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A French revolution is under way

and it’s looking great

WELCOME to the first of two special double issues coming your way over the next few weeks as we head towards Christmas and an exciting New Year for car fans

In this issue as well as the usual news, drives and tests we ’ ve focused on two famous French brands: Renault and Peugeot Both are being revitalised under impressive leaders, but taking very different approaches

Renault, under boss Luca de Meo, is leaning on its legacy with its Renaulution, bringing back the famous Five and Four models for the new, electric age So we thought we’d take the chance to dust off some of the most iconic Fives of old and take them for a blast It confirms why de Meo and his team are right to reinvent the past with Renault, and the two upcoming models are likely to provide a halo for the rest of an exciting new line up that focuses on electrification and sustainability

The same focus exists at Peugeot, but the brand is doing things differently We met up with CEO Linda Jackson (above) to talk about how she’s reshaping the company “I’m not a lover of retro,” she told me “I think other manufacturers have done a great job, but it’s not for us We should look to the future; we ’ ve got some great cars looking back, but I think we need to think differently”

You can read more about Jackson’s plans in our special section outlining Peugeot’s strategy for electrification, on page 48 But as much as there are plenty of exciting new products lined up by both brands in the coming years, each of them is also putting a bigger emphasis on the customer experience

Alongside design, both leaders feel that it could be a big differentiator as we head into the new era of electrification So expect everything from your first interaction with a brand online and how you sort your finance, to the demo and delivery by your dealer, to change for the better As I’ve written many times in the past, it’s time for change Let’s hope the brands deliver

STEVE FOWLER Editor in-chief

steve fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler

A Avarvarii

SHORTER With a length of around 4 4 metres, this scaled-down model would be positioned as a rival for conventional family hatchbacks

NEWCOMER

Tesla charges ahead with all-electric VW ID.3 rival

EXCLUSIVE New sub-Model 3 family hatchback could be in showrooms by 2025

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

TESLA ends 2022 without delivering either its much delayed Cybertruck or the new Roadster but the company is already putting fresh focus on the development of a smaller, cheaper model that could play a bigger role in EV adoption.

Rumours of a vehicle positioned beneath the current entry point, the Model 3, have been swirling for some time As recently as the start of this year, Tesla boss Elon Musk denied that the company was working on such a model, saying: “We have enough on our plate right now, quite frankly ”

However, 2022 has seen Tesla often topping sales charts in key regions, ramping up its production rate and putting its three millionth car down the line And now Musk appears to have decided that the time is right to push for greater affordability

At a recent financial results briefing, he told analysts: “We’ve done the engineering for the Cybertruck and Semi [Tesla’s lorry], so you can guess what we’re working on, which is the next generation vehicle that will be about half the cost of the Model 3 and Y platform. It will be smaller, to be fair, but I think it will shortly exceed production of all our other vehicles combined ”

Cutting the cost of construction in half doesn’t necessarily mean the baby Tesla could slice the current list price of a Model 3 (from £47,500) in two But it’s safe to say that the sub Model 3 vehicle could feasibly start at around £25,000 That would open Tesla’s potential market up considerably, giving the company a rival for European made electric hatchbacks such as Volkswagen’s ID 3, and even Chinese models from the likes of MG and BYD.

least because Model 3 was chosen as a reverse of Model E, which Ford originally warned Tesla off using Musk admitted that the cheaper, smaller model is now the top target for Tesla’s engineers “We don’t want to talk exact [launch] dates,” he said, “but this [new model] is the primary focus of our new vehicle development team. We’re going to take everything we learned from [Models] S, X, 3 and Y, the Cybertruck and the Semi into that platform We’re trying to get to that 50 per cent number again.”

That’s a reference to the Model Y, whose bare construction costs significantly less than the Model 3’s Tesla used improved processes to cut huge amounts of complexity out of the Y; a fresh pair of larger stamped components in its bodyshell alone do the job of 171 separate parts in the Model 3, for example, saving more than 1,600 welds during manufacturing Recent rumours suggest Tesla is now working on integrating these gains into a revised Model 3, in a project codenamed Highland.

Tesla’s ability to make the new smaller car cheaply enough is all but certain to hinge on its choice of battery chemistry and how the cells are installed. The company has already used lithium iron phosphate cells (LFP), which are cheaper to produce than nickel manganese cobalt (NMC)

The manufacturer is currently using LFP in some of its vehicles, and this is likely to form a key part of the cheaper model’s technical make up along with a novel installation

The firm is said to be preparing to roll out ‘cell to chassis’ technology on German built Model Ys, as part of a tie up with China’s BYD Lighter and more compact than conventional module based construction, this technique saves yet more space that can be used for additional cells to help redress LFP’s lower energy density and deliver comparable range

bonnet with beneath it. Despite to the 2, to not

Our exclusive images interpret Tesla’s existing line up in a scaled down format, to show how a baby model could look It should be positioned as a rival for conventional family hatchbacks, with a length of around 4 4 metres That could be achieved through a more aggressive rear roofline, while still allowing a conventional et with luggage space beneath it pite internet speculation referring he car as the Model 2, this badge is by no means guaranteed to be used not

EVOLUTION Model Y SUV’s much-improved, cost saving construction techniques will be carried across to the newcomer

Musk believes that Tesla can take its recently achieved three million cars milestone and expand it to a tally of more than 100 million vehicles on roads by the end of the decade To achieve this, he says the firm will need “roughly a dozen factories”, and while the original plant in California is “just running out of room”, most of the facilities would be capable of making up to two million cars per year.

A smaller, more affordable model is almost certainly a key factor in this ambition so even if a newcomer does arrive after the Roadster and the Cybertruck, we could see it on roads by 2025.

“The next-generation vehicle will be half the cost of the Model 3 and Y platform. It’ll be smaller, but I think it will shortly exceed production of our other vehicles combined”

ELON MUSK Tesla CEO

● Hybrid and plug-in versions ● SUV set to arrive next summer

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

THE Toyota C HR is the model that kick started the Japanese brand’s design revolution in Europe back in 2016 and now the company is previewing the second generation of the popular crossover with this concept, called C HR Prologue

The new creation is ostensibly a show car, but Toyota sources are openly saying that it is a close preview of the second generation C HR, which should land in dealerships in the second half of 2023. “It is a first, but very real vision of a car that will soon be turning heads across Europe,” the firm says Indeed, the naming of the concept as ‘Prologue’ is significant, since the only other Toyota to carry that suffix, the Aygo X Prologue, proved a very accurate guide to the eventual production model

The C HR Prologue sticks closely to the overall look of a patent drawing that leaked a couple of months ago and was scooped by Auto Express (Issue 1,750) It shows that Toyota has elected to keep the new car’s focus on style and design over practicality values that allowed a bold look, which has made the C HR one of Toyota’s best ever models for attracting new customers

The new car’s wheelbase is believed to be extremely close to that of the existing C HR and it probably should be, given that the production model will use the same

The roof profile remains closely aligned with the existing car’s, but the Prologue’s C pillar has been pulled back in a bid to address one of the existing C HR’s biggest flaws: a gloomy rear cabin. “It may not actually be more roomy in there,” admitted Lance Scott from Toyota’s ED2 studio in France, where the C HR Prologue was

STYLING

C-HR Prologue gets an Aygo X style two-tone paint scheme. It’s uncertain whether the spoiler, finished in a third colour, will feature

designed, “but the extra light will help it to feel more spacious ”

The rear end features an extremely long and complex tail light unit an item that’s likely to be dropped on the production model and a chunky diffuser

The Prologue also sports a more dramatic experiment with the two tone paint job that has proven popular with C HR customers. Instead of on the roof alone, a gloss black finish extends from the side sills all the way up to the tip of the C pillar

New C-HR shaping up wit

SCOOP

How we broke the story about the Mk2 C-HR being in the pipeline back in October

“It shows that Toyota has elected to keep the new car’s focus on style and design over practicality”

TNGA platform. At the front, there’s a new take on Toyota’s ‘hammerhead’ grille and lights treatment, with aggressive sculpting around the lower area of the bumper

DESIGN

h Prologue concept

THE stunning looking fifth generation of Prius has grabbed headlines for Toyota in recent weeks, but the C HR Prologue looks a fine example of why the firm believes the new version of the hybrid pioneer is no longer needed in the UK.

The original C HR was a transformative vehicle for the Japanese company in Europe a model with such divisive styling and compromised packaging that it was hard to believe such a traditionally conservative brand would dare to produce it. But when it did, the C HR sold in spades, attracting lots of new customers to Toyota

in a fashion not dissimilar to the Aygo X The concept also has a third colour on its long roof spoiler; this isn’t guaranteed to make the final vehicle, but it could be offered on special editions

As revealed by Auto Express, the biggest shift on the Mk2 C HR comes in its choice of powertrains because alongside the latest, fifth generation of Toyota’s ‘self charging’ hybrid set up, it will also be available as a plug in hybrid. Toyota has confirmed the

choice of hybrid and plug in hybrid without giving details of specific power outputs or tech configurations, but it’s feasible that the C HR will use the same 2 0 litre, 191bhp powertrain as the newly launched Mk5 Prius

It might prove more of a technical challenge for engineers to squeeze in that car’s 221bhp plug in set up, though, since it has a chunkier battery that would be a tighter fit under the back seats of the more compact vehicle. However, there won’t be a

pure electric version of the C HR, but Toyota is lining up a similarly shaped new bZ model (above, left) that will sit above the second generation C HR in the line up

The firm says it will source PHEV battery packs for the C HR in Europe, instead of shipping them from Japan to the car’s production base in Turkey Despite this, the gains in overall powertrain complexity mean that at least a small price increase over the existing car is all but guaranteed.

The ability to offer the Mk2 C HR with a choice of regular hybrid and plug in hybrid power means that Toyota will have a radical looking, highly efficient alternative to the Corolla hatchback and RAV4 full SUV and one that’s likely to be lapped up by many existing C HR owners. So there simply isn’t room for a dedicated eco warrior in that line up

Sean Carson Associate editor Auto Express

“The C-HR sold in spades, attracting lots of new customers to Toyota”

New C-HR is an evolution of the original car, but the C-pillar has been pulled back in a bid to increase light in the rear seats

We blast off in Cupra’s 42

● Rallycross-based concept previews tamer road car due in 2025

● Used by Cupra to demonstrate potential of EV performance

Jan Horn

CONCEPT cars are usually there to whet our appetites for future production models, so in the vast majority of cases, they’re mostly about looks Not so with Cupra, because we’ve actually been for a spin in the company’s Urban Rebel Racing Concept and can testify that it does more than just drive It flies

Of course, the Urban Rebel is indeed a preview of a forthcoming road car: the new baby EV, being developed alongside models from VW and Skoda But for the time being, Cupra wants to use the show car to demonstrate electrified performance

More than that, the firm thinks it can help fill the gap until the production vehicle arrives by starring in three roles Firstly, it should excel on smooth asphalt Secondly, it should be comfortable with being handbrake turned on bumpy, dusty gravel sections

And thirdly? That’s where things get virtual In the next instalment of the popular Forza Horizon racing game series, the Urban Rebel Racing Concept will be recreated digitally, giving gamers the chance to identify with it and compete ‘in it’

As we stand beside the vehicle, we can see how it would work A brutal mix of curves, slashes and sharp edges, the Urban Rebel looks wonderfully beastly precisely the sort of thing that will dazzle on flat screen TV in countless living rooms

Cupra has built two examples of its Racing Concept, each featuring a carbon fibre bodyshell wrapped over the basic construction of an RX2 class electric rallycross vehicle The bare specs tell the story: a kerbweight of just 1,230kg, including the battery pack in the floor,

pushrod suspension, four wheel drive and 429bhp of electric shove We’re told that it’ll reach 62mph in 3.2 seconds, pretty much regardless of conditions

And here we are at a rallycross track, behind the wheel of one of the company’s two prototypes, so we start with respect. From a standing start, the Rebel translates a press on the throttle into a kind of forward detonation It reacts almost telepathically to steering inputs, and mixes a firm chassis set up with masses of suspension travel.

We’re not performing in front of a rallycross crowd today, and that’s probably for the best Despite our best efforts at balancing the distribution of power between the two electric motors in the front and rear, and the T shaped placement of the batteries low down in the floor and central tunnel, the Urban Rebel reacts quite unpredictably to my inexperienced commands

Suddenly, though, it all clicks; I have to work hard on a loose section of the track to manoeuvre the Urban Reben towards the asphalt section Stones crackle like crazy in the wheelarches, the car grips heartily, buzzes mechanically and then shoots off in the right direction with an electric fizz. It’s great and proof that it’s possible to feel emotions from cars even without a traditional engine noise Something of a Cupra coup, you might say.

Essentials

CupraUrbanRebel RacingConcept

Price: £500,000(est)

Powertrain: 2x e motor Power: 429bhp

Transmission: Single speed auto, four wheel drive

0 62mph: 3 2 seconds Length: 4,186mm Width: 1,795mm Height: 1,444mm ONSALE 2025 (road car)

Verdict

THE Urban Rebel Racing Concept’s technical make up is some way beyond what will feature on the (much cheaper) road car when it turns up in the middle of this decade And yet as a rolling promotional tool for the idea of a hot baby EV, it’s a fantastic creation. Its digital presence will probably boost Cupra’s chances of selling the upcoming road car

younger customers, too.

New MG4 scoops top honours at EV awards

THE new MG4 EV has been crowned 2023 Car of the Year and Best Value Electric Car in Auto Express sister site DrivingElectric com’s annual rundown of the top electric and hybrid cars on sale.

The judges praised the budget friendly EV, with editor Richard Ingram calling the MG4 “outstandingly capable” He said the recently launched bargain hatchback combined “range, practicality and loads of kit into a sharp looking, fun to drive package all at an unbeatable price”

Elsewhere, the brand new Ora Funky Cat ended the Fiat 500’s two year reign as DrivingElectric’s Best Urban Electric Car, while the Skoda Enyaq iV retained its title as DrivingElectric’s Best Electric Family Car

The new BMW i7 took home the coveted Best Luxury Electric Car award, while the

Mercedes EQE won Best Long Distance Electric Car, thanks to its blend of super fast charging and a long range

Kia scooped no fewer than four awards, including Best Electric Performance Car for the supercar slaying 577bhp EV6 GT. The all new Niro was also recognised as the Best Hybrid Family Car for 2023

The brand new Renault Megane E Tech won the DrivingElectric Technology Award after the judges were blown away by the French hatchback’s Google powered infotainment system

There were also trophies handed out for the Best Universal Charging Network, Best Home Charger, and Best Electric Car App, as well as a handful of reader awards For a full list of this year’s winners, head to DrivingElectric.com/2023 awards

“Judges praised the budget-friendly EV, with DrivingElectric editor Rich Ingram calling the MG4 ‘outstandingly capable’”

“In the next instalment of the Forza Horizon racing game, the Urban Rebel will be recreated digitally”

to

29bhp electric racer

news inbrief

HANDLING

Concept is based on RX2 class rallycross car, so it’s very capable on a wide variety of surfaces

EASY LIFE

New subscription offer includes insurance, VED, servicing and breakdown cover in one monthly payment

Renault keeps it simple with Megane

RENAULT is offering a new subscription service for its latest Megane E Tech EV that’s designed to take complexity out of ownership for customers.

The new structure allows flexible terms, from three to 24 months, and a monthly mileage allowance starting from 750 miles. The ordering process takes

place entirely online, and includes both configuration and home delivery for a one off fee of £99.50. No downpayment on the vehicle is required, beyond a fully refundable one month security deposit

The single monthly payment which starts from £599, depending on terms covers insurance, servicing, breakdown

cover, VED and congestion charges It does not include charging fees or the installation of a home wallbox, however.

The program is being run by Bipi, a Madrid based subscription firm that already has 160,000 customers across Europe. Renault acquired the company last year for around 100million Euros (£86m).

Halewood to become Ford

EV parts factory

FORD is to turn its Halewood factory near Liverpool into its first European electric car component plant The firm has confirmed increased investment of £380m in the factory, which will make electric motors to power 70 per cent of the 600,000 EVs that Ford intends to sell annually in Europe by 2026

The deal will create 500 new jobs in the facility, which currently builds transmissions for the company’s combustion engined vehicles

Police begin Christmas drink-drive crackdown

THE chance of being breathalysed is set to double this month, as police forces crack down on drink drivers over the Christmas period.

In December 2021, police in England and Wales stopped 37,067 motorists on suspicion of drink driving more than twice the average for other months of 16,977, according to Home Office data analysed by AlcoSense. A total of 3,840 drivers tested last December were over the limit or refused to provide a sample a failure rate of more than 10 per cent.

Extended range for Volvo electric SUVs

VOLVO has tweaked the two wheel drive versions of its C40 and XC40 Recharge EVs to boost range. Both cars now switch from front to rear wheel drive in their single motor guises, helping to increase efficiency and improve their respective ranges by around 20 miles.

In addition, the four wheel drive Recharge Twin gets faster 200kW charging, cutting the 10 80 per cent time to less than half an hour.

Cameras continue to cas

OFFICIAL

Tristan Shale Hester tristan shale hester@autoviacouk @tristan shale

DRIVERS in the UK are being hit with 4,800 speeding fines and 30,000 private parking tickets every day, the latest data shows

Police forces detected 1.74 million speeding offences in 2021/22, with offenders paying a total of £45 7million in fines Some 698,115 avoided penalty points by opting to pay for a speed awareness course.

The data, acquired by price comparison site Confusedcom, covered 36 police forces and identified the A40 in north west London as seeing the most offences 49,050 notices of intended prosecution (NIPs) were issued for incidents on this road over 12 months The M25 in Surrey (Junctions 7 16) and the M4 near Bristol (J20 19) were second and third, with 23,134 and 18,317 NIPs issued respectively

There are more than 1,300 speed cameras operating in the UK. One in three offences was detected by a fixed camera, while 26 per cent were picked up by mobile units and 23 per cent in average speed zones Only 10 per cent of offenders were stopped by a police officer, while just six per cent were caught with a laser speed gun Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “Most drivers accept the use of speed cameras and recognise they are a useful tool in helping keep roads safe Speeding fines can be avoided by moderating the driver’s right foot ” Polling

conducted by Confusedcomsuggests that 31 per cent of drivers caught speeding didn’t realise they were breaking the limit at the time of the offence Those that were aware cited reasons such as the road being clear or wanting to get to their destination faster

One in five drivers believe there are valid excuses for speeding, such as an emergency, while one in three think first time offenders should just receive a warning Another one in

SURVEILLANCE

More than 1,300 cameras watch for speeders, and they have raked in nearly £46million in fines

five are of the opinion that councils should do more to prevent speeding, however, and one in three welcome new technologies that can catch drivers breaking the limit

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confusedcom, commented: “A worrying number of drivers are being caught on the roads for speeding, whether it be by Gatsos or other speed cameras Our research shows that nearly half of drivers have had

Private parking fines hit new heights

THE number of privately issued parking fines has increased by 50 per cent year on-year, according to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures acquired by PA Media There were 2 7 million sent out between April and June 2022 up from 1.8 million in the same period in 2021.

When a private parking firm believes a vehicle has infringed on its rules, it has to buy the driver’s details from the DVLA. A total of 176 firms did this between April and June, with one firm

ParkingEye purchasing 521,000 driver records at £2.50 each.

The Government has long been consulting on the content of a private parking code of practice, which is expected to see fines capped at £50 and a mandatory 10 minute grace period written

into law. Progress has been slow, however, with the Government now reviewing the current level of private parking charges, and no new target date for the legislation has been set Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The attraction can only be one thing the chance to make significant profits before the Government brings in changes, which now appear delayed, to level the playing field.

“It remains inconceivable that, annually, millions of motorists are setting out to run up these tickets of up to £100 each, especially when household budgets are so tight. This latest data is the sign of a system that is broken.”

a fine for speeding in the past Although some motorists might feel that speed limits are an inconvenience, they’re there to ensure our roads are safe for all ”

He added: “If you’re faced with a fine, there’s a chance it could be calculated based on your salary, and may be heftier than you first think Speeding fine calculations often depend on how much over the limit you were travelling ”

Top-spec For

FORD is adding a new range topping Ranger Platinum to its pick up truck line up in a bid to expand the big 4x4’s appeal.

It gets ‘silk chrome’ exterior trim, as well as a unique grille design and 20 inch machined alloy wheels as standard. Inside, perforated and quilted leather seats with 10 way adjustment and heating and cooling add a plush feel, while maple wood trim and LED ambient lighting are included.

There’s a large 12 inch digital instrument cluster, plus a 12 inch portrait touchscreen with the latest SYNC 4 infotainment system

Power for the Ranger Platinum comes from Ford’s new 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine, which produces 237bhp and 600Nm of torque for a towing capacity of 3,500kg

Prices for the new model start from £44,400 excluding VAT, and it’s on sale now with deliveries expected from spring 2023.

● Fines of almost £46million raked in by cameras

● Cameras account for more than four-fifths of prosecutions

h in on speeders news inbrief

Merc EQT turns into electric camper with Marco Polo kit

MERCEDES has confirmed specs for its latest all electric van/MPV, the EQT. It’ll go on sale for around 49,000 Euros (approximately £42,000) in the coming weeks, and next year a Marco Polo camper van version will arrive in showrooms to accompany it.

The EQT is a derivative of the combustion engined T Class MPV Its overall design is almost identical, albeit with a gloss black front grille.

The MPV offers 120bhp and 245Nm of torque from a front mounted

electric motor, which is powered by a 45kWh battery. Official range stands at 175 miles, and 80kW DC charging can take the battery from 10 80 per cent in 38 minutes

Ahead of the full camper edition, Mercedes has also announced a Marco Polo ‘module’ that can slot in and out of the regular short wheelbase EQT’s load bay (below) It provides a folding bed and optional kitchen facilities, along with window blinds and a sheet to protect campers from insects

UK will lead the way with hydrogen Hilux

TOYOTA has secured UK government funding to work with British companies on a hydrogen fuel cell powered version of its Hilux pick up (above)

The vehicle will be developed at Toyota’s Burnaston site in Derbyshire, with input from firms such as Ricardo and Thatcham, and budget from the non profit Advanced Propulsion Centre. Its Mirai sourced components deliver 180bhp, it’s front wheel drive, and the hydrogen tank allows a range of over 400 miles

Self-parking cars ready for airport run

THE German government has approved an autonomous valet parking system The tech, developed by Bosch and Mercedes, operates at SAE Level 4, allowing the driver to delegate control of the vehicle to an automated system in limited circumstances

It will first be used at Stuttgart Airport’s P6 car park, where cars with the system will find a space and park themselves without driver input It will be fitted to Mercedes S Class and EQS models equipped with Intelligent Park Pilot.

Scotland back to car making with 4x4 EV

ELECTRIC off road brand Munro has confirmed details of the vehicle that will bring car manufacturing back to Scotland after 40 years. The MK 1 (below) is a rugged commercial EV

It will come with 295bhp or 375bhp of electric power and is rated to tow up to 3,500kg. There are two battery sizes 61kWh or 82kWh giving ‘up to 16 hours of off road operation’ Prices start from £49,995 and deliveries to customers will commence next year.

ALEX KINDRED Confused.com

“Although some motorists might feel that speed limits are an inconvenience, they’re there to ensure our roads are safe for all”

Q6 e-tron Sportback, RS on way

● New versions caught on camera ● SUV range set for expansion

sean carson@autoviacouk

DESPITE the delay in Audi’s Q6 e tron SUV unveiling, the German brand is still readying two new versions for release in the form of a Q6 e tron Sportback and a high performance RS Q6 e tron.

Our spy photographers have caught both cars undergoing development, with the more svelte Sportback due to be offered with regular battery and motor set ups Both the Q6 e tron SUV and the Sportback are being given the RS treatment, too Based on the new PPE platform developed in conjunction with Porsche, as with the regular Q6 e tron the Sportback will probably inherit the firm’s 114kWh battery from the larger Q8 e tron This will give the standard car a 370 mile range potentially a little extra for the more aerodynamic Sportback model. It’s thought that an SQ6 e tron will also join the line up, with the same battery supplying an electric motor system that will deliver just over 500bhp. However, for the RS Q6 e tron, Auto Express understands that Audi will turn up the wick even further, with the range topper set to pack just under 600bhp. It’s thought that both S and RS models will still offer a range of 300 miles Expect Audi to go to town on the RS Q6 e tron’s chassis to boost involvement and agility, equipping it with the level of dynamism the marque’s fastest models need to achieve The car could feature new profiles for the air suspension, as well as all of the usual adjustable drive mode parameters, clever torque vectoring (potentially) and a futuristic soundtrack to match The RS will also be given a visual makeover, evolving the regular Q6 e tron’s square set stance, as previewed by our exclusive image (above right) with a chunky bodykit featuring a deeper front air dam, swollen arches and chunky wheels Expect it to command a significant price premium over the standard Q6’s estimated £60,000

MP says DVLA lacks plan to deal with ageing society

FEARS have been raised in Parliament that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not have plans to meet the changing demands of an ageing population.

Chief executive Julie Lennard was quizzed by the Public Accounts Committee, and MP Nick Smith suggested the DVLA had not gripped the issue of an ageing society. He said he wasn’t persuaded there was a strategy to deal with rising numbers of applications including one or more of the 300 odd notifiable medical conditions

Lennard defended the DVLA’s record on reviewing licence renewal applications with

notifiable medical conditions, in spite of a backlog of around 50,000 extra pending cases on top of the 120,000 expected “This year, 46,000 customers have had a licensing decision made the same day that we received the application. If we can make the decision based on information from the driver, we will do it,” she said Delays accessing GP and consultant reports are blamed for much of the backlog.

“The work GPs and consultants do for us counts as private work,” said Lennard “We pay every GP and every consultant for every questionnaire that they return to us.”

Q6 headlight Sportback’s tailgate will be swoopier

SeanCarson

Subtle refresh for ground-breaki

●

●

Alastair Crooks@autoviacouk @AllieCrooks

VOLKSWAGEN pulled out all the stops to develop its range of pure electric ID cars in record time and now the company has given us a first glimpse of how it plans to develop the model that introduced the sub brand back in 2019, the ID 3

The Golf sized hatchback will receive a facelift in 2023, designed in response to customer feedback on the initial generation These official images show body design tweaks that will feature, along with some significant cabin alterations

As is often the case with mid life facelifts, the exterior modifications will be relatively subtle, extending to changes in plastic components instead of larger metal parts that would require a change of stamping presses at VW’s factory There’s still scope for a clearly identifiable fresh look, though, thanks to a new design of front bumper with more aggressive side air intakes, plus a tweaked headlight signature and what looks like a reshaped bonnet.

These renderings also suggest that fresh designs of alloy wheel are on the way, and crisper, cleaner styling for the rear bumper, which will sit beneath revised tail lights.

The biggest changes are likely to come inside the cabin a reaction to feedback from the first wave of owners on material quality and technology features in a car that’s pitched as a rival for Tesla’s Model 3 The interior will be reworked, reflecting increased demand for sustainable materials, particularly in an EV, as well as delivering a more premium feel.

Imelda Labbé, Volkswagen’s board member for marketing, said: “The new ID 3 demonstrates our commitment to quality, design and sustainability. The design has matured, and we’ve upgraded the materials used in the interior ”

The current car’s 10 inch central infotainment touchscreen will be swapped

NEW LOOK

Facelifted

OFFICIAL

for a 12 inch screen with a new control system VW says the latest technology is more convenient and straightforward for users although the images still show a screen based approach to elements such as heating and ventilation The controversial ‘multi function strip’ beneath the screen which operates temperature along with volume for the audio system does now appear to be backlit.

Features such as Travel Assist and Park Assist Plus will be made available to owners as optional extras and judging by the teaser images, we can also expect a new head up display The centre console will be restyled too, featuring two cup holders

VW says that the new ID 3 is “equipped with the latest software generation, which improves system performance and is also able to receive over the air updates”

It’s not clear whether the car will offer improved range and performance figures; the battery capacities are likely to remain the same, but the revised exterior design and further enhancements to the control software should affect efficiency. VW has

been producing the ID 3 at its Zwickau and Dresden plants in Germany, but with the updated model this will be expanded to also include the brand’s factory in Wolfsburg, to cope with demand

The updated ID.3 is available to order now in Germany, in Life, Business, Style, Max and Tour trims The UK range is likely to expand similarly the Life model is currently the only ID.3 on sale here.

Smart motorways are failing, suggests RAC survey of drivers

HALF of drivers avoid lane one of smart motorways. In an RAC survey of 1,904 drivers, 49 per cent said they stay out of the left hand lane when all lane running is in effect; 21 per cent do so frequently and 28 per cent occasionally Although the purpose of all lane running is to increase road capacity, it seems this is not being achieved, with 68 per cent of drivers surveyed claiming they regularly see motorists hogging the middle lane on smart motorways

Of the drivers who admit to avoiding lane one, 77 per cent said they are worried they would run into a

stationary vehicle if they drove in the left lane. A further 40 per cent are afraid that they themselves would be driven into if they broke down.

There was also concern from some respondents that lane one is full of HGVs and other traffic travelling at less than 70mph, which constantly have to be overtaken.

A separate piece of RAC research saw 70 per cent of 3,102 drivers surveyed call for all lane running smart motorways to be scrapped in favour of a hard shoulder that can be opened or closed as necessary.

“Facelift is designed in response to customer feedback on the initial generation”

First glimpse of development plans for Golf’s EV successor

Updated model will herald expanded range in UK

ID 3 will feature a tweaked body design and some significant alterations inside

AlastairCrooks

ng ID.3 revealed

New look may see Lancia back in UK

HOT TOPIC New Toyota Prius

FROM: Ian Daniels I’VE never been a big Prius fan, but this one looks rather good Ironic that it doesn’t make it to the UK, although all the Uber drivers have already switched to Kia e Niros and MG 5s, so there probably isn’t much of a market for it

FROM: Paul Oaten I KNOW the Prius has taken a fair amount of flak over the years from car enthusiasts, but I own a current generation example and it’s a really good car It’s practical, comfortable and economical. It also won Driver Power a few years ago

LANCIA is a brand that British customers have pretty much forgotten but here’s the first evidence of a full comeback for the Italian marque under its new owner, Stellantis.

This piece of sculptural art is solid evidence of a fresh design language for Lancia, which does still sell the Ypsilon supermini in selected European countries. The study is the work of Jean Pierre Ploué, the French designer who oversees much of the Stellantis Group’s styling in this part of the world.

The look of the artwork’s rear (above), which has Lancia Stratos like tail lights, will influence a new generation of Ypsilon that’s due to arrive in the second half of the decade. It will lead Lancia’s re emergence as a pure electric premium brand, and is likely to use Stellantis’s STLA small EV platform The front (below) shows a new take on Lancia’s T shaped grille

As well as the Ypsilon, Lancia has plans for a reborn Delta to rival the VW ID.3 and sources say that a return to the UK could be on the cards as the firm pushes back into former markets

Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk

■

■

Seeing red over new-car mix-up

FROM: Jerome Talburt I ORDERED a brand new car and waited patiently for 11 months When it was finally delivered, it was a lower trim level than what I’d ordered. To make matters worse, the dealer says it was an admin error and wants me to keep the car with no discount

Mondeo man upset by Ford’s

decisions

Classics prove there’s still life in car shows

FROM: Peter Lavers I DON’T agree that motor shows are dying out, having had a fantastic day out at the Classic Motor Show at the NEC It was absolutely bursting with people and there was too much to see in one day A great mix of things on display I wonder what the main car industry is doing wrong

It’s time drug-drivers were all weeded out

FROM:

clearly seeping through to driving now, with drug driving offences soaring (Issue 1,755).

offences

FROM: Rod Theobald AS a Mondeo owner, I am upset that Ford has ditched this and the Fiesta I won’t be buying any more Fords, because I don’t want an SUV. EVs are no good, either mostly unaffordable and the cheaper ones are small cars with small batteries Is the CO2 saving worth it?

Brian Telby THE UK’s soft approach to drug

is

There needs to be a serious crackdown on these offences they put innocent lives at risk Get more traffic cops on the road and sort it out

“It’s a shame we’re stuck with the previous model, which looks like it’s an iron on wheels ” Jamie Webb

■ “Stunning I love the design. I live in Thailand and will actually consider buying one ” Vacheron James

“The old one wasn’t pretty and neither is this one Congratulations on being consistent, Toyota ” Simon Green

Toyota has unveiled the fifth generation Prius, but the UK

INSIDESTORY

Tackling the motoring issues that matter

FIRST RESPONDER

Miles Goodson

THE National Health Service has been a part of life in the UK for decades, with a workforce that spans generations from the retired nurses of yesteryear, to the junior doctors of today, and everyone in between

As with any system of such size and national importance, challenges big and small are certain to arise One of those hurdles is how to provide care to communities that lie off the beaten track and get medical support in the tight timeframes that members of the public expect once they’ve called 999.

The South Central Ambulance Charity is bridging the gap between NHS responders and patients in difficult to reach circumstances, while also bolstering stretched crews scrabbling from one emergency to the next. The service and its paramedics are not funded with NHS money Instead, they rely on donations and our current cost of living crisis is making this an uphill struggle We’re spending day in the life of a first responder, and it starts off with the unremarkable overcast skies above High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, banishing any chance of sunshine beaming off our Dacia Duster’s reflective green and orange livery. Alongside volunteer Robin Mugridge, we eye up the equipment he has to carry Everything from oxygen and a defibrillator to helmets, an air compressor and a blood pressure monitor, along with needles, drugs and a variety of other medical equipment fills the boot Each volunteer must be ready for anything, and so the Duster scores a thumbs up from Robin for having ample space for all his kit

After a short briefing on what we’ll need to do and wear when joining Robin on an emergency call, we check in with central control and duty begins Our first destination is the local Kwik Fit car park; its central location means we shouldn’t be too far from any call out Kwik Fit allows the volunteers to park up for as long as they like and use its facilities while on shift The Duster performs impressively as we pull up, its parking sensors and tall driving position helping us position the car without fuss None of the charity’s Dacias is fitted with blue lights or a siren, so when our first job comes in, Robin must drive within the confines of the law However, the Duster’s peppy engine easily helps us get to the limits of the road another thumbs up from Robin.

Our first job is classed as a category two; there are four in total, with one being the highest, used only for life threatening situations Emergency responders aim to arrive within eight minutes, and the call out can be for anything from a serious car crash to a heart attack every second counts Category two is less serious, but as with any emergency, circumstances can change quickly Robin tells us a typical scenario would be someone with chest pains These require a response within 18 minutes

Categories three and four are reserved for emergencies that are unlikely to become life threatening, such as broken bones and falls. These can be upgraded, however, because a fall may start off as a concern for a torn muscle or broken bone, but unravel to head trauma

We get to our category two call in seven minutes, all while following the rules of the road Robin quickly swoops into action to help a man in need of immediate

WORKHORSE

INSIDESTORY

P e t e G i b s o n

ON THE JOB Volunteer Robin Mugridge and reporter Miles Goodson get the Dacia ready for their life-saving work

LIFESAVER

Duster is one of around 40 on the charity’s fleet – 13 in 4WD guise and the rest front wheel drive, all with identical medical equipment

care If you ever want to make yourself feel useless, observe a medical emergency with little more than the ability to scratch pen across paper. We stand by as the man’s sister watches on, concerned about the severity of his condition An ambulance crew had already been aware of the incident but is busy responding to other jobs Fortunately Robin has all the kit he needs, and after 30 minutes the man in front of us is talking This is where every penny donated to the charity makes a difference; it isn’t only the car, the drugs, the training or the equipment, but the fact that while ambulance crews scramble to prioritise more calls than they can cope with, one less job is thrust at them. Robin can hold down the fort here until they are free We’re relieved of our duty nearly an hour after the call came in, as an ambulance crew is freed from another job and comes straight to us. If you ever see a crew parked up desperately gobbling a sandwich and chugging a bottle of water, you’ll get a glimpse into just how unforgiving their schedule is from clocking on to clocking off Back to the Kwik Fit car park, when we quiz Robin a little more

about the volunteer paramedics Each must work 20 hours a month, to both keep them fresh and meet the charity’s requirements. Some 40 Dusters with identical medical equipment 13 in 4WD guise and the rest front wheel drive make up the fleet Robin confesses that he does several multiples of the minimum hourly requirement each month something he admits few can do. For most people, squeezing in 20 hours of voluntary work is a huge task, particularly when you consider what they could face

It’s over halfway through our shift, but the comfortable Dacia helps make the long day that bit easier. Just as we hear all about how the Dusters were brought into action with the South Central Ambulance Charity in June 2020, when the pandemic had shut down the UK and medical emergencies pushed the system to the edge, another call comes in. This time it’s a category three.

We hit the road straight away, saddled up with kit, and head for a rural care home where Robin once again gets to work The Dacia weaves its way through each event like the central thread of the tight fitting high visibility jacket

that had been kindly provided at the start of our ride along There is no mistaking its role, however the Duster is a tool here, and nothing more It certainly does a great job for the team, but it is the volunteers, the medical professionals and the care staff who are the real stars of the day The call out quickly becomes more complex than first thought, due to the elderly patient’s host of existing medical conditions

Once again, every donation pays dividends for the health service NHS ambulance crews have become even busier since our earlier call out, so Robin holds down the fort at this emergency, too, easing some of the pressure Two hours pass while NHS emergency crews battle through each job thrown their way until they can finally reach us

As our shift with Robin draws to a close, it’s evident that daily triumphs are celebrated in a typically British fashion an almost muted response to another successful stint of medical care No one is looking for a medal or a pat on the back

We walk away remembering that without people such as this, we would all be worse off Donations are the fuel that keeps the machine moving. The charity’s volunteers provide a safety net that we all hope to never need and behind them, their Duster sits ready for whatever lies ahead as just another member of the team A shame it doesn’t get the prize of tea and biscuits at the end of the shift like we did. More information at https://scascharity.org.uk

“FUNDING has become increasingly difficult through the pandemic. The Charity relies on general donations and community fundraising to support our Community First Responders, and with no community events throughout the pandemic, that income dropped considerably. We are seeing a real reduction in donations, probably due to the financial crisis. In this, we’re no different to other charities, but it is nonetheless of concern This could result in a decrease in the number of CFR volunteers we are able to train and equip until things pick up again.

“The willingness of the Dacia team to work with us, to discuss what would work for us, and the commitment of the team to provide the right vehicles for the job were fantastic. We always wanted to initially talk to a few companies to ensure we were getting the right result for our volunteers and our charity, but in the end only one other maker was willing to meet and discuss it.”

“The Duster does a great job, but it is the volunteers, the medical professionals and the care staff who are the real stars of the day”

QUICK RESPONSE

Volunteer service helps alleviate

the

pressure on stretched NHS ambulance crews

Vanessa Casey, CEO of South Central Ambulance Charity

Volkswagen T-Roc R

WE might be approaching the end of the year, but Volkswagen has still found time to refresh one of its hottest models, and this is our first chance to try it in the UK. This is the T Roc R which, like the rest of the brand’s compact SUV line up, including the standard model and the Cabriolet, has been treated to a range of upgrades. The revisions start on the outside, with the most distinctive change coming to the R’s face The redesigned grille now boasts a full width daytime running light fitted horizontally through its centre, blending neatly at each end with tweaked LED headlights The same purposeful looking front and rear bumpers the latter still housing the four fat tailpipes that are a signature of VW’s R models remain, with a subtle change at the rear made to the badging. Here, the T Roc designation has been dropped altogether, and the new, larger R badge sits just beneath the VW logo, which doubles as the boot handle The redesigned cabin has its good and bad points The sports seats are trimmed

in a part leather upholstery and the tartan centre panels are subtly highlighted with blue trimming, although a full leather option is also available if you’d prefer something slightly more understated Extra blue highlights can be found on the new steering wheel while, as in the rest of the T Roc range, the dashboard has been rearranged to accommodate a new, larger infotainment system Some fresh kit, such as keyless entry, now comes as standard, too.

Although material quality is now closer to the standard you’d expect from a top spec performance crossover, the new touch sensitive controls on the steering wheel and climate panel are irritating to use

Cabin space is fairly reasonable in both the front and back, although the four wheel drive system impacts boot capacity, so you get 392 litres of luggage room instead of the 445 litres in front wheel drive T Roc models It’s still a decent size, though

The tweaks, however, end at the cosmetics While the mechanically similar Golf R received a power boost in its latest iteration, the hottest T Roc still offers the same 296bhp as before, which means it’s now 20bhp down on the Golf. At 400Nm, torque is 20Nm down on the Golf, too

Still, the T Roc is not exactly slow, despite losing out slightly to its stablemate The sprint from 0 62mph is shrugged off in 4.9

seconds, and it’ll keep going until it butts into a speed limiter at 155mph The seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox is snappy for the most part, but there’s quite a lot of clutch slip at lower speeds, which means the VW sometimes doesn’t feel as lively as you’d hope.

There’s one key chassis upgrade that we can’t recommend enough The optional adaptive dampers really add a level of sophistication to the T Roc R’s ride and handling repertoire; select Comfort mode and there’s a degree of compliance that makes it more forgiving than any other T Roc on a rough road But it manages that while keeping a

Alex

“There’s one optional upgrade we can’t recommend enough: adaptive dampers”

PERFORMANCE

T-Roc R delivers lots of grip and traction, but it’s not the most thrilling car to drive

PRACTICALITY

NEED TO KNOW

modes (above)

level, stable platform through corners that can make the most of the strong grip and phenomenal traction on offer

The slightly dull steering and limited djustability in the chassis mean it isn’t articularly fun, though You can cover ground at a fantastic rate, but you won’t really enjoy a thrilling driving experience as you do it

There is one much larger issue with the T Roc R, however, and that’s its price £42,155 sounds like an awful lot of money for any T Roc even one with this much erformance. For £540 more, you could opt for the Golf R, which has more power and is even sharper to drive It’s better for the sensible reasons, too; the Golf is more frugal, returning a WLTP certified 36.7mpg to the T Roc’s 33.2mpg, and it holds its value better It’s predicted to maintain 51 9 per cent of its original price after three years, compared with the T Roc’s 47 6 per cent If you bought the car new for cash, this translates to a two grand difference in value when you come to sell.

And those figures are before you get anywhere near the options list Get a bit too enthusiastic with the extras and the price can soon climb; the car in these images cost a hefty £51,320.

AUDISQ2

HYUNDAIKONAN

Verdict

AS before, the Volkswagen T Roc R is a very effective point to point performance car, offering great straight line speed and strong grip, while the German firm’s cosmetic tweaks have added more appeal, even if some of the in car tech still splits opinion. Compared with its Golf R sibling, however, the hot T Roc isn’t the most thrilling car to drive; it’s down on performance, and it doesn’t offer as much excitement or make as much financial sense At this price there are plenty of talented performance SUVs that offer greater ability in more areas The T Roc R has to settle for being an outsider as a result

Yousuf Ashraf@autoviacouk @ashrafoncars

THE Casper may be the smallest car in Hyundai’s stable, but it packs quite a visual punch The SUV style city car is a big seller on its home turf in South Korea, but European buyers have yet to get their hands on the Volkswagen up! rival

There are currently no official plans to sell the combustion engined Casper here, but reports suggest that a potential EV version could enter the UK market in 2023 So, we’re getting a taste here of what might be in store when it comes to a sub £20,000 electric hatch (if the rumours materialise) with this quirky, personality packed city car

The Casper’s squat, punchy stance is reminiscent of the Suzuki Ignis, but Hyundai has instilled a unique character into its diminutive proportions With its boxy arches, oversized foglights and jacked up ride height, the shrunken SUV design seems tailor made for Europe, where we’d wager it would fly out of showrooms on looks alone

We drove the most powerful Casper available, the turbocharged petrol version, which is distinguished by a pair of extra intakes in the front bumper. They’re said to be inspired by the 993 generation Porsche 911 Turbo S, but parallels with the 184mph supercar end there The Casper uses a 1 0 litre three cylinder motor that offers 98bhp. All Caspers drive the front wheels through a four speed automatic transmission, operated by a gearlever sprouting from the dash. The cabin isn’t exactly plush, but it feels robust and suits the car’s affordable brief The crisp, fully digital instruments are a welcome surprise, as are heated seats and a ventilated driver’s chair. The main infotainment screen is perched awkwardly on top of the dashboard, but the system copes well enough with basic tasks

While the Casper’s funky exterior design isn’t reflected inside, flashes of orange and fabric trims do add some visual appeal, and there’s genuine versatility on offer here The front seat bases connect to form a single

bench, and the sliding rear seats can be adjusted to provide more legroom (just enough for one adult behind another) or boot space. All four seats can also be folded flat to provide a large sleeping area

These cost effective innovations bring real value to the package on offer, but the Casper’s biggest test is out on the road Unfortunately, the first hundred metres or so reveal a few holes in its dynamic repertoire Thankfully, these primarily relate to the powertrain, and would be easily rectified with an all electric model.

With just four ratios, the Casper tends to hang onto gears and the shifts can occasionally send a shunt through the driveline. Performance isn’t brisk by any means, but there’s easily enough shove for city driving and motorway cruising, despite the engine’s coarse note at high revs encouraging a gentle right foot.

The Casper’s light steering and jacked up ride height make it easy to spot gaps and thread the car through traffic, and it feels right at home in town. However, the suspension lacks sophistication over some deep potholes and sharp road imperfections, with the occasional thud as it runs into its bump stops.

It’s important to note that a Casper EV would require bespoke suspension calibration by virtue of a lower centre of gravity, heavier kerbweight and altered weight distribution, so

YousufAshraf

Chunky

ai Casper

ol powered baby SUV that’s rumoured to be coming to Europe as an EV

can draw about a potential electric version are limited More polish would be welcome nonetheless, and the model we drove didn’t feel particularly direct at speed, bobbing around slightly over undulations

As it stands, the Casper is ripe for a fully electric powertrain that could do justice to what is a quirky, desirable urban runaround. If Hyundai does launch a battery powered version for Europe with a touch more engineering finesse, its adorable looks and clever interior could make it a hit.

IT may lack a little dynamic finesse and have a compromised powertrain, but our first acquaintance with the Casper left us hopeful at the prospect of an EV version for Europe. A silky electric motor would be an ideal stand in for the harsh three cylinder petrol unit, and given some extra polish, the Hyundai’s cheeky design and versatile cabin could cause a stir in the compact EV market Even this ICE model shows potential, but there’s work to be done

THE G Class isn’t an SUV, says Emmerich Schiller, CEO of Mercedes’ G Class sub brand: “It’s an off roader ” He’s not wrong, either, because there are few places on Earth the regular G 500 or G 63 can’t get you But back in 2015, with the previous G Class nearing the end of its life, the company produced the G Class 4x4², a mad machine with portal axles that took the G Class to new heights, in every sense Despite expectations of building just 150 G 500 4x4²s, Merc produced around 2,100. Enough, then, to justify another one although this time it’s based on the most powerful AMG version, which makes this 4x4² even more extreme. You’ll struggle to see under the bonnet without a ladder, such is the height increase from those portal axles, but take a peek and you’ll find AMG’s 577bhp 4.0 litre twin turbo V8. That can slingshot the G 63 4x4² from 0 62mph in a preposterous five seconds and on to 131mph, almost regardless of the surface beneath its 22 inch wheels That’s half a second slower than a standard G 63, which is forgivable due to the additional 370kg or so that the 4x4² specification adds, but being sat so high, it doesn’t feel any less hilariously rapid. Indeed, it feels more so.

Weight

Much of that weight is in the new axles, which feature helical gears rather than the straight cut items in the 4x4²’s predecessor That’s been done for refinement, so the gear whine that was obvious in the old model has gone, providing real civility inside so long as you’ve not got that V8 blaring out of the side exit exhaust pipes at full revs Do that and you’ll enjoy a gloriously overt soundtrack and shocking speed.

Driving the 4x4² you’re overcome with a feeling of total authority, of being in a vehicle that could face Armageddon There are compromises, naturally, but they’re not as extensive as you might imagine, and they largely centre on the sheer scale of the car Climbing in requires some athleticism, but once there, besides the camera fed rear view mirror, it’s all familiar if you’ve sat in a G Class before That means there’s something of a modern and ancient mix, with large touchscreens that contrast with push buttons, but it all works well, and the spacious interior is finished beautifully

The three biggest buttons in the centre console operate the locking differentials, while there’s a low range button and drive modes to select, too The 12 3 inch screens can display everything from inclinometers and the suspension articulation to a forward view camera. Selecting the off road modes allows the G 63 4x4² to go absolutely anywhere you point it, thanks to its significantly increased ground clearance (up 113mm to 351mm) and approach,

“On the road, the 4x42 is surprisingly light footed, and it turns in with a surprising amount of finesse”

departure and break over angles, and fording depths that are almost unrivalled. It means there really ain’t no mountain high enough, or river well, you get the idea

On the road, where, let’s face it, most 4x4²s are more likely to spend the majority of their time, it’s surprisingly light footed for such a big machine Like a rugby prop forward, it’s weighty but agile, and this new G 63 4x4² actually turns in with a finesse that simply wasn’t possible with its predecessor

There’s been a fair bit of chassis tuning to allow that so much so that if you order yours with the optional roof rack (with a 90kg dynamic load limit, or 180kg when static if you plan on putting a roof tent on it), you get a different ESP setting to account for the higher centre of gravity.

It rides well, too, although get too carried away and the ESP will start to make its presence felt, albeit more in the background than front of house.

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

MAJOR car companies with commercial vehicle operations have been present in the campervan market for decades

The leader of the pack remains the Volkswagen California, of course, but Mercedes continues to sell the Marco Polo.

Ford is now offering an official entry too, though, in the shape of the Transit Nugget

A joint development between Ford and motorhome conversion specialist Westfalia (the company already responsible for the Mercedes), the Nugget is offered with a choice of turbodiesel engines Our test van gets a 2.0 litre four cylinder unit with 168bhp and 390Nm of torque, linked to a six speed automatic gearbox Or you can have a 129bhp version with 360Nm of torque and a manual transmission

There are two body configurations, too. Ours is the regular vehicle, while there’s a longer layout that uses a chunk of extra rear overhang to house a basic toilet, in case you want to rival a full sized camper’s ability to go ‘off grid’, or if you’d like just a little extra in the way of self sufficiency at the campsite

On the road, the good news is that the values that continue to make the Transit a stand out offering in the van market are just as relevant here The more powerful engine packs enough punch for when you’re fully loaded with people and kit, while the gearbox works pretty smoothly alongside it, delivering sensible shifts at the right time

Ford’s trademark direct steering is present and correct here, too, and considering the amount of weight on board, the Nugget resists body roll remarkably well You’re a long way from anything we’d describe as involvement here, but there’s still greater relaxation to be found in threading a Nugget along country roads than you’ll find in any of its key rivals It’s reasonably happy on motorways, too, with the bluff front end

also have a family seated around the table and, thanks to the front hinged pop up roof, stand and cook at the kitchen for them instead of having to ask someone to move aside to grant you access to the frying pan when you’re rustling up a meal.

The cooking area itself includes a couple of gas hob rings, a space for food prep and a decent sized fridge that’s deep enough for large containers of milk. There are useful cupboards at either side of the rear cabin too and if you lift the rear hatch, you can use a socket on one of these to hook up to the water supply and create a shower

There are two double beds for overnight accommodation; remove the central table and the main seat folds flat, while the manually operated roof section contains a bed that can be accessed via a neatly stored stepladder and a well placed foot on the kitchen counter. Compromises, then, but ones that will hardly be alien to seasoned users of compact campervans But at £78,117,

in

BMW 230i

THE M240i isn’t the only way to go quickly in a new BMW 2 Series Coupé Sitting just below it in the range is the 230i, and while lacking the M badged car’s six cylinder punch, it still boasts some impressive performance figures

Under the bonnet’s muscular ‘power dome’ (as seen on all versions, regardless of output) is not a straight six but rather an in line four cylinder It offers up 242bhp, which means the 230i is more than 100bhp down on the M240i, but it still sprints from 0 62mph in a swift 5.9 seconds.

In contrast to the four wheel drive M240i, the 230i’s engine powers the rear wheels exclusively That means you have to pay a little more attention than in the six pot car, although the ESC will step in fairly quickly if the rear tyres are overwhelmed

As we’ve found with a lot of more recent BMWs, the 2 Series can feel quite detached

to drive You’re cocooned from the outside world like never before, and we’d like to feel a bit more through the steering. But the latest model makes up for this with a greater degree of all round capability

While the previous generation car could feel a little soft and wallowy at times, the latest 2 Series changes direction more keenly, and its body barely rolls at all, even in Comfort mode Thanks to a shorter wheelbase than the larger 4 Series, it also feels nicely agile

All of this is true with the lesser 220i, but here the greater level of performance seems like a better match for the improved chassis, without ever feeling excessive on the road The punchy mid range is welcome, with 400Nm of torque arriving from just 1,600rpm. The eight speed automatic gearbox’s shifts are swift enough, too. There’s no manual option, which is a shame, although the auto is a good fit

The 2 0 litre engine’s note, meanwhile, is nothing to write home about, but it’s not

a bad din either, even if BMW’s efforts to ‘improve’ it with artificial sound in Sport mode are somewhat misguided. It’s one of three reasons Sport mode is best avoided, along with the heavy, mushy steering and the firmer damping set up

The 230i is quite firm to start with, and the adaptive dampers could do with a little more finesse The ride struggles to settle on some roads, and there’s a surprising harshness over some bumps. Your best bet is to either leave the 2 Series in Comfort, or use the Individual option to tailor each aspect of the car to your liking

Despite the occasionally bouncy ride, the 230i is a solid grand tourer The trade off for the car’s refinement, which makes it feel a little remote to drive, is that it is quiet at speed, while the front seats are fantastically comfortable The on board tech is brilliant, too

There’s only one trim level available: M Sport This brings with it a healthy standard

Matt Robinson Matt Robinson@autoviacouk

NEED

art Alcantara/part artificial eather seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three zone climate control, heated seats, adaptive LED lights and 18 inch alloy wheels

Boot space is good, at 390 litres, while the rear seats can just about ke shorter adults for brief trips, d will be roomy enough for kids On longer journeys you’ll also eciate the extra economy relative

to the M240i (34 4mpg vs 42 8mpg claimed), and the 230i slots into the range nicely, offering a great option for anyone wanting a quick, sporty small coupé without spending the £48,430 BMW charges for the 2 Series range topper Yet the 230i’s £40,420 price tag represents a relatively modest £3,710 increase over the 220i.

However, despite the 230i appearing to offer the best compromise in the range, BMW expects it to only make up only nine per cent of 2 Series sales.

Verdict

THIS mid power version of the 2 Series Coupé has enough grunt to make the most of the car’s chassis without feeling excessive. It also significantly undercuts the range topping M240i on price, and will be cheaper to run, too It’s surprising that BMW only expects modest sales when compared with the rest of the range, because we reckon it’s the sweet spot in the 2 Series Coupé line up

“Despite the occasionally bouncy ride, the 230i is a solid grand tourer”

RENAULT ALIVE

On its 50th anniversary,

HEAR the word ‘supercar’, and your brain is most likely sent off in the direction of high performance exotics from Ferrari, Lamborghini or Bugatti. However, if you were browsing auto advertisements 50 years ago, it wouldn’t be long before you stumbled across one for Renault’s new small model, in cute cartoon form, claiming that its latest creation was the “supercar” to rule them all. That car was, of course, the 5 – and in terms of its success, it certainly proved to be as super as anything Renault produced before or pretty much since. The brand claimed the 5 could do it all: “A car

for all seasons, for holidays and for work, for weekdays and for weekends, for town and for country.” Or, to give it the snappier French tagline, a “voiture à vivre”, or “car for life and living”.

In total, nine million examples were produced from launch until a replacement, the Clio (which was manufactured for a brief period simultaneously), took its place. To mark the 5’s 50th anniversary, we assembled some of the most memorable models from a very diverse back catalogue to see what made the car so special. We also look forward to the 5’s all electric reincarnation to see what the future holds.

we celebrate the arrival, trajectory and future promise of France’s star hatch

RENAULT ANNIVERSARY

Tester’s

notes s reinvented 5 concept ears back captured the n of a new generation. referenced the original ernised for the electric ooks simply fantastic.” x Ingram Chief reviewer

Pictures: Pete Gibson Thanks to: Renault UK and the Renault Owners’ Club

RENAULT5 Mk1 GTL/Alpine

IN the seventies, the city car formula needed a rethink. Cars such as the Mini and the Fiat 500 had already revolutionised urban travel for the masses, but both had been around for some time The need for something new among the French brands was even more pressing. The home market for affordable motoring was split between the Citroen 2CV and the Renault 4 both accomplished models in their own way, but lacking the sophistication needed to move the sector forward much further.

The 5 was Renault’s answer, and after it was launched, it proved to be a hit almost instantly In excess of 126,000 models were sold in the first full year of production, with figures peaking in 1980, when Renault shifted more than 700,000 cars of all versions Of the total production run of around nine million, 5 5 million were the first generation model produced between 1972 and 1986

Today, it’s easy to see where the appeal lay, even before we get behind the wheel of the two Mk1 models we have here a modest spec GTL in five door form, and a gorgeous Alpine Turbo Renault designer Michel Boué penned the car in his spare time between other projects, but company executives were so pleased with his work that very few changes were made to bring his vision to production

Practicality was a key bonus compared with those earlier small car icons from Fiat and Mini because, unlike those, the 5 was one of the first mass production cars to have a now conventional hatchback design Access to the boot was easy, and space could be increased further by folding down the back seats Rear kneeroom is a little cramped by modern standards, but then at 3,521mm long the 5 is 79mm shorter than a Volkswagen up!

Mechanically, there were some curiosities The engine was mounted longitudinally and drove the front wheels It sat behind both the gearbox and the front axle; great

for weight distribution, but less so for home mechanics trying to reach the rearmost spark plugs

Hopping in the base GTL first today (the five door bodystyle joined the 5 family in 1980), the car feels utterly charming. The small dimensions are such a welcome change from the vast SUVs you’ll find on any modern school run, and with tiny wheels and skinny tyres, the GTL is smooth and comfortable to drive, too. Sure, the 54bhp 1.3 litre petrol unit is a little noisy and needs working to make progress, the gearshift is vague and there’s plenty of roll in corners, but the modest pace plus the feeling of airiness and comfort only encourage you to drive in a more relaxed manner

Some further excitement came in the shape of the Alpine a car that can be credited with being one of the world’s first hot hatchbacks The formula remains similar to today’s iterations: take a humble supermini and add power It was known as the Gordini in the UK because, at the time,

Chrysler held the rights to the Alpine name here, but mechanically it was identical to the European models There were two versions: the original had 92bhp, while from 1982, as with the car you see here, a turbo boosted power to 110bhp enough for a 0 60mph time of 8 7 seconds

Even with forced induction, the power delivery is progressive The throttle is very sensitive, which combined with the low kerbweight means the car springs forward with real enthusiasm The vague gearshift of the basic versions remains, but body movement is better contained, with the Alpine squatting through corners to deliver a feeling of poise that’s only possible in a car that weighs barely 800kg

Early, more simple models such as the GTL remain very affordable classics; their low weight and modest power make them economical to run, while values for decent working cars start from around £2,000 Alpines, of course, can sell for much more, with values ranging from £10,000 25,000.

“Michel Boué penned the 5 in his spare time, but Renault executives were so pleased that very few changes were made to bring his vision to production”

RENAULT5 Turbo2

IN the mid seventies, the World Rally Championship was dominated by the Lancia Stratos a car that, in effect, was designed specifically for the purpose of blitzing special stages. This left rival manufacturers scrabbling to come up with a suitable competitor Renault’s answer to the Group 4 regulations was the 5 but one unlike any model that had been seen up to that point. The front mounted engine was ripped out, while the back seats were ditched In their place sat a 1 4 litre turbo unit driving the rear wheels The car’s track widths were increased significantly especially at the back both to handle a power output that climbed well north of 300bhp in later competition versions and to improve cornering speeds.

The 5’s short wheelbase delivered incredible agility, but unfortunately for Renault, its release coincided closely with that of Audi’s Quattro (page 72), whose four wheel drive system was able to deliver superior traction on loose surfaces. That’s why of the 5’s four wins at the pinnacle of rallying, three came on Tarmac rallies in Monte Carlo and Corsica

As with all participating manufacturers of the time, Renault had to produce at least 400 road going examples of the 5 in

order to pass the WRC’s homologation regulations, which it did with the original Turbo Later on, Renault released the updated 2, which is what we’re driving here

Crazy air vents and comically swollen arches mean that no 5 Turbo will ever be seen as a shrinking violet, but this example is even more wild than most Equipped with the Maxi bodykit, the already madcap appearance gains fibreglass add ons that consist of six huge front spotlights on the car’s face and further cladding that extends from the A pillars at the front to the huge rear wing on the roof Throw in tyres that are very different in width front to rear original models had 190 section rubber at the front and 220mm wide rubber at the back and there’s not a single angle from which the Turbo 2 doesn’t still look completely bonkers, even 37 years after this example was registered

In the case of the early Turbo 1, it was equally ridiculous on the inside. Styling house Bertone, also responsible for the exterior, created a cabin with mad stacks of gauges across the instrument panel and a bizarre asymmetrical steering wheel, not to mention the availability of a garish scarlet and royal blue interior colour scheme. However,

things were toned down somewhat for the Turbo 2, with a dashboard design that more closely resembles that of the regular Renault 5 Mk1 models Until you look over your shoulder, of course, because there’s an engine sitting where you’d expect to find the back seats and boot

From page 78 you’ll read the description of the Audi Sport Quattro; about how smooth and meticulously engineered it feels, and how imagining living with one easily even today wouldn’t be that much of a stretch Renault’s period rival is anything but easy

The cabin feels a little cramped, and all of the controls have plenty of heft especially the unassisted steering. Most of all, this car is loud The engine sounds angry, impatient and desperate to be thrashed It’s backed up by throttle response that is razor sharp and constantly on edge and that’s before the turbo kick arrives. Even at low speeds, it’s an exhilarating experience

Turbo 2 values vary wildly today based on originality and condition It’s rare to see a car fetch any less than £60,000, however, and you might need to double that figure for the very best out there, but you’ll be buying a real icon if you do.

Rally bred Explosive homologation special looks bonkers from every angle

overhaul So significant, in fact, that little more than the name stayed the same Under the skin, the car was all new The platform was shared with the larger Renault 11, while the body grew slightly in size compared with its predecessor, too It kept the distinctive shape, but now measured 3,591mm long It’s still tiny by today’s standards, but was 70mm longer than the original, while the glass area was enlarged to improve all round visibility.

The big change mechanically was that the longitudinal engine layout was swapped for a transverse set up, which gave the ‘Super Cinq’ an arrangement similar to that of contemporary rivals from Volkswagen, Ford and Peugeot, not to mention much improved use of space.

The model we’re testing here is one of the very last UK sold 5s Indeed, with the car registered in December 1993, sales of its replacement, the Clio, had been running here for more than three years already. To separate the two, then, this model is as basic as it comes; there’s no radio, sunroof or even any central air vents That resulted in a big difference in price; while the R5 Campus started from £5,120 in 1993, the cheapest Clio cost £6,715.

Well equipped or not, the 5 remained charming to drive Compared with the previous generation, it certainly moved the game on Its dash was all new, with a distinct central section bringing the chunky heater controls closer to hand. The dial arrangement is neater, and visibility is fantastic

The differences continue out on the road Major controls, including the steering and particularly the gearshift, are much more precise (although the former remains heavy at parking speeds without any power assistance), and overall it feels a little more substantial and refined Body roll is slightly better controlled, yet not without sacrificing ride comfort; the overall set up remains relaxing.

This run out car also benefitted from Clio tech While earlier models mainly used carb fed engines, this model featured a fuel injected 1 4 litre unit from its successor The inclusion of a catalytic converter helped to clean up emissions, yet with 75bhp to move a relatively modest weight, it still feels sprightly Production of the 5 continued until 1996, and it’s still not too hard to find cars on the used market today Tidy examples are available for £3,000 or so, making it a wonderfully affordable classic.

RENAULT5 Campus

“The 5 remained charming to drive. Compared with the previous generation, it moved the game on”

Basic

The end of line Campus’s lack of radio, sunroof and various other accoutrements was reflected in its bargain price

5 Extra

Engine: 1.4-litre 4cyl petrol

Power: 67bhp

Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive

0-62mph: 14.5 secs

Value today: From £4,000

Practical Workhorse version of the classic Renault is rare to find in such superb condition today

RENAULT5 Extra

FOR all the Turbo 2’s wildness and Alpine’s rarity, one of our group’s most head-turning cars is the Extra van While it’s to be expected that those high performance models are a rare sight on our roads, seeing a van that has avoided the hardships of working life for the best part of 25 years is even more remarkable; the example in these pictures is in superb condition

The transformation from second gen 5 into van was fairly extensive. The wheelbase was stretched by 113mm compared with the five-door, most of whose metalwork the Extra shared up to the B pillars. From there, the panel van section turned the 5 into a genuinely spacious yet compact commercial vehicle. Some even had windows in the back and were available as a ‘combi’ with five seats.

The others, such as this example, instead had the conventional van layout Open up the double rear doors and the space is wide.Save for some wheelarch intrusion, it’s easy to see its superb versatility. There’s even an extra shelf in the roof above the front seats for storage.

Under the bonnet, some engines were shared with the 5, including the 1.4 litre petrol in this car. A 1.6 naturally aspirated diesel and later a 1.9 were also available. Both offered a little more torque than the petrol, with a maximum of 123Nm with the larger unit

Hop behind the wheel, and bizarrely, the first comparison that comes to mind is a more recent Renault Group product: the Dacia Jogger. Both are boxy, practical vehicles with supermini origins, and both feel smaller and more nimble than you’d expect when you see the expanse of bodywork extending behind the front axle.

Unless you look back and notice the extra metalwork (and limited visibility), the Extra is no more cumbersome than the standard 5 It maintains a similarly relaxing ride and it corners neatly, albeit still with plenty of body roll. The carb-fed engine feels lively at low speeds, with keen but predictable throttle response. As with the Campus, its later generation 5 box is fairly precise, and the steering is light enough even when manoeuvring.

Production of the Extra continued into the 2000s, although in 1997 it was replaced by the Kangoo. Due to the model’s rarity, values remain strong While examples are very hard to come by in the UK, expect to pay at least £4,000 if one happens to pop up for sale and more for clean, cherished versions.

RENAULT5GT Turbo

FOR the performance version of the Mk2, Renault once again turned to forced induction to boost the car’s output and up the thrills on offer But while the first Turbos were mid engined homologation specials, the GT Turbo was more of a conventional hot hatchback, designed to take on the VW Golf GTI and its French nemesis, the Peugeot 205 GTi

Unlike modern hot hatches, which are pretty much universally turbocharged, upon the GT Turbo’s 1985 release such methods for getting power were unconventional; the 1 4 litre turbocharged, carb fed engine put out 113bhp not bad considering the car’s comfortably sub 900kg weight

The modifications to transform the 5 into a more fiery version were standard hot hatch fare; firmer, lower suspension, a wider track, bigger brakes and a purposeful bodykit A phase two version was introduced in 1987, which introduced revised styling and a 118bhp engine

The model we’re driving here is a GT Turbo Raider. Introduced in 1990, it’s singled out by its unique Raider Blue paint and colour coded wheels, plus a unique trim finish inside one area where, as it’s clear from this example, Renault really nailed it. All the bits that the driver interacts with the most are simply sublime; you slip into the heavily bolstered yet wonderfully supportive seat like you would a tailor made coat, while ahead you’re presented with what must be one of the best looking combinations of steering wheel and instruments of its era; the three spoke wheel is as fantastic to hold as it is to look at, while the orange on black dials are achingly eighties, yet so clear and easy to read. It feels more special than either of its two closest contemporaries from VW and Peugeot

It feels quite different to either of them to drive, too and not only because of the turbo Where the Peugeot seems edgy and featherweight, and the Golf more stable and predictable, the 5 is somewhere between the two. It’s certainly more playful than the VW, but it never steps onto its tiptoes like the 205 The ride is a little firmer than both Of course, the engine sits at the heart of the experience This particular model has had the turbo boost wound up

ever so slightly, so unlike the Alpine, which delivers a fairly linear surge, the GT Turbo remains very peaceful almost sedate until just below 4,000rpm. At that point, it’ll pin you back into the seat and fire itself towards the horizon at a pace that wouldn’t feel out of place in a modern hatch With this in mind, it’s best to be very smooth on corner exits, because the sudden boost can easily throw you off line.

It’s certainly exhilarating, and an experience that still feels thrilling beside modern hot hatches Examples aren’t too difficult to find today, but they’re hugely desirable; it’s rare to see even scruffy versions for less than £12,000.

“It’s certainly more playful than the

but it never steps onto its tiptoes like the

The

is a little firmer than both”

RENAULT SUPERTEST5

RENAULTR5 Concept

THERE’S plenty of history behind the Renault 5 name, then, and with such an iconic design, it was only a matter of time before Renault would reimagine the Cinq for the future We got a glimpse of what that might look like last year, when the company released the 5 electric concept. Better still, a production version will hit the market in 2024.

The concept borrowed plenty of design cues from the original versions, including that instantly familiar silhouette. Close up it reveals the sort of neat details that would make Michel Boué proud: flared arches are a nod to the Turbo models, while the vertical tail lamps and the distinctive face with square light units should all make it to production in a similar form. The charging port, which should be capable of accepting a similar 130kW rate to the Mégane E Tech, is hidden neatly under a vent in the bonnet another touch that references the classic models.

Under the skin, the 5 is set to be the first model in the firm’s line up to use the Renault Nissan Alliance’s new CMF BEV platform It should be capable of offering a range of up to 249 miles thanks to a 52kWh battery pack, although the 5 is likely to also be offered with a smaller 40kWh unit. A single 134bhp electric motor

will offer more power than the GT Turbo and should deliver a strong punch of torque. It’ll be the only option available, although Alpine will turn its attention to the 5 to develop a new kind of hot hatch for the EV era

Low cost is the key aim with this platform When the concept was first unveiled, bosses estimated that the new car would be roughly 33 per cent cheaper than the Zoe. Despite price rises since then, the 5 could start

from as little as £25,000, which is not only affordable by EV standards, but it would make the 5 roughly the same price as some Clio models.

When retro is done well, it can prove to be a huge hit with buyers If the road going version can keep the character of the concept as well as a competitive price, then the chances of the new 5 continuing the success of the original are very promising indeed.

Next generation

5 EV concept pays homage to its predecessor while using thoroughly modern all electric running gear

“The model borrows plenty of design cues from the original versions, and neat details that would make Michel Boué proud”

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P52: PEUGEOTvs FJORD

ELECTRIFYING

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

THE car industry has never gone through a period of transformation as radical as the one it now faces. Familiar manufacturers are shifting their focus towards electrification and making decisions that will affect not only their own legacies in the long term, but also the people who buy their cars in the here and now.

Peugeot is a good example of a brand going through this process So how is the French marque changing its approach to EVs everywhere from the design studio to the race track, the boardroom and to dealerships?

We aim to find out over the following pages, thanks to input from Peugeot’s CEO, Brit List Hall of Famer Linda Jackson, and senior staff. Plus, we take the firm’s e 2008 EV to Norway to see if the UK can learn anything from the country often cited as Europe’s electric car hotspot.

THE VIEW FROM THE TOP

Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson talks exclusively to us about the future of the famous French brand

Steve Fowler Steve Fowler@autoviacouk @stevefowler

NOWHERE are the signs of where Peugeot is heading more apparent than in the showroom we’re visiting on the outskirts of Paris It may look like a regular car dealership from the outside, but once the automatic doors glide open, we’re greeted with a cool, dark, sophisticated space with carefully positioned cars alongside fashionable furniture and displays of what else Peugeot can offer you from salt and pepper grinders to drinks holders

Also unfamiliar to us in these surroundings is the sight of Linda Jackson waiting to greet us. She is well known to Auto Express, having been inducted into the Auto Express Hall of Fame after she topped 2017’s Brit List (see panel opposite) Amazingly, it’s nearly two years since Linda took the role of CEO of Peugeot, but for obvious reasons this is our first opportunity for a face to face chat, and to hear of her plans for the famous French manufacturer

First, though, we take her back to 2021 and the call from Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares asking her to take the helm of one of the parent company’s biggest names “If Carlos had asked me, ‘Which brand would you like?’ I’d have chosen Peugeot,” says Jackson “And when he gave me the call, he said, ‘Okay, brand… Peugeot.’ And I went, ‘Oh, great!’

“He said, ‘No, that’s a real, real task and challenge Because it’s great, it’s doing well; but it needs to be more international And also, I want you to disrupt the brand, and make it less conservative.’ Of all the options, it’s actually a very difficult one because, of course, there’s pressure. It’s one of Stellantis’ biggest brands ”

Jackson tells us that Peugeot represents one third of Stellantis’ volume in Europe and one fifth worldwide so, a big task indeed. But how did she see Peugeot from her previous role working on the governance of Stellantis?

“Firstly, this was definitely a brand I wanted to do,” she says “I thought it was a great brand with a great product range; probably the best in Stellantis, to be honest with you.

“It’s very strong in Europe, but you always look for opportunities, and I knew that what I could change was to make it more international there’s some real opportunities to grow there. Secondly, I felt that it needed to add a little more to the customer experience a bit more warmth I felt that it had lost some of its soul as it had moved upmarket, and we wanted to put that back in

“Great products play an enormous part, but nowadays, people are buying brands If they’re buying a 3008 and it happens to be a Peugeot, I would prefer and I need to change it to be them buying a Peugeot and ‘Oh, it’s a 3008’ there’s a distinct flip.”

With electrification coming rapidly down the tracks at the company Jackson tells us that the firm’s entire range will be available with a fully electrified version by 2025, and then every Peugeot sold in Europe by 2030 will be completely electric how will the brand differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market?

“Nowadays, everybody’s got the same level of product quality,” says Jackson “For me, the big differentiator is customer experience. When we look at the main purchase

reasons why people buy a Peugeot, whether it be in the UK, Brazil, China or wherever; it is about exterior design, and it’s about interior design, which is the i Cockpit So, it’s a common thing. Of course, we’ve got to continue to make sure that we differentiate, and you can with electric vehicles ”

The first sight of Jackson’s vision for Peugeot will be seen at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2023 an unusual location, perhaps, given her resounding ‘no’ to our question about the brand expanding into the North American market However, Peugeot could be the automotive manufacturer that really pushes the boundaries when it comes to electric car design and Vegas could be just the place to do it.

“We certainly believe that we’re going to be able to do that, and I think we already are with the vehicles that we’re now launching,” says Jackson “If you take the 408, which we’ll have an electric version of, I think in terms of exterior we are breaking the mould, because that concept is neither an SUV nor a saloon It’s a sort of dynamic fastback, you could say It doesn’t fit into any existing category and we wanted to do that.

“So we’re starting to really break the mould, but it’s absolutely true as we go forward At CES we’re going to present our project called Inception It’s our vision for the future, and it’s based around a concept vehicle, but it’s much more than a beautiful looking car it’s about the customer experience, and what you could imagine a customer could be having with this vehicle

“Many of the technologies are based off stuff that we can have from Stellantis, whether it be STLA Brain or STLA AutoDrive, and you will start to see some of those technologies on cars from Peugeot from 2026 onwards

“But we really are challenging the norm, and I think everybody’s expecting that When you talk to customers, when they buy an electric vehicle, you get some manufacturers that are producing a different range, but nothing’s really startling it’s a bit uniform.

“Customers expect a wow factor inside, because they believe that with a flat EV platform there should be a space, so they should have a completely different experience ”

We’ll find out more about Inception soon, including Peugeot’s vision for the next generation of i Cockpit, but

BIG PLANS

Linda Jackson is guiding French automotive giant Peugeot into the next chapter

Brit List winner is still at the very top

BACK in 2017, Linda Jackson joined an elite band of Britons inducted into the Auto Express Hall of Fame, after topping our famous Brit List for the most influential people in the car business. Back then she was mid way through her tenure as CEO of Citroen, having led the brand in the UK before that. But Jackson’s automotive career goes back to a summer job in Jaguar’s accounts department, where she fell in love with the car industry

She recalls: “I was working at Jaguar in Browns Lane, where I was shown what was happening throughout the company from the draughtsmen all the way to the production line and I was hooked I decided to stay and earn some money, rather than go to university.” She later completed an MBA at university, while the confirmed Francophile had jobs in France with MG Rover under BMW, before joining Citroen in January 2005

We are challenging the norm, and I think everybody’s expecting that. We’ve got to continue to make sure that we differentiate

LINDA JACKSON Peugeot CEO

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

what’s Jackson’s view about screens in cars and particularly the debate about driver distraction?

“I think it’s fair to say that I’m not an advocate of adding screens,” she says. “I think our customers want something simple and easy to use I think we’ve reached the limit of the plethora of screens, which looks like a UCI Cinema across the front of a car For me, it’s more about simplicity, and it’s more about ease of use. That’s why, for example, on the 308 and the 408 we’ve gone down a system for infotainment, which is the i Toggle idea based on the principle of using a smartphone That’s what people want, and that’s our philosophy ” That’s a global position, too and as Jackson points out, moving Peugeot onto a more international footing is a big part of her plans: “Today, something like 20 per cent of our sales are outside Europe,” she tells us “I don’t want to decrease my European performance, but I would like it to be more like 30 per cent That is, I would say, in three regions: South America, the Middle East and Africa, and India and Asia Pacific We think those three regions are really quite strong for us, and we should be able to do very, very well.”

With the future clearly electric in Europe, what are Jackson’s own views on EVs, having lived with them?

“In terms of driving, it’s reactive, it’s silent, it’s great When we were having problems with petrol recently in Paris, you’d pass the petrol station and think, ‘Oh yeah, this is good for EVs ’ But the one thing we are trying to make sure for our customers going back to the customer experience is this is not just about driving the car, it’s also about the charging “We’re trying to do a number of things. We can provide help for home installation, and then we have Free to Move we’re offering e solutions and we’re trying to roll that out across Europe, which is access to 350,000 charging stations via your smartphone connected to the car, so you can then work out how far you’ve got to go and how far it is to the next charging station I think that’s the key thing ”

Light Commercial Vehicles vans as we know them are a big part of Peugeot’s business, too, and they’re rife for electrification, with the first models already coming through “I think they have a big part to play, and I think they naturally will because of the last mile [step in the delivery process], particularly in big cities,” Jackson says.

How we all buy our cars in future is another big opportunity Jackson cites subscriptions with packaged services as something she’s looking at, but she also talks about the relationship with dealers changing. Peugeot is going to be taking more control of the sales process, with its dealers responsible for demonstrating and delivering products, then looking after them post sale

“The reason we’re going down that route is to improve the customer experience,” she explains. “For me, the role of the dealer becomes very much about brand and experience If you take the example of how we would envisage things in the future, it’s ‘phygital’ a physical and a digital experience

“There are many things customers can do online from the luxury of their sofa For example, all the credit applications and the signing of the documents Therefore, what do customers want to do? All the research we’ve done with customers shows that they still want to touch the vehicle, they want to talk to somebody about it, they want to choose the colour, they want to test drive it All of those are the

LINDA JACKSON Peugeot CEO

Research shows customers still want to touch the vehicle, talk to somebody about it, choose the colour, test drive it

“How we at Peugeot would envisage things in the future is ‘phygital’ – a physical and a digital experience”

LINDA JACKSON Peugeot CEO

added value that we’ll never take away from a dealer That’s why I call it a phygital experience ”

Jackson sums up Peugeot’s future in one word and three values “One word is allure, and the three values are allure, emotion and excellence,” she explains “What does that mean for dealers? Well, allure can be how the dealership looks. Is it inviting?”

“You move on to the emotion,” she continues “That’s about the relationship our dealers have with customers, and creating a flawless experience It’s not easy because we’re all human, but it’s about the experience I’m going to have when I come into a dealership that I don’t have when I’m at home That’s about the brand experience And then, excellence is getting it right every time ”

Jackson’s enthusiasm for the Peugeot brand is catching and she admits it didn’t take her long to convert after 15 years with Citroen “Within one week, I had turned completely I was a leading expert on the i Cockpit, and everything about Peugeot ”

And in two years she’s already made a big difference to the company’s thinking in terms of both upcoming product and how the brand can stand out Now comes the hardest bit, putting all that into action But if anyone can do it as her track record suggests Jackson can.

VISION Jackson explains to Steve Fowler how allure, emotion and excellence will play a key part in brand’s future

“Jackson is looking at subscriptions with packaged services, and the relationship with dealers changing”

EOT vs FJORD

rway in an e-2008 to sample the country’s EV living

Tristan Shale-Hester tristan shale hester@autoviacouk @tristan shale

THERE’S no avoiding the fact that the switch to electric vehicles brings a few changes with it. EVs still have significantly higher list prices than their petrol and diesel counterparts, and there are further challenges around market share and charging infrastructure

Readers of Auto Express will be well aware of the constant effort from both the Government and industry to improve the viability of EVs in the UK Currently, only

around 14 per cent of new cars sold and around two per cent of cars on the road in the UK are fully electric

When it comes to EV adoption, there’s one country that shines brighter than all others: Norway. More than three quarters of new cars sold there each year are electric, with EVs making up around a quarter of the country’s total car fleet, and it’s a figure that’s rising We need to find out what they’ve got right and we’ve got wrong as well as if there’s anything we’re doing better than them so we’ve hopped over the North Sea to see what we can learn from the Norwegians

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

LEG 1: BERGENTO SKEI

OUR point of arrival in Norway is Bergen, the country’s second largest city. Even as we walk through the airport and look out of the window at a nearby car park, we notice a high proportion of EVs in the mix many more than you would typically see in a similar setting in the UK

The other thing that is immediately apparent as we are collected from the airport and take our first look at the surrounding area and roads is how modern and well maintained everything is We British tend to be fairly self deprecating when it comes to our own country yet while our roads are undeniably in shoddy condition and our railways are a joke, our other infrastructure often compares favourably with other European countries such as France and Italy.

Norway blows us away in every respect, though; nothing looks knackered or run down The buildings are new and shiny, while the roads are flawless Of course, it helps that the Norwegians are swimming in cash; the Government Pension Fund of Norway is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, worth around $250,000 (approximately £210,000) per citizen

Contemplating this, we are dropped off at a Peugeot dealership Not much difference here from the UK; new cars are sold from huge, impressive glass buildings in many countries, and Norway is certainly no exception Outside the impressive building sits an all electric Peugeot e 2008 GT in a stunning shade of Fusion Orange, which will serve as our mode of transport for our journey across Norway

The Peugeot dealership has a rapid charger right outside, so we take the opportunity to make sure we know how to use it Having used plenty of public chargepoints in the UK, we’d assumed there would be no complications, but this doesn’t prove totally correct

At first glance, this charger operated by a firm called Eviny looks impressive, boasting a rate of 200kW To pay, however, we require a special RFID fob, which the dealer kindly provides and demonstrates to us

Climbing behind the wheel of the e 2008 and setting off, we think about what we’d just experienced It was a question we’d later put to Anette Berve from the Norwegian Automobile Federation She explains: “Up until summer 2022, we had three or four different

pricing structures in Norway we had kroner per minute, kroner per kWh and a combination of the two Trying to work out where it was cheapest to charge was a nightmare for consumers and again, the government didn’t want to regulate it

“We ran surveys upon surveys to make the charging operators and the government understand that consumers needed an easier pricing system. What we’re still left with, though, is four or five different payment types Some use RFID cards or tags, some allow regular card payments and others require SMS or app payment

“No one knows how to regulate that, whereas in the UK you require all new chargers to allow card payments Even then, that only applies to the new chargers what about the old ones? Consumers are left with an inconsistent system

“One of the things we have advocated for as a European standard is running the digital payments through apps, but all charging operators in all countries should have open APIs [operating software] so any charging app can interface with any charging station in any country. So you, coming over from the UK, could have just brought your favourite app and used it here in Norway ”

This sounds like a sensible idea that would have made our lives easier as visitors to Norway. Although public charging in the UK can be complicated by the need to download apps or create accounts, straightforward contactless payment is becoming increasingly prevalent

We drive north out of Bergen, meeting some fairly heavy congestion, before getting out to more open roads where there is less traffic unsurprising, because there’s only a population of 5 4 million people here Driving in Norway is quite an experience; there’s spectacular scenery almost constantly and the roads are impeccably smooth.

And despite a lack of police cars and speed cameras, driving standards are remarkably good as well We wouldn’t see a single example of road rage or rule breaking the entire time.

As for our e 2008, the compact SUV performs well Comfortable and quiet, it covers mile after mile with no fuss and doesn’t seem to lose range badly, despite the cold temperatures we encounter at times.

Of course, Norway is a country with many bodies of water, so ferry crossings are sometimes required These run regularly and swiftly, and the boarding procedure couldn’t be simpler you park up in a queue, drive on when the gate

We ran surveys to make the charging operators and government understand that consumers needed an easier pricing system. What we’re left with, though, is four or five different payment types

ANETTE BERVE Norwegian Automobile Federation

CONTRAST

opens and drive off at the other end Payment is taken automatically via an account you set up for your car

Our first ferry crossing takes us from Oppedal to Lavik, and after we disembark we decide to give the e 2008 its first top up Right by the terminal is a 50kW Mer chargepoint, which we plug into and activate via a phone app. We charge the Peugeot from 60 per cent to 80 per cent battery here, before carrying on our way.

CHARGING DIARYENTRY

Lavik

Type: Mer 50kW CCS Charge: 60% to 80% Time: 15 minutes Cost: 79 20 kroner (£6 58)

WE’VE covered 77 miles by this point and carry on another 21 miles to have a gaze at the glorious Huldefossen waterfall, but our thoughts are set on how easy our first charging stop has been Is this always the case in Norway?

“We have more than 500,000 electric vehicles and there are 4,500 CCS and CHAdeMO charging stations in Norway and that’s just rapid charging; I haven’t counted the slower Type 2 chargers, of which there are around 20,000,” Berve informs us “The EU has a goal that there should be around 10 EVs per chargepoint, but at the moment we have around 120 EVs to a chargepoint, which is taking a massive toll on the transition to EVs.

“The Norwegian government had a subsidy system to boost charging infrastructure in the beginning, but that has slowly diminished over the years and it’s now market based. The government has been reluctant to control

“Driving in Norway is quite an experience; there’s spectacular scenery almost constantly and the roads are impeccable”

Charging isn’t without its headaches in Norway, with more cars per public chargepoint than there are in the UK. But one piece of infrastructure that works efficiently is the ferry network

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

the building of charging stations It has struggled to get anyone to build charging stations in the far north, even with a 100 per cent subsidy, because it’s a scarce population with harsh winters.

“Some of our highways are slowly becoming profitable for charging hubs, but most of our country is made up of really small places where there isn’t a lot of traffic and charging stations there will probably never be profitable.”

“Reliability is absolutely a problem here, too It seems like the hardware is getting better and more reliant They’ve changed out the earlier chargers and moved on to newer ones. But again, the government has been very reluctant to manage the infrastructure

“Our organisation has suggested that there should be a minimum downtime for each charging operator and that it should only be a certain time before chargers are fixed, but there are no rules at the moment that regulate that Mostly I would say it’s the reputation of the charging operator if they’re known for having reliable chargers or not ”

Anyone who has used the UK’s public charging network will understand the frustration of reaching a chargepoint, only to find another vehicle already plugged in and no other unit available Berve’s comments suggest this could be an even bigger problem in Norway, and we almost learn this for ourselves when arriving at our overnight stop in Skei.

Our hotel has rapid chargers in its car park in the UK, you’d be lucky to find a 7kW Type 2 unit in such a setting We pull up to find two other EVs already plugged in, and for a moment we wonder if we might have to come back later It turns out that there are three rapid units bunched together, though, so we squeeze the e 2008 into the last spot and connect it, before heading inside (we’d come back once the battery was full to disconnect and free the charger up for someone else)

CHARGING DIARYENTRY

Skei

Type: Mer 50kW CCS

Charge: 45% to 100% Time: One hour Cost: 176 16 kroner (£14 63)

OUTREACH

LEG 2: SKEITO GEIRANGER

WAKING up bright and early the following day, we head to the hotel car park to get back into the e 2008’s cockpit We have time for a quick look at the other guests’ vehicles while we were there, and the Norwegians’ love of EVs is clear. In addition to all the usual electric cars we’re used to seeing in the UK, we spot a few that aren’t so common There appear to be a huge number of Kia Soul EV Mk1s a car that was a rarity on our shores even when it was brand new and Chinese imports such as the Xpeng G3 and BYD Tang that we simply don’t get in this country were also around

That morning, we’d have our chat with Berve, who outlines to us the incentives that have historically been offered to Norwegian EV buyers and how they’re changing “We still have subsidies for EV purchases, but they’re tightening,” she says “Up until now, we’ve had no VAT on electric vehicles and EVs have been exempt from other annual taxes Those are being reintroduced now, though VAT is the big one and it means a big price hike for luxury EVs, like Teslas ”

Back on the road, we travel 41 miles to Loen a village set at the end of a massive fjord and surrounded by mountains It is here where we have our first bad experience with a Norwegian chargepoint

This time, it’s a 200kW CCS unit that’s operated by Norwegian power company BKK. It requires us to create an account and enter our bank card details We try repeatedly to get it working, but no matter what we do, it simply won’t accept payment from our British bank card. Eventually, we give up and go for lunch.

the UK network

“The e-2008 covers mile after mile with no fuss and doesn’t seem to lose range badly, despite the cold temperatures”

CHARGING DIARYENTRY

Location:Loen

Type: BKK 200kW CCS

Charge: Failed charge attempt UK bank card not accepted

LOEN has a cable car that takes you more than 1,000 feet up to the top of Mount Hoven, where the restaurant offers views of the breathtaking scenery Back on the ground, we make our way to the nearby village of Stryn, where we have better luck topping up the e 2008

CHARGING DIARYENTRY

Location:Stryn

Type: Mer 50kW CCS

Charge: 67% to 80% Time: 10 minutes

Cost: 41.08 kroner (£3.41)

IT’S another 52 miles on to our stop for the night at Geiranger, where we have yet more incredible fjord views All this water reminds us of something Berve had mentioned about hydro electricity That power source, plus the fact that Norway is a major oil producer, means the country has benefitted from cheap energy for a long time But the current global crisis is having its effect “Our government estimates we will have an all electric car fleet in 2030 or 2035 and that we will use renewable energy tariffs for charging them,” Berve explains. “They’ve changed how we pay our electricity bills to stimulate smart charging there’s a sort of rush hour tax on using electricity at the same peak time as everyone else. We want to make sure that everything doesn’t

collapse when all cars are electric For the first time, we’ve had quite an extreme increase in electricity prices. Historically, we’ve been lucky because Norway has produced so much power that we’ve had extremely cheap prices consequently, we and Sweden are the two worst European countries at saving energy Suddenly, our prices have increased six times. One of the key selling points of EVs is that people save money, but now they’re calculating that they might not This could be a potential hindrance to electrification ”

Done gawking at our surroundings, we arrive at our hotel for the night, where we’ve booked to use a 7kW charger during our stay for a flat fee of 150 kroner (£12 45)

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

TWISTED

Hairpin bends and steep gradients make up the ‘troll’ path to Åndalsnes

LEG3: GERAINGERTOÅLESUND

ANOTHER beautiful Norwegian morning, and we set off once again in the e 2008 This is the final day of our journey and the Peugeot has really impressed us It seems to tick every box that a family friendly, relatively affordable small electric SUV should.

It’s 15 miles from Gerainger to Eisdal, where we drive aboard another ferry and are deposited in Linge It’s then a further 24 miles to one of the most incredible roads we’ve ever seen Trollstigen.

Opened in 1936 by King Haakon VII, this route has a 10 per cent gradient and is made up of 11 hairpin bends as the road winds down a dramatic mountainside The name Trollstigen translates to “troll path” and some rather creepy troll statues sit at the bottom end of the road to illustrate this The e 2008 isn’t a performance car, but it handles the tricky route admirably, getting us safely to the bottom without crashing over a cliff edge... or worse, being kidnapped by a monstrous troll

Its reward is a charging stop in Åndalsnes, a relatively large town by Norwegian standards Here, we find the most powerful charger yet a 300kW unit on a petrol station forecourt, all operated by US supermarket chain Circle K

We plug in and have no problem activating the charger via our smartphone We eat lunch within view of the chargepoint and notice that we’ve actually grabbed the last available spot A queue then forms, with a driver in a Tesla Model 3 waiting for someone to depart before he can plug in

CHARGING DIARYENTRY

Location:Åndalsnes

Charge: 65% to 97%

Time: 30 minutes

Cost: £13 48 (payment was taken in Sterling rather than kroner)

THIS proves to be our e 2008’s final charging stop, because we easily have enough juice to cover the final 61 miles from Åndalsnes to our final destination Ålesund is a port town, and is another example of how the Norwegians keep everything beautifully maintained and tidy. It’s also rather built up, and

we recall what Berve had said about Norway facing similar challenges to the UK when it comes to on street charging

“We’ve got an increasing number of chargers in urban areas, but we still have a long way to go,” she’d told us “Most people who have purchased an EV have access to a home chargepoint, so we haven’t really seen the difficulty of what it’s like to own an EV without a charger.

“But we have numbers indicating that it will absolutely be a problem There are a lot of people who don’t have access to a charging point it needs to get better for people who have street parking, as most of the charging infrastructure in cities has been built around parking garages and commercial areas ”

This isn’t a problem we have to contend with, though We park the e 2008 up by Ålesund’s waterfront and reflect on what we’ve learned. Yes, Norway has beaten every other country to the punch when it comes to EV adoption But the consolation is that the UK has a better ratio of EVs to chargers, as well as a simpler payment system There are lessons both countries can learn from one another, it seems.

ARRIVAL

A top-up via a 300kW source in Åndalsnes (below left) and we are ready for our final leg to the pretty port town of Ålesund

“The e 2008 ticks every box that a family-friendly, relatively affordable small electric SUV should”

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

ELECTRIC EDUCATION

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

PEUGEOT isn’t the only manufacturer racing towards electrification at the moment Every week this year we’ve seen new arrivals across almost every area of the automotive market from superminis and small SUVs right up to seven seaters and vans

But making the switch can still seem a daunting process for motorists, especially if you’ve spent years choosing between petrol and diesel cars Here we answer the four key questions that are often asked by EV converts and get some additional advice from a salesman who has experience of the other side of the conversation.

HOWFARWILLITGO?

EARLY electric vehicles were lucky to crack 100 miles after a top up, but these days the battery technology and the software controlling it do a better job of managing charge and efficiency As a general rule, taking the quoted WLTP figure and cutting 20 per cent off it should give you a guide mileage to work with, and a little to spare.

There are also tools, like the one on Peugeot UK’s website, that can give you a more detailed prediction of the range you can expect, based on other factors such as your driving style and what type of roads you normally drive on.

HOWWILLYOU CHARGE IT?

THE easiest way to run an EV is to have a home wallbox installed at your property But increasing numbers of people who cannot fit a home charger (those living in apartments or with no off street parking) are taking the plunge, thanks to improvements in the public infrastructure

This will cost more (see below) and, of course, you’re never guaranteed that a spot will be free. So if you are considering going EV without a home wallbox, it’s probably advisable to use a service such as Zap Map in advance, to check out the charging points in your local area including reviews of how reliable they are as well as studying the routes of any longer journeys you regularly take

WILLITCOSTYOU MORE?

AN EV will have a higher list price than a comparable combustion engined vehicle; that’s pretty much a given The UK’s plug in car grant has been axed now, too, so there’s no incentive coming from that source

But EV residual values are rock solid, because the market tends to play a game of ‘future usability’, and these numbers are tremendously important when it comes to working out your monthly PCP finance bill Also EVs can claw back a lot of this premium if not all of it, and more besides when it

comes to running costs If you only charge at home and you can take advantage of off peak electricity, you can fully top up an EV, gaining a couple of hundred miles of range, for a few pounds Many EVs have accompanying smartphone apps that allow you to schedule recharges to do this Electric cars have fewer moving parts and fluids, so they’re generally a little cheaper to service They have also tended to be a little more expensive to insure than petrol or diesel models, but the gap appears to be narrowing

SHOULDYOU BUYNEWOR USED?

AS with all second hand cars, EV values have ridden a wave over the past 18 months, thanks to a shortage of supply of new models As the car industry gets over the semi conductor crisis and Covid induced factory disruption, there are signs that the prices are just starting to wobble You’ll need to pay particularly close attention to battery capacity and range, too. In general, electric car batteries have been better than expected at retaining their capacity over years and miles But the technology used on an EV of, say, 10 years ago was less efficient than the systems you’ll find on the latest offerings. Regardless of the reasons behind it, it’s not uncommon to find full charge, real world ranges of not much more than 100 miles And if this isn’t enough for your regular journey, you’re also likely to find that older cars have lower maximum recharge rates.

“The

Quite often first-time EV customers are keen to talk through home charging options too, which we’re happy to advise on

OLIVER THOMAS General sales manager,

FOR several years now, Auto Express has endeavoured to keep you up to date with the latest tips on how to buy an EV, and independent advice on everything from market developments to judging whether your lifestyle is actually suited to an electric car

But what about the approach from the sales side? Peugeot’s Oliver Thomas is general sales manager at the firm’s Robins & Day showroom on the outskirts of Bristol. Like most dealership veterans, he’s noticed a huge swing over the past 18 months as customers weigh up the extended range of electric cars, and the improvements in charging infrastructure, and decide that now is the time to make the switch

As a result, he says, potential buyers are less likely to be teched up early adopters but they’re still well clued up. “Buyers are much better informed about EVs than they were back in those early days,” he says “They’ve seen more of them on the roads; they have friends or colleagues who’ve already jumped across to electric; in many cases they’ve even clocked where the charging stations are on their regular journeys

MAKINGTHESWITCH TOELECTRICVEHICLES

Some

“The cars are better, too We’re even finding gains on relatively new models like the 208, which is getting more power and more range early next year And then there’s the charging infrastructure For years people saw just a couple of points at motorway services; now there are dozens of public chargers appearing all over the place Quite often first time EV customers are keen to talk through home charging options, too, which we ’ re happy to advise on [Peugeot works with Pod Point on home installations].”

walk into the showroom having already done the maths. They know the potential cost savings Thomas

The upfront costs of electric vehicles are higher, but Thomas says the crisis around living costs and the hike in fuel prices earlier this year forced a sharper focus in this area “A car remains an emotional purchase,” he says, “but there’s no doubt that we ’ re finding customers who’ve decided now is the time to move to electric on grounds of running costs.

“Generally people expect topping them up to be a bit cheaper than buying fuel, but they’re surprised when we talk them through lower servicing bills as well And we ’ re quick to point out that the Peugeot app allows them to schedule charging, too, which is handy if they’ve got an off peak rate and they really want to save as much as possible”

Thomas says that some buyers walk into the showroom having already done the maths They know the potential cost savings and they’ve worked out that an EV can fit into their lifestyle For others, there’s still a decision to be made, but Peugeot has a few handy tools to help with that.

“There’s a ‘ range simulator’ on the website,” Thomas says, “and we often fire it up to help the customer make a more informed choice We also have a web tool that lets you work out how long it might take to charge your car overnight at home Or, if you know you ’ re going to need faster recharges on a regular longer journey, you can work out how long you’ll need to do that, too”

And if the customers decide that an EV isn’t quite a perfect fit for them, Thomas says Peugeot’s approach to electrification offering EV versions of its regular models offers flexibility

“Right now, we ’ re still able to offer customers the choice,” he says. “They make a decision on the car they want and then we ’ re in a position where we can have a realistic conversation about what’s going to power it If, in the end, we talk through the customer’s lifestyle and we realise that an EV isn’t going to work for them just yet, then we have the petrol option

Robins & Day

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

PEUGEOT205TURBO 16 RALLYCAR

BLAST FROM THE PAST Wass remembers seeing the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 competing on the RAC Rally in the mid-eighties

It was like they were from outer space and it definitely played a part in me falling in love with cars in general

STEVEN WASS Peugeot UK sales director

HOOKED ON CLASSICS

After 22 years with Peugeot, UK sales boss Steven Wass is well placed to pick his favourite models

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

THE car industry has always been a fast moving place, and probably never more so than right now. We’re seeing fresh developments today that have come from nowhere to dominating the decision making process of buyers in only 18 months or two years So, someone who’s worked with a single brand for more than two decades will have seen plenty of trends come and go Steven Wass, Peugeot UK’s sales director, is one such individual He started out at Vauxhall but joined the brand in 2000 as a district parts and service manager. Since then he’s worked as a sales manager, a head of used vehicles, an after sales director, and as a general manager of one of the company’s Robins & Day retailers in Manchester Wass is well placed to chart Peugeot’s progress and to highlight the nuances of where it’s now positioned as it escalates its push towards a pure electric future To jog his memory about years gone by, we’ve asked him to choose some of his employer’s favourite models in a workshop near Peugeot UK’s Coventry headquarters

His first pick is a car had been and gone long before he started working at all It’s Peugeot UK’s own 205 Turbo 16 rally car, as campaigned in 1985 and 1986 in the British championship by rapid Finn Mikael Sundstrom The 205 T16’s wider rally exploits are widely credited with helping the 205 model in general to save Peugeot in what was a difficult decade for the firm. But for Steve, it’s a much more personal association that goes back to his childhood.

“I can’t quite believe we have this,” Wass says “When I y, I was captivated by motorsport, and every y father and I would make a pilgrimage to e RAC Rally. Our local stage was Trentham ens near Stoke and I can still remember ng the Group B cars, including this one, in

1985 and 1986 It was like they were from outer space and it definitely played a part in me falling in love with cars in general This particular 205 was on loan at the Coventry Motor Museum and then a few years ago we got a call asking if we’d like it back. Now it lives at our technical centre and we’re working to restore it to full working condition ”

Next up is a 306 GTI 6, which is often overlooked alongside the older 205 and 309 performance models, but a rock solid classic that kept Peugeot at the sharp end of a hot hatchback market that had become much more crowded in the nineties “I had one of these as my first ‘job’ car when I started back in 2000,” Wass recalls “I turned up on my first day, went to the company car office and they told me to go to the car park and pick a vehicle from stock It was a sea of 206s and 406s at the time, but there in the corner was this sole 306 GTI 6 in there, so I chose it They laughed when I came back asking for it, but they let me have it!

“It was a good early introduction to what made Peugeot special at the time: those keen handling characteristics that had shone through since the 205 I loved driving it and it was the Peugeot that taught me about driving a performance car, pretty much I actually went on to own a second hand 306 Rallye myself in later years, too It wasn’t without its foibles, but was an amazing car nonetheless ”

The second generation 3008 is Wass’s third selection, and perhaps the least surprising, since this is a vehicle that kick started a major transformation in the company’s fortunes “I don’t think there’s ever been as big a sea change in a model that’s kept the same name,” Steve says “The first gen 3008 was a sort of an MPV, but for the Mk2 it changed to a more contemporary and relevant SUV shape Plus there was a huge step in quality inside ”

It still looks sharp today, thanks to its early adoption of Peugeot’s fresh design approach, with well defined creases, an abrupt end to the rear roofline and of course, the firm’s ‘claw’ headlight motif And inside, the cabin a space whose clever trim choices are often cited as influential by rival designers still holds its own.

The 3008 also marked a shift in Peugeot’s sales approach one that ultimately made the firm’s cars more affordable to most customers Previously the brand had chased sales volumes, resulting in some discounting and vehicles appearing on rental car fleets This, in turn, hurt resale values, making it ultimately more expensive for

The first-generation

EVEN

WASS ugeot UK sales director

Trentham

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

buyers signing up on a PCP finance deal With the 3008, Peugeot started focusing on profits and margin instead of the sheer number of cars it was selling.

“It was a major shift that started with that car,” Wass recalls “And it has transformed how we do business The more premium feel of the 3008, plus the fact that we weren’t pushing volumes of it onto the market, allowed us to be much more competitive for those who were financing the vehicle Straight away, our residual values were a match for the German competitors’, and our customers benefit from that as much as we do.”

For his final vehicle, Wass picks the current e 208, a driving force that signalled the start of Peugeot’s real journey of electrification “It’s strange, thinking back,” he says. “The idea of an electric supermini seemed like sci fi when we were first discussing the e 208, talking about potential shares of the market It’s unbelievable how the e 208 took off, though, re establishing the ‘20 series’ of vehicle, not so much in its traditional format but as an EV.”

Peugeot’s policy with the e 208 was relatively rare at the time, because it shoehorned EV tech into a conventional shape “Doing that helped us with both new buyers and existing customers,” Wass says. “It was almost the default at that stage that an EV had to be a very different thing, in bodystyle or design We were conscious that a lot of our competitors were doing that Our philosophy was different: to bring it to the mainstream. We knew that would give us a much better buy in from existing customers, but also from those who were coming to the brand for the first time

“You have to bear in mind, too, that Peugeot has a fairly extensive model line up. The last thing we needed was a plethora of standalone electric models alongside it.”

Even so, Wass admits, the rapid take up of EVs caught Peugeot UK on the hop “We saw it as the minority who’d choose the EV,” he says “And we still continued to promote the traditional petrol vehicle, with the option of having an electric powertrain But that’s been flipped on its head now In marketing terms, for every car we’ve got with an electric version, we lead with that and then say, ‘There’s also a petrol version available.’ The speed of ramp up of EV share within those model lines has smashed all expectations ”

This has helped Wass’s frequent chats with Peugeot’s dealers, who have had to quickly adapt to, and invest in, selling electric cars. “We had a conference with our dealers in 2020,” he recalls, “and we had to talk to them about physical infrastructure, but also hearts and minds

“In those early days it was raised that this was a sizeable investment for what might be a relatively small number of sales But when the EVs really took off, that became a very easy conversation The biggest single thing we did was what we called the ‘double offer’ Almost regardless of what the customer initially prioritised as their choice of powertrain and inevitably a proportion of buyers would default to petrol we always made sure they were given an alternative offer on an electric vehicle as well, just so they could compare, contrast and see the benefits of an EV or a PHEV.”

It’s an approach that has played on Peugeot’s decision to offer EV power in its regular line up And, as Wass points out, it’s become even more relevant over the past 18 months, on an individual customer basis, as more people fight against rising petrol prices and living costs.

CUTTING EDGE

The e-208 supermini is one of the models at the forefront of Peugeot’s push towards an allelectric future

Our residual values were a match for the German competitors’, and our customers benefit from that as much as we do

STEVEN WASS Peugeot UK sales director

TALKING POINT

Designers from Peugeot’s rivals describe the 3008’s cabin as influential

“It’s unbelievable how the e-208 took off, though, re-establishing the ‘20 series’ of vehicle, not so much in its traditional format but as an EV”

STEVEN WASS Peugeot UK

sales director

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

We have some engineers who are currently working in racing, who will be back in a few years working on road-legal cars with the skills and the agility of motorsport

JEAN MARC FINOT Stellantis senior VP of motorsport

GLORY Peugeot won Le Mans in the nineties

PEDIGREE CHUMS

Peugeot hopes racing return will pay dividends for its road going models

3 7L twin turbo V8 powered car, which was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2011 as the 908 Hybrid4

FOR a discipline where the goal is to go as quickly as possible, motorsport can sometimes seem a very slow place It’s more than three years since Peugeot announced it would enter the newly created ‘Le Mans Hypercar’ (LMH) class in the World Endurance Championship, culminating in a return to the famous 24 hour race. But the project is only really gathering pace now; Peugeot’s 9X8 has contested three rounds of this year’s WEC, posting some impressive results to cement itself as a challenger for the 2023 season Motorsport remains expensive as well as time consuming, then So why has Peugeot got involved? The firm has history in endurance racing, particularly at Le Mans Competing as Peugeot Talbot Sport, it won there in 1992 and 1993 with the 905 and 905B respectively, and it then returned 16 years later as Peugeot Sport to take a one two finish in 2009 Although it won the 2011 LMP1 series (the predecessor to the WEC), the Peugeot Sport brand withdrew from sports car racing in 2012, with the French manufacturer citing a “downturn in the difficult economic environment in Europe” This was in spite of developing a hybridised

The new 9X8 hybrid hypercar features a 2 6 litre turbocharged V6 engine paired with a 200kW (268bhp) electric motor, and it can be viewed as somewhat of a reprisal for Peugeot Sport, from a time when it ruled the endurance racing world Developing a new race car and entering Le Mans requires a bit more than just unfinished business, however, and Peugeot knows this.

Jean Marc Finot is the senior vice president of motorsport at Peugeot’s parent firm, Stellantis Speaking exclusively to Auto Express about the reasoning behind the 9X8 project, he says: “Our way of deciding the racing programme is dependent on three pillars It has to be in the brand’s DNA, with a good technology message We have to be competitive, and we need to have a good return on investment ”

The first pillar within the “brand’s DNA” can be related to Peugeot’s 508 Sport Engineered model, which uses a hybrid powertrain like the 9X8 “This car [508 PSE] has been developed inside the Peugeot Sport department,” Finot says. “We have some similar things [between the 9X8 and 508], such as the four wheel drive hybrid and the same development tools for simulation ” The old phrase ‘win

on a Sunday, sell on a Monday’ doesn’t really line up with Peugeot Sport’s decision to enter Le Mans at least, not directly The 9X8 may share similar ideology with the 508 PSE in terms of hybridisation, but nothing in terms of actual parts. There are far more nuanced reasons at play here.

Even so, Finot believes Le Mans can play a crucial role in road car development, even with something as advanced as the 9X8 “We have some engineers who are currently working in racing,” he reveals, “who will be back in a few years working on road legal cars with the skills and the agility of motorsport ”

The highlight of the WEC calendar is undoubtedly Le Mans, and with it comes brand awareness, a key factor for Peugeot Sport’s return “On the marketing side, it’s a good opportunity to increase the awareness of Peugeot’s skills in hybridisation and with it our hybrid road cars”, explains Finot. Brand awareness should be helped by the 9X8’s eye catching design, with it forgoing a rear spoiler and featuring Peugeot’s distinctive “tiger claw” lights “It was very important to have a footprint on Peugeot Sport design,” Finot acknowledges. “This is another reason why we chose the less restrictive LMH regulations ”

The second pillar of competitiveness remains to be seen, with the 9X8 finishing fourth at its most recent outing in Bahrain, although one of the 9X8s managed to split the Toyotas during qualifying, suggesting that the French car possesses plenty of outright pace

The final pillar focusing on a return on investment might not be clear for a number of years yet, but Finot is approaching it pragmatically “It’s a work in progress,” he says “The main characteristic of motorsport is results ”

While the link between the 9X8 programme and the firm’s road cars is complex and relatively indirect, there remains scope for the motorsport side of Peugeot Sport to become more involved “Le Mans has always been a very good laboratory for new technology,” Finot says “We are still working on the bridge between motorsport and the road legal cars. But we’ll keep it as a surprise.”

AlastairCrooks

Alastair Crooks@autoviacouk @AllieCrooks

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

AlastairCrooks

Alastair Crooks@autoviacouk @AllieCrooks

THERE’S no escaping it: a ban on the sale of new internal combustion engined cars is looming And as the industry leads customers towards an all electric future, the vehicles on UK roads are surely set to look very different Having no engine in a car means much reduced cooling requirements; even the length of the bonnet will change because, in many cases, there won’t be anything under it.

Peugeot’s design director Matthias Hossann is one of the key figures facing the challenge of turning the firm’s products into EVs over the coming decade (the commitment is all electric in Europe by 2030), including the potentially awkward transition period when cars may have to be offered with both power sources

Hossann has solid form at Peugeot, having worked on crucial models for the French brand over the past decade the current 208 and 2008 for starters, but also eye catching concepts like the stunning e Legend When we meet him for a chat, though, he’s walking around Peugeot’s latest creation, the new 408. It’s a car that’s had a long gestation period seven years, in fact and Matthias has had a hand in its design since the first sketches were put to paper

During this time, the 408 has evolved to offer internal combustion engines and a pure electric powertrain, highlighting a change in priorities for Peugeot and for the wider automotive world “The switch to electrification is a great opportunity for design”, says Matthias, “but it’s also a challenge, because a lot of the time you used to be able to recognise a premium car by its engine. With electric cars this won’t be possible, so we need to look at other methods ”

Although electric cars offer new avenues of design, maintaining Peugeot’s current distinguishing features is just as important for Hossann and his team. “We want some consistency,” he states “That means that on the street, you must always be able to recognise the Peugeot as a Peugeot ” And as an example, he gestures to the 408’s front end, saying, “The tiger claw headlight signature is something we’ll evolve, along with the grille, which on this car is smoother and more integrated ”

Peugeot will soon reveal the pure electric version of the 408, the e 408. It should follow a similar brief to the e 308, not varying too much from the combustion car “This car has been designed with electrification in mind”, says Matthias “That grille is part of the thinking of becoming more aerodynamically efficient which is hugely important on an electric car The 408 has design constraints, in both internal combustion engine and pure electrification, and we have to make sure it still makes sense in terms of packaging ”

In some respects notably the profile the 408 stands apart from anything else in Peugeot’s range. Hossann is quick to point out that this approach will continue “We want to be creative,” he argues “We don’t want to do Russian dolls ”

Along with pure electric powertrains, sustainability is also playing an increasingly large role in the way cars are

modelled Matthias says Peugeot is taking steps to incorporate a more eco friendly approach in car design “We’re using no more chrome and we’re looking to use more sustainable materials,” he says “We have to think differently in terms of lifecycle and process, and I believe a new aesthetic will be born from this way of thinking ”

As Peugeot accelerates its push towards a full electric line up in Europe, the company will adopt the range of STLA platforms from parent firm Stellantis Hossann admits his team is already playing with the fixed points and parameters offered by the new architecture.

“We are working with this skateboard platform,” he says, “so we can really enhance the proportion to get the wheels in the corners of the car But also the interior can benefit too with more space and a more extreme look. I think the electric car revolution can transform car interiors.”

Exterior and interior design can sometimes be looked at as two separate entities, but Matthias says it’s important to have consistency Inside the 408, he highlights the process of matching exterior to interior design. “It’s about telling the same story,” he says “We have a cohesive machine and luckily the Peugeot design team is small, so we can communicate and make sure we’re sharing key information ”

A few 3D printed extras are set up next to the 408 and Matthias points out the influence the new technology is already having on the way cars are both constructed and designed “3D printing is a huge benefit for the customer, because at the end of the day you can really customise your own experience with the car,” he says “The printers can make larger items now, such as bumpers, and I think it’s a process for the future We’ll be able to create individual design elements for each customer with 3D printing and this will lead to greater personalisation ”

This also means customers potentially have the chance to divert from Matthias’s original creations You might assume he’d be sceptical about customers tweaking his work, but he says, “I feel it’s more of an opportunity There’ll be scope for more flexibility of design; customers want something different from their neighbours ”

This feeling of choice extends far beyond just design, however. Phil York joined Peugeot earlier this year as

Peugeot’s design boss exp

COMMON GROUND

We want some consistency. On the street you must always be able to recognise the Peugeot as a Peugeot

MATTHIAS HOSSANN Peugeot design director

CHALLENGE Hossann (right) explains how designing an EV is very different to a combustion-engined car

It’s important to have consistency between exterior and interior design on any new model, Matthias says

ODESIGN AN EV

plains how electrification will change his team’s w

Concept Hossann’s CV includes the e-Legend. Its looks, and even its seats, are inspired by the classic 504, but it’s an EV with the latest tech and materials inside

GOING GREEN

Matthias Hossann tells us that sustainability is playing an increasing role in the way cars are being designed

ELECTRIFYINGPEUGEOT

LOOKING AHEAD

Q&A

Phil York

senior vice president of marketing, and he says that, as a company, Peugeot is well placed for the switch to electrification

“I think within Stellantis we have the investment, the platforms and the product to have a competitive line up,” he says. Right now that means offering buyers of the 208, 308 and soon the 408 the choice of combustion power or an EV

“The 308 and 408 are part of our ‘power of choice’ line up,” York says, “where we’ve been offering a range of different powertrains on the same platform It’s a great strategy during this transition period, but as we move forward into the Stellantis STLA platform era, they will be kind of EV by design ”

There are an amazing 14 brands operating as part of the Stellantis group, and almost all of them are planning to use the STLA technology. To help differentiate future Peugeots from their Stellantis cousins, York says the brand has three key principles it must adhere to

“Design is one pillar,” he says “It’s the look and feel of the brand. Then driving experience, and finally excellence, which is about quality, technology and efficiency These values are what we have to apply to internal combustion engined cars today or EVs tomorrow.”

There could even be good news for more traditional Peugeot fans, because York says his team isn’t afraid of looking to the past for inspiration. “If I talk about iconic products, we did a lot of customer research and you can probably guess 205 GTi and 405 really shone through,” he says “It’s important we align our values with our most loved cars.”

What are the biggest challenges Peugeot is facing en route to the EV switch?

“We are well positioned, thanks to the electric platforms coming. If you add the Peugeot DNA to [Stellantis architecture] STLA, then I think we’ll have a strong product line up. From a customer’s point of view, we can have the right kind of services and packages to make things as easy as possible This also includes making charging as simple and pain free as possible”

Do you see Peugeot taking up a different section of the market with electrification?

“We are keen to be a leader in Europe for EVs If you look at the products we have today, I want people to get behind the wheel and want to drive it, and that’s equally important for an EV as it is for an ICE car ”

Will pure electric Peugeots be sold differently in future?

“What we ’ ve done with the 408 First Edition is beginning to bundle contracts First we made the 408

available exclusively online, and for the PHEV GT, it comes with a home wallbox and/or a public charging package

When you buy an iPhone online, for example, you don’t have hundreds of different options; the company makes it easy, and that’s the direction we ’ re taking, too”

How is Peugeot integrating sustainability into its current and future line up?

“As a group, we ’ ve committed to making the whole business carbon net zero by 2038, and reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 Peugeot is very much aligned with that strategy We’re making sure electric cars are a key part of it how they’re produced and about the energy that we use ”

“I don’t think there’s a need for us to create a new brand, because Stellantis already has a large portfolio What I’m keen on doing is presenting Peugeot in as strong a way as possible.”

Will we see any EV specific spin off brands from Peugeot in the future?

When you buy an iPhone, the company makes it easy, and that’s the direction we’re taking, too

Seniorvicepresident ofmarketing,Peugeot

NEW STYLE

New 408 shows how Peugeot’s design is changing, with less use of chrome and an evolution of existing themes

3D printing will play an increasing role in design, says Matthias

THE saying goes that three is a magic number yet for Audi, it’s five that holds a special place This year marks 45 years of the German brand’s iconic five cylinder engine configuration and as a celebration to round off the year, we ’ ve gathered together some of the most famous models to be powered by the legendary five pot motor But 2022 also sees another milestone, because earlier this year the company ’ s latest and greatest RS 3 landed in the UK It became the final model in the brand’s history to feature five cylinder

power, but the story started with the Audi 100 C2 The second generation of the brand’s family saloon was the first to get a five pot motor, producing a grand total of 134bhp from its 2 1 litre fuel injected engine However, it wasn’t until a few years later, in 1980, when Audi’s five cylinder story became really interesting, with a greater focus on performance

The start of a new decade that brought with it shoulder pads, synth music and the ‘greed is good’ attitude was reflected in the automotive world, and nothing screams ‘eighties’ more than the

Audi TT RS Audi RS e tron GT

Sean Carson associate editor

Pictures: Pete Gibson and Matt Vosper

Thanks to: Audi UK and NGM Services

original Audi Quattro Often referred to as the 10 valve or 10v this is where turbocharging took off, force feeding the car ’ s five cylinders with fresh air to unleash extra power A little over 40 years ago, this additional muscle amounted to 197bhp; by today’s standards, a sporty supermini pumps out this level of oomph, but in 1980 this sat very much in the high performance category

In the Quattro, the power was accompanied by 285Nm of torque, produced relatively high up at 3,500rpm if you ’ re judging it compared with lag free, modern, sophisticated turbochargers anyway

With the Quattro fully wound up, a 0 62mph sprint took 7 1 seconds No doubt the performance was helped by a relatively skinny 1,300kg kerbweight, with the car also free from the 21st century safety aids and driver assistance tech that make the 10v’s current day successors that bit heavier Climb aboard and you ’ re reminded what an eighties car feels like, and how things have moved on in four decades It’s not only the lack of systems that makes the Quattro light, but also the relatively slight structure The car ’ s windscreen pillars are spindly by modern standards, yet they give a great view out as a result

Pull the delightfully trimmed door to, and you are ensconced in a world of hard plastic and patterned velour trim There’s nothing digital in sight, with all the instruments fully analogue It’s delightful

The contrasts continue when you insert the thin blade of a key into the ignition barrel and turn it to awaken the engine The five cylinders catch and settle to a surprisingly muted idle, reminding you it’s only recently that performance cars have moved towards the peacocking flaring of engine revs with a crescendo of pops on start up Contrary to the points outlined above, in some ways things were more subtle in the eighties

It’s very obviously a classic car experience Although the seats were probably the height of comfort and support around 40 years ago, they don’t offer much in the way of body frame restraining sculpting They also feel as though the seat frames themselves might not be quite as rigid as the day the Quattro left the factory; as you drop down into the admittedly low set driving position, the back rest moves There’s a fair level of adjustment, however, and despite the risk of skinning your knuckles or nicking a finger when reaching for some of the seat adjustment levers, you can manipulate the Quattro’s seat to find a comfortable position that puts you in the prime place to really drive the Audi

Maybe somewhat surprisingly for a car of this age, the gearchange continues this air of confidence The shift action is not as baggy as you might expect, and while a little finesse is needed to make sure you find the right ratio, given the length of the throw, the mechanical interaction is pure, as is the meaty, hydraulically assisted steering

Styling Eighties graphics look superb next to Quattro’s boxy lines today. With the 10v and 20v back to back, you can see the obvious design differences

that gives you a solid connection with the Quattro’s front end Once you get used to the controls and their rate of response, you quickly learn to work with the car

Audi UK’s example is looked after by NGM Services, and as with every heritage car in our line up, the 10v is in fantastic condition It is surprisingly quick, too once you learn that the engine needs revs to deliver its best It’s swift below around 3,500rpm, but no more so than a downsized, turbocharged family hatchback Maybe that’s doing the Quattro a disservice or maybe it feels that way only because the relative climb in power and torque as the turbocharger begins to feed cool, compressed air to each of the five cylinders is so marked Either way, once the Audi’s engine is on boost, it romps forward with a deep growl

that has just a hint of underlying off beat character to remind you this is a very special unit

It pulls hard, and in the early eighties (Audi’s UK example is produced to original launch spec, but it is a 1981 car acquired before RHD development had begun) that 7 1 second 0 62mph time must have seemed as though it was approaching supercar levels of pace Yet although around £26,000 was on the pricier side, the Quattro didn’t command a supercar tag Also, with four wheel drive allowing you to use all of the motor’s power on twisty roads, the Audi would have kept up with the best that Ferrari or Lamborghini was producing at the time

There’s no denying it does feel very nose led and that’s putting it kindly This

once

the Quattro’s expansive, square bonnet, because it’s immediately obvious just how far the longitudinally mounted engine protrudes beyond the front axle line It means you always have to be mindful of the weight distribution, and it feels key to almost over slowing the car into a corner, letting the front wheels find their line, and then getting on the power early to build through the turbo lag and deploy that motive force as effectively as possible

Of course, this Audi is a cherished icon, so these sensations are subtle, and we ’ re driving with mechanical sympathy and the car ’ s age in mind Yet you just know that, in its day, the Quattro would have stood up to punishment given the kind of reliability and mechanical

solidity the brand became known for in the forests, on the asphalt and along the car killing gravel roads of the World Rally Championship’s competitive stages

Although the Audi was given a round of updates in 1983, moving to sleeker, one piece headlight clusters and boasting some plusher trim inside, it wasn’t until the end of the decade that its 2 1 litre powerplant received any kind of meaningful mechanical improvements They were significant, with Audi equipping the motor with four valves per cylinder compared with the original’s two valve design and so the 20 valve Quattro was born

The engine’s displacement had also previously been increased from 2,144cc to 2,226cc albeit initially still

“TheQuattrostooduptopunishment,given thekindofreliabilityandmechanicalsolidity thebrandbecameknownforintheWRC”

Audimegatest ROADTESTSPECIAL

Updates

as a 10 valve set up Combined with the extra cubic centimetres of the larger 2 2 litre unit, the improved breathing from the extra valves per cylinder and crossflow design cylinder head helped push power to 217bhp and upped torque significantly, to 309Nm This new found muscle was also available earlier in the rev range, dramatically boosting flexibility

These improvements dropped the 0 62mph time by a considerable margin, to 6 3 seconds a time we would consider relatively rapid in a compact hot hatch even today, so it would have been seriously impressive in a late eighties performance coupé

Inside, the trim updates were evolutionary, but they certainly modernised the Audi’s cabin The velour trim remained, as did the controls for the lights mounted on the sides of the instrument binnacle, yet sitting between them was a much more modern dash layout, featuring digital readouts behind a sportier, three spoke steering wheel wearing the Audi Sport badge Even the vital readouts at the bottom of the centre console changed to digital bar graphs, while the heating and ventilation controls became more sophisticated compared with the original car ’ s horizontal sliders

However, it was the mechanical tweaks that were key, and alongside the engine changes, Audi fitted a new Torsen centre differential Whereas the original

Evolutionary trim tweaks modernised the cabin, with digital readouts and a sportier steering wheel

Block and 20v head were made from aluminium, and teamed with a larger turbo and a rally spec intercooler

10v featured a fixed 50:50 front rear torque split, this 20v model benefitted from a more intelligent transmission It might still be rudimentary compared with the standards set by ultra variable all wheel drive systems today, but allowing for as little as 25 per cent of the engine’s drive to be sent to the front wheels or as much as 75 per cent means you get a sense of the 20v Quattro offering just that little bit more adjustability on the move There is also the tangible feeling that Audi evolved the breed, retaining the car ’ s strengths while trying to tune out its weaknesses with the technology available at the time

The general dynamics and sensations are similar between the first and second iterations of the famous model line, but although you can sense the changes even today, they’re not night and day compared with the special machine that separated the 10v and 20v models in terms of the Quattro’s chronology

That moment came in 1984, with the short wheelbase Sport Quattro A true homologation special, the newcomer was built in order for Audi to keep pace with rivals in the Group B category of the World Rally Championship FIA rules stated that just 200 examples of these special machines had to be produced by each manufacturer to qualify it for competition (Audi actually built 214 Sport Quattros) Despite the low volume production, the German brand went to town on the changes, chopping 320mm from the standard car ’ s wheelbase to improve agility and optimise weight distribution even if the majority of the 2 1 litre motor was still slung out front ahead of the axle line

In a bid to further alleviate the weight distribution issues, the engine block and 20 valve cylinder head (actually the first four valve, five cylinder configuration for the brand) were constructed from aluminium, and along with extensive use of Kevlar, carbon fibre and fibreglass for the super swollen bodywork that gives the Sport Quattro its characteristic square set, wide shouldered look, the car tipped the scales in road going trim at a relatively lightweight 1,270kg

The Audi was tuned significantly, with the engine receiving a larger turbo and a rally spec intercooler to further chill the air compressed by the bigger blower Power stood at a claimed 301bhp, while torque was said to be 350Nm at 4,500rpm which meant a 0 62mph sprint time of a mere 4 8 seconds and a top speed of 155mph The Sport Quattro feels every bit good for

those figures today Off boost, the engine is still more urgent and eager than its simpler ‘civilian’ stablemates, but once the revs rise and the car climbs on boost, it’s explosively fast Really, genuinely, modern kind of quick

The classic five cylinder warble is more apparent, too, while the then new five speed manual gearbox’s shift serves up a much shorter, more accurate throw compared with that of the 10v It’s a pleasure to use, and you can rifle through the changes quickly to try to avoid the engine revs dropping and any consequent turbo lag That is still very much present if you get caught off boost, so you find yourself beginning to chase corner speed in the Sport Quattro especially given the reassuringly solid brakes pumping the throttle in bends in an effort to keep the turbo spinning and access the performance as quickly as you possibly can

Sometimes it’s in vain, sometimes it works but in doing so, the changes Audi Sport made to the car ’ s chassis are also distinctly apparent In its historical bumpf, the brand says that the Sport Quattro’s suspension set up

Limited edition Audi built just over 200 short wheelbase Sport Quattro FIA homologation specials

Motorsport-bred

was so close to the rally car ’ s specification that it required exhaustive tuning for it to be used on the road

Even today the system feels very different It is taut and reluctant to yield, until the car is carrying significant momentum and the energy being forced into the suspension is beyond a certain level Of course, by 2022’s standards it could still be classed as being on the soft side, with noticeable roll coming through as you push the pace Yet by the yardstick of the time, the Sport Quattro was an uncompromising and focused car

However, it was nothing compared with the Group B monster it spawned The S1 E2 is the ultimate expression of the Quattro, and just being in its presence is enough to raise your pulse and excite your adrenal glands

Automotive aerodynamics have come a long way in the intervening years, even in rallying, but the S1 E2’s deep chin spoiler, huge box arches and simple, stubby rear wing (which also doubles as an air intake for the relocated radiators mounted in the boot) mean its shape couldn’t be mistaken for anything else

The doors are incredibly lightweight and made from Kevlar They swing open without a stay, so you have to be careful in even a light breeze Once you ’ ve threaded yourself through the chunky roll cage and i l l k d b k id i h

every dial is analogue and there are banks of fuses and switches, all labelled in German

It’s a relatively simple starting procedure, though Flick the first battery master switch on Turn the second through the same 90 degree arc, and the fuel pump starts to whirr We’re told not to touch the throttle at the risk of flooding the engine, so we simply push a nondescript black button to initiate the starter motor, which churns over slowly before the 2 1 litre engine catches into life with a near deafening bassy rumble inside the cabin and that’s with this car ’ s small exhaust silencer

Everything buzzes and fizzes with menace, even at idle We dip the seriously weighty clutch, and some of the percussive rattling stops before we select first gear The shift is superb ultra precise, mechanical and loaded with feel But now comes the hard part

The paddle clutch is not only heavy, but like a hair trigger It doesn’t appreciate being slipped, and the S1 E2 doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so we give it a flare of revs and try to stop our thigh from shaking as we lift the left pedal to its biting point Once there, you can get the car rolling (or sometimes kangarooing) before letting the clutch out fully a few moments later once the machine has built up some momentum From there on in, all you need to do is kick h l h f f h d

Back to basics

Rally star

S1 E2 couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than a WRC Group B monster

Cabin is old school, with roll cage, moulded seats, analogue dials plus banks of fuses and switches

ar nty hose

of its road going stablemates, and not that much happens here until between 4,500rpm and 5,000rpm However, once the delicate yellow tacho needle sweeps through this point, you’d better hold on, because the power and torque ramp up so quickly and the car pulls with such explosive aggression that you’ll be seriously alarmed the first time it happens And the second time, too In fact, in our short exposure to this wonderful machine, we never quite got used to the ballistic delivery as the boost hit

Dip the clutch, and forcefully but still delicately slice a new ratio home with the straight cut gearbox, and the onslaught starts again Only this time, there’s much less waiting as the turbo recovers from its brief pause

The sensations are incredible: the noise, the vibrations, the physicality of the steering and how you have to work the brakes to get the car to shed speed plus the S1 E2’s suspension hopping around on the bumpy surface as

a few laps under our belt, we start to notice a few more of the S1 E2’s delicate, nuanced qualities The car responds well to being turned in on the brakes and even though the weight distribution is what a modern engineer might call ‘sub optimal’, once you can tuck the front end in with some extra weight on the nose the car starts to behave with a more neutral balance Charge in too fast and the old fast Audi understeer cliché will very much be apparent

However, it’s the less subtle, more brutal personality traits that leave a lasting impression on us primarily the speed, and how hard the boost hits, and the noise Standing on the solid brake pedal and heel and toeing downshifts, you can hear the exhaust popping and cracking from beneath the floor Our colleagues tell us the car was spitting sheets of evocative yellowy red flames

Moving from the rally car to the RS 2 Avant could have felt like going from a speed boat to a supertanker, but it really doesn’t The Avant only model really kicked off Audi’s fast estate bloodline in the modern era and was, of course powered by a five cylinder engine The 2 2 litre

On the load Fast estate looked to Porsche for engineering tweaks and final assembly

resulting in that boosted engine output from a bigger turbo, new intercooler and uprated fuel injectors, plus ventilated four piston brakes taken from the Porsche 968 Club Sport sitting behind 17 inch wheels from the 911 Carrera On top of all that, the RS 2 benefitted from re engineered suspension dampers, new anti roll bars and an electronically locking rear differential as part of the four wheel drive system, which could also be activated manually by a switch

Even today, you can still feel these benefits that carved out this machine so distinctly as Audi’s first RS model It’s easy to see why, nearly two decades ago, and as with the Quattro before it, the RS 2 brought something new to the automotive world Whereas Audi’s counterparts from BMW M and Mercedes AMG went for pure rear wheel drive layouts, by the brand staying true to its roots

and sticking with all wheel drive, it gave the RS 2 an unburstable character with some magic from Porsche sprinkled on top of the package to elevate the model’s dynamic ability to new heights for the time

There’s something inherently appealing about fast estate cars, and none more so than the RS 2, which pretty much coined the class Its Nogaro Blue paint finish is iconic, and from behind the wheel it feels fast, pulling smoothly and with more linearity than you might imagine certainly compared with its older counterparts

It’s far sharper than you might expect as well, and while it might not have been a true M3 competitor, it represented a different proposition Today, it’s deeply cool The eighties boxiness made way for softer nineties styling, with slightly more curvature to the RS 2’s body quite literally rounding the edge off its estate profile It feels special inside, too The

seats are superb proper, figure hugging sports items in a genuine family car while the flashes of blue Alcantara and the white dials (including a row of three at the bottom of the centre console) mean the model’s cabin makeover matched its subtly pumped up exterior

From the mid nineties, there’s a fairly large jump until Audi’s five cylinder motor appeared again in a pukka performance car first in the RS version of the second generation TT in 2009, and then in the RS 3 of 2011 While further iterations of these models have come and gone, the configuration still powers the latest versions of Audi’s hardcore compact coupé and hot hatchback, with both cars likely to be the last that receive the famous five cylinder unit before it bows out But what a way to sign off

The formula of a big, powerful engine in a compact car has long held appeal, and the current TT RS typifies this

Sporty

From racy alloy rims to competition inspired filler cap and rear spoiler,TT RS reflects the sporty past of its Quattro ancestor

with a glorious soundtrack, huge performance and all weather ability, thanks to its Haldex four wheel drive system different from the old school, traditional quattro set up, because the engine is mounted transversely in the nose of both the TT RS and RS 3

While the TT’s precise steering, rock solid body control (although it gives a slightly fidgety ride) and explosive powertrain mean it still offers something unique going up against 2022’s four cylinder Alpines and six cylinder BMWs and Porsches, it’s actually the RS 3 that represents the most technologically advanced fast five cylinder Audi The motor plays a big part in that, serving up 395bhp and 500Nm of torque, but the clever RS Torque Splitter clutch pack does just as much for the car ’ s dynamic ability Maybe even more

The common theme running through all of these cars bar for this RS 3 is that, given where those five

Details

It’s the little things that turn this precise and predictable car into a bit of a hooligan when you want it to be

Audimegatest

cylinders were often located within the body, Audi’s engineers often fought physics hard when it came to extracting agility from the brand’s machines

However, the RS 3’s clever clutch pack can divert all of the available torque sent to the rear axle to just the outside back wheel, creating a much more rear biased set up that makes the car near on the most playful fast Audi we ’ ve ever sampled Until now, true adjustability hadn’t been part of the playbook, but combined with a clever multi link rear suspension layout, and much more controlled and forgiving suspension than even an S3, the RS 3 is dynamite It’s precise and predictable, but it can also be a bit of a hooligan when you want it

It’s pretty much the perfect car for Britain: small enough to work on our typically narrow roads; supple yet controlled enough to work with not against our often torn, broken Tarmac; fast and punchy enough to deliver a serious thrill without needing to achieve stupid speeds to do so; and, now, it has the agility to deliver a quality that’s becoming harder to find in increasingly complicated performance cars fun

Make no mistake, the RS 3 still delivers on every five cylinder check box from the past noise, pace, visual attitude (especially in our car ’ s Kyalami Green finish) and a unique approach to performance being just a few but it adds to this qualities that few Audis before it have possessed Every single fast machine that follows from the brand won’t possess one facet the RS 3 does, however; the common link between all of the models we ’ ve lined up here bar for one is the engine configuration

Sadly, the RS 3 is set to be the last car to feature this brilliant motor, and with Audi already embarking on its fully electric future, rapid RS models will be battery powered and the five cylinder unit will cease to exist Yet it would be remiss not to investigate this future here, and while we’ll mourn the loss of noise and the unique delivery of that turbocharged unit, there are many positives as the company ’ s RS e tron GT shows

There’s another link to the brand’s past with this most modern of fast Audis; it has been developed in conjunction with Porsche As with the RS 2, the RS

“RS3’scleverclutch

Hi tech cabin Kit laden RS 3 offers all the driver aids and comfort options the modern motorist could wish for

e tron GT borrows components and engineering expertise from its sister manufacturer This time, it’s the J1 platform, battery and electric motors that are shared with Porsche, and the Taycan model in particular and the similarities are obvious from behind the steering wheel, which is very much a positive thing

With up to 637bhp on overboost from its two motors, and a total of 830Nm of torque, the RS e GT’s performance is of the explosive kind Only t Group B car gets close to the level of clout this 2,276kg luxury electric four door can deliver, and even then you have to wait for it in the S1 E2 In the 21st century Audi, it’s instant This is what the electric age offers and while we do lose in some places, we’ll gain in others But even in those areas in which we lose, it might not be by as big a margin as we think, because brands such as Audi are working hard on supporting elements of future packages to still deliver the experience enthusiasts want A futuristic five cylinder soundtrack could well feature in forthcoming hot Audi EVs as a nod to the brand’s heritage, just as elements such as the box wheelarches on the RS 3 reference the original Quattro 40 years later What we should celebrate is how Audi has pio t d d b d it l fi li d

On the longlist...

THERE are a few noticeable absences from our special celebration, for both good and bad reasons Firstly, Audi’s C2 generation 100 This is the five cylinder genesis for the brand, as well as the car that kick started the German company’s fascination with quintuple cylinder power all those years ago.

Secondly, the S2 a sleek ish nineties two door coupé that offered boosted five pot performance with a more demure attitude compared with the RS 2 that followed it However, although performance was good, it was best known for pioneering Audi’s less aggressive S car range, which balanced speed and luxury.

Finally, we’ve picked out the brand’s RS Q3. While Audi’s five cylinder engine is undeniably great, this doesn’t mean it should be fitted to every model the firm makes and the RS Q3 is a good example of this There have been two generations of the polarising performance crossover; the second was certainly better than the first, but it seems an exercise in style over substance compared with some of the icons here.

Mazda CX-60

Practicality

IT’S not often that I can be accused of being an early adopter But given that my new fleet car, a Mazda CX 60, registers a couple of notable firsts for the Japanese company, I have to plead guilty You see, not only does this car represent the first time Mazda has targeted the UK’s premium SUV market, it’s also the company ’ s first plug in hybrid And that makes the CX 60 a fascinating model to put through a long term evaluation

We assessed the car in a group test (Issue 1,750), and although it narrowly lost out to the victorious Lexus NX, the “impressive” Mazda did claim the notable scalp of the Volvo XC60 Our testers had plenty of positive things to say about the CX 60, so I eagerly awaited the arrival of my new car And when the day came, I went and collected it from Mazda HQ, where I could find out more about the car and the company ’ s aspirations for it

The first thing I learned from product specialist Stephen Bird was that very few CX 60 buyers were coming to the car from other Mazdas In fact, the company has seen a high proportion of buyers trading in Volkswagens, BMWs and Mercedes Which

means it came as no surprise to hear that the average price of the 600 CX 60s Mazda UK had sold by mid November was more than £50,000

In that sense, both I and my car are very typical Not only have I never run a Mazda, this car is also in top spec Takumi trim, with a price tag of £53,520, including options Just over a third of buyers have chosen the same trim (mid range Homura is the biggest seller, taking 52 per cent of sales), but the Soul Red paint on my car is far and away the most popular colour among buyers Despite being a £900 option (the most expensive of the optional finishes), it’s being chosen by 33 per cent of owners

So far, there’s no real pattern to CX 60 owners, so my wife, our eight year old daughter and I can’t necessarily claim to have much in common with other customers But what I can say is that the big Mazda has adapted very quickly to the demands of this relatively small family

Above all, having been used to more compact cars in the past, we ’ ve been delighted by the sheer amount of space on offer The two adults up front have plenty of room, and our daughter relaxing in the equally accommodating back soon learned to drop the central armrest to put her soft toys within easier reach The big boot, too,

has been a godsend, first on a half term trip to north Wales and then on regular visits to Sussex, where I’m helping to clear my parents’ house after my mother died last year

My hope is that we’ll find the plug in hybrid powertrain equally suited to our lifestyle The theory is that, with my wife and I both almost exclusively working from home, our weekly mileage will be pretty low, and easily done on electric power alone We have off street parking and can run a charge cable out under the garage door We don’t have a wallbox, but even from a regular, three pin domestic socket, it’s easy to do a full charge overnight

One top up is usually enough for our pottering around in the week, and then we have the petrol engine to help out on longer trips But even I will confess that in the car ’ s first few weeks with us, the balance of the mileage was on long trips With that in mind, 40 2mpg isn’t too bad from a 2 5 litre petrol SUV, but I fully expect that figure to improve as the balance shifts back to shorter journeys

Mind you, I have no issue with the CX 60 over long distances On the contrary, our

after work trip to Wales on a Friday evening through dreadful traffic and even worse weather was a clear demonstration of the Mazda’s abilities and its excellent driver assistance tech Our daughter was happy listening to her audiobook via Apple CarPlay, while I was delighted that the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist made such light work of the heavy traffic Some of these features are included in the £1,100 optional Driver Assistance Pack, and the amount I use them has already confirmed that it was money well spent The same goes for the Convenience Pack, which includes a 360 degree monitor, wireless phone charging and rear privacy glass

I’m less convinced about the Panoramic sunroof, especially given that I chose the white interior trim, which instantly makes the cabin feel more airy than the alternative black colour scheme However, we ’ re yet to see how that pale material copes with the kind of onslaught that only family life and an eight year old armed with a pack of Mini Cheddars can muster As is always the case with these tests, time will tell

Popular Optional £900 Soul Red paint is chosen by 33 per cent of CX 60 buyers

Interior tech Mazda’s Stephen Bird (right) talks Andy through the car’s features

FIRSTREPORT Mazda’s large premium hybrid SUV slips effortlessly into family life on our fleet

“The adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist made light work of the heavy traffic”

“The big Mazda has adapted very quickly to the demands of this relatively small family”

AndyPringle

Andy Pringle@autoviacouk

Fitting the bill CX 60’s large boot, spacious and airy cabin mean the big Mazda is already a hit with the Pringles

Essentials

Honda Civic

e:HEVSport

On fleet since: October 2022

Price new: £31,220

Engine: 2 0 litre 4cyl hybrid, 181bhp

CO2/tax: 133g/km/£155

Honda Civic

FIRSTREPORT We’re off to a winning start with latest hybrid hatchback

adequate for my needs although I wouldn’t be able to put my German Shepherd in there due to the low, sloping roofline

THE Honda Civic has changed a lot in 50 years My mum ’ s first car was a second hand Mk1 back in the eighties, yet when I visited her in this Mk11 model, she admitted she wouldn’t have recognised it as a Civic The styling has very clearly changed from generation to generation, but what shocked me is just how big it feels There are some real advantages to this, of course There’s easily space to seat four adults in comfort, and the boot is more than

Whereas a Mk1 Civic could easily slip down narrow city streets, the Mk11 model feels a bit more constrained when there are parked cars on either side of the road It’s not the easiest to parallel park, either the back window is fairly useless, leaving you to rely entirely on the reversing camera

These are minor complaints, however, because overall early impressions are very positive The hybrid powertrain means it runs on smooth EV power most of the time

in the city, and it favours electric drive a decent amount of time on other roads, too

When the engine does kick in it’s unintrusive, unless you really floor the throttle And if you do decide to do that, you can at least put it into Sport mode and enjoy the rather comical fake exhaust note that’s pumped through the speakers

The Civic is also a good motorway cruiser Its adaptive cruise control and lane assist features work well, and it’s comfortable, despite the ride being a little stiff

At least that means it manages to tackle a winding B road well The Civic feels quite

sprightly, with acceleration that’s punchy enough for safe overtaking and to make the most of the sharp chassis Again, switching to Sport mode tightens things up

Ultimately, however, this is a car that buyers will value for its practicality and dependability over everything else The build quality certainly appears to be there The Civic’s exterior is clean and modern, in contrast to the fussy design of its predecessor

The story continues inside A long metallic grille runs along the full width of the dashboard, and this neatly houses the air conditioning vents The driving position is great and the seats are accommodating, plus the physical switches for the climate controls feel fantastic If I wanted to be pedantic, I might say it’s a bit stingy of Honda to only make one of the dials in front of the driver digital and the other analogue you have to buy the top spec Advance model for a fully digital panel but really this is just nit picking

The infotainment screen could perhaps be a little better integrated and angled more towards the driver, but at least it doesn’t look like an iPad stuck to the dashboard and there are plenty of physical shortcut buttons It’s a well designed interface simple and easy to use with wireless Apple CarPlay fitted

The only issue I’ve experienced in this regard is the connection between my iPhone and the car It drops out every few minutes for 10 seconds or so at

Growth Big boot is somewhat larger than the space in Civic Mk1 (below)

Tristan Shale-Hester

tristan shale hester@autoviacouk @tristan shale

a time I thought that switching from a Bluetooth to USB connection might solve this, but it makes no difference

This is a very minor complaint, though the Civic really is a very accomplished family hatch This was illustrated in Issue 1,755, when it earned a first place ranking in a group test against the Vauxhall Astra and Toyota Corolla, despite the former having a fairly significant cost advantage

It did strike me that the mid spec Sport model which is the one you want breaches the £30,000 mark, but that’s to be expected when hybrid tech is involved and the likelihood is that finance options will make this less of an issue for buyers

Overall, the latest Honda Civic has really impressed me in the first few weeks Let’s see if it can continue to do so as we head into the New Year

Verdict

THE Honda Civic stands out as being one of the best family hatchbacks on the market, thanks to a smooth driving experience, strong build quality and excellent practicality. It’s hard to think what more you could want from a daily runabout A very strong start, indeed

WE LIKE The Civic feels really well screwed together The physical controls are sturdy and tactile, as are all the interior materials. The ride is a little on the firm side, but the Civic is nevertheless smooth and refined on longer journeys

Fleetwatch

WE DON’T While using wireless Apple CarPlay on the Honda Connect infotainment system, the smartphone connection drops out frequently, interrupting phone calls and music Connecting the phone via a USB cable doesn’t seem to help, either

Land Rover Defender

OH, the excitement! Editor in chief Steve Fowler’s plug in hybrid Land Rover Defender alerted him that it was due for a software update supposedly to improve the gearshift and drivetrain operation. Not that Steve had noticed any problems with his car quite the opposite, for he’s delighted with the smoothness and efficiency of the transmission and how the whole system seamlessly transitions from electric to petrol power. But for a geeklike Steve, software updates in a car are a wondrous thing downloaded in about 40 minutes while the car sat on the driveway and Steve carried on with daily life Land Rover is ahead of the curve when it comes to software over the air updates, and has been pushing out quite a few across its product range improving everything from the efficiency of the batteries in its electrified models to usability upgrades to the infotainment These are designed to simply make life better, not necessarily correcting any wrongs But if needs be, Land Rover can update its cars before any fault ever happens, saving a time-consuming trip to a dealer. It’s all clever stuff but then, we’ve been used to our mobile phones doing it for years It won’t be all that long before it’s commonplace in our cars, too

Fitting

Rolls of old carpet were loaded up easily, thanks to the F Pace’s level load lip

Jaguar F-Pace

THE run up to Christmas has seen Stuart Milne trying to get a few jobs done around the house before the roster of yuletide family visits, and his Jaguar F Pace has been pressed into service to help. Over the last few weeks, it’s been an Ikea furniture hauler and waste-disposal vehicle.

Stuart has been grateful for the ease with which the rear seats fold flat and the parcel shelf can be removed It was particularly useful recently when he needed to dump his old living room carpet and underlay at the tip. The powered tailgate meant he didn’t have to put the heavy carpets down, and the boot lip was just the right height to make loading easy A removable boot carpet would have made it much easier to clear once he’d returned home, though.

Stuart has been critical of the way the boot floor slopes down towards the tailgate in the past, and it’s claimed several victims. During a couple of trips to the supermarket, jars have rolled out of the bag, down the dip, and have smashed on the floor once the boot is opened. Stuart wonders if fitting a small catch net might be a smart idea.

Leader Pitching Tristan’s Civic against Corolla and Astra proved how good newcomer is

Reboot Update took around 40 minutes while Defender was parked

“The Civic really is a very accomplished family hatchback”

Lexus NX 450h+

Performance

0 62mph/top speed 6 3 seconds/112mph

LONG term test cars have to earn their keep when they’re with me and not just for the supermarket run, but for the Auto Express product testing programme

While we can’t make major modifications because the cars are only on loan to us, we are expected to keep them clean, so our Lexus NX 450h+ fleet car donated its bodywork to a recent snow foam test

There’s nothing like getting up close and personal to paintwork to get to know a car The paint is in great condition as you would expect from a new car, but cleaning that mighty grille is a time consuming pain I quite like the look, but there are too many holes for a quick once over with a wash mitt

The other way of getting to get to know a car is tackling long journeys, and on that front, progress has been slow You can only learn so much from a trip for a supermarket shop Regular readers will know much of my mileage is completed with a trailer and track car behind, but the lack of a tow bar has ruled this out, so mileage has been restricted to just under 1,500 miles in a little over three months With a towing weight of just 1,500kg, it is not the load lugger I’ve

been used to and it may be marginal for my trailer and circuit cars

But a trip to Draper’s base just outside Southampton for a socket set test meant a welcome 250 mile or so round trip and revealed just how good the Lexus is as a long distance cruiser The firm but well damped ride and quiet running motor made the miles fly by, and the boot easily accommodated our socket set samples and sack barrow One neat touch is the way the load cover can be folded and stored out of the way when carrying taller items

The longer trip where we needed sat nav assistance also revealed just how good the 14 inch touchscreen is to use There might seem to be an extra button press than needed when flicking between smartphone mode (Apple CarPlay for me) and the Lexus infotainment system, but the large screen makes figuring out complex junctions a breeze I also like the retention of rotary knobs for the volume and heating levels, because CarPlay covers the screen, which blocks some of the touchscreen’s controls

The adaptive cruise also comes in to its own on a long trip with plenty of motorway

Practicality

Boot (seats up/down) 521/1 436 litres

miles, and it’s good it can be set and adjusted via steering wheel controls and the head up display so your eyes don’t need to leave the road A neat touch for tall or short drivers is the display adjustment that allows you a view of the complete screen regardless of height I’ve also found the speed readout handy in town as a constant, easily noticed reminder of how fast you ’ re going, particularly in areas with plentiful 20mph zones

Most of the Lexus’s miles with me have been relatively short trips with the majority done on electric power alone, thanks to the car ’ s useful 43 mile range The few longer journeys have meant consumption has dropped to 86 2mpg from our initial 180mpg figure, but the Lexus still only needs filling once a month An overnight charge costs just over a fiver, while the same range would be more than £7 50 for unleaded petrol

Around town and for B road driving, the twin electric motors are more than adequate

to keep up with traffic The switch to the petrol motor is barely noticeable, but my range maximising driving stays the same and I rarely feel the need to use anywhere near all of the 302bhp output Besides, when you do, the drone from the CVT transmission doesn’t really encourage spirited motoring

For me, though, that’s not what this highly capable Lexus is all about It never feels like a wallowy, SUV barge, and it’s not a car that begs to be pushed on, either But it is proving to be a good option both around town and for longer journeys

SECOND REPORT After a wash, will our Lexus clean up on a longer trip?

“The few longer journeys have meant consumption has dropped to 86.2mpg”

“While we can’t make major modifications because the cars are only on loan to us, we are expected to keep them clean”

KimAdams products@autoexpresscouk

Skoda Fabia

THE time with our Skoda Fabia has come to an end and picture editor Dawn Grant is sad to see it go. Back in Issue 1,747 she reported on transporting her daughter’s dog Isla and the Skoda hound hammock she had requested This will be missed, because it went back with the car.

Made of a thick waterproof and washable fabric that has an anti slip treatment on one side to help your dog feel more secure, the hammock was easy to fit using straps that go around the front and rear headrests. It provided great protection for the seats and floor from fur and any muddy footprints It is pricey, at £110, but although Dawn only had it for a few months, the quality impressed and it looked and felt like it would last well. You could also use it to protect the boot.

During its six months and after covering nearly 6,000 miles on the fleet, the Fabia really proved its worth. It provided an easy driving experience in town and a comfortable one on its regular 100mile motorway journeys down to the south coast Fuel economy was good, peaking at 70mpg on a motorway journey, but with regular trips across London as well it averaged out around 56mpg.

Dawn loved the Fabia’s practicality The 380 litre boot is large for a supermini and she even transported a double bed. The only problems encountered were a few technical glitches with the infotainment system, which were short lived.

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PHILIPS TAKES A SHINE TO WORKSHOP LIGHTS

NEW PRODUCT Philips Xperion 6000 work lights

Price: from £52 99

Contact: philipscom

NEED to light a space rather than just under a bonnet? The latest additions to Philips’ workshop lighting range may be the answer.

The lighting specialist enlisted the help of professional mechanics when designing its latest flood lights to ensure they are ready for the rigours of life in the workshop.

Starting the range is the £52.99 Xperion 6000 Mini. This compact LED projector lamp has a 500 lumen output and can be switched between a wide beam and narrow focus, even when wearing gloves. Run time is three hours, or nine in 250 lumen eco mode, and there’s a battery state indicator, plus IP65 water resistance and IK07 shock protection

The Flood Mini is compatible with Philips’ Find My Device tracking system, and it can be used to charge or power other devices through its USB C outlet

Its bigger brother is the £104.99 Flood, which has the same wide-to-zoom ability, protection ratings and USB C charging Its output is up to 1,000 lumens and the light can be controlled by hand gestures.

The final newcomer is the Flood audio (£79.99), which has Bluetooth speakers, so music can be streamed through the device

Charging

Is pre-wax prep necessary?

I’VE read your wax tests and I’m interested to see you prepare the surface before applying each product Is this something I should do?

John Heath, E-mail

OUR prep involves using a clay bar and then a surface spray (most car care producers have one) designed to remove any existing waxes or coatings It ensures each wax in the test starts with an identical surface The same measures will certainly help if you are applying a wax, and you may need to prepare the paint as well, if it has lost its shine. The cleaner and smoother the surface, the stronger the bond for any coating

Q

A A

Keeping my grip on snow

AFTER years of driving a 4WD car, I’ve now got a Ford Fiesta What’s the best way to ensure I can get up my sloping drive if we get snow in winter?

Luke Hastie, E-mail

WINTER or all season tyres are the ultimate solution and they will be of benefit when you get to the road. If these are beyond your budget, use a natural de icer like sand to treat the snow Take care with de icing salt or harsh chemicals, which may damage the surface and harm nearby grass when they run off.

Dobigwheelsmeanbadride?

I’M looking for a second hand VW Tiguan or similar I would rather have a smooth ride than sharp cornering Should I avoid those with 19 or 20 inch wheels, or will the ride be okay?

Neil Kent, E-mail

ONLY you can judge what is acceptable, but the key issue here is the profile of the tyre, not the size of the wheel The lower the number (it’s the second of the two figures in the tyre size) the less flex in the sidewall and the firmer the ride But you may not be able to feel the difference between a 50 and 55 series tyres Don’t rule out the bigger sizes until you’ve driven them.

McLaren and Castore rev up new

clothing

NEWPRODUCT

Castore McLaren Black Edition sportswear

Price: £55 (Seamless ¼ Zip)

Contact: castorecom

MCLAREN Automotive has extended its collaboration with sportswear firm Castore with the launch of a Black Edition collection

The companies claim the range, like McLaren’s supercars, combines high performance technical features with minimalist design

There are items for men and women in the clothing line up, made using lightweight fabrics that are both highly stretchable and breathable, making them suitable for workouts and everyday wear And despite the products’ name, not all of the items come in black, with white also an option.

Key pieces in the range include the men’s Long Sleeve Training T shirt, at £48, which has a ribbed neck and a drop back hem It is made from breathable polyester jacquard with ventilation at the back The women’s version is the same price, but is made from a polyester elastane mix and has a raglan sleeve and self fabric collar.

There are also men’s and women’s Slim Fit Joggers costing £60 The men’s version has an elasticated waistband and drawcord, with side pockets. The women’s version also has side pockets, which a self fabric hem cuff and clean finish seams

For a mid layer there is the Seamless ¼ Zip, priced at £55, which is made from a polyamide elastane combination. It has twin needle hems and cuffs, plus the McLaren speed mark heat seal on the neck

NEWPRODUCT

Connected Essentials

Signal-Blocking Key Store

Price: £28 99 (down from £39 99)

Contact: connectedessentialscouk

IF you’re worried about the keyless theft of your car, Connected Essentials has just upgraded its signal blocking car key box. It’s designed to contain multiple keys and bunches, keeping them safe from car thieves looking to clone their signal The 11.5x13x5.5cm box can accommodate cardholders and wallets, while a magnetic flap helps prevent theft through letterboxes. The Faraday box blocks not only key fob signals, but also Bluetooth and WiFi as well The upgraded version has an updated lining to tackle the latest systems, while the internal materials have been changed for improved durability.

news, deals& events

Sportswear

Black

Put best foot forward with Bentley trainers

BENTLEY has teamed up with shoemaker The Surgeon for a limited run of 10 pairs of bespoke Adidas trainers. The shoes evoke the Bentley cars they’re based on, with elements such as diamond quilting and cross stitching on hides identical to those used in Bentley’s interiors.

Each shoe reflects a model from one of Bentley’s three ‘families’, with S and Speed editions having grey and deep red athletic styling, or more calm hues for those representing the Azure models

All 10 pairs are reserved for specialist Mulliner customers, but you’ll be able to get a peek when Bentley unveils the matching Bentley x The Surgeon vehicle during Design Week at Art Basel Miami

Pirelli creates special tyre for 911 Dakar

THE Porsche 911 Dakar is a very special vehicle, and as the first official 911 off roader, it requires a special tyre.

For the first time, Porsche will specify a Pirelli off road tyre as original kit, in this case the Scorpion All Terrain Plus. This is in addition to P Zero summer and winter tyres for use on tarmac

The Scorpion has a strengthened structure and new compounds designed to handle the 911’s performance on the road as well as on various loose surfaces, with a tread pattern more suited to dry environments like deserts than the traditional Scorpion All Terrain.

Driving home for Christmas meets

IF you want to combine your love of cars with a love of the festive season, head to the Motorist cafe in Leeds for the Christmas 2022 meets.

As usual, you’ll be able to show off your pride and joy, whether it’s a car, bike, commercial or classic.

Entry is free, but to really ramp up the Christmas spirit, you can book lunch in the Arnage restaurant and a visit to Santa’s Grotto for your child. Tickets to visit Santa are limited and must be pre booked at themotorist.com.

Minitest Own-brand blades face theultimatescreentest

AS bills keep rising, more of us than ever are reaching for retailers’ own brand products. These can often have similar performance to the better known names, but at a fraction of the price

While this might be acceptable for beans on toast or doing the laundry, can you really trust them on safety critical parts of your car, such as wiper blades?

In previous tests, we have been impressed by the own brand Aerowiper

NEWPRODUCT Aerowiper

Price: £16 52 Rating: Contact: wiperblades co uk

OUR Nissan dealer quoted £40 for a pair of wipers for the Qashqai, so this duo look very tempting at less than half the price The fitting instructions are vague, though, and the handy QR code on the packaging takes you to an Internet dead end.

Once they’re fitted, the Aero have an extra clip to hold them in place, which means there is of them coming loose. The con a little less boxy than on the Bo

The Aerowipers feel more pl the rival blades, but this had n their screen clearing ability Th little clatter from the larger wip changing direction, but it was b noticeable inside the car With evenly matched, that price advanta sees Aerowiper get the victory here

from online retailer Wiperblades co uk It has been upgraded recently, so we pitched it against Bosch’s Aerotwin, a multiple test winner, on a 2017 Nissan Qashqai, with a 26 inch blade on the driver’s side and 17 on the other

The Aerowipers weren’t quite as quiet as their Bosch rivals, but the wiping was just as good, and they look better than before The £6 54 price difference for a pair means that the own brand blades take a long awaited victory here.

MULIPLEWINNER Bosch Aerotwin

books, games & apps

Driven to Crime

Crispian Besley (Evro Publishing, evropublishingcom)

Price: £40 Rating:

A FASCINATING book with dozens of stories of crime in racing Even those with less of an interest will enjoy some of the tales of brazen lawbreaking. Whether it’s a Ponzi scheme funding racing Porsches or a stripper ripping off NASCAR, there’s something for everyone. It’s well written with engaging prose, which is vital for the drier stories

Veteran Motor Cars

Steve Lanham (Shire Library, bloomsburycouk)

Price: £8 99 Rating:

THERE’S good reason why the Bosch blades have won multiple tests in a row. They are quiet and offer smear free wiping at all speeds and in all weathers We’ve used them on a variety of cars and they clear the screen at east as well as the maker’s official blades

Price: £23 40 Rating: Contact: wiperblades co uk least

blades. the most fitting for Bosch to

Our Nissan uses the most common fitti or wipers the ‘U’ hooked arms The Bos ixings have an extra tab to ensure the connection is secure, and it seems to keep noise and movement to a minimum

To test the wipers’ flexibility we leave them overnight in a freezer, and when esh out of the icebox there was some inor judder, but it soon disappeared.

We are still more than happy to commend the Aerotwins, but we’ll e fitting the own brand Aerowipers is year and pocketing the change.

STARTING when the motor car was a ‘horseless carriage’ and going up to 1905 means this book’s compact dimensions aren’t a big problem It feels a little rushed to tell the story in as much detail as would do it justice Like most Shire books, it’s a good jumping off point if the subject interests you, but there’s not much depth.

Parking Jam 3D

Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating:

A SIMPLE game where the goal is to release the cars from their tightly knit parking Gameplay is as straightforward as it gets and while the early levels are comically easy, the difficulty soon ramps up and you’ll be scratching your head trying to work out the best approach It loses points for the frequent adverts and some rather worrying permission requests

Appoftheweek

My BMW

Available for: iOS, Android

Price: Free Rating:

ONE of the best manufacturer apps, this features the usual trip planning, vehicle status and location, service booking, and EV charging, plus it lets you set your smartphone up as a digital key The slick interface works well.

“Can you really trust own-brand products on safety critical parts of a car?”

Toby Knight

BEST BUY SINCE we last tested GRID Autosport, it’s dropped from £9.99 to free, and introduced a raft of extra downloadable content

It remains a brilliant game, with dozens of cars and real life race tracks recreated through excellent

graphics You can tailor the difficulty level to suit you, but even at its easiest, GRID requires some practice before you pick up the knack You’ll also need a fairly high end phone with lots of spare storage space. RECOMMEND STILL the best racing game if you’re not after any sort of realism What you get instead is fast paced, classic Mario Kart action with wacky items, mad tracks and a huge variety of racers to unlock.

The best stuff does sit behind a variety of paywalls, but you don’t have to shell out to enjoy the game and now you can even play in landscape mode, which is a big improvement

Assoluto Racing

RECOMMEND THERE’S a lot to like about Assoluto, from the excellent graphics to the depth of customisation on offer

As well as the usual visual adjustments, you can also tinker with your car under the skin to suit

how you race Add to that a great selection of real world vehicles, and motion controls that offer perfect sensitivity, and you’re on to a very good racer If you’d rather play against real people, though, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Howwetestedthem

MOBILE gaming can be a welcome distraction, whether you’re passing the time on public transport, giving your thumbs a workout in between tasks at work or simply chilling out at home in the evening And phone games have come a long way since Snake and Tetris.

Mobile racing games range from fun, arcade style titles to almost console

Hot Lap League

Price:

SLICK controls and awesome settings make up for slightly wooden physics here With its crazy twists, turns and loops, this is all a bit Hot Wheels, but that’s not a bad thing at all

Paying up front means you aren’t interrupted by advertising or constantly harangued to spend extra. Even the soundtrack’s pretty acceptable It’s not a challenging game, but one that’s good fun and worth the upfront cost.

quality sims. A smartphone may well be your only games console, and while it might not quite beat the latest XBox for graphical prowess, some of these games are certainly just as enjoyable.

We sat down with 10 of the best currently available to download to see which one you should choose for a little four wheeled downtime fun.

WE chose games that were available on both iOS and Android and downloaded them to our Google Pixel 7 Pro.

The deciding factor was how much fun we had playing the games While console games drag you deeper into gameplay, the best mobile games are easy to dip into and out of while you’re doing other

things Graphics aren’t everything, but they need to be appropriate. Realism is important in games that aim for it.

We also like simple gameplay and a sensible menu system Finally, we looked at price. Most of these games are free but supported by ads, so we deducted points if these were too frequent or annoying.

Tom Cossey

Nitro Nation

Price: Free Rating:

A DECENT, straightforward drag racing title with familiar gameplay: set your engine revs for the best take off, then change gear in the green zone

Lots of excellent cars and really good graphics join smooth gameplay for an enjoyable experience, but there are lots of desirable goodies that require payment It also has one of the more ear splitting soundtracks in this test. We muted it fairly early on.

Real Racing 3

GREAT racing here, with an array of assist systems to suit beginners or experienced racers alike and they’re easily switched on and off if you want to challenge yourself. The gameplay is simple to follow and the graphics are great, with an even wider variety of real world cars and tracks to choose from than last time we tested.

We take issue with the waiting around, though. Unless you pay money, you’ll spend a lot of time hanging on for upgrades to your car to be completed.

Price: Free Rating: Gear.Club

Price:

WE love the graphics and the officially licensed cars on offer here The racing’s not half bad either, giving you a choice of gameplay options rising in difficulty. It feels more arcade y than some of the options here, but the races are pretty long, so it’s not as easy to dip into and out of.

We also had real trouble getting the motion controls to work, which is a shame However, the onscreen touch ‘buttons’ worked just fine, so we could still play.

Need for Speed: No Limits

GREAT fun to play, with slick controls, good graphics and plenty of those street racing thrills that Need for Speed has become so synonymous with.

The convoluted system of menus, different kinds of races, and upgrades isn’t particularly easy to deal with, though. The same is true of the limited amount of racing you get before having your hand forced into making purchases or simply hanging about waiting for your ‘fuel’ to regenerate

Asphalt

GRAPHICALLY amazing, and there’s so much going on that you hardly know where to look.

Asphalt is more a cinematic experience than a game, though, because you don’t control your car’s speed or steering. While you

can optionally take control of the latter, it seems awkward and the tracks feel built for the so called ‘Touchdrive’ system Plus, you only get a certain number of plays before you have to wait for more fuel or pay for it.

Verdict

THIS slot racer feels outclassed both in graphics and gameplay. A labyrinthine menu set up and baffling system of upgrades try to mask the fact that the racing here is just boring

Some of the wording feels as though it was poorly translated, and we’re not too fond of the rather sexualised anime style protagonist in a game that’s so attractive to kids, either But if you have strong nostalgia for Mini 4WD racing, you might enjoy it.

GRID Autosport is even better than it was last time we tested racing games. And now it doesn’t cost anything to download, it takes the win here Assoluto comes a well deserved second, and if you’re not bothered about online play, it may actually be the better option. Meanwhile, the allure of Mario Kart on our mobiles still proves compelling enough to earn it third place.

BUYINGCARS

THIS older version of BMW’s entry level hatchback model has a higher satisfaction level than its Mk3 successor, but the better overall score blends very polarised opinions of the car’s attributes and failings According to the respondents in our 2022 new car survey, the 1 Series is judged to be 74th (out of 75) in a string of categories, including value, rear seat legroom and ride smoothness

On the positive side, the BMW landed a 14th place for its infotainment system and an impressive fourth for the user friendliness of its controls The BMW iDrive system helped secure a third place for the balance between its touchscreen and physical buttons. Overall, though, little is outstanding.

WE SAID “Steep running costs mean this BMW isn’t a car to buy if you’re on a budget However, the 1 Series is great to drive, safe, beautifully built and comes with a big choice of efficient engines.”

Rosamond

IT’S easy to think of French car makers such as Citroen and Renault as being the brands most likely to go their own way, but Japanese company Subaru isn’t far behind While those French marques have a back catalogue full of cars with quirky designs, Subaru’s models have long bucked the trend, thanks to their unusual engineering Subaru was one of the first companies to embrace four wheel drive in a big way, while its fitment of boxer engines is unique in the mainstream marketplace, not that this is an especially mainstream firm It would be easy to dismiss Subaru as a brand not worth considering, and while its cars are rarely class leaders, the Mk2 XV is intriguing in many ways But is it a car worth buying?

History

THE original Subaru XV was unveiled in September 2011, and it went on sale in the UK from spring 2012 Its second generation successor was introduced at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, before reaching showrooms in autumn of the same year

Buyers could pick between 113bhp 1 6 and 154bhp 2 0 litre non turbo petrol engines; there was no diesel option, and the only transmission available was a continuously variable automatic with a seven speed manual mode A hybrid was added in January 2020, called the e Boxer. It had the same 2 0 litre petrol engine backed up by a 16bhp electric motor

A facelifted XV went on sale in March 2021, available solely in e Boxer form. It brought a refreshed design, new yellow and blue paint colours, revised suspension and extra driver assistance systems

BUYER’SGUIDE: Subar

Richard Dredge

FROM£16,000 Four-wheel-drivehatch isaleft-fieldoptionforfamily-carbuyers

The lack of muscle is a problem when towing With the 1 6 or 2 0 litre engine, the towing capacity is 1,400kg, while the e Boxer is limited to just 1,270kg

YOURVIEW

DESPITE Subaru being a small player in the UK, the second generation XV was in our 2020 Driver Power new car survey That’s also the last time that Subaru appeared in our Brands survey, in an impressive third place out of 29 entries. The XV was 33rd out of 75 entries, with buyers unimpressed by fuel economy, servicing costs, boot space or refinement They’re more keen on reliability, overall quality, handling and safety.

CASE STUDY

ALEX Tarrant from Morpeth, Northumb, owns a 2019 XV 2 0i He said: “Although the XV doesn’t get the best press, a really good dealer, good warranty and a reputation for reliability were all priorities I also like the fact it’s unusual and has four wheel drive; the roads where I live can be slippery in the winter. My car has done almost 30,000 miles and it’s been brilliant, although the running costs are steep.”

Expert’s verdict

Contributingeditor

SUBARU is one of those brands whose appeal, for its devotees, transcends what others might consider more objective analysis. It had a period of glory thanks to the Impreza’s WRC heroics, but those memories are fading Nowadays, it’s mainly rural buyers who appreciate the XV’s reliability and ruggedness and often also value their long standing relationships with smaller local dealers, who aren’t exactly thick on the ground

Common faults

THE XV has a reputation for a relatively bombproof powertrain, which is also covered by a five year warranty. Some examples may have suffered hard use off road, so if you’re buying from a sheep farmer, look out for damage underneath

PRACTICALITY Legroom is fine, but sloping roofline may affect headroom in the rear for very tall passengers. Boot is relatively small and the size is reduced in e Boxer versions of the Subaru

EQUIPMENT A digital panel sits between the dials with another on top of the dash showing trip information; SE versions have 17 inch alloys, with Premium SE models getting 18 inch rims

Towing

“Nowadays, it’s mainly rural buyers who appreciate the reliability and ruggedness”

ChrisRosamond

Howmuch?

WE found little more than 110 XVs for sale, which for a car that has been on sale for more than five years is a very small number. Of those, there was a pretty even split between petrol and hybrid editions

Prices start at £16,000 for a 67 plate 1 6i SE Premium that’s covered 50,000 miles, although few XVs for sale are such early examples. Most are on at least an 18 plate; a 2 0i SE model with 20,000 miles on the clock could be yours for £19,000, whereas the newest 2 0i editions can fetch up to £26,000, although we found a 120 mile example up for a very optimistic £32,995.

with 25,000 miles on the clock, but you’ll pay an extra £3,000

Runningcosts

ALL Subaru XVs need to be serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles, regardless of whether the 1 6 litre or 2 0 litre engine is fitted The first service is in effect no more than an oil and filter change, which is priced at a hefty £350; the second scheduled maintenance also involves replacing the brake fluid, which pushes the overall cost up to £410

The third check up includes new air and fuel filters, with an accompanying bill of £460. Services four and five are both priced at £600. At the fourth service all the oils have to be replaced, whereas service all of the filters have to be ren

The car’s coolant needs to be repla after 11 years or 137,500 miles; then after that it has to be done every six years or 120,000 miles at a cost of around £100 Given that timing chains are fitted to every engine, there are no cambelts to replace

STYLING XV looks more like a jacked up hatchback than a full on SUV. But four wheel drive allows it to further off road than most SUV style crossovers

CABIN Solid feeling switchgear and decent materials make the XV feel like it’s built to last SE models have fabric upholstery, while Premium SE versions get full leather trim

Interior

FIRST the good news: the cabin offers good all round visibility and plenty of space for five adults, with lots of head and legroom

Not so good is the relatively small boot, which can accommodate 385 litres, or 1,270 litres with the back seat folded In e Boxer form, this is even smaller, at 340 or 1,173 litres respectively

Also disappointing is the dashboard design, which is functional but not especially appealing to look at, with the graphics for the infotainment system rather dated However, this doesn’t affect the functionality of the set up.

Which one?

THE 1 6 litre engine feels under powered, with the 2.0 litre unit having a useful 25 per cent more torque The 2 0 litre engine is detuned in e Boxer form, but with the addition of an electric motor, the peak power is 148bhp and torque is the same as in the non hybrid 2 0 litre XV, at 196Nm The 1 6 litre engine has just 150Nm

All XVs come with plenty of standard equipment, with even the entry level SE featuring automatic LED headlights with a cornering function and high beam assist, automatic wipers, powered folding door mirrors, privacy glass, 17 inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, keyless go, dual zone climate control, an eight inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a DAB radio and a reversing camera.

Premium SE adds leather upholstery, 18 inch wheels, an electric sunroof, electric front seat adjustment and navigation

Alternatives

THE Ford Focus Active and Kia XCeed are arguably the Subaru’s two closest rivals, although these pseudo off roaders are not available with four wheel drive. Stick with

INFOTAINMENT Touchscreen system is complemented by shortcut buttons below. Premium SE trim cars get nav

a conventional SUV and you’re spoiled for choice The Volkswagen Group offers four of them: the Skoda Karoq, Audi Q3, SEAT Ateca and VW Tiguan, all of which look smart and are user friendly and good to drive

The Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson have long warranties and lots of kit, while the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland offer decent value and appealing interior designs The Ford Kuga is good to drive and decent value for money, Mazda’s sharp looking CX 5 is dynamically excellent, while the Nissan Qashqai is practical and stylish Also consider the BMW X1/X3 and the Mercedes GLA.

Verdict

THE first Subaru XV struggled to compete against obvious rivals, and while the Mk2 is a significant improvement, it’s still largely unknown because there are so many good alternatives that are more readily available

But there’s still a lot to like about the XV It’s an SUV that isn’t as tall as most, so it’s

Recalls

SUBARU has recalled the Mk2 XV three times so far. The first was in November 2020 when the Impreza and XV were checked because 585 cars built up to August 2018 left the factory with faulty brake hoses The solution was to replace the hoses.

The second was in November 2021, because 1,949 Foresters and XVs had incorrectly fitted bolts in the rear suspension The cars affected were made from the start of production up to May 2019, and putting things right involved tightening up the bolts or fitting new ones

A third campaign was issued in November 2021, this time because 2,338 Imprezas, Foresters and XVs were fitted with faulty ignition coils on the production line. The cars affected were made up to October 2019 and the solution was to replace the

more like a jacked up hatchback, which aids the driving experience, even if the seating position isn’t quite as lofty Reliability tends to be excellent, and usually the dealers are too, although there are just 80 or so of them spread around the UK Try some alternatives before committing, but strike the right deal and the XV could be very appealing.

Websites

Official subaru co.uk Forums subaruxvforum com clubcrosstrek.com uksubaruownersclubcom

SUPERMINIS have to offer a wide range of attributes, but style, practicality and affordability are at the top of the list for most shoppers in the market for these increasingly sophisticated small hatchbacks

Here we’re pitching two of the very best against one another in the shape of Ford’s mild-hybrid-equipped 1.0-litre EcoBoost Fiesta and Hyundai’s similar i20, which arrived in dealerships a little after the Fiesta hybrid in late 2020.

Both models attracted rave reviews when they were launched, but as a brand new purchase we reckoned that the i20 edged ahead of the Fiesta, thanks to slightly better efficiency and marginally better practicality. It was a close call, but how do they match up today as potential used purchases?

The physical attributes remain the same, but market forces play their part, and with fuel costs rising, any previous economy advantage there will surely be more relevant. We dipped our toe in the marketplace to find out which model comes out on top

Supermini Superstars

Hyundai’s i20 won when it met the Ford Fiesta in our new car test, but how will the Korean model fare in this used-car clash?

Ford Fiesta 1.0

125 Hybrid Trend 5dr*

AGAINST Its smaller boot and rear cabin make the Ford less practical, and it’s not as fuel efficient

THE Fiesta is truly an exceptional example of the supermini breed, which is to be expected given that the Ford has been honed over seven generations.

In our test it beat the i20 for its driving dynamics A more powerful engine gives it punchier acceleration, but quicker and more direct steering, and a finely poised chassis combine with a bit of extra grip to make the Fiesta more fun on a twisty road The trade off is a slightly firmer ride, but we think it’s worth putting up with for more smiles per mile When it comes to miles per gallon, although the two cars are evenly matched in official figures, we found the Fiesta to be a little thirstier, managing only 46 7mpg versus the i20’s 52 2mpg Additionally, the Ford only has a three year warranty, which could make a big difference to the cost of your motoring if you’re faced with an expensive malfunction

From a practicality perspective the Fiesta achieves a lot, but it gives away the advantage on both rear legroom and boot space So it’s really the used purchase price that swings the vote in favour of the Ford Faster depreciation makes it more of a bargain

Verdict

st FordFiesta

THE Fiesta is our winner mainly because it’s dropped in value more, making it the more tempting used buy Everything else being equal, we’d have stuck with the Hyundai.

Shortcut buttons make using the touchscreen easier; boot is smaller than i20’s with the seats up or down

AS in the Fiesta, there’s a lot of interesting tech under the skin of the i20, including a 48 volt electrical system with an integrated belt starter generator. The Hyundai goes one better with a ‘fly by wire’ clutch pedal, so there’s no mechanical linkage You change gear manually in the traditional fashion, nonetheless While there’s not quite as much performance on tap, the i20 did a better job of sipping fuel in our test Our figure was reassuringly close to the WLTP official number, and that could save owners up to a couple of hundred pounds at the pumps each year.

Get behind the wheel and you’ll find the i20 is pleasant to drive, with relatively keen handling and a compliant ride striking a good balance for everyday driving. One of the i20’s biggest advantages over the Fiesta is its boot, which is roughly 15 per cent larger than the Ford’s, and you also get a tad more legroom for rear seat passengers, although they’re equal for headroom and there’s not much in it.

The Hyundai’s five year unlimited mileage warranty is surely appealing to used buyers, though, and higher prices reflect the i20’s strong desirability

Hyundaii20

WITH £1,500 or more separating these two rivals’ starting prices at two years old, and little between them in practical terms, the i20 looks a slightly less pragmatic used bet.

Digital instruments are standard on many models; boot is 60 litres larger than the Fiesta’s with the seats up

THE PRACTICAL CHOICE

AudiA5Cabriolet

FOR: Spaciouscabinandboot,efficient,luxuriousfeel

AGAINST:Fairly commonplace, diesels are unfashionable

WHEN ‘practicality’ means occasionally driving four up, looking at the Audi A5 is a no brainer Its roomy rear seats and 380/320 litre boot (roof up/down) put it on another level to the Mercedes SLK, while it’s beautifully built and the most refined of our trio on the road, too We saw a handful of very nice looking 2.0 TFSI S line petrol autos from 2011 2013 with 34,000 65,000 miles from £11,500 £12,000, but 2 0 TDI diesels are much more commonplace Plump for one of those and you could be in a 2014 car with 50k miles for similar money

THE SPORTY CHOICE

FOR: Two seaterstyle,premiumbadge,foldinghard top AGAINST:Some two seat rivals are sportier to drive

THE SLK is our least practical option, but if your lifestyle can handle two seats and a supermini sized 225/335 litre boot, the mini Merc is a truly comfortable way to tour especially if you find one with the optional Airscarf neck heating system to extend your cruising season. A surf through the classifieds reveals low mileage is the rule rather than the exception, and we especially liked a 30,000 mile 2012 200 AMG Line auto in red with black alloys and leather for £11,600 Also, 50,000 mile, 2015 2 1 SLK 250 CDI diesels are in the same price bracket

THE CHARISMATIC CHOICE

FOR: Iconic styling, practical, cheapest to run

AGAINST:Slightly stodgy handling, less refinement

THE final Mk3 version of the ‘New Beetle’ is a charismatic option that arguably works best in cabriolet form, although the more aggressive styling didn’t seem to attract as many buyers as the previous, somewhat cartoony versions. It’s not the most sporty of drives, for sure, but as a four seat convertible tourer, the Beetle has bags of charm The boot is small, at 225 litres, yet you can put passengers or bags on the rear seat It’s also a cheaper option than the two rivals here, with £10,500 being all you need for a 50,000 mile 1 2 TSI petrol from 2015 £12k will bag a 50,000 mile 1.4 TSI or a 2.0 TDI from 2014.

TOP down driving can be one of life’s greatest pleasures and not just in the summer months, thanks to efficient heating and draught proofing in modern convertibles. Multi layered, electrically operated fabric hoods are now just as good at insulating occupants as their steel roofed cousins when the sun isn’t shining, while powered folding hard tops add a further level of security that

some drivers find appealing We’ve rounded up a trio of used convertibles, from sporty to relatively staid, which would all be fun on trips at home or abroad while still providing a level of practicality that makes them usable for day to day chores

From the sporty Mercedes SLK to the charismatic Volkswagen Beetle and spacious Audi A5, any of these choices would have us looking forward to road trips ahead

Coolconvertibles BUYINGCARS

DearChris, We are a retired couple with a £12,000 budget looking for a fun convertible for weekend trips that’s usable all year round DavidAikin,via E mail

Contact:mail@autoexpresscouk

THE first generation Audi A5 Cabriolet followed its coupé sister model into showrooms back in 2009, and was on sale until 2016 There’s a wide range of engines to suit all pockets, including 1 8, 2 0 and 3 0-litre TFSI petrols, and 2 0, 2 7 and 3 0-litre TDI diesels Elegant and stylish bodywork wraps up a

thoroughly practical interior, but it is classy, too, thanks to great design and terrific build quality

The roof takes a mere 15 seconds to drop when the sun is out, and you can raise it while driving at up to 30mph. All in all, the A5 Cabriolet is a fantastic touring model, if not the most fun to drive.

THIS third-generation Mercedes SLK roadster was produced from 2011 to 2015, and just as with its predecessors, there was a wide range of performance options, from frugal but fun four cylinder petrol and diesel models to the fire-breathing SLK 55 AMG with its 415bhp V8 Virtually all examples are equipped

with the Mercedes 7G Tronic Plus automatic gearbox, and while handling isn’t as ultimately engaging as that of the BMW Z4 its most obvious direct rival the car acquits itself pretty well with the optional Dynamic Handling Pack fitted Body styling was improved over its predecessor’s, too

MORE dynamic styling with what was thought to be a more aggressive stance marks out the final version of the Beetle Cabriolet, but it retains a very traditional sort of charm that’s well suited to leisurely top down motoring You’re more likely to throw bags onto the back seat than stuff them in the luggage area, and the well tailored hood deploys and retracts in not

much more than 10 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph, making the Volkswagen very user-friendly when touring. The most popular engine options when new included the 1 2 TSI petrol and 1 6 TDI diesel units, but you could also choose punchier 1 4 petrol and 2 0 TDI powerplants, along with a DSG automatic transmission

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

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

ROAD

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

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

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

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

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

VEHICLES BELOW £40,000 Electric vehicle: £0 Alternative fuel: £155

Petrol/diesel: £165 Alternative fue s include hybrids, plug in hybr ds b ethano and LPG fuels

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

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

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

John McIlroy John McIlroy@autoviacouk @johnmcilroy

RALLYING has seen some precocious, remarkable driving talents over the years, but no one has grabbed hold of the sport at such a young age as this year’s World Rally Champion, Kalle Rovanperä The 2022 schedule was only the Finn’s third full campaign as a factory driver, in a sport that values experience over the hugely varied stages and conditions above all else So as we entered this season, people were expecting Rovanperä to build on last year’s debut wins but not to mount a serious championship challenge Especially not in an all new generation car with hybrid power His colleagues knew better; Toyota team operations chief and former WRC co driver Kaj Lindström already had an inkling “The big thing is how quickly Kalle is capable of learning,” he says. “At every event, every test, he is soaking up knowledge Of course, we went into this year thinking that Elfyn [Evans, Rovanperä’s Welsh team mate] would be a strong contender but a lot of the team were ready for a big push from Kalle, too ” There was little to suggest Lindström was right on the first day of the Monte Carlo opener, though. Rovanperä ended it in ninth, the

last of Toyota’s factory drivers, as he struggled through a “bad day” in his new Yaris Hybrid.

Yet the next morning there were signs of what was to come True, Monte Carlo was all about the battle between Sébastiens Loeb and Ogier, but Rovanperä mounted a stellar fightback, quietly notching up fastest times and so launching a remarkable campaign

Victory in Sweden was followed by two more, in Croatia (the scene of a final stage shoot out with former champ Ott Tänak), and Portugal, where Rovanperä showed how he could overcome the age old problem of running first on the road and leaving the road cleaner of gravel for his rivals.

After a brief mid season blip in Belgium and Greece, additional victories in Kenya, Estonia and New Zealand secured him the title with two rounds to spare. At 22 years and one day, he smashed Colin McRae’s record to become the youngest WRC champ in history Kalle’s main influence is his dad,

Harri, who was a safe pair of hands in the WRC for teams such as Peugeot, Mitsubishi and SEAT in the late nineties And yet when you speak to Rovanperä Snr, it soon becomes clear that he only ever opened up the possibility for his son to go into motorsport, rather than shoving him in that direction

Indeed, while Kalle started out competing in Estonia aged 10, Harri cites a season where the youngster did virtually no driving at all as perhaps the most significant in his development: “We’d moved from a rear wheel to front wheel drive car,” he recalls, “and Kalle wasn’t so sure about it We did just one event, in Latvia, in 2013; then he said he didn’t want to drive it any more

“Around this time he was asking why he wasn’t doing the sort of things his friends were doing at weekends Rallying wasn’t on the list, and he just lost interest But I didn’t sell the car and, maybe more importantly, I didn’t try to talk Kalle into driving it. It just sat in the workshop for many months

“One day, not long after Christmas ’13, he said: ‘It’d be nice to go somewhere in

the rally car, just to have some fun ’ I made a couple of telephone calls, and we were off. He hasn’t really stopped since then.”

It is hard to see anything other than a sustained period of dominance now from Rovanperä in the same way as Ogier and Loeb have towered over the WRC for nearly two decades. But his dad’s not so sure.

“I don’t think that will happen,” Harri says “Right now, of course, he is very committed, and I don’t think that will change tomorrow But I don’t think he’ll be rallying for 10 years. He’ll move on to something else, probably another motorsport maybe drifting ”

Kalle guest starred at a European Championship round of that discipline in May Yet in the meantime, Kaj Lindström is convinced that his new champ is still just getting the hang of rallying: “I am sorry to tell you this, but he’s only going to get better.”

TALENT BEYOND HIS YE

All the action from the world of motorsport

● Rovanperä’s milestone win ● Youngest-ever WRC champ

“Rovanperä mounted a stellar fightback, quietly notching up fastest times and so launching a remarkable campaign”

ARS

ALL SMILES

On every surface, from snow to loose gravel, winner Kalle did his ex WRC driver father Harri proud

“Harri opened up the possibility for his son to go into motorsport”

BOSS MAN Kaj Lindström (left) says his charger can still improve

STELLAR Rovanperä’s 2022 performance has seen him crowned the youngest ever WRC winner

Join the debate now at autoexpress.co.uk/opinion

GOT a cherished car or van that you acquired new, in good faith, in 2015 or slightly earlier? Love its diesel engine that may still achieve 70mpg? Need to drive it inside the 600 plus square miles of Greater London which includes big chunks of non London like counties such as leafy Surrey, Essex and Middlesex, plus the Garden of England that is Kent?

You might be among the nearly 10 million insiders living and driving in this region Or maybe you ’ re one of the extra millions of outsiders who have little or no choice but to enter by car or van

Either way, it’s my duty to warn you that your Euro 5 (2015 or before) diesel vehicles will, from August ’23, be clobbered by a daily, 24/7 fine/tax/highway robbery ‘charge’ of £12 50 (in addition to the £15 congestion charge in central London) This just invented ‘Expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone’ (ULEZ) racket is heinously undemocratic not least because millions of ‘outsider’ drivers about to be shafted by it had no say in its already signed off implementation. This is my idea of injustice.

Rutherford Mike

What are countless motorists (including me) supposed to do with our still efficient Euro 5-engined cars and vans?

Motorists who drive in the zone five or six days a week and follow the complicated rules will pay an eye watering bill of almost £4,000 a year for the dubious privilege. For those paying late or not at all, fines of £180 for each daily ‘offence’ will be applied Who’s behind this discrimination against owners of legal diesel vehicles? The office of the out of touch, out to make (another) fast buck Mayor of London, that’s who Mr Mayor is currently Sadiq Khan, who’s in effect London and Britain’s car hater in chief For now, he reigns only in Greater London, but if he eventually lands the Labour Party leadership, then finds himself in the running for PM, it’s almost guaranteed that we, the motoring majority, will be further priced out of our humble cars, Meanwhile, I have no doubt that he’ll continue to use a Range Rover as his official mayoral car. So what are we countless motorists (me included) who retain our still efficient Euro 5 engined cars and vans from 2015 ish supposed to do now that we’ll soon be prevented from driving them in a large chunk of the south unless we pay Khan’s ransom? “Scrap your vehicle” is one of his first recommendations.

Got one or two more bright ideas, Mayor? “Walk or cycle” And if this is impossible? “Use public transport we regularly clean our services with antiviral disinfectant.” Pathetic, isn’t it? And, naturally, no mention from him of the fact that many of his bus and train industry employee brothers these days seem keener to go on strike than work

As someone who’s met and interviewed London Mayors, UK Transport Ministers, even a Prime Minister or three, I can honestly say that Khan is guilty of car loathing, excessive revenue raising or, worse still, shamelessly attempting to displace historically heavily taxed drivers from roads they’ve already bought and paid for several times in recent years

If Hate Crimes Against ICE Cars & Vans and/or Discrimination Against The Motorist legislation doesn’t already exist, there’s a desperate need for it to be speedily introduced

Doyou agree with Mike?

Have your say at facebook.com/autoexpress @The Rutherford

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off