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Chris Rosamond,Vicki

Mercedes takes Tesla’s lead with new charging network

WHILE most car makers constantly call on the Government to raise its game when it comes to supporting the charging network, I’ve long thought that the manufacturers themselves should take more responsibility – especially if it means more sales

After all, the industry’s trade body, the SMMT, only this week admitted that the public charging network is the biggest barrier to EV ownership

Tesla has long reaped the rewards of having its own network of Superchargers; it’s one of many reasons so many Teslas are bought each year (numbers one and two in the EV sales chart in 2022, as you can read on page 13)

Clearly that isn’t lost on Mercedes, which has just made the significant announcement of plans for a network of 10,000 chargers around the world by 2030 “To accelerate the electric transformation, we need to ensure the charging experience keeps pace as well We won’t take a wait-and-see approach That’s why we are launching a global high-end charging network,” said Mercedes boss Ola Källenius

What about other car manufacturers? Jonathan Goodman, UK boss of fast-growing Polestar told me, “It’s something we ’ re watching closely, but would be more difficult for us as a start-up, especially with investments we ’ re making in clean production facilities and advanced new platforms We’d like to see government do more to support the growth of the charging network, and perhaps the oil companies should be stepping up, too”

As Goodman points out, the Government doesn’t seem to be falling over itself to help out Planning for new EV charging sites, for example, is a big issue and something he thinks should be relaxed

However, as with so many things Tesla does, others have followed I’m hoping it won’t be long before Tesla’s and Mercedes’ rivals realise having their own charging network helps to sell cars –and make even more money

STEVE FOWLER Editor-in-chief

steve fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler

Steve Fowler@autoviacouk @stevefowler

VOLKSWAGEN recently announced a hefty set of upgrades for its ID 3 allelectric hatchback – but the company isn’t about to give up on its more famous family model, the Golf And now, brand bossThomas Schäfer has said that the iconic badge might be applied to an EV after the combustionengined versions cease production.

The current Mk8 Golf is due for a facelift this year, and this is likely to bring further mild-hybrid tech Recent spy shots have also shown that VW is tweaking the controversial infotainment system, while increasing the size of the central touchscreen display

This is likely to be the last generation of the Golf to feature a combustion engine But after this model reaches the end of its life, in around 2025 or 2026, VW boss Schäfer says that the Golf name could continue on an EV – and potentially one that will be sold alongside the successor to the current ID.3.

Speaking to Auto Express, Schäfer said that both the ID and Golf names would continue “Both have a reason to stay,” he told us. “ID. is already a really well known logo for electrification We created it, and the connection of Volkswagen and ID works; there’s no need to cancel it or redo it

“Secondly, we have iconic brand names like Golf and GTI You’d be crazy to let them

Volkswagen hatches EV plan to keep Golf on sale

die At the moment we’re working out our future line-up and naming logic. We will probably stick with ID – but at the same time iconic models will also carry their name, like we have with the ID Buzz It works ”

Asked whether this means Volkswagen could potentially have a vehicle called ID Golf, Schäfer replied, “We might ”

He added that the Polo supermini is less likely to continue than its larger stablemate. “It [the Polo] is pretty iconic,” Schäfer said, “but is it iconic enough to carry on? That’s not clear yet Golf is definitely one we’ll keep – there’s no way we’d let that go.”

Our exclusive images show how VW could take the acknowledged Golf styling cues – in particular, its sharply angled rear hatchback and thick C-pillars – and transpose them onto a vehicle based on the ID 3’s MEB all-electric platform This architecture had been expected to die in around 2026, when VW was planning to integrate its principles, and those of the

more expensive PPE platform, into a single chassis and battery set-up called SSP.

But rumours suggest that VW is now preparing to extend the life of MEB by investing around 1 3billion Euros (£1 1bn) to allow the platform to accept the firm’s forthcoming ‘unified battery cells’ and charge more quickly, at more than 200kW These elements would deliver cost savings for VW, at the same time as improving the ID. models’ competitiveness against key rivals

Schäfer also revealed that the GTI name will be heading into electrification, possibly at the expense of the still-new GTX badge.

“The discussion we’re having now is to get the electric vehicles into performance and then carry the GTI name forward,” he said. “GTX was an idea on the way to electrification; we came up with a different name In future, whether we’ll need this or not, we’ll see But GTI is so strong ”

Schäfer confirmed that a new small allelectric Volkswagen is on track to be the

entry point to the company’s EV range –and he admitted that work has started on an even cheaper, more compact model

“The smallest one that we’re coming with is our ID 2,” he confirmed, “and that will be well below 25,000 Euros (£21,000). Is that the end point? No, it can’t be The reality is that we need to get something below the 20,000-Euro mark The team’s now working on ideas for how we get there. We haven’t found the solution yet, but I personally think it can be done, although you have to talk about range and what’s really necessary in such a vehicle. Battery cost is, at the moment, the deciding factor.”

This confirms that VW is looking to tap into a project first revealed by Auto Express (Issue 1,745) Skoda boss Klaus Zellner said that his team is in charge of the exploratory work on an even cheaper EV “Skoda has to be the brand that has the easiest access into the VW Group,” he told us “And we’re tasked to find the right solution for that.”

● Golf name may be used

on EV ● Could be sold alongside ID.3

STYLING

Our exclusive images show ID Golf could bring typical cues to VW’s MEB platform

Steve Fowler

SPIED

FAMILIAR

“Rumours suggest VW will extend MEB platform’s life by allowing it to accept unified battery cells”

PHYGITAL ICONS

‘Phygital’ (a fusion of physical and digital) icons, found on grilles, lights and C-pillars around the Hofmeister kinks, can also

DESIGN

E-INK

Headlights,

PLATFORM

BODYSTYLE

BMW reveals Vision of fut

WITH new cars packing more tech than ever, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is increasingly becoming a major motor show for brands, and the latest to reveal a new project at CES 2023 is BMW, with its i Vision Dee concept

The electric show car hints at the future of the 3 Series saloon, reinvented for a new era and based on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform

The i Vision Dee boasts retro-themed design cues but with cutting-edge features, such as an evolution of BMW’s E-Ink technology.

“Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience, with the aim of “creating an even stronger bond between people and their cars”. Key to this, BMW says, is the Mixed Reality Slider, which uses a touchsensitive control on the minimalist dash that allows users to determine how much digital content to mix with reality. Using the

windscreen to project the full-width head-up display, stage one – “analogue” – focuses on the view ahead. Stage two features more driving-related info, while the next step brings in more data from the infotainment, allowing users to stay connected

Stage four enhances the experience via augmented-reality projection – potentially sat-nav directions or information on visible landmarks – while the final stage is a fully immersive experience; BMW hints at “entry into virtual worlds” (see page 16 for more on BMW M division’s Mixed Reality project)

The i Vision Dee is just a concept, but BMW is serious about integrating more digital functionality into its future models According to Frank Weber, member of the board for development, “A BMW lives by its unparalleled digital performance ” He said that “BMW i Vision Dee is about perfect

integration of virtual and physical”, adding that “whoever excels at integrating customers’ digital worlds will master the future

Some elements of the i Vision Dee preview what we’ll see fitted to future BMWs from 2025, however BMW CEO Oliver Zipse previously outlined that BMW is “planning a compact sedan in the 3 Series segment and a sporty SUV”, with the i Vision Dee representing some elements of the former

BMW has confirmed that a production version of the Dee’s full-width head-up display will be implemented from 2025; user-interface expert Olivier Pitrat told Auto Express that in future the “windscreen is the only screen we need”

Expect some of the i Vision Dee’s design cues to be referenced in the eventual production-ready Neue Klasse saloon too, with short front and rear overhangs, wide wheelarches and a squat body, plus traditional wider kidney grilles and

‘Hofmeister’ kinks for the C-pillars, reimagined with new tech (see above).

The firm has evolved its E-Ink technology, first seen at CES last year on the iX Flow SUV However, for 2023 BMW has developed full-colour E-Ink. It covers the whole skin of the vehicle and up to 32 colours can be displayed over 240 individual segments

BMW says that with its reductive design elements the i Vision Dee’s styling “has been deliberately pared down” This is why the firm chose to showcase a conventional three-box saloon as the first expression of its Neue Klasse era, because this style of car “forms the core of the BMW brand”

The reductive elements continue inside, with a single-spoke steering wheel featuring touchpoints that come to life depending on the user’s thumb movements. These can then control the information displayed on the windscreen There are also very few controls inside, with the Mixed Reality slider one of the main features.

● Radical saloon shown at CES

● Focuses on digital connectivity

of car building”

SeanCarson

sean carson@autoviacouk

Traditional BMW design cues have been reinvented for the modern era, with i Vision Dee giving a hint as to what a future 3 Series model could look

tail-lights and window panels can change colour, with 32 different shades across 240 individual areas of the body that are

BMW chose a traditional threebox saloon to introduce Neue Klasse because this type of car is at the core of the brand

Neue Klasse represents a new generation of tech for German brand. It’s likely that we’ll hear more details later this year

PROJECTED

“The

Inception teases shape of P

SeanCarson sean carson@autoviacouk

PEUGEOT has revealed its Inception concept at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023, with the sleek new saloon highlighting an exciting vision for the brand’s future and outlining initial details of parent firm Stellantis’s STLA Large platform

The Inception is five metres long, with its size “deliberately chosen to highlight the many innovations of this manifesto”. It’s set to inspire future products, down to the most compact cars in the range, from 2025 Mounted between the axles is a 100kWh battery, which the brand claims is good for a range of 800km (497 miles) The battery supplies two electric motors – one on the front axle, the other on the rear for all-wheel drive – with a combined output “close to 670bhp” and a claimed 0-62mph time of less than three seconds

The platform’s 800-volt tech (a first for a Peugeot EV) means it’s not just the car’s straight-line performance that’s rapid; 18 miles of range can be added in one minute, Peugeot says, with up to 93 miles gained in five minutes due to wireless charging tech.

The Inception’s design takes Peugeot’s typical styling cues and evolves them for a new era, with a pair of upright, three-bar running lights framing a blanked-off grille that houses the sensors needed for the car’s driver-assistance systems There’s a similar arrangement at the rear for the taillights, framing a smooth glass panel.

Peugeot says the Inception’s simpler and more refined design language will be rolled out across the company’s range from the middle of the decade, so you can expect to

see the concept’s mix of sharp, geometric lines and softer, more muscular surfaces in road-going form in the near future.

The Inception’s doors feature a horizontal “Tech bar” that can display messages to the surrounding environment, such as a hello or goodbye gesture, or the car’s remaining range Artificial Intelligence can also recognise an approaching driver to set up the seat position, temperature, driving mode and multimedia preferences, too.

Inside, the Inception features the latest generation of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit set-up, with a crucial new piece of technology, called Hypersquare. This rectangular steering wheel features digital electric controls in each of its four corners These touch-sensitive panels mean a driver doesn’t have to take their hands off the wheel to control the car’s main functions. Peugeot is aiming to introduce the Hypersquare to its models from 2026

Steer-by-wire tech (with no mechanical link between the Hypersquare and the car’s front wheels) means the brand has been able to develop a new cabin architecture Level 4 autonomous driving is installed as part of Stellantis’s STLA AutoDrive functionality When engaged, the Hypersquare retracts into the dash and a large panoramic screen emerges, changing the environment and user experience.

AFEELA showcases new saloon with concept

A NEW electric car brand formed by Sony and Honda, called AFEELA, has unveiled its first electric vehicle concept at CES 2023

The as-yet unnamed four-door saloon is said to focus on “Autonomy, Augmentation and Affinity”, with AFEELA explaining that “the three As are the direction in which our mobility grows”

As a result, the 4.9-metre-long fastback model features Level 3 autonomous driving tech and the latest safety technology, with the car featuring a total of 45 sensors and cameras inside and out.

Its next-generation infotainment system (part of a collaboration with Epic Games) “integrates real and virtual worlds”, AFEELA says, with much of the technology based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis system, which was also unveiled at CES

(above, far right). The five-seat model has a “Media Bar”, which can display messages using different lighting signatures

Inside, the dashboard is dominated by a full-width screen that’s broken down into panels to display images from the digital wing mirrors, a driver display and a main infotainment unit A steering yoke features as part of the minimalist cabin design.

No powertrain information has been announced, apart from the fact that the car features all-wheel drive

AFEELA has confirmed its intent to build a production model based on this prototype and says “pre-orders are planned to begin in the first half of 2025, sales by the end of 2025, and delivery from spring in 2026 in North America”. It hasn’t been revealed if the vehicle will be sold in the UK.

● Concept uses STLA Large EV platform and has 500-mile range

● Hypersquare steering wheel is the highlight of hi-tech interior

“Eighteen miles of range can be added in one minute, with up to 93 miles gained in five minutes”

Peugeots

New ‘heat belt’ revealed

FORGET seat belts, the latest tech invention from CES is the ‘heat belt’. Developed by automotive supplier ZF, the heat belt can be warmed to between 36 and 40 degrees Celsius, improving comfort without any compromise to safety performance, it’s claimed The firm adds that reducing energy consumption to heat an EV could boost an electric car’s potential range in cold conditions by up to 15 per cent.

Qualcomm highlights new digital ecosystem

Qualcomm, known for making electronics processors, says its Snapdragon Digital Chassis concept features “immersive infotainment, driver assistance and enhanced safety” and “brings the software-defined vehicle to life”

This is a huge growth area for the automotive industry, and firms such as Qualcomm are keen to get in on the act by providing open-source, scalable and upgradable software platforms for vehicle makers to base their infotainment and autonomous driving features on.

Cloud-based on-demand services are highlighted by the concept, with Qualcomm also developing facialrecognition tech that can alter settings based on the user

Although

Synthesis concept – built around the idea of a two-seat vehicle – has two 37 2-inch

with AI that can ‘learn’ user preferences over time. Over-the-air update capability is also included, along with a virtual personal assistant to

It’s likely much of this tech

be used by European Stellantis brands, such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen and Jeep.

Snapdragon Digital Chassis showed Qualcomm’s tech

Show car features a full-length digital dashboard

ELECTRONICS giant Qualcomm has revealed a standalone Digital Chassis concept car at CES 2023, with the fourdoor coupé-SUV showcasing the firm’s future Artificial Intelligence, voice control and digital ecosystem tech

British-built Qashqai tops

OFFICIAL

Steve Fowler Steve Fowler@autoviacouk @stevefowler

NEW car sales dropped to 1 61 million in 2022, down by two per cent on 2021 and the worst year since 1992, as the pandemic hangover continued and the restriction on supply of parts for new cars hit hard in the first half of the year

However, Nissan has managed the disruption to the supply chain better than most, enabling the Qashqai to top the sales chart for the first time, with 42,704 cars going to customers in 2022 The Qashqai has been designed and engineered in Britain and is built in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said: ‘‘This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latestgeneration Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK

The biggest seller of 2021, the Vauxhall Corsa, took second place in the 2022 sales chart, followed by the Tesla Model Y, which was also the best-selling battery-electric vehicle in the year and best-selling vehicle overall during the month of December

Sales of battery-electric cars have now overtaken those of diesels, taking a 16 6 per cent market share in 2022, putting them second behind petrol-powered models in

the sales chart for the first time Petrol cars still accounted for 56 per cent of all car sales, while hybrid cars took 11 6 per cent of sales and plug-in hybrids 6 3 per cent

This year is likely to see an easing of supply issues to enable car makers to work their way through their back orders, with a forecast of 1 85 million sales in 2023 And there are already signs that supply is easing; December was the fifth consecutive month to see a growth in car sales

“There’s room for optimism,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes, adding, “2023 is set to be a year of recovery. We will potentially see around 15 per cent growth, which will be worth about £10bn to the automotive sector and will be the envy of other sectors ”

2022 Winners & losers

AVAILABILITY was key during 2022, with car manufacturers that had good supply posting strong sales figures and healthy increases Volkswagen was the best-selling brand in the UK, even though its sales were down by 10.81 per cent at 131,850 cars, just over 5,000 registrations ahead of Ford in second place Here are the other winners and losers from a tumultuous year.

Bentley – up 20.85%

Bentley’s great British success story carries on, with 1,629 models reaching UK buyers last year, over a fifth more than in 2021

Cupra – up 89.65%

It’s a tale of two brands coming out of Spain Cupra is flying, helped by the new Born EV,

while sister brand SEAT has slumped, with sales down by nearly 50 per cent

Dacia – up 54.95%

Brits can’t get enough of Dacia’s nononsense, value-focused approach, and with good supply, the firm’s sales – without a hint of an EV – were up by over 50 per cent.

Jaguar – down 35.53%

JLR focused on getting higher-margin Land Rovers and Range Rovers to customers in 2022, while Jaguar’s sales have slumped as it heads towards its all-EV rebirth in 2025

Jeep – down 43.42%

The new all-electric Avenger can’t come soon enough for Jeep which, in spite of having a range of SUVs, struggled to supply more than 2,525 cars to customers last year

Kia – up 10.32%

Kia’s increase of 10 per cent is less than sister brand Hyundai’s 15 per cent jump, but crucially for the competitive Koreans, Kia emerged on top, outselling its sister brand by 19,772 cars

Lexus – down 23.08%

A surprising drop for Lexus, given the increasing demand for hybrid models, but the fall is more down to a shortage of supply than a lack of demand for the premium Japanese brand’s products.

Mercedes –

down 17.39%

It wasn’t that long ago when Mercedes was vying with Audi and BMW for top premium spot Now it’s around 30,000 sales behind its arch-rivals, but as supply picks up, so could sales

Prices for new Jogger Hybrid start below £23k

DACIA has confirmed pricing for its firstever hybrid model, the Jogger Hybrid 140.

Starting from £22,595 in entry-level Expression trim, the seven-seat model features front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, blind-spot warning, full keyless go, heated mirrors, an eightinch multimedia set-up with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus automatic airconditioning all fitted as standard.

Stepping up to top-spec Extreme SE costs £800 extra, but brings black alloys, heated seats and built-in sat-nav. A seven-inch instrument cluster is exclusive to the Hybrid. The new Jogger Hybrid is powered by a 1 6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor supplied by a compact 1.2kWh battery, managed by a multi-mode clutchless automatic gearbox. The total

output is 138bhp and 0-62mph takes 10.1 seconds, but more importantly, the hybrid set-up boosts efficiency, with claimed fuel economy of 56 5mpg

The Jogger Hybrid is on sale now, with deliveries due to begin in Q2 this year.

OFFICIAL

“Sales of electric cars have overtaken diesels, putting them second to petrols for the first time”

2022 sales chart news inbrief

Charging network is “biggest barrier to EV ownership”

MG – up 66.83%

Like Dacia, MG is proving how much we Brits value great-value cars But unlike Dacia, MG has a range of electrified models, which has helped it sell almost twice as many new cars as its Romanian rival

Polestar – up 79.32%

Polestar factories were pretty much at full speed from the middle of the year, which – combined with strong demand for its electric Polestar 2 model – resulted in strong growth for the brand in 2022.

Tesla – up 56.72%

Other car makers have eyed the way Tesla has dealt with the component crisis enviously The secret? It doesn’t think like a car company – which is why strong supply equals strong sales

ALTHOUGH EV sales are now second only to petrol for the first time (see left), there are growing fears that the state of the public charging network could become the biggest barrier to EV ownership

With sales of purely combustionengined models set to stop by 2030, new car buyers will have to switch their allegiance to electric cars whether they like it or not

However, with recent stories of electric vehicles having long waits at public charging facilities over the Christmas holidays, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes has warned that EV uptake is faltering, with the

slow introduction of chargepoints potentially hitting further adoption of EVs. “Infrastructure is the major challenge,” said Hawes. “Charging anxiety is the biggest obstacle “Even taking the government’s lowest target of 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, that requires more than 100 new chargers to be installed every single day The current rate is around 23 per day. The user experience may get worse before it gets better.”

However, there seems to be no slowdown in the interest in EVs, with the most visited page on our website during 2022 being our story on the best electric cars. Tesla dominated UK sales of electric cars last year, with the Model Y leading the Model 3, and the Kia e-Niro in third place.

Mercedes to set up charging hubs

MERCEDES will take on Tesla’s Supercharger network with its own highpower EV chargers – and 10,000 are set to be installed by the end of the decade The first of 400 hubs, with more than 2,500 chargers, is set to arrive in North America this year, with completion of the US roll-out by 2027 This will also be expanded into Europe and China, taking the total number of Mercedes charging stations to 10,000 by 2030. Each hub will offer between four and 30 fast chargers, according to the brand

They will be able to accommodate 350kW charging, with the potential to increase this in the future Mercedes also says it will focus on making sure customers using its hubs will have a

ACCESS

All EVs will be able to use the new hubs, but Mercedes drivers will pay less

Sporty revisions for Jaguar I-Pace line-up

JAGUAR has revised its I-Pace EV, as well as adding a UK-only 400 Sport model

The regular range now features the R-Dynamic pack as standard, while the range-topping 400 Sport comes with performance seats, a bootlid spoiler, air suspension and 22-inch wheels

Minor updates include a smoothed-in ‘shield’ grille finished in Atlas Grey, with other body parts in the same finish The range is still up to 292 miles, while prices start from £69,995 for the R-Dynamic SE, with the 400 Sport at £79,995.

Remove phones from illegal users – experts

POLICE should confiscate phones from drivers caught using their device behind the wheel, experts have argued. Gary Digva, founder of dash-cam and speed camera-detector firm RoadAngel, said a zero-tolerance policy is needed towards motorists who illegally use phones while driving, putting other road users at risk. The law around mobile phone use behind the wheel was tightened in 2022. Offenders risk six points on their driving licence and a £200 fine.

Zeekr updates 001 ahead of Euro launch

CHINESE brand Zeekr – set to arrive in Europe this year – has revised its 001 crossover, fitting a new 140kWh battery for a claimed 641-mile range under Chinese tests Expect slightly less on the European WLTP test from the 1,000 cars equipped with this long-range battery.

Alongside the Geely-owned firm’s push into Europe this year, we should see two all-new models (a mid-size SUV and a saloon) from Zeekr in 2023.

Speaking to

“Every

Steve Fowler Steve Fowler@autoviacouk @stevefowler

DISTINCTIVE

Next Toyota C-HR is taking shape for 2023 launch

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

TOYOTA previewed the look of its second-generation C-HR with a dramatic concept late last year, and these latest spy shots suggest that the edgy design is going to be retained by the production model

Caught on roads close to Toyota’s European R&D base, this prototype shows how some of the key cues from the concept – called C-HR Prologue – will be retained The camouflage does a reasonable job of disguising the details, but the overall profile reveals that the chunky ‘blade’ C-pillars are going to make it to showroom vehicles, along with the roof spoiler.

The majority of the headlight units are hidden, but there’s enough visible through the swirls to suggest that the ‘hammerhead’ motif of the concept will feature. One

significant change does appear to have been made to the bootlid, though, with the Prologue’s complex, stretched tail-lights being dropped Instead there are more conventional units at the edge of an integrated lip spoiler beyond the hatchback glass Toyota design sources told us at the concept’s preview that this would probably be the case, on grounds of cost.

They also suggested that the Prologue’s roofline was “99 per cent” of the production version’s, and the prototype certainly appears to have an aggressive profile. It’s a sign that Toyota is going to stick to the original C-HR’s priority of dramatic design, instead of improving the rear cabin space

The sides of the C-pillars have been pulled back slightly, though, in a bid to allow a little more light through to the back seats

The prototype’s flanks show evidence of sharp creases, a key indicator that this

car, which ran silently past our spy snapper, is a C-HR instead of the production version of the all-electric bZ Crossover concept that was also released last year

Toyota has already confirmed that the Mk2 C-HR will arrive in 2023, and that it will be offered as a plug-in hybrid for the first time, alongside a version featuring the company’s latest hybrid

New name, new era for SsangYong

THE new owner of Korean firm SsangYong is set to rebrand the company as KG Mobility. KwakJae-sun – the Chairman of SsangYong’s parent company, KG Group –said that, “the name, SsangYong Motor, has a fandom with good memories, but it also has a painful image From now, all SsangYong cars will come out to the world under the name of KG. Even with the name change,

SsangYong Motor’s history will not change It [the company and its cars] will have the same conditions.”

KG Group took a 62 per cent stake in SsangYong last year to help alleviate the company’s financial pressures. The name change will be voted on by shareholders in March this year. If successful, it’ll lead to a total overhaul for the brand, with a new logo and corporate identity.

set-up. It’s conceivable that the C-HR could use the same 2 0-litre PHEV system as the recently revealed Prius Mk5

That car, which Toyota has elected not to sell in the UK, has 191bhp and can manage up to 60 miles on electricity alone Even if the C-HR has a slightly smaller battery, it should be comfortably within the threshold for low company car tax.

EVOLVED

Next C-HR’s look was previewed by Prologue concept

Sales success of Ami Buggy sees Citroen plot a sequel

AFTER Citroen announced its My Ami electric off-road buggy last year, all 50 units the firm earmarked for production sold out in just 20 minutes – which is why the brand has confirmed it’ll build another 1,000 units with this My Ami Buggy Limited Edition model for 2023

Citroen said, “The new limited-edition version will be very similar to the first edition, but with a few surprise features over the current model” It hasn’t outlined how the LE differs from the original, but could include optimisations

made previously to the Ami’s 5.5kWh battery to improve cold-weather performance and range; the regular Ami claims 46 miles on a full charge

HOT TOPIC Future of hydrogen

FROM: John Minshall THERE is only a future for hydrogen cars if the proper refuelling infrastructure is installed We’re struggling in the UK with sufficient and reliable electric vehicle chargepoints. What makes us think we could handle hydrogen stations?

FROM: Grant Rossouw I CAN see hydrogen vehicles becoming a more prominent mode of transport in the future, especially with high electricity costs and demand Diesel was once laughed at as a newcomer, but was better than petrol in many ways

It hasn’t been confirmed if the LE Buggy will be sold in the UK; after all, it took significant lobbying for the regular Ami to go on sale here However, former Citroen UK boss Eurig Druce previously told us that there’s “every conceivable chance we could see future versions of My Ami Buggy on sale in the UK” If so, expect deliveries to begin this summer. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk

FIAT wants to build its own version of the Ami, potentially called Topolino –and the company’s boss has confirmed to Auto Express that his brand is “in active discussions” with Citroen and Opel about the project.

Olivier François believes that the Ami could help his brand to deliver better urban mobility. When asked directly if he has been in talks about the vehicle, he told us, “Yes, for sure. I have had discussions If I jump into that space – which I want to do –then it’s clear that I have a very good base with that Citroen/Opel car.”

It’s believed that Fiat’s take on the car could carry the Topolino badge (the nickname of the original 500) and offer an opening fabric roof.

François told us: “These are cubes, and it’s a real design challenge to

make a sexy cube But if any brand can do it, it’s Fiat ”

François said the biggest challenge has been securing production capacity. But Stellantis has announced investment of £265m to double the output of the Ami plant in Morocco.

“If I do it, I want it to be a major hit,” François said, “and for a major hit we need to boost our capacity ”

Civil servants should check parking claims

FROM: Robert Stone IT’S wrong that private parking firms can easily buy vehicle ownership data from the DVLA (Issue 1,758) Each case should have to be looked into by an impartial civil servant before details are given out The driver shouldn’t have to go to court if they disagree with the firm

Taking responsibility for self-parking cars

FROM: Tom Branston ANYONE who has used a self-parking system will know how unreliable they can be What happens when the Mercedes-Bosch system (Issue 1,758) reverses a car into a pillar or another vehicle? Will the driver have to claim on insurance or will there just be a payout?

DVLA backlogs are just unacceptable Obey red X signs to avoid hitting vehicles

FROM: James Dorian FOR how long have there been backlogs at the DVLA now (Issue 1,758)? Disruption through the height of the pandemic was understandable, but Covid is no longer an excuse Agency staff should be brought in to clear the current backlog – it’s unacceptable

FROM: Richard Younger IF drivers are worried about hitting a stationary car on a smart motorway (Issue 1,758), avoiding the left lane is not the way to do it. A car can break down in any lane, so the key for drivers is to immediately comply with any red X signs that show overhead

INSIDESTORY

Tackling the motoring issues that matter

TESTING BMW’S MIXED REALITY

SeanCarson sean carson@autoviacouk

I’M sitting in the driver’s seat of a new BMW M2.

The 453bhp 3 0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine is idling away in front of me with bassy menace – and the experience is made all the more pulse-quickening by the fact that, although I can see my outstretched arms and hands resting on the sporty steering wheel, above that my field of view is dominated not by the outside world and an expanse of tarmac in front of me, but a digital depiction of a racetrack projected onto the screen of the Virtual Reality goggles I’m wearing

In a minute my instructor is going to ask me to floor the throttle and unleash the M2’s performance to try and set a lap time around the aforementioned track The car will be moving in time and space – I will be driving it and making inputs with the steering wheel and pedals – except I can’t see anything of the real, physical environment in front of me Welcome to BMW’s M Mixed Reality demonstrator

The technology has been developed in conjunction with Epic Games and uses a set of VR goggles linked to a sensor mounted on the M2’s dashboard that tracks probes fixed to the headset and works out where the driver is looking and therefore what to show on the display screen. BMW says: “The system takes all movement and rotary axes of the BMW M2 into account The vehicle itself becomes the controller, in this case the fastest controller in the world ” It’s still at the working prototype stage, but even this early test of the technology shows how advanced the system is Initially, the goggles are blank and you can see through them, albeit with a blurry edge to your vision I’m asked to drive to a pre-determined point by the M engineer behind the project, Alexander Kuttner This location is GPSprogrammed into the device and once I reach this point, this is where the world changes in front of my eyes – from the wintery-looking bleak, grey airfield surroundings outside Munich to a bright, neon-lit world of virtual reality My initial reaction is that it looks like a cross between the computer games Mario Kart, Sonic and Wipeout (can you tell I’m a nineties child?). The graphics aren’t exactly super-slick, with some pixelation to the digital world, but there’s absolutely no latency as I move my head and explore the new world in front of me out of the windscreen The picture snaps from left to right with no lag, and it’s initial signs such as this and the way the software interpolates the view of my hands, the steering wheel and the car’s A-pillars with the digital environment that give me confidence that I’m not going to crash immediately once I accelerate away from the line. The clock ticks down: 3 – 2 –1 The lights go from red to green and I bury the throttle, the

VIRTUAL

TUAL T INSANITY?

We don our Virtual Reality goggles to drive a real BMW M2 around a digital racetrack using the company’s latest Mixed Reality software

“I will be driving the M2 and making inputs with the car’s steering wheel and pedals - only I can’t see anything of the real, physical environment in front of me”

HI-TECH Dash-mounted sensor measures movements made by the VR goggles to

give

Sean

an accurate picture of where he’s driving

Target A second is knocked off your lap time whenever you drive through a BMW roundel

M2’s stone-cold rear tyres struggling for traction on the patchy, wet surface beneath them – and here’s where I encounter the first problem with the Mixed Reality set-up It’s still in its infancy, but the grip levels in the digital world aren’t matched with those in reality, so as the ESC does its best to contain wheelspin and the M2 only gently slithers up the track, while I can feel these tiny movements at the rear they’re not reflected in what I see in front of me or how the car behaves on the streets of “M Town” I put this to one side and ease off the throttle a little. It’s hard to gauge how fast you’re going in the real world as the pixels fly by your eyes, so I ask Alex, who tells me around 110km/h (70mph) That seems fast enough to me, not because I can’t see if something has moved into my intended path, but because my brain is telling me to slow down to negotiate the left-right jink in the track ahead It’s created by what appear to be force fields that flash up on the track, a kind of digital tyre wall that encourages you to move to the other side of the ‘road’ and flick the car from left to right But while I’ve got to make sure I don’t hit these translucent red curtains of death (my words, not BMW’s), I also need to focus on collecting the tokens that appear on the circuit, which BMW says “reinforces the immersive in-car experience” I’m not so sure, but it’s another challenge that carves out the system as something new and unique – and you can see why I likened it to Sonic and having to claim gold tokens earlier

In this case they’re huge BMW roundels that you need to drive through, and every one you collect successfully contributes towards a one-second reduction in your lap time at the end. I ask what the record is so far, but Alex doesn’t indulge me and keeps his counsel

The disparity in grip rears its head again as I have to brake heavily and turn into a tight right-hand hairpin The ABS triggers due to the wet surface and the front tyres

judder as the nose washes wide while I wind the steering lock on. It’s not the car’s fault – or the game’s for that matter (although it seems wrong to call it a game, piloting a real-life sports car that’ll sprint from 0-62mph in 4 1 seconds) – it’s just a function of the M Mixed Reality technology’s stage of development.

But to focus on this is to ignore the many positives that the system highlighted to me from my brief go The speed of the tech’s software and processing mean that I very quickly felt confident, and that the set-up became natural in no time Once I’d got used to just how quickly the car seemed to turn in the digital world compared with my input in the real world, my brain married up these two factors and took care of that relationship.

So what could the technology be used for? Well, fun, for a start, Alex tells me However, there are more realworld applications, he and his BMW colleagues believe The facility we’re at is a BMW driver and customer training centre, where buyers can try out the latest BMWs, as well as test drivers completing exercises for internal licensing and some vehicle development programmes

Given how big the tarmac expanses are at this old airfield, you could in theory display a compact development test track from other locations in the VR goggles to, in effect, put a driver in that place

Or, switching up the location, BMW owners wanting to drive their M2 around the Nürburgring could get help from the set-up, with an ideal racing line, braking and throttle points, perfect corner apices and more displayed in the goggles and on top of reality One BMW engineer even suggests to me that, in theory, you could go full

“The speed of the tech’s software a

ON TRACK BMW engineer Alexander Kuttner (left) tells Sean about the Mixed Reality set-up that mixes VR (bottom left) with the real world (bottom right)

VIEWPOINT

The Mixed Reality software instantly tracks Sean’s head movements to provide a virtualreality view that corresponds with where he is looking

and processing mean

Gran Turismo and chase your own best lap time with a ghost mode – or even one of BMW’s factory drivers with their best lap ghost file loaded up. Although the case for a horrendously litigious episode seems strong with either of these latter two examples, so we’ll have to wait and see

I exit the M2 after a three-lap stint and take away the fact that while BMW is trying to ‘gamify’ the driving experience for new generations, that it’s seemingly going about it in the right way Driving is still at the heart of the process

BMW M division chief executive officer, Frank van Meel, sums it up nicely: “Anyone who asks what virtual

experiences in the automotive sector might look like in future – this is the answer. People must be able to experience this new feeling, and with M Mixed Reality, we offer them a suitable solution for this ”

And the lap time? I collect every token for the maximum reduction and clock just under 28 seconds for the lap from a standing start. Now we’re finished, I ask Alex again what the fastest time so far is “Around 18 seconds,” he says I’m suitably impressed – “Who set that time?” I ask “Me,” he replies “But you could say I’ve had some practice,” he laughs. Go figure.

I very quickly felt confident, and that the set-up became natural in no time”

FOCUSED

Sean drives the M2 around an airfield but can only see a virtual race track

NEWCARS

CHARGING The 31kWh battery is fairly big for a plug-in hybrid, but UK customers don’t get rapid charging It takes two and a half hours for a top-up, which gives an 80-mile claimed range

COMFORT Chassis set-up is on the softer side, so the GLC rolls in corners However, despite this, the ride comfort could be better Still, it’s a refined motorway cruiser

Mercedes GLC 300 e

FIRSTUKDRIVE Plug-in version of new premium SUV offers a long all-electric range

Ingram@autoviacouk @rsp ingram

A GOOD all-rounder isn’t particularly hard to come by these days There are lots of cars that serve their intended purpose, confidently and unobtrusively going about their business while making the lives of their owners easier

The previous-generation Mercedes GLC was one such car Quiet, comfortable, even pretty efficient, it was inoffensive to look at and felt like it was built to a high standard. It came with the required level of interior tech, while the boot was a good size, too

But now there’s a new one – not that you’d know it, because to the untrained eye the 2023 model looks much the same as the old car, albeit tightened up slightly, as if the designers used sharper pencils It benefits from a marginally cleaner front end, and the rear is more in keeping

with the design of the larger GLE SUV But it’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type stuff.

Admittedly it’s a different story inside This new GLC gets Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment system, with an 11 9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen display and a 12 3-inch digital instrument cluster It feels fresh and modern, and on the whole, it’s responsive and intuitive to use

Yet it’s not all good news. While the row of shortcut buttons below the main screen is well positioned, and it offers quick and easy access to key functions, including audio volume and drive modes, if you push one button, you’ll notice the entire panel moves with it This feels on the cheap side in terms of build quality, and in a car starting from £51,855 – or a whopping £72,210 in top-spec GLC 300 e 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus trim as tested here – that simply shouldn’t be the case

Happily, most of the other materials, plus the cabin’s general fit and finish, are both

luxurious and (largely) robust We’re not keen on the swathes of fake carbon-fibre trim, but the seats are comfortable and supportive, and the Artico artificial ‘leather’ is as good as any real cow hide we’ve ever sat on It’ll probably be easier to look after, too.

Our first drive on UK roads was of the fleet-friendly plug-in hybrid In rangetopping trim, the GLC 300 e promises up to 80 miles of electric-only running from its pretty huge (for a plug-in hybrid) 31kWh battery In cold conditions, our test car showed 57 miles on a 97 per cent state of charge, but dropped fairly consistently, despite cycling through the various settings while driving

The official figures suggest the 300 e is capable of 565mpg, although you’ll need

to take this with a pinch of salt, and run almost solely on electricity to achieve anywhere close to that

Regardless, its sizeable battery range, plus CO2 emissions of just 12g/km, put it in the five per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax bracket – not as low as an all-electric car, but not far off, meaning company car drivers who cover plenty of miles have the flexibility of range and easy refuelling without paying the tax premium you would for a petrol or diesel model, while offering cheap motoring for trips closer to home

Those paying the higher rate of income tax are looking at an annual bill of just £1,443, versus more than £9,000 for an equivalent GLC diesel – that’s a pretty huge saving, despite the petrol plug-in’s £10,355

“The GLC 300 e promises up to 80 miles of electric-only running from its 31kWh battery”

“To the untrained eye, the new GLC looks much the same as the old car”

LAMBORGHINI URUS Super-SUV has been sharpened up in sporty S trim

Richard Ingram

Richard

price premium compared with a GLC 220 d in the same trim A GLC 300 de diesel plug-in hybrid is also available, and sits in the same BiK tax band as the petrol-electric model; Mercedes claims an incredible 706mpg for that car

We found the GLC 300 e at its best with charge in its battery As you might expect, this is when the Mercedes is quietest and at its most refined, although even on the motorway with the engine running, the car was impressively hushed at a cruise It seems the engineers have learnt a lot from the maker’s current crop of EVs; the EQC is one of the quietest cars in its class, for example. That’s the GLC’s lasting impression, certainly as a hybrid It isn’t particularly sporty, nor does it feel that fast You need the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor to be working in harmony if you want the maximum 313bhp (0-62mph officially takes 6 7 seconds), and sometimes the car’s management of both power sources can appear a little dimwitted

Elsewhere, the steering is a bit vague, the body rolls quite a bit through the bends and the brake pedal doesn’t offer a particularly consistent feel. But our biggest concern was the ride comfort On our car’s 20-inch wheels, the GLC never felt truly settled; at low

PRACTICALITY

The

F-Pace both strike a better balance, in spite of the fact that all GLCs get self-levelling air suspension on the rear axle

The paddles behind the steering wheel control the regenerative braking, although in Sport mode you can use them to change gear But we found the GLC at its best when taking things easy, immersing yourself in that sumptuous cabin and strong refinement.

The GLC is now only offered in AMG Line guise, with the usual Premium or Premium Plus upgrade packs on offer Entry-level cars get 19-inch wheels, LED lights, privacy glass and sports seats, plus that excellent infotainment system Premium (£5,000 extra) adds keyless entry and start, bigger wheels and a 360-degree camera, plus

augmented reality for the sat-nav AMG Line Premium Plus costs the same amount again, and includes different wheels, a panoramic roof, four-zone climate control, a Burmester hi-fi and a head-up display

The standard petrol and diesel versions get a 600-litre boot, but the plug-in hybrid takes a 200-litre hit due to the location of its bulky battery. There’s no under-floor storage for charging cables, either Speaking of charging, while other markets get the option of DC rapid charging, UK buyers don’t. It’s no hardship, however, because a top-up from a wallbox takes two and a half hours Given the long range and a light right foot, most buyers could realistically run the GLC 300 e as a part-time EV.

DISPLAYS

“The GLC 300 e is at its best when you’re taking things easy, immersing yourself in that sumptuous cabin”

Verdict

THE mid-size premium SUV segment is more competitive than ever The new Mercedes GLC – in 300 e petrol plug-in hybrid form, at least – boasts classleading range and efficiency and some of the very best in-car technology anywhere on the market. But it’s let down by a mediocre driving experience and its high price, which still hikes company car tax costs As before, we reckon the cheaper diesel might be the sweet spot in the range, offering strong real-world efficiency, decent performance and more practicality, thanks to its bigger boot

INTERIOR GLC’s cabin looks upmarket, but build quality doesn’t quite match this plug-in model’s high price

New GLC’s portrait touchscreen runs the latest MBUX infotainment, while driver gets customisable 12 3-inch instruments

Rear cabin is roomy, and there are individual climate controls as well as USB sockets

Lamborghini Urus S

Price: £185,271

Engine: 4 0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol

Power/torque: 657bhp/850Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.5 seconds

Top speed: 190mph Economy: 20mpg CO2: 320g/km

ONSALE

Alastair Crooks@autoviacouk

@AllieCrooks

WITH the introduction of the Urus Performante, you might wonder why anyone would take a second look at the more conservative Urus S No other car company has a reputation like Lamborghini for wild designs and an intoxicating driving experience, and the Urus S could seem a bit contradictory at first glance

It’s the replacement for the standard Urus, and arrives five years after the model first went on sale To say that the Urus has been a success over that time is something of an understatement, because it’s been Lamborghini’s biggest seller and key to record growth last year It makes sense, then, that the Italian firm hasn’t fiddled with the Urus too much for this update

The visual tweaks consist of a new front end with a sharper bonnet line and more aggressive front bumper As with the Performante, the S gets a body-coloured carbon-fibre bonnet, while matt-black vents are optional. The carbon-fibre roof can also be bare or painted, while the rear bumper has been tweaked, with a new exhaust tip design and vents behind the rear wheels Those rims range from 21 to 23 inches.

Starting from £185,271, the Urus S is priced comfortably below the £206,732 Performante The 4 0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 657bhp, 16bhp up on the standard

Urus, while torque stands at 850Nm The S accelerates from 0-62mph in 3 5 seconds and can hit 190mph – quite significant numbers for a car weighing 2,197kg

The way the Urus S delivers its power is sensational – and there aren’t many other SUVs that offer this level of drama. Strada mode is fine when you’re cruising (which the Urus does just as well as the related Audi Q7), but if you shift to Sport, the throttle response is sharper, while the exhaust note – which has been retuned –is addictive as you climb through the revs

The eight-speed automatic gearbox is quick enough in its changes, and switching to Sport or Corsa sharpens up the shift times. There are six drive modes, including Terra, Neve and Sabbi off-road modes, although we’re not sure how far off the beaten track

owners might take their cars, given the sporty wheel and tyre combo

Despite its significant mass, the Urus S is more engaging than you’d expect on a twisty road It contains its weight well, and you gain plenty of confidence from the quick steering, while there’s lots of feedback from the front wheels Active torque vectoring through a revised rear differential and rear-wheel steering give the car a slightly rear-biased feel through tighter corners and plenty of agility

The enormous 440mm carbon-ceramic brakes are excellent, with progressive feel despite immense stopping power.

On the more track-focused Performante, there are stiffer steel springs for the suspension, resulting in a 20mm lower ride height and a slightly firmer

“The Urus S contains its weight well, and you gain confidence from the quick steering”

PRACTICALITY

AlastairCrooks

rghini Urus S

ride For UK roads, the standard adaptive air suspension of the S is more suitable Flick back to Strada and the Urus S is comfortable and surprisingly quiet if you lay off the throttle There’s cylinder-deactivation tech, which helps to produce a combined economy figure of 20mpg – still not great, but owners might not be bothered Refinement is fine, although most of the noise transmitted to the cabin comes from the huge tyres. Just like the exterior, the interior of the Urus S is a little more reserved than in the Performante Of course, you can customise the colours of the leather through Lamborghini’s extensive Ad Personum options list, but overall it’s a premium-feeling cabin with a sense of solid build quality The design of the vents and switches is a little busier than in its German siblings, however.

Despite being a Lamborghini, the Urus S is also a big SUV, so there’s good practicality in the shape of a 616-litre boot and easily enough room in the back for adults.

IT’S significantly less expensive than the range-topping Performante model, but the new Urus S is our favourite option in Lamborghini’s recently updated SUV range. It still offers all of the theatre you expect from a Lambo in terms of performance, but it also delivers when it comes to practicality. With these two distinguishable models to choose from, the Urus should be more popular than ever

WHEN we first tried Toyota’s new pumped-up city car, the Aygo X, it was in top-of-the-range ‘Exclusive’ trim, but now there’s a new model crowning the line-up in the form of this Air Edition version

It’s based on the mid-range Edge when it comes to the level of kit, but (as the name suggests) the Air Edition is fitted with a folding fabric roof, so now Toyota’s smallest car can go toe to toe with the convertible version of Fiat’s cutesy 500 city car These are the only two cars in their class.

It’s no secret that city cars are on the wane in Europe as makers struggle to conjure profits from models in this segment A direct replacement for the decade-old Volkswagen up! isn’t on the cards, and there will be no successors for the previous-generation Aygo’s Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1 siblings

A convertible Aygo isn’t new ground for Toyota, though, because the old model was

offered with a soft-top X-Wave variant, so the Japanese manufacturer clearly thinks there are sales to be had in the admittedly niche convertible city car market

We tested the new Aygo X Air Edition in less-than-ideal conditions, when an Arctic blast hit the UK, in fact. But if you order one now, then you can expect delivery from spring 2023, just as the convertible season approaches – hopefully

The Aygo X (pronounced Aygo Cross) sits a little higher than a typical city car, thanks in part to a new platform shared with the larger Yaris It’s a little longer than the old Aygo, but fits comfortably within the city car sector, despite its pseudo-off-roader look

A few design details, such as the huge wheelarch trims, a two-tone paint finish designed to make the Aygo X look beefier

and that raised ride height all contribute to this new mini-SUV style When you compare the Aygo X with its predecessor on the road, it certainly has a great deal more presence, so it’s a job well done from Toyota’s design department in this respect

Every Aygo X gets the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, with the choice of a five-speed manual or a CVT automatic The engine puts out a fairly weedy 71bhp and 93Nm of torque, but when you factor in the Aygo X’s 995kg kerbweight (the Air Edition adds 50kg) the output doesn’t seem as lacking as you might think

The powertrain is fairly refined and there’s a typical three-cylinder thrum during normal driving, but if you push the Aygo X hard (which is necessary if you’re going up hills or joining motorways) then the noise

builds to a roar as you’re forced to rev the engine The Aygo X’s gearing is long; 60mph can be reached in second, so you end up revving for longer than you initially expect Once you’re at motorway speed, it does settle down a little, however

The manual gearshift itself is a delight, even if the clutch pedal is quite high; there are many performance cars that offer a less engaging shift action than the Aygo X’s

Because the Aygo X Air Edition has that canvas roof, there’s some noticeable wind noise transmitted to the cabin Initially you might wonder if you’ve left a window open, but after a while you get used to it. With the roof rolled back (operated electronically, which takes slightly less than 10 seconds) you won’t notice too much buffeting, although the two driver-facing air vents were pretty useless in trying to keep the cabin warm on a frosty winter’s day

The Air Edition rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, which contribute towards a few jiggles when it comes to the ride and

AlastairCrooks

Alastair Crooks@autoviacouk

@AllieCrooks

SUNROOF

Canvas roof is operated electronically and takes 10 seconds to open and close. It adds an extra dimension to the Aygo X’s driving experience, even if it does reduce refinement compared with hard-top versions It should come into its own in summer, though

STYLING

Black body cladding and chunky alloys give this compact city car a touch of SUV style, which Toyota is hoping will win sales Bold colours are reflected inside, which give the car a distinct personality This is also backed up by the way the Aygo X drives, although it’s not fast

INTERIOR

Flashes of colour certainly help brighten up the Aygo X’s interior But it’s on the cramped side

refinement on the move, but the Aygo X is never uncomfortable; it’s so light that the Toyota often skips over imperfections in the road, rather than thudding into them.

The interior doesn’t feel too far removed from the old car’s cabin There’s still bodycoloured plastic on the door cards and dashboard, but the Aygo X seems a little more airy inside, and we like the fact that there’s a degree of personality in both the exterior and interior styling

There are limitations to the design, though, practicality being one of them. It’s

EQUIPMENT

Air Edition features latest smartphone tech as part of eightinch touchscreen infotainment A reversing camera and all-round parking sensors are also included, which should make city parking stress-free

only a four-seater for a start, while those two rear seats are really only suitable for children or small adults

Despite being the entry point to Toyota’s range, the Aygo X feels well put together, and the same is true of this admittedly higher-specification Air Edition While there may be some unforgiving plastics and cheap-feeling trim, nothing rattles when you’re on the move

The Air Edition replaces the soft-top Limited Edition, which also offered heated front seats. Sadly, the Air Edition doesn’t

have these, but you do get an eight-inch touchscreen (which is supremely easy to use, if a little dated style-wise), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a reversing camera, automatic wipers and a USB port to keep your phone charged

There’s also a suite of safety systems, including steering assist, adaptive cruise control, lane assist and road-sign assist. The pre-collision warning is a little intrusive, sometimes raising alerts over vehicles parked at the side of the road, but it’s nice that these features are offered on a small car.

Verdict

WITH the Aygo X Air Edition, you’re essentially paying extra for a canvas roof It might seem like a more worthwhile investment when warmer weather rolls around, but we’ll leave that choice to you. However, it certainly doesn’t detract from what is a charming, albeit slightly dated, city car

NEWCARS PorscheTaycan

Essentials

PorscheTaycan 4S

Price: £90,406 (Perf Battery Plus)

Engine/battery: 2x e-motor/83 7kWh net

Power/torque: 563bhp/650Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

0-62mph: 4.0 seconds

Top speed: 155mph Range: 267-318 miles

Max Charging: 270kW (5-80% in 23min)

ONSALE Now

FEW areas of the market are moving as quickly as electric vehicles, with software tweaks often playing a big role in adjusting how each car behaves and performs So it’s hardly surprising that the Porsche Taycan has continued to evolve since it made its debut in 2019 However, we’re not talking about a full facelift here –rather a series of upgrades that have been drip-fed into the line-up, and in many nonhardware cases, offered to existing Taycan owners as well as new ones

We sampled a fine example of this iterative process last year, in the form of the Taycan Sport Turismo GTS But now we’ve had a chance to see how the mods affect not the more focused version of the EV’s estate variant, but the edition of the regular saloon that could offer you the greatest range in real-world use

On paper at least, the Taycan 4S doesn’t grab headlines with the sort of astonishing stats you get with the Turbo S version –although it would be churlish to call it slow Should you spec it with Porsche’s Performance Battery Plus (which increases the capacity to 93.4kWh, or 83.7kWh usable), you’ll have 483bhp on tap – and 563bhp when using Launch Control

That means that even with the larger battery, and a total weight of more than 2.2

tonnes, the Taycan 4S can reach 62mph in four seconds and a top speed of 155mph

The most significant update on the 2023-spec Taycan is one that will be largely hidden from owners – at least, until they see how far they’re able to travel between recharges. While the car is running in ’Normal’ or ‘Range’ mode, the 4S’s front electric motor is now disconnected, and the car runs free of drive torque when it’s coasting or at a standstill. It’s all down to ones and zeros in the Taycan’s software stack, but the net effect is a useful gain in efficiency – to the point where, depending on the wheel size and which options are fitted, the 4S can now travel up to 318 miles on the WLTP combined cycle

The other good news is that dynamically, the only effect you’re likely to notice is a

positive one Because if anything, there’s a teeny bit more crispness to the way the 4S steers than before – more in line with the excellent rear-wheel-drive entry-level edition, if anything, so it’s supremely positive and confidence inspiring

It’s true that the Taycan remains a heavy car, but it’s one which masks its mass astonishingly well, with superb damping rounding off the edges of what is undoubtedly a firm basic set-up.

Performance, too, remains shockingly direct It’s safe to say that for all the greater efficiency, you’re unlikely to feel you’re in a car that doesn’t live up to the Porsche badge – a factor which has been at the heart of the Taycan success story

Inside, the Porsche’s standout qualities remain; the cabin is nicely

“For all the efficiency, you won’t feel you’re in a car undeserving of the Porsche badge”

STYLING While Taycan has been updated, there has been no facelift It remains a smart car, but buyers after a little more practicality may be tempted by the Cross Turismo version

INTERIOR Taycan’s strengths

unchanged: driving position is excellent, and cabin is trimmed with high-quality materials

TECHNOLOGY Tweaks include Android Auto integration to go with existing Apple CarPlay connectivity, plus clearer nav instructions in the head-up display and improved parking sensors

John McIlroy

John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

Electric

eTaycan

finished, with high-quality padded materials in all of the key areas and more durable finishes where they’re required – such as in the base of the B-pillar, which tends to get scrubbed as you fall into the front seats

And of course, you get the latest version of the PCM infotainment system, with an easy-to-use, tile-based interface and, at last, proper Android Auto integration (including wireless) to accompany the Apple CarPlay functionality that was present before You also get clearer navigation guidance in the head-up display, along with a host of other minor tweaks, including improved parking sensors and better thermal management of the battery, so the car can be topped up more quickly over a wider range of charge and temperatures

Owners of existing Taycan models can get these features introduced on their vehicles, too However, the operation is not something that can be performed over the air, so they’ll have to block out some time for a trip to the dealer.

Verdict

WE’VE always considered the Taycan 4S to be the pick of the range, and the 2023-model-year tweaks only strengthen our conviction on this verdict. True, it’s not cheap, and the options list is a minefield for your bank account, but the core package of sledgehammer performance, great driving dynamics and a beautifully finished cabin is now enhanced by improved range and even better incar tech What’s not to like?

“Dynamically, the only

Citroen C3 Aircross Rip Curl

Alex Ingram@autoviacouk @AxleIngram

THERE’S a new range-topper for the Citroen C3 Aircross line-up, called the Rip Curl It’s not the first time the Australian surfing brand has given its name to a French five-door model; along with previous versions of the C3 Aircross and the firstgeneration C4 Cactus, the name found its way onto a Mk3 Renault Clio trim level, too.

While the link between any of those cars and carving Bondi barrel waves might seem like a bit of a stretch, it’s possibly the least tenuous here. Given that this is one of the most spacious compact SUVs around – and has roof rails as standard – it shouldn’t be too hard to load some boards and surfing gear on top of or inside the car It’s also available with Citroen’s Grip Control, a traction control system that adapts to different surfaces, including a sand mode

In reality, though, most buyers are going to be more interested in the Rip Curl

because it’s essentially a C3 Aircross with all of the possible extras thrown at it

It gets a few select styling features to help it stand out from the rest of the range Unique exterior details come in the form of anodised blue trim for the door mirror caps and skid-plate inserts. There are 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-season tyres (more handy on the UK’s wintry roads than on a summer beach, probably) and a choice of four exterior paint colours.

Inside, the blue theme continues The colour can be found on the soft-touch area spanning the top of the dashboard, the half-leather-effect, half-cloth seats, the air vent surrounds and the dash The floor mats also feature Rip Curl branding

The previous Shine Plus range-topper is taken as a starting point when it comes to

kit Beyond that car’s generous standard spec, which includes automatic air-con, satnav with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, lane-departure warning, cruise control, and traffic-sign recognition, the Rip Curl adds a panoramic roof, an uprated hi-fi and a head-up display. Options include the Grip Control system (£300), wireless smartphone charging (£150) and a rear parking camera, which saves £180 by removing the front and rear parking sensors and adding a camera.

There’s a choice of one diesel and two petrol engines, starting with the PureTech 110, a 108bhp 1 2-litre three-cylinder petrol with a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.5litre BlueHDi diesel has the same power, but its 250Nm peak torque is 45Nm higher

The range is topped by the model we’re driving here, a 129bhp version of that 1.2

INTERIOR Cabin is familiar but the layout works, plus Rip Curl trim adds a few flourishes It’s spacious inside

“It shouldn’t be too hard to load some boards and surfing gear on top of or inside the car”

Alex Ingram

NEED TO KNOW

petrol, the PureTech 130, combined with an automatic gearbox. This set-up delivers decent performance; full throttle will see 0-62mph come up in 9 2 seconds, while in any circumstance the relatively modest weight and linear power delivery mean that it moves along well enough It’s this flexibility that’s its strong suit

However, very little engine braking, a sluggish auto gearbox and a clunky stop/ start system – the latter making crawling through heavy traffic a frustrating process –all take the edge off the powertrain The oldschool wiggly gear selector is a little fiddly to use, too; there’s a diagram to show you the location of each position, but it, as with the Sport button, is buried at the back of the centre-console cubby

Just like the rest of the C3 Aircross range, comfort rather than sportiness is the priority – and that’s fine by us If it’s not for you, then the Ford Puma covers that area Here, the relaxing nature starts with the soft and

supportive seats, but it’s also backed up by a forgiving ride that manages to soak up plenty of bumps that would jostle you around in a Puma

The addition of those all-season tyres further erodes the already modest grip levels available, and makes the steering feel a little more vague than usual, so it’s best if you don’t make waves

Yet the key selling point of the C3 Aircross remains its practicality Both knee and headroom are excellent, and there’s a sliding rear bench seat, so you can either let tall adults stretch out, or expand the boot for extra space (410-520 litres).

Citroen currently offers a £1,500 discount across the C3 Aircross range, meaning that the Rip Curl starts from £22,985, £1,000 more than the Shine Plus. This petrol-auto model is priced at £24,565 Place a £3,000 deposit on a three-year PCP agreement with a 10,000-mile annual limit, and the PureTech 130 comes to £385 per month.

WE still rate the C3 Aircross highly among the compact SUV competition, because it offers plenty of space, decent comfort and good value. But while this top-spec Rip Curl model is very well equipped, we reckon the C3 Aircross is still at its best at the cheapest end of its range, where all of the car’s other strong points are also still present and correct

EQUIPMENT Rip Curl trim comes with the latest smartphone connectivity, as well as a rear parking camera that’s displayed on the nine-inch touchscreen. The display’s resolution and response to inputs could be sharper, though

Gibson Dean Gibson@autoviacouk @DeanGbsn

BRITISH motoring enthusiasts are an eclectic bunch.

If you’re a fan of vehicles with two, three, four wheels or more, then there’s sure to be a club or group of likeminded individuals that shares your passion There are organisations dedicated to marques, or even specific models, while others come together in celebration of certain types of vehicle configuration, whether it’s threewheelers, 4x4s, two-strokes or even the humble van

The latter might seem like a niche of special interest, but the weekend-long Classic Commercial Vehicle show at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire, is an excuse for enthusiasts to gather and show off their beautifully restored vehicles. Mixing with the immaculately presented lorries and gleaming trailers were a number of smaller models that show how the van has evolved since the end of the Second World War With the electrification of commercial vehicles gathering pace, what better time to chart the past, present and future of the sector?

One of the oldest vans on display was a 1952 Austin A40 Devon van, owned by Chris Cole from Wellesbourne in Warwickshire He used it as a parts collector for the family business until it was replaced by a Ford Transit in 2011. After some time left standing, Chris restored the A40 when he retired, and now brings it to shows such as this

The A40 Devon was built in the UK from 1947-52, and the van was a windowless version of the A40 Countryman two-door estate It was easily built on the same production line at Longbridge as the other models, courtesy of the A40’s body-on-frame construction, while power came from a 40bhp 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

Chris’s van is in great condition, considering that it’s been used as a working vehicle “It started as a baker’s van, while I’m the third owner,” Chris tells us “It’s only ever done local trips, though, so it only has 98,000 miles on the clock ” When you consider today that delivery drivers can cover as many as 50,000 miles in a year, that’s pretty impressive for a 70-year-old work vehicle

There’s an aluminium body from the A-pillars back, so there are a few knocks and dings – “Aluminium is a pain to put right,” explains Chris – while he takes pride in the fact that the wooden floor is original and has only needed to be varnished to keep it in shape. Chris has added temperature and ammeter gauges to keep an eye on the A40’s vital signs, but otherwise it’s all original, including the spats over the rear wheels “Later vans had them removed to help with access if you had a puncture,” Chris says. Even in the fifties, it’s clear that companies were conscious of cutting the amount of time that vehicles spent off the road

We line up the electric Citroen e-Dispatch that we brought to the show alongside Chris’s A40 just to see

how 70 years of evolution have changed the van. While the Austin is surprisingly comfortable from behind the wheel, the Citroen’s larger dimensions mean three-abreast seating and a vast cargo area are on offer Chris is impressed by parts of the e-Dispatch, less so by others. “It’s clearly a lot more comfortable than the A40,” says Chris “And there’s so many more gadgets and more space in the back But I do wonder about the electric range These new vans are a good idea for the environment, but they’re not much different from what [defunct Vauxhall van brand] Bedford was doing in the 1970s ”

What Chris is referring to is a special Bedford CF van that’s now part of the British Motor Museum’s collection. Back in the seventies, UK firm Lucas focused on producing electric versions of contemporary models, including the CF This model proved of particular interest to the Duke of Edinburgh, who commissioned his own version. With a plush interior and one-off metallic green paint, it was drawn into service as a runabout in central London and for the odd short trip from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle

A 54bhp electric motor gave it a top speed of 50mph, while the chassis is packed with racks of 12-volt batteries that deliver a range of 70 miles When you consider that, 40 years later, the e-Dispatch has a real-world range of about 180 miles, maybe Chris is right that the steps to electrification haven’t been as quick as they could be.

But perhaps we’re turning a corner with electrification, courtesy of a model that’s synonymous with the word ‘van’ The Ford Transit first arrived in 1965, and with it came something of a revolution in the commercial vehicle class Not only did it mark the formation of Ford of Europe – until then, Ford UK and Ford Germany were two separate entities with no communication between each other – but it also introduced unibody

PIONEER

Electric Bedford CF was developed by UK firm Lucas and used by the Duke of Edinburgh. It has a range of 70 miles

Dean

AVAN FOR OUR TIMES

We visit the

Commercial Vehicle show to see how vans have evolved over the years

Classic

“[Electric] vans are good, but they’re not much different from what was happening in the 1970s”

CHRIS COLE Austin A40 Devon owner

CONTRAST

Lining Citroen e-Dispatch alongside classic A40 Devon shows how far vans have come in terms of cargo capacity and tech

PROGRESS Basic cabin of A40 Devon is a long way from the plush space in the Citroen e-Dispatch (far left)

construction, components from Ford’s passenger car range and a wide track to boost cargo carrying.

The Transit was an instant hit when it first arrived. Ford couldn’t make them fast enough, and it has remained a UK best-seller ever since While the past couple of years have been exceptional times for vehicle sales, the Transit has even beaten the UK’s top-selling cars in terms of volumes.

Peter Lee runs the Ford Transit Van Club, having previously worked at the original Transit factory in Slough He left when production moved to Southampton in 1972, and drove his Transit to Spain, where he became known as the ‘Van Man’ as he picked strawberries during the day and slept in the van at night It was here that he began collecting stickers and brochures relating to the Transit, and upon his return to the UK, Peter and his memorabilia were enlisted to help out with press events From there his involvement with the Transit snowballed Today, he has thousands of pieces relating to the Transit, and has published books about its history

“The Transit changed commercial vehicles forever,” Peter says “There are parts of it that [Transit engineer] Vernon Preston incorporated that are still used by every van that’s built today It really set the template for that kind of vehicle ”

The Transit is now into its fourth generation, but constant updating since the Mk4 was introduced in 2013 has seen it hold on to its title as the UK’s number-one van Splitting the model range between Transit and the medium-sized Transit Custom – not to mention the even smaller car-based Connect and Courier models – means that Ford’s van is now a brand in its own right within the company

And in 2022, perhaps the most significant change in the Transit’s history took place, with the arrival of the E-Transit. We awarded it our Electric Van of the Year award at the 2022 New Car Awards, and having sampled the E-Transit himself, Peter sees an opportunity for it to redefine the van sector once again “I’m always asked by club members about the new models,” he says, “and the E-Transit is a great addition to the line-up Ford is last to market with an electric van, but it just does everything better It just works ”

“It seems like we went from the wheelbarrow to spaceships with a short jump, and now with the E-Transit it brings all this new technology with it There’s all this information in a

PETER LEE

“The Transit changed commercial vehicles forever. There are parts of it that are still used by every van built today. It set the template for that kind of vehicle”

VARIETY Transit club showcases the different options that were

available,

while Peter’s own Transit Mk1 (left)

is a blast of seventies

van culture

Ford Transit Van Club

EVOLVED (Clockwise from left) Austin A40 is a popular classic, Thames vans were a precursor to the Transit, while 400E (above) also came as a minibus

little box that makes life easier.” Peter’s referring to the telematics systems that the latest vans have to offer, which are helping fleets stay connected and on the road for longer Peter is a fan of the new tech, but he’s aware that some people still need to be convinced. “Van owners used to have range anxiety to worry about,” he says “But today it’s more about charging anxiety – there aren’t enough places to charge a van up What’s really needed is help with charging incentives to help people see that it’s the way to go.”

It’s a challenging time for van makers as they transition from combustion engines to electricity, and the general public aren’t entirely convinced by their benefits just yet But that will come, and maybe sometime in the future van fans will look back at the early 21st-Century era with fondness, with our quaint electric models and their short ranges

Either way, vans have their fans, whether they’re built by Ford, Austin or Bedford, or even Citroen, Volkswagen and Mercedes. And hopefully there will still be places such as the British Motor Museum for enthusiasts to come together and show off their classics, in whatever shape or form nFor details of the British Motor Museum’s events in 2023, visit the what’s on page at britishmotormuseum.co.uk

CHANGES

REMEMBERED

Car-based vans have always been built, including Morris Marina (left), but Transit (right) redefined the van sector

Classic Commercial Vehicle Show is the perfect place to see models from nowdefunct marques such as Bedford

ROADTESTS

Testers’ notes

“While Ora is a new brand to the UK, commercial vehicle drivers might recognise the name of its parent company GWM is short for Great Wall Motors, which sold the Steed pick-up truck here between 2012 and 2017.”

ean Carson Associate editor Sean

TAKE a look at the Chinese Zodiac, and 2023 is due to be the year of the Rabbit. However, if one newcomer to the UK car market has its way, then we could be heralding the year of the Cat instead

The GWM Ora Funky Cat is the latest in a wave of new metal to emerge from China, with far more set to come along from a variety of brands which, to most UK buyers, will seem unfamiliar The overwhelming majority of these will be fully electric – and the Funky Cat is no different. Having sampled the newcomer already, we’ve seen

that it shows some promise, so it’s now time to subject it to an in-depth twin test. And there’s no stronger rival for the Funky Cat than the MG4 While it wears an historic British logo on the nose, like Ora, MG is under Chinese ownership – but it’s already proven itself to be a car which could rejuvenate the marque While previous MGs have offered value for money as a key selling point, the MG4 also has genuine ability. So can the Funky Cat become another promising new EV, or will the MG4 prove to be too strong?

ROADTESTS OraFunkyCatvsMG4

MODELTESTED: GWM Ora Funky Cat First Edition

PRICE: £31,995 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 48kWh battery, 169bhp

WE can’t blame you for being unfamiliar with the Ora brand; even in its native China, it only came into existence in 2018 Since then, a variety of small electric vehicles have rolled off the production line, most of which with a Cat-based name – Black, White, Punk and Big, to name a few In other markets, the car you see here is known as the Good Cat, but here it’s called the Funky In First Edition trim it costs £31,995, which climbs to £32,790 with our car ’ s Aurora Green paint and white roof

Design & engineering

FROM a styling point of view, the Funky Cat certainly lives up to its name You’re greeted first by the friendly face of its front end; not many cars have round headlamps any more, so you might think it bears a resemblance to a MINI or a Volkswagen Beetle, maybe even a Porsche 911 At just over 4 2 metres long, the Cat is a touch shorter than the MG4 and VW ID 3, and slightly longer than the Renault Megane E-Tech

The funky theme continues inside Our car ’ s two-tone scheme has a green finish to mirror the exterior paintwork which, mixed with the cream plastics lower down and subtle use of (plastic) chrome trim, really helps to give a special atmosphere that only the Fiat 500 can offer for similar cash

It’s not quite as impressive when you start to touch things, though The chrome toggles feel a little flimsy, the hard plastic of the centre console isn’t particularly sturdy, and the “lit-when-on” steering wheel buttons remind us of the VW ID 3 – controls which, due to negative feedback, VW will be tweaking when that car is updated Then there’s the rotary gear selector, which rotates freely like the volume switch on a cheap hi-fi; you need to rely on the illuminated indicator to be sure of the gear you ’ re actually in

Driving

THE lack of sophistication that’s betrayed by the interior of the Funky Cat can also be felt out on the road From a low speed, it’s clear that there’s a noticeable level of fidget from the suspension, which compromises comfort around town At higher speeds that feeling persists, although the overall set-up itself doesn’t feel unduly harsh or firm; it’s certainly no worse than in some electric rivals

However, there isn’t much compensation in terms of driving fun Look beyond the lack of body roll, and the Cat feels a little lazy and lumpen through the turns, and it’s not helped by steering which offers little to no feedback For most buyers it will be fine, but ‘fine’ isn’t good enough when compared with the MG4

Thanks to the Ora’s electric powertrain, there’s very little noise coming from under the bonnet However, this highlights a fairly pronounced level of tyre roar, which is more audible than in the MG

At 8 3 seconds, the Funky Cat’s 0-62mph time is 0 4 seconds behind the MG’s, and this is barely noticeable in the real world For a car such this, it’s more than sprightly enough around town, while the throttle has enough progression in Normal mode to

Details

Performance

Funky Cat is lively at lower speeds, but a fidgety ride spoils overall comfort

ROADTESTS

feel easy to modulate At speeds above 50mph, the acceleration tails off more than in its rival, though A single-pedal driving mode is available, and there are three further energy recovery modes that are selectable via a sub-menu on the touchscreen The smooth transition between regeneration and mechanical braking is excellent

Practicality

WHEN it comes to interior space, the Funky Cat is rather hit and miss It holds a tiny edge over the MG for rear kneeroom, but the roofline is tighter, so taller occupants will feel slightly more cramped The seats themselves are firm and the squab is short, so those with longer legs might wish for a little more under-thigh support However, it’s in the boot where the Funky Cat is most compromised At 228 litres, the load space is closer to that of some city cars rather than a family hatchback of this size

Fold the rear backrests down and that figure climbs, but it’s still an underwhelming 858 litres The opening is both much narrower and higher than the MG4’s, too

Ownership

BOTH of these cars received the maximum five-star ratings from Euro NCAP when they were tested in 2022 However, the Funky Cat’s category scores were higher in all but the Vulnerable Road Users Category, where the MG pipped it by just one per cent While the Funky Cat’s Driver Assist score is one of the highest of any car that Euro NCAP marked last year, we found its lane-keep assist system to be one of the most intrusive we ’ ve ever tried On roads with undefined borders and fading central lines – in other words, pretty much any British B-road – it regularly panics that you ’ re straying out of your lane, and constantly tugs at the wheel to compensate

Running costs

THIS test took place in winter, with temperatures frequently dipping below zero during our week at the wheel of each car – as unflattering for an EV’s efficiency as it’s possible to get As a result, we’d have to reserve full judgement on its efficiency until the weather improves, but the MG4 was 0 3mi/kWh more efficient than the Cat’s 2 8mi/kWh in the same conditions

Given that the MG managed 3 5mi/kWh in a previous, warmer test in which its rival, the Kia Niro EV, managed 3 9mi/kWh, we can conclude that the Funky Cat’s overall efficiency falls short of its rivals’ Combined with its modest battery, a resulting real-world range of 134 miles in cold weather was 57 miles less than the MG’s

Testers’ notes

“Neither car has a rear wash/wipe The MG’s oddly shaped rear end is designed to keep road grime at bay, but the Ora really needs a wiper.”

Alex Ingram Chief reviewer

Interior

Colourful cabin looks great from a distance, although some details feel a little cheap to the touch

Boot 228-litre cargo capacity is disappointing Load lip is high, too

THROUGHTHE RANGE

ROADTESTS

MODELTESTED: MG4 SE Long Range

PRICE: £29,495 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 64kWh battery, 200bhp

COMPARED with its rival’s Funky Cat name, a simple ‘4’ seems like it’s lacking a little imagination Still, MG’s first EV developed from the ground up has impressed us already, overcoming the Kia Niro EV in a group test last summer But its Chinese rival here is much cheaper than the Kia, so can the MG maintain its winning streak? Here we have an SE Long Range model, which at £29,495 is very competitively priced

Design & engineering

THIS pair are electric family hatchbacks from the Far East, but their mechanical make-ups are very different While the Funky Cat mounts its electric motor at the front and drives the front wheels, the MG4’s motor sits beneath the boot floor and drives the rears At 200bhp, the MG’s motor makes 31bhp more than its rival’s, but its peak torque of 250Nm is the same The MG needs that extra power, because it’s heavier than the Funky Cat While the pair are similarly sized, much of that extra mass comes down to the MG4’s larger battery, which offers 64kWh to the newcomer ’ s 48kWh In official WLTP tests, that means the MG4 is able to cover 270 miles on a single charge, compared with 193 miles for the Funky Cat Step inside, and the MG’s black, slightly featureless cabin looks almost unfinished beside the Funky Cat’s Build quality is no worse, though Both cars have their own advantages when it comes to the driving position The Funky Cat’s dashboard is slightly lower than the MG4’s, which means that you can more easily judge distances to the front of the car However, the MG’s oddly shaped steering wheel has a greater range of adjustment, so it’s easier to get comfortable The physical buttons on the wheel feel more pleasing to use than its rival’s, although the position of the door-mirror adjustment, on the dash beside the wheel, means you have to lean forward a little, making it harder to get the mirrors in the right position

Driving

THERE are very few EVs on the market that are fun to drive –especially ones at the more affordable end of the market However, the MG4 is a rare exception The rear-wheel-drive layout certainly helps, but the mix of a modest amount of body roll, quick steering and a fairly neutral balance means that it’s quite an engaging family hatchback on a B-road If you are in the market for an electric car that’s a little more enjoyable to drive, then the MG4 is certainly a great place to start

This decent handling hasn’t come at the expense of comfort, either Not only is the MG4 more agile than the Funky Cat through the corners, but its suspension set-up is also more forgiving at any speed, too Bumps are fairly well absorbed across a variety of surfaces, and both suspension knocks and tyre roar are slightly better suppressed It doesn’t matter which driving mode you choose, the MG’s throttle is sharper and more responsive than the Ora’s As a result, it feels much more darty in town, making it easy to jump into gaps in urban traffic At higher speeds, this response teams with

ROADTESTS

the chassis to deliver a neutral balance on the exit of corners The steering itself has a pleasing weight to it, with a feeling of resistance gently building as you load the tyres up through a corner

This sharpness isn’t quite matched by the brakes, though; the regeneration system feels a little more spongy than the Funky Cat’s reassuring pedal

Practicality

THE clearest advantage the MG holds over its rival in terms of practicality is at the back Even though its motor is rear-mounted, there’s still a 363-litre boot – 125 litres larger than the Ora’s Fold the seats down, and the 1,177-litre total is 319 litres ahead

The MG4 has roomy back seats, too A lack of foot space beneath the front seats is a minus point, but the MG is more comfortable than the Funky Cat for three, because the centre seat is wider and there’s a softer backrest Both cars have slightly awkward access to the Isofix mounting points; we prefer the plastic surrounds the likes of VW use on its vehicles than the large velcro fabric panels used by the MG4

When it comes to storage up front, the MG has a large centre cubby with a lid, two cup-holders and a decent centre bin The Funky Cat’s storage is similarly useful, although the glovebox is quite shallow and the rear door bins are a little small

Ownership

CHARGE speeds will play a big part in EV ownership for those who cover long distances – and this becomes more important for models with smaller batteries

To that end, the Ora is a little disappointing, with a maximum charging speed of 64kW That means a 15-80 per cent charge – 86 miles of range, based on our wintry figures – in 43 minutes The MG’s 135kW charging results in a 10-80 per cent charge – or 134 miles – in 35 minutes The MG’s plug is in a similar position to most combustion cars ’ filler caps, while the Funky Cat’s is on the front nearside wing

Both cars offer long warranties: a five-year, unlimited package for the Funky Cat and sevenyear/80,000-mile cover for the MG

Running costs

IF you ’ re a private buyer, then residual values count for a lot when it comes to an overall cost-per-mile figure To this end, the MG is going to be the far cheaper option here Not only does it cost less to buy in the first place, but this SE Long Range model is also predicted to hold on to an impressive 66 9 per cent of its value after three years or 36,000 miles

The Funky Cat’s 50 6 per cent figure over the same period means that it will lose almost £16,000 in that time, compared with less than £10,000 for the MG

Testers’ notes

“Later this year, MG plans to release a hot version of the MG4 Its twin-motor, four-wheel-drive set-up is rumoured to offer in excess of 400bhp.”

lex Ingram hief reviewer Alex Chief

Interior Dash looks a little spartan beside the Funky Cat’s, but it’s functional

Boot

At 363 litres, MG4’s boot is a typical family hatch size –and is much larger than the Funky Cat’s

THROUGHTHE RANGE

Infotainment

GWM Ora Funky

THIS early edition of the Funky Cat’s infotainment system doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but both will be added later on this year As it turns out, it needs them, because the built-in set-up can be quite frustrating to use

The 10 25-inch screen is a decent size, but the buttons are tiny The on-screen keyboard which pops up when plotting a route, for example, shows such slim buttons that it’s very fiddly to use even when you ’ re parked Some of the heating controls take permanent residence along a side bar on the display, but whether operated from here or on the climate menu screen, it’s similarly awkward At least the basic window heater controls are physical

Some cameras, like the parking view that ‘ sees ’ through the front wheels, are great, but the indicatoractivated cameras are angled too low to be of any use

FOR

Clear graphics, hi-res screen, plenty of features

Tiny on-screen keys, useful functions buried in sub-menus

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

Display Screen looks sharp, but on-screen keys are tiny. Discovery game (right) shows how much of the system you’ve explored so far

10.25-inch touchscreen

AS with the Funky Cat, the MG4 gets a 10 25-inch touchscreen, but it makes better use of the space While this SE model doesn’t have built-in navigation, compatibility with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto means you can use your phone’s mapping data

The built-in system’s strongest point is its resolution Even beside the Funky Cat’s crisp display, it looks very sharp The main menus are laid out neatly in four large tiles, so you can leave the screen here to have easy access to audio, climate and energy menus

As with the Ora’s set-up, it’s not perfect Some on-screen keys are small – although not as irritating as its rival’s – and loading times aren’t especially fast

The seven-inch digital driver’s display is small compared with the Funky Cat’s, but it offers far more information, although few people will need to know about battery current draw in real time

Smartphone connectivity, clear layout, decent graphics

No built-in navigation with SE trim, messy climate screen

Logical Home page has key features neatly laid out, but we found the climate control screen to be messier than it needs to be

£19,717/66 9% £9,778 £114/£228 £1,316/£2,194 28/£645/£0 N/A

4,287/2,705mm 1,504/1,836mm

Rear e-motor/ lithium-ion battery 200bhp 250Nm Single-speed/rwd 64/61.7 kWh 363/1,177 litres 1,685/448/500kg 10.6 metres 7yrs (80,000)/1yr 28th/N/A 83/80/75/78/5

7 9 secs/100mph 3.1/191 miles 270 miles 7 2/135kW 9h/35 min* 0g/km/2%

Eight/yes/f&r/yes Yes/yes/no/yes Yes/yes No/no £545/yes Yes/no No/yes Yes/yes No/yes/yes

BENEFIT IN KIND

Both EVs are extremely cheap to run as company cars; the MG slightly undercuts the Funky Cat

£31,995/£32,790 £16,199/50 6% £15,796 £128/£256 £1,457/£2,429 21/£551/£0 £200 (est)

4,235/2,650mm 1,603/1,825mm Front e-motor/ lithium-ion battery 169bhp 250Nm

TURNING

Single-speed/fwd 48/48 kWh 228/858 litres 1,540/430kg/N/A 11 2 metres 5yrs (unl’td)/5yrs N/A 92/83/74/93/5

8 3 secs/99mph 2.8/134 miles 193 miles 7 2/64kW 7h 30 min/43 min** 0g/km/2%

Seven/yes/r/360 Yes/yes/yes/yes Yes/adaptive Faux/no £795/yes Yes/no Yes/yes Yes/yes Yes/no^/no^

RECOVERY

MG

THE MG takes its second victory in an Auto Express group test We’re impressed by the MG4 in many areas: the way it handles, its compliant ride, the strong performance, the spacious cabin and decent boot, plus its competitive – if not quite classleading – efficiency Most of all, though, alongside almost any other EV on sale today, it offers great value, so its minor flaws are so much easier to forgive

great some

ORA

SOME cars grow on you the more you live with them The Funky Cat is one that makes a fabulous first impression, but begins to reveal areas that have room for improvement the longer you spend with it Some will be charmed by its design alone, and the price is still competitive in the wider EV market, but against the MG, it struggles to keep up across the board

STYLING

It’s unusual in some places – such as the full-width light bar that’s so high it’s set into the rear window – but is certainly eye-catching The sharply styled MG is also distinctive, but to our eyes its proportions are a little awkward and not as cohesive

Headto head QUALITY

THERE’S a few things that take the veneer of quality off the Funky Cat’s image

Whether it’s the sounds it plays when switching drive modes – they reminded us of a late-nineties PlayStation racing game – or the First Edition badge on the centre console that looks like it’s been glued in place as an afterthought, some areas feel a little rushed The MG doesn’t ooze quality either, but then, it’s not trying as hard, and overall it feels fine

Electric feels product

GWM Ora Funky Cat First Edition

AT a time when so many brands go for aggressive designs on even humdrum cars, the Funky Cat offers a refreshing change

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SteveWalker Steve Walker@autoviacouk

I LOVE estate cars, but it’s fair to say that the average UK family car buyer doesn’t If sales figures and the proliferation of different model types across the market are any indication, most people would much rather have an SUV

And who can really blame them? Whereas the good-old estate was once the practical family car of choice, it was first usurped by the origami seating systems of MPVs, and then blown out of the water as SUVs transitioned from specialist rough-terrain tools to cars for all occasions The traditional estate lacked versatility and seemed dull by comparison

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) classes SUVs as Dual Purpose Vehicles and tells us that 156,000 of them were sold in 2010 By 2019, before the pandemic hit, it was 562,000 – quite a jump In 2022, Ford sold around 22,000 Kuga SUVs It only shifted 800 examples of the similarly sized Focus Estate like our long-term test car You get the picture

The customer, of course, is nearly always right, but are they giving estates a fair hearing before deciding against the ‘middle-aged antiques dealer’ look and buying an SUV instead?

We decided to give our trusty Focus a shot at the champ by comparing it with not just any old SUV but one that, as an electric coupé-SUV, could be seen as a car teetering on the cutting edge of current market trends: the Skoda Enyaq Coupé

Different

These are very different cars – it’s a £35k Focus against a £55k Skoda in this vRS spec – but bear with me They’re similar in size (the Ford 14mm longer, the Skoda 50mm wider) and as examples of the SUV vs estate car contest, they work well

As I see it, the first advantage that the SUV has is a taller shape, which in turn yields a higher driving position and easier access People like being higher up, with better view of the road when driving, an anyone who has to fit child seats or faste seatbelts for young children really will appreciate the rear-seat bases being more elevated in an SUV than they are in an estate car

Height is a key SUV advantage, too; you get a lot more headroom in the Enyaq, and it’s slightly easier to get in and out, but the difference isn’t huge The quest for greater aerodynamic efficiency and the switch in usage patterns away from off-road driving has seen mainstream SUV models get lower to the ground

In electric SUVs such as the Enyaq, the extra height is more a product of the passenger compartment sitting above the battery located in the floor space than any desire for extra ground clearance

Our Focus Estate in Active spec sports its own 30mm of extra ride height, plus various low-grip driving modes That means the Ford wagon is probably just as effective on a gravel driveway as most mid-size SUVs,

Ford Focus MHEV Estate

“That brings us on to the biggest advantage that the estate has over an SUV: the driving experience”

TECH

THIRD

REPORT After running our wagon, Steve Walker

feels he really needs to speak up in

support of the estate

which very often leave the factory specified with only front-wheel drive

That brings us on to the biggest advantage that the estate has over an SUV: the driving experience Lower and probably lighter, certainly if you assume the absence of all-wheel-drive mechanicals and an electric powertrain, a good estate will usually feel more nimble and responsive on the road than an equivalent SUV, and the Focus is a good estate from a driver’s perspective

The accuracy in the steering, supple suspension and low centre of gravity make corners something to be enjoyed rather than tiptoed around Some SUVs will ride more smoothly, but electric ones such as the Enyaq often employ firmer suspension settings to control the car ’ s extra weight

Practicality

in corners, so bumps and craters are felt more obviously in the cabin

Arguably, however, the biggest reason why the SUV has crushed all before it on the UK car market isn’t the way it drives As with so much else, it boils down to the question of style People like how SUVs look and the way they suggest a certain spirit of adventure in their owners, with their big wheels and hefty-looking bumpers

An estate such as the Focus is a family hatchback with a rear extension I’d opt for an estate’s low, long shape any day, but I seem to be in the minority Conversely, at least that has given estate cars a level of exclusivity they lacked a decade ago SUVs are everywhere and there seems little sign of that changing If anything, the

line between SUVs and ‘conventional’ cars seems to be blurring, with manufacturers having established niches such as the coupé-SUV and adopted popular SUV traits across other market sectors, as we see with Ford’s Active-spec Focus The odd couple here serve as a great illustration of these processes in action

I would just advise car buyers to keep an open mind when it comes to the old faithful estate; the Ford Focus version is a fine family car – great to drive, economical with a big boot and a reasonable asking price –especially if you forgo some of the bells and whistles on our test car

Just because everyone ’ s got an SUV these days, it doesn’t mean an SUV is the right car for everyone

Essentials

ActiveVignale

On fleet since: August 2022

Price new: £31,500

Engine: 1 0-litre 3cyl turbo petrol, 153bhp CO2/tax: 127g/km/£165

Options: Premium paint (£575), Blind Spot Information (£400), Head-up display (£400), Dynamic matrix LED lights (£950), Driver Assist Pack (£525), Parking Pack (£500), Family Pack (£400)

Insurance*: Group: 18 Quote: £578 Mileage/mpg: 4,595/43 3mpg Any problems? None so far *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points

Verdict

WE DON’T Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost isn’t the most refined small petrol engine and it can be a little noisy from a cold start

THE idea of a family estate car seems a little old fashioned in this day and age – but time with the Focus has shown that, in lots of ways, it’s a choice that has lots of appealing facets, beyond mere practicality

Comparison Estates such as our Focus have fallen out of favour thanks to the rise of SUVs such as the Enyaq Coupé

Performance Rear-seat passengers have plenty of room, and the eight-speed automatic transmission is smooth enough

Kia Niro Hybrid

Running costs

46 6mpg (test) £69 fill-up

IT must be hard for car manufacturers when they come to replace a successful model Admittedly, Kia’s first-generation Niro wasn’t exactly the biggest-selling vehicle in the world, yet it had its dedicated followers, drawn in by the wide choice of powertrains – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric – offered across the range

But as the miles pile on in our Niro Hybrid, I keep catching sight of the Korean car on my drive or in car parks and filling stations, and noting what an effective job Kia did of evolving such a solid formula It’s a larger car than before, with a longer wheelbase that helps to deliver improved cabin space, and yet I think a lot of how it seems to have grown up is down to the styling details more than the overall increase in scale

The car ’ s profile is basically the same as the old model’s, and the Niro’s sharp edges mean it still feels compact when you ’ re parking it But the totally different front end and those narrow tail-lights, angled over the rear corners, give it a more planted look and, I would argue, a bit more premium appeal

The raised ‘blade’ C-pillar, which sits proud of the rest of the bodyshell, is another

element that becomes apparent to you when you get closer to the car – the sort of thing that lifts any model beyond the norm

The Kia crossover is still doing a good job of transferring that grown-up appeal to the on-road experience I’m a frequent user of motorways because they’re just the easiest, quickest way to get between the various photoshoots that Auto Express needs

In this respect, the hybrid version of the latest Niro is the perfect choice; I wouldn’t get enough of a benefit from the plug-in hybrid model, given the high mileages of my average journeys, and a Niro EV would spend far too much of its time at public charging stations for my liking

The hybrid, on the other hand, feels entirely at home at motorway speeds – it’s a good example of how an electrified boost can really help what is a modest petrol engine It never seems to struggle to keep up with fast-moving traffic, even with a

Practicality

Boot (seats up/down) 451/1 445 litres

boot full of camera kit, cleaning gear and often a hefty container of water for washing cars when photographing them on location

Efficiency has dropped a little bit in the colder weather, but I’m still seeing north of 45mpg from a car that I don’t have to plug in – and that figure creeps back up with reassuring haste the moment I leave the M1, M25 or M4 and switch to urban roads

It’s not perfect, however The recent cold snap has exposed how the Niro can struggle a little in low-grip situations It’s still keen to use its electric motor where possible –which helps it to maintain as much of that efficiency as possible, not a given for many a hybrid in cold weather – but the instant torque delivery of this unit can catch out the front tyres on an icy surface

A switch to winter rubber from what is undoubtedly a set of eco-focused summer tyres would help improve grip and traction on slippery winter roads

SECOND REPORT Hybrid crossover is perfect for photographer Pete

“It never seems to struggle to keep up with fast-moving traffic, even with a full boot”

Striking

Pete is a fan of the Niro’s sharp styling, which he feels gives the Kia a more premium look

Pete Gibson

Pete Gibson@denniscouk

“The totally different front end and those narrow tail-lights give it a more planted look” it

Essentials

Kia Niro 1.6 GDi HEV4

On fleet since: September 2022 Price new: £33,745 Engine: 1 6-litre 4cyl petrol, 139bhp CO2/tax: 106g/km/£165 Options: None Insurance*: Group: 21 Quote: £620 Mileage/mpg: 8,726/46 6mpg Any problems? Software fault in transmission *Insurance quote for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points

Lexus N450h+

REGULAR readers will know that after running a series of pick-up trucks, products editor Kim Adams has been lukewarm on the outright practicality

by our Lexus NX 450h+. That sleek roofline has held Kim back from piling in household rejects and garden clippings headed for the recycling centre, so he was pleasantly surprised recently when it swallowed a pallet and a defunct tumble dryer. Though not at the same time, admittedly.

The hefty pallet was left from the delivery of a bike shed and it looked too big for the hatch opening. But it slipped through with a few millimetres to spare either side, still leaving space on top for the packaging

WE LIKE Hands-free speech system gives a visual indicator of how well it’s understanding your instructions It’s fun to use and accurate 90 per cent of the time Pete reckons mixed messages are probably down to his Essex accent

There was a little more room to spare at either side with the dryer, but it was tight for height, so the Lexus remains more sport than utility. But away from the run to the recycling centre, that’s to its credit, because the Lexus eats up the miles, and completes a fair proportion of them on battery power

Cable untidy

Cupra

ELECTRIC

– and

WE DON’T Pre-Christmas cold snap seems to have fooled the tyre-pressure monitoring system. It says all four corners are underinflated, despite us checking that they’re all correct We’re still searching for a reset option

pretty

generally

things

than

so there’s a whiff of premium in the air, too. Try telling that to deputy editor John McIlroy, who’s been fighting to get wet, freezing-cold charging cables into the back of his Cupra Born If there’s one bit of the EV experience that isn’t sophisticated, John reckons, it’s the ‘joy’ of looping up several feet of thick plastic coil that has been sitting out in overnight rain

PICKING the right level of electrification requires a razor-sharp focus on your usage pattern – and in this respect, we’re finding the Niro Hybrid an excellent choice It doesn’t require plugging in, but it has a great mix of performance and efficiency – allowing us to enjoy the practical interior and the excellent cabin technology

His frustration is being compounded by the fact that despite the Born being based on a pure-electric platform (MEB), Cupra hasn’t been able to make use of the space over the front wheels for any sort of storage box So an early start also involves rooting around to lift the Born’s boot floor and then some swearing as John tries to get the thick cable to stay under it.

Loaded Kim fitted a broken tumble dryer into the Lexus’s boot to take it to his local recycling centre

Stowing the Born’s charging leads is one downside to John’s experience with the Spanish firm’s EV

offered

PRODUCTS

NEWPRODUCT NightSearcher worklights

Price: From £33 54

Contact: shopnightsearchercom

HOWEVER you like to illuminate your workshop or car, the latest releases from NightSearcher are likely to have it covered If you’re looking to light a large space, the company has revealed three units that can deliver up to 10,000 lumens from power-tool batteries There are two versions that cover most of the major power tool brands, including Panasonic, Bosch, DeWalt, HiKoki and Milwaukee You can also buy a NightSearcher power pack and charger. Prices start at £103.80 for the 2,200-lumen Kanga Star 2 2K and rise to £281 40 for the 10,000-lumen 10K There’s also the rechargeable NovaStar (£67.92), which delivers 2,000 lumen and has a hinged kickstand, hook and magnetic base Bridging the gap between flood and spotlight is the 550-lumen Duo Star (£40 74)

For close-up work, there are two new LED iSpectors The pocket-sized Mini is little bigger than a permanent marker and costs £34 26 It unfolds to deliver 280 lumens, or there’s a 160-lumen torch on the reverse of the folding blade. The 750 (£52 74) has a hinged, rotating base and punches out 750 lumens

Finally, there are a couple of torches The Zoom-600R at £43 56 is a spot-to-flood flashlight giving 600 lumens, while the £33 54 Explorer Twister has a hinged head to direct the 400-lumen LEDs

Covered NightSearcher range includes lights for multiple garage requirements

A A

Picking the screenwash star

DO you have any recommendations for de-icer and screenwash following the recent cold snap? Have you tested these?

Paul Mostyn, E-mail

WE regularly test screenwash, and our current favourite is Prestone Extreme Performance Screen Wash (above). It’s ideal for this time of year, and it starred in our freeze test Just make sure you use the correct dilution We haven’t tested de-icer for many years, but our preference is a trigger pack rather than an aerosol because they work in all temperatures, they often have a wider spray and you get more solution for your money

Fuelling petrol conundrum

I’VE put my Mazda MX-5 away for the winter I cleaned it before placing under a cover, but I was unsure whether I should run it until nearly empty or top up the tank with fuel. What’s your view?

Roger Crouch, E-mail

THERE are arguments for both full and empty, but for a short lay-up until the weather improves, we’d top it up The less air in the tank, the less chance there is of moisture build-up, corrosion or the petrol going bad We’d use premium fuel and an additive to prevent it deteriorating.

Is clay the way to go?

I’M planning to use a clay bar on my car when the weather improves I’ve seen alternatives such as mitts and cloths advertised Are these better than a clay bar?

Jack Sargent, E-mail

THE big advantage of mitts and cloths is that they cover a larger, palm-sized area than a clay bar, which is rarely bigger than a digestive biscuit. So mitts are quicker, but don’t deal as well with smaller, more intricate areas If we had to have one, it would be a bar, but a combination of the two can save time Ensure the mitt or cloth is kept clean to remove any debris picked up.

Vredestein all-season tyre is only for EVs and hybrids

NEWPRODUCT

Vredestein Quatrac Pro EV

Price: TBC

Contact: vredesteincouk

DUTCH tyre maker Vredestein claims its latest release is Europe’s first all-season tyre specifically for electric and hybrid vehicles. The company says the Quatrac Pro EV has superior handling and stability compared with its existing all-season tyre range, and has lower rolling resistance, a quieter ride and increased comfort.

To maximise range, the newcomer has 15 per cent less rolling resistance – which is key to fuel and battery consumption –compared with its non-EV offering. The tyres use a fourth-generation mix of polymers and ‘smart’ silica in the compound, and weigh less, thanks to lightweight materials used in the belt and cap, plus a thinner sidewall.

Quatrac Pro EV tyres have a claimed six-per cent improvement in handling compared with Vredestein’s existing all-season designs This makes them ideal to cope with the extra demands of high-torque, heavier EVs, the firm says The tyres also have a thicker outside shoulder than the inner to deal with an EV’s greater demands when cornering. The outer edges of the main grooves are thicker to resist deformation on turns, too

The extra weight of EVs and hybrids has also prompted another first, with Vrede saying the 255/40R20 size is the first all-season tyre to be certified as High Load (HL) This means it can carry up to 10 per cent more weight than Extra Load (XL) tyres.

Vredestein’s initial line-up covers 18 and 19-inch rims, with the full range covering 17-19-inch wheels available by the summer.

NEWPRODUCT

ARB Intensity IQ Light Kit

Price: £1,713 33 Contact: truckmancouk

IF driving in the long, dark winter nights has made it clear your lights are not up to the job, then pick-up specialist Truckman may have the answer. The company has just unveiled the Intensity IQ Light Kit from its Australian owner ARB, which aims to provide optimum night visibility for rural driving

The LED kit, which can be controlled by a smartphone app, provides four lighting options: spot, super spot, flood and midrange. Truckman says these settings deliver a mixture of long-range and wide-spread illumination solutions

The lights can also be adjusted so one focuses closer to the car, while the other picks out obstacles that are further away. The kit costs £1,713.33 and can be pre-ordered now.

news, deals& events

Listen out for hi-tech McLaren headphones

McLAREN has joined forces with Bowers & Wilkins to launch a special version of the audio expert’s top-of-the-range headphones The Px8 McLaren Edition is an audiophile’s dream, with 40mm carbon-cone drive units, advanced noise cancellation, and wireless connectivity.

The British-designed product is finished in Galvanic Grey and Papaya Orange, inspired by Bruce McLaren’s early racing cars. The £699 headphones are available to order from the Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren store websites

Study reveals

danger

of worn vehicle tyres

AN academic study conducted by the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University has concluded that driving with worn tyres can increase a vehicle’s stopping distance seven times more than drink-driving does.

The study, commissioned by Halfords, also shows tyres on the legal limit of 1.6mm of tread have 36 per cent less grip than tyres in good condition, and concludes that the current legal limit on tread is too low. Tyres with 1.6mm of tread added an additional 89 feet to a motorway-speed stopping distance; the average drink-driver adds just 12 4 feet

Classics on display at London car show

THE London Classic Car Show returns to Olympia London for its ninth year, bringing together manufacturers, dealers, restorers and car clubs

There will be an auction of automotive icons, and tributes to cars celebrating anniversaries in 2023, such as the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette

The show takes place on the weekend of 24-26 February and adult tickets cost £25. Go to theclassiccarshowuk.comfor more details and to book tickets

tyres designed

Minitest

At the double Pricey, but highleverage design cuts the effort needed

books, games & apps

Jacky Ickx: His Authorised Competition History

Jon Saltinstall (Evro Publishing, evropublishing co uk)

Price: £95 Rating:

THE Laser’s price is over twice that of the Silverline, but they’re available individually so if you need just one variation, you can save They are also far bigger, which makes them more suitable for heavy-duty work, but may cause access problems

The main reason they are more expensive is that they can apply more pressure for less effort This was definitely noticeable when applying more torque, where they were easier on the hand and sometimes completed a job the Silverline couldn’t We liked the springloaded design, the thick, moulded handles and the integral thumb lock for safety when not in use Shame there’s no case to keep such pricey tools clean and safe, though

Laser pliers get to grips with Silverline rivals

PLIERS are a tool-box essential and with a set of combination, long nose and side cutters, you’ll be able to cope with most situations Laser’s latest variation on the theme is its High Leverage versions and here we pit them against the Silverline VDE trio, which won our last multitest. We looked for good build quality, comfort and practicality, including when coated in oil or grease We wanted jaws

to move smoothly, plus we assessed grip by undoing nuts tightened to various torques. For cutting we used various thicknesses of electrical wire, and as an ultimate challenge, a Bowden cable Storage was factored into the verdict, as was price from online sources. For typical use the Silverlines make lots of sense, but the Laser trio was very impressive and a worthwhile investment if you have high-torque needs

IT’S always a good start when tools come with a lifetime warranty, as these do This set comprises the trio that’s most useful for motoring DIY – combination, side cutters and needle nose. The combinations were 180mm, with the others at 160mm, the right sizes for most jobs, most of the time We liked the corrosion-resistant satinfinish construction, which was technically impressive and looked good They pushfitted into a sculpted case with a fold-over flap to keep them all in place If required, it could slot onto a couple of screws for wallmounting, while still being easy to remove. The soft-grip handles shrugged off the effects of oil and were very comfortable to use They were also ideal for electrical work, because they are tested to 10,000V.

AN extensively researched book that outlines Ickx’s 565 races. Across motorcycle trials, sports cars, Formula 2, Formula 1 and his Le Mans wins, followed by rally raids –few drivers could command such a tome. For the price it’s as well produced as you’d expect, with great imagery

Mark Bradbury (Amberley Publishing, amberley-books.com)

Price: £15 99 Rating:

A COMPACT book about an icon of the compact car world As with most Amberley titles, it’s not extensive but is a great start to a motoring library It’s full of useful titbits of info, as well as plenty of colour photography, and lots are more candid shots of restored cars today, rather than purely delving into the archives. Easy to read and digest, great for younger readers, but lacking the depth for serious interest

Renault 4 RallyDay

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

STILL in the early development stage, so some things might change before the final release

Early signs are good, though; this game has a lot of things we like, such as slick one-finger controls. The graphics are cutely stylised, although the backgrounds are bleak and the tracks a bit featureless. The sound effects are annoying, too, but there’s nothing lost by playing muted

Appoftheweek

Audible

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free to download, subscriptions vary Rating:

THIS app makes it effortless to listen to your favourite titles. The basic £7 99-a-month sub gives you ad hoc access to thousands of podcasts and audiobooks, plus one book to download and keep.

“We looked for comfort and practicality, even when coated in oil or grease”

Dave Pollard

Michelin 12209 Digital Double Barrel Foot Pump

Price: £28 Rating: Contact: halfords.com

BEST BUY THE £28 Michelin pump was the most expensive we tested by some margin, but it boasts a specification and performance to match its price. We liked the foot plate, which was the largest we tried and features a stylish and useful tyreeffect rubber covering. Twin, easy-to-use sliding lock bolts kept it securely closed, with the solid screw-on connector and the three accessory adaptors fitting neatly into clips under the chassis.

The three-scale digital gauge was easy to read, only 0.5psi adrift, and we got an increase of 3psi for 20 pumps

FOOT PUMPS

Which unit takes the pressure off inflating your tyres?

WEEKLY tyre pressure checks are an easy way to stay safe and save cash. Under-inflated tyres can affect your car’s handling and braking, plus lead to extra wear. Low pressures also increase fuel or battery use.

Having your own pump means you can check pressures and top up when it suits you. Electric inflators are easier, but in these cost-conscious times, are generally more expensive than a decent foot pump

Tyres will frequently only need a few psi to bring them back to the ideal pressure, so it’s no great physical effort. But which is the puff daddy? We got physical with eight pumps to find out

Ring Double Foot Pump RFP2

Price: £17 99 Rating: Contact: ringautomotive com

RECOMMENDED RING’S RFP2 gave the Michelin a run for its money, not least because it was more than £10 cheaper and had a similarly long hose. The foot plate was the joint second biggest (with the Clarke FP300) and we liked the rubber covering and feet that helped keep the chassis stable. The four adaptors are supplied in a Velcro bag and a rear locking bar kept the pump safely closed for storage The analogue gauge has three scales and was easy to read and, although 1psi out at both test points, it offered a healthy 3psi increase

Halfords

RECOMMENDED IN this case, Essential means basic, but with a price to suit, the Halfords unit is one of the best foot pumps that we tested.

We liked the large analogue gauge, which is fitted with an adjustable needle to mark a target pressure, while the operating instructions are duplicated from the box onto one of the barrels. However, we found the simple thumb lock on the valve was quite stiff, while the foot plate is one of the smallest and had no rubber covering It’s certainly basic, but it matched the first two with a 3psi increase and just a 1psi reading difference at the 25psi marker.

Howwe testedthem

LARGER tread plates were favoured, because these make pumps easier to use. We also looked for an accurate, easy-to-read gauge and a lock to keep the plate secured when not in use

Using a 225/70R15 tyre, we pumped 20 times from a start reading of 25psi and logged the final pressure. The longer the hose the better and we looked for hose fittings that prevented excessive loss of pressure during disconnection.

We also assessed build quality, the adaptors included, instructions and each pump’s weight Finally, we took into account price from online sources.

Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners Log on to wwwautoexpress co uk to look through our huge online test archive

Dave Pollard

Clarke FP200 Twin Barrel Foot Pump

Price: £11 39 Rating:

Contact: machinemart.co.uk

CLARKE’S budget pump went head to head with the Halfords Essential on price. It costs just 40p more, and its foot plate is exactly the same size, although it’s covered in rubber for extra grip, which was handy in wet conditions

The 2.5psi gain in pressure was good, although the hose was the shortest we tried, at just over 56cm. The reading was 2psi down at 25psi, but 0 5psi up as we finished, which made it hard to trust for accuracy It features a red target needle that requires the outer bezel of the twin-scale gauge to be turned.

Losing just a handful of points during the test dropped the Clarke down to fourth place

Sealey Heavy Duty Twin Barrel Foot Pump FP4

Price: £21 49 Rating: Contact: sealey.co.uk

THE Sealey’s two 50mm-diameter barrels created plenty of pressure and easily gave us an increase of 2.5psi. The 102cm hose was by far the longest we tried and was fitted, like most pumps here, with an aluminium/plastic thumb lock

We found the 150 sq cm chequer-plate foot pad was comfortable to use and the twin-scale gauge was clear, but it doesn’t have a target needle

However, we were disappointed that it was showing 3psi and 3.5psi out at our two test points.

Clarke FP300 Twin Cylinder Foot Pump

Price: £17 39 Rating: Contact: machinemart.co.uk

THE Clarke has a very similar design t Sealey FP4, although the chequer-pla foot pad is nearly a third larger.

We liked the four rubber feet – som had two at the rear – and the hose le okay, at 66cm. The analogue gauge f scales, but has no target needle, and we found the gauge some way off, reading 4psi off at 25 and 27psi, which really hurt its chances

The pressure increase was 2psi, which seem but three of its test rivals produced half as muc and the Clarke was one of the slowest perform

Draper

Double Cylinder

Foot Pump 25996

Price: £21 58 Rating: Contact: drapertools.com

THIS is another basic pump, with more than a passing resemblance to the Halfords and FP200, not least the small foot plate, again with no rubber pad.

The handy underside locking bar at the rear held the plate firmly closed when not in use The 2 5psi gain was respectable and about par for the course, but at the two test points it was 3.5psi off.

As with all the pumps, with the exception of the Michelin, the instructions didn’t mention cold tyres

Its biggest drawback compared with to the two other similar designs is the price, which is about £10 £10 over the odds.

Verdict

Sealey Twin Barrel Foot Pump FP6

Price: £20 30 Rating: ealeyco uk

is a key factor, then you’ll be tempted by p, which is the narrowest here at just 112cm assis and still comes with a large, rubberfoot plate. The downside was that the w design made the Sealey a little unstable, had to be placed on fairly level ground e liked the two adaptors, and the 70cm hose a decent length. The pump’s twin barrels e smaller than usual, so there was much less but also far less resistance, making pumping ss effort. Yet, after 20 pumps, we’d gained and the gauge read an overall 5psi adrift.

TheUK’sNo.1car

LAST year’s Driver Power survey saw the latest Honda Jazz move up five places in the rankings compared with the previous model in the 2021 survey, which should have been music to the ears of the company’s engineers

The car’s clever interior hits the right note with owners, who rate practicality and boot space as the fifth best in the entire survey Reliability is another strong point for the Jazz, and the running costs are comfortably lower than average, with fuel economy in particular singled out for praise But the driving experience appears to need a little fine-tuning The acceleration is rated as the worst of any car in the entire survey and poor ride comfort irritates owners.

a

easy to utilise the back-seat area in all its different

smooth and comfy, with great

“The car seems solidly built and the materials and finish are smooth and faultless.”

“I am quite a small p and feel completely a confident and comfo when driving my Jazz

are poorly laid out,

SEAT was founded in 1950 in Spain, but was swallowed up by the Volkswagen Group in the mid-eighties. For years after that the firm struggled to find its place, with buyers not sure what the brand stood for The arrival of the sharply styled thirdgeneration Leon was a turning point, but it was the arrival of the company’s first SUV in 2016 that set SEAT on the road to success That vehicle was the Ateca and it really struck a chord with buyers, just like its smaller sibling, the Arona, which turned up a year later SEAT then completed its hattrick with the introduction of the Tarraco, its first seven-seat SUV. This model embodies all that SEAT stands for within the VW Group: sharp looks, a great drive, userfriendly design and decent value

History

ORDERS for the Tarraco opened in December 2018, with buyers able to pick between 148bhp 1 5-litre TSI and 187bhp 2.0-litre TSI petrol engines, or a 2.0-litre TDI diesel with either 148bhp or 187bhp In February 2020 FR and FR Sport trims were added and then a new range-topping 241bhp 2.0-litre TSI arrived in February 2021 By summer 2021 a plug-in hybrid had been announced Known as the e-Hybrid, this paired a 1 4-litre TSI petrol engine with a 13kWh battery pack and 114bhp electric motor to give 241bhp, but this model has yet to arrive in the UK SEAT hasn’t facelifted the Tarraco yet, but as part of a mid-life refresh in August 2021 it made SEAT Connect and adaptive cruise control standard on the SE version, so it was now standard across the range

BUYER’SGUIDE:SEAT

Richard Dredge

Sat-nav Some owners of early Tarracos have had problems with the navigation not working. It’s not clear if the problem is hardware or software related

wwwautoexpress co uk/driver-power

THE Tarraco has yet to appear in our new or used-car surveys But the Skoda Kodiaq came fifth in the 2022 new-car survey, and shares a lot with the SEAT, which is encouraging. There are only two owner reviews on carbuyer.co.uk(one petrol, one diesel), but both come with five-star ratings. SEAT came 24th out of 29 brands in the 2022 Driver Power used-car survey, but 17th out of 29 in the new-car poll.

CASESTUDY

ALAN Chick from Doncaster, Yorks, owns a 2020 Tarraco 1.5 TSI: “I’ve owned quite a few VW Group products and this is the best yet,” he said. “It’s so well thought through; the dash is easy to use, the seats are supportive, visibility isn’t bad and the media system is intuitive The engine also has plenty of muscle and it’s economical. I can’t think of anything significant that I’d change about my SEAT.”

Expert’s verdict

THE range-topping SEAT is widely regarded as a handsome model, and there’s little doubting its suitability as a consummate family all-rounder. Add the reassurance of that Volkswagen Group parts bin, and it’s really hard to fault the Tarraco on any front But the car is fighting in a highly competitive arena, against models within the VW Group and from rival brands With so many great alternatives, it may well come down to the deal you’re offered

Reliability

WHILE owners have a few niggles on forums (see Need to know, above), there’s nothing that’s really blotted the copybook. In fact, the closely related Skoda Karoq came second overall for reliability in our 2022 Driver Power used-car survey

ALLOYS Standard equipment on the Tarraco is decent, with all models getting alloy wheels. These start at 17 inches on the entry-level SE and grow to 20 inches on FR Sport versions

“There’s little doubting its suitability as a consumate family all-rounder”

ChrisRosamond Contributingeditor

hHowmuch?

THERE is a reasonable choice of used Tarracos out there We found just over 250 for sale, priced from £17,500 for a 68,000-mile 1.5 TSI SE Technology on a 69-plate. However, there are very few Tarracos available for less than £19,000 At the bottom end of the market you’ll be buying a manual 1 5 TSI SE Technology, and this engine is the most popular. There are plenty of diesels available too, though, and these start at £20,000 for a 19-plate 2 0 TDI SE Technology that’s covered 30,000 miles About half of the Tarracos for sale are automatics, and you’ll pay upwards of £22,000 for one of these. That sum secures a 50,000-mile 2 0 TDI SE Technology on a 19-plate Four-wheel drive models start at £22,000, for a 2019 50,000-mile 2 0 TDI SE Technology

Runningcosts

1 5TSI150 19-20 36-41mpg 155-166g/km £165

1 5TSI 150 DSG 20-22 34-39mpg 165-174g/km £165

2 0TSI 245 DSG 4D 31-32 30-32mpg 195-200g/km £165

2 0TDI 150 20-21 47-52mpg 142-149g/km £165

2 0TDI 150 DSG 21-25 47-51mpg 143-150g/km £165

2 0TDI 190 DSG 4D 26-30 40-42mpg 172-178g/km £165

4D = 4Drive

TARRACO owners can choose between fixed or variable servicing regimes, regardless of which engine is fitted to their car While the fixed schedule is set at every 9,300 miles or 12 months, the variable maintenance allows up to two years or 18,600 miles between garage visits

The first two services are priced at £215 and £269, but once a Tarraco has had its third birthday, it’s eligible for cut-price check-ups, with services alternating between minor and major, priced at £209 and £369 respectively

On top of this, you’ll have to pay £69 after three years (and then every two years) for fresh brake fluid. Fourwheel-drive models need a Haldex oil change every three years, at a cost of £109 All engines have a cambelt that must be replaced every 130,500 miles in the 2.0 TDI, and every 186,500 miles or 15 years in TSI models Budget £550 to have the work done

Interior

IT’S typical Volkswagen Group inside, with plenty of high-quality materials throughout and a very user-friendly layout, but conservative styling. Digital instrumentation is standard across the range, and it can be configured to suit the driver

Practicality is excellent, with lots of room for five people, or seven if you put children in the third row The middle row slides back and forth for added versatility. The Tarraco’s boot space is good, at 700 litres in fiveseat mode, or 1,775 litres with rows two and three folded flat.

REAR SEATS

There’s plenty of head and legroom in the middle row, which can accommodate three adults

INFOTAINMENT An eight-inch touchscreen is standard across the range, with higher trim levels also benefitting from navigation

Partwatch

Recalls

SEAT has recalled the Tarraco four times so far. The first was in July 2019, because 122 cars made in February of that year were fitted with damaged front passenger seat frames A replacement seat was fitted if necessary

In September 2019, 2,042 Tarracos built up to June 2019 were recalled because faulty software could lead to the engine stalling Updating the software fixed things Seven Tarracos made in October 2019 were recalled in February 2020, because they had sub-standard fuel tanks The solution was to replace the tank

The most recent action was issued in March 2022, because 2,309 Tarracos produced between October 2020 and February 2022 were potentially fitted with engine covers that could detach Any faulty covers found

Which one?

THE 2 0 TDI is more muscular and more frugal than the 1.5 TSI, but the petrol engine is sweet and punchy Both manual and automatic transmissions are nice to use but four-wheel drive is generally unnecessary Kit levels are good, with even the entrylevel SE having 17-inch alloys, an eight-inch touchscreen with DAB, three-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, cruise control, LED headlights, Apple CarPlay and Google Android, plus auto headlights and wipers SE Technology adds nav and 18-inch rims, while the Xcellence gets 19-inch alloys, sports seats, adaptive cruise control, keyless go, self-parking and a rear-view camera Xcellence Lux includes leather trim, electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, around view and heated front and outer rear seats.

Alternatives

THE Tarraco is closely related to the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace and Skoda Kodiaq, so both share many of the SEAT’s attributes, including efficient engines, userfriendly cabins and impressive build quality Our sister title carbuyercouknamed the Kia Sorento its Best Large Family Car in

PRACTICALITY Space in the rearmost seats is tight, so they are only really suitable for children or young adults

2022, having awarded it Car of the Year in 2021, thanks to its impressive engines, cabin and practicality. Closely related to the Kia is the Hyundai Santa Fe, which has a great interior and offers practicality galore Both of these come with a long warranty

The Nissan X-Trail is stylish and practical, while the Land Rover Discovery Sport is very capable off road, but prices are high compared with the SEAT More affordable is the Peugeot 5008, which is also very well designed inside and out

Verdict

WE’RE big fans of the Tarraco – so big, that it was our Best Large SUV three times in a row in our New Car Awards (2019, 2020, 2021)

Unsurprisingly, when we pitted the SEAT in diesel form against its Skoda Kodiaq cousin and the Peugeot 5008 – two of our favourite seven-seat SUVs – it was the Tarraco that came out on top

We were impressed by the Spanish model’s generous equipment levels, keen

pricing, muscular engine, refinement and engaging driving dynamics

As a used buy, those things are still part of the ownership package, and so far the SEAT seems to be bearing up pretty well in the reliability stakes We’d recommend the Tarraco as a used buy, every bit as much as we’d recommend that you purchase one new.

Websites

Official seatco.uk Forums tarracoforums.co.uk facebookcom/SeatTarraco facebookcom/groups/493947827814122

UTILITARIAN CHOICE

CitroenBerlingo

THE Berlingo Multispace’s combination of up to 3,000 litres of load space (seats folded), frugal diesel engines and a relatively low purchase price made it a winning option when new Its refinement isn’t brilliant, but the Berlingo is comfortable transport, thanks to compliant suspension and high-profile tyres, and families can enjoy the car without complaint

Used examples are in demand, so you may have to accept a higher mileage than you’d like or pay a little more. A 2011 1.6 diesel with fewer than 100,000 miles can cost £4,500-£5,000

PREMIUM CHOICE

THE first-generation Mercedes B-Class featured the same unusual ‘sandwich’ construction as its smaller A-Class sister, which meant it offered great cabin space in a compact vehicle

The B-Class was always a bit too pricey when new, but at 10 years old or more, the Mercedes premium pays off, with well cared-for examples barely showing their miles, thanks to excellent build quality and materials It’s not an exciting car to drive, but it’s comfortable and refined. £4,500-£5,000 will get you behind the wheel of a 2011 B180 diesel with around 60k miles

MIDDLE-OF-THE ROAD CHOICE

THE Grand Scenic and its smaller sibling, the Scenic, are seven- and five-seater versions of basically the same car, which was the archetypal compact French people carrier of the period. Offering great value and practicality, and similar refinement and driving manners to the family hatchbacks drivers had previously been accustomed to, the Scenic works best with efficient diesel power. Boot space in the Grand Scenic isn’t great with all seats up, so unless you need the extra chairs, a regular Scenic should do About £5,000 will net you a 2012 1.5 dCi Dynamique model with 65,000 miles.

THE start of the last decade was arguably ‘peak people carrier’ as the rush to SUVs was gathering pace, so there’s lots of choice for used buyers on tighter budgets. That said, £5,000 doesn’t go an awfully long way these days, and there’s still a hefty post-Covid premium making prices look steeper than many are used to paying We’ve selected a trio of models that offer different takes on the people-carrier theme, but

there are a wide range of other options all worth looking at, including the Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford C-MAX and Vauxhall Zafira, which should all be available in model years up to 2013 or so with a low-ish mileage (which these days means sub-80k) and comfortably within your budget

We recommend choosing on condition, mileage and history, rather than holding out for a specific model But these three examples may inspire you

Usedpeoplecarriers BUYINGCARS

DearChris, I’ve got £5,000 to spend and am looking at an older people carrier-type car for family transport. What’s the best option? WillDonaldsonvia E-mail

Contact:mail@autoexpresscouk

IN spite of its looks, this second-generation Berlingo Multispace was not built on a van platform like its predecessor, and instead shared its chassis from then-parent group PSA with the Citroen C4 hatch. You can get a 1 6 VTi petrol, but we’d recommend a 1 6 HDi diesel, which offers more grunt and miles

to the gallon – although the current high price of diesel fuel is a fly in the ointment Manual gearboxes are much nicer to drive than the (rare) automatic, and although this is not a luxurious model, even entry-level editions come with remote locking and electric front windows and mirrors

boot

If

and extremely good build quality It’s a great car for kids too, thanks to the expansive glass area and clear views out The 2 0-litre diesel engine in B180 or B200 guise is well matched to a smooth CVT auto gearbox, and although it’s not a sporty drive, it’s a very refined and comfortable cruiser

WHEN they were new cars, Renault’s Scenic and Grand Scenic models were most often equipped with diesel engines – still encouraged a the time –and the 1 5 dCi diesel with 109bhp could return comfortably over 50mpg There’s a later 1 6-litre model, which is even more efficient, but will be outside the budget You could look at the 1 6 VVTi

petrol, though, for perkier performance and lower fuel bills if you don’t do too many miles

Dynamique TomTom spec is the one to go for if you’re looking at a Scenic from this period, thanks to its high standard specification, which includes cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, plus Bluetooth and the eponymous sat-nav system.

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

ROAD

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

SPORT

● First of 16 rounds this weekend

Alex Ingram Alex Ingram@autoviacouk @AxleIngram

THE 2023 Formula E World Championship kicks off this weekend in Mexico City, and season nine of the allelectric series brings huge changes with it In a category that has always majored on unpredictability, the combination of new Gen 3 cars that are faster but trickier to drive than their predecessors, a fresh tyre supplier, new teams and a merry-go-round of driver transfers means that predicting who will finish the season as champion is harder than ever before.

If a driver wants to take the spoils at the end of the 16-race series, the first thing they will need to get used to is the latest Formula E car. The Gen 3 model boasts some radical changes over its predecessor, and these start with the electric motor

This now produces 350 kilowatts; that’s 469bhp and an increase of 134bhp over the Gen 2 car Combine this with a shorter chassis that’s 60kg lighter, and this all contributes to a car that can theoretically top out at 200mph – although that’s an unlikely figure for the cars to reach on the tight and twisty street circuits that make up the Formula E calendar

It should result in a significant reduction in lap times, but early testing in Valencia has revealed the new car to be tricky to drive

CHALLENGE

tests showed

Mexico race raises curtain

on the limit Combined with teams and drivers getting to grips not only with a new car, but also with fresh tyres (Hankook has now replaced Michelin as the official supplier for Formula E), the lap times recorded in testing didn’t show quite the increase in performance that some people had been predicting

The racers will be more efficient than ever before, though While the new cars feature motors on both axles, the front motor doesn’t drive the wheels; instead, it can recoup energy under braking to put back into the battery A staggering 40 per cent of the car’s energy will be supplied this way through the race, and this ability to employ brake regen on both axles means that the mechanical brakes will hardly be used in the course of a race. So little will they be used, in fact, there are no disc brakes on the car’s rear axle at all

There are big changes among the teams in this year’s series, too After reigning champion Mercedes withdrew, the Silver Arrows’ operation has been taken over by McLaren With Nyck de Vries moving to Formula 1 with Williams, and 2021/2022 Champion Stoffell Vandoorne signing for

DS Penske (last year’s Dragon Penske squad), the new team will be lining up with Rene Rast and Jake Hughes for this season.

While one illustrious racing manufacturer leaves the sport, another joins it Maserati is making its Formula E debut, taking the place of the Venturi team – and pre-season testing has shown that the squad has huge pace Eduardo Mortara, who finished in third position in last year’s championship, will hope to deliver similar speed this year, while Maximilian Gunther, who has moved over from Nissan, was top in all but one session in the Valencia winter test

Other driver changes since last season include Antonio Felix da Costa, who has moved from DS to Porsche, replacing Andre Lotterer (now at Andretti), and Sebastien

Buemi, who moves from Nissan to the Envision Racing squad

In fact, the only team to maintain the same driver line-up coming into the new season is Jaguar The British squad, in a new black and white livery, retains Brit Sam Bird – his 11 race victories put him third on the Formula E all-time win list –and Mitch Evans The Kiwi had a fabulous season last year, narrowly missing out on the world title, eventually conceding to Vandoorne in the final race of the season

Speaking to Auto Express at the reveal of the Jaguar I-Type 6 in December, team boss James Barclay was keen to build on its strong performance

“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved last season,” said Barclay “We had our biggest points haul to date, but we know we can do better, and we are here to compete for the World Championship We are confident in the Jaguar I-Type 6 and in the strength of our talented team, and I look forward to what this season will bring.”

However, Bird was one of the drivers to exercise caution because of the new Gen 3 car’s behaviour “She’s tricky to drive,” he said. “That’s not because of issues with

our car – it’s inherent with the Formula E vehicle We are continuing to learn about that and I think we’ve made some great strides into that, which is great

“But you know, the extra power, the different tyre construction is tricky,” he added. “Getting to grips with the new braking side of things with the Gen 3 car not having any rear brakes – it’s interesting ”

Reflecting on his strongest ever season in Formula E, Bird’s teammate Evans said, “Obviously I’m proud of what we achieved last year, but just missing out [on the title] is bittersweet, really You see some of the results we had through the year. Just to miss out is frustrating The whole team is hungry for that championship But it’s a massive reset this year ”

This weekend sees the season kick off at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit on a truncated version of the layout used in Formula 1 Plenty of the action could happen at the end of the start/finish straight, while the twisty section through the open baseball stadium should provide plenty of opportunities for last-gasp moves The race kicks off just after 8pm GMT, with the event shown live on Channel 4.

“This category has always majored on unpredictability, but forecasting who will end up as champion is harder than ever before”

“The teams and drivers are getting to grips not only with a new car, but also with tyres from a fresh supplier”

All the action from the world of motorsport

Pre-season

new car is quick, but tricky to drive on the limit

SO NEAR Jaguar’s

Mitch

Evans, second in last year’s title race, is again paired with Brit Sam Bird (left)

● Marks race debut of Gen 3 car

on 2023 Formula E season

Motorsport pays tribute to YouTube star Block

YousufAshraf Yousuf Ashraf@autoviacouk @ashrafoncars

AT the turn of the new year, the world of rallying and Gymkhana lost one of its biggest stars. At home in Utah, Ken Block was killed tragically in a snowmobile accident at 55 years of age, leaving the motoring landscape in a far more vibrant state than when he entered it.

Block began his national motorsport career in the Rally America series at the relatively late age of 37, and flashes of success led to him taking part in the World Rally and Rallycross Championships later in his career The Californian gave respectable showings at the highest level, but he soon found an untapped potential that elevated him beyond his race results.

In a perfect storm of creativity and car control, Block revolutionised automotive content with a series of spectacular

Gymkhana videos, the first of which landed in 2008. The films saw him at the wheel of four-wheel-drive monsters, pitching them sideways around obstacles with supreme precision and performing knife-edge stunts.

While YouTube was finding its feet, Block had the foresight and supreme driving talent to capture the imagination of car fans across the globe, proving that success in motorsport goes beyond simply being fast. Astonishingly, his 11-part Gymkhana series has racked up more than a billion views to date, and paved the way for wild drift-car projects such as the 1,400bhp Hoonicorn Mustang and all-electric Audi S1 Hoonitron.

Beyond his success, Block garnered popularity for his likeable, easy-going nature, as referenced by fellow drivers. “He was a true visionary with his own unique style and infectious smile”, said Jenson Button. “Our sport lost one of the best today, but more importantly a great man.”

Block’s

ENTERTAINER

11-part series of Gymkhana films has racked up more than a billion views on YouTube

YOU’LL have seen elsewhere (pages 12-13) the individual brands that put in mega, mediocre or miserable performances on their respective UK showroom floors last year. But it’s not just about the solo artists The antics of the automotive supergroups are important, too. Between January and December 2022, did the largest, noisiest and richest sell the most cars? Short answer: sometimes, but not always.

The truly international Volkswagen Group – Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda and VW –convincinglyclaimedthenumber-onespot Acollective sales figure of almost 350,000 was deeply impressive That said, with almost a quarter of a million Audi and VW-badged cars being purchased in Britain in a year, it could be argued that they’re becoming a tad common And with registrations up by more than a third, Porsche needs to be careful that it doesn’t move out of the exclusive league into less aspirational territory

Runner-up in 2022 was the giant Stellantis family, which has Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Vauxhall and the big, influential daddy that is Peugeot on board UK sales for this massive clan were 194,000 – with the added twist that Vauxhall had more success in attracting customers than its Italian, French and US sibling marques.

Rutherford Mike

With almost a quarter of a million Audis and VWs purchased in Britain in a year, it could be argued they’re becoming common

In terms of bloodline, the Hyundai-Kia-Genesis trio is the purest of the major performers in the UK because all its members hail from Seoul, South Korea Although Hyundai is the head of the family, it’s not doing as well as Kia over here As for Genesis, it’s miles behind, but it’s very much the new baby on the block Combined, this trio enjoyed sales of 182,000 last year

Narrowly missing out on a podium was BMW-MINI with collective sales of 155,000 – not bad for a ‘little’ German-Brit duo In fifth, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance remains an intriguing outfit. It’s sad that Mitsubishi is now toast in the UK, but Alpine is doing well (sales up 43 per cent) and Dacia is even better (up 55 per cent) All this translates into sales nudging 137,000 for the Alliance.

Ford knows a thing or two about putting together and heading up a big band, as it proved when it formed the Premier Automotive Group. But these days the Blue Oval is a solo performer, buying into the ‘smaller and leaner is better’ ethos – and shifting a respectable 127,000 cars in the process. Next were the duos of Toyota-Lexus (on 113,000), Mercedes-Smart (82,000) and Jaguar Land Rover (55,000), with standalone disruptive upstart Tesla sneaking in to round off my top 10, just a few hundred sales behind JLR Don’t be surprised if the Hyundai trio overtakes Stellantis next year Also, expect Polestar-Volvo, Tesla (up 57 per cent) and MG (up 67 per cent) to take a pop at JLR But 2023 will, I reckon, be the year when value-focused Dacia arrives proper in Blighty As will dark horse Genesis, as it establishes its position as a premium brand, before moving up a gear to become a designer and maker of genuine luxury cars. The marque will be to Hyundai-Kia what Lexus is to Toyota Only better It’s just a matter of time

Doyou agree with Mike?

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off