4dr SUV £254,055

113 126 9.6-9.7 45.6-50.4 126-141 148 136 7.8-7.9 44.1-48.7 132-145 241 155 6.4 37.7 169 113 126 9.8 53.3-58.9 126-139 148 135 8.1 53.3-56.5 132-139 182 142 7.7 47.9 156

Octavia Estate 5dr estate £20,895-£31,055

113 124-125 9.8 42.8-48.7 131-149 148 134 7.9-8.0 42.8-46.3 137-149 188 143 7.4 35.3-39.8 160-182 241 155 6.5 36.7 174 113 124-125 9.8-9.9 51.4-56.5 131-144 148 132-134 8.2-8.3 52.8-53.3 140-149 182 135-140 7.7-8.2 45.6 174

81 81 12.3 162 0

Ibiza 5dr hatch £15,835–£22,105

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

LxWxH 3557x1643x1474 Kerb weight 1160kg

AAAAC

Class-leading amount of space and practicality. Comfortable, too.

LxWxH 4667x1814x1465 Kerb weight 1247kg

Big, bold new 4x4 begins the next era for the brand, with a model that convinces. LxWxH 5341x2164x1835 Kerb weight 2730kg

37kWh electric

AAAAC

Superb 5dr hatch £24,505-£39,900

563 155 5.1-5.2 19.5-19.6 341-356

50.4 127-127 49.6-51.4 125-129 47.9-49.7 130-134 58.9-60.1 123-127

Does comfort and practicality like no other. Good, frugal engines too. LxWxH 4670x1814x1461 Kerb weight 1225kg

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

92 117 10.9 113 125 9.8 148 136 8.2 113 124-125 10.1-10.3

Octavia 5dr hatch £19,695-£29,855

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

94 115 10.9 50.4-51.4 124-128 108 122 9.7 49.6-51.4 125-129

language for Skoda. LxWxH 4362x1793x1471 Kerb weight 1381kg

An intimate and involving Rolls. Not as grand as some, but other traits make it great. LxWxH 5285x1947x1507 Kerb weight 2360kg 6.6 V12

148 137 8.3-8.5 40.9-45.6 141-157 188 148 7.7 35.3-38.2 TBC 270 155 5.5 32.8 194 215 138 7.7 148.7-188.3 3 3-42 118 128 10.5-10.6 52.3 142 148 135-137 8.5-8.6 50.4-52.3 140-146 187 145 8.3 50.4 147 187 143 8.0 44.8 166

Superb Estate 5dr estate £25,785-£41,605

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 1.0 MPI 80 79 106 14.6 49.6-50.4 125-128 2.0 TSI 272 4X4 270 155 5.6 32.5 197-198 1.0 TSI 95 93 113 10.9 51.4-52.3 122-124 1.4 iV PHEV 215 138 7.8 148.7-176.6 36-42 1.0 TSI 115 113 121 9.3 48.7 131 1.6 TDI 120 118 127-128 10.6-10.7 49.6 148-150 1.6 TDI 95 93 113 7.5 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 Leon 5dr hatch £18,860–£32,825 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

51.4-53.3 120-125 45.6-50.4 126-129 44.8-48.7 131-143 38.7 170 57.6-58.9 125-129 55.4-56.5 134-137

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

48.7-49.6 129-131 47.1-48.7 131-136 46.3-47.9 134-139 55.4-56.5 132-134

ph

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0-6

0/6

2m

ph Ec

) y e) km o m ang (g/ o n MPG/r CO 2 (

AAAAC

87 106 11.8 52.9 126 87 106 11.4 54.1 117 87 103 11.1 48.6 127 AAABC

Electric Drive

100 90 11.9 35.8 178

it’s no class leader. LxWxH 3840x1735x1495 Kerb weight 890kg 1.2 Dualjet 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 4x4 1.4 Boosterjet Sport

79 81 11.5-11.8 74-83 0

EQ Forfour 5dr hatch £20,785-£23,085

87 111 11.9 56.4 113 87 105 12.6 49.7 128 138 130 8.1 47.0 TBC

Vitara 5dr SUV £20,849-£25,149

AAABC

Utterly worthy addition to the class drives better than most.

LxWxH 4175x1775x1610 Kerb weight 1075kg 1.4 Boosterjet 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip

136 124 9.5 43.6 131 136 124 10.2 37.7 139

SX4 S-Cross 5dr SUV £25,709-£25,809

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

136 124 9.5 40.6 157 136 124 10.2 37.7 164 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

602 155 4.1 379 0 602 155 2.4 368 0

Model 3 4dr saloon £43,045–£56,545

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

Competitive towing capabilities and generous kit, but still lacks dynamics. LxWxH 4450x1870x1629 Kerb weight 1610kg 161 118-120 12.0 TBC 172 133 112 12.0 48.7 159 133 112 12.0 43.5 178

Practical pick-up has a refined engine and direct steering, but ride needs refinement. LxWxH 5095x1950x1840 Kerb weight 2155kg 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

AAAAB

A genuine luxury seven-seat electric SUV that also has a large range. LxWxH 5036x2070x1684 Kerb weight 2459kg Long range Performance

602 155 4.7 315 0 602 155 2.8 303 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 56.5 113-114

Yaris 5dr hatch £15,425-£20,690

Toyotas. LxWxH 3495x1695x1510 Kerb weight 975kg 1.0 VVT-I 1.5 VVT-I 1.5 VVT-I Hybrid

67 96 15.3 48.7 131 108 108 11.0-11.2 45.6-47.1 135-141 71 102 11.8 56.5 112

C-HR 5dr SUV £25,665-32,635 AAAAC AAACC Coupé-shaped crossover certainly turns heads and impresses on

Musso 5dr SUV £25,131–£35,031 2.2d 181

Model X 5dr SUV £87,245–£104,845

AAABC AAACC Stylish interior but ultimately a scaled-down version of bigger

Korando 5dr SUV £19,995–£31,995

178 115 11.3-11.9 34.0

Turismo 5dr MPV £19,680-£26,180

219-220

AAACC

the road. LxWxH 4360x1795x1565 Kerb weight 1320kg 1.8 Hybrid 2.0 Hybrid

119 105 11.0 181 112 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 TBC

Levorg 5dr estate £30,010

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

XV 5dr SUV £30,795-£32,795 2.0i

148 120 10.7 35.7 TBC

Forester 5dr estate £35,475-£38,475 2.0i e-Boxer

148 117 11.8 34.7 TBC

Outback 5dr estate £32,465-£35,465

Acceptable in isolation but no class leader.

BRZ 2dr coupé £30,715 2.0i

1.8 VVT-I Hybrid 2.0 VVT-I Hybrid

AAACC

A solid option but ultimately outgunned by Korean competition.

LxWxH 4605x1845x1675 Kerb weight 1605kg 194 112 194 112

8.4 8.4

48.7-50.4 126-129 47.8-48.7 129-131

Land Cruiser 5dr SUV £35,285–£54,635

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

GR Supra 2dr coupé £53,010-£56,810

191 AAAAC

Brings welcome muscle, fun and variety to the affordable sports car class. LxWxH 4379x1292x1854 Kerb weight 1541kg

AAAAA 3.0i

197 140 7.6 33.3 191

122 111 11.1 57.6-62.8 103-113 180 111 8.1 53.3 119-121

RAV4 5dr SUV £30,655-£37,700

AABCC 2.0i

The GT86’s half-brother looks great in Subaru blue. Cheaper, too.

LxWxH 4240x1775x1320 Kerb weight 1242kg

AAAAC

More practical estate bodystyle proves just as capable with hybrid power. LxWxH 4650x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1440kg

AAACC 2.8 D-4D

Solid, spacious and wilfully unsexy. A capable 4x4 nonetheless.

LxWxH 4610x1795x1735 Kerb weight 1488kg

122 111 10.9 57.6-62.8 103-112 180 111 7.9 53.3 119-121

Corolla Sports Tourer 5dr estate £25,450-£31,730

2.5 Hybrid AAACC 2.5 Hybrid AWD

No-nonsense crossover doesn’t quite make enough sense.

LxWxH 4450x1780x1615 Kerb weight 1355kg

AAAAC LxWxH 4815x1840x1605 Kerb weight 1612kg Even more commendable than above, primarily thanks to its 2.5i 172 130 10.2 33.0 TBC

Reinvigorated Ibiza is more mature and takes the class honours from the Fiesta. LxWxH 4059x1780x1444 Kerb weight 1091kg

113 121 9.8 128 126 9.4 148 134 8.2 288 155 6.0 113 122 9.8 148 134 8.4

EQ Fortwo 3dr hatch/open £20,350-£27,135

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

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 1.7 Blue dCi 150 2.0 Blue dCi 190

SMART

1.6 128 AAAAC 1.6d 115

Fabia Estate 5dr estate £15,260-£19,105

(m

AAABC 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

AAAAC

94 114 10.8 50.4-51.3 124-127 108 121 9.6 49.6-51.4 125-128

ed

Swift 5dr hatch £13,789-£19,079

Karoq 5dr SUV £22,560-£35,780

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

47.9 136-137 45.6 141-148 45.6 142-146 56.5-58.9 124-130 56.5-58.9 125-131

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

AAAAC

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

51.4-52.3 123-125 49.6-50.4 128-129 44.8-48.7 131-142 33.6 189-190 57.6-58.9 127-129 54.5-55.4 131-136

93 107 11.2 45.6-48.7 131 113 113 9.8-10.0 44.1-46.3 130-139 148 127 8.3 44.8-48.7 131 93 107 11.9 49.6-56.5 129

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 115 113 122 10.1 2.2 Turbo 360 165 3.1 NA NA 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 129 9.5 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 134 8.2 RXC GT 2dr open £145,000 AAABC 2.0 TSI Cupra 288 155 5.2 Designed for pounding around a track; out of its element on the 1.6 TDI 115 113 122 10.6 road. LxWxH 4300x1960x1127 Kerb weight 1125kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 132-134 8.7-8.8 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

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335 155 4.3 34.5 188

Prius 5dr hatch £24,350-£29,010

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

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 85

N E W CAR PR I CES W H AT ’ S C O M I N G W H E N

P

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hp

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(m

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0 0-6

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mp

h E

m y g e) n o /ran c o MPG

C

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(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

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215 116 148 188 188 238

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138 124 130-132 144 140 150

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(m

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/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 g e) n o /ran 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

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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

Mercedes-AMG GT 73 4-Door Coupé On sale September, price £160,000 (est) At the 2017 Geneva motor show, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the stunning GT Concept as the prelude to a plug-in hybrid saloon with more than 800bhp.

Two years after the brilliant, conventional GT 63, that promise will come to fruition in the form of the GT 73. This will use the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine but match it with an electric motor on the front axle, resulting in four-wheel drive and a 0-62mph time below 3.0sec. Oh, plus super-low official CO2 emissions, and thus BIK tax, thanks to a 31-mile electric-only range. Madness.

MARCH

Alpina B3, B3 Touring, 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, VW 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, Uniti One, Vauxhall Corsa-e 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

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, 911 Turbo S, 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, Octavia vRS PHEV, Toyota RAV4 PHEV, Yaris, Volkswagen Golf GTD, Golf GTI, Golf R OCTOBER

Audi A3 E-tron, RS3, Cupra Formentor, DS 9, Ferrari Roma, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Tucson, Maserati MC20, Mercedes-Benz CLA PHEV, Mini Countryman facelift, Skoda Octavia vRS, Ssangyong Korando EV, Subaru Levorg, Vauxhall Mokka X, Mokka X EV, Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge N OV E M B E R

Alpina XB7, McLaren 765LT, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, MG HS PHEV, Peugeot 508 PSE, Porsche Panamera facelift, Seat El-Born, Tesla Model Y, Toyota Corolla GR DECEMBER

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA, Giulia GTAm, 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

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

149 155 137 148 145 152

7.7 5.6 9.1 8.0 7.8 6.5

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

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

86 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 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

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

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

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

Combo Life 5dr MPV £21,340–£29,430 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

V O L K S WA G E N

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 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

An improvement on the previous model and will continue to sell by the bucket load. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg

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

2.0 B5 AWD (P) 2.0 B6 AWD (P) 2.0 B5 AWD (D) 2.0 T8 Twin Engine

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 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

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

Probably the least appealing member of the Golf family but still resolute. LxWxH 4338x2050x1578 Kerb weight 1335kg 113 128 148 113 148

282

148

119 126 132 119 130

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

6.1

33.6-34.4 215-220

V O LV O

S60 4dr saloon £38,285–£56,105

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

Golf SV 5dr MPV £22,290–£30,645 1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.6 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150

3.0 V6 TDI 286

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

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

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, Mégane E-Tech Plug-in Estate

138 162 108 134 167 207

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

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

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ROAD TEST ROAD TEST

BMW

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INDEX

Thebestnewcarsratedas onlyAutocarknowshow ROAD TEST

No 5465

ROAD TEST

he first-generation Renault Captur was one of those uncommon, enduringly successful ENGINES POWER FROM cars that managed to find more 1.0 TCe Play 99bhp £17,595 buyers in its final year of production 1.5 dCi Play 94bhp £19,395 than during its first. Surprised? We 1.3 TCe Iconic 129bhp £20,295 were. We liked the original Captur of 1.5 dCi Iconic 113bhp £21,695 2013 because it was undemanding to 1.3 TCe Iconic EDC 153bhp £22,895 drive, attractive to look at, decently 1.6 E-Tech Hybrid tbc tbc frugal if you went for the right engine 1.6 E-Tech PHEV 158bhp tbc and generally more mature than the Nissan Juke, which lit the touchpaper TRANSMISSIONS for this sort of car but has always 5-spd manual (1.0 TCe) been a highly divisive product. But 6-spd manual (1.3 TCe, 1.5 dCi) we didn’t like the Captur that much,  LED headlights are fitted as standard 7-spd dual-clutch automatic its poor body control, light steering across the entire Captur range and are (1.3 TCe 155; optional elsewhere) and a remote driving experience in surrounded by smart-looking C-shaped general blotting its copybook. No, running lights. The visual relationship to Renault offers plenty of choice the reason this car can boast about the handsome Mk5 Clio is clear. on engines and, with rivals having that sort of sales statistic is because phased out diesels and limiting that sort of sales statistic is indicative choice on power much more, that of a rapidly and inexorably growing could be a selling point for the car. class, which the B-segment SUV The UK range is kept very simple, – small crossovers, in other words with three equipment levels (Play, – continues to be and in which the Iconic and S Edition) mirroring Captur’s mix of style and value made Renault’s offering on other models. it particularly successful.

A Launch Edition model is available Which is why we now have the for a limited time as well. second-generation Captur. Unlike the original, whose only true rival was the Juke, this one will predecessor. More weight has been enter a pool teeming with strong saved by using an aluminium bonnet alternatives, including the new Ford and a composite bootlid.

Puma, Volkswagen T-Cross and At its launch, the Captur will Peugeot 2008.  As is the trend on all new Renaults, be offered with three petrol turbo Renault has not simply refreshed an oversized ‘lozenge’ badge dominates engines and two diesels, all of which this car’s aesthetic, though. The the Captur’s gently restyled front are new. The entry point is a 1.0-litre Mk2 Captur is built on the Renaultgrille. Chrome brightwork lends it an TCe petrol triple with a respectable Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s appealingly upmarket appearance.

99bhp and 118lb ft, although a fournew supermini platform and has cylinder petrol is available with been engineered from the start either 129bhp or 153bhp and as much to take hybrid and plug-in hybrid as 199lb ft. The diesel options, both powertrains, although traditional powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder options will persevere alongside engine, develop either 94bhp or those low-carbon options for the 113bhp, and each touts the best fuel foreseeable future. The car is economy of the traditional options, at substantially longer than before, 58.9mpg combined. However, when too, with an enlarged interior that the 158bhp Captur E-Tech arrives (for hints at the same uplift in comfort which 150 patents were registered), and opulence seen in the latest Clio, with its two electric motors, dogwith which the new Captur shares so clutch gearbox, 9.8kWh battery and much hardware. This platform also 29 WLTP miles of electric range, it ushers in a suite of driver assistance will become the first plug-in hybrid systems reserved until very recently available in this class and will head for larger, more expensive cars, and  Cameras embedded under the door the range for spec-sheet efficiency. its increased stiffness in theory paves mirrors come as part of the Captur’s Our test car comes in 129bhp 130 the way for improved road manners.

360deg Around View monitor. It’s a TCe trim and with an optional sevenIn other words, Europe’s best£350 option and comes in handy when speed dual-clutch gearbox in place of squeezing into tight city spots. selling small crossover by far might the standard-fit six-speed manual. just have become even harder to beat The Captur has grown as an all-rounder. We’ll now discover considerably in length – by 110mm, whether any incoming sales records with the wheelbase accounting for are truly deserved.

20mm of that. It is also taller and D E S I G N A N D E N G I N E E R I N G wider than the car it replaces and will be one of the largest cars in the class.

The design itself, with its ‘floating’ The original Captur shared roof, is an evolution of the original its underpinnings with the (which, for the record, was ◊ contemporary Clio and that is still the case here, although this 85%-new CMF-B platform is substantially more advanced than its predecessor.

It can facilitate modern safety and assistance systems and can house a broad range of powertrains,  The C-pillar is much more substantial including those with substantial and stylised on the Mk2 Captur than on battery packs. Engine insulation the original model. The chrome strip is also said to have improved makes for a smart-looking dividing line noticeably, despite the platform between the body and contrastingweighing 50kg less than its Mk1 arrived in 2013 with Juke in its sights coloured roof.

T

Range at a glance

A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost Renault Captur 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 brimto-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. For that reason, the design of this page has been reappraised to make it a more space-efficient reference. Using the test dates listed below, you can look up an old test in your own collection or on digital platforms such as Readly and 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 PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON

We like

 New smarter and – mainly – more practical interior  Crisp, intuitive handling  Strong on value and style – which isn’t a common combination

Renault’s market-leading crossover supermini

Price £23,395

Power 129bhp

30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

Torque 177lb ft

is back in second-generation form

M O D E L T E S T E D 1 . 3 T C E 130 S EDITION EDC 30-70mph in fourth 11.3sec Fuel economy 39.8mpg

0-60mph 9.4sec

CO2 emissions 124g/km

70-0mph 46.3m

We don’t like

 It has lost the old Captur’s fluent, absorbent ride  Mid-range petrol lacks slick drivability to match its outright stats

AAAAC

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31

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

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

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

M A S E R AT I Ghibli Diesel AAABC Levante Diesel AAACC S Granlusso AAABC

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

McLAREN 570S 3.8 V8 AAAAA 600LT Spider 3.8 V8 AAAAB 720S 4.0 V8 AAAAA Senna 4.0 V8 AAAAA P1 AAAAA

18.10.17 1.10.14 18.2.15 6.2.19 6.6.18

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

R O L L S - R OYC E Phantom AAAAA Ghost AAAAC Wraith AAAAB Dawn AAAAC Cullinan Black Badge AAAAC

4.4.18 7.7.10 21.5.14 1.6.16 19.2.20

29.6.16 S E AT 30.3.11 Ibiza SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAB 19.7.17 3.4.13 Leon Cupra SC 280 AAAAC 26.3.14 Arona SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAC 15.11.17 19.10.16 Ateca 1.6 TDI SE AAAAB 12.3.14 30.11.16 S M A R T 8.5.19 Forfour Electric Drive Prime Premium AABCC 23.8.17 22.4.15 6.11.19 2.9.15 22.7.15 28.6.17

SKODA

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 30.3.16 Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Edition AAAAC 22.5.19 24.5.17 S S A N G YO N G 10.10.18 Tivoli XLV ELX auto AAACC 7.5.14

GR Supra Pro AAAAC

14.8.19

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 21.1.15 31.7.19 16.8.17 9.9.15 26.2.20 30.1.19 23.11.16 14.9.16

SUBARU

MERCEDES-AMG 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

XV 2.0i SE Lineartronic AAACC 28.2.18 Levorg GT 1.6i Lineartronic AAACC 13.1.16

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 Sport 250 AAAAC

29.11.17

ZENOS E10 S AAAAB

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 A-Class A200 Sport AAAAC 4.7.18 Model X 90D AAAAC 15.2.17 3.4.19 B-Class B180 Sport AAAAC 21.8.19 T OYO TA CLA 250 AAACC 23.7.14 Yaris GRMN AAABC 28.3.18 C-Class C220 Bluetec AAAAC 14.6.17 Corolla 2.0 Hybrid ST AAAAC 5.6.19 E-Class E400 Coupé AAAAC S-Class S350 Bluetec AAAAA 16.10.13 GT86 2.0 manual AAAAA 4.7.12 3.12.14 Prius Business Edition AAAAC 16.3.16 S63 AMG Coupé AAAAC 14.5.14 Mirai AAAAC 27.4.16 GLA 220 CDI SE AAABC 10.2.16 C-HR Excel 1.8 Hybrid AAAAC 4.1.17 GLC 250d AAAAC G-Class G350d AMG Line AAAAC 17.7.19 24.7.13 GL 350 AMG Sport AAAAC GREATEST ROAD TESTS OF ALL TIME 12.2.20 GLS 400d AAABC 20.6.18 X-Class X250d 4Matic AAABC 8.8.12 SL 500 AAAAC

MERCEDES-BENZ

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 Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition EDC AAABC 18.3.20

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

FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA TESTED 30.9.71

Our drive in Ferrari’s sensational front-engined, rear-wheel-drive 365 GTB/4, with an elegant Pininfarina-styled body and sonorous quad-cam V12, proved it was a proper grand tourer.

Front-engined, rear-wheel-drive Ferraris have always been a commodity to behold, and the 365 GTB/4 was no different.

The car had a brilliant balance of speed, handling and comfort that made cross-country dashes a breeze. The Ferrari’s cabin was, in true Italian fashion, beautifully trimmed, while the hammock-style one-piece seats provided a good driving position with massive levels of hour-by-hour comfort.

The 365 GTB/4’s V12 engine made it the fastest car on sale when it was launched, and the Ferrari’s tenacious grip, neutral handling balance and powerful brakes made it a real weapon in which to attack a B-road.

Some pretty vicious kickback through the steering over rough surfaces let the 365 GTB/4 down at the time, and a recalcitrant gearbox and heavy steering

and clutch made the 365 GTB/4 difficult to drive around town.

Once up to speed, though, the ability with which the 365 GTB/4 could both tackle a twisty section of asphalt and devour miles effortlessly was highly impressive.

FOR V12 wail, electrifying acceleration, good grip AGAINST Heavy steering and clutch, difficult around town FA C T F I L E

Price £9927 Engine V12, 4390cc, petrol Power 352bhp at 7500rpm Torque 318lb ft at 5500rpm 0-60mph 5.4sec 0-100mph 12.6sec Standing quarter 13.7sec, 104mph 50-0mph na 60-0mph na 70-0mph na Top speed 174mph Economy 12.4mpg W H AT H A P P E N E D N E X T. . .

The name Daytona was never officially given to the car; it was rumoured to be attached to the 365 GTB/4 by the media to commemorate Ferrari’s 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. Early cars’ faired-in headlights were changed to a pop-up design in 1971, due to US legislation. Ferrari went on to release a drop-head GTS/4 variant of the car that year.

18 MARCH 2020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 89

Matt Prior

E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 95

TESTER’S NOTES

The 20th-century Twizy 26 August 1992

Hydrogen is the way to go, or not; depends who the expert is s it getting harder to identify experts? As I write, a few moments ago the prime minister was flanked by two of them and they were flawless in their reasoning for the UK’s stance on combating the coronavirus epidemic. Clear, concise, precise, honest, trustworthy.

But just now, I opened the website of a newspaper that has contacted several other experts, all similarly brilliantly qualified and working in the same sort of field, and they don’t agree with the government’s experts, or each other, on the approach we should take. I mean, they all think you shouldn’t go on a cruise, but I don’t think that’s news to anyone.

Then I opened social media and people definitely didn’t all agree there, so I watched a few car build and cat videos and closed it again.

Once, you’d open a newspaper or turn on the TV or radio and you could be relatively sure that in times of crisis – this probably counts – you’d hear from an expert or two. And that would be that.

I

Some experts back battery-electric 90 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 18 MARCH 2020

❝

Experts in the newspaper don’t agree with the government’s experts, or each other ❞ But everybody is a publisher these days, and the internet has placed data at everyone’s fingertips so now everyone can be an expert, too. Or, rather, they can adopt a particular position, and then build a case around it, to look like one.

Not that the virus experts we’ve heard from are diametrically opposed – they all know a storm is coming and what the science suggests (it’s not great) – it’s just that their interpretation of the facts makes them vary on what they think will give us the best chance.

But then I wondered. And I am going to stretch a point here, perhaps insensitively, but there we are, it’s 2020 and it probably won’t be the most glib thing you read today.

(Less glibly, I wish you all the best during the coming months.) We’re experts here, of a fashion. I’ve done nothing but work in the field of cars since I was about 16 because I think they’re an invention that changed the world for the better. (And I like the vroom noises.)

And there are hundreds of thousands of other automotive experts throughout the globe, all aware of the science behind all of the technologies that will drive our cars in future. Toyota currently likes

hybrids and fuel cells. Yet I spoke to a senior executive from a different manufacturer the other day who thinks hydrogen has no future; that if you start with sustainability as your base point, you end up having battery-electric cars, and that’s that.

But China is investing quite heavily in hydrogen – and if you put in an infrastructure for that, why not use it for cars? A good argument. Because production is still not as efficient as charging a battery, and the storage and transportation is a nightmare, and because you can mitigate the carbon output of trucks by running them on biofuels. Another convincing argument.

Still, then, I’ve asked the experts and come away not quite any wiser.

It’s no wonder Michael Gove once said that “people in this country have had enough of experts”. Although Sheffield University then did a study into Gove’s claim and found there was no evidence he was right, either.

Forget experts not agreeing with each other. We can’t even agree about experts.

GET IN TOUCH

✉ matt.prior@haymarket.com @matty_prior

AT THE 1992 Paris motor show, Renault unveiled an electric twoseat city car concept designed in collaboration with Matra.

Called the Zoom, it featured an adjustable wheelbase. Unlike the Renault Morphoz revealed this month, however, it didn’t extend but contract; the rear wheels could be folded up for easier parking.

The Zoom had a 2650mmlong plastic body sitting atop an aluminium frame and was powered by a 60bhp synchronous electric motor on the front axle, yielding a 0-62mph time of less than 6.0sec.

The nickel-cadmium battery could charge to 80% in two hours.

Although we were told the Zoom was “likely to go into production within three years”, Renault’s first series-made electric car didn’t roll out of the factory until 2011. The Zoom did in a way come to fruition, mind, in the form of the 2012 Twizy.

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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