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Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowle ● 1,160bhp and 1,026Nm ● Brit firms heavily involved NEW Zealand-based track car specialist Rodin has revealed its first bespoke model, the FZero, which founder David Dicker says will be the fastest car on earth. Although the first 30 FZeros will be trackonly, Dicker has confirmed that a road-going version will arrive soon after, along with Rodin’s first all-electric model. With an expected price around £1.8m and a top speed of 223mph, Dicker said of the FZero: “It’s built for the track, it’s built to be quicker than an F1 car. There are no limits, no rules.” The car is being built to Dicker’s own specification, with a twin-turbo V10 hybrid powertrain offering a total of 1,160bhp and 1,026Nm of torque, and developed by British firm Neil Brown…

Porsche considered a convertible Cayenne THE Porsche Cayenne celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and to mark the milestone Porsche has revealed a number of secrets about the original SUV’s development – including short-lived plans for a convertible edition. Alongside a proposed Coupé and seven-seat version, the drop-top Cayenne (above) was the only design study where a full-size model was built. Two different design proposals both feature a distinctive rear end, and the drop-top uses a roof mechanism similar to the one used by the 911 Targa. Registrations fall for a fifth month NEW car registrations in the UK fell by nine per cent in July 2022, to 112,162 units, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline. Supply chain issues – primarily the global shortage of semiconductors – played a…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress FROM: Tony Elridge IT looks good enough. After the controversially exuberant styling of the current model, understated was probably a good direction for the designers to go in. Regardless of what it looks like, though, it will definitely drive well. FROM: Lee Cullen THIS may be an odd opinion, but I prefer the rear-end design of the outgoing model, especially the integrated spoiler. The new one, which is more subtle, looks like a bit of an afterthought. The Type R is meant to look fun and exciting. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Front looks bland, but the rest is great. More like an Accord than a Civic, though.” Alistair Taylor ■ “Doesn’t work for me; it’s not a cohesive design. And that rear wing just looks a…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Running costs 49.7mpg (official) £74 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.0 seconds/139mph TO some, the name Monte Carlo will conjure up glitz, glamour and excess. If you’re a petrolhead, however, it’s more likely to see your brain jump straight to Formula One cars brushing barriers at high speed. It may even remind you of a World Rally car slithering through the Col de Turini on a cold January evening. It’s the latter that the Fabia’s long-running tie-in with the Monte Carlo name that will have your mind racing towards. After all, the Czech brand still competes in WRC2 – the second tier of international rallying – with its previous-gen model. This is the latest Fabia Monte Carlo, which sits at the top of the Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa…

MODELTESTED: Ford Focus Titanium Vignale 1.0 EcoBoost 125 PRICE: £26,950 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 123bhp Running costs 44.6mpg (on test) £94 fill-up/£165 or 29% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 375/1,354 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.2 seconds/124mph WHILE the Focus shown in our pictures is the Titanium trim, we’re testing it against its rivals here as the higher-spec Titanium Vignale, which is the closest match on price. It starts from £26,950, slightly undercutting the Astra. Options fitted here that are still cost extras on the Titanium Vignale include the grey Magnetic paint (£725), Driver Assist Pack (adding traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and auto high beam for £525) and the Parking Pack (a £500 option that adds park assist, a rear view camera, and door edge protectors). Design & engineering THE Astra…

1st VAUXHALL VAUXHALL IN one of our closest tests in recent years, the Astra and Focus tie on points. In the end, the Vauxhall wins because it outscores the Ford in areas which suggest it’ll be a better, cheaper car to live with. It impresses as an all-rounder; in 1.2-litre petrol form and a with manual gearbox, it shows very few weaknesses. The Astra has a larger, more versatile boot, it’s a little more refined, and unlike the Ford, you can order one right now. 2nd FORD AS an all-rounder, the Focus is a deeply impressive prospect. It’s still the best family hatchback to drive, it’s one of the most spacious inside and it’s relatively cheap to buy. The recent facelift means that Ford now has the best infotainment system in the…

Pete_Gibson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.7 seconds/124mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 510/1,626 litres I COVER so many miles travelling all over the country to take pictures for the magazine and Autoexpress.co.uk that in barely more than four months, my Mazda CX-5 is already in need of a service. It’s covered 13,673 miles – not all of them with me behind the wheel, admittedly – but I knew it was time for a routine maintenance check when the Mazda recently won warning light bingo. At roughly 11,800 miles the ‘service due’ reminder popped up on the dashboard, with a notification soon after that advised me the car needed an oil change. But the warning lamp I needed to deal with first was the AdBlue top-up request, which was already glowing at me.…

products@autoexpress.co.uk WITH car makers fitting ever-bigger wheels to their latest cars, it was high time we returned to 18-inch rims. And it was not just a return to this size of wheel, which we last tested in 2016, but some sort of normality, too, because this year’s programme was not affected by the pandemic. We also headed back to Bridgestone’s Aprilia proving ground in Italy to assess the tyres. There were no returnees from our 2016 test, but a few regulars were missing thanks to stock problems or new designs being launched imminently. Given that this size overlaps with bigger, more sports-orientated versions, we asked tyre makers to nominate their UHP (ultra high performance) offering rather than the UUHP (ultra ultra high performance) tyres we mini-tested in Issue 1,734. Where…

THIS year marks 30 years since Kia arrived in the UK, and incredibly, its first car was made just six years before, although the company was founded in 1944 to make steel tubing and bicycle parts. The brand has grown enormously since that first product, a rebadged Mazda 121 sold here as the Kia Pride, went on sale. By 2007 Kia had introduced its first car designed specifically for European buyers: the original Cee’d (shorthand for Community of Europe, with European Design), and this was a turning point, although the Cee’d Mk2 was a far more impressive product. Indeed, it was so good that when the Mk3 arrived, in many ways it wasn’t a huge advance, although a range of more efficient powerplants and plenty of the latest tech brought…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram IT’S crunch time in Formula E, as the championship reaches its finale with a double-header in South Korea. The race in Seoul marks the first time the series has raced in the country, where the 1.6-mile track is laid out around the venues of the 1988 Olympic Games – as well as into the 70,000-capacity Jamsil stadium itself. In a season of exceptional consistency from Stoffel Vandoorne, it looks like only a complete disaster will result in the championship title slipping out of his grasp. The Mercedes EQ driver has only won one race this season, in Monaco, but has also chalked up seven podiums so far, failing to score only once all year. As a result, he comes to Korea with a 36-point lead. The most recent…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler ● We get behind the wheel of new Ioniq 6 prototype in South Korea ● Uses same platform as Ioniq 5; prices expected to be similar, too THE building blocks for Hyundai’s latest all-electric model, the Ioniq 6 saloon, could not be better. It uses the brand’s E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) architecture that underpins the Ioniq 5, 2021’s Auto Express Car of the Year and the 2022 World Car of the Year. It’s no surprise then that the new model had more than a whiff of Ioniq 5 about it when we took to the roads near Hyundai’s Namyang R&D base in South Korea for a short drive of a pre-production model. That curvy shape (penned by SangYup Lee, above) is part Audi TT, part Mercedes CLA…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale “Ohme says EV drivers should switch to a smart home charging tariff as soon as possible” ELECTRIC vehicle owners are being advised to switch to the best possible energy tariffs for smart home charging ahead of an expected price rise. Energy regulator Ofgem is set to announce the new energy price cap at the end of August, with the change taking effect in October. It’s currently set at 28p per kilowatt hour (kWh), but experts predict a staggering rise to around 60p per kWh. This would mean bad news for EV drivers who charge their cars at home. On the current standard variable tariff of 28p per kWh, an average EV that covers a typical annual mileage of 6,800 miles costs £476 in home charging over 12 months.…

PRICES and specifications for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have been revealed, with Jeep’s largest offering in the UK kicking off from £69,900 when it arrives later this year. The entry point to the lineup is the Limited 4xe, with the £82,900 Summit Reserve 4xe topping the range. Offered exclusively as a five-seat plug-in hybrid, the Jeep uses a 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 17kWh battery and electric motor system, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Total output is 380bhp and 637Nm of torque, and the car offers a 32-mile electric range.…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.4 seconds/130mph Practicality Boot space 430 litres NOT long ago, if you wanted a premium electric saloon, the Tesla Model S was your only option. However, Tesla doesn’t currently sell its executive car in the UK, while its rivals have caught up – and this Mercedes EQE is an appealing all-rounder. It’s based on the firm’s EVA platform, which also underpins the larger EQS, and this EQE features a 90kWh battery slotted within its still-considerable wheelbase. The EQE offers up to 394 miles of range, with this EQE 350+ model in AMG Line Premium Plus trim serving up a claimed 356 miles. Our car showed a predicted 327 miles at just under 100 per cent charge, and by 50 per cent capacity, it was still on…

MODELTESTED: Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI 130 Style PRICE: £27,765 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 128bhp Running costs 44.3mpg (on test) £94 fill-up/£165 or 29% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 381/1,237 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.2 seconds/133mph IN terms of trim level, Style is the Golf model that most closely matches the Astra and the Focus. The model pictured is a 1.5 TSI with a DSG auto gearbox; we’re comparing it here as a manual, which at £27,765, is the priciest car on test. Design & engineering score 4.1 WHEN Volkswagen introduced the Mk8 Golf back in 2019, it had big shoes to fill. Its predecessor was a car with very few flaws, so how could the latest version improve? VW’s solution was to introduce new tech; more safety systems, updated powertrains and…

Skoda Octavia SE L 1.5 TSI PRICE: £27,475 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 148bhp THE Octavia is a near-faultless family hatchback. In terms of comfort and cabin quality it’s one of the very best, while no rival comes close for passenger or boot space. It’s great value for money, offering more power than its rivals for similar cash. Toyota Corolla Icon Tech PRICE: £28,285 ENGINE: 1.8-litre 4cyl hybrid, 120bhp WHILE you might expect the hybrid Corolla to be impressively frugal – and at up to 62.7mpg, it beats its rivals here with ease – what is more of a surprise is that it’s great to drive, too. A recent update has also introduced a vastly improved infotainment system.…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk “I loved the thoroughly modern styling, including the Knight Rider-style rear lights” Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 405/1,095 litres (+ 35l in ‘frunk’) SOMETIMES it’s hard to become attached to a car, but every now and then something comes along that really gets under your skin, so much so that it’s a genuine wrench to hand the keys back. That’s why you see me holed up in an aircraft hangar plotting my next move. It was all for nothing, because a few days later a man arrived from Polestar – and I’ve now got a compact-exec-sized gap on my drive. I’m missing the 2 for many reasons, chief of which is that I’m back queuing at petrol forecourts in my other car, paying nearly £2 for a litre of unleaded.…

HOW WE TESTED WHILE tyre label ratings only rate three areas of performance, our test provides a more comprehensive assessment of a design’s capabilities. We look at eight disciplines, covering not just the wet but also the dry plus cabin noise. For the wet and dry testing, multiple runs were made and an average calculated once any outliers had been removed. WET TESTS A key area for many drivers because these are the conditions where they are most likely to exceed their tyres’ limits. We looked at braking and cornering, both in shallow depths plus how the tyre copes with deeper standing water. As in our SUV tyre test (Issue 1,738) we used the revamped wet handling track at Bridgestone’s proving ground, which has had new corners added and others…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● New large executive EV saloon will crown Alfa’s range in 2027 ● Exclusive petrol-powered sports car to break cover first in 2023 ALFA Romeo looks set to steal sales from the BMW 5 Series with a large electric car that will be on sale by 2027 – by which time Alfa’s line-up will be fully electric – according to the firm’s CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato. Despite the large SUV sector’s profitability, the new flagship model will take a more traditional shape. Asked by Auto Express if the brand was developing a larger model as part of its future all-electric portfolio, Imparato told us, “We [Alfa Romeo] have a vocation to be a worldwide premium brand so I have to be in the view of the premium E segment [large…

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) 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: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/130mph Running costs 48.6mpg (official) £101 fill-up WE’VE already tested Citroen’s big C5 X in the UK in plug-in hybrid form, and we very much liked the blend of space, efficiency, comfort and value it offered. And this cheaper, pure petrol version looks like it could serve up more of the latter. It’s powered by a 128bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo unit, which doesn’t sound like all that much when you realise it has to drive a large family hatch-cum-estate. However, with 230Nm of torque and mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s smooth-shifting but not the fastest, there’s an acceptable level of performance for such a big machine. Officially, the 0-62mph sprint takes 10.4 seconds, but in reality that’s not at all how you drive…

MODELTESTED: Vauxhall Astra 1.2 Turbo GS Line PRICE: £27,210 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 129bhp Running costs 47.0mpg (on test) £98 fill-up/£165 or 30% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 422/1,339 litres Performance 0-60mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/130mph THIS is the eighth generation of the Vauxhall Astra and it marks a radical development for the brand’s family hatchback in terms of design and the engineering under the skin. We’re testing the mid-spec 1.2 Turbo GS Line model (predicted to be the biggest seller), which costs £27,210. Design & engineering WITH Vauxhall part of the Stellantis group, this all-new Astra uses the same EMP2 platform as sister brand Peugeot’s 308. This multi-energy architecture allows for plug-in hybrid power, while a full-electric Astra will arrive next year. But it’s the more affordable pure-petrol 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo…

Vauxhall Astra PureConnect Multimedia Key features: Digital instrument panel BEFORE we fully assess Vauxhall’s infotainment system, it’s worth pointing out that while launch versions of the Astra will feature the PureConnect infotainment system tested here, from 2023 GS Line and Ultimate trims will get a larger and upgraded system. The basic function and menu layouts are largely the same, however. The Astra’s home screen is split into three main pages, which can be accessed by swiping on the display; there are music and temperature settings on the first, navigation on the second, and two rows of tile icons for apps on the third. The loading times are the slowest of this trio; it takes longer to process a navigation route than in the other two. The digital dials aren’t as…

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A CLEAN sweep of braking and handling in both wet and dry is the foundation for the success of the new-for-2021 Potenza Sport. Perhaps it should be no surprise because the tyre seems to straddle the Ultra High Performance/Ultra Ultra High Performance categories, appearing in tests for both sectors since its launch – and the alternative Turanza T005 would likely have struggled in this company based on previous experience. While the advantage was clear, the margins were small. Behind the wheel, it felt direct and secure in the wet. The rear faithfully followed the front despite impressive grip through turns, and the braking advantage could also be detected, slowing in to a hairpin at the end of a long straight without triggering the anti-lock system. That sporty feeling was carried over…

Q Must EVs obey emissioncutting speed limits? WHEN I was driving on the M1 through Sheffield, a 60mph speed limit was in place to reduce emissions. If I had been driving an electric car, would I still have had to obey this or could I have carried on at 70mph? Robert Sturrock, E-mail A NATIONAL Highways is trialling reduced speed limits to cut NO2 levels on parts of the strategic road network. When these limits are in force, all cars – including EVs – must obey them. National Highways acknowledges that EVs have no tailpipe emissions, but says that it can’t safely make provisions for allowing different types of the same class of vehicle to travel at different speeds on the same road. Q Will my insurance policy cover more…

THE 100 million men, I call them. That’s because the duo – Tim Shaw and Fuzz Townshend, who co-present television series Car SOS – have roughly that many viewers across the globe. Sadly, this is the era when many slick, pretty, ‘celebrity’ presenters front programmes about all manner of specialist subjects they know nothing about. So it’s refreshing to see a pair of proper, rough-around-the-edges, not-so-pretty car blokes (both with strong engineering backgrounds) hosting and getting their hands dirty on a real-world show about real-world cars, people and emotions. As for the unapproachable celeb status they should’ve stooped to by now, they just don’t have the time for that rubbish. This was demonstrated at the start of The British Motor Show last August when they stood in the main lobby…