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Editor-in-chief:

Rumours of the demise of the small car are exaggerated

WHILE Ford has decided to can the Fiesta, Vauxhall resolutely ploughs on with the Corsa, the UK’s bestselling supermini for the past couple of years As we reveal on page six, a rebooted model will be arriving later this year, showing that small cars are still important to some – not least buyers – in spite of Ford’s decision

Of course, economics come in to play, and the simple fact is that, for many car makers, it’s just not viable to produce a small car with the latest legislative demands –not least electrification – that make cars more expensive

We’re already seeing the prices of small electric cars creep up towards the £30,000 mark, although some of the monthly leasing rates we ’ ve seen recently (and you can see for yourself in our special feature from page 32) are starting to become hugely tempting

However, for some manufacturers, small cars are still key Talking to Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia in the UK, he revealed how important the little Picanto is to his brand. “People who are more financially challenged right now will perhaps want a nice version of a small car rather than another big car, ” he told us

“What we ’ re seeing with products like Picanto is a really rich mix of high-series cars So people downsizing to something smaller, but who still want all the gizmos ”

Inevitably, cars like the Picanto will have to go electric, and when we spoke with Kia bosses a few years ago, they hinted that a small, battery-powered city car like the Citroen Ami could be on the cards – our exclusive image above shows what it could look like “We are already studying a proposal on having very small micro vehicles for urban use – we see a real potential,” we were told

Small cars play another important role for car makers, though. “They’re a gateway into new cars in the future,” Philpott told us. And although used cars may have to provide the entry price point in years to come, it’s good to hear that there’s still a future for great small cars

STEVE FOWLER

TOPSTORY

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates

Carson sean carson@autovia co uk

BRITAIN’S best-selling supermini, the Vauxhall Corsa, will be updated this year with petrol power retained for the combustion-engined line-up, while the Corsa Electric EV will receive a bigger battery for extra range, and a more powerful motor

Both versions of the car will feature fairly significant styling revisions – previewed by our exclusive images – that bring the Corsa into line with the rest of Vauxhall’s range The most significant design changes will come at the front, where the old car’s more traditional grille will be replaced by Vauxhall’s now trademark Vizor panel

This black section will be discreetly vented to aid cooling in petrol models, while the Corsa Electric will have a blankedoff grille to boost aerodynamic efficiency and improve range The Vizor grille will be flanked by a pair of sharper LED headlights that ape the Corsa’s bigger brother, the Astra family hatchback, featuring a similar running light design Expect changes lower down to fall in line with the Astra, too, including a sportier-looking bumper

Changes at the back will be minimal, with tweaks to the rear bumper and new ‘CORSA’ lettering likely to feature on the boot in a similar fashion to its bigger brother

Vauxhall also could integrate the Astra’s boot-release system, where the badge pivots to gain access to the load bay, which should offer the same 309 litres of space as its predecessor. This is because the updated

Corsa will still be based on parent firm Stellantis’s CMP/e-CMP platform, which also means the compact five-door should retain the outgoing car’s engine line-up, too

This includes a 74bhp naturally aspirated 1 2-litre unit, as well as 99bhp and 128bhp versions of the firm’s three-cylinder turbo petrol engine Performance and efficiency should therefore be quite similar, with the 99bhp model accelerating from 0-60mph in 9 3 seconds and returning up to 57 6mpg

Having revised its naming structure for electric models, the facelifted Corsa Electric is set to receive a similar round of updates to cars such as the new Peugeot e-208 and DS 3 E-Tense, both of which are also based on the e-CMP architecture.

As a result, the battery size will grow from 50kWh to 54kWh, boosting claimed range from an official 222 miles in the current Corsa EV to around 250 miles in the fresh

TESTING

Our spy photographers have caught a lightly disguised version of the facelifted Corsa being tested

Corsa Electric. Charging capability of up to 100kW will mean a 10 to 80 per cent top-up should take 30 minutes

The fresh battery will feed a new electric motor that delivers 20bhp more (rated at 154bhp with 260Nm of torque in its sister cars), so given the extra performance on offer, expect the new Corsa Electric’s 0-60mph time to drop by a few tenths, to just under 7 5 seconds

Inside, both ICE and EV models should receive some significant updates to the cabin architecture, with Vauxhall installing its Pure Panel twin-screen infotainment set-up But it’s likely the Corsa will use 10-inch units for both screens compared with the 12-inch displays that now come as standard on the larger Astra model

The trim level choice will fall into line with other models in Vauxhall’s line-up, consisting of a base-spec Design, a sportier

Avarvarii

Sean

Automedia

● New front-end styling will be backed up by more range for Corsa Electric; petrol power retained for Britain’s best-selling supermini

REAR VIEW

Our exclusive image previews the changes at the back end, including new CORSA lettering for the car’s name and the possible inclusion of the Astra’s boot-release system

Corsa gets Vauxhall Vizor as part of midlife refresh

OFFICIAL Sharper look and cabin updates coming, along with bigger battery for EV version of supermini

mid-spec GS and a top-of-the-range Ultimate model It’s possible that this updated Corsa will also usher in a new performance variant. The firm has outlined its plans for electrified performance cars with its GSe sub-brand, and former UK managing director James Taylor said: “Vauxhall is committed to electrifying Britain, and GSe shows that performance and driving pleasure are set to be part of our electric future ” That sub-brand has released plug-in hybrid GSe versions of its Astra and Grandland SUV, but as yet no fully electric model However, with the CMP platform not currently offering plug-in hybrid capability, it’s uncertain if a hot Corsa EV will have to wait for an all-new generation of the model,

slated to be based on the Stellantis STLA Small platform that arrives from 2026

Despite sliding supermini sales in the UK as buyers focus more on SUVs, Vauxhall is sticking with its Corsa – and with good reason Age-old rival Ford announced last year it would axe the Fiesta supermini from its line-up, with production scheduled to cease in June this year

With fewer competitors in the market, the British manufacturer could be well positioned to capitalise on this reduction in choice in the supermini sector Last year the Corsa recorded registrations of 35,910, according to industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), making it the second-best selling car in

Britain in 2022 and the most popular supermini on sale today

Given that our spy photographers have snapped the Corsa undergoing testing in petrol form, it’s likely that a full reveal is close, so expect to see the updated supermini in full in the first half of 2023.

We’re still a long way off official specs – including pricing – being announced, but it’s likely that the new Corsa will start from a little more than the outgoing base model’s £18,065 price due to the extra tech inside, while the Corsa Electric’s cost will rise over the current £31,930 GS model, reflecting its extra range and performance Sales should start later this year, with deliveries following soon after

“Despite sliding supermini sales in the UK as buyers focus on SUVs, Vauxhall is sticking with its Corsa –and with good reason”

“It’s possible that this updated Corsa will also usher in a new performance variant”

Performance M3 CS turns

co uk

FOLLOWING in the wheeltracks of last year’s M4 CSL coupé, BMW has unveiled a more extreme version of its M3 saloon Called the M3 CS, the new car boasts an uprated engine with more power compared with the regular M3 Competition on which it’s based, as well as alterations to the chassis and lightweight parts that, collectively, aim to improve handling

The M3 CS’s engine output highlights its positioning, with the 3 0-litre turbocharged straight-six unit producing 542bhp (39bhp more than the M3 Competition and identical to the M4 CSL) and 650Nm of torque.

Where the CS and CSL differ, however, is that whereas the CSL is rear-drive only, this hottest version of the M3 saloon comes with BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel drive system. Combined with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and launch control, it delivers a

claimed 0-62mph time of 3 4 seconds and a top speed that is limited to 188mph.

The extra power has been liberated thanks to a boost in turbo pressure and model-specific tweaks to the engine management system. There are also new, stiffer engine mounts for the CS “to create an extremely rigid connection between the power unit and the vehicle’s structure”

The engine breathes through a dualbranch exhaust set-up with a titanium silencer, saving 4kg compared with the standard car’s arrangement

BMW says the CS also features a modelspecific tune for its ESC settings, including the M Dynamic mode, while the car’s suspension has been honed with new, bespoke settings for the adaptive suspension dampers and anti-roll bar, as well as new rates for the auxiliary

OFFICIAL

INTERIOR Carbon-fibre seats and trim continue the track-ready theme, with the CS getting two digital panels in the dash

“The BMW M3 CS delivers a claimed 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed that is limited to 188mph”

● Hottest M3 boasts 542bhp ● CS gets M xDrive 4WD set-up

Sean Carson sean carson@autovia

M3

up the wick

springs, designed to optimise steering precision Increased body rigidity, thanks to cast-aluminium strut braces in the engine bay, should also help to improve the saloon’s precision and response.

M compound brakes are fitted as standard, while carbon-ceramic items are an optional extra The standard set-up features 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch rims at the rear, all shod in track-ready rubber developed especially for this CS model

Backing up this extra track focus is the extensive use of lightweight materials throughout the M3 CS This includes a carbon-fibre roof, with the same material used for the bonnet, front splitter and air intakes, door mirrors, rear spoiler and the large rear diffuser element

Inside, the centre console, shift paddles and interior trim strips are all made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, too. The use of M carbon-fibre bucket seats also helps to further reduce weight, with the combined

total reduction standing at 20kg compared with the standard M3 Competition in fourwheel-drive M xDrive specification

Many of the lightweight elements also give the M3 CS its aggressive look, with Frozen Solid White (exclusive to the M3 CS) contrasting with the carbon-fibre parts Signal Green (pictured), Brooklyn Grey and Sapphire Black are also available. The CS features a lightweight frameless kidney grille with red details and CS badging Laser

headlights are fitted as standard, and they illuminate in yellow, as per the M4 CSL There are more bespoke CS parts inside, where the car features BMW’s curved displays as part of its latest-generation Operating System 8 infotainment set-up

A 12 3-inch digital dash and a 14 9-inch display sit beneath a continuous, curved glass panel, while the CS also comes with BMW’s M Drive Professional system, which is controlled through the infotainment

It includes the firm’s M Drift Analyser and Laptimer tech, and there’s also an M Traction Control package with 10 distinct settings

The M3 CS is priced from £115,900, which is a £33,235 increase over a regular M xDrive-equipped M3 Competition model. The new car goes on sale in March, with deliveries set to start soon after

“Backing up this extra track focus is the extensive use of lightweight materials throughout the M3 CS”

SPORTY

CS gets more power, chassis tweaks and lightweight parts to take it above and beyond the M3 Competition

Renaulution set to shake

Steve Fowler

Steve Fowler@autovia co uk @stevefowler

RENAULT’S bold new product line-up, including the electrified revival of the famous 4 and 5 badges, is set to arrive in the UK from next year But the ‘Renaulution’ is already having an effect over here, with some fresh plans already put into action

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Renault UK MD Guillaume Sicard revealed plans for a publicly available charging network based at many of Renault’s 140 dealers, while a new subscription service has been running for just over a month and is set to be expanded over the coming year

Renault UK is lagging behind other countries in terms of the company’s market share, but it bucked the overall trend of Renault’s global sales in 2022 – which were down by six per cent – with an increase of more than eight per cent in the UK last year

Sicard has spent more than 25 years with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, including stints in India and China And much as he shared his excitement at being in the UK, which he describes as “one of the most advanced markets in Europe,” he revealed how he’s bringing lessons learnt in other markets here

“It’s not about technology, it’s about speed,” he told us “The big difference if I compare the western economies to China is that China goes incredibly fast They have an idea and they launch it under the form of ‘test and learn’ And they are not like western Europeans where we want everything to be perfect before launch ”

Renault’s new subscription service packages insurance, servicing, tax and breakdown cover, and allows customers to take out a subscription on a new car from just three months at a time. It launched last year and already has more than 100 customers

“We’re the first country to launch subscription here in Europe,” Sicard said “It positions the car as a mobility service –the idea of subscription is that it’s freedom and simplicity We’re working with a start-up; even though we’re the first country, it means not everything was fully ready and so on – we work by iteration.

“Every two weeks we look at the results, we change, we test again, we look at the results, we change and it’s okay I just want

us to progress and to learn Normally what we should have done is wait probably a few more months before we launched to make sure that everything was okay This way we go faster ”

Renault in the UK is also set to play its part in boosting the electric car charging network here, initially through some of its 140-strong dealer network, as Sicard revealed to us

“We have Mobilize power services, a company we established a year and a half ago, and we are working with well located dealers to put charging stations in place, which are not only for Renault customers but to improve our infrastructure

“It’s starting in France and in the UK we are discussing with various dealers For the time being it’s just around dealers, but if some locations are interesting to implement an infrastructure, we can look at that, too.”

Sicard is investigating a solution that uses old batteries from Kangoo Express models, stored in a container on site “The batteries could charge at night when you have lower demand and then deliver during the day in addition to the grid ”

The first charging station at a Renault dealer is likely by the end of the year, according to Sicard, although he also thinks the Government should step up

“Right now, governments are asking the industry to accelerate unnaturally towards electrification,” he said “It’s a lot of money for the manufacturers; there are a lot of technical issues to solve and a lot of costing issues to solve.

“Governments have put us in a fast lane for this – they have decided on electric So it means that now we need a bit of support for the infrastructure. If the UK wants to be fully electric by 2030, the Government has a massive plan to put in place to make it possible without damaging the overall economy ”

So what else does the Renaulution mean for the UK? It clearly revolves around electrified models, including vans, with Renault UK already ahead of targets “Luca de Meo [Groupe Renault CEO] said that he wants Renault to be the first electrified brand in Europe with 65 per cent of sales that are electrified In H2 last year we were at 65 per cent already,” Sicard told us.

“So the Renaulution is really first in terms of product, in terms of electrification, then

tech in terms of connectivity and ADAS [driving aids]. And emotional product, referring to what made at one point the success of Renault – I want to revive the nostalgia of the car with the Renault 5 and Renault 4, and a bit with the Scenic. What others cannot offer is the background, the history, the emotional side

“And the second point, Renaulution is about the excellence of the service and the way you can buy So an acceleration in terms of digitisation, and an acceleration in terms of customer satisfaction. Renault was big in the nineties Renault will be back to being big by the year 2030 ”

“Governments have put us in a fast lane [for electrification]. So it means that now we need a bit of support for infrastructure”

● We talk to Renault UK boss ● Wants brand to be ‘big again’

VISION Sicard’s 25 years of experience is helping him to guide Renault UK into a new era of electrification

up the UK

Black and white were the second and third, followed by blue, red and silver Green had a resurgence, too, and was the seventh most popular colour.

JEEP’S all-electric Avenger SUV is now available to pre-order, with the highspec 1st Edition model priced at £36,500 It’ll be followed by the full Avenger line-up – including more affordable trims – from June this year.

Avenger 1st Edition models come loaded with features, including 18-inch alloys and a contrasting roof Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, all-round parking sensors and a 180-degree rear camera, plus wireless smartphone charging, a hands-free tailgate and keyless entry and start Jeep claims a range of up to 248 miles for the Avenger, which is powered

Jeep’s all-electric Avenger lands in UK for £36,500 Corvette shines

by a 54kWh battery, while 100kW charging means an 80 per cent top-up should take just over half an hour

Following on from the frontwheel-drive car, European Jeep boss Antonella Bruno told Auto Express recently that Jeep’s all-wheel-drive Avenger 4x4 (which was revealed in concept form at last year’s Paris Motor Show) will now arrive in 2024, not this year as initially planned.

“The two-wheel-drive edition is as capable off road as a Renegade,” Bruno said. “But yes, the 4x4 will arrive, and when it does, it will deliver the ultimate capability There is a plan; we’re going to launch the BEV and then the 4x4 will arrive in 2024.”

THE latest C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette was the first to use a midengined layout, and now it’s the first to feature hybrid technology, too, with the arrival of the Corvette E-Ray.

A naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 still features, but it’s joined by an electric motor on the front axle for a total of 646bhp. This also means that it’s the first four-wheeldrive Corvette in history

The e-motor is fed by a compact 1.9kWh battery that’s only recharged while driving or under braking. Pureelectric driving at up to 45mph in

‘Stealth’ mode is possible, but expect zero-emissions range to be limited.

Chevrolet claims the E-Ray sprints from 0-60mph in 2 5 seconds Given that the C8 Corvette is available in right-hand drive, UK sales are possible.

GREY DAY

A quarter of new cars sold in 2022 were painted grey

New model is four-wheel drive and can sprint from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds

Electric model is front-wheel drive, but 4x4 version will be coming in 2024

Greater range and a new

John McIlroy

John McIlroy@autovia co uk @johnmcilroy

POLESTAR is introducing a significant facelift to its first all-electric model, the Polestar 2. Described as a ‘2024 model year’ update, it’s designed to bring the electric fastback into line with the evolved look seen on the recently launched Polestar 3, while also incorporating improved electric motors, revised batteries and tweaked drivetrain options

The exterior changes focus on the Polestar 2’s front end. Up to now it featured a regular grille, but the 2024-spec car gets what Polestar calls the ‘SmartZone’ – a bodycoloured panel with a slim surround This houses safety-related tech such as a frontfacing camera and radar system.

The cabin remains unchanged, but under the skin there are new electric motors across the range, while two-wheel-drive versions of the car switch from frontmounted power to a rear-drive layout

The Single Motor version receives a new drive unit that produces 295bhp and 490Nm of torque, up from 228bhp and 330Nm Polestar claims that the changes bring the 0-62mph time down to 6 2 seconds, an impressive gain of 1 2 seconds

There are new motors in the four-wheeldrive Dual Motor edition too, and the system has a greater rear bias for improved dynamics The current car’s 402bhp and 660Nm figures rise to 416bhp and 740Nm, and the 0-62mph time is cut to 4 5 seconds The front motor can now be disconnected while cruising to boost efficiency

The Performance Pack increases power to 469bhp for 0-62mph in 4 2 seconds This

will be available as an over-the-air purchase for Long Range Dual Motor variants

The Standard Range rear-drive model now comes with a 69kWh battery, which is enough for a WLTP range of 322 miles, a gain of 25 miles over the existing model

The 82kWh Long Range, rear-drive car manages 52 miles more, at 395 miles, while the Dual Motor version gains 65 miles,

offering 368 miles in total Charging speeds also increase to 135kW for the Standard Range and 205kW for

The revised Polestar 2 is available to order now, with first deliveries due in the autumn Prices start from £44,950 for the Standard Range Single Motor, rising to £57,950 for the Long Range Dual Motor

F1 team Vanwall is back with all-electric hatch

CLASSIC British Formula One team Vanwall is back, but it’s now a German racing outfit that’s launching an all-electric performance road car called the Vandervell S.

Priced from 128,000 Euros (£111,862) without taxes, the Vandervell S packs 315bhp for a 0-62mph time of 4 9 seconds, and has a range of approximately 280 miles, according to the company. Above this sits the S Plus, boosting power to 572bhp The 0-62mph time drops to 3 4 seconds, but the range is also shorter, at around 260 miles. According to the company’s managing director Colin Kolles: “Vanwall’s goal is to create unique, new-generation cars, high quality and great performance, bringing them to the maximum possible development, able to convey the strong passion that animates the Vanwall

Company”. Special attention has been paid to the car’s driving position and low weight, without compromising quality The company said, “All this is achieved without sacrificing comfort by the use of the highest-quality materials, such as fine leather and exposed carbon fibre ”

The Vandervell S rides on 22-inch wheels and will go on sale in Q3 this year. It will be followed in time by a road-legal version of the race team’s Vandervell Hypercar, which is set to race in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

OFFICIAL

“Two-wheel-drive

“The Vandervell S packs 315bhp for a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds,

face for Polestar 2 news inbrief

Extra range and faster charging helps Polestar 2 remain competitive against rivals

Closure of Britishvolt strikes a blow for UK car production

BRITISHVOLT – the UK start-up that promised to build a £3.8billion gigafactory in the north east of England – has entered administration. The majority of the company’s circa 300 staff are expected to be laid off.

The news is a blow to the UK automotive industry, with Britishvolt seen as a landmark project to boost the country’s production of EV components. The project secured additional funding in November 2022, but the board has now decided that there’s no way to continue.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has previously emphasised that the UK needs several gigafactories to ensure the future success of its automotive industry as petrol and diesel are phased out

The factory, in Blyth, Northumberland, had been a key part of the Government’s ‘levellingup’ policy commitments under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, proposing that it could produce up to 300,000 batteries a year Incorporated in late 2019, Britishvolt originally planned for production of batteries to begin at the factory in late 2024 In August, the company announced that this would be delayed until the middle of 2025.

■ P114 Rutherford on Britishvolt’s failure

OPINION

THE collapse of Britishvolt is the opening note of the death knell for Britain’s auto industry.

Simply put – without a battery manufacturing base on UK shores, the wider auto industry will collapse.

Without a proper strategy to back-up the transition to electric vehicles, the targets and lofty ambitions of politicians are not worth the House of Commons-headed paper they are written on Without a domestic battery manufacturing industry and with no investment in battery technology, the UK’s proud and long history in the automotive sector risks becoming just that – history.

New Kia app offers free charging for EVs

KIA EV owners can earn credits for free car charging by spending with certain retailers as part of the ‘&Charge’ scheme. Drivers earn &Charge kilometres via an app (above), with each km equating to around 7p in Kia Charge credits

Retailers signed up include DIY stores, fashion outlets, online travel sites, attractions and days out, food retailers and delivery services; &Charge users can also earn credits for providing feedback on charging stations. Kia says the new scheme will help to reduce the cost of public charging and EV ownership

BYD signs up dealers for UK sales pitch

CHINESE firm BYD has revealed it will partner with five major dealer groups for its UK sales network This includes Pendragon, Arnold Clark, Lookers and LSH Auto Holdings, with BYD’s UK launch plan starting this quarter.

The firm’s Atto 3 SUV will be the first car on sale, while BYD says that “further UK dealer partners, product and pricing information will be confirmed in the coming weeks ”

PM calls for a halt to London’s ULEZ growth

EXPANDING London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to cover the whole capital from 23 August should be reconsidered, the Prime Minister has said

Lambo lines up Aventador successor

THE design of the Lamborghini

Aventador’s successor has been revealed in a series of new patent drawings The outlines show a car that draws heavily from the firm’s hybrid Sián FKP37 model when it comes to the design, featuring Y-shaped headlights and

tail-lights, plus a huge rear diffuser and two prominent exhaust outlets

The Aventador’s replacement will also use hybrid tech, with the car being built around a naturally aspirated V12 engine offering “[more] power, more revs, more sound,” according to the firm’s chief

technical officer, Rouven Mohr. This will be joined by an electric motor for more performance, making it the first seriesproduction hybrid from Lamborghini.

“It’s an extremely cool feature if you drive with this emotional high-revving sound, then silence,” Mohr explained

Responding to a question in the House of Commons, Rishi Sunak accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of “choosing not to listen to the public and expanding the zone against the overwhelming views of residents and businesses”. Sunak urged Khan “to reconsider properly and to respond to those serious concerns”

Andy Palmer CEO, Palmer Automotive Ltd

Essentials

Porsche Cayenne S

Price: £80,000 (est)

Engine: 4 0-litre twin-turbo V8

Power/torque: 468bhp/600Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

0-62mph: 5 0 seconds (est)

Top speed: 170mph (est)

Economy: TBC

CO2: TBC

ONSALE April

FIRST RIDE

Early taster of updated Cayenne SUV shows plenty of promise

PORSCHE is gearing up to launch a facelifted Cayenne this year – and we’ve been for a ride in development mules as they’re put through their paces in California.

The next all-new generation is expected to be purely electric, but because there will still be markets that value the combustion engine, the current model could feasibly be sold in parallel with it for a few more years This explains why Porsche is making an effort to update the third-generation Cayenne SUV and Coupé. There are four major areas of focus: the design, chassis, powertrain and cockpit, including the infotainment system The last of these is still hidden, but a sneak peek reveals that the instrument cluster has gone digital and the centre console has been tidied up

The design is also a bit of a mystery But even with our test cars’ dark disguise, it’s possible to see that Porsche has added numerous pieces of fresh sheet metal: the tailgate and bonnet are new, as are the side skirts and headlights.

Under the skin, Porsche has dropped the six-cylinder engine from the Cayenne S

and opted for a larger, newly developed twin-turbocharged V8. This is significant, and not just because of the raw power figure (there is a gain, from 434bhp to 468bhp) It’s the torque that really makes the difference; the V8 produces 600Nm, up from the six-cylinder’s 550Nm, and it certainly pushed the jumbo SUV up the Hollywood Hills with greater confidence

Porsche has also improved the base Cayenne, increasing the power of the 3 0-litre V6 engine to 349bhp, as well as the entry-level PHEV This version combines the six-cylinder engine with an electric motor that has been boosted from 134bhp to 175bhp, plus there’s a larger battery than before

The suspension overhaul is impressive; the standard adaptive dampers feature a dual-valve configuration and can be adjusted separately for rebound and compression This should provide more comfort, and sure enough the Cayenne showed this, floating a little more over the road in normal mode

Revised Contine

and gently bouncing on the undulations along the Pacific Coast Highway.

At the same time, the system allows a wider spread of ability, and the Cayenne demonstrated this on the winding mountain roads north of Los Angeles. Whether with air or steel-sprung suspension, the Cayenne tackles the twists and turns as if it was a few hundred kilos lighter

The camouflage of the new Cayenne will be removed in April, when Porsche GB will start taking orders Prices aren’t known yet, but expect a few thousand pounds to be added to the current starting point of £63,700.

Verdict

THE signs are that this updated Cayenne is no ordinary facelift. The change of engine and chassis mods look set to help it strengthen its position as the keenest-driving large premium SUV

FOLLOWING its record sales in 2022, Bentley is looking to further bolster its performance with an updated version of the Continental GT – and our spy photographers have caught the new car undergoing testing

Ignore the big LED light bar at the front, but the Conti GT’s standard headlights will be tweaked. The camouflage hints at a new lighting signature that could more closely emulate the look of Bentley’s ultra-exclusive Batur. Expect similar

CRUISER

California test route revealed a broader range of talents for big-selling SUV

Porsche Cayenne

● Porsche Cayenne S switches from a V6 to a twin-turbo V8

● We caught up with engineers testing performance SUV in US

Micha Gebhardt

Proposals for car’s first MoT to take place after four years

HOT TOPIC Speed cameras

FROM: Colin Post SPEED cameras do nothing to improve people’s driving standards, concentration, observation, consideration or respect The camera vans near me are always out at weekends when the roads are quiet, never during the busy rush hours

FROM: Dan Litt GETTING caught speeding twice slowed me down, so the deterrent can work If some drivers can’t be trusted to show restraint behind the wheel and obey the limit, the authorities are unfortunately going to sting us all like this

NEW proposals put forward by the Government could see a car’s first MoT take place after four years rather than three, it has been announced.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation on how the MoT test should be updated for the future, with the main proposal being to push back the first test by 12 months

Official data suggests most new cars pass their first MoT test at three years, hence the DfT believes that the change won’t impact road safety It would mirror regulations in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, too.

The consultation is also inviting views on the frequency of the MoT test – including conducting it every two years – and how it can better monitor vehicle emissions, such as by testing for particulates The prospect of inspecting EV batteries to ensure that they’re safe

ntal GT on way

changes at the rear, with subtle tweaks to the LED tail-lights

While the firm’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 will return, a plug-in hybrid system is also set to be offered. Given that the GT is based on the same platform as the Flying Spur, it could inherit that car’s system of a 2.9-litre petrol V6 combined with a 14.1kWh battery and electric motor The updated Continental GT will be revealed later this year, ahead of sales starting in 2024.

will also be considered, as well as whether measures to tackle excessively loud engines and exhausts are needed

AA president Edmund King argued: “With one in 10 cars failing their first MoT, we strongly discourage the Government from extending a car’s first test to the fourth anniversary due to road safety concerns ”

The RAC’s head of road policy Nicholas Lyes commented: “While we’re not opposed to delaying a new vehicle’s first MoT, we believe there should be a requirement for particularly highmileage vehicles to be tested sooner.”

He added: “We’re disappointed that the Government is still entertaining the idea of increasing the time between MoTs. Our research shows that drivers believe this is dangerous It would also probably increase the number of unroadworthy vehicles – putting lives at risk – and not save drivers any money because they would likely end up with bigger repair bills as a result ”

FROM: Simon STOPPING or greatly reducing roadworks that cause bottlenecks would be just as effective a method of reducing emissions as lowering the motorway speed limit to 64mph (Issue 1,763) Many drivers struggle to stick to 70mph anyway –64mph would be a nightmare.

FROM: Faisal Rafique THE Honda Civic Type R (Issue 1,763) is no doubt a competent hot hatch with some great touches and a phenomenal drivetrain But it has some tough rivals, such as the VW Golf R, Audi RS 3, Hyundai i30 N and Mercedes-AMG A 45; it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.

FROM: Paul Burrows IT’S right that motorists caught using a mobile phone while driving receive the harsh penalty of six points and a £200 fine. The suggestion that police should confiscate phones (Issue 1,762) is draconian and over the top, though, and should not be considered.

NEW ERA Readers spoke out after Northants Police announced the introduction of an unmarked mobile speed camera van

Lower emissions by stopping bottlenecks How will new Type R fare against rivals?

Confiscating mobiles would be step too far Merc charging hubs are a smart move

FROM: Neil Padstone GOOD move by Mercedes launching its own charging hubs (Issue 1,762) I’m not a big Tesla fan, but the Supercharger network does make their cars more appealing than rival EV brands If other manufacturers follow suit, that advantage could be lost in time.

Tristan Shale-Hester

tristan shale-hester@autovia co uk @tristan shale

INSIDESTORY

A TIME and a place That’s the appeal of classic cars Whether it’s a family holiday rolling around in the back seat of a Ford Cortina or the MGB a father or grandfather loved and cherished in their garage, classic cars really do make time travel possible – in the metaphorical sense, of course

Within minutes of meeting SLShop’s founder, Sam Bailey, you get a sense that he’s reliving his childhood passions, spending hours out on the driveway with his father, a Mercedes technician, poring over countless now-classic cars But corporate life beckoned: “I worked in insurance and bought a BMW 635 as a daily-driver on my company car allowance,” Sam explains It wasn’t long before he sold it to buy his first Mercedes SL; then, with his dad’s help, Sam began buying and selling them as a hobby.

Of course, Sam isn’t the first person who’s quit a high-flying job to pursue their love of classics, but a visit to SLShop suggests that his has been one of the most successful: in little more than 12 years, Sam has created what he describes as the world’s leading classic Mercedes SL specialist Building a passion for Mercedes’ iconic drop-top, and an encyclopedic knowledge, he spotted an opportunity for a specialist business. “There was both foresight and a lot of luck,” Sam tells us “I picked the R107 (built between 1971 and 1989), and the market has been with me It’s definitely the sweet spot in the SL range – they’re great value, and there’s more to go ”

It proved to be a shrewd move Despite being “sucked into” the stunning Pagoda and later R129 from the nineties, Sam says R107s are still the core of his business And a tour around SLShop’s premises reveals a tantalising array of the angular drop-tops, from basket cases undergoing complete restoration, to immaculate better-than-new cars, some of which are fitted with a range of modern engine and chassis components from SLShop’s Sportline range As we’ll discover on page 20, they transform the car From those days on his dad’s driveway, the business now employs almost 60 people at its facility near Stratford-upon-Avon Pleasingly, Sam and his colleagues talk as enthusiastically

GENERATIONS

“I picked the R107 and the market has been with me. It’s definitely the sweet spot in the SL range” P e t e G i b s o n

Tackling the motoring issues that matter

SAM BAILEY SLShop founder

Stuart Milne

While R107s are a speciality (below), SLShop covers SLs from the fifties to noughties

THE ONE-STOP

Sam Bailey has turned his passion for Mercedes’ classic sports car into a lucrative business Not only does he keep them on the road, but bespoke upgrades also give them a new lease of life

about developing the skills to keep classics on the road as they do about the cars themselves “Some older competitors are shutting up shop, which means [the industry is] losing the necessary expertise, so we’re bringing a lot of new skills in-house,” Sam says. “It ensures we can keep cars on the road, especially as Mercedes blows hot and cold with its classic-car provision ” While components such as brakes, steering components and distributors are readily available, Sam is now having bumpers, panels, chrome trim, relays and fuel systems produced to his own exacting standards We’re shown through the workshops, each tasked with dealing with different eras of SL The first is home to dozens of cars from the seventies, eighties and nineties, including one that previously belonged to the Sultan of Brunei, curiously painted in a BMW purple The next workshop deals with bodywork; it’s currently home to an R107 which is “as bad as it gets”, according to one technician. It’s undergoing hundreds of hours of restoration way in excess of its financial value, because it has huge emotional attachment

to its owner A few feet away, Rob, another technician, is fabricating a new top for an R107’s bulkhead. Serious corrosion here is a known weak point, but with a new panel costing £5,000 from Mercedes, SLShop is fabricating its own parts to keep the costs down and the workmanship up. Indeed, each car with a fresh bulkhead carries SLShop certification, allowing potential owners to guarantee that the 50-100 hours of work has been carried out Standards have to be high, not just because of the values of some of the cars SLShop restores and sells, but because buyers want their cars to fundamentally function correctly As Bruce Greetham, the firm’s sales director and

WORLD RENOWN SLShop’s reputation has seen them work on SLs from across the globe, including purple R129 formerly owned by Sultan of Brunei (right)

start

hot

cold.

PROJECT

Bailey is planning to respond to customer demand by offering performance upgrades for Pagoda (below)

self-confessed Pagoda obsessive puts it: “A car has to start on the key when hot and when cold; it’s got to change gear properly You need the confidence that you could do a whole season with the car ”

That might sound obvious, but in a world where highend classics are traded like art or fine wine, many are destined to spend their days in air-conditioned garages Francis Robertson-Marriott is tasked with acquiring new customers – and keeping them – and agrees: “Classics are an escape from the pessimism of modern motoring We enable people to drive and enjoy their

STAGES SLShop caters for everything from servicing to ground-up restorations

cars and feel confident in a well maintained car. In a modern car, you can’t create the same memories”

It’s that vision that’s led to SLShop’s latest project, a membership scheme that allows access to myriad tours, events and cars-and-coffee type meets, among other benefits The concept is simple: treat customers like friends and family, and they’ll come back for servicing, repair and –just maybe – a replacement when the time comes The wins aren’t just for the customer, either. With more than 20,000 clients around the world, that’s a lot of potential parts to supply, cars to maintain and enthusiasts to talk to

SPECIALIST

Rusty bulkheads are a common R107 issue, but technician Rob is well versed in their restoration

“A car has to

on the key when it’s

or

You need the confidence that you could do a whole season with it”

BRUCE GREETHAM SLShop sales director

CLASSIC SL REBORN

Stuart Milne

THERE’S something about the R107-generation Mercedes SL that takes me right back to the eighties It seemed to star – or at least cameo – in pretty much every one of the glamorous prime-time US TV shows that were screened on this side of the Atlantic Even with the huge rubberised ‘safety bumpers’ mandated in the States, the R107 looked desirable and glamorous.

Spin forward 30-odd years, and little has changed The R107’s taut, sleek lines give way to a high-quality interior as you step inside; it’s an eerily similar feeling to a Mercedes built just a few years ago. It feels snug inside – unsurprising when, despite the thrusting bonnet and long bootlid, it’s shorter and only fractionally wider than a new Ford Focus

You sit pretty much precisely in the middle of the car, but the square proportions and delightfully thin windscreen pillars mean it’s easy to place on the road Get behind the wheel of an original R107 today, and you’ll find that the huge steering wheel requires barely any more than a little finger to turn it, while the four-speed auto shifts smoothly. Yet it’s still clearly an old car, with play in the steering and far more body roll than you’ll find in a modern city car, let alone a grand tourer Of course, that’s all part of the appeal, and an original R107 is huge fun to scythe through bends. There is another way, of course And it comes courtesy of SLShop’s SportLine offering, a range of upgrades

aimed at improving the way the R107 goes, stops and corners without trampling all over the period appeal and charm that makes the SL so enticing in the first place. The modifications are many and varied, and most customers pick and choose But the Signal Red car here is fitted with all of them

It’s hard to know where to start, but this SportLinefettled SL300 immediately sounds throatier, and with a lightened crank, flywheel, performance crankshaft and electronic ignition, it should It produces 255bhp, more than a factory 500SL, for 0-60mph in 5 9 seconds

The five-speed manual gearbox conversion adds a layer of involvement that was previously missing, but the real transformation comes when you first turn that reprofiled steering wheel New springs, dampers and anti-roll bars deliver poise and flatness through corners that takes decades off the car, while a limited-slip differential should offer more control; not that I was going to push that envelope on a narrow lane, in a classic costing well into six figures.

It’s not just the R107 that gets the SportLine attention, either SLShop is developing similar products for the Pagoda, in response to a surprising number of customers taking their cars on long-distance road trips and rallies. Those timeless looks coupled with some sympathetic modernisation would be an intoxicating thing indeed

SLShop doesn’t just restore old SLs, it upgrades them, too

“The manual gearbox adds a new layer of involvement, but the real transformation comes when you turn the steering wheel”

SUBTLE Updates transform the way the R107 drives without spoiling its classic looks

MERCEDES SLTIMELINE

W121 (1955)

LAUNCHED as a more affordable alternative to the 300 SL gullwing, the 190 SL was an immediate hit, with more than 25,000 produced Despite those numbers, there was a high degree of hand-crafting, making the 60-year-old drop-top tricky to restore well. There are many areas to check, but rust is the killer because the few drainage holes it had would easily become blocked

W113 ‘Pagoda’ (1963)

WIDELY regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cars, the Pagoda set Merc’s design direction for the next halfcentury. Values have skyrocketed in recent years; prices approaching £300,000 are not unusual, although good, usable models are around for half that. Tread carefully, though, because a poorly restored car can lead to crippling bills.

R107 (1971)

SLSHOP regards the R107 as the sweet spot in the range, because as long as they’re well maintained, they’ll take big mileages in their stride And with almost 250,000 built over 18 years, they’re still in plentiful supply. Rusty bulkheads are common, and could easily cost £7,000 to fix, but rot aside, most other common faults are relatively simple to put right.

R129 (1989)

THE R129 is still a relatively common sight, but values have fallen to the point where maintenance can be neglected, so do your homework. Rust and rough interiors should be easy to spot, less so head gasket and wiring loom issues with earlier cars The engine range was bewildering, and all have their strengths and weaknesses, so buy with your head, not your heart

R230 (2001)

UNQUESTIONABLY a modern classic, the R230 was produced until a decade ago With prices starting from less than £5,000, it’s the cheapest. But should you buy one for that? Possibly, but you’ll need to check for rust, that the hydropneumatic suspension and brake-by-wire systems function correctly and the gearbox is solid. All of these can be hugely expensive to fix.

Electric range is 19 miles, but hybrid system focuses on performance

McLaren Artura

FIRST UK DRIVE British roads show plug-in hybrid is one of the company’s best cars

affordable model (a relative term, of course), so to start, let’s recap the Artura recipe.

YOU’D buy the £189,200 McLaren Artura for its steering alone Never mind its punchy powertrain, a ride that’s beautifully refined for a supercar, or the arresting looks that signal a new (albeit only slightly evolved) era for the British firm’s identity; it’s the feedback relayed through the steering wheel that really makes this new machine what it is

The Artura’s gestation hasn’t been without some reliability and electronic issues, but we reported on these when we first drove the car abroad last year, so we won’t dwell on them any longer Instead, let’s answer the big question: what’s it like to drive in the UK, apart from that sublime steering?

The answer is really, very good McLaren has dabbled with electrification before, via its P1 hybrid hypercar nearly a decade ago But the trickle down of technology means that this is now available in its most

It’s new territory for the British firm on the engine front, since the Artura’s combustion unit is a wide-angle 3 0-litre twin-turbo V6 It’s joined by an electric motor that’s fed by a 7.4kWh battery, providing an electriconly range of some 19 miles

Plugged in, the Artura’s battery will take two and a half hours to recharge to 80 per cent, but you can replenish the cells on the move, too Then the engine quickly boosts the battery back to full health from empty

The plug-in hybrid system is clearly focused on performance, however (although, for what it’s worth, McLaren claims 61 5mpg and 104g/km of CO2), and the two power sources combine to produce a total of 671bhp and 720Nm of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox

That’s good enough for a three-second 0-62mph time (two tenths faster than the McLaren F1 – that’s progress for you) and

EQUIPMENT

a limited top speed of 205mph It feels every bit good for those claims, too.

On the move in e-mode, though, the Artura lacks a little refinement There’s some obvious motor whine and the gearbox’s shifts are noticeable; it feels like this element of the system could be smoother There’s also plenty of percussion as stones and other debris get flicked up and hit the underside of the all-new carbonfibre monocoque chassis, but this simply serves to frame the overall experience

Switch the powertrain to Sport or Track modes (now initiated by toggling a rocker switch mounted up near the instrument binnacle, a much more intuitive solution than the Active Panel in older McLarens) and with both petrol and electric providing power, it’s a more convincing set-up.

The engine is still a little laggy despite its hot vee-turbo configuration, but the electric motor does its best to fill in here, providing some instant punch for when the ICE gets into its stride When it does, the V6 is best described as effective rather than a true great, but you learn to appreciate its industrious nature because it provides solid mid-range performance and – combined with the electrical assistance – superb any-

“Combined with the electrical assistance, the V6 provides superb flexibility in any gear”

Sean Carson sean carson@autovia co uk

Carbon-ceramic brakes (below) are fitted as standard and are tasked with stopping the Artura as McLaren has opted not to go for a regenerative set-up Brake feel is superb Details such as LED lights (above) are neat

“There’s a sophistication to its damping that would embarrass some luxury cars on

today”

gear flexibility It sounds gruff, but the note is recognisable and gives the car personality It’s a new personality for McLaren, but the way the Artura performs in other areas is very familiar – and for very positive reasons

The ride is sublime for a supercar, with sophistication to its damping that would embarrass some luxury models on sale today With the chassis set to Comfort, the suspension feels brilliantly fluent Step up to Sport and then Track (activated in the same way as for the powertrain) and the Artura’s body becomes better tied down, the dampers controlling its 1,498kg kerbweight (light, given the hybrid tech, which adds 130kg of ballast) more tautly

It adds an extra level of precision to the way the car corners in each mode, but what remains consistent is that beautiful steering weight and the clarity of feedback through the solid, slim steering wheel rim With the possible exception of Lotus, no other company can match McLaren in this field. The punch you get from the engine combined with the sophistication from the chassis means the Artura is a really, very good performance car

It’s not without fault, though. Aside from the engine, while the Artura might be more than £50,000 cheaper than – and 148bhp down on – Ferrari’s 296 GTB (meaning they’re not strictly direct rivals), judged purely on the integration of petrol and electric, the Artura leaves a little to be

NEED TO KNOW

desired. When the battery was low, we felt a few jerky transitions between the two modes of propulsion It could be smoother

However, we still love the brake feel and appreciate that McLaren didn’t opt for a regenerative system, instead preserving the purity a solely mechanical set-up brings

Packaging a battery hasn’t hurt practicality too much, since there’s 160 litres of luggage space The bigger issue could be range, given that the 66-litre fuel tank isn’t the largest

The car’s infotainment system is a step on, if far from the best, but it’s proof that McLaren is still learning Don’t forget, the road car division as we know it is only just over a decade old, yet it’s come so far and made some brilliant cars in that time.

The Artura is definitely one of them, and we’re sure it’ll get better as time goes by, too

Even in Comfort mode, there’s a real fluidity to the McLaren’s chassis

Verdict

ON UK roads the Artura proves that it’s an accomplished supercar that will carry McLaren through into a new era It offers simply sublime ride and handling. However, although the powertrain is good, it’s not great: effective and punchy, but still lacking a little refinement and finesse, it seems. Overall, though, it’s a small issue that can’t take the shine off an otherwise deeply impressive piece of engineering that evolves what McLaren stands for when it comes to technology and design.

PRACTICALITY Despite having to package a battery in its all-new chassis, the two-seat Artura manages to offer surprising practicality There’s 160 litres of luggage space, with the main stowage located in the car’s low-set nose

McLaren Artura

Styling is an evolution from McLaren’s former Sports Series cars

The Artura’s shrinkwrapped body features clever aerodynamics to boost downforce and efficiency

“With the possible exception of Lotus, no one matches McLaren for steering feel”

Jordan Katsianis

THE new £85,165 BMW M3 Touring could be the ultimate do-everything highperformance car It’s only available in the UK in Competition form, and it also comes exclusively with BMW’s M xDrive all-wheel drive system, while it builds on the M3 saloon’s distinctive looks

It uses the saloon as its mechanical starting point, to which BMW M has added a collection of upgrades. These include the under-body brace from the M4 Cabriolet that’s bolted between the rear axle and transmission tunnel, to compensate for reduced stiffness in a body that lacks the saloon’s rear bulkhead Front spring and damper rates have also been modified, while the rear dampers are completely new

These upgrades are in addition to the M3 saloon’s chassis tweaks over a standard 3 Series, which includes additional bracing for the 3 0-litre straight-six engine, plus bespoke suspension and axle mountings.

All of this comes at the cost of added weight, because even with the extensive use of aluminium and forged alloy wheels, the new M3 Touring weighs 1,865kg. The engine and eight-speed automatic transmission make light work of the mass, though, and the car feels significantly lighter than the numbers suggest The critical figures are the same as any Competition-spec M3 or M4, with 503bhp and 650Nm of torque

BMW M’s xDrive all-wheel drive system delivers extra traction where required without fundamentally changing the nature of the M3 Touring’s balance It’s one of the least intrusive four-wheel drive systems around, working seamlessly with the ESC and electronically controlled rear limited-slip diff to provide almost unbreakable traction

The added space in the rear unlocks 500 litres of room with the rear seats up, 1,500 litres when you drop them down. The M3 Touring’s arrival also coincides with the 3 Series’ mid-life facelift, so the dashboard benefits from a pair of high-res screens integrated into a smart, curved panel.

So what’s all this like to drive? Just as fabulous as the saloon, with almost no

Essentials

BMW M3 Touring

Price: £85,165 Engine: 3 0-litre 6cyl

Power/torque: 503bhp/650Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

0-62mph: 3 6 seconds

Top speed: 174mph Economy: 27 7mpg CO2: 230g/km

ONSALE Now

indication there’s a huge, open load space behind you. There are myriad driver modes with variations in the engine mapping, suspension, steering and brakes, but every configuration genuinely widens the M3’s remit rather than just offering the driver different options for the sake of it.

There’s incredible urgency from the engine, with a brutal power delivery when turned right up to its most aggressive mode This immense power is balanced by precise and responsive steering, and the car’s suspension provides superb body control without being too stiff for everyday use

The M3 Competition Touring feels like a labour of love from BMW, primarily because that’s exactly what it is As a result it doesn’t just feel like another derivative of an existing model, but an M car in its own right and the purest expression of the ultimate highperformance family car It’s late to the fast estate party, but on the evidence of this first drive, the M3 Touring has put the Audi RS 4 Avant and Mercedes-AMG C63 S in the shade

Verdict

WE’VE waited a long time for an estate version of the BMW M3, but it’s been worth it, because it offers all of the dynamic prowess served up by the saloon, but with even more practicality This ultra-fast wagon is a superb performance car that still delivers all the driver thrills you might crave, along with the usability and practicality of a family estate car The tech on offer is great, but it’s the Touring’s wide breadth of dynamic ability that really impresses.

“The Touring doesn’t feel like a derivative of an existing model, but an M car in its own right”

Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron

FIRST DRIVE Flagship of revised electric SUV line-up goes further on a charge

Ingram Richard Ingram@autovia co uk @rsp ingram

WE drove the new Audi Q8 e-tron late last year, and were won over by the renamed model’s bigger battery, longer range and improved kit count Extensive changes once again made it competitive against an increasingly long list of rivals

But as before, the 50 e-tron and 55 e-tron will be joined by a range-topping S variant – now badged SQ8 e-tron It’s not available to order just yet, but we’ve been given an early taste of the flagship Vorsprung model in sleek Sportback guise

The core ingredients are unchanged It’s fitted with three electric motors that produce a combined 496bhp and 973Nm of torque, giving the SQ8 a 0-62mph time of 4 5 seconds, while top speed stays capped at 130mph

As with the standard e-tron, however, the biggest difference lies beneath the floor, where the old SQ8’s 95kWh battery has been

boosted to 114kWh. The result is a healthy range increase; the new car can cover 290 miles on a charge, up from 223 miles

Not only will the SQ8 go further than before, when the time does come to stop it’ll charge faster too. Now with a 170kW peak, it’ll go from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes, despite the bigger battery

Inside, it doesn’t feel all that different to the standard Q8, aside from the lavish Valcona leather ‘super’ sports seats and extended LED lighting package There’s a Bang & Olufsen stereo, a head-up display and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit Plus, too.

Quality is flawless, as you’d expect for the price, and most of the technology feels well integrated We could forego the lower of the two central screens – a conventional climate control panel with buttons would

suffice – but at least the software within is powerful, making it easy to navigate

Our car was the even-better equipped SQ8 Vorsprung (an additional £17,000), which swaps the Black Edition’s 21-inch wheels for 22-inch alloys, while adding Digital Matrix LED lights, a panoramic roof, heated seats front and rear, and cameras for door mirrors Our opinion on the latter isn’t particularly favourable; avoid them if you can.

It’s on the move where the SQ8 shows its true talents In normal driving, only the two rear motors send power to the wheels, with the single motor on the front axle waking up on demand The standard Q8 is no slouch, but this range-topper is little short of a rocketship; floor the throttle and all four wheels lock to the tarmac while the near1,000Nm of torque launches the car towards

the horizon There are few SUVs (bar a Tesla Model X Plaid) that can compete.

At more than 2 6 tonnes, you might assume the SQ8 would struggle with faster direction changes, and at times it can feel like a bit of a blunt instrument. Yet that prodigious power and plentiful grip mean the driving experience isn’t devoid of enjoyment The regenerative brakes scrub just enough speed in most situations, allowing the car to regain composure before being hustled through the next tight bend

As with the conventional Q8 though, the SQ8 is its best when cruising. The e-tron has always been a quiet luxury SUV, and the new car is no different Audi claims the smoother Sportback is even more efficient, too

There’s little compromise to be made when it comes to practicality, either Audi is one of the few manufacturers that offers a lower coupé-style roofline while retaining reasonable cabin space. You get the same near-flat floor as the normal SUV, and the 528-litre boot trumps a Mercedes EQC, too

“Wheels lock to the tarmac and nearly 1,000Nm of torque launches the car to the horizon”

Richard

Alastair Crooks Alastair Crooks@autovia co uk @AllieCrooks

IT’S no secret that the popularity of diesel has been dented in the UK – sales of cars that use the black pump dropped by 38 9 per cent in 2022 However, Peugeot still believes there’s enough demand to offer its latest 308 with a diesel option

The third-generation 308 symbolises Peugeot’s ‘Power of Choice’ stance, with a variety of powertrains, including two plug-in hybrids, a petrol and, soon, the all-electric e-308 This diesel is certainly not as modern as its siblings, in fact, it’s broadly the same BlueHDi unit found in the old car.

With that in mind, the 308 diesel doesn’t offer any more power than its predecessor (or indeed the petrol model) The 1 5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit produces 128bhp and 300Nm, but the new car has also gained an extra 42kg, so it accelerates from 0-62mph in 10 6 seconds, which is 1.2 seconds slower than the previous generation What is new is the eightspeed automatic transmission – now a standard feature on every new 308

Given that diesel is rather unfashionable right now, the fact that there are no exterior details hinting at this car’s fuel might well be a good thing But as soon as you push the starter button, the BlueHDi rattles into life, giving the game away.

There are three drive modes available: Normal, Eco and Sport As you’d expect, the default setting is Normal and here the 308 offers up fairly light steering from a dinky steering wheel that is core to Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout (more on this later) You can add some extra steering weight in Sport, and overall the rack is quick enough but not particularly engaging

Activating Sport mode also delivers sharper response to accelerator inputs, which is especially helpful around town where the slightly laboured power delivery

DASHBOARD Peugeot has persisted with its i-Cockpit layout, but the high-set dials and small wheel don’t offer the best ergonomic set-up New infotainment is a welcome step on, however

Essentials

Peugeot 308

BlueHDi GT Premium

Price: £33,090

Engine: 1 5-litre 4cyl turbodiesel

Power/torque: 128bhp/300Nm Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive 0-62/top spd: 10 6 seconds/130mph Economy: 54 1mpg CO2: 121g/km ONSALE

of the diesel engine can be a little annoying. On more dynamic roads, there’s plenty of grip to be had, but the 308 never encourages you to play

The third and final tweak that the driving modes control is the automatic gearbox. Select Normal and the changes are slow and slurred, while in Eco they’re even more laboured However, Sport delivers a much sharper shift, not holding on to gears for too long either.

Despite a weight gain over the previous model, the 308 diesel is still 318kg lighter than the PHEV variant, although the diesel felt a little less settled on the road Our car came in range-topping GT Premium trim (although without the electrically operated and heated front seats), which is fitted with 18-inch wheels as standard

On rough roads, the surprisingly firm suspension has a habit of jiggling you about a bit and the tyres transmit a lot of road noise to the cabin On the motorway, however, we found the 308

“As soon as you push the starter button, the BlueHDi rattles into life, giving the game away”

ot 308 1.5 BlueHDi

rm continues to offer diesel power with its latest hatch

the basic relationship between seat, steering wheel and the view of the dials

The absence of diesel badging means this 308 looks the same as the rest of the range

PRACTICALITY Space in the rear (left) is on the tighter side compared with rivals, but it does mean the 308’s boot boasts a bigger volume than its closest competitors A 412-litre capacity is 51 litres more than the PHEV’s, too

settled down, offering cruising refinement on par with the petrol or PHEV versions.

We’ve spoken previously about how impressive the new 308 is inside, and this range-topping GT certainly looks the part The design is great, but everything is also well screwed together, with no creaks or rattles anywhere in the cabin

Ergonomics are less good in the 308 Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout is described by the brand as “the best driving experience” and “energising and delightful”, with the instruments viewed over the top of the steering wheel. The resulting layout conveys plenty of sporty intent, but there are still some issues for some drivers with

It remains a potential blot on an otherwise superb copybook when it comes to the interior, which is full of premium touches The i-Toggle system below the 10-inch central touchscreen is easy to use, while the main display is clear and responds quickly enough to inputs, although the screen layout is a little odd with the onus placed on a small menu selection

For rear passengers things are a little less cheerful because the rear bench is upright and there’s not a lot of headroom This compromise to rear passenger space benefits the boot, though. There’s 412 litres of space in diesel trim (PHEV versions make do with 361 litres), which beats the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Kia Ceed

This 1.5 BlueHDi does have a trump card in the form of company car tax It emits 121g/km of CO2, so it sits two tax bands lower than the petrol model As for efficiency, Peugeot claims 54.1mpg, although that’s only about 8mpg more than the petrol model, which costs £1,400 less

Verdict

NOT long ago almost every family hatchback offered a diesel option

But buyer demands have dramatically shifted in recent years to make cars such as this 308 BlueHDi an exception to the norm That explains why Peugeot hasn’t invested much into developing this diesel powertrain. There are still plenty of positives however, with the usual 308 technology, design and build quality on offer, but we’d stick with petrol power.

93 BEST NEW CAR DEALS NOW!

We’ve rounded up the cream of the car leasing deals available right now

though, and we’ve done all the hard work for you to track them down

THE up-front price of a car has become less and less relevant in recent times. For most motorists, it’s about how much they’ll have to pay a month to get behind the wheel, and one of the most popular ways to do this is leasing.

Also known as Personal Contract Hire, it’s best thought of as a long-term rental agreement, because you never own the car. Leasing is ideal for people who are happy to hand back the vehicle at the end of the agreement. It lets them take advantage of typically lower monthly payments than a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Personal Hire (PH) arrangement.

The car market is in a strange place right now, with numerous challenges, including demand often outstripping supply due to production problems, so bargain lease deals aren’t as abundant as they once were. Worthwhile deals are still out there,

Where possible, we’ve stuck to 48-month contracts with a deposit based on nine months’ worth of payments. This spreads the deposit over four years rather than two or three, while giving longer to save up a downpayment for whatever car comes next.

We’re starting at just £175 a month and going up to £1,000, so there should be something to suit most budgets and a variety of needs over the next 32 pages. Since lead times on new cars in the current climate can be fairly lengthy, we’ve also highlighted the cars that are in stock at the time of writing, so if you need to get behind the wheel swiftly, you know where to look.

We have small city cars, SUVs, sports cars, EVs and much more among our 93 deals. We’ve also made sure a good number of our excellent New Car of the Year Award winners for 2022 are included in this round-up.

These prices were correct as this issue went to press, but deals regularly change.

VERDICT THE Fiat 500 (not to be confused with an EV which has the same name) is an old car now, and that shows in its ergonomics and the way it drives But if you want an affordable little runabout that’s stylish both inside and out, look no further For this kind of money, you’ll have to stick to the entry-level ‘Pop’ trim, but the Italian city car still comes with a decent amount of equipment, including parking sensors plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. And most importantly, it’ll make you smile every time you look at it

VERDICT ONE of three Dacias for less than £200, the Duster has more

and arguably kerb appeal than the Sandero It’s an honest SUV for those who want practicality but aren’t worried about the trimmings

Like the Sandero (see page 36), this Duster is in the basic Essential trim, but it’s not completely barren in terms of equipment, and the steel wheels suit the Dacia rather well It is behind plusher rivals when it comes to its safety features and the quality of its interior trim, so you may wish to opt for the Sandero for

VERDICT THERE must have been whoops of delight at Vauxhall HQ when the Corsa knocked its arch-rival, the Ford Fiesta, off the top spot in the list of Britain’s best-selling cars in 2021 It sold strongly last year, too, but that popularity isn’t just down to its value The current Corsa is far better than the car that it replaced, with a great range of engines and a comfortable ride

Our pick has the base-level non-turbo engine with 74bhp, but this is paired with the Elite trim, which is just one grade down from the range-topping Ultimate spec, so you shouldn’t be wanting for equipment

VERDICT LONG known for its bubble car-like looks, the Micra has grown up into a stylish, sharply designed supermini. There’s plenty of substance, with the Nissan offering great practicality and fantastic build quality

But it’s older than a lot of its rivals, many of which are better to drive, and come with better-performing and more efficient engines, including mild-hybrids. But for this kind of money, the Nissan looks a whole lot more tempting The Micra is no longer available for order, so this deal will only be available for the remaining stock

VERDICT IN recent years, there’s been a renewed focus on providing comfort over handling sharpness in the Citroen range, and that extends even to the stylish little C3 Fitting in with that ethos is this C-Series Edition, which adds a softtouch artificial-leather dash among other upgrades

The exterior decals on this special edition won’t suit everyone, but few will be able to argue with the cosseting ride, efficient three-cylinder engine and the well sized boot The C-Series Edition also gets Citroen’s distinctive ‘Air Bumps’ on the doors.

VERDICT MG’s EVs, especially the brilliant MG4, have been busy grabbing the headlines in recent times, but we shouldn’t forget about the 3, which is a supermini for the price of a city car It offers a lot of space for the money and is surprisingly fun to drive, but those two factors, combined with the price, will need to be very important to you The MG3 is an old car now, having been on sale in the UK for nearly 10 years and even longer in China. This does show, particularly when it comes to the sub-par cabin quality and the relatively crude engine

VERDICT THE Octavia is a lot bigger than the average C-segment hatchback, so Skoda created the Scala to slot between that car and the Fabia supermini The results are, it must be said, not awfully exciting, but from a value perspective, the Scala is hard to beat

For less than £200 a month, you’re getting a very practical car with an impressive 467-litre boot and a tried-and-tested turbocharged three-cylinder engine Our

gets the 108bhp version of that motor and the well equipped SE Technology grade.

VERDICT THE Ibiza isn’t our first choice in the supermini segment, yet the SEAT has lots going for it. It’s more than five years old, but was treated to an update in 2021 to keep it more on terms with rivals It’s great to drive, refined and practical, and with its ‘mini Leon’ looks, quite handsome, too It sits on the same MQB platform as its bigger C-segment brother, which is partly why the Ibiza’s technology offering is so good This deal is for a more basic version, though, with the entry-level inline-three engine and the base SE trim grade.

(see

VERDICT ALTHOUGH this is only the entry-level trim grade for the Hyundai i20 range and its lowest-powered engine, neither factor is much of a concern The i20 SE has all the key bits of tech buyers are looking for in 2023, and an abundance of safety equipment.

The turbocharged three-cylinder engine’s 99bhp output will provide more than enough performance for most people It’s also great to drive, being one of the few cars in the class to give the Ford Fiesta something to worry about on the handling front in recent years

It looks handsome from the outside, while on the inside, the latest version of the Polo is clearly a much higher-quality product than many rivals. Best of all, it has the feel of a car from the segment above

VERDICT AS with the Vauxhall Corsa featured in the sub-£200 category, the Astra is a car that moved the game on massively from its middle-ofthe-road predecessor Perhaps the biggest contrast is the looks. Replacing the generic, blob-like body of the Astra K is a sharply styled machine that’s one of the most handsome in the segment

There’s substance to go with that, though, with a new platform from parent group Stellantis helping the Astra offer great tech and sharp handling For this money, you are looking at an entry-level engine and trim combination, but that’ll still make for a fine car

While that’s not quite the case any more, owing to

upmarket, it still offers a lot of car for the

For your £226 a month, you’re getting a huge and well thought-out boot, plus lots of cabin space This deal is for the lower of the Sportswagon’s two trim grades, but equipment levels are healthy, and we’ve no complaints about the performance on offer from the 1 5-litre petrol engine Just don’t expect it to be particularly exciting to drive

VERDICT THE 3008 played a big part in revitalising Peugeot’s image The dowdy model it replaced was a distant memory as soon as this version arrived, bringing a real sense of flair to a segment not known for offering much excitement. Although the 3008 has been around a while, a facelift in 2021 kept it fresh, and throughout its life, the SUV has been refined and efficient This one blends the 1 2-litre engine with mid-range Allure trim. As with many Peugeots, though, make sure you’re happy with the unusual i-Cockpit driving position

VERDICT IT’S true that the Volkswagen Golf isn’t as convincing a proposition as it once was, due to the eighth-generation version’s various foibles, including a fiddly infotainment system and some surprisingly cheapfeeling trim. But even so, it still ticks a lot of boxes. The Golf is handsome, has a badge with real cachet, and is good to drive, whether you’re pressing on or just cruising The model we’ve chosen here has the entrylevel Life trim, paired with a 148bhp 1.5-litre inline fourcylinder engine, which is both smooth

It’s even quite fun to drive, and while it has a few weak spots, they’re forgivable

VERDICT AN Audi for £336 a month represents a lot of badge for not a lot of money, and this isn’t an A1 we’re looking at here – it’s the much bigger and very well rounded A4 in practical Avant estate form

However, there are compromises to be made to get that tempting monthly payment, because this model uses the base 35 petrol engine and pairs it with entrylevel Technik trim That powertrain is pokey enough, though, while Technik comes with a decent level of standard kit, so there’s still plenty to recommend here

VERDICT THE Mazda CX-5 finished second in 2022’s overall Driver Power rankings, indicating that those who drive one are a very satisfied bunch We ran a CX-5 for the best part of a year on our test fleet and loved it too, so it’s a car we’d happily recommend.

It’s perhaps the most attractive model in its class, but there’s plenty of substance to go with those good looks The CX-5 is also brilliant to drive and has a high-quality cabin. This one is in the mid-spec Sport Edition trim, paired

VERDICT THE previous X-Trail was, in effect, just a big Qashqai, but for this new version, Nissan has put more distance between the two via some aggressive styling

As always with an X-Trail, it scores well for practicality, particularly in this seven-seat version, which has a mildhybrid engine and a mid-range trim level. It features a high-quality interior, but the cabin is already looking a touch dated against rivals from Korean brands

VERDICT CITROEN must be commended for bringing out the C5 X, which seeks to get new-car buyers interested in estate cars again, by blending the traditional wagon shape with the kind of ride height and tough body cladding you’d expect from an SUV It features Citroen’s trademark ride comfort, a classy cabin, and great looks.

It works out a little more expensive than we’d like on a lease deal, but the mid-grade Shine trim level of our chosen example has a decent list of standard kit. The 1.2-litre engine is a good fit for the car, too, although the eight-speed automatic gearbox it’s paired with isn’t the slickest

VERDICT THE A-Class took a big leap forward when the currentgeneration version arrived in 2018, bringing with it the kind of interior plushness and technology you should expect from a Mercedes That means while you do still have to pay more for one than the average C-segment hatchback –as seen by the £387 monthly payment – the A-Class now does a better job of justifying the premium Our pick here is in the AMG Line Executive trim, which provides sportier styling and additional equipment, and comes with a 1.3-litre engine and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox

The Mini Cooper Convertible is fun to drive, won’t cost the earth to run, and has an electronically operated folding roof that goes up or down in just 18 seconds Even more impressively, the car saves the most recent climate-control settings for the roof up and down,

VERDICT WHILE most Jaguar buyers flock to the F-Pace SUV, the XE betters it in pretty much every area apart from practicality, where the saloon loses points for a shortage of rear-seat space and a small boot

But it’s better to drive than the F-Pace, arguably better looking, and after its mid-life facelift, has the kind of interior quality and tech it always should have Even base R-Dynamic S spec offers full-leather trim and electrically adjustable seats, while the D200 diesel engine gives brisk

VERDICT

The hybrid set-up blends a 1 6-litre inline-four petrol engine, a 12.4kWh battery pack and an electric motor. This provides a pokey power output of 222bhp and an electric-only mode with a top speed of 83mph If you’re not aiming for that figure, it can run without waking up the engine for up to 38.5 miles, so if plugged in frequently, you might rarely need

VERDICT THE new Niro looks much better than its blandly styled predecessor, with a sharper-looking face and (sort of) Audi R8-like sideblades, which can be specced in a contrasting colour if you’re feeling bold Its 72kWh fast-charging capability is a little behind others models in this class, but the Niro makes up for that by being one of the most efficient electric vehicles out there It’s pretty quick, too This one comes in the 2 grade, which is the entry-level trim for the Niro EV, but it has enough standard kit for most people

VERDICT NOT everyone will be sold on the 2 Series Gran Coupé’s looks, but if you like what you see, this is a great way into BMW ownership This M Sport – the higher of the two available grades – adds sporty styling, extra kit and lower, stiffer suspension

This means it’ll be even better to drive than the already-sharp standard version, but the ride may be firm for some With a hatchbackstyle boot opening and a pair of rear doors, it’s much more practical than the 2 Series coupé.

VERDICT AN ideal vehicle for people after a family bus, this particular version of the Skoda Kodiaq has the optional seven-seat arrangement

Space in the third row of seats isn’t stellar, but they’re fine for younger kids and smaller teens. With every seat folded, the Czech machine offers an incredible amount of room, with a total cargo capacity of more than 2,000 litres Any version of the Kodiaq will do you proud, but this one might just be the sweet spot, combining Sport Line trim with a smooth 1 5-litre inline-four petrol engine

VERDICT WHILE there’s room for improvement in the ID 3’s cabin due to a surprising abundance of cheaper trim and some fiddly controls, as a whole this Volkswagen hatchback remains a great way to go all-electric for the first time

The Life Pro version of the ID 3 features the smaller 58kWh battery pack, but with an official range of 264 miles, it’ll still take you far on a single charge And when you do need to top up, the Volkswagen’s 125kW fast-charging capability means you won’t have to wait around for too long before you’ll be on the road again

really should be taken seriously It’s one of a number of new EVs that make us really pay attention to what the Chinese car industry is putting out these days The powertrain is impressive and the cabin has a nice design, while the First Edition has plenty of kit We were a little disappointed by the £31,995 list price, and it’s fairly steep to lease, too But on its cute looks alone, we reckon that many buyers

VERDICT THE Ioniq 5 was our Car of the Year in 2021, and although it has more rivals to worry about now, it remains one of the best EVs on the market Its boxy, retro-futuristic looks are still attention-grabbing some time after the car’s launch, and underneath that striking body is a highly efficient electric powertrain.

It also comes with prices starting from £43,150, which translates to fairly high leasing costs, so even this entry-level SE Connect car with the smaller battery is £454 a month. It’s worth it, though.

VERDICT THE Ariya impressed us so much in 2022 that it snagged the overall victory in our Car of the Year awards The cabin represents a huge improvement for Nissan, adopting a slick design that features controls embedded into a huge and premium-feeling block of wood stretching across the dashboard.

For this budget you’ll have to settle for the smaller battery, but the official electric-only range is still healthy, and when you do need to top up, 130kW rapid-charging capability means you won’t be hanging around for long.

Alfa Romeo has done a great job with the dynamics, too, transforming some rather old Jeep underpinnings to create a sharp and satisfying compact SUV to drive The cabin looks great, too, but the

still under scrutiny, the US company has the edge over rivals when it comes to electric powertrain tech So, even though this is a basic single-motor version of the Model Y, it’s still well worth a look. It’s quick, and unlike with many EVs, you stand a good chance of getting close to the official range figure The interior layout won’t be to everyone’s liking, though, because it does away with a traditional instrument cluster in favour of a single, centrally mounted screen

VERDICT THE previous Evoque left the Range Rover badging to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but that’s not the case for the current car The much sleeker-looking model has a vastly improved and tech-packed interior, and as ever, it’s considerably more capable than its rivals if you’re planning to take the Evoque off road

This one will struggle more than other derivatives, however, because it’s the two-wheel-drive version, fitted with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and combined with the mid-range R-Dynamic S trim

THE Megane E-Tech is nothing like the car it replaces It represents a big step forward for interior design and tech, made possible by the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s new CMF-EV electric car platform Helped further by impressive driving dynamics and a strong electric powertrain, the E-Tech made it to the top of the Small Company Car category at our 2022 New Car Awards The mid-range Techno models come with bigger wheels, a Google-based infotainment system and wireless phone charging, while all models get 130kW rapid-charge capability

VERDICT ANOTHER New Car Awards winner, this time in the Large Company Car category, but the 5 Series could seriously be considered the best model in BMW’s current range Highlights include a luxurious interior, which comes with one of the best infotainment set-ups around It also looks great, and the style is far less divisive than that of some of its stablemates, particularly in the sporty M Sport trim of this version Even though this is ‘just’ the 520d we’re looking at, this 5 Series will still prove brilliant to drive

VERDICT PREVIOUS-generation Sante Fe models were rather bland inside and out, but that’s certainly not the case with the latest version Housed in its more distinctive bodyshell is a big seven-seater cabin, although the third row of seats doesn’t offer masses of space The plug-in hybrid version in this deal combines a 13 8kWh battery, an electric motor and a 1 6-litre petrol engine for 261bhp and an electric range of 36 miles The Santa Fe is competent rather than exciting, but that

The

VERDICT CUPRA’S first product after separating from SEAT was an update of the Ateca SUV The results weren’t quite as successful as the later (and unique to the brand) Formentor, but the Cupra Ateca still appeals Thanks to a 296bhp four-cylinder engine feeding power to all wheels, it’s fast and capable It also looks good, is quite practical, and the cabin has a premium feel The Cupra is thirstier than you might expect, though, and you might find yourself explaining the badge to acquaintances quite frequently

VERDICT NOT everyone wants an EV that’s radically different inside and out, and that’s what makes the iX3 so appealing At first glance, it looks just like a regular X3 SUV, and the cabin is very conventional, too That’s not to say the electric version was an afterthought, because the latest X3’s underpinnings were engineered to adopt a fully electric drivetrain As a result, the iX3 is a well packaged, efficient and fun-todrive car that’ll make the EV switch a little less daunting. Here

VERDICT YOU wouldn’t know by looking at it, but the EV6 is mechanically very similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 And like that car, the Kia can count itself among the EV greats around right now The range figures are impressive and achievable, courtesy of the efficient powertrain The EV6 is also fast, satisfying to drive and quite practical We’ve picked the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version here in mid-spec GT Line trim, but that’s no bad thing because you don’t really need the additional performance of the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive car

VERDICT PURISTS might get sniffy at Ford’s apparent audacity to use the iconic Mustang name for an electric SUV, but the fact is the Mach-E is one of the most complete and bestdriving electric vehicles money can buy

You’ll need quite a bit in the bank to get one, though, with this particular Mustang Mach-E costing £785 a month For that sum you will be driving the Extended Range AWD version, which has plenty of performance and is capable of covering up to 335 miles on a single charge.

VERDICT

rate the full-fat Range Rover, there’s a strong rationale behind going for its little brother instead The Range Rover Sport is nearly as plush inside, less expensive, and dynamically sharper Although looks are subjective, we reckon it’s also even more handsome. Plus you can have the Sport with the same excellent plug-in hybrid powertrain as its pricier sibling: it uses a larger-than-average battery pack to give an official electric-only range of up to 70 miles. It’s still expensive, however.

Such performance doesn’t come cheap, but in certain conditions on certain roads, there won’t be many cars faster than this pint-sized tearaway Lease one of these and you’ll be

Testers’ notes

Sean Carson Associate editor

PICTURE the scene: you’ve got 30 grand to spend on a new car. You’re not a fan of SUVs, so a five-door hatchback will suit you fine, and you want something that has a whiff of sportiness about it, but without the hefty running costs that come with a full-blown hot hatchback What choices are there?

Well thanks to Cupra, the options have just grown by one. The Leon, previously available with either an expensive plug-in hybrid powertrain or as a 306bhp hot hatch, has a new entry point with a modest 1 5-litre

turbocharged petrol engine. Yet it retains the sporty looks to satisfy hot-hatch fans.

For similar money, BMW gets in on the act with the 118i, which in M Sport guise is almost indistinguishable from the range-topping M135i, but costs far less to buy and to run.

Then there’s the Mazda 3 There’s no hot version of the Japanese hatch, but then the brand has always focused on making its entire range simply great to drive.

All cost similar money and offer similar performance, so which is best?

BMW

Price: £32,015

Engine: 1 5-litre 3cyl turbo petrol, 134bhp 0-62mph: 8 8 seconds

Test economy: 37 5mpg/8 2mpl CO2: 134-150g/km Annual road tax: £165

Mazda3

GT Sport Price: £31,105 Engine: 2 0-litre 4cyl petrol, 183bhp 0-62mph: 8 5 seconds Test economy: 42 5mpg/9 3mpl CO2: 137g/km Annual road tax: £155

ROAD TESTS Cupra

Leon vs rivals

MODELTESTED: Cupra Leon 1.5 eTSI V1 DSG

PRICE: £32,985 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 148bhp

THE arrival of the 1 5 TSI powertrain creates a new entry point to the Cupra Leon line-up In V1 trim with a DSG gearbox it costs £32,985 before options, and the only extra for our test car is Graphene Grey paint (£870), which brings the total to £33,855

Design & engineering

ORIGINALLY a sporty trim level for SEAT, Cupra was spun off into its own brand in 2018 While some models, like the Formentor, are unique to Cupra, cars such as the Leon take a sportier slant over the SEAT version Sharper bumpers, new wheel designs and lots of copper-coloured highlights set Cupra cars apart, with the latter also extending to the cabin Here, you’ll also find a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a largely uncluttered dashboard, but one that suffers from a major ergonomic flaw We’ve banged on before about the Volkswagen Group’s touch-sensitive sliders for the audio volume and cabin temperature and how, unfathomably, they don’t have any back lighting so you can’t see them at night And although the Group will roll out fixes as each model with the system is updated, this doesn’t stop it being irritating right now

While the specific Cupra details and seat fabrics add some uniqueness and a feeling of sportiness, the overall quality doesn’t quite feel up to scratch, considering the car ’ s asking price But on the plus side, the driving position is comfortable and the seat has a wide range of adjustment

Under the skin, the Leon uses the VW Group’s tried-and-tested MQB platform, which accepts a wide variety of powerplants and fuel types Here, the new base Leon features a 1 5-litre turbocharged petrol with mild-hybrid assistance, which allows for the engine to be stopped and started seamlessly to save fuel Cylinder deactivation and neutral coasting also add to its clever fuel-saving tech

While more potent Cupra Leons use a sophisticated multi-link rear axle set-up, the 1 5 TSI has a simpler torsion beam arrangement The front MacPherson struts are carried over from other Leons, but the 1 5 TSI gets smaller 288mm-diameter brake discs

Driving

OUT on the road, the Cupra Leon drives perfectly acceptably The steering is reasonably light and precise, body roll is kept in check through the turns, and there’s a decent amount of grip to go with a neutral balance The ride is a little firm, though While it isn’t overly harsh (even though larger bumps thump loudly into the cabin), the main issue is a fairly pronounced amount of fidget It’s even present at motorway speeds, so this is a hard car to relax in, because it never wants to completely settle down

But while that hard edge might suggest that it’ll be a hoot in corners, the fun never fully materialises For a sporty brand such as Cupra, we’d like to see a little more excitement from the chassis side – some playfulness or extra feedback to make even mundane drives seem like more of an event

It’s especially important when the car is powered by an engine which isn’t meant to be a snarling performance monster by design In everyday use, the

Details

Cupra Leon vs rivals

Performance

Engine feels a bit flat in this company, while an unsettled ride and a dull chassis don’t do Leon any favours

ROAD TESTS Cupra

1 5 TSI gets the job done adequately With 250Nm of peak torque available from 1,500rpm, the Leon rarely feels caught out when you demand a little shove, and a 0-62mph time of 8 7 seconds is similar to its rivals here It’s smooth even when being worked hard, and settles down nicely at a cruise

The fuel-saving cylinder deactivation is almost imperceptible in its operation, too Only a small logo on the dash, and the subtlest of jolts when the two sleeping cylinders wake up again, let you know it’s happening at all The automatic gearbox is fine for the most part, but it can be a little jerky when manoeuvring at low speeds

Practicality

SHARING tech with other VW Group MQB models has compromised the Leon’s infotainment, but the platform does at least offer decent cabin and boot space At 380 litres, the boot is a useful size for the segment Fold the seats down, and that volume grows to 1,200 litres Both of those figures are identical to the BMW’s, but the Cupra’s load lip is a few inches higher, so it’s easier to load large items into the 1 Series As with its rivals here, the Leon’s seat back splits in a 60:40 configuration

Ownership

WHILE Cupra wasn’t part of our most recent Auto Express Driver Power satisfaction survey, its parent brand SEAT came a below-average 17th out of 29 manufacturers BMW didn’t fare much better, though, pipping SEAT by just one place Both brands lagged far behind Mazda, which took an impressive seventh place in the standings

A service plan takes the hassle out of annual maintenance While all three cars are available with similar plans, the Cupra’s is the priciest over three years, at £33 99 per month However, this also includes some consumables, such as a replacement set of brake pads and front wiper blades, one MoT test and, for those who really want to engross themselves in the brand, includes a 20 per cent discount on all Cupra merchandise

Running costs

WHEN you consider that these three cars are supposed to offer a sporty edge, they should prove to be fairly economical to live with on a daily basis The Cupra averaged 40 7mpg on test, which was more efficient than the 37 5mpg that the BMW achieved While our Mazda’s mpg figure must be taken with a pinch of salt because it was recorded with our manual-equipped car rather than the equivalent auto for this contest, an overall figure of 42 5mpg was the highest number of this trio

Testers’ notes

“Heated steering wheels are great in winter, and this V1 model gets one as standard. However, heated seats only come with the top-spec VZ3 version ”

Alex Ingram Chief reviewer

Leon vs rivals

Interior

Boot space Leon ties with 1 Series for the biggest boot, but there’s a higher load lip than in the BMW

Cupra Leon vs rivals ROAD TESTS

THROUGH THE RANGE

Which trim level might suit you?

THE 1.5 TSI engine is a new introduction to the Leon range, and Cupra only offers this powertrain with the entry-level V1 trim Standard equipment is decent; on the outside you get 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, tinted rear windows and the same sporty-looking bodykit that its fitted to the more powerful versions further up the range.

Inside, there’s a 12-inch navigation system, wireless smartphone charging, a digital instrument panel, a rear-view camera and three-zone climate control The only options available are a panoramic sunroof (£1,035) and paint finishes which range from £580 for one of three metallic shades, and £1,365 for a pair of matte choices. White is a no-cost option.

Cupra currently offers a £500 deposit contribution to finance via a PCP deal Place £3,000 up front on a three-year agreement with a 10,000-mile annual limit, and the V1 comes to £509 per month.

ROAD TESTS Cupra

MODELTESTED: BMW 118i M Sport

Leon vs rivals

PRICE: £32,015 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 3cyl turbo petrol, 134bhp

AT £32,015, the BMW 118i costs less than its Cupra Leon rival, but only if you ’ re careful with the options, because many of the extras fitted to this test car send the price skywards very quickly Leather seats add £1,150, and metallic paint £595, a panoramic sunroof is £1,000, the Comfort Pack (a powered tailgate, electric front seats, keyless entry and a heated steering wheel) costs £1,500, and the Tech Pack (wireless smartphone charging, a head-up display, assisted parking and on-board WiFi) another £1,500 You can pick and choose which of those add-ons you need, but our test car here comes to £37,760

Design &

engineering

THE third-generation 1 Series went against BMW convention when it arrived in 2020 by ditching a rear-wheel-drive layout The reason for the switch was to improve interior packaging relative to its competitors

Being a BMW, however, buyers still expect it to be fun to drive, which is a harder challenge than with rear-driven models, because steering feel can be corrupted by the engine’s torque, and the weight distribution is likely to be more nose-heavy

So, BMW packed the 1 Series with engineering ideas to ensure that it behaved the way we hoped it would This mix includes a more responsive stability control system working alongside a yaw moment distribution system – that’s tech which nips the brakes on the inside wheels to improve turn-in

Under the bonnet, the 118i gets a 1 5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine manufactured at BMW’s Hams Hall plant near Birmingham It’s down on outright power when compared with its two rivals, with 134bhp and 220Nm of torque, while drive is sent to the front via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox

Inside, the BMW feels like the most expensive car here, thanks to its mix of tech and the general sturdiness of the dash and the centre console The steering wheel has the greatest range of adjustment in this company, and the electrically adjustable seats fitted to this test car allow for easy and precise tweaks to the driving position

Driving

WHILE the Cupra doesn’t quite manage to hit the mark for driving fun, the BMW proves that modest power doesn’t need to be an obstacle as long as the chassis is up to the job First impressions suggest that the suspension is similarly stiff, but the damping feels more sophisticated here, so on sections of road where the Leon jiggles, the 118i rounds off the high -frequency bumps much better The suspension itself is better insulated from the cabin, too, so it’s quieter when cruising

When you want to drive more keenly, the BMW is the more engaging choice The front end turns in more enthusiastically, the car is lighter in direction changes, and the front-to-rear balance feels more even overall than in the slightly nose-heavy Cupra The one area where there’s room for improvement is the steering While the rack is certainly direct, the combination of a fat, squishy steering wheel rim and little impression of the front tyres loading up

Performance

Sporty-sounding three-cylinder adds to car’s character, while front-drive chassis is engaging

ROAD TESTS

Cupra Leon vs rivals

through corners means that it doesn’t quite offer the detail to make the BMW’s good chassis a great one

The engine has a little less torque than the Cupra’s, so it doesn’t feel quite as effortless at higher speeds, but the pleasing three-cylinder note and the unit’s willingness to rev means that it’s still more fun to use At 8 8 seconds, the 1 Series is one tenth of a second slower from 0-62mph than the Cupra and three tenths behind the Mazda

However, the BMW’s case is helped by a decent dual-clutch transmission, which can be overridden by a sequential-style shifter on the centre console Here there are also three driving modes, which adjust the responsiveness of the gearbox and throttle pedal

Practicality

score 3.9

WHILE the BMW and Mazda are evenly matched for cabin space, they both have to play second fiddle to the Cupra Leon when it comes to carrying passengers The 1 Series concedes roughly 10-15mm of headroom to its rival and a similar amount in kneeroom in the rear, too The main issue is with the seats themselves, though; the bases feel closer to the floor, which forces occupants’ legs off the ground and gives less under-thigh support as a result The centre seat is also narrower, so it’s a less comfortable place when travelling three abreast Once you ’ ve got past the doors, which are marginally narrower than the Cupra’s, loading a child seat into the BMW is a fairly simple task, because the Isofix points are easily accessible behind plastic covers The same can’t be said for the Leon, which places them within some awkward fabric slots A 60:40 split for the BMW’s back seats is standard, but a more versatile 40:20:40 arrangement is a £150 option

Ownership

ALL three of these cars come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty from new, while extended warranties are available as an option Both the Cupra and BMW benefit from two years of breakdown cover, but the Mazda gets a more generous three-year package

Running costs

score 3.8

score 4.1

AS conventional petrol vehicles, none of these cars will be an obvious candidate for company users High Benefit-in-Kind tax brackets mean each faces deductions of around £4,000 per year Thanks to its lowest 31 per cent banding, the BMW offers the smallest costs of this trio, just undercutting the Mazda in the 32 per cent band by less than £10 The Cupra is the priciest, at £4,186, because of its higher P11d value

Testers’ notes

“If you’d like to travel further on a tank of fuel in the BMW, then another £50 gets you a 50-litre tank in place of the standard 42-litre capacity ”

Alex Ingram Chief reviewer

Boot space

Low load lip boosts access, while 40:20:40 seat folding is an option

Interior Bright red upholstery is an option, but first-rate build quality comes as standard

Cupra Leon vs rivals ROAD TESTS

THROUGH THE RANGE

ROAD TESTS Cupra

Leon vs rivals

MODELTESTED: Mazda 3 GT Sport e-Skyactiv X Auto

PRICE: £31,105 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol, 183bhp

THE Mazda 3 we have in these pictures is the GT Sport Tech equipped with a manual gearbox

In order to keep parity with the other two here, we ’ re testing it as priced with an automatic gearbox Before options, that means it costs £31,105, while the Platinum Quartz metallic paint adds another £570

Design & engineering

MAZDA has a history of going its own way when it comes to its engineering choices While almost every other mainstream manufacturer has spent years developing downsized turbocharged petrol engines, the Japanese brand has stuck with larger-capacity non-turbo units The 2 0-litre e-Skyactiv X has a 500cc advantage over both rivals here

While it doesn’t have a turbo, the e-Skyactiv X does feature a tiny supercharger, which helps force more air into each of the four cylinders It’s part of a system that Mazda calls Spark Controlled Compression Ignition This uses traditional spark ignition for maximum power – and at 183bhp, this engine is 35bhp up on the Cupra’s 1 5 TSI –but combines this with compression ignition, made possible by the supercharger, to help deliver diesel-like efficiency

What it can’t compensate for is the low-down torque that a turbo provides At 240Nm, the Mazda’s peak is only just behind the Leon’s, but it arrives at 4,000rpm, some 2,500rpm later than in its rival

Still, Mazda’s tech has been boosted with a mild-hybrid system, represented by the ‘ e ’ in e-Skyactiv X This 24-volt belt-driven starter/ generator helps in much the same way as the Cupra’s: recovering energy under deceleration which can then be used to reduce load on the combustion engine under acceleration and provide a nearinstantaneous stop-start system in traffic

In design terms, the Mazda 3 looks sporty yet quite understated inside and out Its cabin quality runs the BMW’s close, and while the minimalist appearance has some compromises, the simple buttons and logical layout allow the driver to focus on the road

Driving

EVEN though the BMW is fairly enjoyable to drive, there are some areas where the Mazda proves to be even better The weighting and precision of the steering are spot on, and the feel through the pedals is fantastic – these are things that you can appreciate even when you ’ re shuffling along in traffic or going for a relaxed drive

As with its rivals here, there’s a certain firm edge to the 3’s ride over smaller bumps, but otherwise the overall set-up feels like the softest here It’s not so soft that it’s at sea in corners, though In fact, the body roll is very well judged, giving you just enough of a feeling about how the car edges towards the limits of its grip through the corners The Mazda is neatly balanced, grip is strong and overall it’s great to drive for a car of this type – it’s even a shade more fun than the BMW

However, those drivers that have become used to the torque of the turbocharged petrol engines that most of the Mazda’s rivals use these days will

Performance Engine needs revs to get going, but sharp handling means the Mazda betters the BMW in places

Cupra Leon vs rivals

ROAD TESTS Cupra Leon vs rivals

be left a little lukewarm by the car ’ s e-Skyactiv X engine Against the clock, the 3 is the quickest model here, but it doesn’t feel that way in the real world With peak torque so high up the rev range, it takes a lot more throttle and a lot more revs to make similar progress to its rivals

That’s less of a problem if you ’ ve chosen Mazda’s brilliant six-speed manual gearbox, but the auto isn’t so enjoyable to use It will leave you feeling as if the Mazda is rather gutless when compared with any of the other similarly priced cars on the market

Practicality

WHEN it comes to cabin space, the Mazda brings up the rear of this group While kneeroom is just about a match for the BMW, headroom is a little tighter

The roof has quite a pronounced curve above the doors, which means that headroom is as much compromised to the sides as it is by the roofline above The centre seat is hard and narrow, too

At 330 litres, the boot is also the smallest here, and the load lip, like the Leon’s, is quite high The rear seat backs fold completely flat, revealing a total volume of 1,022 litres – a figure that’s also behind its rivals here On the plus side, the Mazda has a huge central bin between the front seats, and it has the largest glovebox of this trio

Ownership

THE Mazda 3 was assessed by Euro NCAP in 2019, and scored fantastic individual category results within its five-star rating Its 98 per cent adult occupant protection score matched that of the Tesla Model X, and only one car scored more highly all year, which was the Mazda 3’s SUV stablemate, the CX-30 The 1 Series was tested in the same year Its child occupant protection score matched the Mazda’s 87 per cent figure, but it scored 83 per cent in the Adult category – although that was still good enough for a five-star rating The Leon was tested one year later, and also achieved a top five-star rating

Running costs

ONE of the few black marks against the Mazda’s running costs comes if you ’ re a private cash buyer Over three years or 36,000 miles of ownership, the 3 is expected to hold on to only 47 9 per cent of its original value, translating into depreciation of £16,206

The Leon is expected to maintain 54 2 per cent, which means a smaller £15,114 loss, despite the fact that it’s more expensive to buy in the first place The BMW has the strongest residuals though; it will be worth 57 6 per cent of its £32,015 retail price, which means buyers would only lose £13,590 over the same period

Testers’ notes

“The 3’s curved window lines look sporty from the outside, but they mean you get quite big over-the-shoulder blind spots ”

Alex Ingram Chief reviewer

Boot space

A high load lip makes it harder to load heavy items, and the cargo volume is behind its rivals

Interior

Build quality inside is a match for the BMW’s, while top-spec model features plenty of luxuries

Cupra

THROUGH THE RANGE

Infotainment

WE’VE already mentioned the Cupra’s awkward sliding controls, but even though they’re not part of the infotainment set-up itself, they still harm its usability That’s because their location, on a small shelf below the 12-inch screen, is exactly where you might steady your hand when using the touchscreen, so you have to hover your hand above it in order to not inadvertently change the audio volume or cabin temperature

The system itself has been steadily improved since its first release, and in many areas, it’s quite slick The loading times are quick, the graphics are bright and colourful, and the shortcut logos make it easy to work your way around However, the cabin climate functions are set within the system – we much prefer the physical switches that are found in both the BMW and the Mazda

Which multimedia system is best for music, sat-nav & connectivity?

BY almost any measure, the BMW’s infotainment tech is comfortably the best here In terms of usability, few systems are as intuitive, because you get a responsive touchscreen that is great to use while parked, while a clickwheel controller that’s flanked by a small group of physical buttons that allow you to make small adjustments to the car ’ s settings on the move without the need to take your eyes off the road

Even if those two don’t work for you, there’s always the voice control system, which is among the better versions of its type to use The loading times are the quickest here, the parking cameras look sharp on screen, and the useful menus are all within easy reach, not buried in sub-menus One of our few criticisms is aimed at the digital dials, which look a little fussy to our eyes

AS much as you’ll frequently read complaints about touchscreens (not just for the Leon tested here, either), they do have their uses in some situations Selecting menus or typing addresses when parked – the sort of thing we often do when plotting a route before starting a journey – can be a simple process with a touchscreen Unfortunately the Mazda does without one

Instead, you have a BMW-style clickwheel located next to the drive selector Entering a postcode is a drawn-out affair, which involves twiddling the wheel through a rotary keyboard until the desired letter is found It means a process that takes seconds in the BMW or Cupra takes much longer here Loading times are reasonable, though, and the route can adjust on the fly efficiently – even if the lack of traffic data means the system’s arrival times are hugely optimistic

On the road price/total as tested

Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000)

Depreciation

Annual tax liability std/higher rate

Annual fuel cost (12k/20k miles)

Insurance group/quote/VED Cost of 1st/2nd/3rd service

Length/wheelbase

Height/width Engine

Peak power/revs

Peak torque/revs Transmission

Fuel tank capacity/spare wheel

Boot capacity (seats up/down)

Kerbweight/payload/towing weight

Turning circle

Basic warranty (miles)/recovery

Driver Power manufacturer/dealer pos

NCAP: Adult/child/ped /assist/stars

0-62mph/top speed

Auto Express economy/range WLTP combined WLTP combined

Actual/claimed CO2/tax bracket

Airbags/Isofix/park sensors/camera

Auto box/lane-keep assist

Blind-spot assist/AEB

Climate control/cruise control

Leather/heated seats

Metallic paint/LED lights

Keyless entry & go/powered tailgate

Sat-nav/digital dashboard

DAB radio/connected services

Wireless charge/CarPlay/Android Auto

Cupra Leon vs rivals ROAD TESTS

BMW 118i M Sport

£32,015/£37,760 £18,425/57 6% £13,590 £1,967/£3,935 £2,191/£3,651 20/£540/£165 £802 (3 years)

4,319/2,670mm 1,434/1,799mm

3cyl in-line/1,499cc 134/4,500 bhp/rpm 220/1,500 Nm/rpm 7-spd auto/fwd 42 litres/repair kit 380/1,200 litres 1,395/550/1,300kg 11 4 metres 3yrs (60k)/2yrs 16th/15th 83/87/76/72/5 (’19)

8.8 secs/132mph 37 5/8 2/346 miles 47 9-42 8mpg 10 5-9 1mpl 174/134-150g/km/31%

Six/yes/yes/yes

£1,350/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes £1,150/yes £595/yes £500/£500 Yes/yes yes/yes £350/yes/yes

POWER

CONSIDERING its relatively modest output the 118i can easily hang on to its rivals in a straight line

TOWING

BOTH the BMW and Mazda can haul a 1 300kg braked trailer; the Cupra can tow 100kg more

Mazda 3 e-SkyactivX auto GT Sport

£31,105/£31,675 £14,899/47 9% £16,206 £1,972/£3,945 £1,933/£3,222 22/£538/£155 £799 (3 years)

4,460/2,725mm 1,435/1,795mm 4cyl in-line/1,998cc 183/6,000 bhp/rpm 240/4,000 Nm/rpm

6-spd auto/fwd 51 litres/repair kit 330/1,022 litres 1,522/441/1,300kg 11 4 metres 3yrs (60k)/3yrs 7th/N/A 98/87/81/73/5 (’19)

8.5 secs/134mph 42 5/9 3/477 miles 47 1mpg 10 4mpl 154/137g/km/32%

DIMENSIONS

MAZDA is the longest car here by 62mm and it also has the longest wheelbase

Cupra Leon 1.5 eTSI V1 DSG

£32,985/£33,855 £17,871/54 2% £15,114 £2,093/£4,186 £2,019/£3,364 21/£533/£155 £1,224 (3 years)

4,398/2,689mm 1,444/1,799mm

FUEL TANK LARGEST fuel tank of this trio allows the Mazda to cover the furthest distance between refuelling stops

INSURANCE

BASED on our AA-sourced quotes there will be little between th s trio for cover costs

4cyl in-line/1,498cc 148/5,000 bhp/rpm 250/1,500 Nm/rpm 7-spd auto/fwd 45 litres/repair kit 380/1,200 litres 1,395/485/1,400kg 11.2 metres 3yrs (60k)/2yrs 17th*/N/A 91/88/71/80/5 (’20)

8.7 secs/133mph 40 7/9 0/403 miles 47 1-44 1mpg 10 4-9 7mpl 160/136g/km/32%

OPTIONS

KEYLESS entry and a powered tailgate are part of a pack on our test car but they can be specced separately

Seven/yes/f&r/yes £1,550/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes £570/yes Yes/no Yes/no Yes/yes £241/yes/yes

LEATHER BLACK hide is standard with GT Sport trim while a burgundy alternative is available as a no-cost option

Six/yes/f&R/yes

Yes/yes No/yes Yes/yes No/no £580/yes Yes/no Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/yes/yes

TURNING CIRCLE THERE S not much to separate these three for manoeuvrability, but the Cupra is marginally the best here

GEARBOX

THE Leon 1 5 TSI is available with a manual gearbox, but it foregoes the mild-hybrid system that comes with the DSG unit

BMW

A PREMIUM brand at a fairly mainstream price –what’s not to like? The BMW 118i offers enough for the keen driver who doesn’t want to break the bank with high running costs, yet backs that up with great fit and finish, superb in-car tech and a spacious boot Strong residuals and competitive monthly figures – as long as you go easy on the pricey options and packages available –make the 1 Series very hard to fault

MAZDA

THE Mazda 3 is often overlooked in the family car class, and this test proves that it deserves more success It’s genuinely engaging to drive, the cabin is smart, and you get loads of equipment for your money The non-turbocharged engine won’t suit everyone, nor will the lack of cabin space. As a result, the Mazda isn’t quite capable of toppling the BMW – but it does come tantalisingly close

CUPRA

1st 2nd 3rd Results

IF you want a sportylooking hatchback that is roomy enough and a little bit different, then the Cupra Leon is worth a go. However, this test shows there are options that are not only more fun to drive and more comfortable (or both), are more luxurious and have better ergonomics, but are also potentially a little cheaper based on the finance deals currently available to buyers

in this company is that it’s fairly sharp to drive, too, even if it’s a touch down on power

Peugeot 308/308 SW

HANDOVER REPORT We’ll see if 308 estate makes more sense as a family car than the hatch

Practicality

THE term ‘family hatchback’ applies to a lot of cars, with almost every manufacturer having a contender in this sector There’s the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Kia Ceed, Honda Civic, Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and many, many more Included in that list is the Peugeot 308 that we ’ re currently running on the Auto Express fleet, and the more time I spend with it, the more I’m starting to realise that whoever coined this term probably doesn’t have a family

I have two children aged five and two, and it can be a real struggle to fit everybody inside, along with the sheer amount of kit that needs to be crammed into the boot

Because my kids still need car seats, the rear legroom is extremely compromised, meaning both myself and my wife have to move our seats forward more than we would like I can cope with it when driving, but whoever sits in the front passenger seat inevitably ends up with their legs jammed into the glovebox area, which protrudes quite a long way in the 308

But the even bigger issue is the size of the boot Once my daughter’s buggy is inside,

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 76 seconds/139mph

there isn’t really much room for anything else Add a few coats and bags and you can forget it Now this is partly down to the 308 that we ’ re running being a plug-in hybrid, so the battery reduces boot space from 412 litres to 361 litres But regardless of the model, this is way down on what many typical SUVs can accommodate

We really found this out over the Christmas period, when making multiple long trips to Oxford to spend time with my family Each journey was a struggle, and we often had to resort to packing bags between the children in the rear seats

Thankfully help is at hand, though, because Peugeot has sent out a 308 SW estate for us to test over the next three months It replaces the hatch on our fleet, and both my wife and I are delighted We’re really looking forward to seeing how it will cope with family life It’s unlikely to have much of an impact on legroom, but it

boasts a whopping 548 litres of space at the back Bring on the long family trips, I say!

Our new 308 SW features the punchy 222bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain (the same set-up as you’ll find in the Vauxhall Astra GSe), so it should be pretty quick on the move as well It’s also a top-spec GT Premium, so comes packed with standard kit, including electric and heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a panoramic roof – all things I usually make good use of Other than the amount of space, which isn’t exactly a Peugeot-specific issue, the 308 has been a great performer, irrespective of bodystyle I racked up a decent distance in the hatch, covering 6,306 miles before it was replaced, and I really enjoyed driving it You sit quite low, so at times it almost feels like a go-kart, and you can have some proper fun on a good B-road, thanks to the precise steering

The design of the interior looks smart, bordering on premium, and the large central

“Whoever coined the term family car for the 308 probably doesn’t have a family”

Pete Baiden

Pete Baiden@autovia co uk @PeteBaiden

WE LIKE I’m able to pre-heat the plug-in 308 in cold weather I just open the Peugeot app, click a few buttons and let the car do the work Adding a schedule means it’s always nice and toasty when I take my son to school

screen is crystal clear Wireless Apple CarPlay is normally connected within seconds of starting the car, so I have everything I need at my fingertips There are no physical climate controls, but there’s a switch to quickly access it on the screen and it always comes up quickly whenever I press it

The driving position means that it can be hard to see the dials, though, since Peugeot’s insistence on having the screen above the steering wheel means it often just gets in the way I find it less of an issue than my wife does, but it’s definitely not for everybody

Running in pure-electric mode regularly means I’ve managed to achieve 72 4mpg However, I’ve had to charge it up daily because the range remains disappointing at just under 20 miles I was expecting the cold weather to make things worse, but thankfully it’s stayed relatively unchanged

Having previously written about this, I have since received E-mails from 308 and 3008 owners quoting similar problems

One reader stated he couldn’t get above 11 miles and has now stopped bothering to charge it altogether I’ll be interesting to see if things are any better with the 308 SW

WE DON’T The fuel tank is tiny, with just a 40-litre capacity, so when I’m not running in pureelectric mode, I’m making regular trips to fuel up Also, while the pearlescent white paint looks great, it really shows the dirt

Verdict

WHILE the Peugeot 308 is good to drive and oozes style, the space on offer in the hatchback is definitely a struggle with a family Hopefully our new 308 SW estate should solve that issue, though.

Design Smart looks help 308 stand out, but dashboard layout can be frustrating

Practicality Hatchback isn’t really geared towards a family of four with young kids

Front-seat legroom is compromised by a dashboard that protrudes a long way forward

McIlroy John McIlroy@autovia co uk @johnmcilroy

IT’S always interesting to try a car late in its development, and then revisit it once it’s made it into showrooms That was the case recently when Mazda organised a road trip to the Brussels Motor Show and suggested that we might like to take our CX-60 I purloined the keys from chief subeditor Andy Pringle – and roped my family in for the trip, to see how the big plug-in hybrid would cope with a longer journey There’s no denying that Mazda has got the cabin right The company wants to rebrand its products as “crafted in Japan”, and while it pains me to praise any marketing slogan, this one feels every bit as accurate as it is clever We were instantly impressed by the mix of plastics and materials, with a brighter-than-usual feel (helped further by the large sunroof) and some novel Japanese finishes like the intricate weave on the dash There’s a weight and heft to all of the switches, too; you really need to put in effort, for example, to slide the central air vents from side to side They feel like they’re counterweighted by a lump of rock Sadly, the Mazda’s powertrain can’t quite match the polish of its cabin environment The disappointment begins when you pull away with a freshly replenished battery, because the system insists on showing off its electric-running credentials There’s nothing wrong with this in theory, except that the electric motor sounds like someone squeezing a pair of fairly asthmatic gerbils This is particularly glaring, of course, when

Mazda CX-60 PHEV

SECOND REPORT Family trip to Bruges shows SUV’s good and bad points

you ’ re crawling along in a queue – as we found ourselves doing at the Eurotunnel –just the sort of situation where silent EV running ought to be at its most appealing

The system doesn’t seem that keen to play with the Mazda’s dual-clutch gearbox, either It’s frequently jerky as it feeds in the petrol power, and can also be flummoxed if you slow for a junction or roundabout and then decide you want to continue moving

Then there’s the ride quality I’d hoped, when I drove the late prototype of the CX-60 last year, that its choppy suspension set-up would be fine-tuned before the car went into production Sadly, it’s still too firm and too easily caught out at low speeds on scarred urban roads It does become a bit more composed once you get up to a fast cruise – there’s no denying that the steering and body control are pretty decent for such a large vehicle, in fact – but the trade-off seems compromised The less said about its performance over the Belgian pavé of Bruges after the Brussels show, the better These flaws are all the more glaring because the Mazda does so many other things well The boot easily swallowed our luggage for a family weekend in Bruges; it’s not especially tall but it is extremely long, so it was possible to slide a full-sized suitcase in on its narrow edge That, in turn, allowed

space for me to load in half a dozen cases of finest plonk at Calais on the way back

There’s no doubt, of course, that our journey was outside the Mazda’s comfort zone The battery had drained long before we’d reached the Eurotunnel, restricting us to very limited spells of zero-emissions running The fuel economy figure hovered at north of 35mpg, which would mean pretty frequent refills, even if it’s not entirely obscene for a fully laden PHEV of this size

Of course, Mazda thinks it has the solution to this – or one solution, at least – with the MX-30 R-EV, the car we drove over to see in Brussels It too has a relatively small battery, but there’s no physical connection between the petrol engine (a rotary, no less) and the wheels I already know that I’d love to see that innovative powertrain in something more conventional than the oddball MX-30 But Mazda, true to form, isn’t going that way; instead, its answer for long-distance CX-60 motoring is an all-new diesel engine (yes, remember those?) that’s due in the coming months

“Sadly, the Mazda’s hybrid powertrain can’t match the polish of its cabin environment”

John

WE LIKE Cabin is beautiful and well thought out. For example, small indents built into centre console let you thread cables through from charging ports

WE DON’T In this day and age, there’s simply no excuse for the sort of groaning whine that the CX-60’s electric-motor set-up produces during EV running

OUR cross-channel jaunt reinforces our first impressions of the car. Its cabin is genuinely nice, and there’s plenty of space, but the powertrain is a major weak spot, especially next to seriously polished rivals.

Toyota Corolla Commercia

SECOND REPORT To our eyes, load-lugger is more appealing on steelies

that encourages you to press on, so you end up trying to boost your efficiency instead

IT’S safe to say that unless you ’ re buying a high-end pick-up truck or a Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo, you ’ re not in the market for a commercial vehicle for its looks And yet, van makers insist on adding trinkets and baubles to their models in a bid to jazz them up

Our Toyota Corolla Commercial comes in one trim level, which is based on the entry-level Icon version of the Touring Sports estate But instead of kitting it out with that car ’ s 16-inch alloys, the Commercial makes do with 15-inch steel wheels and silver plastic trims

I can’t say I’m a fan of wheel trims Even when they’re designed by a manufacturer, they can still look more like aftermarket accessories, and the Corolla’s trims sit proud of the tyre sidewalls, so there’s the constant fear of mangling them on high kerbs when parking: if there’s one thing worse than wheel trims, it’s that damaged ones look even uglier So I took the Corolla’s off almost as soon as it was delivered, and to my eyes immediately improved its looks With the black ‘steelies’ on display, there’s something altogether more workmanlike

about the Corolla Then, when it snowed at the start of December, and with a layer of winter grime covering the white bodywork, it had the look of a manufacturer’s pre-production mule traipsing across a Scandinavian cold-weather test facility

I’m not the only one who’s appreciated the transformation in the Toyota’s appearance My colleagues have given the update a thumbs up, while it’s been noted that other road users seem to mistake the Corolla Commercial for an unmarked police car

The number of times we ’ ve seen speeders in the outside lane of a motorway haul on the anchors as they come past our plain white ‘ cop car ’ is too significant for them to have just grown a conscience at that very same moment All that’s really left to complete the look is a hi-vis jacket and a penchant for driving at 65mph in the nearside lane of a dual carriageway

Staying below the speed limit is something that the Corolla Commercial positively encourages you to do anyway

The hybrid system is very efficient, and while the 120bhp 1 8-litre petrol engine has enough performance to get by, it’s not one

That’s easier said than done during the cold winter months, though It’s common knowledge that the range of pure EVs takes a hit when the temperatures plummet, but we ’ re seeing similar disruption to our hybrid Corolla’s fuel economy, too A mild October meant that we were on target to match the model’s official fuel economy of 61 4mpg, but recent cold snaps have seen our returns take a turn for the worse

The main culprit is the fact that the hybrid set-up doesn’t really start working properly until there’s enough heat in the system So from a cold start, the engine runs for around 10 minutes, irrespective of whether you ’ re cruising at speed or are sitting in stop-start traffic

That latter situation is where the biggest losses take place The Corolla has a gauge in the instruments that shows how much time you ’ ve spent driving on electricity during your journey, and it’s disheartening to see it sit at zero per cent for long periods When it’s warm, the gauge often records EV use in

the 60-70 per cent region, and it even measures at 40-50 per cent when you ’ re cruising at motorway speeds

It proves how effective Toyota’s hybrid system is in most driving environments, so to see the gauge hit the low 20 per cents on a journey is disappointing However, we ’ re still averaging more than 60mpg on the whole, which is pretty impressive

“Other road users mistake the Corolla Commercial for an unmarked police car”

Dean Gibson

Dean Gibson@autovia co uk

@DeanGbsn

Hot or not? Plastic wheel trims came off almost as soon as Dean had the Corolla’s keys

Fleetwatch

Land Rover Defender

A CHANCE to

recently (you

What Steve loves most about his current car, which he’s lived with for the past eight months, is just how easy Land Rover has made using the car every day. And that’s whether it’s the simplicity of selecting from one of the various off-road modes (which came in very handy in December’s snow), or the myriad storage spaces for putting away the paraphernalia that comes with everyday life these days

The large infotainment system is put to good use displaying various views to help parking, while the audio system is getting better with age. On top of all that, Steve is a big fan of the way the Defender looks – especially on the rare occasions that it’s not covered in mud. It’s a car that will be sorely missed when it’s gone.

OUR plug-in hybrid Jaguar has a new custodian for its final few months with us – and snapper Pete Gibson found an instant audience for the F-Pace when he brought it home for the first time. By coincidence, Pete’s father-in-law Dennis had popped around, so the P400e ended up sharing a driveway with his much-loved XE.

A lifelong Jag fan, Dennis was understandably keen to have a poke around Pete’s new arrival. He was impressed by the stance of the F-Pace, as well as the cabin – but he’s also a strong advocate of pure-petrol power and six-cylinder engines, so the F-Pace’s combination of four-pot motor and electric power might be a harder sell

It’s early days for Pete, but he’s already enjoying the F-Pace’s boot, which is a decent size when compared with his outgoing Kia Niro long-termer Fuel efficiency may prove another matter, but time will tell

Reflect Time with a rival shone new light on how Land Rover has updated the Defender

Twins Our F-Pace lines up alongside XE for a family photo

drive the new Ineos Grenadier

can read about it in our 8 February issue) has allowed editor-in-chief Steve Fowler to revisit Land Rover’s approach to its reborn Defender. Ineos has aped the spirit of the old Defender, while Land Rover has moved things on.

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Decode tyre markings HOWTO

NEW NEXTBASE CAM PLAYS IT SMART

Nextbase iQ smart dash cam Price: Under £500 Contact: nextbase co uk

NEXTBASE has been teasing more details about its next generation of dash cam, which promises greater in-car security and driver assistance.

We last covered the iQ a year ago (Issue 1,710), but its planned launch date and price have altered since then The August 2022 delivery has moved to this spring and its £300 cost is now said to be “under £500”.

Perhaps the delay is understandable because the iQ aims to deliver much more than just capturing your drive and the behaviour of other road users. A GPSbacked, three-cam IR system remains at the heart of the device, but delivering 4K front and 1440p rear and cabin views at all times. AI technology provides real-time monitoring of other vehicle’s speeds and trajectories, while driver-aware functions combat drowsy or distracted driving.

A vehicle-aware function monitors vehicles and pedestrians and provides driver alerts, plus it retains the Series 2 cam’s ability to automatically alert the emergency services following a serious

accident. The spatial monitoring and alerts also work when the car is parked Key is the 3G and 4G connection, so activity can be monitored from anywhere, and it sends alerts if there’s an incident.

What do they mean?

THE days of ringing round tyre depots looking for the best prices have long gone and most of us now do our searching online But you need to know what you are looking for

Some online tyre retailers let you search using your car’s registration number But it pays to check what tyres you have fitted, because they may have been changed, or the maker offered several size options

Knowing the correct specification you need may also increase the choice on offer to you, because the speed and load ratings on your tyres will be the minimum you can fit Higher-spec tyres are also an option

The key figures are usually the biggest on the sidewall and follow this format: 215/55 ZR17 94W The first figures are the width in millimetres, and the next pair is the profile or aspect ratio. This is a percentage of the width and shows the tyre’s height – 55 per cent of 215mm in our example

The letters indicate the type of construction – in our example it’s R for radial, by far the most common type, and the Z shows it is designed for more than 149mph. The next number is the wheel size in inches The 94 is the load index, and the letter (W) the speed rating – up to 168mph in our example These are the minimum required and don’t relate to use or the car’s performance.

Other markings to look out for are those that indicate the tyre has been optimised for a particular car maker Most major manufacturers have their own markings –usually two or three letters such as Audi’s AO, although BMW uses a star and VW a plus sign in a circle Check your car maker’s mark, and while it’s not compulsory to fit OE spec, it can be highly desirable for some models

If you want run-flat tyres, there is no industry standard, with each maker using its own two or three-letter mark Just check when you have chosen the brand you want Finally, when assessing used tyres, look for the production date: four numbers, usually in a panel. The first two are the production week and the second pair the year Replace anything more than five or six years old

Delivering beautiful body on Bronco tests painting skill

FIRSTTEST

Tamiya Bronco RC kit

Price: From £229 95

Rating:

Contact: jadlamracingmodels com

WE’VE built Tamiya radio-controlled cars before, but this time we focused on the body, taking a step up from the readypainted Escort we completed in 2020

We returned to the CR-02 chassis (see Issue 1,615) but this time with the complex Ford Bronco body Although the cost of completing the chassis is clear, you need to take into account some extra expense that covers paint, tape and tools, as well as allow a fair few extra hours

Our Bronco shell required cutting out, and curved modelling scissors were a great help, as was a sharp knife to score straight edges before snapping off the excess The two-colour box-art livery required careful masking and we used Tamiya tape in three widths, plus one for curves. Plenty was left over, but the initial cost must be considered. We went for Tamiya paint – around £6 for a 100ml can – and we also backed the body colour to prevent show-through Our Bronco

NEWPRODUCT

Laser Oil Funnel Set

Price: £67 06

Contact: lasertools co uk

GETTING oil from a five-litre can into a modern engine is likely to end with a spill; even if you use a funnel, you must hold it with one hand while pouring with the other. But Laser Tools has just launched a solution.

There are two versions: one for Nissan and Renault diesel engines and another for VW Group cars. Both have threaded adaptors to securely fit the oil filler, which provide a tight seal and remove the need to hold the funnel when filling up

news, deals& events

TALE OF THE TAPE

McLaren and APL add colour options

MCLAREN Automotive has furthered its collaboration with footwear brand APL to launch three new colourways for the APL McLaren HySpeed trainers

The Magenta/Pristine version “represents the dynamic performance and driving characteristics as an ode to APL and McLaren”, while the Pristine/Tan/Midnight option takes inspiration from McLaren interiors and the French Riviera The Black/White colourway is an updated take of APL’s historic best seller. The trainers retail for £545 and can be bought at athleticpropulsionlabs.com.

Goodyear shows off greener demo tyre

(pictured while testing before the body posts were trimmed) had lots of trim that also needed painting and mounting

So should you tackle a clear-body kit? It’s time-consuming, challenging and adds cost to the cost of a build, but it’s highly rewarding, even if there are a few bits on the car that we’d really like to do again

HANDY

GOODYEAR has unveiled a new demonstration tyre, which is approved for road use and is made from 90 per cent sustainable materials. Further to the brand’s demo in 2022, which used 70 per cent sustainable materials, the new tyre also had a lower rolling resistance than a reference product made with traditional materials.

The new tyre isn’t ready for fullscale production, requiring greater collaboration with suppliers for the volumes needed, but potential buyers interested in sustainably sourced tyres can register for updates at goodyear.com/sustainablematerialtire.

Donington revs up for historic festival

DONINGTON Historic Festival takes place on the weekend of 29-30 April and includes the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup endurance race, touring car grids from the fifties to the nineties, pre-war sports car racing and three Ferrari-only events Go to doningtonhistoric.comfor more information, event timetable details and to book tickets.

UPDATED Caranalytics

DESPITE the new bundle options to reduce the price if you are checking more than one car, Caranalytics is more expensive than our best buy and we can’t see it offers an advantage in any area You also have to pay an extra £2 per check for a £30,000 guarantee that is standard with TotalCarCheck

While Caranalytics flagged concerns about our crashed Kia, there’s no salvage auction search to show pictures. This also meant it gave a clean bill of health to our mangled Mercedes, because it had not yet been officially listed as a write-off

The site’s search got confused about the mileage info on a Bentley, and we noticed errors in basic info, such as an Insignia listed with the wrong emissions data, which made it appear more expensive to run. Some of the site’s explanations are bafflingly worded, too

Mini test

Improved Caranalytics takes on best buy again

EVEN experienced used car dealers can be caught out by fraudsters and traders who dabble in shady activities

This is why we always advise paying to investigate a car’s history The best data checks include areas not covered by the industry-standard products, such as scanning salvage auction records for damaged cars that weren’t written off Following criticism in our last data checks multitest, Caranalytics has

books, games & apps

Patina Volkswagens

Mark Walker (Veloce Publishing, veloce co uk)

Price: £30 Rating:

THIS is a revised and lengthened version of a book we reviewed in 2019 The appetite for patinated or rat-look VWs hasn’t shrunk in that time, and this edition has more pictures and a section on a specialist builder and its creations It’s still a good read, but the author doesn’t seem totally comfortable with how the ‘yoof’ speak about these interestingly aged cars

revamped its pricing to include a discounted package of five checks Our previous best buy, TotalCarCheck, has also upped its game, with new information now included in both the free and paid-for investigations

There’s no doubt the Caranalytics bulk-buy pricing is welcome, but it still works out more expensive than its TotalCarCheck rival, and isn’t as easy to understand, comprehensive or accurate So our Best Buy retains its crown

IN addition to data about the MoT history, VED price, recalls and specifications, TotalCarCheck will also tell you for free if the car has been reported stolen and lets you crosscheck the VIN against the registration number

There is detailed technical information, too, which includes useful data specific to electric vehicles. The top-level paid-for checks instantly flagged up a ‘recorded’ Cat S Kia and included a link to the salvage auction site where you could see the extent of the damage

Further checks highlighted mileage anomalies with a Bentley and spotted a Mercedes SLC that had been through two salvage auctions after an accident but never officially recorded as a writeoff. The reports are accurate and comprehensive.

John Nikas (Amberley, amberley-books com)

Price: £15 99 Rating:

A DECENT romp through the history of the various MG T-Series models, arguably the brand’s most famous, long-lived and influential sporting cars It covers the beginnings as the TA Midget right through to the fifties’ TF, plus the car’s post-war popularity in the USA, putting MG more firmly on the world map It’s not very in-depth, but this is a well paced read that’s illustrated with lots of great pictures

The MG T-Series CarTraffic

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

YOU have to build road connections between cities and depots to carry commuters in this deceptively challenging game Hit traffic, which often happens, and too few people will reach the cities, and you’ll lose. Easy controls, clear graphics, a chilled soundtrack, and no adverts or ‘freemium’ extras make this game impressive

App of the week

Fastned

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

THE low rating is only because Fastned’s UK charging network is still tiny, with Newcastle-uponTyne the only city well served Holland and northern Belgium are littered with them, though, so this app is excellent for holidays

“We always advise paying to investigate a car’s history”

Toby Knight

BEST BUY IF you buy the Hawksmoor, you can rest assured that the money has gone into features rather than fancy design It looks plain and a little cheap, although it’s actually better made than rivals costing many times more. We liked the adjustable-flow snow foam bottle, the variable fan nozzle and

decent-quality connectors. The hose was more pliable than most other rivals at this price point too, and a patio cleaner is included in the package

The handle telescopes down for storage, but there’s nowhere for the hose. Even so, this is the machine we kept reaching for when cleaning and it’s great value

Despite

It was closely matched with the Hawksmoor in our tests, but ultimately the rival from Toolstation offers more flow and a better foam bottle for a tenner less

There is a huge variety on the market, ranging from cleaners costing less than £50 to professional machines with prices in the thousands For this test we concentrated on

washers which would be on the shortlist of the average DIY car-cleaning enthusiast.

While overall water-blasting ability is important for cutting through tough dirt, a concentrated jet from a powerful machine can easily damage bodywork and exterior components of a car So while we expected a decent punch, a big wattage figure alone wasn’t going to win this test

Let’s find out which of these jet washers took off with the coveted Best Buy award

Howwe tested them

WE were simply looking for the washer that cleaned our car with the least effort That means we were checking how easy it was to set up with detergent or snow foam bottles, the length and malleability of the hose, and adjustability of the nozzles We were also expecting good-quality connectors and an accurate fan that made

2023

RECOMMENDED AVA is an unfamiliar brand, but it’s aimed at the top end of the market The P55 doesn’t follow the familiar formula and has some innovative ideas, including a low-profile design which means it won’t fall over when you tug on the hose We also loved the extended and short lance options, highquality fittings and lengthy, pliable hose.

The P55 comes with a 10-year warranty too, and is designed to be easy to repair, which makes the high price seem more palatable. The drawbacks are that it takes up a lot of space when stored, and stashing the hose is hard work

Price: £263 98

Accessories: Adjustable nozzles, foam bottle, 10m hose Flow: 7 8 litres/min Rating: Contact: nilfisk com

folds to fit under a workbench. Oddly, the storage for the power cable is awkward When it comes to cleaning, the Nilfisk has an accurate and powerful jet, but the tiny and non-adjustable detergent bottle doesn’t belong on such a costly machine

A PRESSURE washer is the best carwashing accessory since the bucket. One can be found in every enthusiast’s shed or garage because it helps blast away dirt in a way that avoids paint damage It can also apply a layer of cleansing foam to help keep your driveway looking clean too

WITH Titan scooping Best Buy awards in the past, Screwfix was keen that we tried its new best-selling model, which has more power, a longer hose and a brush attachment over the TTB1800PRW – but costs £40 more. We were disappointed. Other than the extra accessories, the 220’s main advantage over the 1800

(tested on page 92) is a hose reel that makes it faster to tidy away. But in reality, you need to detach the lance to use it and the set-up seems overly complicated

The 220 still has the same excellent cleaning qualities as the other Titan in this test, but we just couldn’t justify the extra cost over its sibling.

WHEN choosing a pressure washer, many people will naturally reach for a Karcher, knowing that the brand offers a guarantee of good quality And we don’t blame them But there are other machines from the company we would choose over the K3.

On the plus side, the K3 features an easy-to-understand Power Control

system, which means choosing the correct jet for the job is nice and easy.

There is also a hose reel to make tidying up faster, but it seems to make the K3 top-heavy and relatively unstable The slightest tug to try and release more of the tough and inflexible hose while cleaning and the washer topples

IF it weren’t for the Scheppach (right), the PW20 would be the cheapest washer in this test, so it’s natural to expect some compromises. In terms of size, power, and hose length, it lags behind its rivals here. That doesn’t mean it can’t clean well The blast from the adjustable and accurate nozzle is enough for most normal carcleaning tasks. There’s a soap bottle too, but it is irritatingly small and will need refilling several times to cover a car Its tiny dimensions mean it is easy to carry and store too, but this feels like a washer that you’d soon grow out of

Scheppach Pressure Washer HCE2200

Price: £49 99

Accessories: Adjustable nozzle, detergent tank, brush, patio cleaner Flow: 6.3 litres/min

Rating: Contact: aldi co uk

SUPERMARKET Aldi’s famous centre aisle and online store often include car products that seem remarkable value

We spotted this Scheppach HCE2200 for a ridiculously cheap £49.99. Unsurprisingly it sold out quickly, but the store does seem to have some form of pressure washer on offer most of the time, so we were keen to see if there was a catch.

Amazingly, the price includes a brush and patio cleaner, and the quality of some parts felt at least as good as any rival here. However, the hose is too rigid and the reel broke on our first use It cleaned well and the price is keen, but it doesn’t feel like some parts will last long. At this price, though, it’s very tempting to take a chance.

Verdict

THERE is nothing fundamentally wrong with the JETSTAR It does a perfectly reasonable job of cleaning with enough power to blast away dirt, and a neat adjustable nozzle that slides to vary between a foaming low pressure and a driveway-blasting pin jet The integral detergent tank is easy to use too, with a filler at the top of the machine. It was happier with chemicals like traffic film remover than snow foam, though

But while there is little to complain about, there are other machines that offer more of everything at a lower price

IF money were no object, we’d have the clever Ava Go P55 It is thoughtfully designed, with a long warranty and high quality, which make the price seem an investment.

But all of us are watching the pennies these days and it’s difficult not to look at the excellent value offered by the own-brand models from Toolstation and Screwfix Their performance is closely matched, but the Hawksmoor’s lower cost and better features give it the win here.

1 Hawksmoor High Pressure Washer 140 bar

2. Titan TTB1800PRW

3. AVA Go P55

IT’S impressive that one of the cheapest cars in our 2022 Driver Power survey managed to sneak into the top 15 Better still, the Kia Picanto saw an improvement of five positions in the chart compared with the previous year’s Driver Power results.

Given the nature of a city car, it’s no surprise that the best scores awarded by the survey respondents were for the tiny running costs, with seventh place for the price of servicing and ninth for overall value.

But there were some interesting high scores for the quality of the sat-nav and touchscreen, and an eighth for reliability Predictably for such a small car, it is the interior space and acceleration that drag down the Picanto’s overall score

WE SAID “All of the key ingredients for a winning small car are present and correct here, making the Picanto an enticing, likeable and easy-to-drive model that should be on any city car-buyer’s shortlist ”

IN four years’ time Volvo will celebrate its centenary, but for much of its existence this Swedish brand (now owned by Chinese company Geely) had something of an identity crisis Was it mainstream or was it premium? For a long time it wanted to be the latter, but stiff depreciation suggested that buyers saw things differently

But over the past decade or so, Volvo has enjoyed a resurgence that has been the envy of some rivals, and one that’s been well deserved The improvements all round are typified by the S60, which despite being the firm’s smallest seller, still looks special, drives superbly, is comfortable and very well equipped And just like all Volvos, it’s an ideal family car because it’s one of the safest vehicles on the market.

History

THE Mk3 S60 reached UK showrooms in April 2019, and recognising that consumer tastes were changing rapidly, Volvo didn’t offer a diesel engine Instead there was only a 246bhp 2 0-litre four-cylinder T5 petrol unit offered at launch, but within weeks this was joined by a T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain that came in either 384bhp or 399bhp (Polestar Engineered) forms

In May 2020 the T5 was superseded by the B5, which was a T5 with mild-hybrid tech for better economy At the same time, the T8 Twin Engine was renamed the S60 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid, but there were no mechanical adjustments to go with the name change All S60s came only with an eight-speed automatic transmission and while the T5 and B5 were front-wheel drive, the hybrid came with all-wheel drive.

CO2/tax 40-168g/km £155-£165

OPTIONS

Running costs 35-39mpg (S60 T5) £90 fill-up

VOLVO offered lots of options, including different wheels, trim, and audio set-ups (Harman Kardon or Bowers & Wilkins). Several packs were offered, too The Winter Pack added heating for the windscreen, steering wheel and wipers, while the Xenium Pack brought selfparking, a glass sunroof and Around View.

BUYER’SGUIDE: Volvo

NEED TO KNOW...

Availability

The S60 is currently unavailable to buy new, because Volvo UK’s latest allocation from the factory has sold out

The T8 initially had an 11 8kWh battery for an electric-only range of 30-34 miles In 2021 this was upgraded to 18 8kWh and 46-55 miles

PHEV

Performance

Enthusiasts may be disappointed by the T5, which doesn’t feel as swift as it should The T8 is a lot more exciting, especially the later model

Richard Dredge

YOURVIEW

VOLVO’S least popular car has never made it into our Driver Power survey, although the XC40 made it into the 2022 newcar poll (in 23rd place out of 75 entries), while the XC60 Mk2 notched up a 69th place Volvo’s eighth place (out of 29) in the 2022 Brands survey is encouraging, and consistent with its ninth place in 2021. Owners like the quality, interior design and safety of their cars, but not the high running costs.

CASE STUDY

GRAEME Coulson from Derby owns an S60 T5. He said: “I had an original S60 and the difference between that car and this is like night and day Volvo has really sharpened up its act; the S60 looks seriously classy, is wonderful to drive, comfy and well equipped, and has been very reliable, aside from a couple of software updates to fix minor glitches. Running costs are a touch high, but my T5 was a great buy ”

FROM £20,000 Swedish saloon is a solid choice if you want an alternative to the usual German executive car suspects

Expert’s verdict

Rosamond Contributing editor

WHILE many drivers rush to drive exec saloons from Audi, BMW or Mercedes, not everyone wants to be part of the herd. The Volvo S60 may not be as on point as its rivals from a sporty driver’s perspective, but fans of the marque will focus more on the S60’s superbly comfortable cabin and the relaxing way it wafts away the miles These cars are in relatively short supply, and hold their value well, so buyers clearly know a good thing when they see it.

Reliability

WE’RE not aware of any significant issues affecting the Mk3 S60, apart from the minor recalls mentioned on page 101 High brand satisfaction among owners suggests you should have a relatively carefree experience – service costs aside.

PRACTICALITY Boot capacity is 436 litres for petrol or mildhybrid S60s, or 390 litres for plug-in hybrid versions, while the rear seats offer plenty of head and legroom for adults

EQUIPMENT Volvo gave the S60 generous specifications that include alloy wheels Distinctive Thor’s hammer daytime running lights are a signature of the Swedish manufacturer

“These cars are in relatively short supply, and hold their value well”

Chris

Howmuch?

THERE are more than twice as many Volvo V60 estates on the market as S60 saloons, and if you really want one of the latter you might have to travel to find the right car Of the 120 S60s that we found for sale, one in 10 was a T8 For a 69-plate car with 25,000 miles on the clock, these are generally priced from £28,000 for a standard edition, or £34,000 for one of the Polestar Engineered models The rest of the S60s for sale have a petrol engine, with just over half of them being T5 models; these are priced between £20,000 (70,000-mile 69-plate R-Design) and £26,000 (15,000-mile 20-plate R-Design) The B5 mildhybrid accounts for the rest of the used S60s available, and prices for these start at £27,000 for a 10,000-mile Inscription model on a 21-plate.

Running costs

Most S60s registered from 2019 cost £165 a year to tax, with a surcharge (due to £40k+ new cost) of £355 from years two to six

THE same 1,969cc four-cylinder petrol engine is at the heart of all S60s, which is why the servicing requirements are the same for all models – every 12 months or 18,000 miles. Services alternate between Interim and Major, which are priced at £330 and £530 respectively for the first three years of an S60’s life However, once an S60 has reached its fourth birthday, it’s eligible for discounted maintenance, and the two service levels are then priced at £219 and £419. The brake fluid needs to be replaced every two years, and while this is included in the cost of a Major service, on its own it comes in at £80 Volvo’s 2.0-litre petrol engine is also fitted with a cambelt that needs to be replaced every 10 years or 144,000 miles, at a cost of £349

Interior

VOLVO’S interiors are different from anything else on the market, thanks to their uniquely minimalist design, and the quality is impressive, too.

While the large, portrait-orientated touchscreen can be distracting when performing some tasks, the dashboard is generally user-friendly.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s lots of head and legroom for adults in the back Boot space is okay, at 436 litres, but for the plug-in hybrids this drops to just 390 litres, although versatility-boosting powered-folding rear seats were a cheap option across the range.

STYLING Volvo aimed for a sharp, sporty design to take on executive rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes

Which one?

IF you do lots of short journeys and can charge cheaply at home, a T8 might make sense, despite the higher purchase costs; a more powerful electric motor (143bhp instead of 86bhp) was fitted from November 2021 The T5 is all you really need, although the B5 might be usefully more frugal if you drive in stop-start traffic a lot

The S60 T8 came only in R-Design Plus form; this was also offered for the T5 and B5, alongside an Inscription Plus option All S60s have parking sensors front and rear, a rear parking camera, heated front seats, navigation and LED headlights

The racier R-Design model features sports seats, black exterior trim instead of chrome, 18-inch alloys, lowered suspension (not for the T8) and a black headlining The luxuryfocused Inscription comes with wood trim and electric driver’s seat adjustment

Alternatives

THE three rivals that give the S60 the hardest time all hail from Germany They are the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class, all of which come with a choice of saloon or estate bodystyles, a

Partwatch

INFOTAINMENT Nine-inch portrait screen is standard across the range and features satellite navigation and voice control

wide range of powertrains, and impressive build quality. They’re all available with fourwheel drive, and because the German trio sells in bigger numbers than the S60, you shouldn’t have to travel far to find your perfect example. However, as with the Volvo, there are no bargains to be had

If you fancy something with a bit more brio, the Alfa Romeo Giulia might suit, or a more left-field choice would be the Jaguar XE The hybrid-only Lexus IS is reliable and well equipped, the Volkswagen Arteon has hatchback practicality, while the Mazda 6 is classy and terrific to drive.

Verdict

WITH the introduction of the Mk3 S60, Volvo was finally able to compete on equal terms with the more obvious premium brands

Admittedly the S60 is more about luxury than it is about a sporty drive, but for many that’s a good thing. When we pitched an S60 T8 plug-in hybrid against the BMW 330e it was the German that won, but this

Recalls

VOLVO has recalled the S60 Mk3 three times so far, with each campaign also affecting several other models in the range, including the V60, V90 and S90 The first action was in June 2021 and affected 14,380 cars made between October 2018 and December 2019 that had a fuse of the wrong rating fitted This could blow, leading to the fuel pump not working and the engine not running In August 2021, 256 Volvos were recalled because of faulty software that could suggest the fuel gauge was over-reading All cars affected were made in June or July 2021 The most recent campaign was launched in October 2022, because of another software glitch. It affected 4,755 Volvos produced between March 2021 and October 2022 that could suffer from the engine refusing to start; a software update fixed the problem

was largely because the Volvo wasn’t worth the price premium of almost £10,000.

We ran a T8 on our fleet and loved its relative practicality, decent economy (especially for short trips in electric mode) and classy cabin. High purchase prices might be a hurdle, but if you can get over these, you should love S60 ownership

Contacts

Official volvocars com/uk Forums volvoforums com volvoforums org uk thevolvoforums com volvo-forums com

THE PRAGMATIC CHOICE

Fiat Panda 4x4

FOR: Practical five-door body, cheap to run, characterful AGAINST: Few luxuries, limited off-road ability

WE’RE not talking about the increasingly collectible original Panda 4x4 here, but the second generation of Fiat’s practical city car This also featured an adventurous 4x4 Cross version with a raised ride height plus chunky SUV-inspired body cladding and roof rails They’re relatively rare, but while not quite as characterful as the classic Mk1s, they’re far more refined to drive, yet retain that essential ability to find traction where other Pandas can’t. For £7,000 you could secure a well looked-after 2014 example with circa 50,000 miles

THE ROUGH & READY CHOICE

FOR: Genuine off-road performance, reliable and tough AGAINST: No fun on long journeys, relatively impractical

IF you want a baby off-roader that walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk, then Suzuki has you covered A £7k budget is a bit too small for a cute Ignis crossover, but it will get you into a 2007/8 Mk3 Jimny with less than 50k miles

This is the only one of our trio with a rugged ladder chassis and the low-range gearbox that’s needed for serious off-road work. It’s also the only car here with a two-door body, though, which won’t suit everyone Nor will the shortage of on-road refinement, which makes a Jimny good fun for short journeys, but not long ones.

THE SMOOTH CHOICE

Suzuki Jimny MINI Countryman All4

FOR: Most fun to drive of these three AGAINST: Quite costly to run, 4WD blunts performance

THE Countryman is either a stylish extension of an iconic brand, or a MINI that’s been inflated by a foot pump, depending on your point of view If you like the looks, though, there’s a lot to be said for this more upmarket alternative to some other small 4x4s

Its five-door body is practical enough, if not as roomy as similarly priced larger rivals, while the build quality and interior style are a step up from the mainstream The All4 version adds extra security on slippery surfaces and is nice to drive, but it’s no off-roader. For £7k you can get a 2011 1 6-litre diesel All4 with 60,000 miles

FOUR-wheel drive is a system designed to improve traction, and it was never meant to be a fashion accessory. For drivers who live off the beaten track, it can be essential for reliable travel, even if for others it’s all about the image However, what if you want the reassurance of a 4x4, but would rather not be driving around in a large, two-tonne SUV? You might care about your emissions, have limited space on the drive

or even, ahem, restricted funds that are keeping you out of a Bentley Bentayga.

Have no fear, because your relatively modest aspirations have been taken care of by a global auto industry that leaves no stone unturned in the quest to satisfy even the smallest of niches Welcome to the world of the baby 4x4, and a trio of pint-sized performers that won’t give up on you when the tarmac gets treacherous

Used small 4x4s

BUYING CARS

Dear Chris, I’d like a small 4x4 hatch or offroader for less than £7k with a maximum of 60,000 miles What are my chances?

Martin Westwood, via E-mail

Contact: mail@autoexpress co uk

WITH a design inspired by the innovative Fiat Multipla MPV, it’s no surprise the Panda offers excellent accommodation for its size

More surprising perhaps is its ‘go anywhere’ ability, at least within the limits of its ground clearance It’s much lower than a comparable

SUV, and we’d go for the 0 9-litre TwinAir engine over the 1 3 diesel, because it really suits the Panda’s nippy runabout feel It’s also worth looking out for a car with the sliding rear bench, so you can juggle the balance between legroom and luggage space For practicality and value, this 4x4 is hard to beat

THIS little Suzuki was on sale for 20 years from 1998, and it obviously has a lot of fans That’s reflected in the fact that you’ll need to go back to a 2007/8 model for a decent £7,000 car with fewer than 60,000 miles Although there’s lots to love about this big-hearted off-roader with its 1 3-litre VVT petrol engine, it won’t

take long before you realise it’s a

Among

that’s a bit sluggish And while the 89bhp 1 6 diesel is slower against the

clock, it has the benefit of decent mid-range torque to improve driveability We recommend you look out for the 110bhp unit in the Cooper D if you can, and stick to the six-speed manual for the best efficiency

The All4 version isn’t as economical as the regular front-drive car, and the optional automatic gearbox makes a significant further dent in your economy

relic of a bygone era, which means dim headlamps, feeble windscreen wipers and relatively poor refinement However, if you can confine yourself to mainly local journeys around the lanes, the Jimny’s toy-like quality is highly likely to put a proper smile on your face

THE Mk1 MINI Countryman ALL4 has the benefit of superior traction, while sharing much of the fun-todrive character of the standard front-drive model, as well as its reasonably roomy five-door bodyshell

the engine options are a 1 6-litre entrylevel petrol with 97bhp

NEWCAR PRICES

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS

PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100km/h), in seconds

ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency

INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers

WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover

LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, the first 12 months’ of emissions-based road tax, number plates and first registration

WILL IT FIT? Is your garage big enough? Our measurements show the length and width of each model, but remember estate and performance variants may be bigger.

DRIVER POWER POSITION: Auto Express’s survey canvasses results from tens of thousands of motorists Models are rated by drivers, then ranked against others on sale in the UK The lower the number, the higher the score a model achieved

VEHICLES BELOW £40 000 Electric vehicle: £0 Alternative fuel: £155 Petrol/diesel: £165 Alternative fue s include hybrids plug-in hybr ds, b -ethano and LPG fuels

VEHICLES OVER £40 000 Electric vehicle: £0 Alternative fuel: £510 Petrol/diesel: £520 After five years vehicles costing more than £40,000 revert to the ower rates

Pick-up trucks: The models listed here pay a flat rate of road tax, at £295 per year

EURO NCAP RATING: At the start of each model is its Euro NCAP crash test safety rating (if available) The maximum score is five stars although the test has been made tougher over the years so ratings aren’t comparable between vehicles

ROAD TAX: When a car is first registered, its first year’s road tax is included in the price This is emissions-based, and adds anything from zero on electric cars to £2,365 for vehicles emitting over 255g/km of CO2 After 12 months, it’s the owner’s responsibility to tax their vehicle, and the rate depends on the fuel used:

All the action from the world of motorsport

Formula E fight heads for Diriyah

● Two rounds in Saudi Arabia

● Andretti triumphs in first race

Alex Ingram Alex Ingram@autovia co uk @AxleIngram

THE early rounds of this year’s Formula E championship come fast, with the first five races – almost one third of the season – complete by the end of February Rounds two and three come on 27 & 28 January at the Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia

The opening round in Mexico City has already thrown up a variety of stories that will develop throughout the season. The performance of Jake Dennis took the headlines, with the young British driver taking a comfortable win, overpowering series stalwart and polesitter Lucas di Grassi and then having the composure to deal with safety car periods that cancelled out the lead that he’d built repeatedly The Andretti Autosport driver eventually won the race by nearly eight seconds.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Dennis “We came into this weekend with the unknown of where we were going to be, but we came out with the win, a front-row start and the fastest lap of the race A big shout-out to the team and a big shout out to Porsche for giving us such an efficient powertrain ”

Porsche had a great weekend beyond helping to secure Andretti’s win Pascal Wherlein finished second for the factory squad – he passed Mahindra’s di Grassi on lap 29 – and Dennis’s team-mate Andre Lotterer took fourth with a late out-braking move on McLaren’s Jake Hughes With Porsche’s new signing Antonio Felix da Costa in seventh, it was a huge turnaround

Daytona hosts endurance opener

THE first big endurance race of 2023 kicks off on 28 January in Florida. The Rolex 24 takes place on the road course layout of the Daytona Speedway, and gives race fans their first chance to see the all-new top-tier category of worldwide endurance racing.

Thanks to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship converging their rules, there has been an explosion in manufacturer involvement in both series, and Daytona’s entry list shows some of this variety. Nine cars take the field in the toptier GTP category (built to the same LMDh regulations used by the WEC), including entries from Cadillac, BMW and Porsche They’re joined by last year’s winners, Acura, with Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque looking to defend their crown alongside Brendon Hartley

for the squad following a shaky pre-season test Two of the teams tipped to challenge Porsche – Jaguar and DS Penske – both struggled Mitch Evans battled to eighth place and Sam Bird retired with a broken driveshaft, while reigning champ Stoffel Vandoorne could only manage 10th for DS, and teammate Jean-Eric Vergne took 12th Cupra’s struggles were more miserable; Nico Muller took 14th, while Robin Frijns is a doubt for Diriyah after breaking his wrist in a crash.

Miami GP set for improved track

STAYING in Florida, heavy investment is to take place at the home of the Miami Grand Prix The bumpy track surface will be renewed, while the paddock (crammed onto the perimeter of the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in 2022) will be moved inside the ground Although some drivers had doubts over the tight chicane area at turns 14 and 15, organisers have said that the layout will stay the same for now

Jaguar struggled in Mexico, with Mitch Evans eighth and Sam Bird retiring

ON THE GRID Daytona race will include BMW’s entry (right) plus cars from Cadillac, Porsche and Acura

Brit Jake Dennis (below) won the season opener in Mexico after qualifying for the race in second place

THE people of the North East aren’t the only ones to be disgusted and dismayed by the death of the Britishvolt gigafactory (Page 13) and the thousands of much-needed jobs it promised – but failed – to deliver There surely can’t be many people in Britain who didn’t want to see Blyth – once famous for mining –reinvent itself as home to the first of many clean, green, cutting-edge EV battery plants Establishing such a facility 20-odd miles from the EV-making Nissan plant in Sunderland was a no-brainer And the job creation was just for starters. The plan also demonstrated that Britain still has what it takes to be a major player on the world’s automotive stage.

Given that we ’ ve long had plenty of huge car makers in Britain and still have five mainstream, seven major premium and 60-plus smaller specialist manufacturers, the gigafactory would have, could have, and should have been as important as many of our leading vehicle-making plants

Trouble is, the willing but apparently unable entrepreneurs – working with politicians who’ve again failed the region, the nation and the EV cause – have disastrously dropped the ball And even more worrying, it seems less likely than ever that the UK Government will now ensure that Britain gets the four gigafactories it needs by 2030 – the year when the sale of new pure-petrol and diesel cars will be outlawed by, er, the UK Government!

When, as a rookie reporter in the eighties, I interviewed, photographed and was scared to death by our then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Nissan Sunderland, she was hardly my cup of tea – not least because I whispered to her that I was sceptical about the Japanese opening a factory in Britain and she barked at me that the venture was 100 per cent right Like or loathe her, if it weren’t for the Iron Lady, Nissan Sunderland – never mind Toyota, Burnaston and Honda, Swindon – would not have been built In turn, thousands of high-quality jobs would never have been created over the decades Contrast Thatcher’s automotive commitment, determination and delivery with the disinterest and broken promises from the last three PMs who had Blyth under their watch They were tasked with seeing the project through And, shamefully, none did The broken-hearted people in and around Blyth are entitled to feel disgusted and dismayed right now, after their hopes, dreams and employment prospects were cruelly shattered last week. And at the same time, our political leaders must accept that, on this occasion, they were all talk, no action and, ultimately, got things indecently wrong Time, I reckon, for car makers in the UK to rely less on others and more on themselves – by at least studying seriously the prospect of building their own gigafactories here Alternatively, we now know that when the UK Government incentivised Nissan to construct a car factory in Britain, it was the right and successful thing to do An invitation to, and similar incentives for, a Korean EV battery giant such as LG Energy to build a gigafactory here (as it has done elsewhere) would be equally appropriate

Behind the wheel of new Astra GSe

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off