Auto Express 1631

AS the UK emerges slowly from lockdown, what’s your view on where you’re going to buy your next car? Perhaps you’ve been tied into a 36-month PCP and it’s time for an upgrade or a swap. Your lease deal could be up for renewal. Or maybe your current car has just reached MOT time and you think it’s time to sell it on. But regardless of why you’re changing, you might also be considering a used car, possibly for the first time in years – and you wouldn’t be alone. Concerns over the global economy and job security could well force many people to leave the new-car buying cycle at this point. A decade ago, we’d have understood entirely if this concept filled you with dread. Second-hand cars have always…

Essentials Volkswagen ID.3 1st Edition Plus Price: £36,000 (incl Govt grant) Engine: 58kWh battery, single electric motor Power/torque: 201bhp/310Nm Transmission: Single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 7.3 seconds Top speed: 99mph Range: 261 miles CO2: 0g/km ONSALE July THIS is the Volkswagen that we’ve been waiting for a long time to drive: the ID.3. It’s arguably the most important new car that Europe’s largest manufacturer has launched since the first-generation Golf arrived in 1974. There have been delays – not just from the worldwide coronavirus shutdown, but also because of plenty of bug-fixing required at VW’s end – yet the all-electric ID.3, the brand’s first purpose-built, massproduced electric car, is finally on the road. Sales begin in Europe later this month, while potential British buyers will be able to finalise their…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn “New C4 is first Citroen to be offered with a fully electric powertrain as well as petrol and diesel models” New C4 abandons traditional hatchback shape for SUV-like look Petrol, diesel and electric models all have hydraulic suspension THIS is the all-new Citroen C4. Revealed ahead of its official debut at the end of June, the model is the first from Citroen to be offered with the choice of a diesel or petrol powertrain as well as a fully electric option, which will be badged e-C4. With the regular hatchback market suffering in the wake of the SUV boom, Citroen has taken a different approach with its new C4. As revealed by Auto Express last month (Issue 1,625), the VW Golf and Ford Focus rival has morphed into…

Next Qashqai caught on camera for the first time, to be built in UK Full reveal expected late this year, with range to include a hybrid @jimmybrods THIS is our first look at the thirdgeneration Nissan Qashqai SUV, spied in the hands of company engineers ahead of its full debut towards the end of 2020. It’s a hugely important car for Nissan and the British motor industry as a whole. Not only is the Qashqai one of the most popular crossovers on sale in the UK, it’s also the most mass-produced car in Britain, with Nissan’s Sunderland plant building 257,851 examples in 2019. This new model will be built there too, as part of a £400million investment in the plant revealed by Nissan in March. The car in these first…

BMW has launched a revised version of its hot saloon, the M5 Competition. It follows the updated 5 Series into the showrooms and is on sale now, priced from £98,095. The Mercedes-AMG E 63 rival gets the same cosmetic updates as the recently revised 5 Series, with a new front bumper, a fresh bonnet and a fettled front splitter. There’s also new adaptive LED headlamps and revised double-kidney grille, with more sharply angled vanes. Buyers can also opt for a range of M Performance extras, including carbon-fibre aero parts. Interior revisions include a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger infotainment screen. Electrically adjustable sports seats and sun-protective glass come as standard. There’s also a broader range of standard driver-assistance tech, including lane-keeping assist, a 360-degree parking camera, and…

SPIED ALSO caught on camera for the first time is the Ineos Grenadier. The British company has said its rugged off-roader will be a spiritual successor to the old Land Rover Defender – and, judging by these spy shots, the company has remained true to its word. This Grenadier prototype shares the same boxy proportions as the old Defender, as well as a slatted radiator grille, flat bonnet, round headlamps and upright windscreen. It will be available in a range of bodystyles, including a traditional station wagon and a pick-up variant. Dirk Heilmann, CEO of Ineos Automotive, has previously said the Grenadier will mirror the original Defender’s platform closely, stating the SUV will have a body-on-frame construction with a steel ladder chassis and an aluminium body. Heilmann also confirmed that the finished…