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YOU’D expect car industry bosses to be enthusiastic about their jobs, their brands and the products they sell. They’re paid well enough, after all. And yet when we caught up with Fiat boss Olivier François over video chat recently, the French-born executive was practically fizzing with excitement about what the next two or three years could bring for his company. Fiat, you see, is on the verge of a major revitalisation, helped by the proposed merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA, which comprises Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall/Opel and DS. Firstly, as you can read on page 8, the deal should support the new generation of Panda, based on the Centoventi concept (above) and encompassing all of the focus on practicality and value that made the original model such a…

“The project will have the synergies of scale to ensure that this vehicle would be available at a very cheap price for consumers” Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler KIA will take advantage of a shift away from public transport with a new, allelectric small car set to rival Citroen’s Ami. The Ami has made waves across the automotive industry, having just gone on sale in France with a list price starting from 6,000 Euros (£5,252) or a lease deal with a 2,641 Euros deposit (£2,311) and only 19.99 Euros (£17.50) per month. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Kia Motors Europe COO Emilio Herrera said: “People want to feel safe today. We saw that very clearly from a survey that was done after coronavirus in China, which showed people had moved from public transportation…

FEW global car companies are quite as determined to go their own way as Mazda. The Japanese brand has carved out a reputation over the years for being unafraid to push the boundaries when it comes to developing innovative technologies and pioneering new models. And as the company celebrates its centenary – having been founded, believe it or not, as a synthetic cork manufacturer in 1920 – now seems like an appropriate time to pay tribute to some of its significant successes. Over the following pages, we’ve picked out 10 cars that demonstrate how the Hiroshima-based outfit has consistently punched above its weight on the global car market. In addition we’ve chosen four models that might be less familiar, but illustrate that Mazda has never been afraid to be different.…

THAT a five-door family hatchback makes it this far up the list of our best driver’s cars proves that budget and horsepower need not be stratospheric to achieve great results when it comes to how well a car drives. But it was always the same with the Honda Civic Type R, and this latest version is the best one yet. The Japanese brand has engineering at the heart of what it stands for, and it has been gradually honing and improving the Civic Type R over the last quarter of a century, over numerous different generations. But it really has hit the bullseye with the latest ‘FK8’ version, even if we may not all agree about the looks. With 316bhp from a gutsy 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it’s simply one…

Prices: £27,490-£50,390 Engines: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 2.0-litre 4cyl, 2.0-litre 4cyl supercharged Power: 135-310bhp Torque: 165-297Nm 0-62mph: 2.8-5.0 seconds Top speed: 122-145mph There are two schools of thought when it comes to the best, most appealing versions of the legendary Caterham Seven. The true purists tend to like their Caterhams with a low-power engine and fairly narrow tyres, so that you can have fun in them at relatively modest speeds. Others prefer a Caterham with way more power than grip, such as the insane supercharged 620r, so that the driving experience is essentially a research project in how not to have you next major accident. either way, and with whatever engine that happens to be in the car’s long, narrow nose, the Seven remains unique. The driving experience it offers is so…

KIA is forging ahead with electrification. Its e-Niro is an Auto Express award-winner, while its all-new, all-electric Soul EV took victory in our recent road test. But what if you don’t want a full EV? Well, the brand has been offering hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its Niro family SUV for some time, and it has updated the PHEV for 2020, with revised styling and even more tech. This could be the car to help you dip your toe into the pool of electrification – but there are many vehicles that offer a similar experience. MINI’s Countryman PHEV Cooper S E ALL4 (to give it its full name) is one of them. Both of these compact crossovers combine petrol power with an electric motor and plug-in capability to seriously…

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BMW 1 Series ALTHOUGH our BMW 118i M Sport has almost £8,000 in optional extras, web producer Pete Baiden has found most of them useful – except for one. Parking Assistant comes as part of the Technology Pack 1 (£1,500) and is designed to help the driver by taking over the steering when manoeuvring. Up until now Pete has preferred to park the 1 Series himself, but recently he thought he should give the system a try. It seems simple enough on paper: press the Parking Assistant button on the centre console and the radars on the side of the car scan the road or car park to find a suitable spot. When you’re happy with the space the car has found, you select reverse and then press the ‘P’…

NEW PRODUCT Tamiya Terra Scorcher Price: £189.95 Contact: www.jadlamracingmodels.com RELIVE your remote-control youth with the latest re-release from Tamiya. As has become common with the firm’s revived models, the Terra Scorcher has been updated, but still retains its period look. The four-wheel-drive, bewinged buggy was originally launched in 1988, but it now rides on a modern chassis that was previously used on the re-released Fire Dragon model. It boasts a shaft-driven 4WD system with universal joints and three-bevel differentials at either end running on ball bearings, with more than 20 included in the kit to maximise performance. The CVA dampers are filled with oil just like on real off-road buggies, and there’s double-wishbone suspension, with upper ‘I’ arms and ‘H’ lower links, plus stabilisers front and rear, to give sharp…

“New Targa continues with traditional metallic hoop – replacing B-pillars – and large glasshouse rear window” James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THE latest 992-generation Porsche 911 line-up has grown with the arrival of the all-new Targa version. The model is on sale in the UK now, priced from £98,170, and first deliveries are due in August. The Targa was first introduced in 1965, and this model continues with the traditional metallic hoop – replacing the B-pillars – and large glasshouse rear window, to create this variant’s iconic appearance. The entire glasshouse can be raised or lowered in 19 seconds, while the retractable roof panel is stowed behind the seats. Elsewhere, the new Targa keeps the evolutionary design changes introduced on the latest-generation 911. That means a wide rear end with an extending spoiler…

Essentials Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Plus Price: £58,045 Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo Power/torque: 415bhp/500Nm Transmission: Eight-speed dual clutch auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 4.0 seconds Top speed: 167mph Economy: 34mpg CO2: 189g/km ONSALE Now Running costs 34mpg (off icial) £62 fill-up BIG power is easy to come by in 2020. Two decades ago, Mercedes’ flagship super-saloon, the E55 AMG, needed a 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 to make 349bhp, and it thundered from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. The new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Coupé, driven here in the UK for the first time, puts a full 415bhp to the ground with ‘only’ a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder. And thanks to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, it will romp from 0-62mph almost 1.5 seconds quicker than the E55. What defined AMGs…

Expert insight mail@autoexpress.co.uk HOW do you define what a great driver’s car actually is, and is their appeal universal? Just because one person happens to think a car is amazing to drive doesn’t necessarily mean that the next person will think the same, and so on. But there are certain cars that pretty much all of us at Auto Express can agree upon that are great to drive – and they’re not all supercars with price tags that read like telephone numbers. Far from it, in fact, although inevitably, some of these high-end exclusive models do make it into our rundown given their single-minded focus on driver entertainment. For us though, what makes a great driver’s car is the interaction it provides to whoever is behind the wheel. And that…

Price: £65,555 Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 Power: 503bhp Torque: 600Nm 0-62mph: 3.9 seconds Top speed: 191mph For quite some time, Alfa romeo was in the doldrums when it came to delivering great dynamics – especially when compared with its technologically advanced German rivals. The cars were too heavy, not quick enough and not especially well built. And then it came up with the stunning Giulia Quadrifoglio. The 503bhp saloon boasts a rear-wheel-drive chassis that is now a match, at the very least, for anything BMW’s M division or Mercedes’ AMG department has produced in recent years. Performance from the Ferrari-derived 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 is genuinely immense, as is the gruff, barking soundtrack that adds even more character. But it’s the steering, brakes and chassis that are most surprising. The steering…

Prices: £47,810-£56,810 Engine: 1.8-litre 4cyl turbo Power: 249-288bhp Torque: 320Nm 0-62mph: 4.4-4.5 seconds Top speed: 155-162mph The revived Alpine brand and its A110 was a breath of fresh air when parent company Renault brought it back. Shunning big horsepower in favour of light weight and a relatively modest 1.8-litre engine, the A110 offers one of the purest, sweetest driving experiences of any road car currently on sale. But in our opinion the newer, more potent, stiffer S version (right) is the better of the two models when it comes to driver appeal. With an all-aluminium chassis, the mid-engined A110 S is light, has close to 300bhp, serves up deliciously feelsome steering and is surprisingly well made. The result is that it’s easily a rival for the Porsche 718 Cayman as…

Price: £113,927 Engine: 4.0-litre flat six Power: 493bhp Torque: 460Nm 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds Top speed: 197mph THE 911 GT3 has been a great driver’s car since Porsche invented it at the end of the last century. But with each passing generation, it’s a car that has got better and better. Not just faster and more capable dynamically, but better all round. The latest 991 example (a 992 version is on its way) is definitely the best so far. Its entire drivetrain feels as if it’s been fashioned from a single piece of metal, it’s that integral to the car. Its four-wheel steering is a thing of wonder, and its brakes, as ever but even more so in this instance, are epic. Yet like the McLaren 600 LT (below) it also…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 20|05|2020 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive Joe Finnerty WEEKEND road trips may not be in anyone’s diary in the immediate future, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning for that long-awaited post-lockdown adventure in your car. The return of people taking long drives to visit family or for seaside holidays will also mean a sharp rise in traffic, making route planning all the more vital. Sure, you can just pack up the car and hit the motorway, but it’s probably smarter to plot your journey in advance to avoid traffic hotspots, and add in any potential stop-offs en route. Some drivers like printed directions, too,…

Richard Dredge MERCEDES is the world’s oldest car maker, and also one of the most innovative. The brand has arguably pioneered more new technologies than any other marque, whether they’re aimed at improving comfort, safety, reliability, usability or efficiency. And nowhere has this ground-breaking approach been more apparent than in Mercedes’ most prestigious luxury saloon, the S-Class, which has topped the company’s range since the sixties. The current edition arrived six years ago and although it will soon be replaced, the S-Class is still a deeply impressive car that will seem modern for years to come. The best bit? Hefty depreciation ensures that you can buy a superb used example for the same money as an ordinary family car. History THE seventh-generation (W222) S-Class went on sale in the UK…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson THE rebirth of the MGB looks to be edging closer to reality, after official sketches of a new sports car concept were released by the reborn British brand. Now under the ownership of Chinese company SAIC, MG has already promised that a production version of the fully electric e-Motion concept from 2017, a two-door coupé, will launch in 2021, and now it appears the firm could be lining up another. These official sketches were posted on social media by SAIC’s London-based design studio, clearly identifying the model as the Cyberster. Little information has been published by MG itself about the new concept, but the company did say that it was “something very exciting in the making, designed and developed by the UK and Shanghai design teams.” “Pictures reveal…

Essentials Land Rover Defender 110 P400 SE Price: £79,655 Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo Power/torque: 395bhp/550Nm Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive 0-60mph: 6.1 seconds Top speed: 129mph Economy/CO2: 24.7mpg/220g/km ON SALE Now Running costs 24.7mpg (off icial) £105 fill-up Performance 0-60mph/top speed 6.1 seconds/129mph Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler OUR first drive of the long-awaited new Land Rover Defender in issue 1,619 didn’t disappoint – it resulted in a full five-star rating. What surprised us most was how much fun the car was to drive – and that was the diesel-engined model. So how does the Defender do with petrol power under its square bonnet? Until Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division gets their hands on the Defender (as exclusively revealed in issue 1,598), this P400 model is as fast as the new…

Prices: £21,775-£26,825 Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl turbo Power: 197bhp Torque: 290Nm 0-62mph: 6.5 seconds Top speed: 144mph THE previous-generation Fiesta ST was always a cracking little car to drive, but its ride was at best so-so, at worst pretty challenging on a typically rough UK B-road. But all that has changed with this latest version, which features a charismatic yet also impressively economical three-cylinder turbo engine and a chassis that’s far more attuned to the real world. It’s still a hugely entertaining car to drive though, and will lift an inside rear wheel pretty much whenever you want it to on turn-in. The steering is excellent, the handling crisp, tidy and engaging. Yet the interior is also quite grown up, and you can get a Fiesta ST with five doors this…

Prices: £23,800-£33,735 Engines: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 2.0-litre 4cyl Power: 130-181bhp Torque: 152-205Nm 0-62mph: 6.5-8.3 seconds Top speed: 127-136mph IT’S hard to believe that the Mazda MX-5 is now more than 30 years old. But it’s not so hard to believe that, having shifted more than a million examples, it’s the world’s favourite two-seat roadster. The MX-5 took inspiration from classic British sports cars of the sixties, with purity at the heart of it, and it’s a formula that still applies with the current FD-generation model. It’s a sports car that’s easy to drive and live with, that’s not too expensive to buy and run, and should be utterly reliable. One major difference between the latest version and the original is that it’s much quicker. But despite that extra power and performance,…

You have to admire Porsche, for all sorts of reasons, but perhaps none more so than for admitting to its mistakes and righting them without shame or ridicule: the latest Cayman GT4 is the perfect example. For a few years we thought all Porsches would be turbocharged or hybridised – or even both – and that would even apply to its GT-badged models. But no. For the Cayman GT4, Porsche threw that playbook out of the window, inserted a thumping great 4.0-litre atmospheric flat six in its 718 Cayman chassis, pinched the front suspension from the 911 GT3 and also fitted a superb six-speed manual gearbox. The result is even better than you might expect. The GT4 feels so alive beneath your backside that it makes the hairs on the…

Price: £185,500 Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 Power: 592bhp Torque: 620Nm 0-62mph: 2.9 seconds Top speed: 204 mph ALL current McLarens are great driver’s cars, but the 600LT is arguably the most engaging of them all. It’s so much more than a 570S on heat. Its aerodynamics are in another league compared with the 570S Sports Series model on which it’s based. The way it looks, the technical detailing within its design specifically, really does set it apart. And the way it drives, the way it sounds, its deck lid-exit exhaust pipes and its eye-wateringly immense brakes in particular, are all unique. As a result it feels quite different to any other McLaren, with the possible exception of the Senna, which happens to cost more than four times as much. Its steering…

THE format for the Countryman PHEV Cooper S E is broadly the same as for the Niro PHEV, yet there are differences in detail. The MINI uses a slightly smaller 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo. Combined with its larger 10kWh battery (8.8kWh is usable) and electric motor, the British car makes more power and torque, at 221bhp and 385Nm. However, weighing in at 1,760kg, the MINI is significantly heavier than the 1,594kg Kia – but this still doesn’t hurt the Countryman’s performance too much because it will cover the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in a swifter 6.8 seconds. Still, plug-ins are more about efficiency than performance. Although the level of fuel economy you’ll see will depend on your type of use and how frequently you can plug in, going by the MINI…

Dave Pollard IF you have a fast-charge smartphone, a matching wireless inductive (Qi) charger is the simplest way to keep it topped up. But which is the best? iOttie is our current champion, but can the new 10W products from Best Wireless and Groov-e topple it? To find out, we tested them using a Samsung S10e with a 3.1Ah battery. We were looking for practicality (ease of fitting/removal, stability etc), charge performance for 30 minutes – first with no load and then using a sat-nav app – and various fitting positions: screen, air vent and dash. We took into account price from online sources, too. You’ll also need a quick USB adapter; our current test winner is the £18.99 Nekteck USB Type C with PD Power Delivery. The iOttie stays…

IF all you need from a car is the ability to carry yourself and a couple of passengers in relative comfort, we’d suggest you consider superminis before rushing out to buy an SUV. These are better on fuel, generally more fun to drive, cheaper to buy and insure, easier to use, and simpler to park. Take the Skoda Fabia, for example. It’s only slightly smaller than the VW T-Cross and it has a similar-sized boot. However, thanks to its lower ride height and lighter kerbweight, the Fabia’s fuel economy is around 10mpg better than the crossover’s. The other two cars in this comparison each have their own merits. The Suzuki Swift is one of the lighter models in its class, which means it’s nippy and fun to drive. It also…