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Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler ● SPECIALREPORT ● Hard to get emissions lower ● EV power may be a lifeline POPULAR small, affordable city cars such as the Peugeot 108 and SEAT Mii could disappear from showrooms in coming years, according to many of the bosses of Europe’s biggest car makers. Speaking to Auto Express at last month’s Frankfurt motor show, bosses explained how CO2 regulations will mean a whole generation of popular small cars could die – pushing the entry price of a new car up in the process and making it more difficult for many new drivers to get a foothold into car ownership. With the EU demanding that every car maker hits a target of 95g/km of CO2 as an average for all the cars it sells from 2020, or…

NEW Jaguars could become even more luxurious in the future, and the newly appointed design director say that the company’s new design facility could help the British brand to achieve this. The new design centre, opened recently as part of a £500m investment in Jaguar Land Rover’s site at Gaydon, will greatly expand the capacity of the British premium manufacturer to make concepts and production cars. Speaking at the new site, Julian Thomson said: “Maybe we could become even more Jaguar. Perhaps Jaguar will become even more glamorous; the new design centre will allow us to turn the volume up to a whole new level.”…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths ALMOST three million vehicles failed their MoTs over a 12-month period as a result of ‘Dangerous’ defects, with the updated MoT test revealing the extent of how badly maintained nearly 10 per cent of the cars submitted for test are. The MoT test underwent one of the most significant shake-ups in its 59-year history in May 2018, when new defect categories (Minor, Major and Dangerous) and fresh checks were brought in. Official data from the 12 months since those changes were introduced has revealed that 2,952,487 of the 31,285,618 vehicles submitted for an MoT failed due to defects that were classified as Dangerous. That means 9.4 per cent of vehicles tested posed “a direct and immediate risk to road safety” or could have “a serious impact on the…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Which?: 01992 878329 Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0330 159 0364 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor Running costs 52.2mpg (official) £56 fill-up PEUGEOT has a lot to live up to with the new 208 – not just against brilliant rivals such as the latest Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo but also because of the French brand’s string of recent successes with the likes of the 3008 and 5008. The new offering certainly looks like no other supermini, that’s for sure. There’s a bold face with Peugeot’s latest grille design, sleek headlights and vertical LED daytime running lights and short overhangs. Underneath it all, the 208 sits on the PSA Group’s new small car platform, called CMP. It’s been designed to cater for different powertrains, so that means the 208 (and its sister car, the Vauxhall Corsa) can come with a petrol engine, a diesel…

MODEL TESTED: SEAT Leon 1.5 TSI EVO 130 Xcellence PRICE: £24,565 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 128bhp THE SEAT Leon was once a class-leader, and it’s been a while since we last tested one – so does it still have what it takes in this competitive class? To find out, we’re testing the latest 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol in Xcellence trim (although the car in our pictures is an FR). It costs £24,565. Design & engineering THE Leon was one of the first cars to use the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, which now underpins a number of other models, including class rivals the VW Golf and Skoda Octavia. In the Leon it allows the use of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back, matching the Astra and Focus’…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Cleaning is a black art I’VE ordered a new car in black, but friends tell me it’ll be impossible to prevent swirls appearing on the paintwork. Is this true? What’s the solution? Brian Hamilton, E-mail A BLACK shows up swirls more than other colours, but if you don’t touch the car when washing, you can’t mark the paintwork. Use a pressure washer to remove heavy soiling, then let a good snow foam loosen any remaining grime. Rinse with a power washer, then dry with a blower. This will work on a lightly soiled car, so needs to be done frequently to work effectively. If you have to touch the car, use a mitt and two-bucket system to reduce the risk of scratching. Q Refined…

CONVENTIONAL wheel cleaners have made something of a comeback in recent tests following a period of domination by the ‘red’ formulas. Despite this, two new cleaners have launched with formulas that turn red, or more accurately purple, as they work on disc dust. The first product arrived in time for the British GP after a link-up between the McLaren F1 team and Halfords, which created a wide-ranging car care line-up, including this Red Wheel Cleaner. Our second newcomer is from Alchemy, a range that’s been developed by specialist detailers and retailers using extensive end-user testing. We pitted the new duo against multiple test winner Bilt-Hamber auto-wheel. We compared cost, and how well they cleaned heavy and light grime in a series of tests. Bilt-Hamber keeps its crown thanks again to…

ELFYN Evans (above) will enjoy huge home support from his Welsh fanbase this weekend as he aims to win and follow up his success on the event two years ago. But the 30-year-old comes into his home event after a season disrupted by injury; he hurt his back on a rally in Estonia in August, and as a result has missed WRC appearances in Finland, Germany and Turkey. Even so, the Ford Fiesta WRC driver is keen to get back behind the wheel. “Missing those rallies has been a nightmare,” he says, “but I’m really looking forward to being back in the car at home.” Ironically, Evans’s absence from the past few events – which has dropped him down to ninth in the WRC points standings – could boost his…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk BMW bosses have exclusively revealed to Auto Express that an entry-level, electric hatchback based on the 1 Series is in the product plan. And it could be here as early as 2021. The German firm has outlined an electrification strategy under which 12 fully electric cars and 13 plug-in hybrids will arrive in showrooms in the next four years. BMW is targeting the more premium and more profitable segments initially; the first to arrive will be the iX3 SUV, followed by the i4 saloon and then BMW’s technological flagship, the iNEXT SUV. However, the head of BMW’s i Division, Robert Irlinger, has now suggested that BMW’s flexible vehicle architectures will allow the firm to explore the option to develop more affordable and smaller electric vehicles. “Even in the front-drive…

Skoda Superb PHEV to cost less than £32k SKODA has announced that its new plug-in hybrid Superb will cost from £31,970, almost £5,000 less than the mechanically identical VW Passat GTE. Badged Superb iV, it’s powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine, an electric motor and a 13kWh battery. It delivers an output of 215bhp and 400Nm of torque. Skoda also claims CO2 emissions of 40g/km and a maximum all-electric range of 34 miles. Spike in number of motorway fatalities THE number of fatal motorway accidents increased by 19.4 per cent last year compared to 2017, prompting motoring groups to again question the wisdom of all-lane-running motorways. The AA called the rise, up to 107 from 99, “depressingly tragic”, adding that “the public distrusts” smart motorways. Highways England admitted: “There…

THE number of people whose driving licences have been revoked on medical grounds has increased by 50 per cent in just five years. In 2018, 73,724 motorists were forced to give up driving due to health conditions, compared to 48,941 in 2014. Alcohol-related issues were behind the greatest number of revoked licences (responsible for 15 per cent), followed by seizures (14.9 per cent), failing eyesight (12.5 per cent) and memory problems (11.5 per cent). The data comes from a freedom of information request by comparison site Motorway.co.uk, whose director, Alex Buttle, called the figures “frightening”. He said: “How many people have a condition and haven’t told authorities? “With so many of us reliant on our cars, there will be drivers who think it’s worth the risk to keep quiet.”…

tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk @tristan_shale “It’s a big community at the end of the day – it doesn’t really feel like a business”DAN BUTLER Technical manager THE Queen reserves her congratulatory telegrams for people who have reached 100 years old, but if ever there were a car company that was worthy of a missive from our Monarch, it’s Bentley. Now a century old, the luxury performance firm has lost none of its uniquely British character under the watchful eye of the Volkswagen Group, with the Continentals, Mulsannes and Flying Spurs of today true to founder W.O. Bentley’s desire “to build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class”. The firm’s history, racing pedigree and reputation for luxury have all played a huge part in getting it to where it is…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram ONLY a week ago (Issue 1,594), we were driving the all-new Porsche Taycan – one of the fastest and most expensive electric cars on the market. And now we’re in the hot seat of something that’s arguably every bit as innovative, but much more affordable: the new Renault ZOE. Since launching in 2012, the ZOE has been given periodic updates to improve its practicality, with faster charging and ever more range. This new version – depending on spec and wheel size – claims between 238 and 245 miles (WLTP) on a charge. The revised ZOE gets a fresh look, as well as a new battery and a new motor. Styling changes are evolutionary, with a tweaked nose, more chrome, and full-LED lights front and rear, plus new wheels…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ Performance 0-60mph/top speed 10.2 seconds/122mph Running costs 64.2mpg (official) £66 fill-up A QUICK glance at the new Kia XCeed could have you confused. What’s the point in a raised-up psuedo-SUV based on a hatchback when Kia already sells the Stonic, Niro and Sportage models? It’s not quite as simple as that, though, because the XCeed is more than just some longer-travel suspension and black plastic wheelarches. In fact, although it’s based on the same platform as the Ceed hatchback, the two cars only share their front door panels; the rest of the XCeed has been redesigned and subtly tweaked to create a more sloping roofline and a sportier stance as a result. The XCeed’s ground clearance has been increased by up to 42mm, but despite the extra body…

MODEL TESTED: Vauxhall Astra 1.2 Turbo 145 Elite Nav PRICE: £23,955 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 143bhp THE Vauxhall Astra was a class-leading car when it arrived in 2015, but with revisions and updates to rivals, it fell behind. Here we’ll see if this refreshed model can put it back on top. We’re testing an Elite Nav model with the new 143bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, which costs £23,955 Design & engineering WHILE the Astra is like the Focus and doesn’t share its architecture with other makers’ models, all three cars here share the same suspension layout. There are MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear, which Vauxhall calls its ‘Compound Crank’ set-up. This is a cost-effective system, and these three models prove it doesn’t compromise handling or comfort.…

Vauxhall Astra Multimedia Navi Pro Standard Key features: Sat-nav, smartphone link YOU get an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav, DAB and Bluetooth, plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality in the Elite Nav-spec Astra. The screen itself is oddly placed on the dash, angled slightly upward, and the finish makes it look a little dated. It’s about on par with the SEAT’s screen, since neither have the glossy, modern look of the Ford’s set-up. The screen is responsive enough, and since the air-con controls are physical buttons, you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to use them. That’s true in all three cars. The latest Astra now features a digital display behind the steering wheel that shows your speed and a host of other data if…

KEY to any EV is its battery. This determines the usable range on offer, as well as the car’s performance, and in the ZS EV the engineering and tech are pretty good given the price. The 44.5kWh battery total means around 40kWh of usable capacity, and MG claims 163 miles on a full charge. The battery supplies a 141bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels. This is 7bhp down on the Leaf, but then the MG is 41kg lighter. The ZS EV’s performance on test was more than adequate, with the 353Nm of torque (33Nm more than the Leaf) delivered instantly for strong and smooth acceleration. It sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the Leaf, but by 60mph the MG’s urgency tails off (its top…

Audi e-tron Issues 1,579, 1,585, 1,594 BMW 3 Series Issues 1,576, 1584 Citroen Berlingo XL Issues 1,579, 1,591 Dacia Duster Issues 1,561, 1,564, 1,572, 1,575, 1,583, 1,590 Ford Focus Issues 1,582, 1,589, 1,592 Honda CR-V Hybrid Issues 1,576, 1584, 1,591 Hyundai Santa Fe Issues 1,575, 1,580, 1,587 Jaguar I-Pace Issue 1,588 Jaguar XE Issue 1,593 Mazda MX-5 Issues 1,573, 1,585 Renault Mégane R.S. Issue 1,581, 1,593 SsangYong Musso Issue 1,590 SEAT Tarraco Issues 1,574, 1584, 1,590 Volkswagen California Issues 1,578, 1,583, 1,586, 1,592 Volkswagen Touareg Issues 1,580, 1,585…

The Sound of Supercars A C Pinnington & C S Buckingham (Cobalt Fortress, email cars@cobaltfortress.com) Price: £12.99 THERE’S nothing quite like this out there: a simple picture book about supercars, accompanied by a sound chip and speaker that let you hear the sounds of 12 models as you read, ranging from a Morgan Three-Wheeler to a Bugatti Chiron. A great idea that strangely holds appeal even for adult readers. Motor Racing: Reflections of a Lost Era Anthony Carter (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £25 THE highlight of this book is its use of evocative imagery. It’s a great look at what many fans will consider the golden age of racing, placing the reader right in the paddock. The written parts are arguably the weakest, but against so many great photos that’s…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Will cam breach warranty? I’VE just ordered a new Volkswagen T-Cross and want to fit a dash cam but the dealer says the warranty will be invalidated unless it’s supplied by VW. Is this true? I can’t believe it. A Sharpe, E-mail A IF you’re going to plug a dash cam into the 12V/USB socket, you should be fine. If you have one installed with a hardwire connection, that could technically breach the warranty. Ask the dealer to put what they’ve said in writing, explaining their reasoning. Making a call to VW customer services would also be advisable. Q New Jimny not available WHY can’t I order a new Suzuki Jimny? Suzuki GB says orders should be placed via dealers, but dealers say…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk • Button entered in Honda NSX • BMW confirms Zanardi for Fuji HONDA, Nissan and Lexus entries from the Japanese Super GT championship will join the grid for this weekend’s final round of Germany’s DTM touring-car series at the Hockenheim circuit. After many years of negotiations, the two series have finally agreed on a common ‘Class One’ ruleset, with this weekend’s visit to Germany being reciprocated at Fuji in November, when DTM guest entries from BMW and Audi will join the Super GT grid. Honda’s NSX entry at Hockenheim will be driven by 2018 Super GT champion Jenson Button, with the former F1 world champion driving in both the weekend’s races. The Lexus LC entry will be shared between Nick Cassidy and Ryo Hirakawa, while Ronnie Quintarelli and Tsugio…

“The icing on the cake is that the brand has lately beaten rival countries and companies in terms of raw design talent” JAGUAR has just invested untold years and countless people – plus a cool half a billion quid – on a new, world-beating product with a loud but stylish ‘Made in England’ tag proudly attached to it. But the firm is insisting that this latest masterpiece, built at Gaydon, Warwickshire, isn’t for sale – at any price. Worse still for Jag customers past, present or future, there’s an effective ban on seeing, entering, using or photographing most or all of it. Not that this cruel banning order for the masses applied to little ol’ me a few days ago, when I was granted high-security clearance and an ‘access-all-areas’ pass…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk • 395bhp for performance SUV • 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds “The 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo develops 395bhp – a significant hike over the outgoing model” AUDI Sport has launched a new version of its baby performance crossover, the RS Q3. And since the German brand has added a more rakish Sportback body to the Q3 line-up, this will get an RS variant, too. Audi Sport took the standard Q3 as a base, and the visual upgrades it applied are arguably at their most arresting at the front; a reshaped, aggressive bumper houses enlarged air vents either side of a new grille that’s not only more inset, but also features a gloss black finish and a honeycomb design. Also new is a bonnet vent that sits above the grille, in a…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● New Ghibli saloon arrives first ● All models will be built in Italy MASERATI has outlined a detailed product plan that will see the Italian firm launch a series of new hybrid and fully electric models by 2022. Parent company Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has invested five billion euros in Italy for retooling Maserati production sites for electrification as well as developing autonomous driving technologies. The plan kicks off with a heavily updated and hybrid version of the Ghibli saloon that will be launched next year. Like the existing model, it will continue to be built in Italy, along with every new Maserati, and is expected to use a plug-in hybrid powertrain. No technical details on the hybrid system have been announced but Maserati has previously confirmed that…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor At the wheel of new Porsche Taycan EV IT’S been a long time coming, the new Porsche Taycan. Spearheading a wave of high-performance, premium electric cars from the VW Group, the Taycan has power, prestige and badge appeal. Could this finally be the electric car that petrolheads have been waiting for? Join us as we find out. See Europe’s largest private car collection THERE are hundreds of car collections across Europe. But this one in Potters Bar, North London, is a bit different. It’s Europe’s largest private collection and features, among other amazing cars, more than 20 Aston Martin Lagonda ‘Wedges’. Join me on the full walkaround tour. You can watch any of our videos on your phone Simply scan this QR code.…

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC New LR Defender FROM: Geronimo PEOPLE complain the new Defender is expensive, but the old one was hardly cheap. The new model is also more modern underneath, superior inside, and should be just as capable in the rough stuff, while being more refined on the road. FROM: Carl Schroder THIS is ideal for climbing the kerb outside a posh school! In all seriousness, I’m sure it’s a very capable machine, but I can’t imagine many farmers putting sheep in the back of a commercial version when prices look to be so high. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “The fact of the matter is the old Defender was horrible…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram Running costs 44.1mpg (official) £54 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.5 seconds/132mph THIS is the new BMW 1 Series: a car that seems, on the face of it, to be doing its darn hardest to upset purists. Quite literally on its face, if we’re talking about the maker’s trend for bigger grilles. But arguably the change that puts the biggest bee in BMW fans’ figurative bonnets, in fact, is what’s occurring underneath, because the third-generation 1 Series has switched from rear-wheel drive to front-drive. BMW reckons that despite the change, it drives with even more of the sportiness that BMW drivers expect. But does this hold true? This is our first UK test. Under the skin, the latest 1 Series is based on the brand’s UKL2 platform. It’s not…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk IT may not have escaped your attention that the car industry is going through a period of unprecedented change. Every car manufacturer, from Audi to Volvo, is developing a fleet of electric vehicles in all shapes and sizes to satisfy growing consumer demand and reduce the industry’s reliance on fossil-fuelled models. If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle then there’s certainly an exciting and varied future ahead. However, some of this year’s most anticipated new cars actually come from the past. The all-new Land Rover Defender is finally here and is one of 109 new cars heading our way soon that we have all the details on over the following 30 pages. 1 AUDI Q4 eTRON Price: From £60,000 (est) On sale: Summer 2020 AUDI has a…

MODEL TESTED: Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost 125 Titanium X PRICE: £23,395 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 123bhp THE original Ford Focus proved that a family car could be fun and functional, and this Mk4 continues that tradition. We’re testing a 123bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost model in Titanium X trim, which costs £23,395 (although our pictures are of a 2.0 diesel). Design & engineering FORD’S latest C2 platform underpins the Focus, and like its rivals here, this version uses MacPherson struts for the front suspension and a rear torsion beam. A more complex multi-link rear set-up is available on some Focus models, and while 1.0-litre 125 models make do with the cheaper set-up, this isn’t an issue. The 1.0-litre engine is the smallest on test, and with 123bhp it’s also the least powerful, but…

Skoda Scala 1.5 TSI 150 DSG SE L PRICE: £20,385 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 148bhp SKODA’S latest hatch is so affordable that you can get into a top-spec car, with an automatic gearbox, for the same money as our three rivals here. The Scala is a brilliant budget option because it’s comfortable, good to drive and very spacious, but also excellent value. Kia Ceed 1.4 T-GDi GT-Line PRICE: £22,640 ENGINE: 1.4-litre 4cyl, 136bhp DON’T overlook the Kia Ceed in this class, because it’s nearly as good to drive as the Astra, if not quite so comfortable. It’s also packed with all the equipment you’d want and is practical enough to mix with these rivals. Our budget gets you into a high-spec GT-Line car.…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk Running costs Official range/tax 258 miles/£320 Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 656/1,453 litres THERE’S nothing quite like a British village show where the locals bring out the largest of marrows, the straightest of runner beans, their finest photography and perfect poetry – all to be judged by other locals who are supposed to know what’s good and what’s not so good. The Chalfont St Giles village show is the quintessential summer event and is local to me. So when the organisers announced that the theme was ‘Transport Through The Ages’, I thought it was a great opportunity to bring things bang up-to-date and offered to take my all-electric I-Pace along. So there I was on a suitably sunny Saturday in September, lined up for the parade through the village, sandwiched…

New Bugatti Baby II is an electric car for kids BUGATTI marked its 110th anniversary with a rather unorthodox new model: the Baby II (above). It’s a 75-per cent scale replica of its Type 35, aimed at well-off children (and their loving and presumably car-mad parents and grandparents). Everything’s been 3D-scanned and recreated, right down to the solid-silver Bugatti badge, while buyers can pick from a cheaper composite, carbon-fibre or handcrafted aluminium body. The electric car is capable of 28mph – or 12.4mph in ‘child mode’. With prices from 30,000 Euros, it’s not for the fainthearted, but bound to be truly exquisite. Take a classic on track for less this month IF you’re eager to make the most of the last vestiges of summer, a track driving experience could be…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk TENNIS aficionados have Wimbledon, The Crucible in Sheffield is the go-to location for snooker lovers, and Formula One fans flock to Silverstone. But when the World Rally Championship arrives in the UK for the first week of October, ardent enthusiasts can catch up with the best rally drivers in the world – on the promenade of Colwyn Bay. The Welsh coastal resort is playing host to Wales Rally GB from 3-6 October, and while the heart of the action on the 75th running of the event will remain in the depths of the country’s forests – where yes, a bobble hat may still be required to ward off an October chill – the likes of six-times champion Sébastien Ogier and British hopefuls Elfyn Evans and Kris Meeke will also…