you’re not gonna be dancing so by Thomas Swift

Available on selected Dealer stock only. Puma ST-Line 1.0 Ford EcoBoost Hybrid mHEV 125PS Manual Petrol. Fuel economy mpg (l/100km) (Combined): 50.4 (5.6) CO2 emissions: 128g/km. All-New Kuga ST-Line Edition 2.5 Duratec 225PS PHEV 6 Speed Automatic FWD. Fuel economy mpg (l/100km) (Combined): 201.8 (1.4) CO2 emissions: 32g/km. Focus ST-Line Edition 1.5 Ford EcoBlue 120PS Manual Diesel. Fuel economy mpg (l/100km) (Combined): 65.7 (4.3) CO2 emissions: 114g/km.

Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted, variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Available for new vehicles contracted by 30th June 2021 and registered by 30th September 2021. Model exclusions apply, please refer to ford.co.uk for full details. Finance subject to status. Freepost Ford Credit. Only available when you finance a new Ford Car on Ford Options. † £1,000 customer saving off a selected new Ford Car. Age and ownership criteria apply to your current vehicle. See ford.co.uk for more information.

THIS WEEK

‘John Watson and I wrestled over an old-fashioned cable telephone’

Issue 6459 | Volume 308 | No 4

NEWS Audi A6 E-tron First of a new era; plus new Q4 E-tron 4 Mercedes EQS Details of luxury electric flagship 8 Toyota bZ4X SUV concept previews EV onslaught 11 Nissan X-Trail New SUV gets innovative powertrain 13 BMW M3 Competition Now 4WD for the first time 14 Dealership revolution Digital tech sparks big rethink 16

TESTED Porsche 911 GT3 The most track-focused one yet 20 Hyundai Santa Fe Electrified and on a new platform 24 Mercedes S400d 4Matic L Limo driven in the UK 26 AC Cobra Superblower V8 supercharged to 580bhp 27 Isuzu D-Max V-Cross Pick-up chases lifestyle buyer 29 Volkswagen Golf 1.0 eTSI Entry-level mild hybrid 29 BMW M4 Competition ROAD TEST 30

COMMENT

RENAULT GOT THE RIGHT BOSS AT THE RIGHT TIME AUDI A6 E-TRON: NEW EV ON SALE IN 2023 4

FEATURES Bentley Bacalar Limited-run £1.5m roadster driven 40 Is this for wheel? 12 of the maddest steering wheels 46 Luca de Meo Exclusive interview with Renault’s CEO 48 Sorry about the weight Who wants heavier cars? 54 F1’s Ben Edwards Secrets of the commentator’s art 61

RENAULT CEO LUCA DE MEO TALKS FRANKLY 48

OUR CARS Seat Leon Final verdict on basic and plush versions 68 Volkswagen Golf Is it as user-friendly as it should be? 71 Toyota GR Yaris Rally refugee turns basic runabout 73 Bentley Bentayga The difference a tyre swap makes 73

EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Why superchargers are set to clean up 15 Jim Holder Spend, spend, spend – and everyone wins 17 Steve Cropley Shock: VW ID 4 matches Model T feat! 19 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 38 Damien Smith Has Rally GB now been lost forever? 58 Motorsport round-up F1, BTCC, Indy 500, Formula E 59 Your Views Touchscreens, Kia classic, EV charging 66 Matt Prior Smoking’s fun but it’s an expensive habit 90

BMW M4 COMPETITION: ROAD TEST VERDICT 30

DEALS

IF YOU SEE NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND USE THEM BEFORE YOUR RIVALS CAN, YOU WINa

James Ruppert The used cars buyers are flocking to 74 As good as new Pay less for an Audi A5 Sportback 77 Spied in the classifieds £50k E-Type, £9k Saab 9-5 78 Used buying guide Bag an MG RV8 like an expert 80 New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenos 82 Road test index Track down that road test here 89 Autocar, ISSN number 1355-8293 (USPS 25185), is published weekly by Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. The US annual subscription price is $199.78. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Autocar, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. Autocar is published by Haymarket Automotive, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 3SP, UK, haymarketgroup.com Tel +44 (0)20 8267 5000 Autocar magazine is also published in China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Autocar is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think we haven’t met those standards and want to make a complaint, contact autocar@haymarket.com. For more information, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

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RENAULT BOSS LUCA DE MEO SETS OUT HIS VISION TO REVIVE THE FIRM’S FORTUNES 48

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WHY PORSCHE’S 911 GT3 EARNS FIVE STARS 20

IN THE AFTERMATH of Carlos Ghosn’s arrest in late 2018, the dizzying unravelling of the empire he’d created made you question the long-term future of Renault. So complete was his control over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and so shocking was his downfall that it was hard to see how anyone could repair the damage done to Renault, which by now was ﬁrmly ambling along to obscurity in the mid-market. Poor Thierry Bolloré, Ghosn’s immediate successor at Renault, never stood a chance. Yet Luca de Meo arrived soon after, fresh from plenty of success at Seat and seemingly undaunted by a challenge similar in scale to that faced by Herbert Diess to transform Volkswagen after Dieselgate. De Meo has walked into Renault, quickly identiﬁed its problems and rapidly developed his hugely ambitious ‘Renaulution’ plan. But as you can read in Steve Cropley’s interview on p48, he’s done so with such charisma and enthusiasm that you don’t doubt it can – and will – succeed. That Bolloré, freed from Ghosn’s shadow, is doing similar things at Jaguar Land Rover is a reminder that success in the car industry isn’t just about making cars: it’s also about great leadership. And, in de Meo, Renault has one of the best.

James Attwood Executive editor

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N E WS G O T A S T O RY ?

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SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

A6 E-tron heralds new era of mainstream electric Audis Shanghai concept previews all-new battery-powered saloon; on sale in 2023 4 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

W H Y T H I S A U D I R E A L LY M AT T E R S F E L I X PA G E

In a decade or so, we’ll look back at the A6 E-tron’s reveal and mark it as the point Audi went mainstream with electric cars. The E-tron served its purpose as a foray into the brave new world of zeroemission motoring, and the new E-tron GT is a seriously impressive machine with no small potential to rewrite the rule book. But those are halo cars that are almost too futuristic, too expensive and, particularly in the case of the GT, too ludicrously capable for the average motorist to ever imagine having one on their drive. In the A6 E-tron, however, we’ve been shown a relatively realistic depiction of the future of one of the most recognisable and popular executive cars on the market. Perhaps Audi was angling for some

controversy by bestowing such a long-running badge on such a forward-looking car, but even the brand’s biggest fans would struggle to argue that the A6 designation carries the same cachet as Mini, Beetle or even Renault 5. It’s an evolution rather than a reinvention, and the fact that it will be sold alongside the current A6 for several years to come means it will come to be seen, for now at least, as a variant rather than an enforced ‘next step’ for a much-loved model. We’ve had the radical amusebouches; now it’s time for Audi to begin electrifying its legacy models for the main course. If this A6 E-tron concept is any indication, the transition will be swift, painless and easy on the eye.

OFFICIAL PICTURES

The A6 E-tron’s sleek lines are designed to boost efficiency

he Audi A6 E-tron concept previews a new family of EVs that will be built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture the firm is co-developing with Porsche, and is set to go into production alongside the existing combustion-engined A6 in 2023. Revealed alongside the Q4 E-tron (see p6) at the Shanghai motor show, the A6 E-tron concept will be the second production car from Audi to

use the PPE underpinnings. It will follow the Q6 E-tron SUV, which has not yet been officially shown but which will be revealed in the second half of next year. Unlike the performanceoriented J1 underpinnings of the E-tron GT, the PPE architecture is designed for premium-focused SUVs and lower-slung models in the B, C and D segments. Porsche will first use the PPE for the all-electric version of the

next-generation Macan, which launches next year as a sister car to the Q6 E-tron. The A6 E-tron concept’s platform houses a 100kWh battery that gives a range of more than 435 miles. The PPE structure enables the battery pack to be spread out across the chassis for minimal incursion into the cabin. This flexibility allows the platform to be used for both highriding and low-slung vehicles “without any changes to the

basic architecture”, according to Audi. The wheelbase and battery size are scalable, while the wheels are pushed into the corners to maximise both front and rear leg room. The A6 E-tron has been revealed with a motor on each axle and combined outputs of 469bhp and 590lb ft, but Audi says some PPE-based models will be offered with a single motor on the rear axle for improved range and a lower price. Like the E-tron

GT and Porsche Taycan, all PPE cars will come with 800V charging capability, allowing for charging at speeds of up to 270kW – a first, Audi says, for the “high-volume mid-range and luxury segment”. The firm estimates that some 186 miles of charge can be added in just 10 minutes. An air suspension system with adaptive dampers features and a five-link set-up “specially optimised for electric vehicles” is fitted to ◊

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5

Δ the front axle, and there is a multi-link axle at the rear. The most potent variants – likely to be badged RS – will accelerate from 0-62mph in “well under” four seconds, while the more efficiency-focused models will be capable of the same sprint in less than seven seconds. Despite taking the A6 nameplate, the A6 E-tron is not immediately intended to replace its combustion-engined namesake. Measuring 4961mm long by 1960mm wide and 1440mm high, the new model is roughly comparable in size and shape to the A7 Sportback. A four-door coupé variant will be the first to launch, but the firm has hinted that the flexibility of the PPE platform means an estate-bodied version is both feasible and likely. The concept’s design is likely to be altered slightly for production but gives clues about the evolution of Audi’s design language as the brand continues its transition to that of a maker of exclusively electric cars. Aerodynamic efficiency was a priority for the design team, in line with an overall focus on maximising

A four-door coupé will be first to launch, but an estate-bodied version is likely to follow a efficiency. The sloping roofline, smooth side panels, low front end and sizeable rear diffuser help the sleek concept achieve a drag coefficient of just 0.22 and to appear “monolithic”, according to Audi. A version of Audi’s trademark ‘Singleframe’ grille also features. As with the E-tron GT and full-sized E-tron, however, it is decorative rather than functional, with battery, brake and drivetrain cooling controlled by a row of prominent vents in the lower splitter. The interior remains under wraps, but the firm has hinted that the slim battery pack and absence of a transmission tunnel will maximise cabin space. The production version is likely to take cues from the E-tron GT in this regard, with highresolution digital display and

infotainment touchscreens, an angular dashboard design and an emphasis on premium materials and technologies. The digital matrix LED headlights are of an all-new design and Audi’s slimmest yet. They feature OLED technology allowing “maximum brightness and a wide range of features even with a minimal surface area”. The light signature patterns can be individually configured and used to project a specially developed smartphone-based video game onto a wall when parked up – for example, while charging. The tail-lights use unique threedimensional OLED clusters, and can “create almost unlimited customisable variations of digital light signatures and dynamic lighting displays”. Developing on the ‘see and be seen’ ethos behind the

The A6 E-tron’s PPE structure will be shared with Porsche

Audi unveils Q4 E-tron pair with cutting-edge cabin tech AUDI HAS REVEALED the production-ready Q4 E-tron before UK deliveries of the electric SUV begin during the second half of this year. The Q4 is Audi’s fourth dedicated electric vehicle, following the E-tron, E-tron Sportback and recently unveiled E-tron GT, and the first to be based on parent Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric vehicle platform, as used for the Volkswagen ID 4 and Skoda Enyaq. The Q4 E-tron is produced in two distinct bodystyles. A standard SUV model places an emphasis on overall practicality, while a sleeker,

OFFICIAL PICTURES

SUV and Sportback are largely unchanged from their concepts

6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

rakish-roofed Sportback takes on a more sporting role. These production versions retain largely the same designs as their respective concepts, with a bluff front end dominated by a blankedoff grille, heavily structured air ducts, angular headlights with LED functionality, a contoured bonnet and deeply etched swage lines above each wheel arch. They are further differentiated by way of a subtly different treatment for the front bumper and grille. The SUV model receives an angled rear screen within an upright tailgate, while the Sportback features a shallower

liftback-style tailgate similar in design to that of the larger E-tron Sportback. As is customary on each of Audi’s production electric vehicles, each has a wraparound brake light bar with distinctive LED graphics. The wheels vary from 19in to 21in in diameter. At 4590mm long, 1865mm wide and 1613mm high, the Q4 E-tron SUV is 185mm shorter, 15mm wider and 13mm higher than its Tesla Model Y rival. A 2760mm wheelbase endows it with relatively short overhangs and, in combination with its flat-floored skateboard-style platform, an interior that is described by the German car

maker as being among “the longest in its class”. Audi puts the drag coefficient of the SUV at 0.28 and that of the sleeker Sportback at 0.26. The Q4 duo adopt specially designed dashboard and cabin architecture. Key elements include a new steering wheel with touch-sensitive controls, a 10.25in digital instrument display with unique graphics and a standard 10.1in (optional 11.6in) centrally positioned MMI infotainment display with ‘Hey Audi’ voice control function as an option. Customers can choose from three different set-ups: Standard, Virtual and Virtual Plus. The Q4 E-tron is the first Audi to feature an ‘augmented reality’ head-up display, with information, including moving navigation commands, projected onto the windscreen in two separate fields and with varying depth of field. To accommodate the battery, the rear bench seat is mounted 70mm higher than the front seats in their lowest setting. Boot space for the Q4 E-tron SUV totals 520 litres, extending to 1490 litres when the 40/20/40-configured rear seat is stowed, but there is no provision for a front storage compartment, or ‘frunk’; the

space underneath the bonnet is occupied by the power electronics system. The Q4 E-tron will be sold in the UK with the choice of three powertrains offering both rear- and four-wheel drive. The Q4 35 E-tron opens the line-up with a rear-mounted electric motor delivering 168bhp and 229lb ft in combination with a 52kWh (usable) lithium ion battery. Weighing 1890kg (or 1895kg for the Sportback), the SUV has an official 0-62mph time of 9.0sec and a range of 208 miles on the WLTP test cycle. Next up is the rear-wheeldrive Q4 40 E-tron SUV, which uses the same rear-mounted electric motor as the Q4 35 E-tron but with power boosted to 201bhp (torque remains at 229lb ft) and battery capacity increased to 77kWh (usable) for a 0-62mph time of 8.5sec and a range of 316 miles. Heading the line-up is the four-wheel drive Q4 50 E-tron quattro, with front and rear-mounted electric motors developing a combined 295bhp and 339lb ft in combination with the larger 77kWh battery. It has a claimed 0-62mph time of 6.2sec and an estimated 295-mile range. Both the Q4 35 E-tron

NEWS

LED headlights can project a smartphone game onto a wall concept’s innovative lighting technologies, the A6 E-tron also features three highresolution LED projectors along each side. These can be used to project greetings or warning signs onto the ground. Additional projectors at each corner of the vehicle serve to project arrows onto the road to show which way the vehicle is turning. Not all of these features are likely to make production, but they are indicative of the focus Audi’s PPE models will place on the advancement of the technology that is already in use on production cars.

Bespoke dash design includes augmented reality head-up display

The SUV places an emphasis on practicality, while the Sportback takes on a more sporting role a

Entry-level Q4 35 E-tron will produce 168bhp and 229lb ft

The recently launched E-tron Sportback, for example, is offered with digital matrix headlights using more than one million ‘micromirrors’ that can be tilted up to 5000 times per second. Like the E-tron, the A6 concept also is fitted with rear-view cameras in place of conventional door mirrors. The A6 E-tron will enter production in Ingolstadt, Germany, but a factory for PPE-based electric cars that will be sold in China, which is Audi’s most important market globally, will be built in Changchun by 2024. FELIX PAGE

and Q4 40 E-tron are electronically limited to a top speed of 100mph, while the more performance-focused Q4 50 E-tron can hit 111mph. The maximum charging capacity for the Q4 35 E-tron is 7.4kW on an AC system and 100kW for DC, with the Q4 40 E-tron and Q4 50 E-tron allowing speeds of up to 11kW on AC and 125kW for DC. Underpinning the new model is a front MacPherson strut and multi-link rear suspension set-up, with adaptive damping set to be available on selected models. Both will be produced alongside the ID 4 at Volkswagen’s Zwickau factory in Germany, where they will be joined before the end of this year by the MEBbased Cupra Born electric hot hatchback. Chinese market assembly of the new Audi models is planned to take place in a joint venture run by Audi and SAIC in Anting, China. Four trim levels will be available from launch: Sport, S line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung. UK pricing for the SUV starts at £40,750 for the 35, rising to £44,990 for the 40 and £51,370 for the 50. Prices for the Sportback model are not yet finalised, but it is likely to command a premium of around £1500.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7

The rear-wheel-drive EQS 450’s electric motor delivers 329bhp and 338lb ft a

SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

EQS is top-rung Mercedes EV Merc’s ultra-slippery electric luxury saloon to offer cutting-edge tech and luxury

he Mercedes-Benz EQS, an EV equivalent to the S-Class flagship, features standard-setting aerodynamics, over-the-air software update capability, an advanced interior and a new electric drivetrain that will offer more than 700bhp in its most potent form. UK sales of the new liftbackstyle luxury saloon will get under way in the second half

of 2021, with prices roughly in line with the standard S-Class, starting at around £90,000. The EQS’s new EVA platform, which will also be used on the upcoming EQE, EQE SUV and EQS SUV, has air suspension at each corner and a four-wheel steering system with 4.5deg of rear steering angle on its standard setting. The production EQS stays largely true to the

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Dashboard is dominated by three-display digital ‘Hyperscreen’

2019 EQS Vision concept, with a cab-forward profile uncharacteristic for MercedesBenz. Its appearance is dominated by what the firm describes as a “one-bow roofline” that stretches back to form a heavily angled liftbackstyle tailgate at the rear. Other key styling elements include a black grille panel bookended by a pair of angular headlights that are joined by a horizontal light bar. The fully enclosed light unit can be ordered with an optional three-dimensional star pattern. The aluminium-bodied EQS also features a fixed clamshell bonnet, which wraps around the sides to form the top of the front wheel arches. Rather than accommodating a front storage area, it is designed only to be opened during servicing. The windscreen washer filler bottle is mounted in a flap within the front lefthand side bumper and swivels

out when pressed. The frameless doors feature the same flush handles that are available on the S-Class, while the generously dimensioned wheel arches can accommodate wheels ranging from a standard 19in to 22in. The EQS measures 5216mm long by 1926mm wide and 1512mm high, and it has a lengthy 3210mm wheelbase – 106mm longer than the S-Class – and relatively short overhangs. Despite its dimensions, Mercedes-Benz says the EQS betters the facelifted Tesla Model S for aerodynamic efficiency, with a drag coefficient of 0.20. The interior of the EQS is dominated by Mercedes-Benz’s new digital Hyperscreen, a one-piece curved display that stretches across the width of the dashboard and houses three digital screens: one for the instruments, one for the

VOLKSWAGEN EXPANDS ID 3 OFFERING

NIPS AND TUCKS FOR GT-R NISMO

Volkswagen’s ID 3 is now available with a 45kWh battery, giving 217 miles of range, for £28,370 after grant. The new entry-level ID 3 City has a 148bhp motor on the rear axle. A 5%-80% charge takes 31 minutes from a 100kW charger.

Nissan’s GT-R Nismo has been updated for the 2022 model year. It keeps its 592bhp twin-turbo V6 but now uses an unpainted carbonfibre bonnet to save weight. A new grey livery was apparently inspired by the tracks at which it holds lap records.

8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

central infotainment and air conditioning functions and another ahead of the front-seat passenger. The infotainment is controlled by the latestgeneration MBUX operating system that supports touch and conversational speech input as standard. Overthe-air software update capability will allow owners to upgrade various features, including a larger steering angle of 10.0deg for the EQS’s rear-wheel steering system to give a claimed 10.9-metre turning circle, together with subscriptions, temporary feature activations and what Mercedes-Benz describes as “free software test phases”. A high-set centre console divides the front seats, while a near-flat floor helps give more rear-seat accommodation than that of the S-Class. The EQS lacks a front storage compartment, but

NEWS The EQS is 5216mm long overall and has a wheelbase of 3210mm

Mercedes claims the EQS has a drag coefficient of just 0.20 its claimed 610 litres of boot space – 60 litres more than that of the S-Class – extends to 1770 litres when the splitfold rear seats are stowed. In the rear-wheel-drive EQS 450, a rear-mounted asynchronous electric motor delivers 329bhp and 338lb ft, while the initial range-topping EQS 580 – which will not be sold in the UK – puts a motor on each axle for a combined 516bhp and 631lb ft. Both cars have a 107.8kWh (usable) lithium ion battery, the energy content of which is described as being up to 26% higher than that of the EQC. A range of up to 479 miles is claimed. A smaller-

capacity battery will also be offered, although its details have not yet been revealed. Mercedes-Benz puts the 0-62mph time for the 2480kg EQS 450 at 6.2sec, with the 2585kg EQS 580 4Matic, which has full torque vectoring, cutting that to 4.3sec. Both models have a limited 131mph top speed. Also planned is an even more powerful version of the EQS from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance offshoot. Set to be revealed later this year, it will use the same dualmotor set-up as the EQS 580 4Matic but will have a total output of more than 700bhp. GREG KABLE

EQB SUV swells Merc’s EV ranks MERCEDES-BENZ’S ELECTRIC car line-up continues to grow with the unveiling of the EQB at the 2021 Shanghai motor show ahead of a planned start to UK sales later this year. Set to rival the Audi Q4 E-tron (p6), it is based on the GLB, alongside which it is produced at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Kecskemét, Hungary. Full details have yet to be revealed, but Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the top-ofthe-range four-wheel-drive EQB 350 4Matic will be among the first variants to hit the UK. It uses two electric motors – an asynchronous unit mounted up front underneath the bonnet and a synchronous unit housed within the rear axle – with a combined output of 288bhp. Other models set to be added to the line-up include the frontwheel-drive EQB 250, running a front-mounted motor with 188bhp, and the four-wheeldrive EQB 300 4Matic, which uses the same dual-motor set-up as the EQB 350 4Matic, with “around 241bhp”. It is not yet confirmed if the EQB 250 and EQB 300 will reach the UK this year, however. Power for the EQB 350 4Matic’s electric motors is provided by a 66kWh lithium ion battery, which is built by Mercedes-Benz sister company Deutsche Accumotive and is housed underneath the rear seat. It can be charged at up to 11kW on an AC system and at up

Dual-motor EQB 350 4Matic puts out 288bhp

to 100kW on a DC system. Final performance figures are not yet confirmed, but officials have said the initial four-wheel-drive EQB model will have a 0-62mph time of around six seconds, with combined consumption of 3.2mpkWh and a 260-mile range. As with the smaller EQA, with which it shares key elements of its drivetrain, the EQB has its own individual exterior styling elements, including a blankedoff grille, to differentiate from the combustion-engined car. There are also EQC-aping light bands and new bumpers front and rear. Wheels range from 18in to 20in in diameter. Customers will be able to order the EQB with an optional AMG Line styling pack that brings uniquely styled bumpers and 20in wheels, among other bespoke details. Inside, there are unique digital instrument graphics

and altered trims, including ambient lighting and a new ‘rose gold’ colour for the aluminium-effect air vents and dashboard panelling. The remainder is shared with the GLB, including the choice of a five- or seven-seat cabin layout. Modifications made to the MFA platform to accommodate the electric components have reduced boot capacity in fiveseat versions by 75 litres over the GLB at 495 litres. Capacity increases to 1710 litres with the rear seats folded away. The EQB was originally planned to be produced at the Mercedes-Benz-owned Smart city car factory in Hambach, France. However, the sale of the site to Britain’s Ineos, which plans to assemble its new Grenadier there, forced a shift to the Kecskemét site in Hungary, which currently produces the GLB, CLA and CLA Shooting Brake.

OFFICIAL PICTURES

The EQB shares much with the GLB, but the cabin trim is bespoke

SEAT SPRUCES UP IBIZA AND ARONA

SMALL CHANGES FOR BIG-HITTING MINI

Seat has updated the Ibiza supermini and related Arona crossover with a new infotainment system and restyled lights inside and out. Both retain a choice of pure petrol engines, and gain new personalisation options and tech functions.

Mini has facelifted its JCW hot hatch in line with updates to the wider Mini range. New LED headlights, grille and rear diffuser are the visual changes, while inside is a revamped infotainment system. Prices start from £27,300.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9

NEWS SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

New bZ4X paves the way for a production EV due next year

CONFIDENTIAL

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Toyota bZ4X starts BEV era SUV concept shows the brand’s bZ-badged battery-electric future

he forward-looking bZ4X concept provides a long-awaited preview of Toyota’s first production battery-electric car, which will go on sale in the middle of next year. The ‘bZ’ element of its name refers to the Japanese brand’s ‘Beyond Zero’ electrification strategy, through which it will launch at least 15 pure-electric vehicles by 2025, including seven that use the bZ moniker. Spearheading this roll-out, the bZ4X will be the first model to use the new e-TNGA electric vehicle architecture developed in collaboration with Subaru, whose own first e-TNGA-based EV will be a Forester-sized SUV. The defining characteristics of the platform include short overhangs and a long wheelbase, which is said to provide a “spacious and open cabin”. In fact, Toyota says rear leg room is comparable to the near-900mm offered by Lexus’s LS flagship luxury saloon. Here, the platform underpins a four-wheel-drive crossover (hence the ‘4X’ suffix), which is claimed to major on comfort, connectivity

and openness. Heavily angled styling cues, chunky black wheel-arch trim, a familiar silhouette and contrasting roof hint at the influence of the strongselling RAV4 SUV, which has recently been made available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. However, various characteristics, including an all-new front-end design, point to a different design language for bZ-badged EVs. In place of a conventional grille, a narrow black strip houses sensors for autonomous driving features, while sharply styled headlights and sculpted air channels are part of Toyota’s new “hammerhead” look, which aims to generate “a new attitude and road presence”. The cabin, shown in what appears to be nearly production-ready guise, has been designed primarily to give the driver “a sense of direct connection to the road and to important information”. The instrument panel is mounted low for improved forward visibility and to minimise distraction. The large central display, wide centre console

Toyota claims the bZ4X has “class-leading efficiency”

Cabin has strong production intent – even the yoke wheel and textured dashboard can be expected to feature on the production car. Toyota chief engineer Koji Toyoshima explained the philosophy behind the new-look cabin design: “Our target customer is someone who places importance on time spent together with family and friends. When they want to enjoy such times, Toyota’s bZ4X concept can serve as a hub for them.” Technical details of the dual-motor electric powertrain remain largely under wraps, but the system is said to draw on Toyota’s 20-plus years of offering electrified powertrains, and to possess “class-leading efficiency and a very competitive driving range”. With power sent to all four wheels, the bZ4X is said to deliver genuine off-road capability, as well as “peace of mind” in all on-road situations. The SUV’s range is optimised courtesy of an on-board solar charging system that helps to ensure colder weather has minimal impact on usability – a noted drawback of conventional battery tech.

Like the radical LF-Z concept shown by sibling brand Lexus recently, the bZ4X uses an innovative steer-by-wire system, which removes the mechanical link between the steering wheel and front axle. Toyota claims this enhances control while minimising the directional influence of rough surfaces and braking. Toyota plans to take the car’s distinctive yoke-style steering device to production as a result, in select global markets, given the driver has less cause to move their hands around the wheel. The bZ4X will, said Toyoshima, make “driving easier and more fun”. Another part of the Beyond Zero strategy is to achieve carbon neutrality of all vehicles throughout their entire life cycles – from supply chain to disposal. To date, Toyota has sold more than 17 million electrified vehicles, which, it says, equates to 140 million tonnes of CO2 saved. Between 2010 and 2019 alone, Toyota reduced its fleet CO2 emissions by 22%. FELIX PAGE

THE NEW CITROEN C5X doesn’t slot easily into any one market segment, blending elements of SUVs, estates and saloons in its silhouette, and that’s just the way design boss Pierre Leclercq wanted it. “We had a conversation in which someone said they couldn’t really identify what it was, and that’s probably the best compliment for us,” he said, “because we are always trying to ﬁnd a new silhouette and new ways of making cars.” HOWEVER, CITROEN’S premium-focused sibling brand, DS, is much more certain about the shape and positioning of its closely related 9 saloon. “There won’t be an estate version,” UK managing director Jules Tilstone told Autocar, pouring cold water on suggestions that DS could follow the Peugeot 508 in offering the 9 in two bodystyles. “It’s an E-segment car, and though it sits on the extended EMP2 platform, it doesn’t sit in the segment where you would have an estate version,” Tilstone said.

PORSCHE BOSSES SAY that increasing numbers of over-the-air updates won’t make its cars like smartphones: the normal model-year and mid-life facelifts will remain. The Taycan’s director of complete vehicle, Robert Meier, said: “We don’t plan to really go with many, many updates like on a smartphone. It’s not a smartphone: it’s a car that you have to drive safely. In my eyes, we won’t see these [updates] as frequently as you have it on a phone.”

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11

NEWS SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

New X-Trail will use the latest version of the CMF-C platform

OFFICIAL PICTURES

X-Trail to get ‘ePower’ hybrid tech Fourth-gen large SUV will feature Nissan’s unique hybrid system; on sale next year

he next-generation Nissan X-Trail will be offered with the firm’s innovative new ePower drivetrain technology when it arrives in Europe in summer 2022. Shown in full for the first time at Shanghai, the brand’s largest SUV once again shares the bulk of its exterior and interior design with the US-market Rogue, with which it shares a heavily updated

version of the Renault-NissanMitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-C crossover platform. The ePower system differs from a conventional hybrid powertrain in that a petrol engine features but is used exclusively to charge a battery, which in turn powers an electric motor connected to the front axle. In the Qashqai, the set-up uses a 1.5 petrol engine mated to a front-mounted EV motor

for a total output of 188bhp, and it offers the same ‘e-Pedal’ one-pedal operational ability as the Leaf EV. An identical system is likely to feature in the X-Trail, offering better efficiency and emissions than the range of pure petrol and diesel engines used by the current car. The fourth-generation car will remain available optionally with seven seats but is said to “remain sufficiently compact

for easy parking manoeuvres”. For the Qashqai, the slightly larger latest generation of the CMF-C architecture brings new front suspension and a more responsive steering set-up to improve dynamics, and it is likely that the X-Trail will follow suit. Nissan has confirmed a four-wheel-drive variant will be offered, equipped with different settings for driving on snow, mud and gravel.

Dimensions and technical details have yet to be revealed, but the new Rogue is 38mm shorter and 5mm lower than its predecessor, so expect similar changes for the X-Trail, alongside a raft of new, aero-focused design cues. There is no confirmation on pricing, but a premium over the outgoing version’s entry price of £23,000 is likely. FELIX PAGE

ID 6 is biggest VW EV

The new Levante Hybrid weighs less than the V6 version

THE CHINA-ONLY ID 6 SUV is Volkswagen’s largest electric model yet and the first to offer seven seats as an option. Sold in ‘X’ SUV and ‘Crozz’ coupé forms, the family EV is offered with 58kWh or 77kWh battery packs for a claimed

maximum range of 365 miles on China’s NEDC cycle. Measuring 30cm longer than the ID 4, its cabin is said to offer a “lounge character”. The top-rung 4Motion car has 302bhp and hits 62mph from rest in 6.6sec.

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Mild-hybrid Levante is ‘more agile’ MASERATI HAS TAKEN its next step towards total electrification with the unveiling of the Levante Hybrid, which follows the Ghibli saloon in adopting 48V mild-hybrid functionality for improved efficiency. On sale late this year, the car

Light facelift adds cabin tech

pairs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a belt-integrated startergenerator, which recovers energy under braking and deceleration to charge a boot-mounted battery. This in turn powers an ‘eBooster’ electric motor to provide a slight power boost under acceleration and at low revs. Despite cutting emissions by 18% (to 231-252g/km) over the non-electrified petrol V6, the all-wheel-drive Hybrid offers comparable outputs of 325bhp and 332lb ft, which gets it from 0-62mph in six seconds, and to a top speed of 149mph.

The new powertrain also weighs less than the V6 and offers improved weight distribution, so the Hybrid is “even more agile and fun to drive”. A traditional Maserati ‘growl’ is still emitted, without the use of amplifiers. As with the Ghibli, the Hybrid is marked out by way of subtle blue detailing inside and out. Lightly updated for 2021, the Levante is offered in a new range-topping GT trim, and gains reshaped tail-lights, a new grille design, a higherresolution infotainment screen and a range of new driver aids and connectivity services.

The ID 6 is sold as an SUV or a coupé and with a seven-seat option

ZEEKR MARKS GEELY’S PREMIUM PUSH THE DEBUT MODEL from Geely’s new premium-focused Zeekr brand will be the 001, described as the first mass-market shooting brake EV. Set for a global launch next year, it is the first car from Geely to use the firm’s new SEA platform. The 001 has 536bhp and can travel up to 435 miles on a charge. Future Polestar and Volvo models will be closely related.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13

The xDrive set-up cuts the M3 Competition’s 0-62mph time by 0.4sec

M4 Competition will also be offered with xDrive

OFFICIAL PICTURES

M3 and M4 gain 4WD option M division adds four-wheel-drive capability to its hardcore saloon and coupé pair

or the first time in its 35year history, the BMW M3 is now optionally available with four-wheel drive, in addition to the standard rear-wheel-drive format. The new M3 Competition M xDrive enters production in July alongside a mechanically identical four-wheel-drive version of its M4 coupé sibling. Prices start from £77,015 and £78,315 respectively, each some £2260 more than the standard Competition variants. The addition of a powered

front axle should add around 50kg to the weight of the regular M3 and M4 Competition models (which weigh 1730kg and 1725kg respectively), but it delivers, according to BMW, “track-focused performance with impeccable usability”. While outright outputs from the duo’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six engines are unchanged at 503bhp and 479lb ft, the improved traction cuts the 0-62mph time from 3.9sec to 3.5sec, making the new arrivals slightly quicker

than a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Crucially, though, it will be the shift in dynamic character that most obviously marks the M xDrive cars out. Power is sent to the road through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with a rearbiased set-up programmed “in classic M style”, while the active differential distributes power variably across the rear axle as required. The xDrive system uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case to smooth

MG’s Cyber looks to Generation Z MG IS SET to launch a new electric vehicle sub-brand, aimed at attracting younger car buyers to the marque and spearheaded by the electric Cyberster roadster concept. It is understood that the radical two-seater will serve as a flagbearer for the spin-off brand, which is set to take the Cyber name. Sources at MG parent company SAIC suggest Cyber has been conceived to “expose the MG name to a wider range of customers”, notably China’s tech-savvy ‘Generation Z’ demographic.

14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

The first Cyber model is rumoured to be an electric SUV, which is due to be revealed in September. The Cyberster itself, first previewed last year, is described as a “vision of the future” and was created to show off a new design language conceived at SAIC’s London-based design centre. Inspired by the 1962 MGB, the two-seat Cyberster’s highly contemporary appearance is combined with traditional roadster proportions, including a long, sloping bonnet, a

set-back cockpit and a sharp ‘Kammback’ rear end. “The Cyberster is a bold statement that looks strongly into MG’s future, touching on our heritage but, more importantly, building on our advanced design and cuttingedge technology,” said Carl Gotham, head of SAIC’s Advanced Design Centre. Key styling elements include a low, wide grille that forms part of a heavily tapered front end, so-called ‘Magic Eye’ concealed LED headlights, a short speedsterstyle windscreen, heavily

out the power transfer process, while an “optimised” oil supply system ensures a constant level of performance even under consistent hard driving. A bespoke control unit and wheelslip limitation function allow for quick responses to any loss in traction, enhancing dynamic performance and making the M3 and M4 capable of “powering through corners in a controlled drift”. In standard 4WD mode, the system maintains a mostly rear-wheel bias, while Sport

mode relies more heavily on the back wheels and 2WD mode disconnects the front driveshafts entirely. The reconfigured drivetrain is accompanied by a tweaked chassis set-up, with a bespoke steering ratio, redesigned front struts and retuned front axle geometry. The xDrive cars arrive a few months ahead of the M4 Convertible’s debut, while the long-awaited, first-ever M3 Touring launches next year. FELIX PAGE

SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

Cyberster has a claimed sub-three-second 0-62mph time

Ferrari targets all-new tech for its 2025 EV FERRARI WILL LAUNCH its first all-electric model in 2025, with boss John Elkann promising it will “bring the uniqueness and passion” of the marque “to new generations”. The firm has been working on its first EV for some time but has previously refused to commit to a launch date while it developed suitable technology. However, speaking during Ferrari’s annual general meeting, chairman Elkann revealed the firm was planning to unveil the model in 2025. He said: “You can be sure this will be everything you dream the engineers and designers at Maranello can imagine for such a landmark in our history.” Speaking about Ferrari’s wider electrification strategy, which includes plug-in hybrids and a return to the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023 with a new hypercar, Elkann said: “Our interpretation and application of these technologies both in motorsport and in road cars is a huge opportunity to bring the uniqueness and passion of Ferrari to new generations.” Elkann gave no more details on the specifics of the EV. Last year, leaked patents suggested the firm was working on a fourwheel-drive two-seater with an electric motor on each wheel. Speaking to Autocar last year, Ferrari commercial boss Enrico Galliera said the firm would not launch a BEV until electric technology allowed the company “to produce a car that fits with our position”. He added: “If we bring in new technology, then we need to bring something new to the

creased side panels, rollover bars behind the seats and a bold brake light graphic resembling the Union Jack. Its stance is underpinned by a long wheelbase, wide tracks, large ‘hacker blade’ wheels and ultra-short overhangs. The concept’s ‘interactive gamer cockpit’ receives an even more futuristic look, with a distinctive gamepadstyle steering wheel, a curved instrument screen and a floating centre console that separates the driver and passenger compartments. There are also ‘zero-gravity’ seats with floating-effect cushioning and headrests. Headline performance figures include a claimed

market. That’s how Ferrari has always worked with new technology. The evolution of new technology is 100% in the DNA of Ferrari.” At the AGM, Elkann also said the firm would launch three new models in the coming months, although he did not give any details of these. He added that the firm was making progress in its search for a new CEO to replace Louis Camilleri, who retired late last year for personal reasons. He hinted that the new CEO would outline a long-term vision for Ferrari at the company’s Capital Markets Day investors event scheduled for next year. He added that 2022 “will also be a year of important new product launches and particularly the Purosangue [Ferrari’s first SUV], which is turning out to be something truly special”. Ferrari sold 9119 cars in 2020, which was around 10% down on the previous year.

Ferrari’s boss says EV tech is a “huge opportunity”

0-62mph time of less than three seconds and a range of up to 497 miles. SAIC says the Cyberster has been conceived to use new cell-to-pack battery technology, which aims to boost efficiency by stacking the cells directly into the battery pack without the need for individual modules. Further innovations include 5G connectivity to allow communication with the surrounding infrastructure and other road users. It is not yet confirmed whether the Cyberster will enter production as an opentop sibling to the upcoming MG E-Motion Coupé, which is expected later this year.

NEWS

UNDER THE SKIN JESSE CROSSE

SUPERCHARGED AIR PUMP TECH SET TO CLEAN UP DIESEL’S ACT Air source CSTU

Engine

DEF injector

Mixer SCR catalyst

SUPERCHARGING IS THE age-old method for boosting power by forcing air into an engine under pressure, feeding it with more oxygen to burn more fuel and generate more power. It has another use too: that of providing an excess air supply to promote cleaner combustion (rather than boost power), and in that role, as an air pump, one of the latest examples of its use is by Mazda on its Skyactiv petrol engines. The latest application of supercharger technology as a ‘blower’ is by Tenneco, which has got together with supercharger manufacturer Eaton to develop a Cold Start Thermal Unit (CSTU) for diesel cars and trucks. The focus here is not on internal combustion but the exhaust system, and with Euro 7 regulations looming, the pressure remains on to reduce emissions. Even if ultra-low-carbon synthetic fuels were to take off in a big way to reduce CO2 (and that’s a big ‘if’), there are still unwanted regulated emissions to get rid of, such as oxides of nitrogen. NOx is produced when hydrocarbons are combusted with air and then oxygen and nitrogen combine to make oxides of nitrogen. More NOx is produced at higher temperatures, and diesel engines make more of it because they are lean-burn and generate high temperature hot spots in the combustion chamber. Ironically, plenty of heat is also necessary for getting rid of NOx, but that heat is needed in the exhaust rather than the engine. Catalytic converters, including the latest diesel selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and diesel particulate filters (DPF) all need to reach high temperatures to work, but diesel exhaust is much cooler than that of a petrol engine due to the diesel’s high efficiency. More of the fuel is converted into torque, rather than wasted as combustion heat. One way of getting around that is to use close-coupled catalytic converters, mounted as close to the engine as possible to capture exhaust gas before it can cool down. That works well, but packaging a close-coupled cat in the engine bay is awkward, and systems are still below peak efficiency in the first few seconds after cold start. The new system combines a mini-burner and an electrically driven Eaton TVS

Diesel Diesel particulate filter oxidation catalyst The new blower system could help manufacturers achieve Euro 7 NOx reductions of 90%.

Roots-type blower. ‘TVS’ stands for Twin Vortices, and the Roots brothers were the original inventors of the dual-rotor positive displacement pump concept. (Incidentally, the Roots blower wasn’t invented to force-feed engines for increased power; it was originally intended as a blower for blast furnaces in the steel industry.) The blower pumps air through the CSTU burner, which injects and burns a small amount of fuel into the airstream, quickly heating the catalysts and DPF further downstream. Once the SCR catalyst has reached 200250deg C, it can efﬁciently convert NOx to harmless nitrogen and water. The system works well during the crucial start-up and warm-up phases when most emissions are generated and also when engines are left idling and start to cool. It can work in both light-duty vehicles (cars and vans) and heavy trucks, all of which will be subject to the much tighter Euro 7 rules when they come into force in 2024 and 2027 for cars and trucks respectively.

ACRIM-WHEEL SEES THE LIGHT A consortium headed by Chippenham firm Carbon ThreeSixty is developing the Acrim-Wheel, claimed to be the world’s first commercially viable, low-cost lightweight all-composite wheel for niche and electric vehicles. The wheel is earmarked for tests on Gordon Murray Design’s Motiv autonomous vehicle and on a conventional car. A 15in wheel should weigh 50% less, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 5%.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15

Customers can get to know Lucid’s EVs through an online configurator

The digital future of car sales As the cost of switching to electrification bites, are the showroom’s days numbered?

our app pings: you’re next up at the ‘smart bar’. You finish your coffee and saunter over, feeling slightly smug you’ve jumped the queue of people who turned up on spec. You stare at a guy at the next table miming the actions of a rally driver, until you realise he is wearing VR goggles and is virtually test driving the brand’s new car. At the ‘bar’ you draw out your phone and open the app that mirrors the infotainment screen of your car parked in the shopping centre’s basement. A brand ‘scholar’ walks you through the latest update, indicating the extra range and new features. You agree to the terms and your car is updated via secure wi-fi. You leave, realising that you haven’t been pressured to spend any money. This vision of the future of car retailing has been created from a range of expert views. Whether it will become reality has yet to be determined, but what’s clear is that our physical interaction with dealers is going to alter dramatically as car makers look to shake up an area of business that has resisted change for years. Volvo first signalled it

16 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

wanted a completely different approach in March, when it announced plans to switch sales to online only by 2030 (also the date it will go electric only). The Swedish brand said it wanted “transparent pricing” and promised to “radically simplify the process for signing up for an electric Volvo”. Volvo made it clear, however, that buying online didn’t mean junking its existing physical showrooms. Even Tesla, that pioneer of the online car sale, has concluded that it can’t grow sales without also expanding the number of centres where buyers can interact with a car and speak

The shift to digital sales will change how dealerships operate

to a human being. After toying with the idea of ditching stores altogether in 2019, Tesla said earlier this year it had expanded its European network by a third in 2020 to 161, of which 25 are in the UK. So there will be dealers, but how will they behave? Very differently, is the expectation. Volvo’s plan to move away from the current wholesale model to direct sales in effect shifts the burden on selling cars from the dealer to the car maker, like what Tesla has done. This so-called ‘agency’ model removes the ability of the dealer to set prices. Instead, the manufacturer dictates

what you’ll pay and no haggling will be allowed. The dealer, or agent, instead gets a fixed fee. It’s about time it changed, argues Steve Young, managing director of automotive retail analyst firm ICDP. “This industry is the only one that starts the conversation with the customer with a lie,” he says. “We start off by saying the car is £39,000, or whatever, and we both know that’s not the end game.” Mercedes-Benz currently uses direct sales in Sweden and Austria and already it’s having an impact on the atmosphere in showrooms. “You now find a different sort of person in a dealership there,” says Young. “The hard-driving sales guys have tended to move away from Mercedes because they’re not able to do the deals.” Instead, Mercedes dealers are attracting those with more of a hospitality industry outlook. To properly say goodbye to the hard sell and haggling, you need a change of name. “Even the word ‘dealership’ tells you a deal is going to take place,” says Matthew Warrener, founder of automotive retail consultancy Auto Atai. “It tells you how to behave.”

Instead, dealerships are being rebranded as stores, but to earn that name change they’ll need to think like stores too, argues Warrener. He paints a fairly grim picture of the average showroom with its hard tile floors, understaffed parts desk, sad little ‘shop’ with branded mugs, and eager sales staff at a customer’s side within the mandated 63-second time frame before they escape. Instead, car showrooms should behave more like shops, and Apple stores in particular. “They need that department store model, where customers can just walk in and browse,” Warrener says. “Service departments need to be seen like Apple Genius Bars. They solve problems, they’re knowledgeable, they create superfans.” You go for software updates that improve your car, but you’ll be told about chargeable upgrades if you ask. Rather than the dealer ensnaring you at the end of a sales funnel, the store becomes “just another touchpoint”, says Francois de Bodinat, chief product officer at ZeroLight, a UK software firm that’s overhauling car maker websites and configurators to make

NEWS

Jim Holder

TA K E- U P O F C A R E BY V O LV O S U B S C R I P T I O N S E R V I C E 14%

I N S I D E I N F O R M AT I O N

12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% Aug 2020

Sept 2020

Oct 2020

Nov 2020

Dec 2020

% of Volvo Cars UK orders them more user-friendly. “The idea is to say the customer is free to decide. They have the freedom to start at the dealer or online or Facebook or wherever,” he adds. ZeroLight’s mission is to blur the line between real and virtual by using video-game graphics technology to bring the car to life on screen, to the point that configuration is complete by the time the customer visits the showroom, if indeed they want to. De Bodinat highlights the work his company has done with US electric start-up Lucid, which will be relying on a slick online configurator to sell its premium message until it builds up a retail network. Its few stores will feature VR goggles to allow customers to visualise sitting in the car and make spec changes, doing away with the need for a physical car in, for example, a cramped shopping centre location. The whole point of the retail transformation is to save

Jan 2021

Feb 2021

Luxury car brands are bouncing back faster than most

Mar 2021

Q Total Q Retail

money, according to Young. “Retail is broadly one-third of the price of a car and has been for a long time. It’s a big supertanker to shift,” he says. The sheer cost of electrification is forcing car makers to address this retail expense, with many reducing their networks and increasing the distance customers will have to travel from the industry standard of a maximum of 30 minutes. Car makers are putting their retail network to work in different ways – for example, by turning them into hubs for subscription models, whereby customers pay a higher fixed fee to change cars more often. Volkswagen, for example, will begin piloting subscriptions for the ID 3 and ID 4 electric cars this summer in Germany alongside the roll-out of online sales for both models. In the UK, Jaguar Land Rover offers all-in subscription leasing starting at £750 per month, with customers swapping cars every six

months. French premium brand DS, meanwhile, has begun a rental service in the UK that allows customers to access a second car from £48 per day. There is an air of unreality and headline-grabbing to some of these plans. Customers in the UK will for the most part go back to buying cars as normal once lockdown fully ends, haggling over a desk for that final £100 discount. But car makers still need to remove cost. For online buying to work, though, customers will need a single, non-negotiable price, and in the meantime cars are going to become ever more software dependent, with the attendant need to have that complexity explained by an expert. As cars get more expensive, says Warrener, the brands that succeed will be those that can use their retail network to convince customers their cars are worth the (now fixed) price: “If they get that right, then they’ll sell.” NICK GIBBS

Virtual reality will allow buyers to try out spec changes

THERE’S NO QUESTION that the pandemic has been more troubling for some than others. Economic, social and financial divides have been exacerbated, and that tale of everyday life is reflected in the fortunes (or otherwise) of car makers. Nowhere has this been more true than for luxury car makers, whose fortunes have largely bounced right back. As proof, the most eye-catching figures have emanated from Rolls-Royce and Bentley in recent weeks. Their Chinese, Asian and US markets have driven record deliveries and forward orders as they thrive at a time others are just trying to survive. In the first quarter of this year, Rolls recorded the best results in its 116-year history, delivering 1380 cars, 62% up on 2020 and surpassing its previous best from 2019. In a brief statement, the company said the bespoke commission side of its business was also booming – these cars, of course, being the preserve of the ultra-rich. Bentley, meanwhile, has been roaring along, getting out of the blocks faster than everyone post-pandemic and building from there. In 2021 so far, deliveries have been up 30% year on year and orders up 50%, all off the back of the biggest-ever year in its 101-year history in 2020. Again, it is notable that the coachbuilt, £1.5 million Bacalar (see

p40) has been a smash, all 12 customers staying true despite the ravages inflicted elsewhere on the world. Perhaps most significant is the manner in which both companies are talking about their order banks. Bentley’s figures are transparent: orders are growing even faster than deliveries, which is the ideal place to be. Rolls is also talking this side of its business up. It picks out the Ghost and Cullinan as star players, and notes orders extend “well into” the second half of this year. Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark has spoken of the post-pandemic world witnessing a spending surge akin to the economic boom that followed the First World War. Economic data from after the first wave of lockdowns backs this up, as do the latest economic reports, which are positive about the pace of recovery despite the evident disparities in vaccination rates and efficacy, and the ongoing emergence of new variants of the virus. Good news for the ultrawealthy, then. But also good news for us. The rich getting richer may stick in the throat for some, but bear in mind that one person’s indulgence is a job opportunity for thousands more – at the car makers, across the supply and retail chain and into the wider economy. To differing degrees, in differing ways, overt spending should reassure us all.

Autocar Business is our industry-focused brand, delving deeper into the business of the automotive world. Sign up for our regular bulletin at autocar.co.uk/business-signup.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17

Unbox yourself

All-new Mokka Electric. Petrol. Diesel. SEARCH NEW MOKKA

Fuel economy and CO2# results for the All-new Mokka range: Combined mpg (l/100km): 47.1 (6.0) – 65.7 (4.3). CO2 emissions: 137 – 114g/km. WLTP figures shown are for comparison purposes and should only be compared to the fuel consumption and CO2 values of other cars tested to the same technical standard. The fuel consumption achieved, and CO2 produced, in real-world conditions will depend upon a number of factors including, but not limited to: the accessories fitted (pre- and post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. For more information, contact your local Vauxhall Retailer.

COMMENT

Steve Cropley MY WEEK IN CARS

Silverstone’s tech college is working with Praga Cars to foster engineering talent

MONDAY Car companies with decisive leaders make better cars. Don’t take my word for it, just read a few names: Henry Ford, Ettore Bugatti, Enzo Ferrari, William Lyons, Colin Chapman and Elon Musk. This truth is one reason why I feel distinctly bullish about the future of the Renault Group, now led by Luca de Meo, interviewed at length in this issue (p48). We met via Zoom, and during an hour together I found his deeper explanation of the ‘Renaulution’ plan especially exciting from the new products point of view. (Latest ofﬁcial pronouncement on the prospect of a new Renault R4: “Why not?”) I’ve known de Meo in previous roles. He knows how to take full control without either standing on ceremony or cramping the style of his lieutenants. He surprised me by wanting to know – sincerely, as well as I could judge – how Renault’s new plans were playing with us in the UK. Sure, we’re only a 3% market, he said, but Renault would like to do much better here. And because of our government’s 2030 cut-off for internal combustion-engined cars, they’ll probably use us as a test case for new marketing techniques and messages. Bring it on.

TUESDAY Wandering the Cotswolds in a new Land Rover Defender 90, I saw an ancient 110 coming the other way. It was being driven (I at ﬁrst presumed, giving rein to my instinct for stereotyping) by the sort of bloke who’d hardly notice our new model, let alone want one. But as the distance between us closed, I saw a big thumb: it was up. Then I saw the teeth, at the centre of a huge grin. It was obvious we had this guy’s full approval, which was heart-warming. One of Land Rover’s worries was always that they would lose the traditionalists. But it seems to me

As the distance closed, I saw a big thumb: it was up a (setting aside some justiﬁed complaints about pricing) they have avoided that entirely.

WEDNESDAY “Volkswagen’s ID 4 Completes Epic 6700-mile Journey Across America,” read a shouty headline in my inbox. It seemed awfully OTT. What kind of disaster would it have been if this state-of-the-art EV hadn’t made it as far as plenty of people go on their holidays? A century ago, Henry Ford and friends (among them Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and US president Warren Harding) did similar distances on summer tours in Ford Model Ts without bothering to boast.

THURSDAY For most of us, school and racing cars were traditionally at odds: you drew cars in your

Ford, Edison and pals kick back after a long day’s drive school books as a substitute for real work. But the Silverstone University Technical College isn’t like that, especially now that it has struck a partnership with race car manufacturer Praga Cars. Beginning at 14, students train here for careers in technology, race engineering and associated occupations like event organisation. Praga (which this year has 10 runners in the Britcar Endurance Championship) is offering students chances to work on cars and mix with professionals. The Silverstone UTC principal, Neil Patterson, is a former chief engineer at McLaren (he launched the MP4-12C), where he also worked with Praga’s UK managing director, Mark Harrison. The deal will surely do wonders for the real-world experience of UTC students and, eventually, help the whole race industry.

FRIDAY

AND ANOTHER THING… I rediscovered reading during lockdown, but my enjoyment of Richard Williams’ Stirling Moss biography, The Boy, was on another level. It is admiringly unsentimental, if those words work together, and when you’ve finished its 60 short chapters (or ‘laps’), you feel sure you’ve seen things as they really were.

One fascinating fact unearthed in the Duke of Edinburgh’s obits is that HRH was directly responsible for postwar Austin design improvements that produced cars like the A40 Farina. According to Barney Sharratt’s ﬁne book Men and Motors of the Austin, the duke visited Longbridge in 1955, viewed their forthcoming models and ﬂatly told boss Leonard Lord: “I’m not sure these are up to the foreign competition.” Lord lifted the phone to Farina the next day.

GET IN TOUCH

steve.cropley@haymarket.com

@stvcr

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 19

ook at this new Porsche 911 GT3 on paper alone and you could be tempted – forgiven, indeed – to think we’ve been here before. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Or near as makes not much difference. Bit heavier, bit more powerful, a lot more expensive. Flat six, no turbos, two pedals or three. Nothing to see here, move right along. And what a mistake that would be. Because when you drive it, and for reasons we’ll be getting to directly, you realise it is one of the most-changed GT3s of them all. The most? The improvement from first to second generation of the original 996 was undoubtedly larger, but conceptually and in the way the car now begs to be driven? Yes, I’d say so. But space is short and the changes are many, so join me for a quick charge around what is, if nothing else, the most surprising GT3 I’ve driven. The 4.0-litre engine has gained 10bhp and in power terms now precisely splits the difference

between the 493bhp previous GT3 and its 513bhp GT3 RS sibling. Weight has gone up a paltry 5kg, which would have been nearer to 40kg had Porsche not gone above and beyond to keep mass under control. It has, however, managed to save 6kg in the engine, 10kg in the exhaust system and the same amount by using a lithium ion battery. A further 4.7kg comes with thinner glass, 2.5kg using a CFRP bonnet, 3.5kg with lighter engine mounts, 1.9kg by having less sound-deadening material, and the rear deck is 0.5kg lighter. The forged alloys save 1.3kg. You can save almost as much again if get trigger happy with the options and spec ceramic brakes and seats and a roof made from CFRP. Be warned, however, that those three innocent ticks alone add more than 10% to the price of the car. But there’s an even bigger change to the aero package, which is, I think, the first on a GT3 to generate sufficient downforce for Porsche to want to discuss ◊

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21

TESTER’S NOTE There’s a new GT3specific instrument mode for track use. It simplifies the screen to leave just tyre pressure, revs, speed, oil and water temperatures displayed. AF

Double-wishbone front suspension gives the steering a far more incisive feel Δ in numerical detail. The new rear spoiler looks odd with its ‘swan neck’ mounts, but it’s that way because it’s the underside of the wing that does the most work, so keeping its surface clean makes more downforce. There is, of course, a new front spoiler, but you have to jack the car up and whip off a front tyre to see how the front diffuser now manages airflow around the wheel well and can be adjusted to balance out changes of rear wing angle. With everything at max attack, it develops 385kg of downforce, some 150% more than the old GT3 in the same configuration.

That’s a big deal, but not as big as the other change you’ll see when that alloy is off the car. For there at the front is the first double-wishbone suspension unit to grace a street 911 in the 58-year history of the car. Indeed, if you want to drive another 911 with wishbones, you’ll need to spend one million bucks on a Le Mans-spec RSR racer. Literally. This profound change of approach has meant the multi-link rear suspension has had to be entirely redesigned too, because otherwise the four-wheel steering system would not have worked as required.

Thinner glass, less sound deadening and lighter alloys help keep weight in check 22 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

It is no exaggeration to say you’ll notice the front suspension before you’re out of the car park. Just waggle the wheel from side to side and the car responds more instantly and more precisely. It feels rose-jointed, like a racing car, largely because it is. It’s actually a little disconcerting at first, because the steering doesn’t feel like that of a 911, and it’s lighter than I’d expected. For myself, I’d dial down the assistance a touch. And soften the ride. Mirroring a move made with the last GT3 RS, the front spring rate has doubled, and while we’re not quite comparing like

with like, because that was a strut and this is a double wishbone, the GT3 is decidedly firm on the bumpy B-roads on which many British buyers will spend most of their time in the car. It’s a couple of clicks shy of being harsh, but those who want the new Touring version (which Porsche won’t confirm but everyone knows is coming) would probably prefer more street-friendly settings, especially if some of the reason for the new, higher spring rates is a need to support the body under the weight of all that downforce the Touring isn’t going to have. The GT3 is, though, sufficiently refined for longer distances, although there is a low-rev resonance in the car, which is probably the price you pay for the thinner glass and reduced sound deadening. But once you’re up to speed, my goodness. Here is a new level of composure and precision for the GT3. The car feels smaller because you can aim it more accurately. Grip on standard Michelin Cup 2 rubber (Cup 2Rs are now optional) is such that so long as it’s neither cold nor wet, no sane person will unstick it in public. For that you need a track. And here the GT3 is another car entirely. It’s almost not worth mentioning the engine because it remains the work of absolute and utter screaming, shrieking genius it has always been. The PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox is beyond serious criticism

FIRST DRIVES WHY THE SWITCH TO DOUBLE WISHBONES?

` Here is a new

Because double wishbones are better than MacPherson struts at keeping as much of the tyre as possible on the road and working. The more consistent the contact patch can remain through the suspension’s arc of operation, the more grip the car will develop, the more reliable its handling will be and the better the tyres will wear. So why don’t all cars have them? They are expensive to develop and simply not needed for most cars. A MacPherson strut provides less wheel control and fewer options for tuning, but it has done the job well enough to serve on all road 911s for 58 years. It’s also cheaper to produce and more space efficient – two reasons why it appears on almost all affordable cars. Interestingly, though, the GT3’s luggage capacity is unaffected. The GT3’s suspension also has adjustable ride height, toe, camber and anti-roll bar settings.

level of composure and precision for the GT3 The GT3 has hit new heights of driver focus on track but it remains usable on the road too, unless you count the shifter now looking too much like a stick. Despite it all, the downforce is not the kind to pull the drums out of your ears. Its real job is to make the car feel planted in fast corners, because that’s what brings the confidence without which no car of this potential can be enjoyed to the full. And that is precisely what it does, settling the GT3 superbly through the Bedford Autodrome’s quicker curves. But it is that front suspension that goes beyond elevating the GT3 to a new level: it changes its game entirely. Actually, if you’re lucky enough

to be familiar with the way GT3s have behaved for years, you need to change slightly the way you drive the car. Until now, even if you’re not specifically aware of it, you’ve always been managing the nose, knowing that, so long as you stay on the power, the back will pretty much look after itself. No longer. This GT3 has a monster front end: sharper, more incisive and far grippier than before. It rebalanced the car, making it far more neutral and doubtless far quicker, too. When I saw it was 18 seconds quicker around the Nürburgring than the last one, I put a

a lot of it down to the optional Cup 2Rs it was wearing. Now I’ve driven it, it’s clear the new aero and front end played equally significant roles. The other way in which the car has been rebalanced is that its set-up is designed more for going fast and less for messing about on the lockstops. It will still slide – and slide – but it is less of a natural state for it, a fact that will be lamented by opposite-lock jockeys and very few others. This, then, is a more grown-up kind of GT3; more of a weapon, less of a toy. Indeed, it’s not just its power output that positions it between the

old GT3 and GT3 RS, but its character does, too. This is the most trackoriented GT3 to date, a fact that will be welcomed by many but not all. And it’s £16,000 more than was the last GT3 when launched in 2017. Me? I think about what I’d rather drive for this kind of money and just start laughing. It’s not that there’s nothing, it’s that there’s nothing even close. Which is why, despite reservations about its road behaviour and the fact I suspect I might enjoy a fractionally softer Touring version even more, it’s the full five stars from me. ANDREW FRANKEL

PORSCHE 911 GT3 For those who love simply to drive, it questions the wisdom of more costly supercars like never before

AAAAA Price Engine

Distinctive rear wing contributes towards a maximum of 385kg of downforce

£127,820 6 cyls horizontally opposed, 3996cc, petrol Power 503bhp at 8400rpm Torque 347lb ft at 6100rpm Gearbox 7-spd dual-clutch automatic Kerb weight 1435kg 0-62mph 3.4sec Top speed 198mph Economy 21.7mpg CO2, tax band 293g/km, 37% RIVALS Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Mercedes-AMG GT R

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 23

TESTER’S NOTE There’s a slim trapdoor annexed to the central cupholder, inside which the wireless phone charger is mounted. It’s ergonomic perfection, placing your phone both out of sight but within easy reach, and without taking up much space, all while charging it. RL

TESTED 13.4.21, WARWICKSHIRE ON SALE NOW

HYUNDAI SANTA FE Seven-seater gains a new platform, electrification, fresher looks and cabin upgrades eaving an interval of just two and a half years between the introduction of your new flagship SUV and the arrival of its updated, ‘facelifted’ successor could be construed as an admission of serious error, given that a four-year gap is more typical. So the fact that the Mk4 Santa Fe only went on sale in the second half of 2018 but has now been reconceived with aesthetic tweaks and an almost entirely new platform, plus an electrified overhaul of the engine line-up, represents an awkward volte-face from Hyundai. However, to spin it another way, the industry is changing impossibly fast at the moment. And the fact that Hyundai has quickly read the room, swapped out the high-CO2 2.2-litre diesel engines, replaced them with downsized hybrid petrols and slid its new N3 platform beneath the Santa Fe’s seven-seater bodyshell shows considerable manufacturing agility. It will be worth the trouble, too, you suspect. The competition among full-sized family crossovers costing about £40,000 is utterly bloodthirsty,

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and the Santa Fe’s rivals include the Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and on it goes. Other than the engine and platform, what else is different? At 2765mm, the wheelbase is

unchanged but an extra 34mm of second-row leg room has nevertheless been found, and cabin width is increased too, so this is now an even more spacious interior. The second row also folds almost completely flat, at the touch of a

Floor of the roomy boot contains the fold-out third row of seating

button, and can still be slid fore and aft to free up a good level of knee room for the third-row passengers. It all means the Santa Fe remains among the more versatile large crossovers in terms of seat layout. The cockpit architecture is

FIRST DRIVES

Revised styling shrouds a new platform that retains the same wheelbase, although the cabin is roomier

Comfortable, relaxing interior contributes to the car’s easy drivability

` The standard of fit and finish is now conspicuously high in here

then mostly as before, but the transmission tunnel has been tidied up considerably and slopes elegantly up towards the slimline new 10.3in touchscreen, which sits adjacent to the standard-fit 12.3in digital instrument cluster. The standard of fit and finish is now conspicuously high in here, too, and while there are still some hard plastics, most of the cabin is finished in soft-touch materials. Factor in plush seats and better than average visibility, and the result is one of the nicer, more relaxing cabins in the class. The dynamic elements of the new Santa Fe aren’t quite as convincing. Up front sits Hyundai’s new Smartstream 1.6-litre T-GDi turbo petrol engine, which is combined with a 58bhp electric motor (90bhp in

the case of the PHEV) and Hyundai’s latest in-house six-speed automatic gearbox. The set-up drives the front wheels alone in the entry-level Santa Fe, but in our four-wheel-drive test car torque can be apportioned 50:50 between the axles. The facelifted model also gets new Terrain modes, such as Snow & Mud, although unremarkable approach, departure and breakover angles suggest limited proper off-road ability. As with many hybrids, on the move this new Santa Fe gives you a useful electric stab of torque when you push the accelerator, which makes it feel a little more responsive than it otherwise might. And in general, it’s an easy thing to drive; the controls are nicely tuned and there’s body control to spare. It handles securely.

What frustrates is the lack of sophistication when the engine fires up, which happens after the car has pulled off the mark in EV, which it does neatly and quietly, and by default. The transition is smooth enough in terms of power delivery, but the engine burbles loudly at low revs, a bit like the old Fiat Twinair engines, only with none of the charm. This powertrain also seems less potent than its claimed combined maximum effort of 227bhp and 258lb ft. The finer turbodiesels in this class feel comfortably more punchy, and so while Hyundai’s hybrid set-up can supposedly achieve 40.4mpg, it’s not particularly good for much else, despite being reasonably well-mannered at a steady cruise. Ride quality is also average at best, despite the new underpinnings. There’s nothing plain uncomfortable here, but on its passive suspension the Santa Fe’s heavyset low-speed gait never truly settles. It’s always reacting to something, and this doesn’t improve at cruising speeds. Ultimately, you considered buying the previous Santa Fe for its versatile and spacious cabin, bold styling

and general ease of use. The new car makes marginal gains in all those areas, but still has much less to shout about in terms of efficiency, dynamic appeal and, despite the generous level of standard kit, value for money. RICHARD LANE

@_rlane_

HYUNDAI SANTA FE 1.6 T-GDi HEV 4WD Effective, and feels premium inside, but the powertrain and chassis are some way off those of class leaders

AAACC Price Engine

£41,935 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus electric motor Power 227bhp at 5500rpm Torque 258lb ft at 1500-4500rpm Gearbox 6-spd automatic Kerb weight 1842kg 0-62mph 9.1sec Top speed 116mph Economy 40.4mpg CO2, tax band 159g/km, 35% RIVALS Peugeot 5008, Skoda Kodiaq

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25

TESTED 13.4.21, WARWICKSHIRE ON SALE NOW

MERCEDES-BENZ S400d 4MATIC L New-generation limo arrives in the UK in tech-heavy, long-wheelbase form he Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always been a repository for the firm’s latest powertrain, suspension and safety technology. On the face of it, that would seem to be the case with this box-fresh new W223-generation version, which has just arrived on UK roads. But chauffeurs be warned: this time around, only really well-heeled S-Class owners may get the benefit of everything the car can do. Having had its platform and suspension widely overhauled, the new S-Class will ultimately have camera-based predictive E-Active Body Control suspension, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering – a combination not seen on any of its predecessors. There will be 48V mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains on offer, as well as world-first frontal airbags for those oh-so-important people travelling in the rear seats. Limited autonomous driving functionality should also be possible in time. UK buyers will have to wait for almost all of the above, and for much of it you’ll have to spend a sixfigure sum on a Maybach-branded derivative. For now, the range is opening with the bottom-end models. There’s currently a choice of one mild-hybrid six-cylinder petrol and two diesel engines, and standard or long-wheelbase bodies. The lesser S350d is the only version offered with one driven axle rather than two. All UK versions, for now, roll on adaptively damped air suspension.

TESTER’S NOTE The S-Class will eventually offer a screen for each back-seat passenger, with each screen able to stream a different film or TV channel, in addition to the tablet PC for web browsing that sits between the seats. Like so much else of its technology, though, the car’s top-level rear seat entertainment options aren’t available until later. MS

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Display screens are impressively functional but can be distracting; air suspension is standard If you want the upper-level, 326bhp S400d diesel that provided our first right-hand-drive test drive impressions, you have to pick the longer-bodied car. And it’s certainly long, by the way: having grown a bit, it’s now more than 5.3 metres overall, with a 3.2m wheelbase. Without that extra steered axle, the S-Class can be tricky to handle in tight spaces, such as the sort of multistorey car parks that posh airport transfer specialists regularly need to negotiate. It’ll overhang a typical UK parking bay at both the front and rear. Visibility is better than in some big saloons, with a full suite of parking cameras seeking to cover for the car’s sizeable B-pillars and obstructive headrests (which can be nearly impossible to crane your neck around at junctions). Performance, ride and handling all remain geared and tuned very much towards comfort, refinement and ease of use. Soft air suspension

delivers the wafting ride that drivers and passengers alike will expect. That ride is considerably better on a wellsealed A-road than a craggy urban surface, though. The 21in alloys and low-profile tyres of our higher-trim Premium Plus Executive test car failed to smooth over the sharpest ridges around town and made for a motorway ride that, while agreeable in the main, could turn either fussy or coarse at times. Smaller wheels are available, but not if you want a relatively equipment-rich car. Mercedes’ 2.9-litre 400d engine is a good fit for the S-Class, proving torquey, quiet (except when working hard at revs) and frugal in the real world (40mpg at a fast cruise). All it lacks is much alluring audible richness. Pedal response is ever gentle and progressive, and the car’s outright performance is greater than you’ll regularly tap. Handling is secure, contained and very predictable, delivered through fairly

light and filtered steering. Close body control and cornering agility don’t really feature on the car’s dynamic menu, and, frankly, nor should they. More important than how this new S-Class car rides or performs, however, will be your reaction to how you get on with the new ‘digitally enriched’ cockpit. Between its 3D digital instruments, its busy, giant-sized ‘augmented reality’ head-up display and its 12.9in MBUX touchscreen system (the first two are options), the car broadcasts information at you in something of a distracting onslaught at first. When you learn to adapt its various displays to suit your preference, the effect is less full-on, but while some of the car’s digital display features can be useful, others really do seem faddish and unnecessary. The truth is, unless you like tablet-style touchscreen displays and slickly rendered computer graphics, you may well hate this car. And that does seem a little bit odd when you consider that, at its heart, the S-Class remains a deeply traditional and conventional luxury limousine – and still a convincing one. MATT SAUNDERS

@thedarkstormy1

MERCEDES-BENZ S400D 4MATIC L PREMIUM PLUS EXECUTIVE A laid-back, genteel and effective luxury option, but some of its digital features work better than others

AAAAC Price Engine

£94,175 6 cyls in line, 2925cc, turbocharged, diesel Power 326bhp at 3600-4200rpm Torque 516lb ft at 1200-3200rpm Gearbox 9-spd automatic Kerb weight 2015kg 0-62mph 5.4sec Top speed 155mph Economy 37.7-38.7mpg CO2, tax band 196g/km, 37% RIVALS BMW 740Ld xDrive, Audi A8 L 50 TDI quattro

FIRST DRIVES

TESTER’S NOTE At £129,500, the exquisitely finished Cobra certainly isn’t cheap, but compared with the telephonenumber amounts you’d need to buy one of the 1960s originals, you could consider it good value. JD

TESTED 26.2.21, NORFOLK ON SALE NOW

AC COBRA SUPERBLOWER Supercharged V8 roadster reborn as AC’s most potent Cobra yet id you know AC Cars celebrates its 120th birthday this year? Neither did we. It would be all too easy to assume the tiny sports car maker had disappeared years ago, its legacy living on only through numerous replicas and kits of its most famous offering, the fearsome Anglo-American Cobra. AC has never really been away. Since the late 1990s, it has been quietly going about its business under the eye of current owner Alan Lubinsky. But only recently has there been a concerted effort to put the brand back in the spotlight. It started with the Cobra MkIV 378 that was launched three years ago and has continued with the recent reveal of an on-trend all-electric version of the even more retro MkII. Yet for those who have V-Power rather than volts running through their veins, it’ll be this new Superblower that will get the adrenaline pumping. Packing 580bhp, this is the fastest and most powerful Cobra yet (which is going some when you consider AC’s muscle-bound back catalogue). While it looks largely like the 1960s original, there have been some

significant changes for this iteration, not least that the curvaceous body is formed from composites, not aluminium. Purists might object (it adds around 20kg but saves tens of thousands on the list price), but the finish is flawless, with lustrous paint and consistently tight panel gaps. Another change that’s likely to upset the aficionados is that this Cobra’s V8 is sourced not from old partner Ford but arch-rival GM. Still, disappointment will surely be shortlived once they’ve clapped eyes on the neatly installed supercharged 6.2-litre LSA. Also new is the Tremec six-speed manual gearbox, which drives the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. Inside, the Cobra is basic but beautifully built, with hand-stitched leather, a lovely thin-rimmed threespoke wheel and an array of Smiths dials. Weather protection amounts to a fiddly fabric roof or a tonneau, but today the skies are blue and the sun is shining, so we go al fresco. If you don’t grin like a loon when that big V8 erupts into life, you may need your vital signs checking. Throbbing away at idle, it’s the literal

heart of the car, sending a pulsing beat through its structure as the optional £3500 side-exit exhausts burble, burp and crackle with every blip of the throttle. The AC feels surprisingly modern to drive. The assisted steering is light and precise, as is the hydraulic clutch, and while the long and forwardcanted gearlever looks awkward, it’s actually handily placed and delivers a precise action, provided you’re deliberate with your inputs. In fairness, it doesn’t really matter what gear you’re in because the V8’s colossal wall of torque means the Cobra simply picks up and goes at the merest flex of your right foot. This isn’t a unit that spins to the heavens, but it responds instantly, and the way it relentlessly gathers speed is intoxicating. AC reckons the Superblower will crack 60mph in a touch over four seconds, but such is the muscle on offer I’d put money on it being quicker than that. Surprisingly quick steering means the Superblower turns in smartly, while the relatively soft suspension and massive 295-section Avon rubber at the rear result in impressively

strong traction. Yet carry big speed into corners and the Cobra becomes a little discombobulated, the combination of chassis flex, relatively soft damping and the tyres’ tall and flex-prone sidewalls resulting in mid-corner vagueness. That said, AC can tweak the geometry, dampers and springs of the multi-link front and rear suspension to taste if you want something that is sharper and harder-edged. Either way, this car is at its best when you want to take it easy and simply revel in the journey. There’s that epic view ahead, the thinrimmed windscreen framing the long wings and that striped bonnet with its pop-riveted power bulge, while in your wake you’ll be trailing that glorious exhaust bellow. And all the time you’re taking in the sounds, smells and sights around you. JAMES DISDALE

AC COBRA SUPERBLOWER Can’t match moderns for outright ability, but that misses the point. Purely and simply an indulgence

AAAAC Price Engine

The Cobra’s classic styling is fantastically well executed and the finish is superb both inside and out

£129,500 V8, 6162cc, supercharged, petrol Power 580bhp at 6300rpm Torque 555lb ft at 6300rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1250kg 0-62mph 4.1sec Top speed 155mph Economy na CO2, tax band na RIVALS Morgan Plus Six, Caterham 620R, Ariel Nomad

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27

8 – 11 JULY

TICKETS NOW LIMITED GOODWOOD.COM

FIRST DRIVES TESTED 13.4.21, DORSET ON SALE NOW

ISUZU D-MAX V-CROSS Indefatigable Japanese pick-up gains a less workaday spec for its latest iteration arvel at the new D-Max V-Cross’s standard-fit 4.2in digital display, advanced touchscreen and eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat – emblematic of Isuzu’s pursuit of the ‘lifestyle’ market. Of note, too, is that this is the only vehicle in its segment with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, courtesy of its larger airbags, reinforced chassis and updated suite of advanced driver assistance tech. It’s unfathomably capable off road, too. Raised air intakes increase wading depth to 800mm, underbody protection has been improved and electronic aids such as hill descent control and shift-on-the-fly fourwheel drive are fitted as standard. It’s raw and clunky, and occupants will slide about no end on the flatbottomed seats, but few mainstream SUVs are so unstoppable at this price. On the road, however, the 1.9-litre turbo diesel can’t hold a candle to its Toyota Hilux rival for relative refinement. It’s grumbly at idle and all-pervasive under load. Plus, this automatic version needs a teethgrinding 13.0sec to hit 62mph from

Its kit reflects ‘lifestyle’ ambitions

ISUZU D-MAX V-CROSS Top-rung D-Max is still a great-value and likeable proposition, even if it’s more capable off road than on it

rest, and the roar at a 50mph cruise is tangibly harsher than in the Hilux. The six-speed auto gearbox also feels indecisive under hard acceleration. However, this powertrain is more efficient than its rivals’ beefier units, mustering 30.7mpg combined, while still being rated to tow 3500kg. In daily use, you won’t find it wanting – but don’t expect to zip out into gaps on the roundabout or to make quick work of overtaking. Roadholding and handling take a marked step up, though. Raised front

control arms reduce roll and improve stability, while the removal of a leaf spring at the rear cuts floatiness when the load bed is empty. The D-Max, in its first month on sale in the UK, has sold out (so place an order now and you’ll take delivery towards the end of the year). And really, why wouldn’t it? All variants undercut their Hilux equivalents on price, and the important factors – namely, ruggedness, durability and usability – are absolutely on a par. FELIX PAGE

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

£39,225 (including VAT) 4 cyls, 1898cc, turbo, diesel 162bhp at 3600rpm 266lb ft at 2000-2500rpm 6-spd automatic 2030kg 13.0sec 112mph 30.7mpg 241g/km, 37% Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux

TESTED 14.4.21, SOMERSET ON SALE NOW

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.0 eTSI How much of a difference does mild-hybrid power make to the entry-level model? he defining trait of the newest addition to the Volkswagen Golf engine line-up is subtlety. At a time when Volkswagen is making bold statements about its electric ambitions with its advertising campaign for the ID 4, the addition of a 48V mild-hybrid system to the Golf’s entry-level threecylinder 1.0-litre turbo petrol is so subtle that you’d barely notice it. And that’s not intended as a criticism.

As is typical for these things, the electric system for the new eTSIbranded unit takes the form of an integrated starter-generator, which attaches to the seven-speed dualclutch automatic. The motor clearly isn’t there to offer extra performance: the unit has the same power and maximum torque as the existing non-electrified 1.0-litre (which uses a six-speed manual). It offers only a subtle 1.3mpg improvement in fuel

economy and an equally subtle 3g/km reduction in CO2 emissions. And it doesn’t offer any level of electric-only running. In fact, it’s so subtle that you’ll scarcely discern the presence of the electric power. That’s exactly how Volkswagen intended it, you suspect. The goal of the 48V system is not to add performance or electric drive, but to smooth out the delivery of the threepot turbo, through both a useful torque boost when called on and increased ability to coast at speed. It succeeds in that regard. Under acceleration from slow speeds, you can detect an occasional turbo-induced hesitancy from the powertrain but that lasts for only a brief moment, after which progress is smooth and quiet. Very quiet: at times, you’d hardly tell the engine is working away. You won’t forget you’re driving the entry-level Golf, but the performance is absolutely fine for the sort of everyday things that people want to do with an everyday Golf. It’s not quite as rounded as the more powerful 1.5-litre eTSI unit, but that’s a trade-off many will be willing to make for the cheaper price.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.0 eTSI LIFE The subtle benefits of this mildhybrid powertrain result in an ideal, if unexciting, entry-level Golf

AAAAC Price Engine

£25,250 3 cyls, 999cc, turbo, petrol, plus 48V ISG Power 108bhp at 5500rpm Torque 148lb ft at 2000-3000rpm Gearbox 7-spd dual-clutch automatic Kerb weight 1302kg 0-62mph 10.2sec Top speed 126mph Economy 54.3mpg CO2, tax band 118g/km, 26% RIVALS Ford Focus, Seat Leon

Our test car came in Life trim. Although it’s the entry-level spec, it certainly doesn’t feel like a budget option. It still has the comforting Golf sheen and polish that makes it one of the best all-round family hatches. Much like the new 1.0 eTSI engine, even an entry-level Golf is still one of the better cars in its class. JAMES ATTWOOD

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29

ROAD TEST

PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

No 5520

BMW M4 It’s bigger, brawnier and gawkier than ever. Can the new M4 cut the mustard? MODEL TESTED COMPETITION Price £74,205

Power 503bhp

30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

Torque 479lb ft

0-60mph 3.9sec

30-70mph in fourth 4.5sec

Fuel economy 20.4mpg

CO2 emissions 231g/km

70-0mph 41.4m

ROAD TEST hether you think of this week’s test subject as the second generation of a particular M division performance coupé or as a de facto sixth-generation version of an even more influential one, we can probably all agree that the arrival of the new BMW M4 Competition represents a significant moment for enthusiasts and keen drivers the world over. The M4 is the modern inheritor of the legacy of that oh-so formative M3 homologation special of 1986 and brings with it plenty to talk about besides its styling – which, like that of so many modern BMWs, is intended to divide opinion. The days when driver’s cars of this size and brief were powered by high-revving atmospheric engines of the kind that various celebrated M3s have had over the decades are gone. But we have yet to see a partially – or even fully – electrified M car, so where does that leave the M4 Competition? Don’t imagine it’s nowhere. The G82-codenamed M4 has a new engine, and while it may not be a free-breathing V8, it does produce significantly more power and more accessible torque than even the hardcore M4 GTS of 2015 had. The car also gets a drivetrain unlike that of any compact M car before it. You can have a rear-wheeldrive, manual gearbox-equipped M4 in some markets (but the UK isn’t one of them). Otherwise, you can have one with an eight-speed automatic gearbox or even, in a significant break from this car’s acknowledged technical template, with four-wheel drive, with xDrive M3s and M4s due to join rear-driven ones here in the UK later this year. Whether you choose one driven axle or two, this car should be able to hit 62mph from rest in less than four seconds. But has it got the classic BMW M car driver appeal to match?

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

AAACC

We like z Hits hard in a straight line and it’s really engaging in the bends z Cabin sets the standard for driving position and perceived quality

We don’t like z That grille z Engine could sound more characterful; gearbox has some soft edges

With its gaping nostrils, fussy lines, weedy stance and awkward rear, the M4’s looks attracted criticism from all of our testers. And while the initial shock that accompanied our first look at its beaver-fanged face may have subsided over time, in no case did that clear a space for affection. Some will undoubtedly like this car’s bold and unapologetic styling, but plenty won’t. The M4’s mechanical specification is far easier to take to heart. The car’s 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged S58 straight six engine is new, and it’s a force to be reckoned with. It makes 503bhp from 5600-7200rpm and 479lb ft between 2750rpm and 5500rpm, all of which was deployed in our test car’s case to the rear wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential – although, as we’ve already mentioned, other driveline

Range at a glance ENGINES

POWER

FROM

420i 430i M440i xDrive 420d 420d xDrive M4 Competition

182bhp 255bhp 369bhp 187bhp 187bhp 503bhp

£40,460 £40,705 £54,645 £43,090 £44,640 £74,205

TRANSMISSIONS 8-spd automatic The 4 Series line-up is a relatively diverse one. Non-M division models are available in both coupé and convertible bodystyles, with a choice of four-cylinder or six-cylinder petrol engines, or a sole fourcylinder diesel. Rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models are both available, too, although all 4s sold in the UK come with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. For now, the M4 Competition is only available as a coupé, though a four-door Gran Coupé and a convertible will no doubt join the line-up in the near future.

configurations are now available. Suspension is by way of special M division axles comprised of new aluminium wishbones up front, multiple links at the rear and adaptive dampers all round. Plenty of work has gone into strengthening and stiffening the standard BMW 4 Series’ chassis and lightening its body, too; as before, there’s a carbonfibre roof as standard to help lower the car’s centre of gravity. All of which is welcome, because the M4 is bigger than ever. Its predecessor was already a large car, but this new one is 123mm longer, 17mm wider and – on our test scales – a hardly insignificant 190kg heavier. However, BMW has been better able than before to spread that mass across the M4’s axles. We found the old car to have a 53% front, 47% rear weight distribution, while new model splits it right down the middle.

INTERIOR

AAAAC

The M4’s optional M Carbon bucket seats drew some criticism – giggles of amusement, even – from our jury. On our test car, these came as part of a £6750 option pack (you can have them as a £3400 stand-alone option) and they are, as we’ll explain, pretty phenomenal chairs once you’ve got yourself settled in them. However, a raised insert that could be half-intended to hold your ◊

z M division says the M4 needs every square inch of this grille and air intake area to cool its engine and gearbox, but that’s hard to believe given that 30% of the grille must overlap the frontal crash structure. Bold, but pig ugly.

z ‘Laserlight’ active LED headlights are a £1500 option. Their blue design accents suggest buyers will want to be seen to have spent the extra, first and foremost. At least the M4’s take isn’t as gaudy as on other BMWs.

z For the first time on an M3 or M4, buyers get a choice of alloy wheel design. All are variations on a splitspoked, 10-armed theme, and all are 19in front, 20in rear, staggered for width between the axles. Gold brake calipers betray optional carbon brakes.

z Bootlid spoiler is only made in carbonfibre as part of BMW’s M Carbon package; in body colour and on a bright metallic car, it would probably look a lot more discreet. The profile and size isn’t too aggressive.

New M4 eclipses M4 GTS’s torque output 21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31

Weights and measures

ma x

440 litres

73 0m m

ax mm m 0 116

Kerb weight: 1725kg 2857mm

860mm

1393mm

990m

0.34

870m m

m max

DIMENSIONS

1077mm

4794mm

PA R K I N G Typical garage height

z Carbonfibre-backed front seats are electrically adjustable and heated, but their construction is more about showing off than actual weight-saving, we reckon.

Typical parking space width (2400mm)

1630mm

Typical leg room 730mm

2085mm (with mirrors) 4140mm

z Two adults of average height will find the back seats comfortable enough. Getting in and out is another story, however.

W H E E L A N D P E DA L ALI G N M E NT Hefty right-hand brake pedal offset and fairly restrictive central seat bolstering in effect rules out left-foot braking. No matter, the driving position is otherwise extremely comfortable.

70mm 200mm

Width 930-1370mm Length 980-1800mm Height 500mm

H E AD LI G HTS Opting for the £1500 Visibility Pack sees the M4’s standardfit LED headlights swapped out for BMW Laserlights, which have the usual excellent range and effective automatic dipping and blanking features, if not quite the outright brightness you might expect.

Δ thighs in place not only looks daft (one tester likened it to a carbonfibre codpiece) but also seems like a trivial, obstructive affectation in a road-going sports coupé. In a racing car, your thighs might well benefit from some additional bolstering, if it worked. But here? Come on, BMW. It’s tricky to shake the feeling that the seats themselves, along with the numerous other flashes of carbonfibre throughout the cabin, are on some level merely affectations. The M4, remember, is no lightweight. It tipped our scales at 1800kg with a full tank of petrol, and although the M Carbon seats do contribute to a 9.6kg weight saving over the standard front seats, don’t be fooled into thinking they’re representative

32 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

Centre

of a genuine weight-loss programme. They’re still electrically adjustable and fully heated, after all. Judged as the modern, luxurious driving environment that it is, however, the rest of the M4’s cabin is excellent. Its hides and metallic decorations look and feel plush and expensive. Then there’s the general sense of solid tactile quality evident all around, which is pervasive. Of all the current crop of fast compact executive options and their coupé relations, from Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-AMG and even Audi, the new M4 is now the most expensive-feeling to sit in. It’s spacious, too. Admittedly, rear-seat passengers will have to duck down and squeeze themselves

z The M4’s 440-litre boot is easily large enough for a couple of suitcases. It’s also bigger than the C63 Coupé’s luggage compartment by a fair margin.

in behind the front chairs in order to access the rear bench, but once they’re in, all but the tallest will find adequate space for occasional travel. Typical leg room in the back stands at 730mm (more than you’ll get in a Volkswagen Golf), while head room is a lesser 870mm. Ultimately, it’s the latter that will prove to be the problem, but on shorter trips two average-height adults should be comfortable enough back there.

PERFORMANCE

AAAAB

Objectively speaking, the twinturbocharged straight six in this car renders itself almost immune from criticism. It revs. It hauls. It responds. It even behaves, and it’s

well-mannered enough to be driven in an entirely disinterested or hamfisted style if you must. For some, it might still be missing one or two of the more intangible qualities you would expect of an M car engine. And yet it also stands ready to make this car every bit as fast as BMW says – and then some. BMW M’s electronic launch control system remains slightly counterintuitive to use. To engage it, you first have to completely disengage the car’s electronic traction control, and then put the gearbox into its Manual mode – which is odd, given that what you want the car to do is govern electronically its own traction and then pick the optimum shift points by itself as it accelerates. ◊

ROAD TEST

z Controls for drive settings, infotainment and shift speed are here. Quite a few buttons, but you won’t touch many of them once set up how you like it.

z The seat’s raised carbonfibre section obstructs your left leg a bit if you’re a left-foot braker, adds little thigh support and surely doesn’t save much weight. Puzzling.

z These red M buttons give quick access to two saved combinations of engine, gearbox, suspension, steering and stability control settings. Click twice to engage.

Multimedia system

AAAAC

The M4 Competition’s infotainment specification is generous indeed. Live Cockpit Professional, which incorporates a 10.25in touchscreen and BMW’s Operating System 7.0, is a masterclass in graphical sophistication, ease of use and visual ‘wow’ factor. Sat-nav, DAB, wireless Apple CarPlay and a range of connected services are all included as standard, and all combine to lend the M4 one of the best infotainment suites currently on the market. However, we see once again BMW’s infotainment offering let down slightly by its awkward-looking 12.3in digital cockpit. The set-up’s hexagonal dials are still trickier to read than they need to be, and they lack a degree of configurability that’s present on rival systems from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The Harman Kardon surround sound system that comes as standard is a touch underwhelming. Sound quality is clear enough, but it lacks punch and can struggle to overwhelm the level of road roar that makes its way into the cabin.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33

` Don’t doubt for a second that this is now a very fast car

a But once you’ve learned how to set it, the system certainly works. The car actually launches in second gear, and yet it is still very quick indeed. We tested the M4 on its standard-fit Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres; on a warm set of its optional Cup tyres, it would surely have gone even quicker, and likewise, very likely, with an extra driven axle. As it was, the M4 Competition recorded a two-way 0-60mph average of 3.9sec, with one run at 3.8sec. A standing quarter mile came up in 12.1sec, which is less than a second slower than the still current, V8-powered BMW M5 managed during our road test some three years ago. So don’t doubt for a second that this is now a very fast car. Linearity of delivery has always been a more important quality of M division’s straight sixes than outright knockout punch, though, and this M4 is a real specialist. The engine’s 479lb ft is not only 10% more than either

the M4 GTS or CS had, but it’s also available from more than 1000rpm further down the rev range than the peak figure offered by either of those special derivatives. The S58 feels super-responsive, then, and it is so consistent in its muscularity. It isn’t boosty through the mid-range or peaky beyond, just smooth, pleasingly crisp under foot and potent almost irrespective of engine revs. It spins quite willingly to the far side of 7000rpm, too, and while it doesn’t have the audible charm of M engines of old, neither does it sound overly synthesised, at least to our ears. It could sound more raw and genuine, perhaps, but even so, it remains enjoyable to listen to. The car’s eight-speed torqueconverter gearbox is perhaps more vulnerable to criticism than the engine, if only because in principle a dual-clutch automatic might shift a little more quickly and positively on the paddles, with just a touch less

slur, and downshift more readily to higher revs. Both in normal road motoring and on track, however, we found the new torque converter wanting only on very rare occasions (see Track Notes, right).

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

AAAAA

More good news: the M4’s growth spurt hasn’t detracted one iota from its ability to get down a good B-road like a true entertainer. The M4 Competition’s is a world-class chassis, one that offers exceptional precision on turn-in, plenty of grip and stability mid-corner, and sublime on-throttle adjustability if you choose to explore what happens when you over-rotate those rear tyres just beyond the limit of adhesion. The typically thick-rimmed steering wheel still feels a bit overly chunky in your hands and stops a little short of giving a high-definition report of the exact textural make-

up of the road beneath you all the time. But it’s nonetheless capable of telegraphing lateral load on the front tyres really consistently and inspiring a healthy dose of confidence in the car’s incisive handling talents. Fairly quick gearing – there are 2.2 turns between locks – causes the M4 to respond energetically to steering inputs, but its directional agility is backed up by a cool sense of control and directional stability. It goes where you point it exactly and keenly, without contrivance or hyperactivity and with steering weight and resistance building up in an intuitive and natural way, to paint a clear picture of how the front tyres are holding up beneath you. An Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio might be keener still to turn, but there’s abundant interactivity, feedback, engagement and positivity available here, both at fast road speeds and on track.

z M4 Competition’s quick-geared helm makes it exceptionally responsive and agile; it contains its mass well, remaining flat, sure-footed and confidence-inspiring in turns.

34 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

ROAD TEST Track notes D RY C I R C U I T

The M4 Competition’s performance on MIRA’s dry circuit was impressive, and all the more so considering our test car was some way from being in what BMW might consider a trackoptimised specification (standard iron brakes, regular PS4S tyres). Yes, it worked those brakes hard, but they still survived close to an hour’s examination without serious fade. The tyres resisted overheating to give finely balanced but robust grip that could be adjusted with tyre pressure, for superbly absorbing, throttle-adjustable handling. M Dynamic mode for the electronic stability control gives a reassuring safety net in the wet and dry without killing chassis response stone dead. Switch it off and you can adjust traction control on its own through 10 settings, the least intrusive of which permit lurid and indulgent oversteer. However you want your track driving to go, the M4 is ready to help rather than get in your way.

z Gearbox can feel slightly slow to downshift on the paddles when piling into big braking areas such as T5’s. It’s generally fast on the upshift, though.

BMW M4 Competition 1min 10.2sec Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé (2019) 1min 13.8sec

T6 T2 T5

T1 T4

Start/finish

z Chassis balance is particularly good on the apex of T3, giving useful rotation and neat, controllable oversteer to the exit.

WET CIRCUIT BMW M4 Competition 1min 11.1sec Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé (2019) 1min 10.6sec

z Pilot Sport 4S tyres are remarkably versatile. A Cup 2 might have been a second or so quicker on the dry track, but five seconds slower wet. Standing water is dealt with well; lateral grip is consistent.

T6 T7

T3 T4

The M4 controls its body movements with equal precision. You can sense its mass moving from side to side at times, but the car itself stays really flat as you load up the chassis, and it translates steering input into lateral load with so little energy wasted. Its rigidly mounted rear subframe no doubt contributes to this eerily close sense of body control and composure, which works with the generous bolstering on those bucket seats to give your backside a running commentary on the rear axle’s relationship with the road. You can really feel when you’re approaching the limit of lateral grip in this car, which isn’t something that could be said about the F82generation M4. And yet this new M car has been neither watered down nor softened up in order to achieve that. On the contrary, it’s got a clearer and more ready sense of dynamic poise and precision than any direct rival we can think of.

Start/finish

distance tourer, if not always the most relaxing one. That said, at low speeds and in Sport mode, there’s still plenty of bite about the car’s damping. Sport+, meanwhile, is best left for circuits. The M4 is a little noisy at pace. The roar generated by the 19in front and 20in rear wheels and tyres is considerable, and at 70mph our microphones recorded cabin noise at 73dB – that’s 3dB louder than the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé we road tested back in 2019. Most testers said it wouldn’t be enough to discourage them from using the car on longer journeys, though.

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

AAABC

Getting in and out of the M4 Competition isn’t as straightforward as you might think. You need a lot of space to get those long doors open, and you need to navigate your legs over the chunky side bolsters of the bucket seats. Once you’re in, though, boy, does the BMW impress. You sit low down, directly in front of the steering wheel and in close proximity to all the important controls. The chairs are firm, but they hold you in place so gracefully and comfortably that you can almost overlook how much they add to the price of the car. Unsurprisingly, the ride is firm and can be just a little brittle over really uneven Tarmac. But with the adaptive dampers set to Comfort, there’s enough pliancy on smooth, fast roads to make the M4 Competition a very competent long-

BUYING AND OWNING

AAAAC

BMW UK has elected not to offer the standard, lower-powered versions of either the M3 saloon or the M4 coupé, which means Brits are also denied the option of a manual gearbox in the car – and that does seem a shame. In

the UK, then, it’s Competition-spec only for either car, which pushes entry-level pricing for the M4 up to just under £75,000. If that seems expensive, consider that the £42,200 asking price of the 2004 modelyear E46 M3 Coupé, adjusted for inflation, works out at a whisker over £70k in today’s money. BMW has fitted a suite of Driving Assistant active safety technologies as standard. Should you want an M car that can steer itself, you can add even more of them at extra cost. A head-up display and Harman Kardon premium audio are also standard. Inevitably, you can still spend big on options, from carbonceramic brakes to LED Laserlight headlights and the M Carbon Pack, which, among other things, gets you those excellent bucket seats. If you want every option going, BMW’s Ultimate Pack delivers just that, and will add just over £11,000 to the cost of your car. ◊

AC C E L E R AT I O N BMW M4 Competition (22deg C, dry) Standing quarter mile 12.1sec at 122.2mph, standing km 21.3sec at 154.0mph, 30-70mph 2.9sec, 30-70mph in fourth 4.5sec 30mph

50 60mph

1.9s 2.5s 3.1s 3.9s

70mph

80mph

90mph

4.8s

5.8s

7.0s

100mph

8.4s

110mph

120mph

130mph

140mph

150mph

9.9s

11.7s

13.8s

16.6s

19.7s

10s

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé (2019, 14deg C, damp) Standing quarter mile 12.6sec at 118.0mph, standing km 22.3sec at 152.3mph, 30-70mph 3.2sec, 30-70mph in fourth 4.7sec 30mph

2.1s 2.8s 3.4s

60mph

4.3s

70mph

80mph

90mph

5.3s

6.5s

7.8s

100mph

9.2s

110mph

120mph

130mph

140mph

150mph

11.1s

13.0s

15.2s

17.7s

21.6s

10s

20s

B R A K I N G 60-0mph: 2.52sec BMW M4 Competition (22deg C, dry) 30mph-0

50mph-0

7.7m 0

70mph-0

21.1m 10m

41.4m

20m

30m

40m

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupé (2019, 14deg C, damp) 30mph-0

50mph-0

8.3m 0

70mph-0

23.2m 10m

20m

45.2m 30m

40m

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35

Data log BMW M4 COMPETITION On-the-road price Price as tested Value after 3yrs/36k miles Contract hire pcm Cost per mile Insurance

£74,205 £87,495 £36,250 na na 42/ £1033 59 litres

TYPICAL PCP QUOTE 3 years/36,000 miles, 10% deposit £1155 BMW is offering PCP finance on the M3 and M4 at a pretty low 2.9% APR. This deal gets you into the car with less than £10,000 paid up front. Final balloon payment would be just over £32,000.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

T E C H N I C A L L AYO U T The new M4’s basic mechanical layout doesn’t differ too greatly from that of before. The S58 straight six is mounted longitudinally at its nose, driving the rears through a new eight-speed automatic gearbox and eLSD. Manual transmission is available in other markets, and 4WD drivetrain arrives in the UK this summer. Suspension is by way of double wishbones and multiple links, with adaptive dampers all round.

ENGINE

POWER & TORQUE

Installation

ECONOMY

700

600

503bhp at 5600-7200rpm

479lb ft at 2750-5500rpm

500

Power output (bhp)

Front, longitudinal, rear-wheel drive Type 6 cyls in line, 2993cc, twin-turbocharged, petrol Made of Aluminium block and head Bore/stroke 84.0mm/90.0mm Compression ratio 9.3:1 Valve gear 4 per cyl Power 503bhp at 5600-7200rpm Torque 479lb ft at 2750-5500rpm Redline 7100rpm Power to weight 292bhp per tonne Torque to weight 278lb ft per tonne Specific output 168bhp per litre

500 400

300

200

100

Engine (rpm) 2000 4000 6000

Track Touring Average

8.1mpg 32.7mpg 20.4mpg

CLAIMED

Low Mid High Extra high Combined

15.4-15.9mpg 29.4-29.7mpg 34.0-34.4mpg 31.7-32.1mpg 28.0-28.2mpg

Tank size Test range

59 litres 265 miles

600

400

TEST MPG

8000

Torque (lb ft)

M Drive Professional M Sport differential Tyre repair kit M Adaptive suspension Alarm system Sun protection glass Folding door mirrors Heated front seats M Sport seat belts Carbonfibre interior trim Automatic air conditioning Head-up display Wireless smartphone charger 12.5in digital instrument binnacle 10.25in infotainment system with DAB, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth M Brakes with red calipers nco Tanzanite Blue paint £1100 Full merino leather upholstery £2000 Visibility Pack £1500 M Carbon Pack £6750 Comfort Pack £990 19in/20in M double-spoke alloys £300 Parking Assistant Plus £650 Options in bold fitted to test car = Standard na = not available nco = no-cost option

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

231g/km £457/£915

C H A S S I S & B O DY

TRANSMISSION

BRAKES

SAFET Y

Construction Weight/as tested Drag coefficient Wheels

Type 8-spd automatic Ratios/mph per 1000rpm 1st 5.00/5.5 2nd 3.20/8.5 3rd 2.14/12.8 4th 1.72/15.9 5th 1.31/20.8 6th 1.00/27.3 7th 0.82/33.2 8th 0.64/42.7 Final drive ratio 3.15:1

Front Ventilated discs, size unspecified Rear Ventilated discs, size unspecified Anti-lock Standard, with brake assist Handbrake type Electric Handbrake location Centre console

DSC, ABS, ASC, MDM, CBC, PDC Euro NCAP crash rating 5 stars (LHD 320d) Adult occupant 97% Child occupant 87% Vulnerable road users 87% Safety assist 76%

Spare

CABIN NOISE STEERING

SUSPENSION Front Double wishbones, coil springs, adaptive dampers Rear Multi-link, coil springs, adaptive dampers

AC C E L E R AT I O N

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

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

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

TIME (sec) 1.9 2.5 3.1 3.9 4.8 5.8 7.0 8.4 9.9 11.7 13.8 16.6 19.7 –

2nd 1.5 1.3 – – – – – – – – – – –

3rd 2.4 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 – – – – – – – –

4th 3.4 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.5 – – – – – –

5th – 3.9 3.0 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.3 – – – –

6th – 6.7 6.1 5.4 4.2 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.2 4.9 – – –

7th – – 8.6 8.0 7.4 5.9 5.0 5.2 5.7 6.7 – – –

8th – – – 13.3 13.3 13.3 12.1 9.6 – – – – –

THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2021, Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the M4 Competition, contact BMW Customer Services, Summit One, Summit Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0FB (0370 5050 160, customer.service@bmw.co.uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690). Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (01722 322888).

36 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

Type Electromechanical, rack and pinion Turns lock to lock 2.2 Turning circle 12.2m

MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

39mph 7100rpm 61mph 7100rpm 91mph 7100rpm 113mph 7100rpm 148mph 7100rpm 155mph 5673rpm 155mph 4669rpm 155mph* 3631rpm * claimed

RPM in 8th at 70/80mph = 1640/1874

Idle 56dB Max rpm in 4th gear 88dB 30mph 66dB 50mph 68dB 70mph 73dB

R E S I D UA L S 90 80 70

Audi RS5

60 Value (£1000s)

Tyres

Steel monocoque 1725kg/1800kg 0.34 9.5Jx19in (f), 10.5Jx20in (r) 275/35 ZR19 100Y (f), 285/40 ZR20 99Y (r), Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Inflation kit

BMW M4 Competition

50 40 30 20

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

10 0 New

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

z Older RS5 expected to hold a greater percentage of its residual value after three years than both BMW and Alfa.

R OA D T E S T N o 5 52 0

Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk

ROAD TEST Testers’ notes MATT SAUNDERS I’ve never been one to rank design very highly among reasons for attraction to a particular car, but the M4 is proof of how much it matters if you get it wrong. I loved driving it but went out of my way to avoid looking at it. Who could own a car like that? SIMON DAVIS BMW needs a new seat design that is between the standard chairs and the carbonfibre buckets. I love how supportive the latter are, but I’d soon tire of explaining what that weird central insert is.

VERDICT

AAAAB

Spec advice

A very modern M car and a brilliantly versatile and enjoyable one ur verdict might only matter if you can look the new M4 Competition in the face and still be interested in what lies behind it. Even if you can’t, you should know how versatile and complete a performance car this is. From chassis to powertrain to interior, this M4 is objectively and demonstrably better than the car it replaces, and its rivals, by quite a leap. It offers striking and tangible handling poise, fine precision and superb controllability, along with trademark M division positivity of feel flowing through its axles, driveline and engine and back through to its controls. The M4 Competition is indulgent to drive but also more usable than ever, and the way the configurability of its driving experience can be negotiated via those steering wheel-mounted driving mode shortcut toggles is truly rare in a modern performance car driving experience: complexity brought emphatically to heel. Like so many modern driver’s cars, the M4 lacks a certain rawness, but its blend of versatility and top-level engagement marks it out as something rather special.

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

BMW M4 COMPETITION Fast, fantastically engaging and impressively usable, all at the same time. Pity about the looks, but a force to be reckoned with all the same. AAAAB £74,205 503bhp, 479lb ft 3.9sec, 155mph 231g/km, 28.0-28.2mpg

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO Firecracker Alfa saloon lays on the charm with balletic handling, good looks and a soulful V6. Interior could be smarter. AAAAB £64,995 503bhp, 443lb ft 3.9sec, 191mph 236g/km,27.2mpg

MERCEDES-AMG C63 S COUPE Thundering C63 S is on its way out, taking its epic twin-turbo V8 with it. Handling not as graceful as the Alfa’s or BMW’s, but grab one while you still can. AAAAC £84,660 503bhp, 516lb ft 3.9sec, 180mph 250g/km, 25.5mpg

LEXUS RC-F Two-door Lexus brings a wickedly old-school atmospheric V8 to the table. Not as sharp as some here but enticingly characterful. AAABC £63,310 457bhp, 384lb ft 4.5sec, 168mph 268g/km, 23.9mpg

The Ultimate option pack might help resale, but it has a lot of kit you won’t need. Don’t get too carried away with colourful leather combinations; do add the carbonfibre bucket seats, carbon brakes and Laserlight headlights.

Jobs for the facelift z Sort the grille. Cool air can be supplied with at least a sense of elegance. z Make the manual gearbox work with the Competition-spec engine, and sell it in the UK. z Develop some new cabin materials and finishes. Not everyone likes carbonfibre, and those who do can go off it if it’s overused.

AUDI RS5 Exceptionally fast regardless of the road conditions, but the RS5 doesn’t do much to involve you in the process. Seriously competent but not thrilling. AAABC £71,020 444bhp, 443lb ft 3.9sec, 155mph 215g/km, 29.7mpg

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37

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PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ The Bacalar, only 12 examples of which are being sold at £1.5m apiece, heralds a new era of exclusivity at Bentley courtesy of historic coachbuilding arm Mulliner. We’ve already sampled a concept. Now Piers Ward drives the real thing

BENTLEY BACALAR DRIVE

ith no roof, a price of £1.5 million and a ‘production’ run of just 12, it’s safe to say that the Bentley Bacalar is not designed for these shores, or most people. But as an illustration of what Mulliner can do, it’s quite some statement. This barchetta version of the Continental GTC is the car that’s designed to show off just how personalised a Bentley can be. It’s

a shop window into the world of Mulliner, Bentley’s ‘haute couture’ department that is capable of various levels of personalisation, from this bespoke Bacalar to a unique paint finish on your otherwise relatively run-of-the-mill Conti GT. It’s a world that Bentley sees as being vital to the future of the company. The Bacalar may be the first of the modern, limited-edition Bentleys, but you can bet it won’t be the last. The world’s billionaires are

a canny lot and they certainly don’t lack in their desire for increased numbers of unique status symbols, be they boats, planes or cars. Not that Mulliner can simply plough on and build endless specials. Exclusivity, it seems, is a tricky balancing act. Those with the deepest pockets want their cars to be unique to them, but they haven’t got to their positions of wealth by squandering their cash unnecessarily. The world’s luxury

car manufacturers, on the other hand, have to think about bottom lines and boring – but essential – things such as durability. Price the car too high, or build too many of them, and a manufacturer can end up with a series of white elephants that damage the brand as a whole. It’s a wallet-melting trap into which many have fallen, but it’s one that Bentley hopes to avoid. Omar Sheikh, Mulliner’s project leader, is well aware of the pitfalls: ◊

Δ “We’re trying not to flood the market, so exclusivity is a key point of what we do. The customers respect that as well. We’re not coming out every week with a new regional commission or a new coachbuilt car. We want to take our time and do it closely with the customers, and not just for the sake of selling cars. This is about producing the ultimate cars and it’s what sets us apart: customer led, rather than sales led.” Hence the reason that the car you see here is strictly limited to a ‘production’ run of just 12. Each one found a home within days of being unveiled and everyone who signed up when the car was launched in March last year is still committed, despite the ravages of you-know-what over the intervening 12 months or so. Impressively, despite the various lockdowns, the car is on track to start production on schedule next month. The cost? Well, it turns out it’s all relative at this end of the market. Even though the Bacalar starts at £1.5m, a significant proportion are specced closer to £2m by the time all the extra personalisation touches are added. Hardly cheap, but given that buyers are optioning something like half a million quid onto the car, it would seem to indicate that Bentley judged the base cost correctly. We should point out that the car in these pictures is not one of the 12. This is Car Zero, an engineering development vehicle that has undergone a rigorous test schedule. It is also how we’ve ended up here, snuggled into the wraparound cockpit of the Bacalar at a windy Bedford Autodrome. Customers of the regular Continental GT will

WAITING LIST Despite costing £1.5m, the Bacalar has a list of reserve customers should any of the first 12 drop out.

The Bacalar can’t disguise its weight on track, but it’s an exhilarating steer 42 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

recognise the thrust of the interior design, but with the sort of detail changes that add up to more than the sum of their parts. The layout of the dials is familiar, but there’s a hint of gold highlighting around the edges (Bentley refers to the colour as Dark Bronze). The rotary control in the middle of the dashboard is clearly a Bentley part, but again, there’s a subtle ring of gold to give it a lift. The steering wheel is unique to the Bacalar, as is the gearlever, but both are still recognisably Bentley items. This is where the firm has been clever: giving the car enough differentiation but still keeping it as one of the family. It works well, remaining classy but special. The door pulls, however, are a marked change. Instead of the normal metal handle, the Bacalar has leather straps that are a luxurious twist on the canvas door pulls in the Porsche 911 GT3. Leather abounds elsewhere, as you’d expect, while someone has even gone to the effort

` Exclusivity is a key point of what we do. The customers respect that a

of counting how many stitches make up each seat. It’s 148,199, stat fans. As ever with a Bentley, the wood is an important part of the experience. In the Bacalar, it’s 5000-year-old riverwood, a dark timber that’s been sitting at the bottom of a bog in the Fens for quite a few years. It’s beautiful, with a tactility and quality that no man-made material can ever match. The open-pore upper section is particularly striking. A section of grey natural wool cloth sweeps around the centre dash and into the doors. It also appears in the seat inserts, seatbacks and the side of the head restraints. Like the wood, it’s a touch-friendly material that demands you run your hand along it every time you get in the car. With the riverwood and wool, along with rice husk used in the paint, Bentley is keen to emphasise its sustainability tilt. It’s good that the firm is trying, but it does feel like greenwashing. The Bacalar uses a twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine with 650bhp, and no amount of rice husks will offset that. You’ll notice this is a strict twoseater. Where the Conti’s rear seats normally lie are two sculpted storage areas, crafted for the Schedoni luggage set that’s available with the car (personalised luggage is one of myriad ways that customers are speccing their Bacalars). The outside changes are even more dramatic. Every panel is different, with unique lights, ally rear clamshell and top deck, and carbonfibre panels elsewhere. All this requires unique tooling – start to think of the engineering ◊

40% How much Bentley sales are up in the first quarter of this year – a record for the firm.

‘Dark Bronze’ trim abounds inside the cab

BENTLEY BACALAR DRIVE

85 Number of cars built per day by Bentley this year. Back in 1999, it was 85 cars per month.

HERE’S ONE MULLINER MADE EARLIER

Most visible parts are unique to the car

Wheels are 22in but the ride is civilised

Styling is a dramatic take on the Conti

WO Bentley’s old company car is perhaps the ultimate in automotive politeness: as you open the passenger door, you have to step aside and let the driver in first. Not because of some Nascar-like welded driver’s door, but because the gearlever is on the right of the driver’s seat so it’s a lot easier to enter from the left. Pleasantries done, you’re then sitting on the very bench on which WO once perched. This Mulliner-bodied 8 Litre was his daily driver, using it for around a year before the company hit the buffers in 1931 and got sold to Rolls-Royce. Only 100 examples were ever made but it was proudly proclaimed to be capable of 100mph, no matter what sort of bodywork was fitted. This very magazine hit a 0.5mile terminal top speed of 101.12mph in a similar car back in December 1930. It’s a push-button start and it turns over and catches quickly. WO built it as a “dead-silent 100mph car”, but no modern EVs are going to be losing any sleep over the NVH levels here. The straight six sounds glorious and mechanical, but smooth it is not. My driver for the trip is Keith Downey and he engages first with

a quick dip of the clutch. This is the easiest gearchange he will make for the next 20 minutes, as every other one will have to be double de-clutched – the 8 Litre doesn’t have synchro either up or down. What is staggering is how much concentration is needed. I’ve driven plenty of old machinery before, but not of this vintage, and the amount of quirks and tricks that Keith must overcome and employ respectively are enough to make your brain ache. It’s easy to forget how simple and effortless modern cars are. If touchscreens had been around in 1930, you wouldn’t have had the spare mental capacity to operate one… What’s surprising is how well it rides. Leaf spring suspension all round absorbs bumps better than you’d expect, and there’s a solidity to the car that’s reassuring. That feeling of heft is matched by the engine. At the time, the 8 Litre was the largest-engined car on sale in the UK, with around 200bhp from its 7983cc, but it’s the torque that’s more impressive

now. Third gear can easily haul the car from a virtual standstill and fourth is good for most driving. No bad thing, given the skill required to work the gearbox. The smells and the atmosphere are lovely. It’s a multi-sensory pleasure, with what looks like the sort of driving experience – given how much Keith is hauling on the wheel to get it around corners – that rewards in spades. But my abiding memory will be of the little details. The stunning etched ‘Carl Zeiss’ font on the headlights, or the rope pull to raise and lower the rear blind. Even the little catch on the windows that you have to unwind to slide them open. Simpler times, simpler pleasures.

WO’s own 8 Litre excites all of the senses

M U L L I N E R ’ S N E X T M OV E S The Bacalar spearheads a new era at Bentley, one in which it hopes its coachbuilding division, Mulliner, will lead a personalisation charge to give customers ever-more exclusive cars (if the idea of ‘more exclusivity’ doesn’t sound like a paradox too far). Mulliner claims to be the world’s oldest coachbuilder, starting out around 500 years ago when it was a saddle maker. Its links with Bentley date back to 1923, when it exhibited a two-seat 3 Litre Bentley at the Olympia Show in London. But the bond grew stronger from 1952, when Mulliner built the R-Type Continental, before the coachbuilders officially became part of Bentley in 1959. Now Mulliner has three arms within Bentley: Classic (to recreate icons such as the Blower), Collections (where customers can specify unique personalisation options) and Coachbuilt (where Mulliner will build entirely different versions of series production vehicles). The Bacalar is from the latter. Mulliner sees itself as more than a simple offshoot of Bentley. Instead, it believes it can drive development at the company, almost like a skunkworks department where new

BENTLEY BACALAR Price Engine

£1.5 million W12, 5950cc, twinturbocharged, petrol Power 650bhp Torque 664lb ft Gearbox 8-spd dual-clutch automatic Kerb weight tbc 0-62mph 3.8sec (est) Top speed More than 200mph Economy na CO2, tax band na

The 6.0-litre W12 produces a tyresquirming 664lb ft

Mulliner division is expanding its role ideas are forged and tested quickly. As Omar Sheikh, project leader at Mulliner, says: “The advantage with coachbuilding is that we can turn around a project in a relatively short period of time. We can bring in new innovations and technology and trial them out in a very short period of time. If they’re successful, then they can be looked to be brought into future cars within Bentley.” It’s a relationship that cuts both ways. “If there is a future technology that we know is being brought through in four or five years’ time, then we can bring that in on a smaller scale, at a higher unit cost maybe because it’s low volume,” adds Sheikh. “But we can showcase these features first on coachbuilding to prove them, trial

them and see what the response is.” Take the rice husk used in the Bacalar’s paint. Sustainability is a hot topic at the moment and Bentley isn’t immune to it – “With younger customers coming into the Bentley brand, more sustainability is a big theme for us” – so the otherwise wasted rice husk is an effective solution for all concerned. It’s unlikely to make it to mass production at the moment, but that’s not to say it can’t in the future. Its use on the Bacalar gives Bentley the “possibility to investigate whether these features can be made more efficient, to then go down our main production line”. So what does the future hold? In short, more from Mulliner. Performance is something they’re looking at but Mulliner hasn’t yet had the ability to move into it. “With certifications and emissions, power increases are very difficult and costly,” explains Sheikh. Restorations are on the radar, but for now you can’t take your S1 in to have it restored; the recreation Blower is in effect a ground-up new car, not a rebuild. But others within the Volkswagen Group do restorations – Porsche is one – so there’s no reason to suspect it won’t happen here. Sheikh is

certainly keen on the principle. Even technology is something that Mulliner wants to look at. “The cars are getting more and more technologically advanced,” says Sheikh. “How can we bring personalisation into that world of technology, because it’s very expensive. But if you look at your infotainment screen, your combis, these are areas we’d like to get into to customise. But they’re very costly, so that has to be in partnership with our main Bentley engineering team. It’s a much bigger project.” But Sheikh gives the impression that the size of the project doesn’t concern Mulliner. The firm is not wanting for lack of ambition. Nor, given the way the Bacalar and Blowers were snapped up, is it wanting for customers.

Each W12 is hand-crafted in Crewe

BENTLEY BACALAR DRIVE

4 Number of Bacalar customers who have also bought one of the continuation Blower models.

Open-roofed Bacalar is better suited to boulevards in the south of France

16,000 Bentley has conducted this many Covid tests (and counting) at its Crewe factory since the start of the pandemic.

Δ costs required for that, and for an impressive 664lb ft, although just 12 cars, and the £1.5m price in truth it’s a struggle to tell any begins to become understandable. difference. It’s a blisteringly rapid In fact, the only items shared with car and feels more than capable of the regular Conti GT are the door the claimed 200mph-plus top speed. handles and badge. There’s no sudden urge to alert you to There are 750 new parts in total, the fact that you’re doing silly speeds, with a healthy dose of carbonfibre more just a gradual – but unrelenting and ‘additive manufacturing’ (3D – wave that means you approach printing) thrown in. Crucially from figures well north of 100mph Bentley’s point of view, the hard without really realising you’re doing points and platform are still Conti so. Bentley hasn’t revealed the GT, although the rear track is 20mm car’s 0-62mph time, but given the wider. Not only does that mean crash Bacalar’s increased power but poorer testing is easier (Bentley can rely aero, the Continental GT’s figure of on the Conti’s performance so no 3.8sec feels about right. Bacalars were harmed in the making One thing that hasn’t altered is the of this model) but the car also drives weight. Bentley hasn’t confirmed the in a similar manner. Bacalar’s kerb weight, but despite Push the starter button and aluminium and carbonfibre usage, you’re greeted with the muffled there’s a bulk and heft to the Bacalar muscularity of Bentley’s W12. A that no amount of lightweight quick squeeze of the throttle and materials can disguise. Rapid we’re off around Bedford Autodrome direction changes don’t flatter the (as this is a prototype, we aren’t car as the tyres and three-chamber allowed to drive it on the road). air suspension attempt to keep There’s more turbo whistle than everything on an even keel. Fast, you get in a regular Conti GT, but it open corners make the back end doesn’t sound uncouth and it gives squirm slightly – you can feel the the car a bit more character. The car’s backside roll as it adjusts to engine sounds sophisticated the increased speeds at the exit of a rather than exciting, as that’s bend. It’s never uncomfortable, and probably what customers want as they cruise the boulevards of Los Angeles or Nice. The Bacalar has slightly more power than the normal Conti GTC, thanks to some software recalibration to deliver increased boost, plus tweaks to the fuelling and ignition maps. As such, that 650bhp output is 24bhp up on the Conti’s peak, while torque remains the same at Mulliner has had a long affiliation with Ben tley

if anything it adds to the excitement because the car doesn’t feel inert, but the overall impression is of a machine that would be happier on the road, away from the cornering forces that are possible on a circuit. Of course, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Bacalar will largely reside in the south of France, and for that it feels absolutely perfect. It wafts very well, with the wraparound cockpit doing a good job of keeping wind noise to a minimum and that air suspension keeping the worst of the Tarmac at bay. The Bacalar rides on 22in wheels, and you can feel their weight over sharp undulations, but it’s a civilised place in which to toddle along. The silken nature of the W12 only reinforces the impression of a car that knows exactly what’s required of it. Has Bentley tapped a new market for itself? Quite possibly. Half the buyers – admittedly only six people – are new to Bentley. Usually, in the ultra-rarefied world of these sorts of cars, people have to have spent gazillions with the brand before they’re allowed into the limited editions. Not so here. It’s a customerdriven focus and hopefully one that will yield more special projects in the future. As Sheikh puts it: “It’s the ultimate expression of what you can do to a car. We’ve started on that journey with Bacalar and we’re looking to take that further into the future.” The world doesn’t need more of these sorts of cars, but does that matter? If a profitable Mulliner helps Bentley, that’s no bad thing in my book. L

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45

1957 FORD EDSEL TELETOUCH

The circular steering wheel is a well-proven concept, but some car designers still dare to be different. Richard Dredge rounds up some of the best esla is never shy about tearing up the car development rule book. True to form, the EV maker recently pushed the boundaries by ditching the steering wheel as we know it, replacing it with a yoke design in Model S and X updates. But Tesla isn’t the first to create a steering wheel that’s something other than round and spoked. Here are some of the circle-squaring innovators that went before it.

The Edsel was a complete disaster for Ford, for a multitude of reasons. One of them was the fact that it tried to be too clever for its own good, such as with the gear selection, which was via push buttons on the fixed steering wheel hub. Not only was it an ergonomic disaster but the electrics could be hideously unreliable, too.

1985 MAZDA MX-03

The MX-03 could only be a mid-1980s concept car showstopper, with its plethora of digital displays and a steering ‘wheel’ seemingly inspired by something from a fighter plane. We wonder if one day a car maker will have the guts to offer a steering wheel like this, even if it’s just as an option.

1940 CHEVROLET SPINNER

With no power assistance, the steering on cars of the 1930s and 1940s was very heavy at low speeds. Chevrolet’s answer was to offer the $12.50 option of a built-in spinner, which in theory made it easier to turn the wheel. The option was unpopular and short-lived; it was offered for just two model years.

1980 CITROEN KARIN

If you think the Karin’s ‘Space: 1999’ steering wheel looks bonkers, find some exterior shots of this quasi-futuristic concept and you’ll see that its dashboard and controls are actually quite restrained…

1986 OLDSMOBILE INCAS

2004 CITROEN C4

At first glance, the Citroën C4’s steering wheel doesn’t look especially wacky, but it was the way it worked that was strange. While the rim turned in a conventional manner, the hub remained fixed, meaning the multi-function buttons didn’t move – which wasn’t ideal because the driver’s hands obviously did.

46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

We’re being slightly unfair here by including a load of concept cars from the 1980s, but they were fascinating, if only to show what developmental cul-de-sacs some car makers were exploring back then. Anybody test driving an Incas-style production car would have run away screaming, unless they happened to have lots of McDonnell Douglas F-15 flying time under their belt.

1971 MASERATI BOOMERANG

STEERING WHEELS GALLERY

Another one from the ‘What were they smoking?’ pile. This is the steering wheel that has it all: terrible aesthetics and even worse ergonomics. Note that as well as the gauges there are also rocker switches, along with stalks to control the lights and the wipers, too. Incomprehensibly bonkers.

1959 CITROEN ID 19

You’ll notice there’s a disproportionate number of Citroëns here, because the French company, to its great credit, has continually tried to push boundaries. Over the years, Citroën has offered plenty of single-spoke steering wheels, but this one is arguably its finest, on perhaps its most avant-garde production car ever.

1982 ITALDESIGN ORCA

1963 CHEVROLET CORVAIR TESTUDO

A square wheel is one thing, but a rectangular one is something else when it comes to ease of use – or absence thereof. Imagine trying to feed this through your hands at ten-to-two as you negotiate a series of S-bends…

You can see instantly that the Italdesign Orca was a child of the 1980s, with those digital displays and the mass of small buttons on the steering wheel boss. We have in the past complained of a busy dash on a new car, but we can’t think of many models that come close to being this confusing.

1996 MERCEDES-BENZ F200

By the time the Mercedes F200 arrived, the Saab 9000 Prometheus project had already been canned, but that didn’t stop the German car maker from trying a similar idea. Of course, this also went nowhere, but what’s neat about the F200’s design is that it allowed a symmetrical dashboard with a full-width digital display, so there was no need to engineer left- and right-hand-drive cars separately.

2000 SPYKER C8 SPYDER

For those who reckon that too much is not enough, the Spyker C8 was one of the most gloriously overdesigned cars ever made. Some got a regular wheel that could have come from a premium saloon, but it makes us very happy that quite a few came with this fabulous item made of polished alloy.

2000 CITROEN OSMOSE

1973 AUSTIN ALLEGRO

The Allegro was so poorly packaged that the average driver couldn’t see the instruments, so something radical had to be done. The answer – it seemed – was to fit a ‘quartic’ steering wheel. But it proved to be the wrong answer, as this odd-shaped device lasted for just one year before it was replaced by a conventional circular wheel.

As you can see from the picture, the Osmose concept’s extremely busy steering wheel was merely a mock-up, because at the time the tech didn’t exist to display an entire dashboard in such a small space. We’re now in a position where this could actually be introduced on a production car, but we really, really hope that doesn’t happen…

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 47

RESTORING RENAULT’S VA VA VOOM Luca de Meo is enacting an overhaul that could turn around the fortunes of the Renault Group, over which he now presides. Steve Cropley meets him to ﬁnd out what the future holds

Δ this way, de Meo explains: “You find that people who have to make a plan work are very realistic about what they propose in the first place. They buy the story because it is their own. And they tend to build from the bottom up, rather than simply declaring that ‘we’ll build five million cars next year’ and then thinking of ways to make it happen.” By the end of last year the plan was complete. It was revealed in mid-January in a media onslaught that dominated car news sources for several days, not least because of the smart decision to lead the recovery with an EV revival of the Renault 5. The plan’s many other elements are well known (and listed on these pages), but de Meo summarises them succinctly: “We refocused our money on more profitable markets and segments.” On arrival, he says, he found a company in a difficult financial situation. A strong focus on small cars meant the ability to generate margins was limited. “I made a plan to go one segment up,” he says, “as we did at Seat, moving from the Ibiza and Arona to the Leon and Ateca, because you can better control margins and volumes that way. “The effect of this will start to be felt next year with the arrival of the electric Mégane SUV and the replacement of the Kadjar, but the full effect won’t come until 2023-24. It will take some time, but we know we have very strong products coming. Some are no-brainers, in fact; you have to ask yourself why the previous management didn’t think of them. But there’s no point in looking too much at the past. The main thing is that our product plan is now very solid. The world of French financial critics seems to agree. Renault’s share price has so far expanded from around £13 to £35 since de Meo’s announcement. The main point of criticism seems to be that the CEO’s forecasts – including earnings of 3% by 2023 – are regarded as too conservative, given that they hit 3.5% in the second half of last year. De Meo has always insisted that his predictions represent “a floor”, but after two failed turnaround plans in the past 10 years, he insists it’s now time to underpromise and overdeliver. De Meo displays a kind of good-natured

The popular Kad jar crossover will soon be

Design boss Laurens van den Acker plays a key role

Alpine boss Rossi hopes to boost A110 sales via F1

replaced

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Lotus-Alpine tie-up ‘makes sense’ but has yet to bear fruit 50 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

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LUCA DE MEO INTERVIEW A L P I N E - L O T U S D E A L’ S S T R O N G P R O S P E C T S There’s one overarchingly powerful reason why the recently announced ‘memorandum of understanding’ between Alpine and Lotus over a future co-operative sports car project has a great chance of success: it’s the fact that, before he took the reins of Renault’s Alpine division, CEO Laurent Rossi was the French group’s head of corporate partnership and strategy – negotiating the deal was part of his job. “It has been going for quite a while,” Rossi says, “but it’s still an exploration. Alpine and Lotus have common DNA – the culture of lightness is the obvious one – and we also face the same challenges in the

marketplace, so it makes a lot of sense.” Rossi says Alpine’s side of the project centres on the replacement of the A110 (“the horizon is 2025”), so it is a little early to imagine what the industrial responsibilities of a co-operative project would be like. Alpine is still visualising the project. One thing is clear to Rossi and his team: the next version of the much-admired A110 must sell in greater numbers. He admits it doesn’t sell as well as it should. “We simply do not have enough points of sale,” he says. “Our commercial footprint is too small because we are present in too few countries.” What’s the remedy for the short term, I wonder,

given that the three-model EV strategy recently revealed in Luca de Meo’s Renaulution plan won’t kick in until the second half of the 2020s. Rossi has further versions of the existing A110 in the pipeline, he says – “we have lots of ideas and possibilities” – and he also hopes the F1 team’s adoption of Alpine branding will make a crucial difference to its success. “F1 is a fantastic visibility platform for us,” he says. “Our group has been in F1 for 40 years, so the incremental value to Renault is smaller than to Alpine. We believe having 500 million sets of eyeballs tuning in to the Alpine traditions through the car will create demand. Our job is to fulfil it.”

` We have very strong products coming. Some are no-brainers, in fact a

The highly regarded A110 is scheduled to be replaced around 2025 impatience at the tendency of some media to see nothing but production numbers. “They say: ‘Ten years ago you were making 700,000 cars at this plant and now you’re making 500,000, so you must be failing,’” he says. “That’s frustrating. It doesn’t take into account our R&D that benefits the whole country, our electric car programmes, our hydrogen projects, the software deals we have done. We are trying hard to push France into a higher part of the value chain.” Having started his career at Renault, then moved to Toyota, Fiat (via both Alfa Romeo and Abarth), then Volkswagen, Audi and Seat, 53-year-old de Meo has been around the block despite his youthful demeanour and comparative lack of years. He accepts most of the slings and arrows of the auto business but can’t resist one dig at unrealistic visions in Renault’s past. “A few years ago, we spent ¤1 billion [£867 million] moving Mégane, Scenic, Grand Scenic, Talisman, Espace and a couple of others – six or seven big

cars – to one plant,” he says. “Anyone who knows manufacturing knew it was a mess, industrially speaking. You don’t do that. We promised 300,000 cars and delivered 80,000. We are a popular brand, not credible in D- and E-segment cars, and this was a demonstration.” But, I ask, aren’t small cars difficult too? Every manufacturer says they’re close to unprofitable. And if you can’t make money, what is their future? De Meo delivers a ‘structured’ answer. Small cars with combustion engines are being hit badly by the high costs of meeting Europe’s ever-tougher clean-air regulations, he explains, dropping the bombshell assertion that a supermini’s combustion engine will double in price when it has to meet the punitive Euro 7 regulations expected at the end of 2025. “There’s an entry price to clean up any combustion engine,” he explains. “You need a particulate filter containing platinum, rhodium and other expensive stuff, whether it goes onto ◊

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Δ a ¤15,000 Clio or a ¤120,000 Mercedes S-Class. Sure, the S-Class filter is a bit larger, but it’s much cheaper in percentage terms and the customer can afford to pay. But life is getting very hard for companies making small cars. “Meanwhile, the cost of batteries is falling at about 10% a year, according to our experience. And small electric cars need smaller batteries, so they’re even cheaper in percentage terms than family-sized EVs. As combustion small car prices rise, the equivalent EV falls. The moment is approaching when the two cost curves will cross – at which point the electric car will become the more viable in Europe.” A battle is raging right now between car makers wanting to be the first to reach this crossing point, says de Meo. It will be a huge moment because it will democratise electric cars across Europe. The company that gets there first will be a big winner. Project R5, the poster car for the Renaulution currently being productionised at top speed by

Renault’s designers and engineers, is meant to symbolise this moment. “Most of the industry expects the lines to cross in 2025-26,” says de Meo. “But maybe we can be first if we engineer a very smart project. It’s a race against time.” Turning to bigger cars, de Meo expects the trend towards SUVs and crossovers to continue, even though these cars aren’t ideal for electric powertrains because of their big frontal areas and block-like shapes. “Every kilometre you gain through good aerodynamics is valuable,” he says. “But people just don’t want to sit in low cars unless they’re in an Alpine A110 or a Lamborghini.” One important trend he sees for electric vehicles is the rise of the crossover coupé, along the lines of the Cupra Formentor he launched at Seat. “Those are trendy cars,” he says, “and as EVs they don’t need a long bonnet. Because they won’t have transverse front-wheel drive, they can also have the wheels set properly at the corners of the body. They can have proper big wheels, too. My bet is

Renault director of design Gilles Vidal moved from Peugeot last year

LUCA DE MEO INTERVIEW THE F1 CONNECTION Since Luca de Meo’s arrival, Renault has solidified its commitment to F1 by bringing it under the Alpine banner, making a long-term commitment to keep racing and laying down a three-model EV future for what is for now a one-model company, complete with a partnership with Lotus. “I regard F1 as the PhD of automotive,” says de Meo. “When I arrived at Renault, a lot of smart people said I had to stop the sport after 44 years. Also, I had to close Alpine because it had only one product, and I had to dissolve the team of 400 top engineers at Renault Sport. “Alpine could be a great basis for an emotional, pure-electric car, a mixture between a mini-Tesla and a mini-Ferrari. Some people in the company decided this was a weight, a drag, and we should stop everything. I disagreed; sometimes you have to see life from another perspective.”

` The moment is approaching when the electric car will become the more viable in Europe a

Renault’s Formula 1 team now carries the Alpine

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we will have a generation of cars that ride fairly high, on very big wheels, but with very good aerodynamics. This is one of the things we are trying to do with Alpine.” De Meo has said many times that EVs are the future but shows a hint of pique with companies (he doesn’t name Ford) who say they will make only EVs after 2030. “Maybe that’s okay if you want to be a niche manufacturer,” he says. “But I don’t believe all Europeans will be ready for EVs by 2030. You just have to go to the south of Spain, or the south of Italy. There’s no purchasing power to buy electric. And there’s no infrastructure.” However, de Meo is quite sure the combustion engine will be dead after Euro 7 begins – unless it’s part of a full hybrid system. Even 48V mildhybrid systems won’t be clean enough to meet the standards, he believes, so he’s pleased Renault never invested in that technology. We conclude with a chat about China. Renault recently ditched its Chinese operations (“pretty much catastrophic”) but has appointed a proven market specialist to “study the strategic options” of a better-orchestrated return. “I consider China the most advanced and competitive car market in the world,” de Meo declares with unmistakable admiration. “That’s not just because of its size, but because of its progressive attitudes. The Chinese want to innovate. They know they won’t catch up with our 120 years of automobile history by just doing what we do. They want to jump ahead; EV technology is their huge opportunity, especially since they control the battery value chain.” To succeed in China again, de Meo says, Renault will need to match the Chinese on next-generation technology and bring something the others don’t have. Then you have to partner with one of the big companies, creating technology that can be exported to other parts of the world. Given the complexities, de Meo admits that Renault’s re-establishment in China will be tough – and it may take years. Still, you get the feeling that he will relish the challenge. Add it to his in tray, then, with all the other pressing priorities. L

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The great weight debate Bigger and heavier cars are only getting more popular, despite what keen drivers think of them. Andrew Frankel explains why

he increasing popularity of SUVs is clear from a quick look at the new car sales charts. But while such cars are popular with buyers, not everyone approves. A recent report caused plenty of headlines by saying that people should think carefully before buying large SUVs, both because of the space they take up on the road and because of the extra pollution they can cause. I suspect that, as an Autocar reader, you too might shake your head at the popularity of SUVs. Not necessarily for the reasons stated above but because what you or I want from a car and what typical car buyers want from a car are two completely different things. Allow me to illustrate my point. Ask me what new car I’d buy with my own money and, within the bounds of what is financially imaginable, I’d probably say an Alpine A110. Tell me to get real and I’d say a Lotus Elise

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or a Mazda MX-5. Insist it must seat four and remain affordable and I’d say a Mountune-chipped Ford Fiesta ST. What I would absolutely not be slavering after is a coupécum-hatchback-cum-cod-offroad-crossover-quasi-estate blob on wheels. So why in the first month of this year were five of Britain’s 10 best-selling cars, and two of the top three, all crossovers/SUVs? Has there ever been a greater gap between the cars that we think people should be buying and those that they actually do? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes. We will be getting to the whats, whens and whys of that in a minute. But let’s stay in the present a little longer and look at what’s driving this disconnect between the cars we think people should be buying and those they actually are. The first thing to say is that Autocar hasn’t survived 126 years without knowing who its reader is. And the

Frankel covets sports cars, but crossovers are the choice of many

truth is that you, like us, are slightly strange. You don’t look at cars in the same way as other people. They might see a mode of transport, or an opportunity to make a public statement about themselves; you see something to be driven, savoured and enjoyed. This is because you love cars and not their image. There’s a crucial difference and one that I think is relatively easy to illustrate. Remember Chris Evans’ knucklegnawingly shouty turn on Top Gear?

It led to the lowest IMDB ratings of any mainstream television programme of which I’m aware. And although I haven’t asked the bloke, he gave every impression of being someone who didn’t love cars at all, just their image, which is a very different thing – and the audience saw through it in a heartbeat. Indeed, it was another short-lived former Top Gear host who has no interest in cars but who happens to be a mate who told me: “That was the programme on which I learned you can’t present your way out of not caring for your subject.” But you know your subject, which means you know what makes a car good to drive. Most fundamentally, you know that the lighter and lower it is, the better it will be. But we live in an era when cars are getting higher and heavier. What we have to accept is not only that ours is a minority ◊

BUYING HABITS ANALYSIS

` Ask what I’d buy with my own money and I’d say an Alpine A110 a Second opinion

A Mountune Ford Fiesta ST: honestly, what’s not to like?

M AT T S A U N D E R S Andrew Frankel literally wrote the book that Autocar uses to this day to educate budding road testers about the primacy of fitness for purpose when assessing a new car. But I know where he’s coming from. It’s easier when you can think as an interested driver would, with a close eye on dynamic appeal, when deciding a verdict. Half of the big group tests we do are of driver’s cars of one form or another, because we think you’ll be more interested in tests like that. Our instinct then is to give the nod to the betterdriving car; all else being equal, it’s generally the reasonable thing to do. But sometimes it isn’t… One of the first twin tests I wrote, in March 2010, featured the Jaguar XJ. I drove to the car’s launch in a Mercedes S-Class and gave the nod to the Jag for its better driver appeal while overlooking a few relatively unimportant (or so I convinced myself) frailties, such as ride isolation, second-row space and material quality. I don’t mind admitting that I got that one wrong.

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S U Vs B Y NUMBERS

6.6% Proportion of UK new car sales in 2010 that were SUVs

21.8% Proportion of UK new car sales in 2019 that were SUVs

40% Proportion of EU new car sales in 2020 that were SUVs

Nissan led the surge in sales of crossovers Δ view but also that it has always been that way. This isn’t a new happening. Cars are getting heavier for two main reasons. First, people want more stuff on and in them. This isn’t the stuff you and I might deem as acceptable grounds for a small increase in mass – a limited-slip differential at one end, another couple of cylinders at the other – but things such as fat seats, dashboards groaning with gadgets and more spacious interiors. People like more space because they themselves are bigger than they used to be, which means cars must grow with them. The other reason is that they think a heavy car is a safe car. After all, does it not stand to reason that the more metal you have around you when you hit something, the more of that impact will be absorbed before it interacts with the soft, squishy things you tend to find inside it? We call them passengers. Of course, what few consider is the car’s ability to not have the accident in the first place, which is strange, because I think in most other walks of life it is generally held that prevention is better than cure. Also, the heavier your car, the more momentum it will carry and the more

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energy it will need to dissipate in order to reduce its speed pre-impact. It will also be slower to stop prior to or accelerate away from trouble and less adept at dodging around it. Yet the bodies responsible for ensuring our cars are safe take little account of that. Euro NCAP will give you so much data about how a car performs in a crash that it will make your eyes bleed. But how much data does it provide about a car’s ability not to have that crash? Well, there’s plenty on how effectively on-board electronics such as lane-keep assist and ESC work, but do they measure fundamentals such as braking distances or the ability to change direction? They do not. So a heavier car is not necessarily a safer car any more than one with fourwheel drive is safer than one without, although that is subliminally communicated by manufacturers, too. What is actually happening is they’re simply making the cars their customers want to buy, and while we may lament that these are not the cars we may want to

buy, what we cannot do is say we’re right and they’re wrong. It’s just down to personal tastes, and ours are different. Most of us couldn’t care less about what we think our car makes other people think about us. We may even smirk at those who do think such things, but that is a

key factor in the rise (pun intended) of the crossover/SUV. But so too is the fact that they’re easier to get into and see out of, which is of particular importance to those with kids. So perhaps we shouldn’t carp too much. Besides, I’d far rather people were buying cars they wanted even

P U N C H I N G A B OV E T H E I R W E I G H T The recent debate on the rise of large SUVs in urban areas was sparked by a report that centres on the role of advertising in promoting “false promises of safety and superiority” with such vehicles. It was published by the New Weather Institute, a “think tank” that focuses on a “rapid transition to a fair economy”. The Mindgames on Wheels report claims that large SUVs account for a third of all vehicles sold, three-quarters of them registered to people living in urban areas. It calls for a ban on the advertising of such cars, arguing that “the human health and climate damage done by SUVs is huge and needs to be undone”. While the report does raise some interesting issues, it seems to merge two separate – but often related – issues: the increasing size of cars in general, and the reduced efficiency and higher emissions of some largeengined, less-aerodynamic SUVs. And while talk of an ad ban oversimplifies a nuanced issue, it does raise one intriguing question: are car firms or car buyers responsible for driving the increasing popularity of SUVs? JA

BUYING HABITS ANALYSIS Euro NCAP crash tests have resulted in heavier cars

Second opinion M AT T P R I O R During the 1990s, car magazines told the car buying public just how excellent the Alpine A610 was. It was a true, worthy Porsche 911 rival, they said. Alpine went on to sell about, I think, 10 per year. Ditto the original Honda NSX. Maybe 30 or so were sold per year. There was a year in the late 1990s when more examples of the Jaguar XJ220 – by then well out of production, but with some still unsold owing to that decade’s earlier recession – were newly registered than NSXs. Fortunately, I wasn’t around to write about either of those cars. Although in 2006, I did review the Nissan Qashqai, this new whizzy crossover thing, a car to replace the Primera hatchback. The same money as a large family car but for a car the size of a small one, only taller? I didn’t quite get it. Hmm. To their credit, the good people at Nissan only remind me about this every single time I talk to them.

The late 1980s best-sellers – and not an SUV to be seen

` Manufacturers are making the cars their customers want a

if they’re not my cup of English Breakfast, because it’s a far healthier situation than that which prevailed at the beginning of my career. In the late 1980s, Autocar had a couple of pages at the back called Database, edited by the dashing young Andrew Frankel. I put all sorts in there, which is why I can tell you that in October 1989 there were slip road closures at junction three of the M63. But I also included the country’s top 10 best-selling cars, which so far that year had been the Fords Escort, Sierra and Fiesta, Vauxhalls Cavalier, Astra and Nova, Austin Metro, Ford Orion, Rover 200 and Austin Montego. A more motley accumulation of mediocre metal you would struggle to find. Where was the Peugeot 205, Volkswagen Golf or BMW 3 Series? Nowhere by comparison. And why? Because, back then, to whom could you turn for advice? The only car expert most people knew was their local dealer, who came with the profound conviction that the world’s best car was whatever he had most of on his forecourt that week. There was

no internet for people to turn to and learn otherwise. Today, prospective customers walk into dealerships often knowing far more about the car they want to buy than the poor sod trying to sell it to them; in 1989, they would not have had a clue. So the success of any product tended not to depend on whether it was any good or not but on how many dealers the manufacturer had. So it’s no surprise to discover that Ford, Austin Rover and Vauxhall weren’t just the UK’s best-selling manufacturers, but they also had the most dealers, with 1200, 975 and 681 respectively. Peugeot had 400, Volkswagen had 355 and BMW had a paltry 157. They never stood a chance. So while we may lament that many people are increasingly choosing cars that are high and heavy, we should celebrate the fact they have reached that decision with at least the option of being in full possession of the facts, and that they simply have different priorities to us. Which is vastly preferable to the situation that was allowed to prevail 30 years ago. L

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

M OTO R S P O RT

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

Toyota’s Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja won last Rally GB in 2019

LOST IN THE WOODS Despite its rich heritage, Rally GB is gone – perhaps for good ave you noticed that Rally GB, Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship, no longer exists? If you’re a hardcore rally fan, of course you have. You’ll be wringing your hands at its absence from the 2021 calendar, mourning the loss of a British motorsport crown jewel that has slipped quietly out of our grasp. Imagine if it was the British Grand Prix that had been dropped. There would be widespread outrage. But Rally GB… beyond the diehards, there was barely a ripple. Worse, there’s a genuine fear that what used to be known as the RAC Rally (or ‘The Lombard’, depending on your age) might have been lost for good.

D E C L I N E A N D FA L L

First run in 1932 as the Torquay Rally, thanks in significant part to The Autocar’s lobbying for a British equivalent to the Monte Carlo Rally, ‘the RAC’ has a wonderful heritage that has touched most parts of the country over the past

89 years. But its roots were sewn deep in Britain’s dense forests – in Wales, Scotland, Kielder, Grizedale – on some of the best gravel roads in the world. Then rallying began to change, specifically at the top end. A drive to homogenise what used to be a gruelling day-and-night feat of sleepdefying endurance and adventure was turned into a centralised TV ‘product’ – that barely anyone watches. To compound the decline, you have to know where you’re looking to find live coverage of the modern WRC (the halcyon days of the BBC’s Top Gear Rally Report are ancient history) and then pay to watch it. For the past couple of decades, Britain’s round has become known as Wales Rally GB, centred first on Cardiff, more recently

in Deeside and backed by enthusiastic regional government funding. But a combination of a Covidinduced cancellation last year and a new political apathy for the event in Wales, driven by a harsh economic reality, has cost Britain its WRC place – and that’s in spite of the spirited emergence of Elfyn Evans as a genuine title hopeful. As Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers recently admitted: “Even with a spectator sellout, we would be running the event [this year] at a very significant loss.” SPORT OUT OF ITS TIME

It doesn’t help that rallying has been dreadfully served, both internationally and nationally, by its leadership in the past 20 years. Formula 1 first introduced hybrid

Imagine if it was the British Grand Prix that had been dropped. There would be widespread outrage a

engine technology in 2009; the WRC will finally do so in 2022. There’s a collective responsibility for that failure to embrace a changing world – one that is always going to struggle with the concept of cars powered solely by fossil fuels churning their way through beautiful countryside. MSUK claims it has worked hard to prove rallying has little negative impact on the environments promoters pay increasingly large sums to use, but when rally cars remain defiantly ‘old-school’, the governing body is fighting a losing battle. As in most walks of life, those at the bottom of the chain – the national, club and historic scenes – will take the brunt as much as, if not more than, the premier-level sport. HOPE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Across the Irish Sea, there is at least some resistance to the apathy. Momentum is building behind a plan to create a Rally Northern Ireland based out of Belfast, but these are not easy times to launch a new event on this

MOTORSPORT Exciting forest stages defined Britain’s WRC round

INGRAM’S CHANCE

After all that gloom, there is at least some heartening news for British rally fans. Chris Ingram, who in 2019 relied on crowdfunding to become the UK’s first European Rally champion since Vic Elford 52 years

Whittock and Ingram will race a Skoda Fabia in the Croatia Rally

before, has overcome the odds to join the WRC trail and begins his new campaign this weekend on the Croatia Rally. The 26-year-old Mancunian and co-driver Ross Whittock have worked tirelessly to find proper commercial banking to secure a chance in the WRC3 class. The pair will compete in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo run by the Belgian SXM Competition team. “There have been some really tough moments to get this far but it feels so special to be able to say I’m a WRC driver,” said Ingram, who is committed to a two-year programme. “I’ve given everything to get this opportunity and I have so many people to thank and so much to be grateful for. Winning the ERC title in 2019 opened lots of doors and I was close to landing a really good drive in 2020. The pandemic slammed all those doors shut, but I never gave up and never stopped believing my dream would come true. I’m so lucky to have this chance. “It’s been almost 18 months since I last drove a top-level rally car so I’ve got to build up my confidence, learn the events and adapt to the championship because it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done. The WRC rounds are another level. I’m going to give it everything.”

Vandoorne won round four of the Formula E season in Rome

Vandoorne bounces back DS Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne and Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne shared the Formula E wins in Rome recently. Vandoorne had a dramatic weekend: he started race one on pole but was involved in an early clash. He then battled up the order, though crashed again after hitting a manhole cover while swerving to avoid a slowing car. Vandoorne recovered by fighting through the order and fending off Alexander Sims for the race-two win.

New leadership for Merc tech team The Mercedes-AMG F1 team has revamped its technical team. Current tech boss James Allison will step back from dayto-day management and move into a new chief technology officer role with a focus on “the strategic challenges” of the sport’s incoming new rules. Mike Elliott will replace him as technical director of the title-winning squad.

Hulkenberg is up for reserve role

Indy 500 organisers hope vaccination drive will allow fans to attend

in this year’s BTCC. Pasty maker Ginsters and a number of Ingram’s other long-time sponsors have joined the team.

Hyundai swaps i30 N for Elantra N Four new Hyundai Elantra N machines will contest this year’s World Touring Car Cup, run by two teams backed by the South Korean firm. BRC Hyundai N Lukoil Squadra Corse will feature multiple tintop champion Gabriele Tarquini and 2019 WTCR drivers’ title winner Norbert Michelisz, with youngster Luca Engstler and multiple WTCR race winner Jean-Karl Vernay competing

for Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly. The Elantra N replaces the i30 N in the series.

Indy bosses to wait on crowd decision Indianapolis 500 organisers have said they want “as many people as possible” to attend next month’s event, but have admitted it will be several weeks before they can start to work out what capacity will be possible. The final decision will depend in part on the success of a Covid-19 vaccination drive in Indianapolis. The speedway has hosted a mass vaccination centre, with a capacity of 96,000 people per day.

Tech chief Allison is taking new role at Mercedes-AMG F1

Nico Hulkenberg will serve as Aston Martin’s official reserve driver this season. The veteran German F1 racer competed for Racing Point, the team’s former identity, last season.

COURTESY OF FORMULA E

scale. The numbers didn’t make sense for 2021, but there’s genuine hope that a rally based on Northern Ireland’s superb asphalt roads will be embraced by local communities desperate for the economic injection an international sporting event would bring. Fingers crossed for the UK’s last remaining hope for WRC action in 2022. But even if the Northern Irish bid succeeds, it can’t replace a traditional forestbased Rally GB. MSUK says it is searching for a solution. “With the right format, I have no doubt that the FIA and the WRC promoter would welcome us back,” said Chambers. “But we need a model that is affordable, practical and attractive to domestic and international competitors – as well as all possible commercial partners. We would like to hear from everyone with their ideas for how rallying should progress in the future.” But is there anybody out there? Is anyone even listening any more? How sad that it has come to this.

N E WS R O U N D - U P

Hyundai gets pasty paint in BTCC ExcelR8 has revealed the new-look Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance that race winner Tom Ingram will drive

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NATIONAL SCENE

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

Swedish supremacy 16 February 1967 Hill’s been preparing for the BTCC season in a 1973 Chevron B26

Hill keeps one foot in the past Rising BTCC star Jake Hill has been honing his craft in other formulas

ake Hill is one of the new young lions of the British Touring Car Championship. Along with drivers such as Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher, Hill is emerging to take over the mantle of old-guard drivers such as Matt Neal, Jason Plato and even Colin Turkington. At 27, Hill is heading into his eighth BTCC season, so he has served his apprenticeship and is ready to bid for the title with former F1 racer Mark Blundell’s refreshed MB Motorsport team, which has evolved from the successful Motorbase Performance operation. Hill is fiercely competitive in the car but open and personable out of it. That has been key to him getting into the BTCC as there was no silver spoon for this youngster: he

HOW IT WORKS

has got to where he is now by graft, ability and results. Even before he was old enough to race, Hill was working for what he wanted. His earliest BTCC weekends were not as a racer but as a youngster cleaning wheels and doing odd jobs for the Red Line Racing Porsche Carrera Cup team. He is proof that a bag of family gold is not the only path into motor racing. The BTCC, of course, is the prime focus of Hill’s season. He’ll spend 10 weekends from May to October fighting tooth and nail with 30 other equally committed racers. But that’s not the complete story for the racer from Tunbridge Wells. Hill is steadily building himself a reputation in historic racing, too. Over the past three seasons, he’s been given

The WRC on UK TV

It’s slightly embarrassing that we had to look up where the UK’s armchair rally fans have to go to catch the latest round of the World Rally Championship, but there you go. The WRC appears to have decided to (non)market itself as motorsport’s best-kept secret for 2021. BT Sport is where you’ll find it, and you’ll be asked to pay a subscription once you do, from £25 for a monthly pass to £7.50 a month for six months. Good old ITV4, home of the British Touring Car Championship’s fab live coverage, offers highlights – apparently. Except we couldn’t find it listed on the ITV website. The best option is probably the WRC+ online live streaming at WRCplus.com, for which a monthly pass costs £8.99 and a season pass £65.99 (reduced from £89.99 at the start of the year). In other words, you really have to love the WRC to watch it. Who needs fair-weather casual fans, eh?

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the chance to race cars for owners and he has delivered in everything from a Lotus Elan to a Nissan Skyline R32, a Ford Mustang and, most recently, a Chevron B26 sports car. His historic career started with a sensational win at the 2018 Silverstone Classic, when he kept Richard Wheeler’s Lotus Elan ahead of all the V8 monsters to win the Pre ’66 GT race. It was a result without parallel and instantly put Hill in the historic racing spotlight. Over the Easter weekend he did it again, this time in the Chevron at Donington Park in the Masters Historic Sports Car Championship. He starred in the race and was set to claim second behind established Chevron ace Tom Bradshaw when the clutch failed. Hill has done some testing

for the Chevron’s owner, Simon Watts, in his newer Endurance Legends Lola but had never driven the 1973 Chevron until qualifying on Friday morning. He shared the John Danby Racing car with veteran racer Roberto Giordanelli, in what was, in effect, his first race in an open-top car. “It’s great seat time before the BTCC starts,” says Hill after his virtuoso performance in the Chevron. “I really enjoy these cars. It’s racing the type of cars I’ve always dreamed of. I love it but I’m so gutted. I fell in love with it immediately when I drove it in qualifying, and I hope I get another go.” On those two performances alone, Hill is not going to be short of racing opportunities for a long time to come. PAUL LAWRENCE

MOTORSPORT GREATS DAN GURNEY

Daniel Sexton Gurney was one of motorsport’s great all-rounders. The American followed Phil Hill and broke into Europe with Ferrari in the 1950s. Brilliant in sports cars, he scored Porsche’s only grand prix win at the 1962 French GP, then moved to Brabham. He might have been champion in 1966 had he stayed, but instead he became a constructor, creating the fabulous Weslake V12-powered Eagle in which he won the 1967 Belgian GP, a week after winning Le Mans with Ford (where he invented the custom of spraying champagne in celebration). Gurney also won in Indycars, Trans-Am, Can-Am and even Nascar. He died in 2018, aged 86.

ALMOST ALWAYS HAS there been a Scandinavian driver near the front of any given top-flight rally, and especially when that rally is in wintry territory. So it proved on Rally Sweden in 1967; indeed, despite this rally being run since 1950, it wasn’t until 2004 that a non-Nordic driver finally conquered it. The event could hardly have been easier to grasp for the casual viewer, we reported, being a series of special stages in snowy forests and over frozen rivers and lakes linked by “very easy” road sections. The first three special stages were each finished fastest by a Swede (amid several mechanical retirements), although the fourth and sixth had to be scrubbed as markers were destroyed and drivers got lost. Vic Elford missed a left turn entirely, getting his Porsche 911 stuck in a snowdrift for 45 minutes. At the halfway mark of 16 stages (including a race around a pony track “for the benefit of Swedish TV”), Björn Waldegård led in his 911, ahead of Bengt Söderström in a Ford Cortina Lotus and Åke Andersson in a Saab 96. The next morning, 21 stages beckoned over 31 hours; the “titanic duel” for the lead resumed and several leading cars were paralysed by their efforts. “The Opel Rekords started to shine” come lunchtime, as “they were certainly more sideways than anyone else, with European champ Lillebror Nasenius usually fastest”, but overall to no real avail. And, sadly for the huge crowd, Waldegård and Andersson were soon out of contention, leaving Söderström to secure a commanding victory.

MOTORSPORT

That’s easy for you to say… Ever listened to a Formula 1 commentator and thought you could do better? Well, it’s not as easy as it sounds, as Ben Edwards explains ommentating on motorsport has to reach the commentary box before the grid takes been my passion for 30 years, and off, so I make sure to be settled in my booth at least while I have stepped back from 20 minutes before ‘lights out’. My environment Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage is normally a small rectangular room high in a this year, the microphone is still a grandstand with TV screens and timing monitors part of me. That moment of going live on air and blocking much of the view out of the window, but communicating with the viewer never fails to I learned years ago to focus on the screens alone boost adrenaline levels and sharpen my mind. because that is what the audience is watching. Race-day build-up is intense: I avoid drinking I lay out a few sheets of paper on the desk: a too much coffee as my heart rate is already circuit map, the grid formation and a handwritten increasing, and I steer away from a generous A4 document that I created the night before, lunch as I don’t want to be heard burping summarising key facts relevant to this Edwards’ on the formation lap. Walking race. Alongside, my plastic-sleeved commentary through the paddock near race time folder contains extensive research. on the thrilling final helps me pick up the vibe of the I spend a couple of days a week laps of the 2000 Michigan event as drivers are suiting up and honing the information, some of it 500 Champ Car race was heading for their cars. coming from dedicated statistical so exciting that French Over the years, I have had experts in the world of F1. Eurosport chose to use it several jet lag-induced dreams of Before fitting the headphones, for highlights instead being caught in a crowd and failing I’ll do some warm-up exercises ◊

Until standing down at the end of last year, Ben Edwards had been the voice of Formula 1 on UK terrestrial television since 2012, first for the BBC and then, from 2016, for Channel 4. But that was actually Edwards’ third stint commentating on F1: he voiced coverage for Eurosport in 1995 and 1996, and later for the Sky’s short-lived F1 Digital+ service in 2002. Edwards has also put his voice to a host of other motorsport categories. He did the international commentary for the US-based Champ Car series in the late 1990s and was the long-time commentator for the British Touring Car Championship. He has also commentated on A1 Grand Prix, British Formula 3 and GT, rallying and even powerboat racing.

of their domestic voiceover.

GETTY IMAGES

Walker ‘was a true inspiration’ to Edwards (far right) behind the mic

A CAREER ON THE MIC

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61

B E N E D WA R D S ’ T O P F I V E C O M M E N TA RY T I P S

1 Spend time on research, connecting with key competitors and understanding the unique challenges of each event. 2 Prepare a couple of opening lines to get into the flow and perhaps a line for the conclusion, but let the rest flow, inspired by what you see. 3 In your mind, aim your commentary at several key

friends watching from home: one who is knowledgeable, another more casual viewer and one relative who knows nothing about the sport. 4 Remember to inform, explain and, where possible, entertain. But don’t patronise. 5 Deliver from the heart of your soul with energy, enthusiasm and emotion, as Murray Walker taught us.

Preparation plays a part, but enthusiasm is the key to great commentary 62 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

Dramatic or dull, F1 is enhanced by great

commentary

Δ and voice preparation. I remember seeing Murray Walker do the same in 1995 when we were both commentating on F1 in separate but transparent booths. Murray was a true inspiration to me and his recent loss was a very sad moment. I copy his technique of standing when commentating to provide the breath and energy required at key moments. Like Murray, I prefer to use a hand-held lip microphone. Thankfully, I have never had to share the item, as Murray did with James Hunt, although a technical problem in Brazil one year had John Watson and me wrestling over a standard old-fashioned cable telephone as we voiced the race action for Eurosport. Through the headset I can hear the producer of the show counting down to the titles. And then I’m off, absorbing information from pictures and sharing it with those watching. My peripheral vision picks up alerts on timing screens, I’m constantly aware of the need to stop talking when team radio bursts into life and every sense in my body is working to absorb and distribute information. Motor races can be endlessly fascinating or sometimes rather dull, and it is the latter which require me to dig deep and create an energy that is not being stimulated by track action. That doesn’t

MOTORSPORT

H O W T H E G R E AT E S T O F T H E M A L L D I D I T As Ben Edwards says, the undoubted master of motorsport commentary was Murray Walker, who died recently. Even though ‘Muddy Talker’ stood down from full-time commentary 20 years ago, his distinctive, excitable style meant he remained the voice of F1 for many. Walker’s commentary was so distinctive that most fans remember key moments in F1 history through his words. “And look at that! Colossally… that’s Mansell!” Nigel Mansell, Adelaide, 1986 “This is what we were fearing might happen!” Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, Suzuka, 1988 “It’s happened immediately!” Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, Suzuka, 1989 “And I’ve got to stop… because I’ve got a lump in my throat.” Damon Hill, Suzuka, 1996 What was his secret? In December 2017, Steve Cropley visited Walker to watch that year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale – and to gain an insight into the passion of the then 94-year-old. Speaking about the love the public showed him, he said: “I’m flattered to have had so much recognition over the years. But it’s really all geared to the power of television, not me. The only

difference between me and anyone else is I’ve appeared on the screen a lot. You shouldn’t forget people can get rid of you at the touch of a button.” As for his approach to commentary, Walker insisted that he never planned anything too far in advance and preferred not to prepare any lines – even if that did risk the occasional ‘Murrayism’, for which he became known. “You say what’s in your heart,” he told Autocar. “You don’t have time to work those things out.” That passion is why there will never be another commentator quite like Murray Walker.

Walker: “People can get rid of you at the touch of a button”

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63

XPBCC

mean false excitement; my aim is to come up with stories and information that keep fans engaged. That’s when my extensive notes become useful. The last lap creates a high point with the celebrations of race victory. Enveloped by the buzz, I rattle through the podium festivities, then suddenly it’s all over and within minutes my adrenaline levels have dropped, I’m hungry and need to sit down, hopefully with a sense of fulfilment – but not always. In August 1998, I was commentating on Champ Cars at Mid-Ohio from a booth mounted on the back of a truck with minimal views. Reigning champ Alex Zanardi was having a tough weekend and trying to work his way through the field. Suddenly, our power supply failed and we lost all the screens, yet my voice was still transmitting. At precisely that moment, Zanardi went off at Turn One and I was just waffling. Back home, my wife was shouting at the screen: “But Zanardi is OFF! What are you looking at, Ben?” The answer was virtually nothing. I made a note in my diary that night: “Race didn’t go well for me – we lost electricity and thus pictures and timing. Didn’t feel on top of it…” Self-criticism has always driven me; comments on social media are just like clouds passing in the sky. It’s what comes from within that counts. L

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YO U R V I E WS WRITE TO

autocar@haymarket.com Back or forth? David Duvall’s criticism of in-car touchscreens (31 March) was spot on. I drive a Volkswagen Touareg with a massive and impressive touchscreen, and I’ve come to hate it. It takes too much attention to use anything but the simplest functions. It is my fourth Touareg and, as a result, will be my last. Bring back knobs and switches. There are other ‘advances’ that also need to be reconsidered. As mentioned by Matt Prior (Tester’s Notes, 31 March), what about a spare wheel in every car? It’s all very well providing a tyre repair kit, but not every puncture can be repaired by a squirt of foam. And if you’re in a phone-signal black spot, of which there are many, in the absence of a Very pistol how do you effect rescue? Next is electronic handbrakes. While they have improved, they don’t beat the advantage of being able to hold a car on a hill using the clutch and handbrake in harmony – and handbrake turns are impossible. Lastly, do we really need keyless entry and ignition? It’s not such an imposition having to press a button or insert a key, surely? Recently, as my wife was preparing to visit the supermarket, I, being a thoughtful and attentive husband, scraped the frost from the car’s windows and started it for her. On reaching her destination, she discovered that she couldn’t lock the car as the fob was in my pocket! I refuse to take the blame. Advances? It’s one step forward and two steps back, in my opinion. Iain MacDonald Via email

Simple solution I read with amusement your review of the updated Land Rover Discovery (First drives, 17 March). Clearly, Land Rover has spent plenty of money updating the car in ways that absolutely nobody will notice or care about (new anti-roll bars, anyone?) while neglecting the reason most people won’t buy it: its hideous looks. Land Rover could have saved itself the bother and just gone to one of the aftermarket specialists that can

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Phil’s RS2 is Nogaro – sorry, RS – Blue

Case of the blues You mentioned in the 24 March news that Audi will produce a special run of RS cars in Nogaro Blue, inspired by the RS2 Avant. That’s fab, but to be correct, the RS2 was offered in RS Blue, which became Nogaro Blue for the RS4 Avant. You can see this colour on my beautiful RS2.

We’re on the wrong side

A number of Autocar’s reviewers and readers have commented on the challenges of using the new infotainment systems fitted to the latest Volkswagen Group family cars, which is then compounded by the absence of traditional controls for key functions such as heating. Having switched a few months ago from a Mk3 to a Mk4 Seat Leon, we fully support these views. We continually struggle with the system, and I believe a large part of the problem is that, in right-hand-drive cars, you need to use your left hand to operate the touchscreen. However, most people are right-handed, with the result that you are spending more time looking at the screen while attempting to operate it. In Continental Europe, where these cars are built and tested, cars are left-hand drive, so drivers use their right hand to operate the systems, which is naturally easier for most. These problems are therefore not so apparent and thus most likely escape negative feedback from testers. Manufacturers might argue that voice control is the way around this issue for right-hand-drive markets but, having tried this a couple of times with a distinct lack of success, I believe we’re a long way from that point. Phil Kenworthy Via email

immeasurably improve the Discovery for a few hundred pounds by moving its rear numberplate to the centre. No doubt the designers felt this would undermine their work. No doubt they’re the only ones who do, hence the Discovery’s dismal sales. Ed Gibson Via email

Why stop short?

Does central rear plate fix Discovery? 66 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

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

I understand that battery-electric cars are an inevitability, despite their many disadvantages for anyone without a driveway and/or access to charging or who regularly does long journeys. But can we at least be

honest about their major downside: the complexity, accessibility and speed (or otherwise) of charging. So many times I see an electric car praised for taking “only” 30 minutes to charge from 0-80%. When did 80% become a thing? What’s the time penalty for charging to 100%? Does anyone fill their ICE car to four-fifths of capacity to reduce five minutes to four, or is this another attempt to, as they say, polish a turd? Ian Helm Chadderton, Lancashire

Charging to 80% rather than 100% is better for the EV battery’s health, so chargers slow for the ﬁnal 20% – KC

Phil Luckett Via email

It seems that you know Audi’s palette better than Audi itself, Phil! – KC

Turn down that racket We live not far from the M42 so are used to background traffic noise. With the rise of electric cars, how much of a noise reduction can we expect? I’m not sure what proportion of the noise comes from engines and how much from tyres and wind noise. Rob Fieldson Via email

EVs will make urban areas quieter, but most of the noise made on motorways isn’t from engines – KC

Another Yeti hunter Anna Bradnam’s letter about the Skoda Yeti (17 March) interested me. I too have a 4x4 Yeti, bought new nearly nine years ago to take the place of my third Land Rover Defender. My legs have had it and I no longer need the off-road ability of the Land Rover. The Yeti has never let me down mechanically and has shown drivers

LETTERS of Range Rovers the way to deal with steep, wet grass and very muddy gateways. Like Anna, I wonder with what do I replace it? The Skoda Karoq is much wider than necessary, so I wait with great interest for the launch of the ‘baby Defender’ (see News, 13 November 2019), but when? The Yeti is the mountain goat of SUVs: compact, comfortable and capable.

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M5 for the price of an M3 Matt Saunders suggested that people buy a BMW M550i rather than an M5 Competition (‘One up, one down’, 17 March). You just don’t buy a M550i if you’re in the market for a full-on sports saloon experience. The few people who do will surely suffer catastrophic depreciation and really might as well have bought a 520d. Matt’s comparison of the new BMW M3 Competition, Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and MercedesAMG E63 S yielded the predictable result. However, properly specified, the M3 and M5 will both cost around £85,000 once dealer contributions on the latter are taken into account. Now that is a no-brainer, I would suggest. Tim Bulmer Via email

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Doubts over C40 Volvo’s successful move upmarket is to be applauded, but online sales only for EVs? I want a test drive before I splash out on a car. Also, Volvo says its new C40 Recharge electric SUV is meant to appeal to young buyers. It might appeal to a lot more of them if it cost £25,000, rather than £50,000.

If luxury saloons are the world’s best cars, the S-Class has been the best of the best. We pit the new one against a Flying Spur R OA D T E S T

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CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Kia has designed a classic in the new EV6. I really liked the ethos behind the Stinger GT S and how it showed the skill Kia has to create a premium car. The EV6 GT follows on from that, but having an electric powertrain makes it the foundation for Kia and its future range of premium electric SUVs. With an output of more than 570bhp, it fits neatly into a sector for which demand will surely only increase exponentially.

O U R CA RS F E AT U R E D T H I S W E E K

BENTLEY BENTAYGA

BMW M440i

FORD FOCUS ST

DS 3 CROSSBACK

SEAT LEON

TOYOTA GR YARIS

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

SEAT LEON We’ve lived with a lower-spec model and a quicker, plusher one: which is the better buy and what’s this Golf sibling really like? FINAL REPORT

MILEAGE 1269

WHY WE R AN IT To find out which end of this dynamic family hatch’s spectrum best suits it

ave you ever experienced a small irritation getting in the way of something that would otherwise be great? For instance, you’re having a romantic meal with your partner in a fancy restaurant but somebody at a nearby table keeps laughing really obnoxiously. The Smiths’ Bigmouth Strikes Again comes on the radio, but all you can hear is that stupid highpitched backing vocal. Or you find a family hatchback that looks terrific, is thoroughly enjoyable to drive and

68 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

is eminently practical but has all of its auxiliary functions on a complex and sometimes frustrating touchscreen. I am loath to start an article about any car negatively but feel I must do so here because, in the four months since I inherited the running of our long-term Seat Leon, my frustrations with its infotainment system never subsided, even though the car won me over in every other regard. So let’s get the foibles out of the way ASAP. Above all, replacing physical dials for the temperature, fan speed and air direction with touch-sensitive sliders was a terrible idea, and even more so when those sliders don’t light up in the dark. The time the system takes to load up once the car is started added to the frustration, even if it was only five seconds. And I encountered

Infotainment was an irritation in an otherwise good car several glitches, with menus not opening, the heated seats refusing to turn on and a frightful lack of understanding with my faithful iPod (although I should mention that a friend was mightily impressed with the functionality of Android Auto with his new phone). Right, on to the many positives. I thought the previous Leon was fantastic, being in essence a cheaper and slightly sportier relation of the Volkswagen Golf, which has long been popularly seen as the perfect family hatchback. The Mk4 Leon is essentially that car refined, using updated versions of its platform and engines, evolved styling (which in my view is improved) and a new interior.

Initial custodian Lawrence Allan started out in a 1.0-litre three-pot turbo petrol making just 108bhp, but he and I had our fears of thrashiness and lethargy satisfactorily allayed. Due to its healthy 148lb ft of turbo torque, this near-entry-level Leon (SE Dynamic trim) never felt like a wheezer, and it averaged around 45mpg during its time with Allan. I then swapped this for a variant near the other end of the spectrum: a four-pot 1.5-litre turbo petrol, with the trinkets of Xcellence trim, plus a striking Desire Red metallic paint finish, rather than flat Mystery Blue. It unsurprisingly proved more suited to high jinks, with its 128bhp

TEST DATA

Economy reflected its suitability for enthusiastic driving

L OV E I T

S E AT L E O N 1 . 5 T S I 13 0 X C E L L E N C E At start At end List price new List price now Price as tested

It handled city life and out-of-town roads equally well

Blue 1.0 SE Dynamic was swapped for a red 1.5 Xcellence

None FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE Claimed economy 50.4mpg Fuel tank 45 litres Test average 37.8mpg Test best 42.0mpg Test worst 32.9mpg Real-world range 374 miles TECH HIGHLIGHTS 0-62mph 9.4sec Top speed 129mph Engine 4 cyls, 1498cc, turbo, petrol Max power 128bhp at 5000rpm Max torque 148lb ft at 1400rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Boot 380 litres Wheels 17in, alloy Tyres 225/45 R17, Michelin Primacy S1 Kerb weight 1243kg SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS Contract hire rate na 128g/km CO2 Service costs None Other costs None Fuel costs £192.29 Running costs inc fuel £192.29 Cost per mile 29 pence Faults Intermittent infotainment touchscreen glitches DEPRECIATION

` a

SECOND OPINION Infotainment gripes aside, the Leon is an attractive alternative to the ‘safe bet’ VW Golf. I found the entry-level 1.0-litre triple charmingly buzzy and plenty poky enough in daily driving, and a well-rounded chassis set-up means the Leon is a smooth operator in town, but engaging out of it. FP

allowing me to unlock the crispness of its chassis – but what was a surprise was quite how pleasing its six-speed manual gearbox was to use. It really satisfyingly snicked through the gates, making the whole experience much more enjoyable. Certainly, the contrast with the numb wobbler in my previous long-termer, a Peugeot 2008, stood out. The steering was nicely weighted, too, albeit predictably numb. Therefore, I often was inspired to take the scenic route home from my ‘social bubble’ to blow away the cobwebs. I really would like to get my hands on the FR model, with its Sport driving mode and firmer suspension, let alone the 306bhp Cupra hot hatch

(although that sadly is limited to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox). My only real criticism was the fairly poor fuel economy, although that was possibly affected by my usually enthusiastic style (given that lockdown so limited my driving opportunities) and the car being used almost exclusively for short A-road blasts and inner-city crawls. I could feel some nasty thumps as I went over large potholes as well, but this was rare and the ride otherwise presented no cause for concern. Although firm, it was still as comfortable as I could have wished for. No doubt the more sophisticated multi-link rear set-up of more powerful models would only enhance this impression. The comfort element also stretched to the driver’s seat. It was fine in the lesser Leon, but Xcellence trim took it to another level, with good bolstering and electric adjustment, including for lumbar support. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel made the winter more bearable to boot. My few passengers, one of them taller than 6ft, were quite happy as well, even on one occasion when we had crammed three adults, all of our

30 25 Value (£1000s)

I was often inspired to take the scenic route home from my ‘social bubble’

MILEAGE 600 1269 PRICES £26,625 £26,625 £26,625 OPTIONS

£26,625

The 1.0 TSI felt far from desperate despite its meagre output, and then I had a whole lot of fun in the 1.5 TSI.

PRACTICALLY PERFECT Three adults, all their luggage and a mountain bike on a 190-mile drive: for the Leon, that was no problem.

LOOKING SHARP

20 15

£10,386

10 5 0 New

POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS

In this generation, I feel the Leon is now finally level with its Volkswagen Golf cousin in the beauty contest.

L OAT H E I T 1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

PREVIOUS REPORTS 25 Nov 2020, 2 Dec, 6 Jan 2021, 13 Jan, 27 Jan, 17 Feb, 24 Mar, 7 Apr, 14 Apr

luggage and a mountain bike for a 190-mile journey. Who says families need to have an SUV? Not me. We began this test to discover which end of the unusually expansive variant spectrum best suits the Leon. Frankly, it impressed me at both ends but the extra power squeezed sweet extra juice from this ripe fruit. I really would like to recommend it as strongly as I once did the Mk3 Leon. But I just can’t get past that obnoxious laugh or high-pitched backing vocal. I hear them in the new Golf and new Skoda Octavia as well. And so the Ford Focus and Audi A3 Sportback would now be my family hatchback picks for budgets of £21k and £27k. It’s a bit of a shame, that. KRIS CULMER

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE kris.culmer@haymarket.com

TEMPERATURE SLIDERS Annoying at their best, infuriating at their worst. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with rotary dials.

TOUCHSCREEN It’s neither convenient nor safe to be forced to look away from the road so much, and it didn’t run perfectly.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69

W £5 IN 00 0

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OUR CARS

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Does technology for the sake of it mean the Golf is losing its user-friendly touch? MILEAGE 1043 WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To find out if the Mk8 Golf remains the world’s most rounded family hatchback

ouchscreens, then. Aside, perhaps, from BMW kidney grilles, no aspect of modern car design seems to – sorry – touch a nerve quite like the removal of buttons and other switchgear from dashboards in favour of shiny touchscreens and haptic controls. Even the Golf Mk8, a car designed with a laser-focus on balancing technological advancement with evolutionary familiarity, isn’t immune. The biggest difference between the latest Golf and its predecessor is its touchscreen-heavy, button-light dashboard, which has attracted determinedly mixed press from both our reviewers and car buyers. I’ve been running the Golf for a few months now, so it feels time for a considered look at that dashboard.

LOVE IT STE E R I N G WH E E L VO LU M E B UT TO N S Simple and effective. Press button, music gets louder.

LOATHE IT S LOW - SCRO LLI N G SCR E E N The touchscreen can be slow to load up new pages, forcing you to wait to choose options.

Volume and heating ‘sliders’ are a backward step for usability The latest Golf features just two small banks of haptic panels, with the bulk of the controls shifted to the 10in touchscreen. Below that, even more controversially, is a ‘slider’ that controls the infotainment volume and the heating. It’s certainly a bold, thoroughly modern departure for the Golf. And to be clear, it’s not all bad. Actually, in terms of layout, it’s genuinely excellent. The infotainment screen is well positioned both to glance at without taking your eyes off the road for an extended period and to reach without having to stretch excessively. It also complements a digital instrument display – which, unusually for a car in this class, is standard – that is both clear and hugely customisable. There is a wealth of options for the three sections of the display, and once

you’ve mastered it, it’s easy to have exactly the information you want visible at all times. The two banks of haptic controls – one below the touchscreen containing shortcuts to various infotainment, HVAC and drive mode functions, the other to the right of the steering wheel for the lights – are both within easy reach and logically laid out. And the thin sort-of buttons offer just enough feedback to give you confidence when using them. The steering wheel buttons mean you can control most key functions, such as changing the radio station or adjusting the volume, without taking your hands off the wheel. But with so few physical controls, there are some functions that can only be operated via the touchscreen. As touchscreens go, the Golf’s isn’t bad, and Volkswagen’s infotainment

system is strong and well-designed. But it’s still not as easy to operate while driving as it would be using old-fashioned switchgear. But the biggest bugbear is the slider, a groove you can drag a finger through to adjust the volume or heating. It seems simple, but in practice it’s not that responsive and somewhat imprecise. More annoyingly, the slider is located right underneath the touchscreen, where you’d ideally rest your hand to steady it while using the touchscreen. Except you can’t, else you’ll knock the volume out. So the slider actually makes the touchscreen worse. There’s no lighting on the slider controls either, so it’s very difficult to use at night. It just leaves you pondering what’s wrong with an old-fashioned volume knob. It’s a mixed verdict, then. The interior certainly isn’t terrible, and as I grow accustomed to it, it’s definitely becoming easier to use. But it remains simply not as userfriendly as it could be. Which is quite jarring inside a Golf. JAMES ATTWOOD

TEST DATA VO LKSWAG E N G O LF 1. 5 eTS I LI FE Price £26,455 Price as tested £33,830 Faults None Expenses None Economy 44.8mpg Last seen 7.4.21

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE james.attwood@haymarket.com 21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71

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OUR CARS

TOYOTA GR YARIS Pocket-size rally-rep puts on its housecoat and gets to work MILEAGE 6881 WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To see how easily a hot-shoe rally-replica fits into daily life

I’VE HAD A spell without track or test days or long work drives in the GR. Which means it has become, of all things, a local runabout. A Yaris. Appalling, I know, but it’s pretty good at it. Space is limited in the

back, so think of it as a three- rather than full four-seater. You can get a small person behind the driver, but scooch the front passenger seat forwards and an adult can sit behind an adult, although access is tight. I tend not to fold the driver’s seat forwards if I can help it, because it doesn’t remember the backrest angle when you slide it back, meaning a bit of faffing about while you get comfortable again.

The rear seatback folds 60/40, giving a flat load bay. It’s not a massive boot, but it’ll take a mountain bike with the front wheel out. While you’re there, a flimsy, lightweight fabric load bay cover they’d be too embarrassed to put on a sensible car reminds you that, yeah, this is all fine, but the car has other things on its mind. Like the skidpan drift day onto which I’m now booked. MATT PRIOR

Ford Focus ST MILEAGE 7992

LAST SEEN 31.3.21

A male blackbird has taken against the Focus. He is the same as – or a direct descendant of – the one who tried to peck my long-term McLaren 720S to death a couple of years back. This time it’s a dirty protest. I’m told by someone who knows that he’s spotted another male blackbird invading his territory and hasn’t twigged he’s just looking at himself in the door mirror… AF

TEST DATA TOYOTA G R YAR I S CI RCU IT PACK Price £34,080 Price as tested £34,080 Faults None Expenses Service £165, tyres £200 Economy 32.1mpg Last seen 7.4.21

Boot can hold one of Prior’s ultra-expensive invisible mountain bikes

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE matt.prior@haymarket.com

BENTLEY BENTAYGA It’s time to ditch our luxury off-roader’s winter tyres MILEAGE 1971

New Pirellis and 22in alloys have improved the steering a touch

WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT To evaluate the depth and especially breadth of ability of the luxury SUV cohort’s now established leader

WINTER LOOKED LIKE ending, so I took the Bentayga back to its maker’s Crewe HQ to swap its 21in winter tyres for a set of ‘summer’ Pirelli P Zeros on the finest set of 22in 10-spoke alloys you ever saw. Then I had 123 miles, mostly on two of the UK’s coarser and noisier motorways, the M5 and M6, to evaluate the difference between the two sets. Even allowing for the Bentley’s refinement and general excellence, the differences are fascinating. The main benefit is in steering authority around the straight-ahead: there’s an enhanced feeling of precision that allows tiny steering corrections to be effective. Along with that is a small reduction of justoff-centre steering effort, which adds to accuracy. Both things improve the car’s agility, which is always surprising given its size and height. If there’s a drawback to the

DS 3 Crossback E-Tense MILEAGE 576

LAST SEEN 14.4.21

I use BP Pulse and Shell Recharge exclusively now they’re part of Onto’s ‘all-inclusive’ subscription package, but reliability isn’t a given. A 50kW CCS charger recently failed to detect the car, and a 43kW AC connection promised just 26 miles of range per hour. I only needed a top-up; a full charge would have meant a near-six-hour layover. TM

BMW M440i MILEAGE 2975 standard tyres, I’d say it’s in the vibration detectable through the pedals and floor on coarse surfaces, taken fairly slowly. The car is more impressive the faster it goes, and although the noise builds, the increase is slight. No wonder that the Bentayga is comfortable and quiet over very large distances. STEVE CROPLEY

TEST DATA B E NTLE Y B E NTAYGA V8 Price £146,700 Price as tested £208,035 Faults None Expenses None Economy 22.9mpg Last seen 17.3.21

OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE steve.cropley@haymarket.com

LAST SEEN 14.4.21

At £1500, the BMW Laserlights aren’t cheap. But boy do they light the road up well, casting a really white light across a huge swathe of countryside up ahead. They certainly make night-time driving a whole lot easier. High Beam Assist is included in the cost. It works most of the time but occasionally can be slow to pick up oncoming traffic. PW

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 73

What to buy, where to buy it and how much to pay

USED CARS W H A T WS TE ALMO T B O U G HE E K THIS W

M E RCE D ES - B E NZ CLK 230 AVANTGAR D E “One of the tidiest examples on the road,” trills the ad for this 2001/Y-reg CLK, with 90,000 miles and up for £900. Given the sorry state of most aged CLKs, that’s not saying a lot, but the seller does go into more detail about the car being in “mint condition” and there being no rust – claims he can be judged on. Better have a look-see.

James Ruppert THE HIGH PRIEST OF BANGERNOMICS

The Nissan Juke is currently the UK’s most popular used buy

SELLING THEMSELVES Which second-hand cars are flying off the shelves this month? will happily source car sales and reliability statistics from wherever I can find them. Proper stats, that is, not marketing campaigns masquerading as ‘consumer surveys’. Real information on real sales and real breakdowns. Actually, genuine car fault data is hard to come by. In this case, though, there is a peek into what real people are buying of late, courtesy of the car finance people at Choose My Car. Apparently, the Nissan Juke is the most-bought used car as buyers switch from brand-new models to two-year-olds, saving themselves several grand in the process. I do struggle just a bit with the Juke. My daughter mispronounces it with a ‘P’, but it isn’t overtly SUV-like and it’s decent enough to drive – and you can’t mistake it for anything else. All plus points, so what can we buy? Well, if you want a brand-new one, it is quite easy to get £3000-plus off at your local Nissan dealer. Or you could spend that saving – well, £3995 to be precise – on a 100,000-mile 2012 1.5 dCi Acenta Premium. This was at a dealer so there is some protection, and it’s a top-spec example with just a partial service history question mark. Prefer a lower-mile petrol? Then a 2012 1.6 Tekna with 67,000 miles and leather, plus a load of other things, including rain-sensing wipers, for £5600 at a car supermarket. Another used car we’re fancying at the moment is the ever-dependable Skoda Octavia. Spiritually, I’m drawn

to £1250-worth of 2002 1.9 TDI in top-spec Laurent & Klement trim and with over 100,000 miles, but it has leather and a very excellent MOT history. If that’s too old for you, then spend £6990 and get a 2016-shape, 60,000-mile 1.4 TSI. It comes with a full service history and, best of all for some, it is ULEZ compliant. That makes it pretty much the perfect used buy right now. So far, so very average. So how about a BMW 3 Series? Specifically, the saloon is in the

Spiritually, I’m drawn to a 2002 Octavia with 100,000 miles a BMW’s 3 Series presents a range of used buying options

top three of most-bought used cars right now. An £1800 320i from 2007 with M Sport trimmings and a solid 134,000 miles certainly looked the part. It’s a private sale so I’m taking a chance but, as a manual example, it should be fun as well as practical. Then again, a properly big-engined 325i from 2008 at just over £4000 is worth a go, even with an automatic gearbox and a very reasonable 75,000 miles. Honestly, there are so many to choose from this particular era of still decently attractive and purposeful BMWs. No wonder buyers are looking at them. Well, they’re probably looking at much later ones too, like a 2012 320d Efficient Dynamics job with 60,000 miles up at a reasonable £7495. However, I do think buyers should be considering some properly sporty numbers. Maybe next time.

TA L E S F R O M R U P P E R T ’ S GA R AG E

MILE AGE 78,739

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF We’ve not seen the Golf for a bit, but all of a sudden exciting things are occurring. An imminent MOT, some in-car lighting modifications and quite possibly a new tyre. But first of all let’s deal with the big issue: the windscreen. Like all these things, it started small and rapidly spread, and after a day it was as you can see in the picture. It’s covered under our multi-car policy – well, it covers three of the motors – and it seems that mobile services are suspended right now. Rather like the old days, you’re obliged to go to a centre, none of which are conveniently located. The excess is £115, and at the time of writing the appointment is tomorrow. READER’S RIDE

Volkswagen Golf Good old Gwyn has been doing the old-car thing. “I found this automatic petrol M-reg (1994) Mk3 Volkswagen Golf without an MOT for £125,” he writes. “I thought it would be a good runaround for my daughter on the farm (to save using her nice Audi A3).

SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO

It’s had sheep in the back and all sorts, and eight years later, with a lot of surface rust, it still passes the MOT – the latest at 99,000 miles with no advisories. And I thought it might last a year or two! She has it serviced once a year and it runs like a bird.”

james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO autocar@haymarket.com 21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 75

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USED CARS

AS GOOD AS NEW

AUDI A5 COUPE This handsome two-door is surprisingly good value. John Evans investigates NEED TO KNOW

ust as there is more than one way to skin a cat, so there is more than one way to design a coupé. That said, most manufacturers would aim to make theirs as fun to drive as possible (see BMW 4 Series), but with its A5 coupé, Audi has chosen to give sporty drivers something cooler and more restrained. It’s practical, too, thanks to split rear seats and a huge 465-litre boot. You need more practicality? Then look no further than the A5 Sportback, a five-door variant with engines and trims that ape the coupé’s. New, prices were the same too, but on the used market, a like-for-like Sportback appears to be a tad cheaper, perhaps because there are more of them. Back to the coupé. The generation we’re talking about here was launched in 2016. Larger and lighter and powered by more efficient engines, it was a big improvement on the outgoing model. Interestingly, for a model aimed at business drivers, petrol versions outnumber diesels on the used car market, and by some margin. They come in 148bhp,

187bhp and 249bhp 2.0 TFSI forms, with the 349bhp 3.0 V6 being reserved for the S5. Prices start from around £14,000 for a 2017-reg 187bhp 2.0 TFSI 190 Sport with 65,000 miles. The most powerful petrol engine has quattro four-wheel drive. Given that this system is paired with the more expensive petrol and diesel engines, it’s not surprising that on the used market it is easily outnumbered by front-wheel-drive versions. Prices are reasonable, with a 2017-reg 2.0 TFSI 252 S line S tronic quattro with 50,000 miles costing £17,900. The petrol engines are efficient and free-revving, but if you anticipate doing high mileages, check out one of the more economical diesels. They’re available in 2.0-litre 148bhp and 187bhp forms, with the latter also offered in more frugal (a claimed 70mpg) Ultra guise. Prices are from around £13,490 for a 2017-reg 2.0 TDI Ultra 190 Sport with 75,000 miles. Higher up the diesel range are the 215bhp and 282bhp 3.0-litre

V6 TDIs, again paired with quattro four-wheel drive. We couldn’t find a single one of the latter on the used market and very few of the former, prices for which start at £17,000 for a 2017-reg S line with 60,000 miles. Overall, diesel mileages aren’t very high, suggesting most cars have spent their time parked at the railway station. From launch, standard equipment included xenon headlights, a powered tailgate, three-zone climate control and a 7.0in colour screen. The 2019 facelift was a light-touch affair, the major changes reserved for under the skin. For example, the interior gained Audi’s latest infotainment system while the engine sported 12V mild-hybrid technology. Despite its hewn-from-rock feel, the A5 isn’t immune to the occasional rattly parcel shelf and buzzing trim, as well as infotainment glitches. However, those gremlins aside, pre- or post-facelift, a used A5 coupé is a handsome and classy companion that’s also not bad value.

RANGE ROVER SPORT D300 HSE £4397 deposit, £733 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year The versatile, upmarket Sport has a breadth of talent, being outstanding off road, quick and refined on, and richly appointed inside. D-badged mild-hybrid diesels bring muchneeded improvements in economy.

AUDI Q7 55 TFSI QUAT TRO SPORT £3511 deposit, £583 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year A desirable and accomplished SUV with a huge interior and a high level of refinement. The driving experience is a little remote and the car lacks charisma, but it’s potent and efficient. Want more performance? Try the RS Q8.

BMW X5 xDRIVE45e xLIN E £4358 deposit, £726 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year Now in its fourth generation, the X5 is maturing nicely. It still satisfies the brief of a sporty SUV, with space in abundance, versatility and 4x4 capability, but it’s now even better to drive. In fact, it feels more like a performance estate than an SUV.

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VO RS PRU N G If you want to go the whole hog, front massage seats, adaptive suspension and cruise, a 360deg camera and a head-up display all come as standard.

AU D I A5 CO U PE 2 . 0 T D I U LT R A 190 SPORT A great blend of performance with economy, and a spec that includes smart alloys, sports seats, LED interior lighting and navigation. Find one with the optional virtual cockpit if you can.

OUR PICK

AU D I A5 CO U PE 1. 4 TFSI 150 S WILD LINE SPORT CAR D This 1.4 has lower emissions and better economy than the 2.0 TFSI. It’s a cheaper way into a late-model A5 if you can bear its modest performance.

ONES WE FOUND 2017 Audi A5 coupé 2.0 TDI 190 S line, 100,000 miles, £10,975 2018 Audi A5 coupé 2.0 TFSI 190 Sport, 25,000 miles, £15,999 2019 Audi A5 coupé 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport auto, 15,000 miles, £20,000 2020 Audi A5 coupé 2.0 40 TDI auto, 7000 miles, £25,500

MERCEDES - BENZ GLE 450 AMG LIN E PREM IUM £6003 deposit, £1001 per month, 24 months, 8000 miles per year Another fourth-generation SUV, the GLE serves its market with an enlarged interior (with ample room for second- and third-row passengers), a more upmarket ambience and impressive technology.

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 77

For more lease deals, visit whatcar.com

OUR TOP SPEC

The 12.3in Virtual Cockpit was a £450 option from launch but became standard in 2019. Eight-speed Tiptronic ’box is for the 282bhp 3.0 V6 diesel only. From 2019, the A5 used Audi’s new badging system. Models are identified by a two-digit number that expresses power output. The 148bhp 2.0 petrols and diesels are badged 35, the 187bhp variants 40, the 249bhp 2.0 petrol 45, and the 282bhp 3.0 diesel 50. Trims were SE, Sport and S line, then post-2019 facelift, Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. There have been several safety recalls, so check they’ve been dealt with.

BUY THEM BEFORE WE DO

A TRUE MOTORING ICON

Jaguar E-Type 4.2 £49,999 ur trawl of greatlooking cars begins with an E-Type, the best looking of them all. It’s a subjective judgement, of course, but Enzo thought it was at the time, so that’s good enough for us. Our find is a Series 2 registered in 1969. The 4.2-litre 2+2 automatic was overhauled in the 1980s, with a rebuilt engine and sundry new panels fitted. A new speedo was

SUPERST YLISH SUV

also installed and the odometer currently shows 17,000 miles. The car has a heritage certificate confirming all of this. Series 1 E-Types are the prettiest but Series 2s like this are more usable thanks to improved seats, ventilation and lights. They’re also cheaper. If we were serious, we’d be all over the engine checking for leaks from the head gasket, looking for smoke and feeling for lumpy running, which

Range Rover Evoque 2.2 ED4 Prestige Lux 2WD £12,690 Despite its SUV proportions, the Evoque is a stylish car. Our spot is a 2014-reg with a solid 99,000 miles. Be on your guard for DPF-related oil dilution issues. Warning signs include rough running, sooty smoke, a low oil level and poor economy.

CL ASSIC SWEDISH SALOON

PRET T Y LIT TLE THING

Saab 9-5 2.0 TiD Vector £8995 We’ve been forecasting classic status for the 9-5 for years but prices keep falling. Our example is a 2011-reg with 40,000 miles. It’s had just one owner and has a full main and independent Saab dealer history. Creaks and fit and finish would be our main concern.

78 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

can be traced to worn carburettor diaphragms. The oil pressure gauge should read around 45psi. We’d check the automatic gearbox for fluid leaks and, on the test drive, slurred changes. Also feel for excessive steering play, rear-end creaks and a wallowy ride. Our example was renovated in the 1980s, but that’s long enough ago for rust to have undone the good work. No part of an E-Type is immune:

seams, valances, wings, engine supports, the floor – they all suffer. Did the rebuilders plaster it with filler? A magnet will reveal all. If it all stacks up, the next thing is to check its original spec with jaguarheritage.com. For £50, it will provide the car’s build date and original colour and trim. It will also confirm whether this righthand-drive car was always so. JOHN EVANS

Mazda MX-5 1.5 SE £12,300 The current Mk4 Mazda MX-5 is one good-looking car. The more potent 2.0-litre version is the better all-rounder but the 1.5 actually feels closer to the original concept. Our pick was registered in 2017 and has done 24,000 miles.

Maserati 3200 GT WILD CARD

£11,999 Any self-respecting grand tourer has a duty to look good, and the 3200 GT fits the brief. It’s got the boomerangstyle LED tail-lights that were later replaced with more conventionallooking items. This example is a 1999-reg with 36,000 miles.

USED CARS AU C T I O N WAT C H

CLASH OF THE CLASSIFIEDS U S E D C A R D E S K D O E S B AT T L E BRIEF

Can I have a car to take to the beach for £8000?

FORD MONDEO ST200 From March next year the Mondeo will be no more, bringing to an end this country’s nearly 30-year love affair with the model. In truth, that affair cooled in recent years, but even so, some versions never lost their appeal. They include the ST200. Based on the Mk2 Mondeo and launched in 1999, its 2.5-litre V6 engine was tweaked by Ford’s special ops team to produce 202bhp. Admittedly, its successor, the Mk3 ST220, is more popular with fast Ford enthusiasts, but a good ST200 is still desirable. At least the person who bid £4860 for this one with 112,000 miles at a recent auction thought so.

FUTURE CLASSIC

Honda Civic Type R Mugen 200 £7999 We debated long and hard over the future classic prospects for this model, launched in 2010. In its favour are its Mugen associations and scarcity (as its name implies, just 200 were made). It was a cheaper follow-up to the Type R Mugen launched the previous year. That car had a hand-built 237bhp 2.2-litre engine and cost a stiff £38,595. Just 20 were built and it's a sure-fire future classic, if you can find one. But we couldn’t, so this, the 200, with its 198bhp 2.0-litre engine, will have to do. Our 2010-reg find has done 118,000 miles.

Ford Ranger Double Cab 4x4 £7800

Mitsubishi Delica £7495 MAX ADAMS The beach isn’t somewhere I’m familiar with (see my pasty complexion for evidence of this), but I’m sure I’ve seen the lifeguards down at Sandbanks using Ford Rangers. My Baywatch-inspired choice, then, is a Double Cab 4x4 model with a bed liner for the sand. FELIX PAGE I don’t think James wants to unleash his inner Hasselhoff. The beach is for relaxing on the sand with friends and family, so I’ve gone for something with six seats and plenty of off-road ability. Plus, because the Delica is a rare beast, it’ll stand out from all the surfers’ Volkswagen T4 camper vans. MA You’re not supposed to meet people in enclosed spaces right now. Plus, do you really want rarity? That just screams ‘parts scarcity’ to me. Also, mine has a payload of around 1200kg, which should be fine for a jet ski and wet suit clobber. FP A jet ski in the back? It’s not Thunderbird 2! And I’m not worried about parts, either. This is a reliable beast and Mitsubishi has promised to maintain its UK aftersales offering even after the retail network is wound down. MA Pfft, I doubt that applies to the ancient imported models. Did I also mention my far newer Ford Ranger can tow 3000kg? That’s the weight of a stranded baby blue whale, or even a fairly substantial boat. FP So what we’ve established is that you could operate an aquatic mammal rescue service or a decent-sized navy from your Ranger’s cabin. Good luck to you with that. I’ll be frying some sausages and playing volleyball. VERDICT

I’ll be king of the castle in that Delica. The sand castle, that is… JAMES RUPPERT 21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79

HOW TO BUY AN

MG RV8

64% Proportion of MG RV8s finished in Woodcote Green. The V8 Register values these up to £2500 less than the rarer colours.

A CAR OF TWO HALVES Rover’s take on the V8 roadster was an oddball concoction that never really caught on here but which has endured as a classic curio. John Evans finds out more n anachronism, albeit a strangely likeable one,” concluded Autocar when we tested the then new MG RV8 in 1993. With the car’s leaf springs, rear drum brakes and wood and leather-trimmed interior on the one hand, and a widened track, modern engine management system, Quaife limited-slip diff and 190bhp fuel-injected 3.9-litre alloy V8 on the other, the statement summed up the roadster perfectly. Japan loved the model, eventually buying 1600 (80%) of the near-2000 cars that were built between 1992 and 1995. Most of these had extras such as air conditioning fitted to them and were finished in Woodcote Green. Around 800 of them have since been repatriated to the UK, and

“A

80 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

they populate the classifieds today. The idea for the RV8 came when Rover’s Heritage Division began making MGB body shells for the restoration market and suggested developing a V8-powered MGB roadster (previously, only the MG GT had been available with a V8). The Mazda MX-5 had proved there was a market for a two-seat roadster, so Rover, keen to launch its own, developed the idea and created an MGB for the 1990s. The model was designed to use as many existing MGB parts as possible, but in the end the completed car shared only 5% of them, most notably the doors. Unfortunately, investment in the project was limited to around £5 million, which was why the RV8 retained the old MG’s leaf springs and

drum brakes, while its cheaper rival, the TVR Chimaera, powered by a 4.0-litre version of the RV8’s 3.9-litre V8, had independent suspension and all-round disc brakes. Comparisons like this rather did for the MG in its home market, which is why Japan’s enthusiasm for the model was a gift to a beleaguered Rover. As things have turned out, it’s also been a gift to used car buyers, who, thanks to so many being repatriated, now have lots more RV8s in good condition to choose from. They’re worth slightly less than UK cars, possibly because determining their service history and provenance is more difficult, and because Woodcote Green is not an especially attractive shade. UK RV8s tend to be in Oxford Blue, Nightfire Red,

Le Mans Green, British Racing Green or black and fetch higher prices but are rare. A good place to find them is the ‘for sale’ pages of the V8 Register (v8register.net). Regardless of their exterior colour, all RV8s had a cream (called ‘stone beige’) Connolly leather interior with burr elm wood trim. An interesting thing to note is that two types of five-speed manual gearbox were fitted to the RV8 during its production run. The first, a variant of the Rover SD1 gearbox, is called the LT77S. At VIN number 0644 it was changed to the R380, an improved unit. Telling them apart is easy: on the LT77S, reverse is up to the left; on the R380, it’s down to the right. It’s just one of the many peculiarities that make the RV8 such a strangely likeable car.

USED CARS H O W T O G E T O N E I N YO U R GA R AG E

Connolly leather trim is likely to be in need of a refresh

WILLIAM DE LA RIVIERE, B E E C H H I L L G A R AG E “RV8s are luxurious things with ruched leather and a burr elm dash. Many owners only drive them on sunny days, then stick them in the garage. Build quality is good and the galvanised steel panels rarely rust, while the engine and gearbox are reliable. There are companies that will remap the ECU. Up to 400bhp isn’t unknown, although I wouldn’t want that in an RV8 with its crude suspension. Be wary of buying anything too cheap, though. A colleague here in the workshop bought what he thought was a bargain and he’s still fixing it. Not all RV8s have been pampered…”

Buyer beware… Q E N G I N E The low-pressure, high-volume lubrication system needs a goodquality, semi-synthetic 10W/40 oil, changed every year to prevent sludging. If the oil is a clear, greenish colour, the owner knows this, but if it’s black, they don’t. With the engine running, listen for the exhaust manifold blowing from a leaky gasket.

Chassis is low-tech, with leaf springs and drum brakes

Q C O O L I N G S YS T E M The alloy engine needs a good anti-corrosion inhibitor to prevent overheating. Let it idle and check the temperature. Check the inlet manifold bolts are tight to prevent coolant loss and that the expansion tank and lower radiator fins aren’t leaking.

Q B O DY Check the windscreen surround for rust bubbling beneath the rubber and on the windscreen legs. Inspect the hood for tears and signs of rot. Q I N T E R I O R Examine the gearknob for wear (it’s often replaced with a wooden item). If necessary, factor in the cost of refurbishing the dash, which can crack in sunlight, and cleaning the leather.

Also worth knowing For missing parts, try mgv8parts.com. Big movers at the moment are, oddly, replacement bump stops. Tail-lights are impossible to source but website owner Clive Wheatley has the tooling for them and is seeking a supplier to make them at a reasonable cost.

How much to spend £10,500 - £16,999 Scruffy to decent cars, including a Japanese import in fair condition and with 21,000 miles that made £16,750 at auction in March. £ 17, 0 0 0 - £ 1 9, 9 9 9 Dealer cars at various mileages, some refurbished, others with power steering and air-con. £2 0 , 0 0 0 - £2 5 , 0 0 0 The best cars with a slightly wider choice of colours, including British Racing Green. Includes a 9700-mile private-sale example in immaculate condition for £23,995.

Q G E A R B OX Ask if the car has ever been towed. It’s not advisable because the gearbox has an oil pump that doesn’t operate under such conditions, so risks damage to the unit. Check that the Quaife differential has been filled with the recommended Silkolene Silktran Syn 5, 75W-90 GL5 transmission fluid.

Thanks to so many RV8s being repatriated, UK buyers have lots more to choose from

Q S T E E R I N G , S U S P E N S I O N AND BRAKES Have the steering rack inspected for cracked mounts. Serious kerbing can result in the spoked wheel being written off. Check the condition of the springs, shocks and bushes – many have been upgraded. Inspect the tyres for cracks.

One we found M G RV8 , 1995, 4 8 K M I L E S , £2 4 , 9 5 0 Non-import RV8 in desirable British Racing Green and with performance, exhaust and suspension mods, a new hood and Minilite alloys. The interior is unmarked and there’s a stack of workshop receipts.

a 21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 81

Thanks to William de la Rivière (beechhillgarage.com)

An expert’s view

ECONOMY EXPLAINED 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio

Between the various figures produced on the old-style NEDC, transitional NEDC Correlated and new-style WLTP laboratory emissions and fuel economy tests, it has become tricky to compare manufacturers’ claimed efficiency on the latest new cars. When you see a fuel economy and CO2 figure reference elsewhere, it’s often without explanation. So, to provide as fair and clear a basis for comparison as possible, you’ll only ever read WLTP combined fuel economy and CO2 figures in Autocar’s first drive reviews, features and comparison tests – and on these data pages. Those are the aggregated results of four lab tests carried out across as many different cruising speed ranges – although they’re sometimes expressed as a range rather than as one specific figure to show the different results recorded by the heaviest and lightest available examples of the car in question (depending on optional equipment). In road tests, you’ll also see our own independently produced real-world fuel economy test results for comparison with the lab test claims. We produce an average, track and touring figure for each car we test, as often as possible on a brim-to-brim test basis. While ‘average’ represents the overall economy returned by a new car over a full road test and ‘track’ is relevant only to intensive performance testing (the length and conditions of which can vary slightly), ‘touring’ gives the best guide of the kind of economy you might see from a car at a steady 70mph motorway cruise. We do real-world efficiency and range testing on electric cars, too, expressing the former in terms of miles per kilowatt hour, as manufacturers do increasingly widely by convention. S TA R R AT I N G S E X P L A I N E D

BCCCC ACCCC

irredeemably flawed. Appalling. Massively significant failings. Very poor. Fails to meet any accepted class boundaries. Poor. Within acceptable class boundaries in a few areas. Still not recommendable. Off the pace. Below average in nearly all areas. Acceptable. About average in key areas, but disappoints. Competent. Above average in some areas, average in others. Outstanding in none. Good. Competitive in key areas. Very good. Very competitive in key areas, competitive in secondary respects. Excellent. Near class-leading in key areas and in some ways outstanding. Brilliant, unsurpassed. All but flawless.

503

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3.9

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(g O2

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230

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2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 Q4 AWD 187 2.2 Turbo Diesel 210 Q4 AWD 207 2.0 Turbo 200 Q4 AWD 197 2.0 Turbo 280 Q4 AWD 276 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503

130 130 134 134 143 197

7.6 7.6 6.6 7.2 5.7 3.8

45.6 43.5 42.8 30.1 30.4 24.6

159 169-170 168 206-209 208 261

2.0 45 TFSI quattro 3.0 30 TDI 2.0 35 TDI 2.0 40 TDI quattro 3.0 S4 TDI

242 132 148 187 342

155 133 136 146 155

5.6 9.5 8.9 7.4 4.8

A4 Avant 5dr estate £32,235–£83,170

34.9-35.3 50.4-55.4 50.4-55.4 50.4-54.3 40.4-40.9

181-184 133-146 133-146 137-148 181-183

AAAAC

Classy and demure estate lacks the dynamic sparkle of rivals. B3 4dr saloon/5dr touring £66,665–£68,165 AAAAA LxWxH 4725x1842x1434 Kerb weight 1370kg Buchloe’s take on 3 Series makes a case for being all the car you 2.0 35 TFSI 148 136 8.9 39.8-44.8 143-162 could ever need. LxWxH 4620x1811x1430 Kerb weight 1865kg 2.0 40 TFSI 187 148 7.5 39.8-43.5 147-162 ALPINA

3.0 BiTurbo

462

186-188 3.8-3.9

25.9

247

2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 3.0 V6 TFSI RS4 Avant 448 B5 4dr saloon/5dr touring £95,000–£97,500 AAAAC 2.0 30 TDI 132 Is it the best alternative to an M5? Yes, at least from a practicality 2.0 35 TDI 148 viewpoint. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 2015kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 4.4 V8 BiTurbo 599 200-205 3.5-3.7 23.5 272 3.0 50 TDI Allroad quattro 282 3.0 S4 TDI quattro 342 B7 4dr saloon £121,850 AAAAC A 7 Series with a power boost gives BMW a worthy challenger to A5 2dr coupé £37,900–£87,725

the AMG S-Classes. LxWxH 5250x1902x1491 Kerb weight 2060kg 4.4 V8 BiTurbo

599

205

4.2

24.4

264 AAAAC

D5 S 4dr saloon £64,355

The excellent 5 Series receives some Alpina tweaking to make it a brilliant cruiser. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 1870kg 3.0 BiTurbo

345

171

4.9

38.2

192 AAAAC

XD3 5dr SUV £57,925

Pleasant BMW SUV impressively enhanced with the usual Alpina toolkit. LxWxH 4732x1897x2015 Kerb weight 2015kg 3.0 BiTurbo

330

158

4.9

31.4

328

ALPINE

AAAAA

A110 2dr coupé £48,990–£59,740

A much, much greater car and achievement than the sum of its parts suggests. LxWxH 4180x1980x1252 Kerb weight 1080kg 1.8 Turbo 1.8 Turbo S

248 288

155 162

4.5 4.4

39.2 38.7

162 163

ARIEL

AAAAB

Atom 0dr open £39,950

Simple, purist concept remains but everything else has changed… for the better. LxWxH 3520x1880x1122 Kerb weight 595kg 320

162

2.8

NA AAAAA

Nomad 0dr open £38,000

Well inside the top 10 list of our favourite cars. A revelation and a riot to drive. LxWxH 3215x1850x1425 Kerb weight 670kg

AAAAC 3.0 TFSIe quattro 4.0 S8 quattro 3.0 50 TDI quattro 3.0 50 TDI quattro LWB

A4 4dr saloon £30,835–£58,025

High quality and competent but leaves the dynamic finesse to its Stelvio 5dr SUV £41,255–£73,995 AAAAB rivals. LxWxH 4726x1842x1427 Kerb weight 1320kg Alfa’s first SUV is a solid effort. Choosing the petrol version gives it 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 8.6 40.9-46.3 140-157 charisma. LxWxH 4687x1903x1671 Kerb weight 1604kg 2.0 40 TFSI 187 155 7.3 40.9-44.8 143-187

2.0 turbo

CCCCC Inherently dangerous/unsafe. Tragically,

h r (b

155 6.0 155 4.1 131 9.8 132 9.2 143-144 7.6-7.9 155 5.3 155 4.9

33.6-34.4 28.1-28.2 49.6-54.3 49.6-54.3 47.9-52.3 38.2 39.2-39.8

187-191 220-226 137-150 137-150 141-154 194 186-189

h r (b

449 571 282 282

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4.9 3.8 5.9 5.9

h Ec

y e) o m ang o n MPG/r (

(g/

)

CO 2

100.9-113.0 57-64 24.1-24.4 263-265 38.7-40.9 180-192 38.2-40.4 182-193 AAAAB

E-tron 5dr SUV £60,600–£93,500

A rounded, uber-luxurious addition to the premium EV niche. LxWxH 4901x1935x1629 Kerb weight 2490kg 50 quattro 71kWh 55 quattro 95kWh S quattro 95kWh

308 403 503

118 124 130

6.8 5.4 4.5

190 237 223

0 0 0 AAAAB

E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £69,100–£95,100

Quick and classy EV builds on the solid foundations of its more upright sibling. LxWxH 4901x1935x1616 Kerb weight 2480kg 50 quattro 71kWH 55 quattro 95kWh S quattro 95kWh

308 403 503

118 124 130

6.8 5.7 4.5

192 242 224

0 0 0 AAAAC

Q2 5dr SUV £23,640–£45,635

Audi’s smallest SUV is a decent stepping stone from the A3 to the Q range. LxWxH 4191x1794x1508 Kerb weight 1205kg

1.0 30 TFSI 114 122 10.3 44.8-47.1 135-143 1.5 35 TFSI 148 131 8.5 42.2-44.8 142-151 AAAAC 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 141 6.5 34.0-34.9 184-187 Refreshed coupé gets a sharper look and a refreshed interior. Still 2.0 SQ2 TFSI 298 155 4.8 32.8-33.2 192-195 mundane to drive. LxWxH 4673x1846x1371 Kerb weight 1390kg 1.6 30 TDI 114 122 10.5 47.1-49.6 150-158 2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.9 41.5-45.6 141-154 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 8.1 45.6-47.9 155-163 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.2 41.5-47.1 141-154 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 4.8 34.9-38.8 180-184 Q3 5dr SUV £30,310–£61,585 AAABC 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 443 155 3.9 29.4-30.4 211-218 Typically refined and competent but feels more like an A3 than an 2.0 35 TDI 163 162 8.2 51.4-55.4 133-144 Audi SUV. LxWxH 4388x1831x1608 Kerb weight 1385kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 135-146 1.5 35 TFSI 148 128-131 9.2-9.6 38.7-42.2 153-166 3.0 V6 S4 TDI quattro 345 155 4.8 40.4-40.9 180-184 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 31.0-32.5 197-207 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.3 31.0-31.7 201-205 A5 Sportback 5dr coupé £37,900–£87,725 AAAAC 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.8 222-230 Refined, good-looking four-door coupé is sadly short on charm and 2.0 35 TDI 148 128 9.2 47.9-49.6 150-154 finesse. LxWxH 4733x1843x1386 Kerb weight 1425kg 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 39.2-40.9 182-188 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 9.1 40.9-44.8 144-158 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 137 8.0 37.7-40.4 84-195 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.5 40.9-44.8 143-158 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.8 34.4-35.3 183-187 Q3 Sportback 5dr SUV £33,035–£62,735 AAABC 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 Quattro 448 155 3.9 28.8-29.7 215-222 A more sporting take on the compact SUV, with similarly stable 2.0 35 TDI 148 135 9.1 50.4-54.3 135-147 handling. LxWxH 4500x1856x1567 Kerb weight 1460kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.6 49.6-54.3 137-149 1.5 35 TFSI 148 126 9.6 39.2-41.5 154–163 3.0 S5 TDI quattro 345 155 4.9 39.8-40.4 183-187 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 136 7.4 30.7-32.1 199-208 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.5 31.4-32.1 200-208 A5 Cabriolet 2dr open £42,015–£64,055 AAAAC 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.5 223-231 More practical than smaller options. Lower-powered, steel-sprung 2.0 35 TDI 148 126 9.3 48.7-51.4 145–152 trim is best. LxWxH 4673x1846x1383 Kerb weight 1600kg 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 126 9.3 40.4-44.8 166-183 2.0 35 TFSI 150 136 9.8 38.7-40.4 160-165 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 134 8.3 38.2-39.8 185-195 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.9 38.7-40.4 160-165 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.5 32.8-33.2 192-196 Q5 5dr SUV £43,950–£71,750 AAAAC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 145 8.0 47.1-48.7 152-157 Appealing combination of Audi allure, affordable SUV practicality

and attractiveness. LxWxH 4663x1893x1659 Kerb weight 1720kg

AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 147 6.4 31.0-33.6 191-206 Supremely well-constructed but a bit soulless to drive. A smart 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 249 148 6.1 128.4 49 ASTON MARTIN office on wheels. LxWxH 4939x1886x1457 Kerb weight 1645kg 2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 363 148 5.3 108.6 56 ABCCC Vantage 2dr coupé/2dr open £122,805–£127,005 AAAAB 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 35.3-37.2 172-182 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 136 8.1 41.5-44.8 165-179 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 152 5.5 166.0-177.0 36-38 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 32.8-34.4 216-224 The faster, cleverer, more hardcore entry-level Aston tops its class. LxWxH 4465x1942x1273 Kerb weight 1630kg 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.1 32.8-34.9 184-196 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.1 47.9-51.4 145-155 Q5 Sportback 5dr SUV £44,145–£72,180 4.0 V8 503 190-195 3.6-3.8 11.6 236 AAABC AACCC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 153 7.6 45.6-47.9 155-163 Reduced accommodation and practicality, but still a refined and solid steer. LxWxH 4689x1893x1660 Kerb weight 2010-2150kg 6.7 38.2 193 DB11 2dr coupé/2dr open £152,805–£165,130 AAAAA 2.0 45 TDI quattro Allroad 228 155 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.5 38.7-40.4 183-191 2.0 45 TFSI quattro The stunning replacement for the already seductive DB9 is tyre263 149 6.1 31.7-33.6 192-202 AABCC shreddingly good. LxWxH 4739x2060x1279 Kerb weight 1875kg 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.0 36.2 203-205 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 297 148 6.1 176.6-188.3 36-38 4.0 V8 503 187 4.0 10.8 230 2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 364 148 5.3 156.9-166.2 41-42 AAACC 5.2 V12 AMR 630 208 3.7 13.4 265 A6 Avant 5dr estate £40,620–£112,840 AAAAC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 137 7.6 42.2-44.8 166-176 A capable and high-tech throwback that’s a timely reminder of 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 336 155 5.1 33.2-34.4 216-222 DBS Superleggera 2dr coupé/open £231,730–£249,730 AAAAA what Audi does best. LxWxH 4939x1886x1467 Kerb weight 1710kg Effortlessly fast, intoxicating to drive: the big Aston is better than 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 34-36.2 177-189 Q7 5dr SUV £56,935–£96,880 AAAAC AAABC ever. LxWxH 4712x2146x1280 Kerb weight 1693kg 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 31.7-34.0 189-201 Unengaging to drive and light on feel, but the cabin is both huge AAAAC 5.2 V12 715 211 3.7 13.5 306 4.0 RS6 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-22.8 281-289 and classy. LxWxH 5052x1968x1740 Kerb weight 2060kg 2.0 40 TDI 201 149 8.3 45.6-49.6 150-162 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 338 155 5.9 25.4-27.4 233-253 DBX 5dr SUV £160,230 AAAAB 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 150 7.8 44.1-46.3 159-167 3.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 376 149 5.9 TBC TBC Doesn’t try to be the biggest, fastest SUV, and may be all the more 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 38.2-39.8 187-195 4.0 SQ7 quattro 435 155 4.1 29.4-30.1 245-251 AAAAB appealing for it. LxWxH 5039x1998x1680 Kerb weight 2245kg 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3 209 3.0 V6 45 TDI quattro 228 142 7.3 32.1-34.0 217-230 4.0 V8 550 181 4.5 19.7 269 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.1-34.0 217-230 AAAAA A7 Sportback 5dr coupé £48,085–£115,990 AAABC AU D I Easy on the eye and to live with, but let down by stolid dynamics. Q8 5dr SUV £70,800–£123,100 AAAAC A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £18,920–£31,760 AAABC LxWxH 4969x1908x1422 Kerb weight 1880kg Striking and effective coupé-SUV range-topper leaves us wanting ABARTH Quite pricey, but a rounded car with plenty of rational appeal. 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 35.3-36.2 177-183 more. LxWxH 4986x1995x1705 Kerb weight 2145kg 595 3dr hatch/2dr open £17,310–£28,440 AAABC LxWxH 4029x1746x1418 Kerb weight 1105kg 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.3 134.5-141.2 46-47 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.9 25.9-26.4 243-248 The Fiat 500’s Abarth makeover makes it a true pocket rocket. 1.0 25 TFSI 94 118 10.8 48.7-50.4 128-133 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 32.1-34.0 189-199 4.0 SQ8 quattro 503 155 4.1 31.0-31.7 234-239 LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1070kg 1.0 30 TFSI 114 126 9.5 46.3-51.4 124-139 4.0 RS7 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-23.0 280-287 4.0 V8 RS Q8 quattro 592 155 3.8 20.2-20.5 314-318 1.4 T-jet 145 143 130 7.8 38.7-39.2 162-164 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 7.7 44.1-44.8 142-145 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.3 47.9-49.6 150-156 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.8-33.2 222-226 1.4 T-jet 165 Turismo 162 135 7.3 37.7-38.2 161-166 2.0 40 TFSI 197 146 6.5 40.4 158 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 155 7.0 45.6-47.1 158-163 1.4 T-jet 180 Competizione 177 140 6.9 36.7 171 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 38.2-39.8 186-193 TT 2dr coupé £34,770–£66,080 AAAAC 1.4 T-jet 180 Essesse 177 140 6.7 36.7 171 A3 Sportback 5dr hatch £23,300–£50,310 AAAAC 3.0 S7 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3-35.8 205-208 Still serves up plenty of pace, style and usability for the money. It’s 2.4 K24 i-VTEC

235

125

3.4

All the above but with the added convenience of a usefully larger

AAABC boot. LxWxH 4313x1785x1426 Kerb weight 1180kg A convincing track-day 500 with decent dynamic ability, but overly 1.0 30 TFSI 114 128 9.9 48.7-52.3 124-132 firm ride spoils it. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1045kg 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 8.2 44.8-48.7 132-142 1.4 T-jet 180 Rivale 177 140 6.7 36.2-36.7 171 2.0 TFSI RS3 quattro 394 155 4.1 29.7 214-216 1.6 30 TDI 114 126 10.4 61.4-68.7 111-119 A L FA R O M E O 1.5 35 TDI 148 135 8.1 56.5-61.4 119-131 Giulietta 5dr hatch £22,495–£23,370 AAACC Long in the tooth but still seductive, shame it’s not rounded or A3 Saloon 4dr saloon £25,265–£51,310 AAAAC

695 3dr hatch/2dr open £30,650

lavish enough. LxWxH 4351x1798x1465 Kerb weight 1305kg 1.4 TB 120 1.6 JTDM-2 120

118 148

121 121

9.4 10.0

38.2 49.6

168-172 144-148

Undercuts the case to own an A4. Upmarket interior and good to drive. LxWxH 4458x1796x1416 Kerb weight 1240kg

1.0 30 TFSI 1.5 35 TFSI Giulia 4dr saloon £34,995–£67,995 AAAAB 2.0 TFSI RS3 quattro Handsome and special dynamically but lacks finesse and comes 1.6 30 TDI as an auto only. LxWxH 4643x1860x1436 Kerb weight 1429kg 1.5 35 TDI 2.0 Turbo Petrol 200 197 146 6.6 36.2 176-184 2.0 Turbo Petrol 280 276 149 5.7 33.6 195 2.2 Turbo Diesel 160 158 137 8.2 53.3 135 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 143 7.1 52.3 143

82 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

114 148 394 114 144

131 139 155 131 150

9.9 8.2 4.1 10.4 8.4

50.4-52.3 46.3-48.7 29.7-30.1 64.2-67.3 57.6-61.4

123-128 132-139 213-214 137-143 120-127

A6 4dr saloon £38,520–£79,375

better to drive, too. LxWxH 4191x1966x1376 Kerb weight 1365kg

AAAAC 2.0 40 TFSI Technical tour de force benefits from Audi’s knack of making very 2.0 45 TFSI good limousines. LxWxH 5172x1945x1473 Kerb weight 1920kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.6 28.2-29.4 217-228 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 3.0 55 TFSI quattro LWB 335 155 5.7 28.2-29.1 219-228 2.5 TT RS quattro

A8 4dr saloon £73,330–£117,310

194 242 242 302 395

155 155 155 155 155

6.6 5.8-5.9 5.2 4.5 3.7

40.4-41.5 38.7-39.2 34.9-35.8 34.9-35.3 30.7

154-158 162-167 180-184 180-183 208-210

AAAAC

TT Roadster 2dr open £34,320–£67,830

Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with prestige and designicon style. LxWxH 4191x1966x1355 Kerb weight 1455kg 2.0 40 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 2.5 TT RS quattro

194 242 242 302 395

155 155 155 155 155

6.9 6.0-6.1 5.5 4.8 3.9

39.2-40.4 37.2-38.2 33.6-34.4 34.0-34.4 29.7-30.1

159-163 168-172 185-190 185-188 214-215

N E W CAR PR I CES Po

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305

170

2.8

BENTLEY

AAAAC

Continental GT 2dr coupé £160,130–£209,230

Refined and improved in every area, making the Conti a superb grand tourer. LxWxH 4850x1966x1405 Kerb weight 2244kg 4.0 V8 6.0 W12

542 626

198 207

3.9 3.6

23.9 20.8

268 308 AAAAB

Continental GTC 2dr open £175,930–£224,630

Immensely capable and refined open-top cruiser with effortless performance. LxWxH 4850x2187x1399 Kerb weight 2414kg 4.0 V8 6.0 W12

542 626

198 207

4.0 3.7

23.3 20.2

275 336 AAAAB

Flying Spur 4dr saloon £156,130–£215,430

New from the ground up, with the looks and technology of a class winner. LxWxH 5316x1879x1483 Kerb weight 2437kg 6.0 W12

632

207

3.8

19.1

337 AAAAB

Bentayga 5dr SUV £151,830–£183,650

Crewe’s first attempt at an SUV remains ahead of most luxury rivals. LxWxH 5140x1998x1742 Kerb weight 2505kg 4.0 V8

542

171

4.5

21.7

302

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1.2 PureTech 1.2 PureTech 130 1.2 PureTech 155 1.5 BlueHDi X1 5dr SUV £29,930–£40,580 AAAAC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 Pick of the premium bunch but a tad unrefined and has ordinary ë-C4 50kWh

9.5-9.8 7.8 11.8 9.6 8.2 8.0

42.2-42.8 40.4-40.9 55.4-56.5 53.3-54.3 51.4-52.3 49.6

152 181 181 254 288 288 369 503 148 187 187 263 263 338

138 146 142 155 143 143 155 155 132 146 144 155 155 155

8.4 7.1 7.6 5.8 5.9 5.9 4.4 3.9 8.3-8.4 6.8-7.1 6.9 5.5 5.1 4.6

44.1 145-146 44.1 144-146 41.5-42.2 153-154 40.9-42.8 150-156 188.3-201.8 37-38 TBC TBC 34.9 185 28.2 229 52.6-62.8 117-129 56.5-60.1 124-131 54.3-56.5 130-136 47.1-49.6 150-156 47.1 157-158 46.3 160

420i 181 146 8.2-8.4 34.0-35.8 181-183 AAAAB 430i 248 155 6.3-6.4 32.8-35.3 183 May not drive like a traditional BMW but delivers on upmarket hatch 440i 321 155 5.4 29.7-30.4 194 values. LxWxH 4319x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1365kg M4 Competition 444 155 4.3-4.5 26.9-28.0 229 118i 138 132 8.5 46.3-47.1 130-134 420d 187 146 8.1-8.2 44.1-46.3 160 128ti 261 155 6.1 40.9 157 430d 254 155 5.9 39.2-39.8 180 M135i xDrive 302 155 4.8 36.2 177 435d xDrive 308 155 5.2 37.7-38.2 189 116d 114 TBC 10.1-10.3 60.1-62.8 119-123 118d 148 134 8.4-8.5 58.9-60.1 123-127 4 Series Gran Coupé 4dr coupé £36,660–£49,440 AAAAC 120d 187 144 7.3 55.4-57.6 129-133 Essentially a prettier 3 Series. Good, but not better than the 120d xDrive 187 TBC 7.0 52.3-53.3 139-142 regular saloon. LxWxH 4640x1825x1404 Kerb weight 1520kg 420i 181 146 7.5-7.7 34.9-37.1 172-173 2 Series 2dr coupé £27,105–£75,355 AAAAB 420i xDrive 181 144 7.8-8.1 25.8-33.2 182-183 A proper compact coupé now. Could be better equipped, however. 430i 248 155 5.9 34.4-37.2 174 LxWxH 4432x1774x1418 Kerb weight 1420kg 440i 321 155 5.1 30.7-31.7 188 218i 134 130 8.8-8.9 37.2-38.2 168-172 420d 187 146 7.4-7.6 46.3-51.4 151-152 220i 181 143 7.2 37.2-37.7 170-174 420d xDrive 187 144 7.5 43.5-46.3 160 M240i 335 155 4.6-4.8 32.5 197 430d 254 155 5.6 40.9-41.5 174 430d xDrive 254 155 5.3 38.2-39.2 185 M2 Competition 404 155 4.2-4.4 28.5 225 435d xDrive 308 155 4.8 39.2-39.8 183 M2 CS 448 174 4.0 28.5 226

1 Series 5dr hatch £25,360–£37,685

115 124 109

11.3 10.4 12.8

AAABC

51.5 47.3 62.7

141-143 150 126-128 AAACC

Interesting to look at but soft and unrewarding to drive. Electric ë-C4 is better. LxWxH 4355x1800x1525 Kerb weight 1247kg

handling. LxWxH 4439x1821x1598 Kerb weight 1395kg sDrive18i sDrive20i xDrive20i xDrive25e sDrive18d xDrive18d xDrive20d

138 189 189 218 148 148 187

127 138 TBC 120 126 126 136

9.7 7.4 7.7 6.9 9.3-9.4 9.3-9.4 7.8

42.8 149-150 40.9 156-157 38.2-38.7 166-167 134.5-148.7 50-51 55.4 133-134 50.4-51.4 145-146 49.6 148-149

99 128 153 108 129 134

TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC 93

TBC TBC TBC TBC TBC 9.7

TBC 54.7 TBC TBC 64.9 227

Grand C4 Spacetourer 5dr MPV £26,225–£32,320

122 120 133 114-115 119 0 AAAAC

Alternative MPV offers something fresh, comfy, spacious and quietly upmarket. LxWxH 4602x1826x1638 Kerb weight 1297kg 1.2 PureTech 130 1.5 BlueHDi 130 2.0 BlueHDi 160

126 126 158

125-128 10.8 130 11.3 130 9.2

46.9 60.1 47.0

143-145 136-137 160-161

C5 Aircross 5dr SUV £24,350–£35,850 AAABC AAAAC Smooth-riding SUV has an easy-going nature, but not the most

X2 5dr SUV £30,910–£46,775

dynamic. LxWxH 4500x1859x1670 Kerb weight 1530kg Proves crossovers aren’t always worse than the hatchbacks on which they’re based. LxWxH 4360x1824x1526 Kerb weight 1460kg 1.2 PureTech 130 129 117 10.5 44.2 1.6 PureTech 225 PHEV 1.5 BlueHDI 130 2.0 BlueHDI 180

223 129 174

140 117 131

TBC 10.4 9.4

184.0 57.3 47.3

149-151 50 138-139 163-165

AAAAB

Berlingo 5dr MPV £21,875–£28,880

Boxy, slightly quirky and immensely practical van-based car returns to top form. LxWxH 4403x1921x1849 Kerb weight 1398kg 1.2 PureTech 110 1.5 BlueHDI 100 1.5 BlueHDI 130

108 101 128

109 109 116

11.5 12.3 10.3

42.0-43.5 154-160 55.6 141-148 54.2 144-149

CUPRA

AAABC

Leon 5dr hatch £34,495–£36,225

PHEV powertrain is effective but makes for a confused take on the hot hatch formula. LxWxH 4398x1799x1467 Kerb weight 1596kg 1.4 eHybrid

241

140

6.7

TBC

TBC AAABC

Leon Estate 5dr hatch £34,495–£36,225

More practical version of the most potent Leon blows as hot and cold as the hatch. LxWxH 4657x1799x1463 Kerb weight TBC 1.4 eHybrid

241

140

TBC

TBC AAABC

Ateca 5dr hatch £39,050

First model from Seat’s stand-alone performance brand has decent pace and precision. LxWxH 4376x1841x1615 Kerb weight 1615kg 2.0 TSI 300

296

153

5.2

32.5

197 AAAAC

Formentor 5dr SUV £27,395–£43,840

Bespoke SUV delivers a well-rounded, sure-footed and rewarding X5 5dr SUV £60,710–£113,045 AAAAC drive. LxWxH 4450x1839x1511 Kerb weight 1569kg More capable, convenient, refined and classy SUV that’s a more 1.5 TSI 150 148 127 8.9 43.5-44.8 143-148 satisfying drive. LxWxH 4922x2004x1745 Kerb weight 2110kg 2.0 TSI 310 310 155 4.9 32.8-33.2 193-194 xDrive40i xDrive45e M50i X5M Competition xDrive30d xDrive40d

335 282 523 623 261 340

155 155 155 155 130 152

5.5 5.6 4.3 3.8 6.8 5.5

27.7-28.2 227-231 188.3-235.4 31 27.3 276 22.1 304 41.5-42.2 175-179 38.7-39.2 192-196

X6 5dr SUV £62,410–£115,745

The world’s first off-road coupé, but appearances make it difficult to love. LxWxH 4909x1989x1702 Kerb weight 2065kg xDrive40i M50i X6M Competition xDrive30d xDrive40d

338 523 623 254 340

155 155 155 143 154

5.5 4.3 3.8 6.7 5.5

DACIA

28.0-28.5 23.5 22.4 42.2-42.8 38.7-39.8

225-230 272 287 172-176 187-191

AAABC

Sandero 5dr hatch £7995–£11,995

A clever budget prospect but its limitations are unavoidable, even after a facelift. LxWxH 4088x1848x1499 Kerb weight 1009kg

1.0 SCe 75 1.0 TCe AAABC 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel

66 90 99

98 111 114

16.7 11.7 11.6

TBC TBC TBC

120 120 123 AAABC

Sandero Stepway 5dr hatch £10,995–£13,795

A more expensive and slightly more rugged cheap car – but still limited. LxWxH 4099x1848x1535 Kerb weight 1040kg 1.0 TCe 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

88 99

107 109

12 11.9

TBC TBC

127 130-131

Logan MCV 5dr estate £10,745–£12,105 AAACC AAAAC Lacks its stablemates’ charms but retains their cheapness.

X7 5dr SUV £77,670–£95,745

BMW’s largest SUV yet crowns the line-up, but faces strong

AAAAB competition. LxWxH 5151x2000x1805 Kerb weight 2395kg Better than its 1 Series forebear but lacks truly distinguishing The perfect compromise between the comfy E-Class and dynamic xDrive40i 338 155 6.1 28.7 249-250 premium qualities. LxWxH 4432x1774x1413 Kerb weight 1440kg XF, and then some. LxWxH 4936x2126x1479 Kerb weight 1530kg M50i 523 155 4.7 22.1 290 218i 134 130 9.4-9.6 35.3-36.2 177-181 520i 181 146 7.8 44.8-45.6 142-145 xDrive40d 340 152 6.1 36.2 203-204 220i 181 143 7.7 34.9-35.8 180-184 530e 288 146 5.9 117.7-128.4 32-43 M240i 335 155 4.7-4.9 31.4 204 530e xDrive 288 146 5.9 TBC TBC i3 5dr hatch £39,690–£42,220 AAAAB M550i xDrive 528 155 3.8 25.9 247 Our favourite high-end small car happens to be an EV, and it could change motoring. LxWxH 3999x1775x1578 Kerb weight 1245kg 2 Series Gran Coupé 4dr saloon £26,780–£38,525 AAACC M5 Competition 616 155 3.3 25.4 252 Blends 1 Series platform with rakish looks, but lacks the coupé’s 520d 187 147 7.5 57.6-58.9 126-129 120Ah 167 93 7.3 181 0 driver appeal. LxWxH 4526x1800x1420 Kerb weight 1350kg 520d xDrive 187 144 7.6 54.3-55.4 132-135 120Ah S 180 99 6.9 175 0 218i 138 134 8.7 46.3-47.1 136-138 530d xDrive 261 155 5.4 51.4-52.3 143-145 M235i xDrive 302 155 4.9 37.2 172 iX3 5dr SUV £58,850–£61,850 AAAAC 218d 148 138 8.6 58.9-60.1 123-125 5 Series Touring 5dr estate £41,845–£62,455 AAAAB All-electric SUV is brisk, agile, refined and versatile. LxWxH 4584x1852x1640 Kerb weight 2185kg 220d 188 148 7.5 56.5-57.6 129-131 The excellent 5 Series made in more practical form. The 520d is still the best. LxWxH 4942x2126x1498 Kerb weight 1630kg 80kWh 282 112 6.8 TBC 0 2 Series Active Tourer 5dr hatch £27,040–£38,775 AAAAC 520i 181 139 8.2 40.4-42.2 152-160 BMW’s FWD hatch is a proper contender but not as practical as 540i xDrive 335 155 5.1 34.9-35.8 179-185 Z4 2dr coupé £38,745–£51,270 AAAAC some of its rivals. LxWxH 4342x1800x1555 Kerb weight 1360kg 520d 187 147 7.8 52.3-55.4 134-142 Better to drive than ever but makes a better open-top cruiser than 218i 134 127 9.3 44.1-44.8 143-145 520d xDrive 187 144 7.9 49.6-52.3 140-148 a true sports car. LxWxH 4689x1942x1293 Kerb weight 1485kg 220i 181 142 7.4 42.2 151-153 530d 261 155 5.8 47.9 154 sDrive20i 195 155 6.6 39.8-40.4 160-161 225xe 248 125 6.7 88.3-100.9 44 530d xDrive 261 155 5.6 46.3-47.9 160 sDrive30i 255 155 5.4 39.8 161-162 216d 114 121 11.1 58.9 125-126 sDrive M40i 338 155 4.6 35.8 181 218d 148 129 9.0-9.1 56.5 130-132 7 Series 4dr saloon £71,725–£90,465 AAAAC C AT E R H A M 220d 187 141 7.6 54.3 136-137 Rules on in-car entertainment and diesel sophistication; otherwise 220d xDrive 187 138 7.5 51.4 144-145 too bland. LxWxH 5098x1902x1478 Kerb weight 1755kg Seven 2dr open £26,490–£53,885 AAAAB 740i 338 155 5.5 34-35.8 180-190 The 360 is the sweet spot, giving the Seven just the right hit of 750i xDrive 527 155 4.0 26.4 243-245 performance. LxWxH 3100x1575x1090 Kerb weight 490kg 745e 283 155 5.1-5.2 104.6-141.2 46 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 270 135 122 5.0 NA NA 730d 261 155 6.1 49.6-51.4 144-148 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 310 152 127 4.9 NA NA 730d xDrive 261 155 5.8 47.1-47.9 155-158 2.0 Duratec 360 180 130 4.8 NA NA 740d xDrive 315 155 5.2 46.3-47.1 158-159 2.0 Duratec 420 210 136 3.8 NA NA 2.0 Supercharged 620S 310 145 3.4 NA NA 8 Series 2dr coupé/2dr open £74,640–£133,380 AAAAC 2.0 Supercharged 620R 310 155 2.8 NA NA

5 Series 4dr saloon £39,270–£102,325

107 127 96

C4 5dr hatchback £20,990–£34,330

AAAAB sDrive18i 138 127 9.6 42.8-43.5 148-150 Towering everyday appeal. Arguably the best all-rounder sensible sDrive20i 189 141 7.7 40.9-41.5 154-156 money can buy. LxWxH 4620x1811x1430 Kerb weight 1565kg xDrive20i 189 TBC 7.6 38.7-39.2 164-166 318i 152 137 8.7 42.2 152-153 xDrive25e 220 121 6.8 156.9 40-41 320i 181 143 7.5 42.2 152-153 M35i 302 155 4.9 34.4 187 330i 254 155 5.9 39.2-40.9 156-163 sDrive18d 148 129 9.3-9.8 55.4 132-134 330e 292 143 5.9 176.6-201.8 32-37 xDrive18d 148 128 9.2 50.4-51.4 144-146 330e xDrive 292 140 5.9 156.9-176.6 37-42 xDrive20d 185 137 7.7 49.6-50.4 147-149 M340i xDrive 371 155 4.5 33.6 191 318d 148 133 8.8 57.6-58.9 126-127 X3 5dr SUV £42,115–£80,225 AAAAC Continues where the last one left off. Dynamically good and more 320d 188 142 7.1-7.9 54.3-57.6 115-121 320d xDrive 188 142 7.4 51.4-54.3 136-143 luxurious inside. LxWxH 4708x1891x1676 Kerb weight 1750kg 181 134 8.3 35.3-35.8 179-181 330d 263 140 5.6 45.6-47.1 158-163 xDrive20i 288 130 6.1 134.5 51-54 330d xDrive 261 155 5.4 43.5-44.8 166-171 xDrive30e xDrive M40i 355 155 4.8 31.4 204 M340d xDrive 340 155 4.8 44.8 165 X3M Competition 503 155 4.1 24.8 261 4 Series 2dr coupé £40,060–£76,055 AAAAC xDrive20d 187 132 8.0 47.1-47.9 154-156 A talented GT and brilliant B-road steer that’s very well equipped. xDrive30d 261 149 5.8 45.6 161-163 LxWxH 4768x1852x1383 Kerb weight 1475kg xDrive M40d 321 155 4.9 43.5 171 420i 181 149 7.5 42.2-44.1 146-151 430i 254 155 5.8 40.4-42.2 153-159 X4 5dr SUV £45,775–£83,145 AAABC M440i xDrive 369 155 4.5 36.7 175 Downsized X6 is respectable enough if not lovable, but the X3 is a better option. LxWxH 4671x1881x1624 Kerb weight 1735kg M4 Competition 503 155 3.9 28.2 228 420d 187 143 7.1 58.9-61.4 121-126 xDrive M40i 336 155 4.9 31.7 203 420d xDrive 187 148 7.4 55.4-57.6 129-135 X4M Competiton 503 155 4.1 24.8 259 xDrive20d 187 131 8.0 47.1-47.9 161-165 4 Series Convertible 2dr open £45,785–£54,005 AAAAC xDrive30d 254 145 5.8 45.6-46.3 159-163 Previous-gen grand tourer with the ability to remove the roof has xDrive M40d 322 155 4.9 43.5 169

3 Series Touring 5dr estate £33,415–£52,375

) y e) km o m ang (g/ o n MPG/r CO 2 (

C3 Aircross 5dr hatchback £17,015–£22,145

AAAAA

127 137 119 127 138 135

real talent. LxWxH 4640x1825x1384 Kerb weight 1700kg

2 Series Convertible 2dr open £30,675–£45,385

h r (b

1.2 PureTech 110 1.2 PureTech 130 1.5 BlueHDi 100

134 181 114 148 187 187

BMW

AAABC

)

150-152 157-158 132-133 137-138 143-144 150

318i AAAAC 320i Usable but no less involving or dramatic for it. V10 is deliciously 320i xDrive brutal. LxWxH 4426x1940x1240 Kerb weight 1590kg 330i 5.2 V10 RWD 538 201 3.7 22.2 288 330e 5.2 V10 FSI quattro 567 201 3.4 21.9 294 330e xDrive 5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610 205 3.1 21.7 295-296 M340i xDrive M3 Competition R8 Spyder 2dr open £126,015–£165,720 AAAAC 318d Taking the roof off the R8 enhances the drama tenfold. 320d LxWxH 4426x1940x1245 Kerb weight 1680kg 320d xDrive 5.2 V10 RWD 538 200 3.8 20.9 307 330d 5.2 V10 quattro 567 200 3.5 20.5 313 330d xDrive 5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610 204 3.2 20.3 315 M340d xDrive

2.5 VVT

218i 220i 216d 218d 220d 220d xDrive

R8 2dr coupé £117,325–£157,030

AAAAB

Funky-looking C3 gets a jacked-up, rugged SUV look. LxWxH 4155x1765x1637 Kerb weight 1088kg

Latest 3 Series has a growth spurt, but size is no obstacle for an engaging drive. LxWxH 4709x1827x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg

An F-22 Raptor for the road, only significantly better built. LxWxH 3952x1836x1110 Kerb weight 580kg

d ee

Brings a proper premium MPV to the table. Third-row seats aren’t adult-sized, though. LxWxH 4556x1800x1608 Kerb weight 1475kg

3 Series 4dr saloon £31,590–£74,755

Mono 0dr open £165,125

AAAAB

2 Series Gran Tourer 5dr MPV £28,955–£39,475

BAC

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LxWxH 4501x1733x15212 Kerb weight 980kg 0.9 TCe 90 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

89 99

109 114

11.1 11.6

47.1-47.9 131 46.2 116

Logan MCV Stepway 5dr estate £12,945–£13,745

AAABC

Given a rugged makeover but still lacks charm. Extremely practical, though. LxWxH 4528x1761x1559 Kerb weight 1090kg 0.9 TCe 90 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel

89 99

104 108

12.4 TBC

44.3 TBC

138-139 134 AAABC

Duster 5dr SUV £11,245–£20,145

A value champion. If cheap family transport is what you require, the Duster delivers. LxWxH 4341x1804x1633 Kerb weight 1147kg 1.0 TCe 90 1.3 TCe 130 1.3 TCe 150 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 1.5 dCi 115 1.5 dCi 115 4x4

89 128 148 99 113 113

103 120 125 106 113 108

13.5 10.6 9.7 14.4 10.3 12.1

46.3 45.6 44.8 TBC 57.7 51.4

139 141 143 146 128 143

AAABC

3 Crossback 5dr SUV £22,955–£38,600

First foray into compact SUVs comfortably competes with more established rivals. LxWxH 4118x1802x1534 Kerb weight 1205kg 1.2 PureTech 100 1.2 PureTech 130 1.2 PureTech 155 1.5 BlueHDI 100 50kWh E-Tense

98 128 153 98 132

112 124 129 112 93

10.9 9.2 8.2 11.4 8.7

80.4 47.1 46.6-52.0 62.7 191-206

127 141 127-143 123 0

AAABC

7 Crossback 5dr SUV £32,370–£46,550

DS’s first premium SUV certainly has the right price tag, equipment and appeal. LxWxH 4570x1895x1620 Kerb weight 1420kg

1.2 PureTech 130 129 122 10.2 42.2-46.0 143-152 1.6 PureTech 180 178 137 8.9 42.2 152 CITROEN 1.6 E-Tense 295 149 5.9 176.6-201.8 32-40 840i 335 155 5.0 33.2-33.6 193-194 C1 3dr hatch/5dr hatch £10,330–£14,300 AAABC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 TBC 121 11.7 54.1-55.3 143 M850i xDrive 523 155 3.7 24.8-25.2 255-260 Slightly cheaper than its Toyota sibling but less visually charming. 2.0 BlueHDi 180 EAT8 171 134 9.9 48.2 162-69 M8 Competition 623 155 3.2-3.3 25.2-25.4 252-254 LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 855kg FERRARI 840d xDrive 316 155 4.9 40.4 183-184 1.0 VTI 72 71 99 12.6 58.9 109-110 Portofino 2dr open £166,295 AAAAC 8 Series Gran Coupé 4dr saloon £72,575–£123,880 AAAAC C3 5dr hatchback £13,995–£20,590 AAABC The entry-level Ferrari has the power, the looks and the touring

Has dynamism to spare but not quite the breadth of ability of the best sporting GTs. LxWxH 4843x1902x1341 Kerb weight 1830kg

Four-door grand tourer offers greater practicality than its two-door Funky, fresh look gives a lease of life, shame that underneath isn’t siblings. LxWxH 5072x1932x1397 Kerb weight 1800kg the same. LxWxH 3996x1749x1474 Kerb weight 976kg 840i M850i xDrive M8 Competition 840d xDrive

335 523 623 316

155 155 155 155

5.2 3.9 3.2 5.1

33.2 24.6 25.4 39.8

194 260 254 187

1.2 PureTech 82 1.2 PureTech 110 1.5 BlueHDi 100

79 107 96

107 117 115

12.8 9.3 10.6

51.3 52.3 67.0

ability. LxWxH 4586x1938x1318 Kerb weight 1664kg 3.9T V8

591

199

3.5

14.7-28.0 230-436

130-131 129-131 117-118

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 83

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AAAAC

S-Max 5dr MPV £31,320–£42,985

199

3.4

The last hurrah for the pure internal combustion V8-powered mid-engined Ferrari. LxWxH 4611x1979x1206 Kerb weight 1435kg 3.9T V8 Tributo

710

211

2.9

21.9

292 AAAAB

GTC4 Lusso 2dr coupé £200,300–£240,537

Another four-wheel-drive grand tourer Ferrari that is more usable than the FF. LxWxH 4922x1980x1383 Kerb weight 1865kg 3.9T V8 6.3 V12

592 670

198 208

3.5 3.4

13.5-25.2 253-477 9.9-21.0 308-648 AAAAA

812 Superfast 2dr open £263,098

More powerful than the F12, but with better road manners making it the star of the range. LxWxH 4657x1971x1276 Kerb weight 1630kg 6.5 V12

777

211

2.9

11.2-20.0 320-572 AAAAA

SF90 Stradale 2dr coupé £400,000

Plug-in hybrid doesn’t do things conventionally. A 986bhp technical masterpiece. LxWxH 4710x1972x1186 Kerb weight 1570kg 4.0T V8

986

211

2.5

TBC

F I AT

AAABC

500 3dr hatch/2dr open £13,260–£32,995

Super-desirable, super-cute city car. Pleasant, if not involving to drive. LxWxH 3571x1627x1488 Kerb weight 865kg 1.2 69hp 1.0 Mild Hybrid Electric 21.3kWh Electric 37.8kWh

68 69 TBC 116

99 104 TBC 116

12.9 13.8 TBC 9.0

500L 5dr MPV £18,030–£21,330

123 129 128

10.3 9.5 9.8

47.1 43.5 40.9

159-160 170-171 181 AAABC

148 188 188

122-123 10.9 129-131 9.6-9.8 128 10.6

46.3 43.5 40.4

Ecosport 5dr SUV £20,845–£22,045

160 171 184

103-111 13.4

500X 5dr hatch £19,460–£26,060

47.1 53.3 TBC 199

136-141 119-121 0 0

118 148

117 124

10.9 9.1

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98 118 74 83

42.2-45.6 142-153 40.9-42.2 152-153

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113-117 118 99 106

10.8-11.4 10.2 13.6 12.8

47.9-49.6 47.1 47.9 45.6-47.9

129-134 137 134 134-141

AAABC

i30 5dr hatch £20,705–£25,545

As good as we’ve come to expect from Hyundai, but not one inch better. LxWxH 4340x1795x1455 Kerb weight 1194kg 118 130 155 118

11.1 8.6 6.1 11.0-11.2

45.6 42.2-46.3 34.0 58.9-60.1

121-122 142 188 121-122

AAAAC

E-Pace 5dr SUV £30,490–£49,965

Jaguar’s second SUV looks enticing, but can it make an impact like the F-Pace’s? LxWxH 4411x1984x1649 Kerb weight 1775kg

2.0 P200 AWD 198 134 7.7 30.1 213 2.0 P250 AWD 245 143 6.6 29.8 215 1.0T Ecoboost 140 138 115 10.2 47.1 136 1.5 T-GDI 157 130 8.6 49.6-52.3 141-151 2.0 P300 AWD 295 151 5.9 28.3 226 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 100 99 105 13.6 56.5 128 2.0 T-GDI 275 N Performance 272 155 6.1 34.0 188 1.5 P300e 305 134 6.5 TBC TBC 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 125 123 113 10.7 53.3 139 2.0 D150 148 124 9.5 42.7 174 i30 Tourer 5dr estate £21,455–£26,295 AAABC 2.0 D150 AWD 148 120 9.9-10.1 36.5-41.8 177-188 Puma 5dr SUV £23,640–£30,415 AAAAC Another solid car. Good value and practical but lacks excitement. 2.0 D180 AWD 177 127-128 8.7-9.4 39.5-41.2 180-188 Compact crossover finally has a class leader capable of appealing LxWxH 4585x1795x1465 Kerb weight 1245kg 2.0 D240 AWD 236 139 7.0 37.1 200 to petrolheads. LxWxH 4186x1805x1554 Kerb weight 1280kg 1.0 T-GDi 120 118 117 11.4 47.9-49.6 130-139 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 119 10.0 46.3 138 1.6 CRDi 136 134 123 10.9 56.5-57.6 126-127 F-Pace 5dr SUV £40,860–£77,595 AAAAC 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 119 9.8 50.4 127 Credible first SUV effort is as refined and dynamic as a Jaguar 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 155 153 124 8.9 50.4 127 Ioniq 5dr hatch £23,840–£35,950 AAABC should be. LxWxH 4731x2071x1666 Kerb weight 1690kg First attempt at electrification for the masses is a good effort. 2.0 P250 AWD 246 135 7.3 30.4 214-220 Kuga 5dr SUV £26,765–£38,425 AAAAC LxWxH 4470x1820x1450 Kerb weight 1370kg 3.0 P400 AWD 394 155 5.4 28.8 222-230 All-new version of popular SUV mixes dynamism with practicality 1.6 Hybrid 141 139 115 10.8-11.1 61.4-62.8 102 2.0 P400e AWD 398 149 5.3 TBC TBC and refinement. LxWxH 4614x1883x1678 Kerb weight 1698kg 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid 141 139 110 10.8 256.8 26 5.0 V8 SVR 550 AWD 548 178 4.0 23.1 275 1.5T Ecoboost 120 117 115 11.6 42.2 152 Electric 132 110 10.6 194 0 2.0 D165 AWD 163 121 9.9 45.4 165-171 1.5T Ecoboost 150 148 121 9.7 41.5-42.8 151 2.0 D200 AWD 197 130 8.0 45.4 165-171 2.5 Ecoboost PHEV 223 125 9.2 201.8 32 Kona 5dr hatch £21,060–£41,250 AAAAC 3.0 D300 AWD 296 143 6.4 38.1 195-202 1.5T EcoBlue 120 118 112 11.7 55.4 134 Hyundai’s first crossover is the perfect blend of practicality, value and style. LxWxH 4165x1800x1550 Kerb weight 1233kg 2.0T EcoBlue 150 MHEV 148 121 9.6 56.5 132 I-Pace 5dr SUV £64,495–£74,995 AAAAB 1.0 T-GDi 120 2WD 118 112 12.0 44.1-44.8 142-147 Fast, refined and the first of its kind from a European 2.0T EcoBlue 190 188 129 8.7 47.9 159 manufacturer. LxWxH 4682x1895x1558 Kerb weight 2133kg 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 4WD 175 127 7.9 34.0-33.6 189 Mustang Mach-E 4dr crossover £40,350–£58,080 AAAAC 1.6 GDi Hybrid 2WD 134 119 10.2 52.3 114-123 EV400 398 124 4.5 292 0 Likeable, practical high-rise EV has only a badge in common with Electric 39kWh 134 96 9.6 180 0 JEEP its coupé namesake. LxWxH 4712x1881x1597 Kerb weight 1993kg Electric 64kWh 201 104 7.6 280 0 68kWh 265 111 6.1 248 0 Compass 5dr SUV £27,100–£37,755 AAACC 68kWh AWD 265 111 5.6 273 0 Nexo 5dr SUV £69,495 AAABC Wants to be a catch-all crossover but is beaten by more road88kWh 290 111 6.2 379 0 Impressive effort that heads in the right direction for fuel cell cars. focused rivals. LxWxH 4394x2033x1629 Kerb weight 1430kg LxWxH 4670x2060x1640 Kerb weight 1814kg 88kWh AWD 346 111 5.1 235 0 1.4 Multiair II 140 138 119 9.9 37.7 172 95kW fuel cell 161 130 9.6 42.0mpkg 0 1.4 Multiair II 170 4WD 167 124 9.5 32.5 209 Mustang 2dr coupé/open £44,185–£55,185 AAAAC 1.6d MultiJet II 120 118 115 11.0 47.9 157 American muscle built for the UK, in coupé and convertible forms. Tucson 5dr SUV £28,495–£34,455 AAABC 2.0d MultiJet II 170 4WD 167 122 9.5 38.2 191

AAACC What’s not to like? LxWxH 4784x1916x1381 Kerb weight 1653kg 5.0 V8 444 155 4.8 23.5-23.9 268-274 5.0 V8 Bullitt 453 163 4.6 23.9 270 38.7-39.8 166-170 GT 2dr coupé £420,000 AAAAC AAABC The GT is back as a race car for the road. Compelling if not perfect.

Familiar styling works rather well as a crossover. Drives okay, too. LxWxH 4248x1796x1600 Kerb weight TBC 1.0 Firefly Turbo 120hp 1.3 Firefly Turbo 150hp

0-6

m /62

i20 5dr hatch £18,605–£22,105

1.0 T-GDi 120 118 1.5 T-GDi 157 2.0 T-GDi 275 N Performance 272 AAACC 1.6 CRDi 115 113

A costly option but has some style to fill out some of its missing substance. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC 1.4 95hp

)

Facelifted version of the pumped-up Fiesta is okay, but developingworld roots show. LxWxH 4096x1765x1653 Kerb weight 1280kg i30 Fastback 4dr saloon £20,710–£30,310 AAABC 14.7-28.0 230-436 1.0T Ecoboost 100 98 105 11.9 48.7 133 Combines good looks with sensible practicalities and dynamic charm. LxWxH 4455x1795x1425 Kerb weight 1287kg 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 111 11.0-11.6 47.1 135 AAAAA

F8 Tributo 2dr coupé/open £203,476

1.0 T-GDI 100 1.0 T-GDI 120 1.2 MPI 75 1.2 MPI 84

148 188 188

Gorgeous coupé is a proper grand tourer with a focus on usability. LxWxH 4656x1974x1301 Kerb weight 1570kg 612

2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

3.9T V8

d ee

Combines decent performance with good practicality and running costs. LxWxH 4035x1734x1474 Kerb weight 980kg

Huge seven-seat MPV. Easy to place on the road but not cheap to buy. LxWxH 4848x1916x1747 Kerb weight 1708kg

AAAAB

Better to drive and better looking than most but not quite the class leader it was. LxWxH 4976x1916x1655 Kerb weight 1645kg

Galaxy 5dr MPV £33,720–£42,985

Roma 2dr coupé £175,000

h r (b

LxWxH 4808x1928x1692 Kerb weight 1912kg 3.5 V6 Ecoboost

650

216

3.0

TBC

Ranger 4dr pick-up £24,369–£47,889

Classy, roomy cabin and predictable handling. A very competitive SUV. LxWxH 4475x1850x1650 Kerb weight 1379kg

1.6 GDi 132PS 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 1.6 CRDi 115PS 1.6 CRDi 136PS 2.0 CRDi 185PS

130 175 113 134 182

113 125-126 109 114-116 125

11.5 8.9-9.2 13.7 10.6-12.0 9.5

35.3 34.9-36.2 48.7-49.6 45.6-47.1 40.9

178-180 173-185 135-137 146-153 172-180

TBC

Santa Fe 5dr SUV £39,420–£44,465 AAABC AAAAC Another big Korean SUV with lots of space for not a lot of cash.

Slick and comfy. LxWxH 4700x1880x1675 Kerb weight 1939kg Capable pick-up becomes off-road monster in Raptor spec but Panda 5dr hatch £12,025–£18,125 AAABC loses VAT incentives. LxWxH 5277x1977x1703 Kerb weight 1866kg 2.2 CRDi 200 AWD 197 127 9.4-9.5 38.7-40.4 179-191 Hasn’t kept pace with its rivals, but sells robust, practical charm 2.0 EcoBlue 130 128 106 13.5 42.8 173 JAGUAR better than most. LxWxH 3653x1643x1551 Kerb weight 940kg 2.0 EcoBlue 170 158 109 11.8 40.4-43.5 184-207 1.2 69hp 0.9 Twinair 85 1.0 Mild Hybrid

68 83 69

96-102 14.2-14.5 44.1 132 103-110 11.2-12.1 37.2 166-168 96 14.7 50.4-52.3 126-132

2.0 EcoBlue 213 3.2 Duratorq TDCI 200

210 197

106 109

10.5 10.6

30.7 201-233 32.1-36.2 221-231

XE 4dr saloon £29,635–£40,140

1.4 95 1.4 T-Jet 120 1.6 Multijet II 120

93 118 118

115 124 124

1.8 Zetec

135

125

TBC

XF 4dr saloon £33,925–£44,760

AAAAB

AAABC

Renegade 5dr SUV £23,400–£36,500

Middling compact crossover with chunky looks but no obvious charm. LxWxH 4236x1805x1667 Kerb weight 1346kg 1.0 GSE T3 120 1.3 GSE T4 150 1.3 Turbo 4xe 1.3 Turbo 4xe Trailhawk

118 148 188 238

115 122 113 124

11.2 9.4 7.5 7.1

38.2 151 38.2-39.8 151 122.8-134.5 42-49 117.7-128.4 51-53 AAAAC

Wrangler 2dr/4dr SUV £41,525–£51,850

Heavy-duty off-roader goes anywhere but lacks on-road manners. LxWxH 4223x1873x1840 Kerb weight 1827kg 2.0 GME 2.2d MultiJet II 200 4WD

265 197

110 114

7.3-7.6 9.5

25.4-26.4 248-254 28.8-30.4 243-247

KIA Tops the pile thanks to outstanding driver appeal. Poised and engaging but refined. LxWxH 4678x1850x1416 Kerb weight 1450kg Picanto 5dr hatch £10,995–£15,795 AAACC G I N E T TA 2.0 P250 246 150 6.7 34-35.5 179-187 Nice drive and cabin but now overshadowed by rivals. Tipo 5dr hatch £17,690–£21,985 AAABC G40 Club Car 2dr coupé £35,000 (+champ pack) AAABC 2.0 P300 AWD 296 155 5.9 30.8-32.4 197-207 LxWxH 3595x1406x1485 Kerb weight 935kg A ’90s reboot that has been on a diet. Decent to drive and ample A balanced, affordable and fine-looking track-day car. Some of the 2.0 D200 198 146 7.3 54.0-57.7 128-137 1.0 MPi 65 100 13.8 49.6-50.4 117-122 interior space. LxWxH 4368x1792x1495 Kerb weight 1195kg finish isn’t quite up to snuff. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 840kg 1.25 MPi 82 100-107 11.6-13.2 42.2-49.6 128-131

12.1 36.2-36.7 TBC 9.6 39.2 162-167 9.8-10.2 53.3 132

AAAAB 1.0 T-GDi

Outstandingly broad-batted dynamically, plus a pleasant cabin. LxWxH 4954x1880x1457 Kerb weight 1545kg

H O N DA

AAABC 2.0 P250 246 155 6.9 33.0-34.9 183-193 2.0 P300 AWD 296 155 6.1 31.2-32.8 194-204 Tipo Station Wagon 5dr estate £16,990–£22,945 AAABC Eminently likeable, with good dynamics but a limited range and 2.0 D200 198 146 7.6 52.8-56.5 131-140 Estate version is more practical, which mixes well with its driving ambitious price. LxWxH 3894x1752x1512 Kerb weight 1520kg characteristics. LxWxH 4571x1792x1514 Kerb weight 1205kg 2.0 D200 AWD 198 143 7.8 48.9-51.3 128-137 100kW 136 90 9.0 137 0 1.4 95 93 115 12.3 41.5 158 113kW 154 90 8.3 136 0 1.4 T-Jet 120 118 124 9.8 39.2 162 XF Sportbrake 5dr estate £37,735–£46,610 AAAAB 1.6 Multijet II 120 118 124 10.1-10.4 52.3 134 Jazz 5dr hatch £18,985–£23,385 AAAAC Superb XF is now available in the more practical Sportbrake form.

E 5dr hatch £30,160–£32,160

Not the most compact or vivacious but has decent handling and is cleverly packaged. LxWxH 4044x1694x1526 Kerb weight 1300kg

FORD

AAAAB 1.5 i-MMD

Fiesta 3dr/5dr hatch £16,640–£26,700

109

108

9.4-9.9

62.8

It’s a win-win. LxWxH 4955x1880x1494 Kerb weight 1660kg

2.0 P250 2.0 P300 AWD 2.0 D200 AAAAC 2.0 D200 AWD

246 296 198 198

5.0 P450 AAABC 5.0 P575

444 518

102-110

150 155 143 143

7.1 6.2 7.8 8.0

32-33.7 29.9-31.2 50.7-53.7 47.0-49.1

189-199 204-213 138-146 151-157

112

10.1

48.7

128-129 AAABC

Rio 5dr hatch £13,645–£20,145

Looks great and is well-priced, but nowhere near its European rivals. LxWxH 4065x1725x1445 Kerb weight 1155kg 1.25 MPi 1.0 T-GDi 99 1.0 T-GDi 118

82 98 116

107 115 118

12.5 10.3 9.8

45.6-46.3 132-139 48.7 132-134 44.8-47.1 139 AAAAC

Ceed 5dr hatch £19,700–£29,020

Third-generation hatchback can now compete for class honours. LxWxH 4310x1800x1447 Kerb weight 1315kg 1.0 T-GDi 118 1.5 T-GDi 158 1.6 T-GDi 201 1.6 CRDi 134

116 156 198 132

116 128-130 142 122

10.9 8.6-8.9 7.5 10.2

47.9-50.4 43.5-46.3 38.2 57.6

122-126 129-135 153 120

1.0 T-GDi 118 1.5 T-GDi 158 1.6 CRDi 134 AAAAB 1.6 GDi PHEV

116 156 132 137

118 128-130 122 106

10.9 8.6-8.9 10.2 10.5

47.1 43.5-46.3 57.6 118.3-217.2

121-127 131 121 33

Dynamically superb and continues the Fiesta legacy. No longer the class leader, though. LxWxH 4040x1735x1476 Kerb weight 1113kg

Civic 5dr hatch £21,530–£39,995

1.1 75 1.0 Ecoboost 95 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 1.5T Ecoboost 200 ST

A fresh look while remaining practical, refined and upmarket. Lacks some dynamism. LxWxH 4518x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1275kg F-Type 2dr coupé £54,510–£97,315 AAAAB 1.0 VTEC Turbo 126 124 125-126 10.2-11.2 47.9 124-141 A full-blooded assault on Porsche’s backyard, with noise, power Ceed Sportswagon 5dr estate £20,400–£30,540 AAAAC and beauty. LxWxH 4482x1923x1311 Kerb weight 1525kg 1.5 VTEC Turbo 182 179 125-136 8.2-8.5 46.3 137 All of the above, but with cavernous, more practical load space. LxWxH 4600x1800x1465 Kerb weight 1389kg 2.0 VTEC Turbo Type R 315 169 5.8 33.2 191-193 2.0 P300 296 155 5.7 29.9 215

73 93 123 153 197

103 105-113 126 136 144

14.5 10.6-13.8 9.4 8.9 6.5

53.3 55.4 56.5 55.4 42.8

121 116-120 96-121 104-123 149 AAAAB

Focus 5dr hatch £22,210–£33,260

HR-V 5dr SUV £20,735–£28,420

Better to drive and look at than before, and impressively good value. LxWxH 4378x1825x1471 Kerb weight 1369kg

Cleverly packaged and comfortable. Bland performance and forgettable, though. LxWxH 4294x1772x1605 Kerb weight 1241kg

1.0 Ecoboost 125 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 1.5 EcoBlue 120 2.0 EcoBlue 150 2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST

1.5 i-VTEC 130 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo 182 1.6 i-DTEC

123 123 152 276 118 148 188

124 124 129-131 155 117-122 127-130 137

10.0 10.0-10.3 9.2-9.5 5.7 10.0-10.8 8.5-9.1 7.6

55.4 55.4 55.4 34.3 62.8 60.1 50.4

116 116 116 187 119-127 125 148

128 180 120

116-119 10.2-11.4 42.2 148-153 134 7.8 47.1-47.9 151 119 10.0 54.3-56.5 132-136

Tardis-like SUV stalwart has lots of space for five and a big boot. LxWxH 4605x1820x1685 Kerb weight 1515kg

1.5 i-VTEC 130 128 119 10.2-10.7 TBC 148-153 AAABC 1.5 i-VTEC 182 179 134 7.8 TBC 151 Almost as good to drive as the hatch, but a Skoda Octavia will 1.6 i-VDEC 182 118 134 10.0-10.5 TBC 132-136 carry more. LxWxH 4669x1825x1481 Kerb weight 1485kg 2.0 i-MMD hybrid 181 112 9.2 38.2 162 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 123 10.3 55.4 116 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 120-123 10.3-10.6 55.4 98-116 NSX 2dr coupé £149,975 AAAAB 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 152 127-130 9.4-9.7 55.4 116 Honda’s supercar given a modern reboot, and it’s some piece of engineering. LxWxH 4487x1939x1204 Kerb weight 1725kg 2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 276 155 5.8-6.0 35.3 183 1.5 EcoBlue 120 118 118-120 10.3-11.1 62.8 119 3.5 V6 hybrid 573 191 2.9 26.4 242 1.5 EcoBlue 150 148 127-129 8.7-9.3 60.1 125 HYU N DAI 2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST 188 137 7.7 50.4 148 i10 5dr hatch £12,820–£15,620 AAAAC Mondeo 5dr hatch/4dr saloon £25,565–£35,720 AAAAC Prioritises maturity over fun, resulting in a car that is practical and

Focus Estate 5dr estate £23,370–£34,660

Does what great Fords do, by over-delivering on practicality, handling and value. LxWxH 4871x1852x1482 Kerb weight 1455kg 2.0 TiVCT hybrid 187 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD

184 148 188 188

116 131-133 138 137

9.2 10.7-10.9 8.9 9.1

50.4 52.3-56.5 51.4 47.9-48.7

134-142 136-146 145-148 155-158

well-priced. LxWxH 3665x1660x1500 Kerb weight 933kg

1.0 MPi 1.0 T-GDI 1.2 MPi

67 99 84

97 115 106

14.6 10.5 12.6

53.3 52.3 51.4

114-120 123 124

4.6 3.7

F-Type Convertible 2dr open £59,990–£102,405

26.0-26.8 239-246 26.4 243

Costs serious money, but you get a serious car with a likeable wild side. LxWxH 4482x1923x1308 Kerb weight 1545kg

2.0 P300 5.0 P450 AAAAC 5.0 P575

CR-V 5dr SUV £30,810–£39,770

177 186

296 444 518

155 177 186

5.7 4.6 3.7

29.6 217 26.0-26.6 241-247 26.4 243

Alluring and interesting, but not quite as special to drive as it looks. LxWxH 4605x1800x1422 Kerb weight 1405kg 1.4 T-GDi 138 1.5 T-GDi 158 1.6 T-GDi 201 1.6 CRDi 134

136 156 198 132

127-130 128-130 140 124

8.8-9.1 8.6-8.9 7.2 9.8-10.0

42.8-45.6 43.5-46.3 39.3 54.3-56.5

141-146 131-136 163 131

AAABC

Xceed 5dr hatch £21,050–£34,905

Crossover-styled hatch that drives well, but lacks practicality and polish. LxWxH 4395x1826x1483 Kerb weight 1332kg 1.0 T-GDi 118 1.4 T-GDi 138 1.5 T-GDi 158 1.5 CRDi 134 1.6 GDi PHEV

116 136 156 132 137

115 124 TBC 122 99

10.9 9.1 TBC 10.2 10.6

45.6 42.8 TBC 53.3 TBC

140-146 150-151 142-143 133 TBC AAAAC

Soul EV 5dr hatch £37,545

Electric-only hatch with looks that divide opinion, but competitive range. LxWxH 4220x1825x1605 Kerb weight 1757kg 64kWh

201

104

7.6

280

0 AAABC

Stinger 4dr saloon £41,145

Sleek coupé-shaped saloon has the appeal and dynamics to rival Europe’s best. LxWxH 4830x1870x1400 Kerb weight 1717kg 3.3 V6 T-GDi

84 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

AAABC

Proceed 5dr hatch £24,335–£29,835

360

168

4.7

27.7

233

N E W CAR PR I CES Po

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AAABC

Niro 5dr SUV £25,150–£39,395

h r (b

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0-6

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Refined and dynamically satisfying in a saloon bodystyle. LxWxH 4460x1795x1440 Kerb weight 1405kg

1.6 GDi Hybrid 1.6 GDi Hybrid PHEV 39kWh e-Niro 64kWh e-Niro

2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186

101 107 96 104

11.1 10.4 9.5 7.5

TBC TBC TBC 282

110-120 TBC 0 0

Kia’s first crossover is striking and reasonably good considering the value. LxWxH 4140x1760x1520 Kerb weight 1160kg 1.0 T-GDi

116

115

9.9

46.3-47.1 137 AAABC

Sportage 5dr SUV £23,795–£33,680

Good ride, handling and usability. Looks good and is decent value. LxWxH 4480x1855x1635 Kerb weight 1454kg 1.6 GDi 1.6 T-GDi 1.6 T-GDi AWD 1.6 CRDi 134 48V AWD

128 172 172 132

113 127 125-126 112

11.1 8.9 8.8-9.2 11.6

34.9-35.7 34.4-34.9 31.7-32.5 42.8-43.5

177-184 183-184 192-201 141-161

134

(g O2

) /km

8.1

TBC

AAAAC

X-Bow 0dr open £57,345–£70,717

Eccentric looks and sharp handling but expensive. LxWxH 3738x1915x1202 Kerb weight 847kg 2.0 R 2.0 GT

290 280

143 143

3.9 4.1

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AAABC

A-Class Saloon 4dr saloon £26,190–£45,420

Larger, more grown-up A-Class adds premium touch to smallest Merc saloon. LxWxH 4549x1796x1446 Kerb weight 1465kg

114-117

Attractively styled but only average to drive.

AAAAB LxWxH 4805x1840x1480 Kerb weight 1465kg The country bumpkin given elocution lessons without losing its 2.0 Skyactiv-G 143 128 10.0 TBC 155 rugged capabilities. LxWxH 4956x2073x1888 Kerb weight 2115kg 2.0 Skyactiv-G 163 133 9.4 TBC 155 2.0 P300 296 125 7.3 24.9-25.1 254-256 2.0 Skyactiv-G GT 191 139 8.1 TBC 172 3.0 P360 355 130 6.5 26.0-26.4 241-245 3.0 D250 246 120 8.1 33.4-33.7 220-222 CX-30 5dr SUV £22,930–£30,490 AAAAC 3.0 D300 296 130 6.8 33.2-33.5 221-223 Dynamic qualities, a classy interior and a handsome look set it

Discovery 5dr SUV £53,090–£68,050

apart from rivals. LxWxH 4395x1795x1540 Kerb weight 1334kg AAAAC LEXUS Kia moves upmarket with a smart, well-priced and nicely appointed 2.0 e-Skyactiv-G 120 116 10.6 TBC 134 seven-seater. LxWxH 4780x1890x1685 Kerb weight 1932kg CT 5dr hatch £26,275–£33,275 AAAAC 2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186 183 127 8.3 TBC 127 1.6 T-GDi HEV 223 119 8.7 38.2-40.9 158-168 Hybrid-only hatch has a poky cabin and mismatched character traits. LxWxH 4350x1765x1445 Kerb weight 1465kg 2.2 CRDi 197 127 9.1 42.2 176 CX-5 5dr SUV £27,230–£37,185 AAAAC 1.8 VVT-i CT200h 134 112 10.3 53.2-54.3 118-119 Offers powerful diesel engines and strong performance, plus a KTM welcoming interior. LxWxH 4550x1840x1675 Kerb weight 1575kg

Sorento 5dr SUV £38,845–£48,895

h r (b

1.3 A180 134 134 8.9 42.8-48.7 133-137 1.3 A200 161 143 8.3 48.7 133-137 6 4dr saloon £24,975–£32,355 AAABC 2.0 A250 221 155 6.3 42.2 154-156 A compelling mix of size, economy and performance. Interior is a 2.0 A250e 215 149 6.7 256.8 25 let-down. LxWxH 4870x1840x1450 Kerb weight 1465kg 2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.8 32.9-36.7 177-187 1.5 A180d 114 128 10.2 56.5-64.2 126-129 2.0 Skyactiv-G 143 129 9.9 TBC 152 2.0 A200d 148 141 8.2 58.9 127-131 2.0 Skyactiv-G 163 134 9.4 TBC 152 2.0 Skyactiv-G GT 191 142 8.1 TBC 167 CLA Coupé 4dr saloon £31,690–£59,110 AAAAC 6 Tourer 5dr estate £25,975–£33,685 AAABC May use A-Class underpinnings, but engineered to be much

AAABC

Stonic 5dr SUV £18,445–£22,505

183

)

AAAAC

3 saloon 4dr saloon £24,800–£28,900

Kia’s first full hybrid is a solid attempt but lacks the refinement of better rivals. LxWxH 4355x1805x1545 Kerb weight 1500kg 137 137 132 198

e ng

AAABC 2.0 165

ES 4dr saloon £35,210–£45,690

Gatecrashes the German-controlled saloon market in a way the GS 2.5 194 could never manage. LxWxH 4975x1865x1445 Kerb weight 1680kg 2.2d 150 2.5 VVT-i ES300h

218

112

8.9

53.2

119 AAABC

LS 4dr saloon £76,910–£102,925

2.2d 184

162 191 148 181

125 121 127 129

10.3 9.2 9.9 9.3

TBC TBC TBC TBC

152-154 182 151-154 175 AAAAC

MX-30 5dr SUV £28,545–£32,845

Luxury saloon gets more tech and opulence but is let down by its Classy and affordable all-electric crossover marred only by its limited range. LxWxH 4395x1795x1555 Kerb weight 1645kg Huracán 2dr coupé/open £167,110–£220,847 AAAAC hybrid powertrain. LxWxH 5235x1900x1460 Kerb weight 2270kg Junior Lambo mixes usability and drama skilfully, in both coupé 3.5 V6 VVT-i LS500h 348 155 5.4 30.7-36.6 175-208 35.5kWh 143 87 9.7 124 0 and Spyder forms. LxWxH 4459x1924x1165 Kerb weight 1389kg LAMBORGHINI

sportier to drive. LxWxH 4688x1830x1444 Kerb weight 1490kg 1.3 CLA 180 1.3 CLA 200 1.3 CLA 250e 2.0 CLA 250 2.0 AMG CLA 35 4Matic 2.0 AMG CLA 45 S 4Matic+ 2.0 CLA 220d

133 161 215 222 302 415 185

134 142 149 155 155 168 152

9.0 8.2 6.8 6.3 4.9 4.0 7.1

47.9 42.8-47.9 TBC 38.7-42.2 34.9-37.2 33.2 53.3-57.7

CLA Shooting Brake 5dr estate £32,690–£60,110

138-140 138-140 TBC 154-155 177-187 200-202 132

AAABC

The most practical of the A-Class range, but it suffers for its challenging styling. LxWxH 4688x1830x1447 Kerb weight 1430kg 1.3 CLA 180 1.3 CLA 200 2.0 CLA 250 1.3 CLA 250e 2.0 AMG CLA 35 4Matic 2.0 AMG CLA 45 S 4Matic+ 2.0 CLA 220d

133 161 222 215 302 415 185

130 140 155 146 155 168 147

9.2 8.4 6.4 6.9 4.9 4.0 7.2

35.8-40.9 35.3-40.9 37.7-40.9 TBC 36.2 32.8 43.5-48.7

140-141 141-142 157-159 TBC 183-191 203-205 135-136

AAABC

B-Class 5dr hatch £28,045–£38,245

A slightly odd prospect, but practical and classy nonetheless. LxWxH 4393x1786x1557 Kerb weight 1395kg

1.3 B180 134 132 9.0 45.6 140-142 1.3 B200 159 139 8.2 46.3 140-142 5.2 V10 Evo RWD 608 202 3.3 20.5 330-335 RC 2dr coupé £40,245–£79,940 AAABC MX-5 2dr open £23,800–£29,995 AAAAA 2.0 B250 161 139 8.2 40.4 159 5.2 V10 Evo 631 201 2.9 20.3 332-338 An also-ran, but the V8 RC F packs plenty of character and handles Brilliantly packaged, priced and perfectly poised but more vibrant 1.3 B250e 215 146 6.8 TBC TBC well enough. LxWxH 4695x1840x1395 Kerb weight 1736kg than the original. LxWxH 3915x1735x1225 Kerb weight 1050kg 1.5 B180d 114 124 9.8 61.4 137-138 Aventador 2dr coupé/open £274,036–£482,412 AAAAC 5.0 V8 RC F 470 168 4.5 23.9 268 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 127 8.3 44.1 142 2.0 B200d 148 136 8.3 57.7 134-144 Big, hairy V12 has astonishing visuals and performance. Handling 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 136 6.5 40.4 153 2.0 B220d 187 145 7.2 56.5 136-137 could be sweeter. LxWxH 4797x2030x1136 Kerb weight 1575kg LC 2dr coupé/open £80,100–£90,950 AAAAC 6.5 V12 S 730 217 2.9 15.4 499 Superb-looking coupé shows flickers of what made the LFA great. MX-5 RF 2dr open £24,050–£30,155 AAAAA C-Class 4dr saloon £34,670–£80,017 AAAAC LxWxH 4770x1920x1345 Kerb weight 1935kg 6.5 V12 SVJ 759 217 2.8 15.8 486 Remains perfectly poised and vibrant, even with a folding metal Merc ramps up the richness, but the engines and dynamics aren’t roof. LxWxH 3915x1735x1230 Kerb weight 1090kg refined enough. LxWxH 4686x1810x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg 5.0 V8 LC500 457 168 4.7 34.8 184 Urus 5dr SUV £174,641 AAAAC 3.5 V6 LC500h 354 155 5.0 24.3 262 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 126 8.6 44.1 142 1.5 C200 181 149 7.7 37.7-43.5 153-171 Lambo’s second SUV is more alluring and aims to use the V8’s 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 124-126 7.9-8.7 37.7-40.4 155 2.0 C300 254 155 6.0 35.3-39.8 162-171 power better. LxWxH 5112x2016x1638 Kerb weight 2200kg NX 5dr SUV £36,070–£47,820 AAACC 2.0 C300e 315 155 5.4 TBC TBC McLAREN 4.0 V8 631 189 3.6 22.2 325 Some good ideas, but dramatically off the pace to drive. 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.7 28.0-29.4 221-225 LxWxH 4630x1845x1645 Kerb weight 1905kg 540C 2dr coupé £137,230 AAAAC 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 180 4.0 25.5-25.9 245-247 L AN D ROVE R 2.5 VVT-i NX300h 4WD 194 112 9.2 37.1-39.7 161-173 The affordable end of McLaren’s spectrum isn’t any less enthralling 2.0 C220d 191 149 6.9 45.6-53.3 131-145 to drive. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1449kg Defender 90 5dr SUV £43,625–£98,505 AAAAB 2.0 C300d 241 155 5.9 43.5-49.6 145-157 Breadth of capability matches that of the five-door, with even RX 5dr SUV £51,575–£63,275 AAABC 3.8 V8 533 199 3.5 23.2 276 2.0 C300de 302 155 5.6 235.4 32

more kerb appeal. LxWxH 4583x2008x1974 Kerb weight 2190kg

2.0 P300 3.0 P400 5.0 P525 3.0 D200 3.0 D250 3.0 D300

298 398 518 198 246 296

119 119 119 109 117 119

7.1 6.0 5.2 9.8 8.0 6.7

24.6 25.6 TBC 32.8 32.8 32.7

259-260 256 TBC 226 226-227 226

Low flexibility, but hybrid option makes a degree of economic sense. LxWxH 4890x1895x1690 Kerb weight 2100kg

570S 2dr coupé/open £150,905–£166,665

3.5 V6 RX450h

Blisteringly fast and exciting supercar slayer with hugely appealing Decent practicality and fantastic interior. It’s a shame that it’s only handling. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1440kg ordinary to drive. LxWxH 4702x1810x1457 Kerb weight 1495kg

308

124

7.7

34.4

185

AAABC 3.8 V8

UX 5dr SUV £35,635–£43,900

Refreshingly different premium SUV is a credible, if not classleading, alternative. LxWxH 4495x1840x1520 Kerb weight 1620kg

2.0 250h AAAAB 2.0 250h E4 Promises, and delivers, unrivalled off-road performance with 300e 150kWh

Defender 110 5dr SUV £45,315–£101,150

181 181 201

110 110 100

8.5 8.7 7.5

50.4 47.0 TBC

126 136 TBC

on-road niceties. LxWxH 5018x2008x1967 Kerb weight 2209kg 2.0 P300 2.0 P400e 5.0 P525 3.0 D200 3.0 D250 3.0 D300

298 398 518 198 246 296

119 119 119 109 117 119

8.1 5.6 5.2 10.3 8.3 7.0

24.2 TBC TBC 32.2 32.2 32.2

263 TBC TBC 230 230 230

LOTUS

A delicate, vivid and unfettered drive; if you want a daily driver, shop elsewhere. LxWxH 3824x1719x1117 Kerb weight 830kg 217 242

204

3.1

23.2

145 151

4.2 3.8

36.7 36.2

179 177

C-Class Estate 5dr estate £37,520–£81,217

276

1.5 C200 2.0 C300 600LT 2dr coupé/open £187,730–£203,730 AAAAA 2.0 C300e Lighter, faster and more athletic than the 570S. McLaren at its very 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic best. LxWxH 4604x2095x1191 Kerb weight 1356kg 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 3.8 V8 592 204 2.9 23.2 276-277 2.0 C220d 2.0 C300d 720S 2dr coupé/open £216,905–£249,220 AAAAA 2.0 C300de

AAAAC The start of an era for McLaren and what a way to begin it is.

Elise 2dr open £41,245–£49,145 1.8 VVT-i 220 1.8 VVT-i 246

562

AAAAA

LxWxH 4543x2059x1196 Kerb weight 1419kg 4.0 V8

GT 2dr coupé £165,230

710

212

2.9

23.2

276

198 248 298 298 201

134 143 150 132 120

8.0 7.0 6.3 6.4 8.5

Range Rover Velar 5dr SUV £46,110–£71,020

31.7 201 31.6 201 31.3 203 166.2-193.5 33-38 43.8 169 AAAAC

The most car-like Landie ever doesn’t disappoint. Expensive, though. LxWxH 4804x1930x1685 Kerb weight 1829kg 2.0 P250 3.0 P400 2.0 P400e 2.0 D200 3.0 D300 MHEV

248 394 398 201 296

135 155 149 130 143

7.5 5.5 5.4 8.2 6.5

Range Rover Sport 5dr SUV £65,295–£114,915

27.8-29.2 27.3-28.0 TBC 41.6 36.1-37.2

217-229 227-230 TBC 168-178 199-205

AAAAB

Bigger and better; a cut-price Range Rover rather than a jumped-up Discovery. LxWxH 4850x2073x1780 Kerb weight 2111kg 2.0 P300 2.0 P400e PHEV 3.0 P400 5.0 V8 P525 5.0 V8 P575 SVR 3.0 D300

298 401 398 522 572 298

125 137 140 155 176 130

7.3 6.7 6.2 5.3 4.5 7.3

26.1 75.3-86.9 27.4 18.9-20.2 19.6 34.1

245 69 234 315 331 220-247

AAAAB

Range Rover 5dr SUV £83,465–£179,715

Wherever you are, the Rangie envelops you in a lavish, invincible sense of occasion. LxWxH 4999x2220x1835 Kerb weight 2249kg 3.0 P400 2.0 P400e 5.0 V8 P525 5.0 V8 P565 SVAD 3.0 D300 3.0 D350

398 399 522 562 298 348

140 137 155 155 130 140

6.3 6.8 5.4 5.4 7.4 7.1

Discovery Sport 5dr SUV £36,765–£51,630

26.1-26.7 75.7-85.1 19.7-20.0 18.9 33.0 30.5-30.9

240 75 318-322 342 228-238 240-256

2.0 P200 2.0 P250 2.0 P290 1.5 P300e 2.0 D165 2.0 D200

198 247 288 298 162 201

129 140 144 130 112 117

9.2 8.1 7.5 6.6 10.6 8.9

30.1 211 30.1 211 29.7 214 143.4-158.6 40-44 41.5 179 41.5 179

7.9 6.0 5.7 4.8 4.1 7.0 6.0 5.7

36.7-40.9 34.5-38.7 176.6 27.4-28.8 24.8-25.5 44.8-51.4 42.8-47.9 217.3

164-176 166-181 35 226-230 251-253 147-149 149-168 34

AAAAC

Outgoing two-door keeps a nice balance of style, usability and driver reward. LxWxH 4696x1810x1405 Kerb weight 1505kg

AAAAB 1.5 C200 2.0 C300 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 2.0 C220d AAAAB 2.0 C300d 4Matic

181 258 385 503 192 241

149 155 155 180 149 155

7.9 6.1 4.7 3.9 7.0 6.0

37.7-42.2 35.8-39.8 28.0-29.4 25.0-25.5 46.3-52.3 42.8-48.7

155-156 161-175 221-225 250 133-145 151-164

225-230 765LT 2dr coupé £252,230 230 Longtail treatment puts a deliciously sharp edge on the 720S. LxWxH 4600x2161x1159 Kerb weight 1419kg 230 C-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £43,680–£87,430 AAAAC 4.0 V8 755 205 2.8 23.0 280 Take all the good bits about the coupé and add the ability to take the roof off. Bingo. LxWxH 4686x1810x1409 Kerb weight 1645kg Evora 2dr coupé £88,225–£95,725 AAAAC Dynamically it puts nearly everything else in the shade. Shame Senna 2dr coupé £750,000 AAAAA 1.5 C200 181 146 7.9 36.2-40.4 167-168 about the interior. LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1395kg Astounding circuit performance made superbly accessible. 2.0 C300 258 155 6.3 34.0-37.7 173-184 LxWxH 4744x2155x1229 Kerb weight 1309kg 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 404 174-190 4.1-4.2 25.7-26.7 248 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.8 27.4-28.5 229-231 4.0 V8 789 208 2.8 22.7 280 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 174 4.1 24.4-24.8 258 M A S E R AT I 2.0 C220d 191 145 7.5 44.8-49.6 141-153 MERCEDES-BENZ Ghibli 4dr saloon £58,220–£103,590 AAACC 2.0 C300d 242 155 6.3 42.2-47.1 153-167 Maser’s compact exec has the allure but lacks power and is poorly A-Class 5dr hatch £24,095–£57,195 AAAAC finished in places. LxWxH 4971x1945x1461 Kerb weight 1810kg A little bit of luxury in a desirable, hatchback-sized package. CLS Coupé 4dr saloon £58,935–£78,700 AAAAC LxWxH 4419x1992x1440 Kerb weight 1445kg 2.0 Hybrid 325 158 5.7 33.2 192 Retains the sleek coupé style and has more tech – without losing 3.0 V6 345 166 5.5 25.2 254 1.3 A180 134 134 9.2 47.9 134-138 its allure. LxWxH 4996x1896x1436 Kerb weight 1935kg 3.0 V6 S 424 178 4.9 25.0 254 1.3 A200 161 140 8.2 47.9 135-145 3.0 V6 AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 TBC 216 3.8 V8 572 203 4.3 23.0 279 2.0 A250 221 155 6.2 41.5 155-165 3.0 CLS 300d 4Matic 261 155 6.4 TBC 168 2.0 A250e 215 146 6.6 256.8 25 3.0 CLS 400d 4Matic 325 155 5.0 TBC 191 Quattroporte 4dr saloon £81,285–£126,890 AAACC 2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.7 33.6-35.8 184-193 Now a full-sized executive limo, with some added flair. Off the pace 2.0 AMG A45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 3.9 33.6 204-207 E-Class 4dr saloon £39,745–£99,495 AAAAC in several key areas. LxWxH 5262x1948x1481 Kerb weight 1860kg 1.5 A180d 114 126 10.0 62.8 127-130 A wee bit pricey, and less sporting than its rivals, but still comfy 3.0 V6 345 168 5.5 25.0 257 2.0 A200d 148 137 8.1 58.9 129-139 and luxurious. LxWxH 4940x1852x1452 Kerb weight 1680kg 3.0 V6 S 424 179 5.0 24.8 257 2.0 A220d 187 146 7.0 57.6 141 2.0 E200 194 149 7.4 38.2 165-166 3.8 V8 572 203 4.5 23.2 277 3.0 E450 363 155 5.0 31.7 204 2.0 E300e 315 155 5.8 188.3 41 Levante 4dr SUV £64,635–£124,940 AAACC 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 30.4 212-215 Italian flair and good looks in abundance, but diesel not as 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 603 155 3.4 22.8-23.7 277 sonorous as petrols. LxWxH 5003x1968x1679 Kerb weight 2109kg 2.0 E220d 191 146 7.4 53.3 139-157 3.0 V6 339 156 6.0 22.6 283 2.0 E300d 261 155 6.3 47.9 153-167 3.0 V6 S 424 164 5.2 22.4 286 3.0 V6 E400d 325 155 5.1 42.2 176-188 3.8 V8 GTS 526 180 4.3 17.9 357 2.0 E300de 302 149 5.9 217.3 39 3.8 V8 Trofeo 572 186 4.1 17.8 359 E-Class Estate 5dr estate £41,680–£101,495 AAAAC 3.5 V6 VVT-i 350 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 3.5 V6 VVT-i 430

345 407 428

162-170 3.8-3.9 180 3.4 180 3.2

28.2 28.7 27.7

MAZDA

AAAAC

2 5dr hatch £15,940–£20,995

AAAAB Grown up, well made and drives with charm and vigour; engines

Seven seats, at home on road and off road, plus new-found desirability. LxWxH 4599x2069x1724 Kerb weight 1732kg

146 155 155 155 174 145 155 155

C-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £40,105–£84,600

Woking’s most user-friendly car to date is still a McLaren first and Range Rover Evoque 5dr SUV £36,850–£55,580 AAAAC Exige 2dr coupé/open £61,925–£102,925 AAAAB foremost. LxWxH 4683x2095x1213 Kerb weight 1339kg Refined, luxurious baby Range Rover has matured for its second Sharp, uncompromising track car. Unforgiving on the road. 4.0 V8 612 204 3.2 23.7 270 generation. LxWxH 4371x1996x1649 Kerb weight 1891kg LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1125kg 2.0 P200 2.0 P250 2.0 P300 1.5 P300e 2.0 D200

181 258 316 385 503 192 241 302

AAAAC

aren’t brilliant. LxWxH 4060x1695x1515 Kerb weight 1141kg 1.5 Skyactiv-G 75 1.5 Skyactiv-G 90

74 88

106 12.1 49.6 110-114 9.4-12.0 49.6

121 120 AAAAC

3 5dr hatch £21,800–£28,900

Pleasing dynamism teamed with good practicality and punchy diesel engines. LxWxH 4460x1795x1435 Kerb weight 1411kg 2.0 e-Skyactiv-G 2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186

120 183

122 134

10.4 8.1

TBC TBC

Far more practical than its rivals, but pricier and less sporty than those closest to it. LxWxH 4933x1852x1475 Kerb weight 1780kg 2.0 E200 3.0 V6 AMG E53 4Matic+ 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 2.0 E220d 3.0 E300d 3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic 2.0 E300de

197 429 603 191 242 325 302

144 155 180 142 155 155 146

7.7 4.6 3.5 7.8 6.6 5.3 6.0

31.0-35.3 29.7 22.6-23.3 50.4 40.4-46.3 40.9 188.3

173-174 216-219 282 148-161 156-159 181-192 41

124-127 118-121

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 85

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GLE Coupé 5dr SUV £72,725–£130,250

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Morgan’s four-cylinder lifeblood model gets 21st-century underpinnings. LxWxH 3830x1500x1250 Kerb weight 1013kg

3.0 GLE 400d 4Matic 3.0 AMG GLE 53 4Matic 4.0 AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic

2.0

149 155 174

5.7 5.3 3.8

33.6 25.7 TBC

219 244 280

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AAABC

Plus Four 2dr open £62,995

May not be your idea of a desirable luxury car, but it’s certainly an effective one. LxWxH 4946x2014x1716 Kerb weight 2295kg 327 432 603

(g O2

) /km

255

149

5.1

38.8

165 AAABC

Plus Six 2dr open £82,920–£90,590

Feels like progress in lots of ways, but not yet the driver’s car it G-Class 5dr SUV £101,495–£171,645 AAABC might be. LxWxH 3890x1756x1220 Kerb weight 1075kg Massively expensive and compromised, but with character in 3.0 335 166 4.2 38.2 180 abundance. LxWxH 4866x1984x1969 Kerb weight 2550kg 3.0 GLE 400d 4Matic 4.0 V8 AMG G63 4Matic

325 578

130 137

6.4 4.5

TBC 281-282 18.6-18.8 373

NISSAN

AAAAC

Micra 5dr hatch £13,995–£20,145

Refreshed look and better handling makes it an enticing choice. GLS 5dr SUV £75,610–£128,285 AAABC Has its flaws, though. LxWxH 3991x1743x1455 Kerb weight 1490kg E-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £45,520–£70,200 AAAAC The replacement for the massive GL can still seat seven in 1.0 IG-T 100 91 111 11.8 50.4 123-129 3008 5dr SUV £27,160–£47,210 AAAAC comfort. LxWxH 5216x2030x1823 Kerb weight 2415kg Big, laid-back four-seat tourer. Borrows looks from the ravishing 1.0 IG-T 100 98 114 10.9 50.4 126 Cleverly packaged Peugeot offers just enough SUV DNA to make S-Class Coupé. LxWxH 4846x1860x1431 Kerb weight 1685kg the difference. LxWxH 4447x2098x1624 Kerb weight 1250kg 3.0 GLS 400d 4Matic 327 148 6.3 32.8 227 1.0 DiG-T 117 115 121 9.9 47.9 133 2.0 E300 3.0 E450 4Matic 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 2.0 E220d 3.0 E300d 4Matic 3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic

237 362 429 189 242 325

155 155 155 145 155 155

6.4 5.0 4.4 7.6 6.4 5.3

31.0 29.1-31.4 30.1-31.4 43.5-50.4 42.2-47.9 TBC

1.2 PureTech 130 126 117 10.5-10.8 37.2 146-149 AAAAC 1.6 PureTech 180 178 136 8.0 39.6 165-167 3 5dr hatch £12,195–£13,495 AAABC Better looks, better value and better range from this second-gen 1.6 Hybrid 223 146 5.9 157.2-222.3 29 Neatly tuned and nice sporty styling. Breaks the mould for budget electric hatch. LxWxH 4387x1768x1520 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.6 Hybrid4 298 149 5.9 166.2-235.1 36 superminis. LxWxH 4018x1729x1507 Kerb weight 1125kg 40kWh 147 90 7.9 168 0 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 119 9.5 55.1 137-139 1.5 VTi-Tech 104 108 10.9 42.3 152 62kWh 214 98 6.9-7.3 239 0 5008 5dr SUV £29,585–£40,905 AAAAC AAAAC 5 SW EV 5dr estate £27,495–£29,995 AAABC Juke 5dr hatch £18,595–£25,095 AAABC Less MPV, more SUV, and shares its siblings’ good looks. Competent

E-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £50,485–£73,750

180-182 201 212-215 154-155 166-167 189

Leaf 5dr hatch £29,845–£37,710

Refined and sophisticated four-seater in the same mould as the S-Class Cabriolet. LxWxH 4846x1860x1429 Kerb weight 1780kg

Segment-first electric estate could be all the real-world EV you need. LxWxH 4544x1729x1509 Kerb weight 1532kg

High-riding, funky hatch is a compelling package. High CO 2 figures, though. LxWxH 4135x1765x1565 Kerb weight 1605kg

2.0 E300 3.0 E450 4Matic 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic 2.0 E220d 3.0 E300d 3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic

53kWh

1.0 DiG-T 117

237 362 429 189 242 325

155 155 155 147 155 155

6.6 5.8 4.5 7.8 6.6 5.4

30.0 28.8-30.7 29.7-30.7 42.8-48.7 40.9-46.3 TBC

189-190 208 217-219 162-163 172 193

AAAAA

S-Class 4dr saloon £78,705–£104,245

Mercedes has given the S-Class a refresh and an added boost of tech. LxWxH 5141x1905x1498 Kerb weight 1970kg 3.0 V6 S500 L 2.9 S350d 2.9 S400d

429 282 325

155 155 155

4.9 6.4 5.4

154

115

7.7

214

0 AAACC

HS 5dr SUV £20,995–£32,495

AAABC

SLC 2dr open £37,130–£54,101

112

10.4

46.3

Qashqai 5dr SUV £23,550–£30,070

1.2 PureTech 130 1.6 PureTech 180 1.5 BlueHDi 130 AAAAB 2.0 BlueHDi 180 135-142

Goes big on metal for the money but covers its budget roots with mixed success. LxWxH 4574x1876x1664 Kerb weight 1489kg

The defining modern crossover. The Mk2 is better in all areas, hence its popularity. LxWxH 4394x1806x1590 Kerb weight 1331kg

1.5 T-GDI 1.5 T-GDI PHEV

1.3 DiG-T 140 1.3 DiG-T 160

162 254

118 118

9.9 7.1

36.2-37.2 168 TBC TBC AAACC

ZS 5dr SUV £15,495–£30,995

Much improved on previous MGs, but still lacks the sophistication 32.5-34.9 184-202 of its closest rivals. LxWxH 4314x1809x1611 Kerb weight 1190kg

39.8-42.8 173-190 38.2-38.7 192-196

113

1.5 VTi-Tech 1.0T GDi 44.5kWh EV

104 109 141

109 112 87

10.9 12.4 8.5

41.5 38.6 163

155 166 0

138 156

120 10.5 123-124 8.9-9.9

42.1-45.0 143-153 42.9-43.9 146-152

155

4.7

AAAAC

GT-R 2dr coupé £86,095–£102,095

31.7-32.5 199

AMG GT 4-Door Coupé 4dr saloon £141,785–£146,785 AAAAB Four-door, four-wheel-drive GT is confusing to contemplate but impressive to drive. LxWxH 5054x1953x1447 Kerb weight 2100kg 4.0 V8 GT63 S 4Matic+

630

196

3.2

21.4-22.1 294-298

Compact SUV marks the entry point to Mercedes’ all-electric EQ range. LxWxH 4463x1834x1624 Kerb weight 2040kg 187

1.5 One 1.5 Cooper 2.0 Cooper S

101 134 175

119 129 146

10.6 8.4 6.9

49.6 130 48.7-49.6 131-132 44.1-45.6 141-146

8.9

TBC

LxWxH 3821x1727x1415 Kerb weight 1280kg 1.5 Cooper 2.0 Cooper S 2.0 John Cooper Works

134 175 227

128 143 150

8.8 7.2 6.6

46.3 42.2 39.2

138-139 151 165

10.4-10.9 8.3 10.7 9.1

46.0 39.6 57.3 47.3

150-153 168-170 139-142 164-166

P O L E S TA R

AAAAC

Limited-run sports GT delivers petrol-electric performance and Swedish styling. LxWxH 4586x2023x1352 Kerb weight 2345kg

78kWh

596

155

4.2

353.1

1.0 72

100

13.0

1.2 PureTech 75 1.2 PureTech 100 1.2 PureTech 130 50kWh e-208 1.5 BlueHDi 100

72 98 128 136 99

106 117 129 93 117

14.9 9.9 8.7 8.1 10.2

58.9 53.0 51.9 194-217 70

124 124-126 128 0 109-110

127

4.2

292

PORSCHE

AAAAB

Our idea of drop-top heaven. Exceptional to drive, whether cruising or hurrying. LxWxH 4379x1801x1280 Kerb weight 1335kg 2.0 2.0 T 2.5 S 4.0 GTS

290 296 339 396

170 170 177 182

4.9-5.1 4.7-5.3 4.4-4.6 4.5

32.5 32.5 29.1 25.9

198 199 229 247 AAAAA

718 Cayman 2dr coupé £46,150–£77,685

Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding driver involvement. LxWxH 4379x1801x1295 Kerb weight 1335kg

2.0 2.0 T 58.9 110 2.5 S 4.0 GTS AAABC 4.0 GT4

LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 1065kg

402

718 Boxster 2dr open £48,010–£68,245

Sister car to the Aygo – and a distant second to most city car rivals. LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg

208 3dr/5dr hatch £17,575–£33,975 AAABC A big improvement for Peugeot, if not for the supermini class.

Convertible 2dr open £20,830–£29,960

AAAAC A fun open-top car but compromised on practicality and dynamics.

EQA 5dr SUV £43,495–£44,995 67kWh 190

rivals. LxWxH 3982x1727x1425 Kerb weight 1240kg

117 135 119 131

There aren’t many cheaper ways of owning an SUV. Has a better range of engines, too. LxWxH 4640x1820x1710 Kerb weight 1505kg 2 5dr hatch £49,900 AAAAC 1.3 DiG-T 160 158 123 11.5 37.8-38.5 166-173 High-rise saloon takes the EV off in a development direction all of 1.7 dCi 150 148 121 10.7 44.5-47.5 155-171 its own. LxWxH 4607x1859x1478 Kerb weight 2048kg

NOBLE 1.5 One 101 121 10.1-10.2 49.6 130 1.5 Cooper 134 130 7.8-7.9 48.7-49.6 130-132 M600 2dr coupé £248,000–£287,600 AAABC AMG GT 2dr coupé/open £108,320–£377,050 AAAAC 2.0 Cooper S 189 145-146 6.7-6.8 44.1 145 Deliciously natural and involving; a bit ergonomically flawed. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 1198kg Million-dollar looks and a railgun V8, but extremely firm chassis 2.0 John Cooper Works 227 152 6.1-6.3 39.8 160 affects its usability. LxWxH 4544x1939x1287 Kerb weight 1615kg 2.0 John Cooper Works GP 302 164 5.2 34 189 4.4 V8 662 225 3.0 NA NA 4.0 V8 GT 522 193-194 3.7-3.8 21.9-22.1 289-290 P E U G E O T 4.0 V8 GT R 577 198 3.6 22.1 289 5dr Hatch 5dr hatch £17,140–£24,850 AAAAB 4.0 V8 GT Black Series 718 202 3.2 TBC 292 Mini charm in a more usable package, but still not as practical as 108 3dr/5dr hatch £12,785–£15,790 AAABC

356

126 178 129 175

1 2dr coupé £140,000

AAABC 2.0 plug-in hybrid

X-Trail 5dr SUV £26,835–£34,745

MINI Another small convertible exhibiting all the charm that a Mercedes Monstrously fast Nissan has been tweaked and sharpened. Still a should. LxWxH 4143x1810x1301 Kerb weight 1435kg 3dr Hatch 3dr hatch £16,400–£35,215 AAAAB blunt object, though. LxWxH 4710x1895x1370 Kerb weight 1725kg 2.0 SLC 200 178 147-149 6.9-7.0 40.4 167 Three-pot engines and cleverly designed interior make the Mini a 3.8 V6 562 196 2.9 20.2 316 superb choice. LxWxH 3821x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1190kg 2.0 SLC 300 237 155 5.8 35.3-37.2 178

3.0 V6 AMG SLC 43

to drive, too. LxWxH 4641x1844x1640 Kerb weight 1511kg

290 296 339 396 414

170 170 177 182 188

4.9-5.1 4.9-5.3 4.4-4.6 4.5 4.4

32.8 35.5 29.1 25.9 25.7

197 198 228 247 251 AAAAB

911 2dr coupé £84,700–£158,200

Wider, eighth-generation 911 is still eminently fast, and capable at all speeds. LxWxH 4519x1852x1300 Kerb weight 1565kg

3.0 Carrera 380 182 4.0 27.4 233 3.0 Carrera 4 380 180 4.0 26.9 238 EQC 5dr SUV £65,720–£74,610 AAAAB 3.0 Carrera S 444 191 3.5 27.4 234 Brisk, tidy-handling electric SUV has everything needed to do well Clubman 5dr hatch £22,395–£36,100 AAAAC 3.0 Carrera 4S 444 190 3.4 26.9 239 on UK roads. LxWxH 4762x1884x1624 Kerb weight 2495kg Cheery and alternative Mini ‘six-door’ takes the brand into new 308 5dr hatch £21,310–£31,985 AAAAB 3.0 Targa 380 179 4.4 26.9 239 territory. LxWxH 4253x1800x1441 Kerb weight 1375kg 80kWh 400 4Matic 402 112 5.1 232-259 0 Classy all-round appeal makes it a serious contender, but rear 3.0 Targa S 444 189 3.8 26.4 244 1.5 Cooper 134 128 9.2 47.1 136-137 space is a little tight. LxWxH 4253x1804x1457 Kerb weight 1190kg 4.0 GT3 503 199 3.4 21.7-21.9 283-304 GLA 5dr SUV £31,785–£65,350 AAABC 2.0 Cooper S 175 142 7.3 42.2 152-153 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.1 51.5 132 3.7 Turbo 572 199 2.8 23.5 271 Not the most practical crossover but good looking and very decent 2.0 John Cooper Works All4 302 155 4.9 38.2 169 1.2 PureTech 130 126 128-129 9.1-9.6 48.5-51.9 132-135 3.7 Turbo S 641 205 2.7 23.5 271 to drive. LxWxH 4417x1804x1494 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.6 Puretech 260 GTI 258 155 6.0 37.8 169 1.6 GLA 180 120 124 8.7-9.0 35.3-40.4 151-155 Countryman 5dr hatch £24,495–£37,650 AAABC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 127 9.8 62.1-62.7 120-121 911 Cabriolet 2dr open £94,500–£167,357 AAAAC 1.6 GLA 200 152 134 8.1-8.4 34.9-39.8 151-155 Bigger than before, but still more funky than useful. Still not all that Fewer compromises than ever, if rewarding only at full attack. pretty, either. LxWxH 4299x2005x1557 Kerb weight 1440kg 1.3 GLA 250e 135 137 7.1 TBC TBC 308 SW 5dr estate £22,260–£29,530 AAAAC LxWxH 4519x1852x1297 Kerb weight 1585kg 2.0 GLA 250 4Matic 204 143 6.6 32.5-35.8 172-174 1.5 Cooper 136 124 9.7 44.8 143 Estate bodystyle enjoys the classy appeal of the hatchback. 3.0 Carrera 380 180 4.2 27.2 236 2.0 GLA 200d 150 127 8.6-8.9 TBC 140-150 1.5 Cooper All4 136 122 10.3 40.9 157-158 LxWxH 4585x1563x1472 Kerb weight 1190kg 3.0 Carrera 4S 444 188 3.6 26.6 241 2.0 GLA 220d 188 136 7.3 TBC 141-149 1.5 Cooper S E All4 PHEV 217 122 6.8 156.9 41 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.6 51.5 134 3.7 Turbo 572 199 2.9 23.3 275 2.0 AMG GLA 35 4Matic 302 155 5.2 TBC 186-198 2.0 Cooper S 192 140 7.5-7.6 42.2-42.8 151-152 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 9.5-10.0 48.5-51.9 134-140 3.7 Turbo S 641 205 2.8 23.3 275 2.0 AMG GLA 45 S 4Matic+ 415 155 4.3 TBC 215-224 2.0 Cooper S All4 192 138 7.6 40.4 158-159 1.5 BlueHDi 100 99 111 12.3 54.9-63.8 115 2.0 John Cooper Works All4 302 155 5.1 37.2 174 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 126 10.0 62.1-62.7 122-125 Panamera 4dr saloon £71,765–£140,200 AAAAA GLB 5dr SUV £36,905–£51,635 AAABC 2.0 Cooper D 150 129 9.1 56.5-57.6 129-130 Revamped big saloon is an absolute belter, making it almost the Boxy SUV mixes rough-and-tumble styling cues and seven-seat 2.0 Cooper D All4 150 127 9.0 52.3 142-143 508 4dr saloon £27,460–£40,910 AAAAC perfect grand tourer. LxWxH 5049x1937x1423 Kerb weight 1815kg versatility. LxWxH 4634x1834x1659 Kerb weight 2085kg Stylish and likeable but lacking the polish of more premium rivals. 2.9 V6 325 168 5.6 27.7 232 1.3 GLB 200 160 129 9.1 40.4 160-165 Electric 3dr hatch £28,100–£37,000 AAAAC LxWxH 4750x1859x1430 Kerb weight 1535kg 2.9 V6 4 325 167 5.3 27.2 235 2.0 AMG GLB 35 302 155 5.2 32.5 198 Won’t break records on range or usability, but has plenty of zip and 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 8.1 49.1 129 2.9 V6 4S 434 183 4.3 27.4 234 2.0 GLB 200d 148 127 9.0 47.9 149-156 driver appeal. LxWxH 3850x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1440kg 1.6 PureTech 180 178 143 7.9 44.0 146-147 2.9 V6 4 E-Hybrid 456 174 4.4 78.5-85.6 60 2.0 GLB 220d 188 135 7.6 47.9 156-158 33kWh 180 93 7.3 144 0 1.6 PureTech 225 223 155 7.1 42.2 156 2.9 V6 4S E-Hybrid 552 185 3.7 78.5-85.6 60 1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 166.0-235.0 27-38 4.0 V8 GTS 473 186 3.9 23.3 275 MITSUBISHI GLC 5dr SUV £44,530–£93,330 AAAAC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 126 10.0 62.0 124 4.0 V8 Turbo S 621 196 3.1 22.1 289 Not exactly exciting to drive, but does luxury and refinement Mirage 5dr hatch £10,575–£14,060 AAACC 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 690 196 3.2 TBC TBC better than most. LxWxH 4656x1890x1639 Kerb weight 1735kg A straightforward hatchback – but not for the likes of us. 508 SW 5dr estate £29,060–£42,760 AAACC 2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 255 149 6.2 34.4 187-198 LxWxH 3795x1665x1505 Kerb weight 845kg Bodystyle takes the edge off the 508’s style yet doesn’t fully Panamera Sport Turismo 5dr estate £76,942–£142,444 AAAAA address practicality. LxWxH 4778x1859x1420 Kerb weight 1430kg The Panamera in a more practical form, and now it’s a good-looking 3.0 V6 AMG GLC 43 4Matic 388 155 4.9 27.4 233-245 1.2 Mi-VEC 79 107 11.7-12.8 47.9-55.4 113-121 beast. LxWxH 5049x1937x1428 Kerb weight 1880kg 4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 4Matic+ 462 155 4.0 22.2 289-291 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 8.3 49.1 129 4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ 502 155 3.8 22.7 294-296 ASX 5dr SUV £21,035–£26,805 AAACC 1.6 PureTech 180 178 140 8.0 44.0 149-150 2.9 V6 4 325 163 5.3 26.4 242 2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 191 134 7.9 47.9 154-167 Decent engines, but otherwise an unexceptional crossover. 1.6 PureTech 225 223 153 7.4 42.2 158 2.9 V6 4S 434 180 4.3 26.4 242 2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic 242 144 6.5 42.8 178-179 LxWxH 4355x1770x1640 Kerb weight 1260kg 1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 166.0-235.0 27-38 2.9 V6 4 E-Hybrid 456 174 4.4 78.5-85.6 60 2.0 GLC 300de 4Matic 302 143 6.2 TBC TBC 2.0 MI-VEC 2WD 148 118 10.2 37.7 171 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 129 10.1 62.0 127 2.9 V6 4S E-Hybrid 552 182 3.7 78.5-85.6 60 2.0 MI-VEC 4WD 148 118 12.5 34.4 185 4.0 V8 GTS 473 181 3.9 22.8 280 GLC Coupé 5dr SUV £47,405–£95,155 AAAAC 2008 5dr SUV £21,030–£39,630 AAAAC 4.0 V8 Turbo S 621 196 3.1 21.7 295 A coupé-shaped SUV destined to be outrun by the X4 – unless Eclipse Cross 5dr SUV £22,545–£27,055 AAACC Compact crossover has most rivals licked, but class is still waiting 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 690 196 3.2 TBC TBC

you’re in an AMG. LxWxH 4732x1890x1602 Kerb weight 1785kg 2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 255 3.0 V6 AMG GLC 43 4Matic 388 4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 4Matic+ 472 4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ 502 2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 191 2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic 242 2.0 GLC 300de 4Matic 302

149 155 155 155 135 145 143

6.3 4.9 4.0 3.8 7.9 6.6 6.2

32.8 27.7 22.4-23.5 22.1 44.1 40.9 TBC

195-202 232-242 285 290-291 167-173 182-184 TBC

AAAAC

GLE 5dr SUV £62,210–£120,773

The ML replacement isn’t inspiring to drive but does come with a classy interior. LxWxH 4819x2141x1796 Kerb weight 2165kg 2.9 GLE 450 4Matic 362 2.0 GLE 300d 4Matic 242 2.9 GLE 350d 4Matic 268 2.9 GLE 400d 4Matic 328 2.0 GLE 350de 4Matic 317 3.0 V6 AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ 432 4.0 V8 AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic+ 603

155 140 143 152 130 155 155

5.7 7.2 6.6 5.7 6.8 5.3 3.8

32.5 39.2 36.2 35.3 256.8 26.7 TBC

229 198-207 206-214 220 29 246-248 281

Stylish, future-looking mid-sized SUV shows where Mitsubishi’s destiny lies. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1425kg

1.2 PureTech 100 1.2 PureTech 130 1.2 PureTech 155 Outlander 5dr SUV £29,410–£44,225 AAABC 50kWh e-2008 Creditable effort, but still cheap in places: PHEV a boon for fleet 1.5 BlueHDi 1.5 Mi-VEC 2WD

160

127

9.7

36.2-37.7 170-177

users. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1565kg 2.0 Mi-VEC 4WD 2.0 Mi-VEC PHEV

148 200

118 106

13.3 11.0

32.5 139.7

196 46 AAACC

Shogun Sport 5dr SUV £31,880–£33,880

Has a fitness for purpose that could appeal to those who tow or haul big loads. LxWxH 4785x1815x1805 Kerb weight 2100kg 2.4 DI-DC 4WD

179

112

11.0

32.8

227

MORGAN

AAAAA

3 Wheeler 0dr open £40,846–£40,999

The eccentric, characterful and brilliant Morgan is a testament to English creativity. LxWxH 3225x1720x1000 Kerb weight 525kg 2.0 V-twin 82

86 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

for a game-changer. LxWxH 4300x1770x1550 Kerb weight 1205kg

115

6.0

98 128 153 136 98

115 122 129 93 115

10.9 8.9 8.2 8.5 11.4

52.0 50.6 46.6 TBC 62.7

125-127 132 141 0 118-120

AAAAB

Taycan 4dr saloon £83,635–£138,885

First all-electric Porsche shows the rest of the world how it should be done. LxWxH 4963x1966x1381 Kerb weight 2305kg 79kWh 4S 93kWh 4S 93kWh Turbo 93kWh Turbo S

527 563 670 751

155 155 161 161

4.0 4.0 3.2 2.8

252 287 280 256

0 0 0 0

N E W CAR PR I CES Po

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Macan 5dr SUV £48,965–£71,140

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AAAAC

Superb Estate 5dr estate £26,385–£42,780

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AAABC

Swift 5dr hatch £14,999–£22,070

Spookily good handling makes this a sports utility vehicle in the purest sense. LxWxH 4692x1923x1624 Kerb weight 1770kg

Even more commendable than above, primarily thanks to its enormous boot. LxWxH 4856x1864x1477 Kerb weight 1365kg

Given mature looks, more equipment and a hybrid powertrain, but it’s no class leader. LxWxH 3840x1735x1495 Kerb weight 890kg

2.0 3.0 V6 S 3.0 GTS 3.0 V6 Turbo

1.5 TSI 150 2.0 TSI 190 2.0 TSI 280 4x4 1.4 iV PHEV 2.0 TDI 122 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 200 2.0 TDI 200 4x4

1.2 Dualjet 83 1.2 Dualjet 83 Allgrip 1.4 Boosterjet Sport

242 349 375 434

139 157 162 167

6.7 5.3 4.9 4.3

27.7 26.4 25.0 24.8

232 243 255 259 AAAAB

Cayenne 5dr SUV £61,380–£126,845

Refreshed look, improved engines and interior, and a better SUV overall. LxWxH 4918x1983x1696 Kerb weight 1985kg 3.0 V6 3.0 V6 E-Hybrid 2.9 V6 S 3.0 V6 GTS 4.0 V8 Turbo 4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid

335 456 428 453 533 671

152 157 164 168 177 183

6.2 5.0 5.2 4.8 3.9 3.8

24.6 60.1-72.4 23.9 21.2 20.9 52.3-58.9

259 74 268 301 305 90

132 143 155 140 124 132-135 133 145 142

9.2 7.7 5.3 7.8 11.1 8.6-8.8 9.2 7.9 7.3

40.9-45.6 141-157 39.8-40.9 162-168 33.2-34.0 188-194 148.7-188.3 33-42 56.5 131-132 54.3-56.5 132-135 53.3-57.7 129-140 49.6-51.4 140-144 47.9 157

AAAAB Skoda’s supermini platform has birthed a practical but predictable

Reinvigorated Ibiza is more mature and takes the class honours from the Fiesta. LxWxH 4059x1780x1444 Kerb weight 1091kg

1.0 MPI 80 AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95 Little different to drive than the standard car but certainly has an 1.0 TSI 115

79 93 113

106 113 121

14.6 10.9 9.3

50.4-52.3 122-128 51.4 124-125 49.6 129-130

3.0 V6 GTS 4.0 V8 Turbo 4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid

108 108 128 148 148 201 113

122 119 129 135 135 137 124

10.9 10.8 9.4 8.7 8.5 7.5 10.2

51.4-52.3 50.4-51.4 49.6-51.4 48.7 47.9 TBC 64.2-65.7

compact crossover. LxWxH 4241x1793x1553 Kerb weight 1251kg 1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI 150

93 112 148

112 120 132

11.1 9.9 8.3

82 82 138

112 106 130

13.1 13.8 9.1

TBC TBC 47.0

111 123 127 AAABC

Swace 5dr estate £27,499–£29,299

Rebadged Toyota Corolla Touring Sports serves is a useful addition to Suzuki’s line-up. LxWxH 4655x1790x1460 Kerb weight 1420kg 1.8 Hybrid

120

112

11.1

TBC

Vitara 5dr SUV £22,249–£27,049 AAABC AAABC Utterly worthy addition to the class drives better than most.

Kamiq 5dr SUV £18,370–£25,350

Ibiza 5dr hatch £16,445–£20,535

Cayenne Coupé 5dr SUV £66,320–£129,445

148 188 276 215 120 148 148 197 197

49.6 129 47.1-49.6 130-136 46.3-47.9 133-139

LxWxH 4175x1775x1610 Kerb weight 1075kg

1.4 Boosterjet 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip

127 127

118 118

9.5 10.2

TBC TBC

128 140 AAABC

SX4 S-Cross 5dr SUV £21,249–£28,049

A worthy crossover if not a class leader. Refreshed looks give a appeal all of its own. LxWxH 4931x1983x1676 Kerb weight 2030kg Karoq 5dr SUV £23,200–£35,195 AAAAC lease of life. LxWxH 4300x1785x1585 Kerb weight 1160kg 3.0 V6 335 150 6.0 24.4 263 Leon 5dr hatch £20,400–£37,980 AAAAC Yeti replacement may not have its forebear’s quirkiness, but it’s 1.4 Boosterjet 127 118 9.5 TBC 127 3.0 V6 E-Hybrid 456 157 5.1 60.1-72.4 74 A creditable effort and a notable improvement in form, with plenty brilliant otherwise. LxWxH 4382x1841x1603 Kerb weight 1265kg 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip 127 118 10.2 TBC 139 of niche appeal. LxWxH 4282x1816x1459 Kerb weight 1202kg 2.9 V6 S 428 163 5.0 23.5 271 1.0 TSI 115 113 118 10.6 43.5-45.6 141-147 453 533 671

168 178 183

4.5 3.9 3.8

21.2 302 20.9 307 52.3-58.9 90

1.0 TSI 110 1.0 eTSI 110 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 RADICAL 1.5 eTSI 150 Rapture 0dr open £110,000 AAABC 1.4 eHybrid PHEV Not as well mannered as some lightweights but spectacular in its 2.0 TDI 150

track-day element. LxWxH 4100x1790x1130 Kerb weight 765kg 2.2 Turbo

360

165

3.1

Leon ST 5dr estate £23,065–£37,470

123-126 124-129 124-128 133 130-132 TBC 113-115

1.5 TSI 150 20 TSI 190 4x4 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 150 4x4

148 188 148 148

126 132 127 121

8.1-8.3 7.3 9.0 8.8

42.8-44.8 33.2 50.4-52.3 42.8

143-149 191 142-148 172-174

AAAAC

Kodiaq 5dr SUV £26,630–£42,175

Skoda’s first seven-seat SUV is a viable alternative to a traditional MPV. LxWxH 4697x1882x1676 Kerb weight 1430kg

AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 148 123 9.3 37.2-39.2 164-172 2.0 TSI 190 4x4 188 TBC TBC 32.1-32.5 196-200 2.0 TDI 150 148 123 9.8 46.3-47.9 154-161 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 148 120 9.6 44.8-47.9 155-165 2.0 TDI 200 4x4 197 131 7.8 41.5-42.5 175-178 48.7 131-132 SMART TBC TBC EQ Fortwo 3dr hatch/open £21,700–£25,270 AAACC AAAAC Pricey, EV-only two-seater has urban appeal but is short on

AAABC

Across 5dr SUV £45,599

Rebadged Toyota PHEV plunges Suzuki convincingly into several new segments. LxWxH 4635x1855x1690 Kerb weight 1915kg 2.5 PHEV

182

112

6.0

282.4

TESLA

AAAAB

Model S 5dr hatch £79,980–£94,980

Large range makes it not only a standout EV but also the future of luxury motoring. LxWxH 4978x1963x1445 Kerb weight 2108kg

Good-looking and responsive hatchback-turned-estate. RXC GT 2dr open £145,000 AAABC LxWxH 4549x1816x1454 Kerb weight 1236kg Designed for pounding around a track; out of its element on the 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 130 9.7 49.6-51.4 125-128 road. LxWxH 4300x1960x1127 Kerb weight 1125kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 135 8.9 47.9-48.7 132-133

Long Range Performance

3.5 V6 400 3.5 V6 650

Lowest-price, biggest-volume Tesla yet arrives in the UK after wooing the US. LxWxH 4694x1849x1443 Kerb weight 1726kg

400 650

179 180

2.8 2.7

NA NA

Zany solution to personal mobility is suitably irreverent and impractical. LxWxH 2338x1381x1454 Kerb weight 474kg 50

0 AAABC

Zoe 5dr hatch £29,995–£31,495

A far more practical zero-emission solution. Attractive price, too. LxWxH 4084x1730x1562 Kerb weight 1470kg 50kWh R110 50kWh R135

107 132

135 137

8.7 7.5

AAABC Seat’s second SUV doesn’t disappoint, with it taking charge of the

Twizy 2dr hatch £11,695–£12,395 17

148 201

Arona 5dr SUV £18,605–£24,770

R E N A U LT

MB L7e

1.5 eTSI 150 1.4 eHybrid PHEV

84 87

11.4 9.5

233 232

0 0

Electric Drive

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 115 1.5 TSI EVO 150

EQ Forfour 5dr hatch £22,295–£23,445

93 113 148

107 113 127

11.2 51.4 124 9.8-10.0 47.9-53.3 121-134 8.3 44.8-45.6 140-143

Seat’s first SUV is very good. So good, in fact, it’s a Qashqai beater. LxWxH 4363x1841x1601 Kerb weight 1280kg

Comfortable, affordable, easy to drive and attractive, but no more Mégane Sport Tourer 5dr estate £22,995–£32,995 AAABC so than its rivals. LxWxH 3997x1732x1467 Kerb weight 1151kg Stylish and refined estate car is still bland like the hatch. Smaller 1.0 MPI 60 58 98 16.6 51.4-52.3 124-127 than its predecessor. LxWxH 4626x1814x1457 Kerb weight 1409kg 1.0 TSI 95 94 114 10.8 50.4-52.3 122-127 138 153 113

127 111 129

9.8 TBC 11.4

47.9 TBC 64.2

132-133 TBC 121

Jacked-up Clio is among the better downsized options. Stylish and fluent-riding. LxWxH 4122x1778x1566 Kerb weight 1184kg 89 138 156

104 122 107

8.7 9.2 10.1

TBC TBC TBC

Kadjar 5dr SUV £24,695–£27,695

133-134 134-135 TBC

1.3 TCe 140

138

124

9.8

45.6

143-147

155

4.6

18.5-18.6 347-348

94 108 148

118 123 137

11.0 10.1 8.2

563

53.3 119-120 51.4-53.3 120-124 50.4-51.4 125-128

113 148 201 242 242 114 148 197 197

129 143 136 139 155 131 143 154 150

10.5-10.8 8.5 7.7 7.3 6.8 10.3 8.7 7.4 6.8

Octavia Estate 5dr estate £22,210–£34,975

155

54.3-56.5 52.3-53.3 TBC TBC 40.9 68.9 64.2-67.3 56.5 51.4

115-117 121-123 TBC TBC 157 109 109-115 130 145

AAAAC

Class-leading amount of space and practicality. Comfortable, too.

LxWxH 5762x2018x1646 Kerb weight 2560kg 5.1-5.2

12.7

53.3-54.3 50.4-52.3 TBC TBC 40.4 67.3 62.8-65.7 55.4 50.4

118-119 123-126 TBC TBC 159 111 112-118 132 147

AAAAC

Another great Czech value option that’s big on quality and space if 18.6-18.8 341-344 not on price. LxWxH 4869x1864x1469 Kerb weight 1340kg

1.5 TSI 150 Cullinan 4dr SUV £268,230–£309,030 AAAAC 2.0 TSI 190 Big, bold new 4x4 begins the next era for the brand, with a model 2.0 TSI 280 4x4 that convinces. LxWxH 5341x2164x1835 Kerb weight 2730kg 1.4 iV PHEV 6.75 TV12 563 155 5.2 17.3-18.1 355-370 2.0 TDI 122 2.0 TDI 150 S E AT 2.0 TDI 200 Mii Electric 5dr hatch £22,800 AAABC 2.0 TDI 200 4x4

148 188 276 215 120 148 197 197

137 148 155 138 129 138 151 148

9.0-9.2 7.7 5.5 7.7 11.0 9.1 7.9 7.2

40.4-44.8 142-157 38.2-39.2 162-168 32.2-34.0 188-193 148.7-188.3 33-42 57.7-58.9 127 54.3-58.9 125-136 51.4-53.3 140-145 47.9 154

3.7 2.3

405 396

Standard Plus Long Range Performance

235 346 449

140 145 162

0 0 AAAAC

5.3 4.2 3.1

267 360 352

0 0 0

Model X 5dr SUV £87,890–£102,980 AAAAB AAACC A genuine luxury seven-seat electric SUV that also has a large

range. LxWxH 5036x2070x1684 Kerb weight 2459kg Long Range Performance

411 596

155 163

4.4 2.6

348 340

0 0

T OYO TA

AAABC

AAACC

Aygo 3dr hatch £12,690–£14,750

Trails the Duster as the best-value small crossover – but not by much. LxWxH 4195x1795x1590 Kerb weight 1270kg

Impactful styling does a lot to recommend it, but not as refined nor as practical as some. LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg

1.2 128 1.5 163

1.0 VVT-i

126 160

112 112

TBC TBC

Korando 5dr SUV £20,395–£32,445

158 161-164

1.5 GDI-Turbo 1.6 D 2WD 1.6 D 4WD

160 133 133

119 112 112

12.0 12.0 12.0

TBC TBC TBC

13.8

56.5

114

172 159-164 178

Toyotas. LxWxH 3495x1695x1510 Kerb weight 1310kg 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid

114

109

9.7

65.7-68.9 92-98 AAAAA

GR Yaris 5dr hatch £29,995–£33,495

Focused, exhilarating all-wheel-drive hot hatch is the most exciting Toyota in ages. LxWxH 3995x1805x1455 Kerb weight 975kg

AAACC 1.6 AWD

Musso 5dr SUV £25,131–£35,031

Yaris 5dr hatch £19,910–£24,005 AAABC AAACC Stylish interior but ultimately a scaled-down version of bigger

Competitive towing capabilities and generous kit, but still lacks dynamics. LxWxH 4450x1870x1629 Kerb weight 1610kg

253

143

5.5

TBC

186

Practical pick-up has a refined engine and direct steering, but ride needs refinement. LxWxH 5095x1950x1840 Kerb weight 2155kg

C-HR 5dr SUV £26,885–£33,155

2.2d 181

Coupé-shaped crossover certainly turns heads and impresses on the road. LxWxH 4360x1795x1565 Kerb weight 1320kg

178

115-121 12.2

TBC

AAABC 1.8 Hybrid 2.0 Hybrid

Rexton 5dr SUV £29,995–£39,895

A vast improvement. Better on the road but without ditching its argicultural roots. LxWxH 4850x1960x1825 Kerb weight 2102kg 178

115

11.3-11.9 34.0

205-227

119 181

SUBARU

215

11.0 8.2

57.7-58.9 109-110 53.3-54.3 119 AAAAC

No-nonsense crossover doesn’t quite make enough sense. LxWxH 4450x1780x1615 Kerb weight 1355kg 13.9 10.4 10.4

TBC 35.7 35.7

180 180 180

8.3

53.3

120-126 AAAAC

Rebranded hatch has rolling refinement, interior ambience and affable handling. LxWxH 4370x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1340kg 122 180

111 111

10.9 7.9

57.6-62.8 102-112 53.3-57.6 111-120

Corolla Touring Sports 5dr estate £25,750–£31,955

AAAAC

More practical estate bodystyle proves just as capable with hybrid power. LxWxH 4650x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1440kg

1.8 VVT-i Hybrid AAACC 2.0 VVT-i Hybrid

Forester 5dr estate £36,345–£39,335

112

Corolla 5dr hatch £24,480–£30,020

AAACC 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid 2.0 VVT-i Hybrid

XV 5dr SUV £28,335–£33,665

109 120 120

105 112

Camry 4dr saloon £31,635–£32,605

AAACC 2.5 VVT-i Hybrid

112 154 148

AAAAC

Toyota’s biggest global seller returns to UK with ULEZ-friendly hybrid power. LxWxH 4885x1840x1445 Kerb weight 1595kg

Levorg 5dr estate £34,770

1.6i AAAAC 2.0i Does comfort and practicality like no other. Good, frugal engines 2.0i e-Boxer

AAAAB LxWxH 4667x1814x1465 Kerb weight 1247kg Essentially as above, except with a detuned engine and in elegant 1.0 TSI 110 113 125 10.6-10.9 convertible form. LxWxH 5295x1947x1502 Kerb weight 2560kg 1.5 TSI 150 148 139 8.4 6.6 V12 563 155 5.0 16.8-17.4 367-380 1.4 TSI iV PHEV 201 136 7.8 1.4 TSI iV vRS PHEV 242 139 7.3 Ghost 4dr saloon £253,830–£286,230 AAAAC 2.0 TSI vRS 242 155 6.8 ‘A ffordable’ Rolls is a more driver-focused car than the Phantom. 2.0 TDI 116 114 128 10.4 Still hugely special. LxWxH 5399x1948x1550 Kerb weight 2360kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.8 6.6 V12 563 155 4.9-5.0 18.5-18.6 347-348 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 197 152 7.4 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 4x4 197 147 6.8 Phantom 4dr saloon £367,830–£439,830 AAAAA Phantom takes opulent luxury to a whole new level. Superb 5dr hatch £25,105–£41,500

Dawn 2dr open £286,230–£345,630

6.75 TV12

50.4-52.3 121-126

too. LxWxH 4689x1829x1470 Kerb weight 1225kg

traits make it great. LxWxH 5285x1947x1507 Kerb weight 2360kg 624

10.9

155 162

Model 3 4dr saloon £43,490–£56,490

S S A N G YO N G

Octavia 5dr hatch £21,230–£33,745

AAABC 1.0 TSI 110 Koleos name returns and is a vast improvement on before, but no 1.5 TSI 150 class leader. LxWxH 4672x2063x1678 Kerb weight 1540kg 1.4 TSI iV PHEV 1.7 Blue dCi 150 148 118 11.8 45.6 161-162 1.4 TSI iV vRS PHEV 2.0 Blue dCi 190 188 123 10.1 40.9 181-183 2.0 TSI vRS 2.0 TDI 116 R O L L S - R OYC E 2.0 TDI 150 Wraith 2dr coupé £262,230–£301,710 AAAAB 2.0 TDI 200 vRS An intimate and involving Rolls. Not as grand as some, but other 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 4x4

Koleos 5dr SUV £28,895–£34,295

6.6 V12

115

11.6-11.9 81-84

Impressively practical but only offered with an automatic gearbox Scala 5dr hatch £17,265–£24,410 AAAAC and one trim. LxWxH 4690x1780x1490 Kerb weight 1568kg Undercuts rivals on price and ushers in a sharp new design 2.0i 148 121 11.7 32.6 196 language for Skoda. LxWxH 4362x1793x1471 Kerb weight 1381kg

1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 110 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150

Fine value, practical, decent to drive and good-looking, but the Qashqai is classier. LxWxH 4449x1836x1607 Kerb weight 1306kg

Tivoli 5dr SUV £14,345–£20,345

AAAAC 2.2d 181

Far more practical, majoring on boot space while doing what a good Skoda should. LxWxH 4262x1732x1467 Kerb weight 1182kg

AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95

Captur 5dr SUV £19,095–£31,495 1.0 TCe 90 1.3 TCe 130 1.6 E-Tech PHEV

Fabia Estate 5dr estate £15,625–£18,825

Four doors give the Smart more mainstream practicality. Still expensive, though. LxWxH 3495x1665x1554 Kerb weight 1200kg

AAAAB Electric Drive

Ateca 5dr SUV £23,670–£35,355

1.0 TSI 110 108 112 11.4 44.1-46.3 139-146 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 124 8.5 42.2-43.5 149-152 Clio 5dr hatch £15,895–£22,495 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 116 114 115 10.9 54.3-55.4 135-137 Plusher, smoother and much more mature. A car of substance as 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.3 55.4-58.9 141-166 well as style. LxWxH 4047x1728x1440 Kerb weight 1148kg 2.0 TDI 150 4Drive 148 122 8.7 47.1-48.7 141-166 1.0 SCe 65 64 TBC TBC TBC 117 1.0 TCe 90 88 TBC TBC TBC 117 Tarraco 5dr SUV £29,140–£40,620 AAAAC 1.0 TCe 100 98 116 11.8 47.9-54.3 119 Seat’s largest SUV brings a hint of youthful exuberance to a practical category. LxWxH 4735x1839x1674 Kerb weight 1845kg 1.6 E-Tech Hybrid 138 112 9.9 65.7 96 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 124 9.9 38.7-41.5 155-166 Mégane 5dr hatch £21,455–£36,995 AAABC 2.0 TSI 4Drive 190 188 130 8.0 31.0-31.7 201-207 Stylish and refined but bland. Trophy-R hot hatch an altogether 2.0 TDI 150 148 124 10.2 49.6-52.3 144-150 different prospect. LxWxH 4359x1814x1447 Kerb weight 1340kg 2.0 TDI 200 4Drive 197 130 7.8 41.5-42.8 172-178 1.3 TCe 140 138 127 9.5 46.3 133-136 S KO DA 1.8 RS 300 298 162-163 5.4-5.7 34.9 184 1.5 Blue dCi 115 113 118 11.1 62.8 117 Fabia 5dr hatch £14,365–£17,935 AAABC

1.3 TCe 140 1.6 E-Tech PHEV 1.5 Blue dCi 115

performance. LxWxH 2695x1663x1555 Kerb weight 1085kg

class dynamically. LxWxH 4138x1780x1543 Kerb weight 1165kg

411 596

122 180

111 111

11.1 8.1

56.5-62.8 103-113 53.3-56.5 112-121

Solid, spacious and wilfully unsexy. A capable 4x4 nonetheless. LxWxH 4610x1795x1735 Kerb weight 1488kg

RAV4 5dr SUV £30,090–£50,895

2.0i e-Boxer

A solid option but ultimately outgunned by Korean competition. LxWxH 4605x1845x1675 Kerb weight 1605kg

148

117

11.8

Outback 5dr estate £33,770–£36,770 Acceptable in isolation but no class leader. LxWxH 4815x1840x1605 Kerb weight 1612kg 2.5i

172

130

10.2

34.7

185

AABCC 2.5 Hybrid 2.5 Hybrid AWD 2.5 PHEV 33.0 193

The GT86’s half-brother looks great in Subaru blue. Cheaper, too. LxWxH 4240x1775x1320 Kerb weight 1242kg 197

140

7.6

112 112 112

8.4 8.1 6.0

50.4-51.3 126-131 47.9-48.7 131-134 TBC TBC

Land Cruiser 5dr SUV £42,345–£57,490 AAABC AAAAA A real go-anywhere vehicle. Totally rugged and available with

BRZ 2dr coupé £32,020 2.0i

194 194 302

AAACC

33.3

191

seven seats. LxWxH 4335x1885x1875 Kerb weight 2010kg 2.8 D-4D 177

201

109

12.7

29.1-31.0 239-250 AAAAC

GR Supra 2dr coupé £47,395–£54,340

Brings welcome muscle, fun and variety to the affordable sports Ignis 5dr hatch £13,289–£16,769 AAAAC car class. LxWxH 4379x1292x1854 Kerb weight 1541kg Cute and rugged-looking 4x4 city car capable of tackling roads 2.0i 250 155 5.2 TBC 167 bereft of asphalt. LxWxH 3700x1660x1595 Kerb weight 855kg 3.0i 335 155 4.3 34.5 188 SUZUKI

1.2 Dualjet 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 4x4

87 87 87

106 106 103

11.8 11.4 11.1

52.9 54.1 48.6

126 117 127

AAAAC

Prius 5dr hatch £24,875–£28,975

Better all round compared with its predecessors. Challenging looks, though. LxWxH 4540x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1375kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid

120

112

10.6

58.9-67.3 94-109

Prius Plug-in Hybrid 5dr hatch £32,645–£34,745

AAAAC

Plug-in version is clever and appealing. Seems more comfortable in its skin. LxWxH 4645x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1530kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid

120

101

11.1

188.3-217.3 29-35 AAAAC

Mirai 4dr saloon £66,000

Europe’s first ‘ownable’ hydrogen car, even if infrastructure isn’t quite mainstream. LxWxH 4890x1815x1535 Kerb weight 1850kg Hydrogen FCV

152

111

9.6

66.1mpkg 0

Not as desirable or plush as the e-Up but nearly as good to drive. LxWxH 3557x1643x1474 Kerb weight 1160kg 37kWh electric

12.3

162

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 87

N E W CAR PR I CES W H AT ’ S C O M I N G W H E N

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0-6

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0-6

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AAAAC

Passat 4dr saloon £27,085–£39,480

Lands blows on rivals with its smart looks, civilised refinement, quality and usability. LxWxH 4767x2083x1476 Kerb weight 1367kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 2.0 TDI 122 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 200

148 215 120 148 197

137 138 127 139 147

8.7 7.4 11.3 8.9 7.4

46.3-47.9 217.3 58.91 58.9-60.1 53.3

139-146 30 125 124-127 138

AAAAC

Passat Estate 5dr estate £29,340–£41,450

All the Passat’s redeeming features in spacious, practical estate form. LxWxH 4767x2083x1516 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 2.0 TDI 122 Corsa 3dr/5dr hatch £16,440–£33,045 AAABC 2.0 TDI 150 Refined, stylish and practical, but its engines aren’t so good. 2.0 TDI 200 VA U X H A L L

Audi E-tron GT quattro On sale May, price from £80,850 Audi’s sleek twin-motor four-door coupé arrives next month, although orders are now being taken. The EV is a tech twin to the Porsche Taycan and is available in two flavours: rapid standard E-tron GT and ballistic RS E-tron GT. Both have a 93.4kWh (83.7kWh usable) battery and wield more power at the rear than at the front. Combined, the motors make 429bhp (523bhp for short bursts) in the regular car and 590bhp (briefly 637bhp) in the RS. The other headline figures for the £80,850 GT are 0-62mph in 4.1sec and a 298-mile range, but the £111,900 RS drops those to 3.3sec and 283 miles. Our first drives reveal both to be slightly less engaging to drive than the Taycan but they feel special and, to our eyes, look the part. APRIL

Abarth 595 update, 695 update, Alpina B8, BMW M5 CS, Cupra Formentor PHEV, Ford Galaxy Hybrid, S-Max Hybrid, Hyundai Santa Fe update, Lamborghini Huracán STO, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, C-Class Estate, Mini 3dr update, 5dr update, Convertible update, Electric update, Peugeot 508 PSE, 508 SW PSE, Porsche 911 GT3, Renault Captur PHEV, Skoda Octavia 4x4, Ssangyong Rexton update, Suzuki Jimny Commercial, Toyota Land Cruiser update, Vauxhall Mokka, Mokka-e, Volvo S90 update, V90 update, XC60 update M AY

Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition, Audi E-tron GT, E-tron GT RS, Bentley Bentayga PHEV, Flying Spur PHEV, Ferrari SF90 Spider, Fiat 500X update, Hyundai i20 N, Kia Ceed update, Land Rover Defender V8, Mercedes-AMG GT 73 4dr Coupé, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Enyaq iV, Tesla Model S Plaid, Toyota RAV4 PHEV, Yaris Cross, Volvo C40 SUMMER

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA, Giulia GTAm, Alpina B4, Audi Q4 E-tron, Q4 E-tron Sportback, BMW iX3, Citroën C3 Aircross update, DS 4, 4 Crossback, 9, 9 PHEV, Ferrari Portofino M, Honda Civic, Hyundai Bayon, Ioniq 5, Kona N, Lotus ‘Esprit’, Evija, Maserati MC20, McLaren Artura, Mercedes-AMG One, Mercedes-Benz C-Class PHEV, CLS update, MercedesMaybach GLS, S-Class, Morgan Plus 8 GTR, Nissan Ariya, Pininfarina Battista, Polestar 2 RWD, Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, 911 GTS, Taycan Cross Turismo, Renault Arkana, Rimac C_Two, Seat Arona update, Ibiza update, Tarraco PHEV, Subaru Outback, Toyota Mirai AU T U M N

Alfa Romeo Giulia update, Tonale, Audi RS3 Saloon, RS3 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, i4, iX xDrive50, M4 Cabriolet, X3 update, X4 update, Chevrolet Corvette, Citroën ë-Berlingo, Cupra Born, Ferrari 812 GTO, Jeep Compass PHEV, Renegade update, Maserati Levante Hybrid, Mercedes-AMG S63, Mercedes-Benz EQB, EQS, SL, Peugeot 308, 308 SW, Rifter EV, Porsche 911 Carrera T, Macan update, Renault Arkana PHEV, Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge, Skoda Kodiaq update, Toyota GR 86, Vauxhall Combo-e Life, Grandland X update, Volkswagen ID 4 GTX, Polo facelift DECEMBER

Alfa Romeo Stelvio update, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, 2 Series Coupé, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Jeep Wrangler PHEV, Kia EV6, Sportage, Mercedes-AMG xxxxxxxxx S63e PHEV, MG electric supermini, E-Motion, Nissan X-Trail, Porsche Taycan GTS, Renault Kadjar, Skoda Fabia, Vauxhall Astra, Astra Sports Tourer

All dates are approximate and subject to change

E A R LY 2 022

Audi Q6 E-tron, Q9, BMW iX xDrive40, M2 Coupé, Ferrari Purosangue, Fiat 500X Cabriolet, Ford Fiesta update, Focus update, GMA T50, Honda Civic Type R, Ineos Grenadier, Lamborghini Urus update, Urus PHEV, Land Rover Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Lexus NX update, Maserati Grecale, Mercedes-AMG C53, C63e, Mercedes-Benz EQS, T-Class, Renault Mégane crossover EV, Tesla Model Y, Toyota Aygo X, Volkswagen Golf R Estate

LxWxH 4060x1765x1433 Kerb weight 1141kg 1.2 75 1.2 100 1.5 Turbo D 102 50kWh E

72 97 98 132

108 121 117 93

13.2 9.9 10.2 8.1

53.3 48.7-52.3 70.0 209

Astra 5dr hatch £18,890–£26,430

125 126-134 109-110 0

8.9 7.6 11.5 9.1 7.6

44.8-45.6 201.8 57.6 56.5-57.6 52.3

144-151 33 129 128-132 143

1.2 Turbo 110 1.2 Turbo 130 1.2 Turbo 145 1.4 Turbo 145 1.5 Turbo D 105 1.5 Turbo D 122

108 128 143 143 102 118

124 134 137 130 124 127-130

10.2 9.9 9.7 9.3 10.2 9.7-10.2

54.3 54.3 54.3 50.4 65.7 64.2

Astra Sports Tourer 5dr estate £20,340–£25,125 More composed and practical than the hatchback. LxWxH 4702x1809x1510 Kerb weight 1273kg 1.2 Turbo 110 1.2 Turbo 130 1.2 Turbo 145 1.4 Turbo 145 1.5 Turbo D 105 1.5 Turbo D 122

108 128 142 142 102 118

124 134 137 130 124 130

10.0 9.5 9.0 9.2 10.2 9.8

54.3 53.3 54.3 49.6 65.7 55.4-64.2

Insignia Grand Sport 5dr hatch £23,765–£40,925

119 119 119 129 113 116-113

2.0 Turbo 200 1.5 Turbo D 122 2.0 Turbo D 170

197 120 167

146 127 142

7.2 10.7 8.2

37.7 61.4 61.4

171 121 121

AAAAC

Brings extra ride height, all-wheel drive and off-road body cladding. LxWxH 4784x1916x1499 Kerb weight 1792kg 248 187

140 130

6.8 8.2

35.8 47.9

180 155

VW’s flagship saloon is well-made and luxurious but rather bland to drive. LxWxH 4862x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1505kg S90 4dr saloon £56,025–£56,875 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 148 137 8.9 42.8-44.8 144-151 Volvo’s mid-sized exec majors on comfort, style and cruising 2.0 TSI 190 187 149 7.9 36.2-38.2 168-178 ability. LxWxH 4963x2019x1443 Kerb weight 1665kg

Dull overall, but it’s a capable MPV, well-made and hugely refined. LxWxH 4527x1829x1659 Kerb weight 1436kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 2.0 TDI 150

148 148

118 11.4 128-129 9.3

39.8-40.9 154-162 50.4-52.3 142-147

and tidy handling. LxWxH 4854x1904x1720 Kerb weight 1703kg 1.4 TSI 150

148

2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV

384

112

5.1

TBC

TBC AAAAC

V90 5dr estate £39,835–£60,405

Luxury estate takes on the 5 Series and the E-Class. Comfy and a good cruiser. LxWxH 4936x2019x1475 Kerb weight 1679kg 2.0 B4 2.0 B5 2.0 B6 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 2.0 B4D 2.0 B5D

197 246 297 335 197 232

112 112 112 112 112 112

7.9 6.9 6.2 5.9 8.8 7.1

40.9 36.6-40.4 34.4-36.2 TBC 44.8-49.5 44.8-47.0

158 159-175 178-184 TBC 149-164 156-164

V90 Cross Country 5dr estate £46,985–£53,160 AAAAC AAAAC Volvo’s large comfy estate given a jacked-up, rugged makeover.

Touran 5dr MPV £28,580–£35,495

Sharan 5dr MPV £34,230–£35,595 AAAAB AAAAC Full-sized seven-seater offers versatility, space, VW desirability

The good-looking and tech-filled Insignia makes an attractive proposition. LxWxH 4897x1863x1455 Kerb weight 1714kg

V60 Cross Country 5dr estate £40,600–£40,775

2.0 T5 AAABC 2.0 D4

Arteon 4dr saloon £31,965–£41,980

AAAAC 2.0 TDI 150 148 137 9.5 55.4-58.9 126-134 2.0 TDI 200 197 147 7.9 51.4-54.3 137-145 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 145 7.4 46.3 159 119 119 Arteon Shooting Brake 5dr estate £32,765–£42,780 AAABC 121-124 Hybrid option and estate bodystyle’s extra versatility enhance the Arteon’s appeal. LxWxH 4866x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1529kg 129 113 1.5 TSI 150 148 135 8.9 42.2-43.5 145-153 115 2.0 TSI 190 187 145 7.9 35.8-37.2 171-179 2.0 TDI 150 148 135 9.4 54.3-57.6 128-136 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.9 50.4-53.3 139-147 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 143 7.4 46.3 161

122

10.7

37.2

180-189

LxWxH 4936x2019x1543 Kerb weight 1826kg 2.0 T5 AWD 2.0 T6 AWD 2.0 D4 AWD 2.0 D5 AWD

250 310 185 228

140 140 130 140

7.4 6.3 8.8 7.5

32.5 32.5 43.5 40.9

196 196 171 181 AAAAC

XC40 5dr SUV £25,275–£60,005

Volvo’s take on the crossover aims to rival BMW, Mercedes and Audi. LxWxH 4425x1910x1658 Kerb weight 1626kg

1.5 T2 126 112 10.9 40.4 158 AAAAB 1.5 T3 160 112 9.3-9.6 38.7-40.4 158-166 Compact crossover delivers a classy, substantial feel on UK roads. 2.0 B4 197 112 8.4 36.7-39.2 162-176 LxWxH 4108x1760x1584 Kerb weight 1270kg 2.0 B5 246 112 6.9 36.7 174-176 Crossland X 5dr SUV £19,330–£25,235 AAABC 1.0 TSI 95 93 112 11.5 47.9 132-133 1.5 T5 Recharge PHEV 258 112 7.3 117.7-141.1 45-55 Vauxhall’s small SUV is competent enough but lacks any real 1.0 TSI 110 108 117 9.9-10.4 42.8-48.7 132-149 P8 Recharge 78kWh 402 112 4.9 249 0 character. LxWxH 4212x1765x1605 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 147 124 8.5 46.3-47.1 136-138 1.2i 83 81 105 14.0 47.1 142 XC60 5dr SUV £40,980–£64,090 AAABC 1.2i Turbo 110 108 117 10.6 47.1 140 T-Roc 5dr SUV/open £21,440–£40,735 AAAAC Looks like a small XC90 and carries on where the old one left off. A 1.2i Turbo 130 128 128 9.1 44.1-48.0 136-146 VW’s junior SUV is beguiling and sophisticated. It drives rather well, good, capable cruiser. LxWxH 4688x1999x1658 Kerb weight 1781kg too. LxWxH 4234x1992x1573 Kerb weight 1270kg 1.5 Turbo D 102 101 111 9.9 61.4 120 2.0 B5D 246 112 6.9 36.7-38.1 168-176 1.5 Turbo D 120 116 114 10.8 55.4 137 1.0 TSI 110 108 115 10.8 43.5-46.3 133-146 2.0 B6D 296 112 6.2 34.0 190 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 127 8.3-9.6 40.9-47.9 144-158 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 5.9 TBC TBC Mokka 5dr SUV £20,735–£37,970 AAABC 2.0 TSI R 300 4Motion 298 155 4.9 31.7 201 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.5 TBC TBC Radically overhauled crossover now comes with the option of 2.0 TDI 115 113 116 10.4 56.5-60.1 137-146 2.0 T8 R’ge Polestar PHEV 399 112 5.4 TBC TBC battery-electric power. LxWxH 4151x1791x1531 Kerb weight 1750kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 124 8.8-10.8 50.4-53.3 140-146 2.0 B4D 194 112 8.3 44.8-45.5 161-166 1.2 100 99 115 10.6 51.4 124 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.1 44.1 167 1.2 130 128 125 9.1 47.1-50.4 126-137 ID 4 5dr SUV £40,800 AAAAC 1.5 Turbo D 110 108 118 10.8 64.2-65.7 114 Impressively refined and versatile SUV marks VW out as a maker of XC90 5dr SUV £55,095–£75,090 AAAAC fine electric cars. LxWxH 4584x1852x1640 Kerb weight 2124kg 50kWh e 134 93 8.7 201 0 Clever packaging, smart styling, good to drive: Volvo’s closest thing to a class leader. LxWxH 4950x2008x1776 Kerb weight 1961kg 82kWh 201 99 8.5 TBC 0 Grandland X 5dr SUV £24,800–£44,370 AAACC 2.0 B5D 246 112 7.7 32.4 198 Does well to disguise its 3008 roots but too bland to stand out in a Tiguan 5dr SUV £24,915–£39,010 AAAAC 2.0 B6D 296 112 6.7 90.7 210 congested segment. LxWxH 4477x1811x1630 Kerb weight 1350kg An improvement on the previous model and will continue to sell by 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.8 TBC TBC 1.2 Turbo 130 128 117 10.9-11.1 45.6 141-147 the bucketload. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.6 41.5 178 1.6 Hybrid 223 140 8.6 192.0-210.0 34 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 119 10.2 44.1-44.8 143-146 VUHL 1.6 Hybrid4 298 146 5.9 204.0-225.0 32 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 126 9.2-9.3 38.2-42.2 143-168 1.5 Turbo D 130 128 119 10.2 54.3 136 2.0 TDI 150 148 125-127 9.3 47.1-50.4 146-157 05 0dr open £59,995–£89,995 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 124-125 9.3 43.5-45.6 163-171 Mexican track-day special has a pleasingly pragmatic and forgiving 197 134 7.5 42.8 172-177 chassis. LxWxH 3718x1876x1120 Kerb weight 725kg Combo Life 5dr MPV £23,010–£25,545 AAABC 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion Van-based people carrier is usable, spacious and practical, if not 2.0 DOHC Turbo 285 152 3.7 NA NA very pretty to look at. LxWxH 4403x1841x1921 Kerb weight 1430kg Tiguan Allspace 5dr SUV £32,195–£44,385 AAAAC 2.3 DOHC Turbo RR 385 158 2.7 NA NA 1.2 Turbo 110 108 109 11.9 40.9 156 Has all the Tiguan’s sensibility and refinement, now with the bonus WESTFIELD of seven seats. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 1.2 Turbo 130 128 TBC TBC 40.3 157 1.5 Turbo D 100 99 107 12.7 52.3 142-145 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 123 9.5-10.0 37.2-39.2 164-176 Sport 2dr coupé £19,950–£35,800 AAAAC 1.5 Turbo D 130 128 115 10.6 51.3 144 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.7 44.8-47.1 164-165 Sport Turbo is very quick and fun but not a patch on the 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 123-124 9.8 41.5 177-179 Caterhams. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC V O L K S WA G E N 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 132 TBC 40.4-41.5 176-184 1.6 Sigma 135 TBC TBC NA NA Up 3dr/5dr hatch £12,705–£23,555 AAAAC 1.6 Sigma 155 TBC TBC NA NA It’s no revolution, but VW’s hallmarks are in abundance. Touareg 5dr SUV £45,960–£63,415 AAAAC 2.0 Duratec 200 TBC TBC NA NA LxWxH 3600x1428x1504 Kerb weight 926kg Hints of ritziness and sportiness don’t impinge on this functional 2.0 Ecoboost 252 TBC TBC NA NA luxury SUV’s appeal. LxWxH 4878x2193x1717 Kerb weight 1995kg 1.0 65 64 100 15.6 54.3 119 1.0 115 GTI 113 119 8.8 51.4 125-126 3.0 V6 TSI 340 335 155 5.9 25.2-25.7 249-252 Mega 2dr coupé £16,950 AAABC e-Up 81 80 12.4 159 0 3.0 V6 TDI 231 228 135 7.5 33.6-34.4 214-219 Mega engine makes it rapid, but isn’t as fun as Caterham’s R range. 3.0 V6 TDI 286 282 148 6.1 33.6-34.9 213-219 And you have to build it yourself. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC Polo 5dr hatch £17,125–£20,605 AAAAC 2.0 VTEC S2000 240 TBC TBC NA NA

A thorough going-over makes it more mature, but the Polo is still a bit boring. LxWxH 4053x1946x1461 Kerb weight 1105kg 1.0 80 1.0 TSI 95 1.0 TSI 110

78 93 108

106 116 121

15.4 10.8 9.9

51.4 125 48.7-53.3 120-127 53.3-54.3 118-119

Golf 5dr hatch £23,355–£39,270

Does exactly what everyone expects. Still the king of the family car. LxWxH 4284x1789x1492 Kerb weight 1206kg 1.0 TSI 110 1.5 TSI EVO 130 1.5 TSI EVO 150 1.5 eTSI EVO 150 1.4 TSI PHEV 2.0 TSI GTI 2.0 TSI 300 GTI 2.0 TSI 320 R 4Motion 2.0 TDI 115 2.0 TDI 150 2.0 TDI 200 GTD

108 128 148 148 242 242 296 296 113 148 197

126 130 139 135 140 155 155 155 126 139 152

10.2 9.1 8.9 8.9 6.7 6.4 5.6 4.7 10.2 8.8 7.1

150kW 62kWh 150kW 82kWh

201 201

53.3 51.4-53.3 50.4-51.4 47.9-49.6 TBC 38.2 38.2 36.2 67.3-68.9 64.2 54.3

121 121-124 124-128 129-133 TBC 169 167 177 107-110 116-117 137

AAAAC

99 99

7.3 7.9

T-Cross 5dr SUV £18,360–£27,785

V O LV O

261 336

0 0

AAAAC

S60 4dr saloon £39,680–£51,100

Fresh-faced saloon now sits comfortably among the ranks of its German peers. LxWxH 4761x1916x1437 Kerb weight 1616kg

2.0 B5 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV AAAAB 2.0 T8 R’ge PHEV Polestar

A very mature electric car whose substance of engineering is central to its appeal. LxWxH 4261x1809x1568 Kerb weight 1730kg

88 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

133 138 123 130-132 145

Good handling and nice engines, but its working-class roots still show through. LxWxH 4370x1809x1485 Kerb weight 1244kg

ID 3 5dr hatch £32,990–£42,290

GT 73e 4dr Coupé: AMG’s first PHEV

148 215 120 148 197

246 384 399

112 112 112

6.7 4.6 4.4

41.5 153 122.8-176.5 42 104.5 61 AAAAB

V60 5dr estate £34,855–£52,200

Spacious and comfortable, with a characterful, Scandi-cool design. LxWxH 4761x1916x1427 Kerb weight 1729kg 2.0 B3 2.0 B4 2.0 B5 2.0 B6 2.0 T8 R’ge PHEV Polestar 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 2.0 B4D

161 197 246 297 399 335 197

112 112 112 112 112 112 112

9.1 8.0 6.8-6.9 6.0 4.9 4.6 7.6

40.9 41.5 37.7-40.4 36.2 TBC TBC 47.0-50.4

155 152 157-170 175 TBC TBC 146-156

ZENOS

AAAAB

E10 0dr coupé £26,995–£39,995

The latest in a long line of mid-engined British marvels. Expect a dedicated following. LxWxH 3800x1870x1130 Kerb weight 700kg 2.0 Ecoboost S 2.3 Ecoboost R

250 350

145 155

4.0 3.0

NA NA

ROAD TEST ROAD TEST ed

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INDEX T

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The best new cars rated as only Autocar knows how A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost any circumstances, but the Autocar road test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model. It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making every week. Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while benchmark lap times are sometimes taken, they’re never an end in themselves. We record and publish stopping distances, too, as well as taking cabin noise measurements at various cruising speeds and benchmarking either indicated or brim-to-brim fuel economy. We independently measure leg room, head room, boot space and certain key exterior vehicle dimensions, and we also weigh every car we test. Just as every new car is different, however, the road test has developed to be versatile enough, week by week, so as to best assess and reflect the suitability of each test subject to its intended purpose. It now includes modular sections describing in detail the limit handling of a new car, or its semi-autonomous assisted driving technologies or its off-road capability. All of this goes to bringing you the most thorough, relevant and fair test of a new car we can produce. The scores reproduced here are the ones we gave the cars at the time so they don’t necessarily represent what those same cars might score today were they rejudged using current class standards. But you can dig deeper into their attributes by using the magazine publication dates listed here to look up an old test in your own collection or on digital platforms such as Readly and Exact Editions, or you can order a back issue by phoning 0344 848 8816. In that vein, it only remains to wish you many happy hours lost in the many numbers of our road test archive and to thank you for reading. Matt Saunders, road test editor ABARTH 124 Spider AAAAC

22.3.17

A L FA R O M E O Giulia Quadrifoglio AAAAB Stelvio 2.2D 210 Milano AAABC Quadrifoglio AAAAC 4C Spider AAACC

29.3.17 3.1.18 9.1.19 27.1.16

ALPINA B3 Touring AAAAA

4.11.20

ALPINE A110 Premiere Edition AAAAA

16.5.18

ARIEL Atom 4 AAAAA Nomad AAAAA

9.10.19 24.6.15

ASTON MARTIN Vantage V8 AAAAB DB11 Launch Edition AAAAB Rapide S AAAAC DBS Superleggera AAAAA DBX AAAAB

23.5.18 21.9.16 20.3.13 21.11.18 28.10.20

BMW 1 Series 118i M Sport AAAAC 30.10.19 2 Series 220d Convertible AAAAC 1.4.15 15.6.16 M2 AAAAB 19.8.20 M2 CS M-DCT AAAAB 218d Active Tourer Luxury AAAAC 24.12.14 218i Gran Coupé M Sport AAACC 8.4.20 15.5.19 3 Series 320d M Sport AAAAA 15.1.20 330d xDrive M Sport AAAAB 1.7.20 330e M Sport AAAAB 6.1.21 4 Series M440i xDrive AAAAC 21.4.21 M4 Competition AAAAB 31.5.17 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB 18.4.18 M5 AAAAB 6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC18.11.17 11.11.15 7 Series 730Ld AAAAC 16.1.19 8 Series 840d xDrive AAABC M8 Competition Convertible AAABC5.2.20 3.6.20 M8 Competition Coupé AAABC 21.2.18 i3 1.3S Range Extender AAAAC 17.9.14 i8 AAAAB 14.10.15 X1 xDrive20d xLine AAAAC 25.9.19 X2 M35i AAABC 17.1.18 X3 xDrive20d M Sport AAAAC 13.11.19 X4 M Competition AAACC 2.1.19 X5 xDrive30d M Sport AAAAC X7 xDrive M50i M Perf’nce AAAAC 9.9.20

C AT E R H A M Seven 620S AAAAC

CHEVROLET Corvette StingrayAAAAC

Proceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC Xceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC Niro 1.6 GDI DCT 2 AAABC e-Niro First Edition AAAAB Sportage 1.7 CRDi ISG 2 AAABC Sorento 1.6 HEV G-TDi 2 AAABC

27.2.19 20.11.19 31.8.16 1.5.19 2.3.16 20.1.21

LAMBORGHINI Huracán Performante AAAAB Evo RWD Coupé AAAAB Aventador SVJ AAAAC Urus AAAAC

11.10.17 20.5.20 19.6.19 3.7.19

LAND ROVER Defender 110 P400 X AAAAB 13.5.20 Discovery Sport D180 AWD SE AAAAC 8.1.20 Range Rover Evoque P300e AAAAB 10.2.21 12.12.12 Range Rover 4.4 SDV8 AAAAB Range Rover Velar D240 HSE AAABC 30.8.17 Range Rover Sport 3.0 TDV6 AAAAB 2.10.13 SVR AAAAA 15.4.15

LEXUS 18.10.17 1.10.14 18.2.15 6.2.19 6.6.18

LOTUS

Elise Cup 250 AAABC CITROEN Evora S 2+0 AAAAC C3 Puretech 110 Flair AAABC 28.12.16 Exige S AAAAB C3 Aircross P’tech 110 Flair AAABC 7.3.18 C5 Aircross BlueHDi 180 AAABC 13.2.19 M A S E R AT I Ghibli Diesel AAABC CUPRA Levante Diesel AAACC Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive AAABC 23.1.19 S Granlusso AAABC 3.2.21 Formentor 2.0 TSI VZ2 AAAAB

29.6.16 30.3.11 3.4.13 12.3.14 30.11.16 8.5.19

MAZDA

DACIA Sandero 1.2 75 Access AAACC Duster SCe 115 Comfort AAAAC

DALLARA Stradale AAAAB

22.4.15 6.11.19 2.9.15 10.3.21 22.7.15 28.6.17 30.3.16 22.5.19 23.12.20 27.1.21 24.5.17 10.10.18 7.5.14

MERCEDES-AMG

Panda 4x4 Twinair AAAAB 500 Abarth 595 AAAAC Tipo 1.6 Multijet Lounge AABCC

17.4.13 26.2.14 2.11.16

FORD Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost AAAAC ST-3 1.5 T Ecoboost AAAAB Focus 1.5 Ecoboost 182 AAAAB ST AAAAC RS AAAAA S-Max 2.0 TDCi Titanium AAAAC Mondeo 2.0 TDCi AAAAC Mustang 5.0 V8 GT F’back AAAAC Bullitt AAAAC Ecosport 1.5 TDCi AABCC Puma 1.0T 125 MHEV AAAAB ST AAAAC Kuga 2.5 PHEV ST-Line AAABC Ranger Raptor AAAAC

HONDA

9.8.17 15.8.18 20.2.19 11.9.19 4.5.16 26.8.15 14.1.15 24.2.16 5.12.18 3.9.14 25.3.20 24.3.21 24.6.20 28.8.19

R E N A U LT

VA U X H A L L

Twingo Dynamique AAABC 29.10.14 31.7.13 Zoe Dynamique AAABC 27.11.19 Clio TCe 100 Iconic AAAAB Mégane 1.5 dCi Dyn. S Nav AAACC 17.8.16 23.10.19 RS Trophy-R AAAAC Grand Scénic dCi 130 Dyn. S Nav AAABC 25.1.17 Kadjar dCi 115 Dyn. S Nav AAAAC 21.10.15 Koleos dCi 175 4WD Sig. AAACC 20.8.17 Captur 1.3 TCe 130 S Edition EDC AAABC 18.3.20

R O L L S - R OYC E Phantom AAAAA Ghost AAAAB Wraith AAAAB Dawn AAAAC Cullinan Black Badge AAAAC

4.4.18 13.1.21 21.5.14 1.6.16 19.2.20

Ibiza SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAB 19.7.17 2.12.20 Leon eHybrid FR AAABC Arona SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAC 15.11.17 19.10.16 Ateca 1.6 TDI SE AAAAB

SMART

A-Class A45 S 4Matic+ Plus AAAAB 4.3.20 3.6.15 C-Class C63 AAAAB 24.4.19 C63 S Coupé AAAAB 17.10.18 CLS 53 4Matic+ AAAAC 29.7.15 GT S AAAAC 10.5.17 R AAAAB GT 4-Door Coupé 63 4Matic+ AAAAB 13.3.19 6.7.16 SLC 43 AAABC 13.6.18 GLC 63 S 4Matic+ AAABC 14.10.20 GLE 53 4Matic+ AAABC

MERCEDES-BENZ A-Class A200 Sport AAAAC A250e AMG Line Premium AAACC B-Class B180 Sport AAAAC CLA 250 AAACC C-Class C220 Bluetec AAAAC E-Class E400 Coupé AAAAC S-Class S350 Bluetec AAAAA S63 AMG Coupé AAAAC GLB 220d 4Matic AAABC GLC 250d AAAAC G-Class G350d AMG Line AAAAC GLS 400d AAABC X-Class X250d 4Matic AAABC

4.7.18 5.8.20 3.4.19 21.8.19 23.7.14 14.6.17 16.10.13 3.12.14 16.9.20 10.2.16 17.7.19 12.2.20 20.6.18

E Advance AAABC 26.8.20 Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid EX AAABC 7.10.20 19.4.17 Civic 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo AAAAC 25.10.17 2.0 Type R GT AAAAB 12.7.17 Clarity FCV AAAAC 7.11.18 M G CR-V 1.5T EX CVT AWD AAABC 5.10.16 3 1.5 3Form Sport AAABC 25.12.13 NSX AAAAB 25.11.20 5 SW EV Exclusive AAABC HYUNDAI 4.12.19 ZS EV Exclusive AAACC i10 1.2 MPi Premium AAAAC 15.4.20 24.2.21 M I N I i20 1.0 T-GDI 100 48V AAABC 27.12.17 Mini Cooper S AAAAB 2.4.14 i30 N AAABC 13.9.17 Cooper S Works 210 AAAAB 6.12.17 1.4 Premium SE AAABC 25.11.15 Kona Electric 64kWh Premium SE AAAAC Clubman Cooper D AAABC AUDI 31.10.18 Convertible Cooper AAAAB 6.4.16 A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S line AAABC 2.10.19 Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi P’m SE AAABC 6.3.19 Countryman Cooper D AAABC 22.2.17 18.11.20 Tucson 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid P’m AAAAC 17.3.21 Plug-in Hybrid AAABC 26.7.17 A3 Sportback S3 AAABC 6.9.17 Nexo AAABC 12.6.19 RS3 AAAAC MITSUBISHI 18.9.19 A4 S4 TDI AAAAC 14.2.18 J A G U A R Eclipse Cross 1.5 First Edition 2WD AAACC RS4 Avant AAAAC 11.1.17 F-Type V8 S Convertible AAAAC 12.6.13 A5 S5 AAABC 14.3.18 11.6.14 Outlander PHEV GX4hs AAABC 16.4.14 A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI S line AAABC 8.3.17 V6 S Coupé AAAAB 14.11.18 2.0 R-Dynamic Coupé AAAAC 22.11.17 A6 40 TDI S line Avant AAAAC M O R G A N 29.4.20 RS6 Avant Carbon Black AAAAC 11.3.20 P575 R AWD Coupé AAAAC 2.12.15 Plus Four AAABC 12.8.20 A7 Sportback 50 TDI Sport AAABC 11.7.18 XF 2.0 R-Sport AAAAB 17.4.19 3 Wheeler AAAAA A8 L 60 TFSIe Sport quattro AAABC 17.6.20 300 R-S Sportbrake AAABC 6.6.12 7.12.16 XE 2.0 R-Sport AAAAB 1.7.15 TT RS AAAAC 26.6.19 E-Pace D180 AWD SE AAABC 11.4.18 N I S S A N E-tron 55 quattro AAAAB 9.11.16 F-Pace 2.0d AWD AAAAC 11.5.16 Micra 0.9 N-Connecta AAAAC 26.4.17 Q2 1.4 TFSI Sport AAAAC 20.3.19 SVR AAAAB 24.7.19 DIG-T 117 N-Sport AAACC 27.3.19 SQ2 quattro AAAAC 15.3.17 I-Pace EV400 S AAAAB 12.9.18 Juke 1.0 DIG-T 117 AAABC 29.1.20 Q5 2.0 TDI S line AAAAC 21.6.17 19.2.14 SQ5 quattro AAABC Qashqai 1.5 dCi 2WD AAAAB 26.10.16 J E E P 13.8.14 Q7 SQ7 4.0 TDI AAAAC X-Trail 1.6 dCi 2WD AAABC 26.9.18 Compass 2.0 M’jet 4x4 L’d AAACC 3.10.18 GT-R Recaro AAAAB 16.11.16 Q8 50 TDI S Line AAAAC 30.12.15 Renegade 2.0 M’jet 4x4 L’d AAABC28.10.15 R8 V10 Plus AAAAC Wrangler 2.2 M’Jet-II Ov’d AAAAC 10.4.19 N O B L E BENTLEY M600 AAAAB 14.10.09 KIA Continental GT W12 First Edition AAAAB P E U G E O T 2.5.18 Stinger 2.0 T-GDI GT-L S AAABC 25.4.18 15.7.20 Rio 1.0 T-GDI 3 Eco AAABC 1.3.17 208 e-208 Allure Premium AAAAC 6.5.20 Flying Spur W12 AAAAB 18.5.16 Ceed 1.6 CRDi 115 2 AAABC 29.8.18 308 1.6 e-HDi 115 AAAAC 15.1.14 Bentayga W12 AAAAB

SKODA Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE-L AAAAC Scala 1.5 TSI 150 DSG AAABC Octavia 2.0 TDI 150 SE L First Edition DSG Estate AAAAC 2.0 TDI vRS AAAAC Superb 2.0 TDI SE AAAAB 1.4 TSI iV 218PS SE L AAAAC Karoq 2.0 TDI 150 Scout AAABC Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Edition AAAAC

21.1.15 31.7.19 2.9.20 17.2.21 9.9.15 26.2.20 30.1.19 23.11.16

S S A N G YO N G Tivoli XLV ELX auto AAACC

TESLA

Model 3 Standard Range Plus AAAAC4.9.19 20.4.16 Model S P90D AAAAB 8.6.16 Model X 90D AAAAC 15.2.17 1.4.20 10.8.16 T OYO TA 9.5.18 Yaris 1.5 Hybrid Design AAAAC 23.9.20 18.7.18 GR Yaris Circuit Pack AAAAA 3.3.21 29.5.19 Corolla 2.0 Hybrid ST AAAAC 5.6.19 22.10.14 GT86 2.0 manual AAAAA 4.7.12 4.6.14 Prius Business Edition AAAAC 16.3.16 5.9.18 Mirai AAAAC 27.4.16 27.5.20 C-HR Excel 1.8 Hybrid AAAAC 4.1.17 14.8.19 29.7.20 GR Supra Pro AAAAC

Forfour Electric Drive Prime Premium AABCC 23.8.17

McLAREN

F I AT

PORSCHE 718 Boxster AAAAB Spyder AAAAB Cayman S AAAAB Cayman GTS AAAAB 911 GT2 RS AAAAC Carrera S AAAAB 918 Spyder 4.6 V8 AAAAA Macan Turbo AAAAB Cayenne Turbo AAAAC Turbo S E-Hybrid AAABC Taycan Turbo S AAAAA

21.10.20

S E AT

2 1.5 Skyactiv-G SE AAAAC 27.2.13 3 2.0 Skyactiv-X AAAAC 22.8.18 MX-5 1.5 SE-L Nav AAAAB MX-30 145PS AAABC CX-3 1.5D SE-L Nav AAABC 16.10.19 CX-5 2.2D Sport Nav AAAAC

3 BlueHDi 120 AAABC 23.3.16 570S 3.8 V8 AAAAA 3 Crossback Puretech 155 AAACC 10.7.19 600LT Spider 3.8 V8 AAAAB 7 Crossback Puretech 225 AAABC 19.9.18 620R 3.8 V8 AAAAC GT 4.0 V8 AAABC FERRARI 720S 4.0 V8 AAAAA 488 GTB AAAAA 25.5.16 Senna 4.0 V8 AAAAA 7.8.19 P1 AAAAA 488 Pista AAAAB 25.7.18 812 Superfast AAAAC

P O L E S TA R

1 AAAAC

LC 500 Sport+ AAAAC NX 300h AAACC RC F AAACC 9.3.16 ES 300h Takumi AAABC LS 500h Premier AWD AAACC

8.10.14

24.10.18 S U Z U K I 508 GT BlueHDi 180 AAAAC 8.7.20 Swift 1.0 SZ5 AAABC 17.5.17 SW Hybrid 225 Allure AAAAC 30.9.20 SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ4 AAABC 30.10.13 2008 e-2008 GT Line AAABC 28.11.18 3008 1.6 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 18.1.17 Jimny 1.5 SZ5 Allgrip AAABC 29.4.15 5008 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 1.11.17 Vitara 1.6 SZ5 AAABC Across 2.5 PHEV E-Four CVT AAAAB 7.4.21

14.9.16

SUBARU

Corsa 1.2T 100 auto AAABC 22.1.20 Crossland X 1.2T 130 Elite AAACC 7.6.17 30.9.15 Astra 1.6 CDTi 136 SRi AAAAC 13.4.16 ST CDTi Biturbo SRi 137 AAAAC Combo Life 1.5 TD 100 Energy AAABC27.12.18 Insignia Grand Sport 2.0D SRi VX-Line AAAAC 3.5.17 Insignia Sports Tourer GSI 2.0 Biturbo D AAACC 30.5.18 Grandland X Hybrid4 Ultimate Nav AAACC 22.4.20 10.1.18 VXR8 GTS-R AAAAC

VOLKSWAG EN Up GTI 1.0 TSI 115 AAAAC 21.3.18 31.1.18 Polo 1.0 TSI 95 SE AAAAB 1.8.18 GTI AAAAC Golf 1.5 eTSI 150 Style DSG AAAAB 22.7.20 14.4.21 R AAAAC ID 3 Pro Performance Life AAAAC 31.3.21 T-Roc 2.0 TSI SEL 4Motion AAAAB 24.1.18 Cabriolet 1.5 TSI Evo R-Line DSG AABCC 10.6.20 27.9.17 Arteon 2.0 BiTDI 240 AAABC 4.2.15 Passat 2.0 TDI 190 GT AAAAC 7.9.16 GTE AAAAC 3.2.16 Touran 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAC 22.6.16 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAB Caravelle 2.0 BiTDI Exec. AAAAC 23.12.15 Touareg 3.0 TDI R-Line Tech AAABC 8.8.18 2.1.20 Grand California 600 AAABC

V O LV O XC40 D4 AWD First Edition AAAAB 7.2.18 24.12.19 S60 T8 Polestar En’d AAABC V60 D4 Momentum Pro AAAAC 27.6.18 5.7.17 XC60 D4 AWD R-Design AAABC 13.7.16 S90 D4 Momentum AAAAC V90 T6 Recharge R-Design AAAAB 11.11.20 17.6.15 XC90 D5 Momentum AAAAC

WESTFIELD Sport 250 AAAAC

29.11.17

ZENOS

XV 2.0i SE Lineartronic AAACC 28.2.18 Levorg GT 1.6i Lineartronic AAACC 13.1.16 E10 S AAAAB

7.10.15

GREATEST ROAD TESTS OF ALL TIME

CHRYSLER VIPER GTS

at pace, although low-speed banging endured. Care was A fixed roof and myriad technical needed in wet conditions, improvements transformed the when ‘slow in, fast out’ was the Viper from weekend hooligan to necessary mantra. usable supercar, albeit one with Road roar, exhaust and a big thirst for petrol and rubber. transmission heat and bland design blighted the cabin, but Noise limits and a ban on flank build quality bettered that of the exhausts gave away 77bhp to roadster and driving position the US-market GTS, but the adjustability was excellent. 20-valve pushrod V10 was redesigned from the Viper FOR Mighty performance, looks, roadster. The differential was decent ride, price also strengthened and the AGAINST Frightening thirst, chassis stiffened, although left-hand drive only weight dropped by 27kg. FACTFILE Abundant torque meant Price £68,800 Engine V10, 7990cc, petrol use of the improved yet stillPower 378bhp at 5100rpm Torque 454lb ft agricultural gearbox and heavy at 3600rpm 0-60mph 5.3sec 0-100mph clutch was thankfully limited. 11.9sec Standing quarter 13.7sec, 108mph The Viper’s appetite for tyres Top speed 172mph Economy 14.1mpg made us tentative off the line, but just under 5.0sec to 60mph WHAT HAPPENED NEXT... was potentially on the cards, and the GTS was noisy but stable The Viper was relaunched under the Dodge banner in 2005 at its top speed of 172mph. The with the new SRT-10 model, respectable brakes lacked producing 500bhp and 525lb ft ABS, but good feel made from its enlarged 8.3-litre V10. lock-ups unlikely. The GTS was more disciplined An 8.4-litre car was produced between 2008 and 2010, and a than the tramline-prone new 631bhp SRT Viper appeared roadster and also offered more in 2013 but it was axed in 2017. steering feel and a suppler ride TESTED 28.5.97

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 89

Matt Prior TESTER’S NOTES

When your heart’s on fire… smoke gets in your tyre

t was a novel idea at the time: we’d assess the cars first and largely keep the photographers at bay until later. It was 2005, I think, and the idea of Adam, then Autocar’s road test editor. We were planning a big race-trackbased group test, to take place over several days. Previously, car testing and photography on jobs like this would have happened around each other – with photographers and hired hands nipping off in a few test cars at a time to unused parts of a circuit to take pictures, possibly of the car going sideways, while assessment carried on elsewhere. But not any more: we’d noticed on-track photography wore down the tyre shoulders, affecting steering response and accuracy. So we should test first thing, on fresh tyres. There might have been some grumbling from the pictures department at this. Track testing isn’t without its perils, and car damage or

Tyre wear never used to be a big issue 90 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21 APRIL 2021

Pick the wrong car today and its tyres won’t fall off over several days, but several laps a a breakdown could mean a car failed to proceed before there were many pictures of it. And as one of our old art editors used to say: “You can make up the words, but you can’t make up the pictures.” Up to the mid-2000s, it simply wasn’t a worry. As Andrew Frankel told me, brakes would wear out on track, certainly, but set the pressures and tyres would largely stay fit over a couple of days of testing. But if an increase in tyre wear was starting to be noticeable by 2005, today it’s on a different scale entirely. Pick the wrong car today and its tyres won’t fall off over several days, but over several laps. For which you can blame – if that’s the right word – lots of factors, but they all basically come down to heat. Today’s cars are typically both much more powerful and much heavier than ever, yet at the same time they corner and stop far more capably, too. All of that energy ends up between car and road via four patches of rubber no bigger than the palm of your hand. An astonishing amount of energy goes through them, and while they keep up with the demands of power and torque numbers closer to four figures than two, and with near two tonnes of mass behind it, something has to give. They have to

be optimised for performance and not longevity. So much so, mind, that we’ve largely abandoned setting lap times at our Britain’s Best Driver’s Car contest. Once, it was a nice idea to strap the VBox data logger to a car while testing it and casually see what it did. But when it gets to the stage where a manufacturer says they’d like to help with the tyres, fits a fresh set and says there are basically three fast laps in them before performance starts to fall off, it’s all a bit daft. That’s what makes it refreshing to test something like an Ariel, Caterham or Toyota GT86 on one of these jobs. You can have fun, slide them around a bit, and in the time it has taken you to have a laugh, a BMW M car or Mercedes-AMG would have worn its rubber down to the canvas. If tyres wear out more quickly on the track, you can be fairly certain they will on the road, too. Still, customers don’t seem to mind increased tyre wear rates that come with higher performance levels. And you can bet that tyre companies and service departments certainly don’t.

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matt.prior@haymarket.com @matty_prior

21 APRIL 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 91

you’re not gonna be dancing so

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you’re not gonna be dancing so