Table of contents for 1818 in Auto Express

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Firm plots good-value, ultra-practical rival for family hatchbacks • Likely to focus on petrol engines, with hybrids part of the line-up “What we’re doing right now is going around all of the ideas, because we intend to launch one, maybe two more models that will be C-segment in size”DENIS LE VOT Dacia Chief Executive Officer DACIA is preparing a pair of SUVs – first the all-new Duster, due on sale this summer, then the larger, Qashqai-rivalling Bigster (right) that will land in 2025. But the value brand is also considering two other family-sized models that could arrive in the second half of the decade, including a regular hatchback that would potentially see Dacia target the Skoda Octavia (Page 6) and Volkswagen Golf. Known internally as C-Neo, the…

THE UK has crept over the one million electric cars mark thanks to 20,935 EVs being registered in January, taking the total to 1,001,677. However, January’s market share of 14.7 per cent for EVs is down on 2023’s whole-year figure of 16.5 per cent. It means the industry is facing a worrying trend among private buyers, who seem to be losing their appetite for electric cars as the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate kicks in. The Mandate requires 22 per cent of each maker’s sales to be cars with battery power this year. But although fleet sales were up, registrations of EVs by private buyers fell by 25.1 per cent year-on-year in January.…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram • Hybrid powertrain confirmed • New car set for spring reveal WE told you at the start of this year (Issue 1,812) that Renault was planning to add a further SUV to its line-up to sit between the Captur and Austral – and now we’ve had our first glimpse of the car, and official confirmation of its name: Symbioz. Designed as a C-segment competitor to cars such as the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Niro, the Symbioz is set to be revealed this spring, and will be offered with a hybrid powertrain from launch. The name is from the ancient Greek word ‘symbiosis’, which means ‘living together’. Renault’s head of naming strategy Sylvia Dos Santos wanted a badge with “human significance”, claiming Symbioz expresses the “bond between a family…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress YOUR VIEWS This week’s letters Is Suzuki planning on bringing Fronx to UK? FROM: Edward Carstairs HAS Suzuki any intention of bringing the Fronx to the UK? I know they have the Vitara and S-Cross, but most brands are squeezing the SUV market for more. I’m sure it would do well against the Juke, et al. Suzuki tells us it has no such plan, but there’s an all-new Swift due in April. CR Tackle parking issue with bigger spaces FROM: David Pepperdine IS Gary Wilkins seriously suggesting that everyone except Smart For2 and Toyota iQ owners should change their cars rather than supermarket owners changing the paint markings in car parks? The latter is a better option considering the cost of cars and supermarket profits. Subaru Outback pic…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks • New machines and liveries on show • Testing starts on 21 February THE countdown to the start of this year’s Formula One World Championship is well under way – which is just as well, given that pre-season testing begins with a session at the Bahrain International Circuit next week, ahead of the first race there on 29 February. Haas finished at the bottom of the Constructors’ championship table in 2023, but it was the first team to unveil its challenger for the 2024 season on 2 February. Williams was next, three days later in New York, and Kick Sauber introduced its car on the same day in London, complete with a new green-and-black livery to replace the red and white of the departed Alfa Romeo team. Next…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks Electric motor Power/range 282bhp/353 miles Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,610 litres “The Enyaq’s interior feels grown up and well built, with high-quality materials” WITH wins in several Auto Express road tests, Skoda’s Enyaq has always been one of the easier all-electric family cars to recommend. But now the Czech brand is making it even better, with a selection of updates. Don’t go looking for many changes on the outside, however. Existing Enyaq owners will be relieved to find out that this latest model looks just like the old one. Indeed, the most notable difference is the new ‘85’ badge on the boot, which replaces the old ‘80’ and signifies more substantial changes under the skin. These start with the powertrain, which offers an improved claimed range, rising from…

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk @JordanKatsianis BMW M was early to the party when it first introduced its range-topping X6 M, beating pretty much all its premium rivals to the holy grail of super-SUV profitability. Three generations later, the X6 M still plays by the same rules, but in a class that’s changing as the competition closes in. The modern X6 M is available in this single high-spec Competition form starting at £126,050 – a decent chunk more than Audi’s RS Q8 (£109,360), but considerably less than a fully kitted-out Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupé (£144,850). In order to bump the BMW’s spec to AMG’s level, you’ll need to sink £16,100 into the X6’s ‘Ultimate Pack’. You can see why profits are sizeable. Under the bonnet, BMW M’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine has been…

MODEL TESTED: Niro EV 4 PRICE: £42,325 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 64.8kWh battery, 201bhp 201bhp Powertrain 1x e-motor 64.8kWh Battery/range 285 miles 7.8 seconds Performance 103mph 475 litres Seats up/down 1,392 litres WE’RE testing the Niro EV in its top-spec 4 trim here, a model that accounts for more than half of all the car’s sales in the UK. Including the optional £595 Steel Grey paint of our test car, the total list price comes to £42,920. Tech highlights KIA developed the Niro with the ability to accommodate full hybrid, plug-in and electric powertrains in mind. This gives it quite a prominent bonnet to accommodate the four-cylinder petrol engine where needed, but that space isn’t used so well by the EV. It contributes to a 4.4-metre length, which gives the Niro…

WHEN we first tested the Jeep Avenger, we were left ruing the fact that, as likeable and capable as it was, it was too expensive. But Jeep has responded; place a PCP finance order and you’ll get a whopping £4,500 deposit contribution; that’s on top of a £900 decrease from the Avenger’s 2023 list price. The upshot is that on a three-year deal with a 10,000-mile annual limit and £5,000 deposit, the Avenger comes to £391 in Summit trim. We’d recommend picking the mid-range Altitude, which drops even lower, to £352 per month. In the face of stiff opposition, VW has also become very punchy with its finance offers. At the time of writing, it will provide not only £1,250 towards a PCP deposit, but also zero per cent APR.…

ELECTRIC FAMILY CARS All three models shine in their own way, while new rules mean 2024 is the year to hunt for an EV bargain. “JEEP has been able to sprinkle a little magic into the e-CMP formula that none of the other Stellantis products have managed to achieve previously. The end result is not only a really desirable small EV, but also the best car that the US brand has produced in years.” “I’M running the very Avenger you see in these pictures as a long-term test car at the moment. Around town, I’m getting closer to 4.1mi/kWh; it really shows that this car’s ideal environment is in urban areas, but it’s great to know that it’s grown-up enough to travel further afield.” “ONE of the many exciting new…

Dawn_Grant@autovia.co.uk IT’S time to say goodbye to our long-term Alfa Romeo Tonale, but over the six months I’ve had the keys, my opinion on its looks hasn’t dulled at all. It really is a stylish car, and one of the best bits of its design for me are the LED lights both front and rear. Not only do they look really stylish, but the shorter days and dark winter evenings have also highlighted how effective they are, too. Since moving to the south coast, I’ve noticed a definite lack of street lighting. That’s great if you want to enjoy the night skies with less light pollution than in the city, but you really notice the need for good illumination of the roads when driving, or even the pavement when running.…

McLaren: The Road Cars 2010-2024 Kyle Fortune (Schiffer Publishing, schifferbooks.com) Price: £59.99 Rating: MCLAREN has built up an impressive model line-up since its relaunch in 2010, and this is an impressive title to match. It’s hugely informative, beautifully produced and illustrated, and great to read. Possibly the best title yet produced on modern McLarens. Austin Seven Roger Bugg (Amberley Publishing, amberley-books.com) Price: £15.99 Rating: INTER-WAR-YEARS motoring doesn’t come much more accessible than the Austin Seven, so it’s a popular topic for books. This one isn’t the largest, but it’s useful as a quick reference volume and great for younger readers getting into classic cars. The book gives a good overview of the model, although detail tails off in the later years. There’s a good choice of photos throughout, too. Idle…

CO2/tax 158g/km £180 Running costs 37-41mpg (400 d 4MATIC) £98 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.0 seconds/155mph WHEN Mercedes introduced the original CLS two decades ago, it caused a stir with its swoopy design and luxurious cabin. Under the skin it was little more than a poshed-up E-Class, but that was no bad thing, because donor cars don’t come much more accomplished than Merc’s executive. As a premium model within the Mercedes range, the CLS came with the very best of everything with regard to engines, transmissions and equipment. The CLS was more of a hit than Mercedes had anticipated, so it was no surprise when a second-generation model was launched in 2011, with the third take appearing six years later. It was costly when new, and even now there’s no…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler • Tech overhaul includes addition of Chat GPT for infotainment • Mild exterior design tweaks plus more power for vRS model SKODA’S biggest-selling model, the Octavia, is getting a mid-life refresh as the nameplate enters its 28th year. It’s now in its fourth generation, and these latest updates apply to both the hatch and Estate, and concentrate on technology, power hikes, sustainable materials and some gentle styling enhancements. But there’s no sign – yet – of any plug-in power (see panel, right). On the outside, the familiar shape is lengthened by 9mm on both the hatch and Estate, with new, aero-focused front and rear bumpers. The latest interpretation of the Skoda grille now matches the height of the headlights, which get the latest LED matrix-beam technology. The revised…

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk • V8 gets 153bhp power boost • Coupé gets aggressive looks THIS is the new Aston Martin Vantage, a very heavily updated take on the two-seat sports model that’s taken a considerable step up in power, price and performance. It’s due to cost from around £165,000, with the first customer cars arriving in the second quarter of 2024. The big news is the huge power increase, with Aston liberating an extra 153bhp from a heavily revised version of the AMG-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. Peak figures are now 656bhp and 800Nm of torque, thanks to larger turbos with higher boost pressures, reprofiled camshafts and a compression ratio optimised to suit. The manufacturer’s director of vehicle performance, Simon Newton, told us: “We were essentially able to specify exactly what we wanted…

ORDERS are open for the revised Ford Puma, with prices starting from £25,790 – £150 more than the pre-facelift car. Ford is offering its familiar selection of Titanium, ST-Line and ST-Line X trim levels, while at the top of the range is the souped-up mild-hybrid Puma ST, priced from £33,835. Standard kit includes LED lights, 17-inch wheels, rear privacy glass, Ford’s ‘Quickclear’ heated windscreen, and dual screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.…

Chris_rosamond@autovia.co.uk • Range Rover maker spends “several hundred thousand pounds” to thwart stolen car exports JAGUAR Land Rover is to spend “several hundreds of thousands of pounds” helping to beef up policing at UK container ports, in a bid to thwart criminal gangs given free rein by a lack of police resources. Managing director Patrick McGillycuddy and global financial services director Chris Kent shed light on JLR’s plan to pay for extra policing at the Felixstowe, Tilbury and Southampton container facilities, during an event in Solihull showcasing the firm’s responses to soaring crime rates and insurance premiums. Thefts of Land Rover products have been the focus of plenty of headlines in recent months, but Kent said JLR’s unprecedented investment in ports policing addresses a broader problem affecting the car industry.…

Ellis_Hyde@autovia.co.uk @EllisDrives Electric motor Power/range 226bhp/328 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/114mph THE Kia EV6 is on the verge of being facelifted, with a refreshed version of the firm’s first bespoke electric car expected to sport a new look that’s influenced by the bold EV9 flagship. Plus it may bring with it some significant technology upgrades – also carried over from its bigger brother. However, the updated EV6 isn’t likely to be unveiled until later this year, and regardless, the outgoing model is still quite the show-stopper. It’s an exceptional car that just also happens to be fully electric. The EV6 shares much with its sister model, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, and is similarly spacious inside and crammed full of tech. But the Kia EV6 Horizon sweetens the deal further by…

MODEL TESTED: ID.3 Pro S Match PRICE: £40,050 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 77kWh battery, 201bhp 201bhp Powertrain 1x e-motor 77kWh Battery/range 347 miles 7.9 seconds Performance 99mph 385 litres Seats up/down 1,267 litres COMPARED with some rivals, the Volkswagen ID.3 has been a little expensive, but VW has trimmed prices recently. The car in our pictures started from £42,870 less than a year ago, but climbed to £51,215 with options; the latest Pro S Match weighs in at £40,050. Adding the extras to match our test car – plus adaptive dampers which come as part of a revised Exterior Pack – comes to £47,690. That’s still strong money, but as we’ll see, things become much more competitive on a PCP finance deal. Tech highlights The ID.3 is unique in this company…

WINNER Jeep Avenger 1st OUR first test of the Avenger revealed a great car that was £5,000 away from challenging the class best. Choose the right finance deal and that’s been corrected. Performance, range and space are a touch behind its rivals’ here, but it’s more than adequate in those areas, and since it’s the most affordable car here, those are compromises we’re willing to forgive. Most of all, it feels special, which few cars in this sector even come close to achieving. • Low running costs• Bags of character • Tight rear legroom• Limited brake regeneration RUNNER-UP Kia Niro EV 2nd IT’S a close run-thing, but the Kia narrowly misses out on overall victory. You’re getting plenty of EV for the cash, and it’s fairly comfortable to drive, too. However,…

SAME CLASS Citroen e-C4 STELLANTIS covers many bases in the compact-EV arena. The Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Peugeot e-208 are great battery superminis, while the larger e-2008 and new Fiat 600e offer compact SUV alternatives to the Avenger. The e-C4, meanwhile, is a compact hatch with quirky looks and a soothing ride. Dodge the initial depreciation by going used, and they’re a bargain. Early cars dip below £15,000 – very tempting for a roomy three-year-old EV. • Comfortable ride• Bargain price • Doesn’t get a heat pump• So-so performance SAME MONEY Skoda Enyaq THE ID.3 has been improved following its mid-life refresh, but the most convincing use of the MEB platform yet is still in the Enyaq. The Czech brand’s SUV offering combines all of the VW’s benefits of comfort…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram IT’S the same story every year. We get a short spell of cold weather and the British public panics. Meteorologists give us plenty of warning, yet society still grinds to a halt at the slightest sign of snow. But I decided 2024 would be different. So before the sub-zero temperatures set in, I booked the Genesis Electrified GV70 into my local HiQ centre to get its existing Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres swapped for a set of Goodyear Vector 4Seasons. These tyres are widely considered the very best of their type, triumphing in our all-season tyre test in 2023. At around £170 each (235/55 R19), they’re not cheap, though that’s roughly on par with big-brand alternatives from Continental and Pirelli. Our products editor, Kim, is a huge advocate…

App gets insurance comparison feature CAURA, the popular car-admin management app, has integrated MoneySuperMarket’s insurance comparison tool to help households beat the rising cost of premiums. Caura’s free app helps manage motoring tasks such as paying for fines and tolls, booking service and maintenance, plus tracking tax and MOT. When insurance renewal time comes, Caura users can compare a range of products within the app. The service has already been rolled out, so ensure you’re running the latest version or download it free from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. BMW V8 tops eBay car-part cost chart EBAY has revealed the costliest car parts and accessories sold through its motoring marketplace in 2023. Topping the list was a complete 4.4-litre V8 engine from a BMW M5, which went…

THERE’S no getting away from the fact that the latest, drastically modified proposals from our here-today, gone-tomorrow political ‘leaders’ say that they’ll expunge pure-petrol and pure-diesel cars from UK showrooms in 2035. But will they? Might there be further delays to this ban on combustion engines? I’m not saying there definitely will be another stay of execution, but I wouldn’t bet against it either. Especially when the current Conservative Government, the instigator of the 2035 internal-combustion deadline, is likely to be booted out before the end of the year. And the Labour regime that’s on course to replace it has already dumped its promised £28billion spending on a ‘green investment’ pledge that was supposed to pay for things like gigafactories to help power EVs. Or maybe not. Also true is…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler • Cheap EV could be built in India to keep costs low • New EVs won’t be reliant on touchscreens SKODA is currently breaking sales records across Europe, moving up to become the seventh biggest car maker in the region last year. Sales in the UK are booming, too, jumping more than 40 per cent in 2023 and giving the brand record market share. There’s much more to come, with new Superb and Kodiaq models recently unveiled, and an updated Octavia just revealed (Page 6). The Elroq EV is due later this year, with a bigger electric car, based on the 7S Concept, set to follow in 2026. There are more small Skodas on the horizon, too. So when Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer asked if we wanted to…

Special edition marks first Fiat 500’s birth FIAT has announced the ‘500 Collezione 1957’ – a limited-edition model to mark the year of the city car’s inception. Based on the mild-hybrid 500, the Collezione 1957 (above) gets two-tone Bossa Nova White and Dew Green paint plus a beige soft-top roof. Inside, there are ivory-coloured seats with leather inserts, a ‘one of 1,957’ plaque on the centre console, plus a distinctive wooden dash featuring a seven-inch central touchscreen. A total of 1,957 units will be built, priced from £23,940. Smaller Rivian could set sights on Model Y US electric truck maker Rivian has announced it will launch what we expect to be a smaller and more affordable ‘R2’ model on 7 March. At this stage little is known about the new…

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk AUDI has let us loose in some late-stage prototypes of the new S3, promising the hot hatch will once again have the bite its badge suggests. It’ll join Audi’s updated A3 range with a fresh look when it’s revealed in a few months’ time. The S3 version has also received hardware changes designed to give the hot hatch the credit it craves. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine’s output has increased from 296bhp to 328bhp. Torque is also up from 400Nm to 420Nm, and comes with a more aggressive accelerator map, as well as a new pre-loading function for the turbocharger to improve response. As with the RS 3, the S3’s mechanical clutch pack controls torque across the rear axle, over-speeding the outer wheel to tighten the car’s line during…

tom_jervis@autovia.co.uk Running costs 57mpg (est) £64 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/134mph SEAT has appeared somewhat stuck in the mud in recent years; all of the Volkswagen Group’s other mainstream brands have decided to embrace the future and offer at least one electric car, whereas SEAT’s entire line-up remains combustion engined. At least for now. This inability to let go of the past is perhaps no better represented than by the new SEAT Ibiza Anniversary Edition – a limited-run model launched to celebrate the 40th birthday of the brand’s best-seller. So, what’s new? Well, you’ve probably noticed the car’s Graphene Grey paint, which features heavily on models from SEAT’s performance sister brand, Cupra. Speaking of which, the Anniversary Edition also gets a pair of front sports seats that seem to…

MODEL TESTED: Avenger Summit PRICE: £38,700 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 54kWh battery, 154bhp 154bhp Powertrain 1x e-motor 51kWh Battery/range 245 miles 9.0 seconds Performance 93mph 355 litres Seats up/down 1,252 litres WHEN we first tested the Jeep Avenger, the top-spec Summit model here started from £39,600. New 2024 prices have already trimmed £900 from that figure – but as we’ll see (on Page 45), the biggest financial incentives come when a PCP finance deal is thrown into the mix. Tech highlights JEEP has pulled off an impressive design trick with the Avenger. In these images, it looks as rugged and chunky as the brand’s biggest and boldest creations, yet in the metal it’s very compact. At 4,084mm, it’s a mere 10mm longer than a Volkswagen Polo. Less metalwork means the potential…

SAME CLASS Hyundai Kona Electric SINCE they’re from the same group, we’d forgive you for assuming that the Kona shared its tech with the Niro, but there are several areas where the Hyundai is the more capable car. That polarising exterior houses an even more spacious cabin, lifting it beyond not only the Niro, but also the ID.3. Its motor is more responsive than the Niro’s on the road, and when you do need to stop, charging speeds are faster. Plus two other important details set the Kona apart. First, the range kicks off from £34,995, thanks to the option of a 48kWh battery, and second, a heat pump is fitted as standard on every model. • Spacious cabin• Comfort• Heat pump as standard • Numb handling• Divisive looks• Charge…

Audi TT Roadster OUR Final Edition TT Roadster has sprouted a twin. Two weeks after Special contributor Steve Sutcliffe got his car back from Audi UK – who gave it a once-over during the Christmas break and fitted it with some sexy new black wheels at the same time – he drove past another Final Edition TT. This one was a coupé, but also in Tango Red, and also sporting an optional set of exceedingly smart black 20-inch Audi alloys. So Steve parked his TT Roadster next to its almost-identical twin and took some snaps. In both guises, he thinks, it’s amazing how well the TT’s shape has aged. And how good it looks sitting on black wheels – with all the various black Final Edition bits pinging out of…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk THIS inquiry came from reader Iain Nelson who, like many, is probably still getting used to working with the environmental kit fitted to today’s cars. The stop/start system on his BMW is perhaps the easiest tech to understand because, unlike hybrid powertrains, it uses relatively conventional batteries. Most stop/start systems use EFB (enhanced flooded battery) or AGM (absorbed glass mat) power packs that can deliver higher outputs for longer than regular lead-acid designs, although the technology is essentially the same. They can also perform more starts than traditional alternatives, with EFB providing up to 270,000, and AGM 360,000 before requiring replacement. That means you can expect a lifetime of around six years from EFB products – up from three to five for conventional alternatives. AGM pushes…

HAVING to store your car or caravan away from home can be nerve-racking, even if it’s only in a garage at the bottom of the garden. You might not be able to check up on it every day, so will have a niggling worry that something might have happened to it. The latest WiFi-connected CCTV cameras mean you can check on your garage and car whenever you like, and will also provide a valuable source of evidence if there are any incidents. But these cameras are of little use in a remote location, which is where ‘off-grid’ cameras can come in. These are battery-powered and connect via a mobile data network, so can operate away from any power or WiFi source. Our previous favourite, the Arla Go 2, is compact…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk WITH almost half of our respondents driving the electric version of the 208, it’s no surprise to see top-20 scores for both engine sound (or lack of it) and acceleration. The supermini also earns a fine 14th-place ranking for exterior styling, although its interior design is rated only in 54th position. Front-seat comfort is well liked, in 26th place, but rear legroom – not a 208 forte – is 69th. The Peugeot is ranked only just outside the top 10 for driving pleasure, while steering response is rated an excellent fifth overall. Handling and ride quality both figure in the top 20, too, but the scores for reliability are only so-so, as are those for fuel economy and insurance costs. WE SAID “The 208 looks sharp inside and out,…