Table of contents for 1644 in Auto Express

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “We are not a brand that takes design guidance from a luxury limousine, so it was important to create a statement”KLAUS BUSSE FCA chief designer AFTER years of setbacks, Maserati has finally unveiled the model that should reignite its fortunes: the all-new MC20. It marks the beginning of a new era for Maserati, one that’s set to turn the famous Italian marque into a real rival for the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, as well as former stablemate Ferrari. It also marks the start of a new era of propulsion for the brand; although the MC20 will debut with an advanced mid-engined V6 motor, it has been designed with fully electric power in mind, too. The Nettuno V6 engine features twin turbos and is the first engine produced…

VOLKSWAGEN is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to developing a new fleet of EVs, and our spy photographers have caught a new flagship electric SUV on camera during its development testing. Expected to be badged the ID.6, it’s a model primarily for the Chinese market; there’s no official word yet on whether the new model will be sold in Europe. But the fact that this test mule was spotted undergoing testing in the Alps could mean it’s more likely than we first thought. The ID.6 was previewed by the ID. Roomzz concept at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show – and this development mule appears to have retained most of the show car’s styling features. VW has ditched the concept’s wing-mounted cameras and swapped its dot-matrix front…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy “Proto previews the next in the famous Z series, but in a shock move, it won’t come to Europe” THE Nissan Z Proto, a new concept which previews a twin-turbocharged V6, rear-wheel-drive sports car, will be the next in the famous Z series from the Japanese brand. But in a shock move, the firm has already ruled out bringing the production model to Europe. The Z Proto incorporates classic Z styling cues, even referencing the yellow paint that was a common choice on the original 240Z and the 300ZX from the nineties. The car’s stance also retains ‘haunches’ around the C-pillars – a key cue from previous Nissan sports cars, including the 350Z and 370Z. At the front, the semi-circular LED headlights in the nose are unashamedly a…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Skoda Enyaq FROM: Adam C HANDSOME, with a decent range and a cabin that shames far pricier models, has Skoda now replaced Volkswagen as the true manufacturer of ‘people’s cars’? And how can they sell this from just £30,000? It seems like a great deal. FROM: Simon Jones AN aggressive-looking car that can be interpreted as designers focusing on performance, when it could have had a softer style to emphasise the planet and the car’s eco credentials. I’m somewhat disappointed on first impressions. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “We’re heading towards Tron with the light-up grille. It will be light-up wheels next!” Martyn Richard Faizey ■…

BMW M135i Price from: £37,470 RIGHT in the same ballpark as the new S3 is BMW’s latest M135i. It has 2.0-litre four-cylinder power, and 302bhp is sent to all four wheels via an automatic gearbox for a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds, identical to the S3. It’s marginally cheaper than the Audi, but shares its main flaw: it’s quick and has plenty of grip, but is a little characterless, especially when compared with the six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive M140i that came before it. MERCEDES-AMGA35 Price from: £38,360 ALONGSIDE the BMW, the A 35 stakes a claim as another premium-brand rival for the Audi. It’s a familiar recipe, with 2.0-litre four-cylinder power sending 302bhp and 400Nm torque to all four wheels, albeit through a frustratingly slack gearbox. Optional aero kit means buyers can…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Running costs 50.4mpg (official) £44 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 14.7 seconds/96mph THE Fiat Panda has turned the ripe old age of 40, but even stalwarts of the motoring world can’t escape the shift towards electrification. Fiat isn’t meddling with the Panda formula too much, though, fitting it with the mildest of mild-hybrid systems. It’s on sale in the UK now. Under the bonnet of this new variant is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine that has been paired with a 12-volt integrated-belt starter generator, which is able to harvest and store energy lost during braking and deceleration in a small battery. That stored energy then allows the car’s engine to shut down when the Panda is coasting (providing the power steering set-up with electricity, for example) and can…

NEW PRODUCT Pioneer VREC-DH200 dash cam Price: £129.99 Contact: www.pioneer-car.eu IF you hate windscreen clutter but want a dash cam, the latest one to join the Pioneer line-up could be for you. The VREC-DH200 has a single forward lens and does away with a built-in monitor, which has allowed the brand to build an ultra-compact cam into a roughly three-centimetre cube. The diminutive design does not mean Pioneer has skimped on features, because the newcomer comes with built-in GPS, monitoring time, speed, direction and position, plus WiFi to connect to the Pioneer Dash Camera smartphone app. A parking mode that runs on an internal battery and records footage if a vibration sensor is triggered, is also included. The smartphone app helps determine the optimal camera position, and is also…

Goodwood reveals SpeedWeek line-up GOODWOOD has announced the line-up of presenters for its first ever (Covid-influenced) SpeedWeek@ Home event. Making up for the lack of Goodwood events through the year, SpeedWeek aims to provide the same immersive experience streamed live to viewers at home through the Goodwood website and social media channels between October 16-18. It will be presented by broadcaster and DJ Dermot O’Leary (right), motoring journalist and presenter Rory Reid, Capital FM’s Sian Welby, and GP winner Mark Webber. Sign up for updates or find out more by visiting www.goodwood.com. Jag driver’s limitededition shades EYEWEAR brand Taylor Morris has partnered with Jaguar Formula E driver Mitch Evans to produce his own signature frame. Based on Evans’ favourite Louis Orson design, the glasses feature a black acetate body with…

CO2/tax 115-160g/km £30-£205 Running costs 48-62mpg (2.0 TDI 140) £83 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.8 seconds/132mph WHEN Rover launched the P5 coupé in 1962, it introduced the concept of a premium saloon with a more rakish roofline. What Rover didn’t do was inspire its rivals to come up with their own sleek saloons, which is why when Mercedes launched the CLS in 2004, many assumed that it was being truly innovative. But it wasn’t, and neither was Volkswagen four years later, when it came up with a Passat saloon-cum-coupé spin-off called the CC. But the fact the idea wasn’t new doesn’t matter; Mercedes and VW both introduced cars that were desirable, and crucially in the case of the VW, the Passat CC was eminently affordable, with a £21,040 starting price.…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram IT’S a few months later than usual, but one of the greatest events of the annual motorsport calendar is finally here. The 88th Le Mans 24 Hours, running in its Covidenforced mid-September slot, will see drivers contend with an extra four hours of night time running, compared to its usual June date. Toyota enters the penultimate round of the 2019/20 season as favourites, but with Le Mans counting for double points in the championship, there’s everything to play for among the top three cars in the LMP1 class. The Toyota Gazoo Racing team currently sits in first and second places in the overall standings, with the number seven car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José Maria Lopéz leading team-mates Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Kazuki Nakajima. Conway,…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THIS is the new Hyundai Tucson, the fourth generation of the brand’s global best-seller and rival to the Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008. It has undergone a total rethink inside and out, introducing a new and distinctive design language that will be kept unique to the Tucson. Combined with some key technology and chassis updates, it’s part of a grand plan hatched by the Korean brand to push its SUV further upmarket. Hyundai previewed this new Tucson late in 2019 with the bold-looking Vision T concept. The production version features many of the Vision T’s styling cues, and it looks like little else in Hyundai’s line-up. The front is dominated by a new grille, with parametric detailing and integrated LED running lights that are designed to…

Chief designer for Maserati’s parent group, FCA, Busse led the team that came up with the MC20 Q Why did you start Maserati’s reinvention with a supercar? A “We are a brand born in motorsport, we are not a brand that takes its design guidance or DNA from a luxury limousine, so it was important to create a statement.” Q What’s your favourite design feature on it? A “It doesn’t have a single graphic feature like an air intake – it’s a pure sculpture. The car itself is that one feature in all its purity and that beautiful shape, which we could only do in collaboration with the engineering team.” Q How did you approach the design of a car that can have V6 or EV power? A “By designing…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn JAGUAR’s biggest-selling model, the F-Pace, has been given a thorough overhaul. The British car maker has tweaked its exterior styling, completely redesigned the cabin and introduced new mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Visual updates are subtle, but up front revised LED lights have been added, and they now feature the twin J-shaped lighting signature first seen on the I-Pace, along with an enlarged grille. At the back new LED tail-lamps have also been installed. Most of Jaguar’s design budget has been spent inside; as the firm’s design director, Julian Thompson, puts it, “Interiors are the new battleground.” The F-Pace’s cabin is almost unrecognisable from the original model’s; a centrally-mounted 11.4-inch curved-glass HD touchscreen sits on the centre of the dash and features Jag’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system,…

New electric BMW SUV names its price BMW has confirmed that its first electric SUV – the iX3 (above) – will go on sale in the UK next summer, priced from £61,000. Buyers get equipment above and beyond standard X3 kit, while the drivetrain comprises a 80kWh battery and a rear-mounted 282bhp electric motor. BMW claims a maximum range of 285 miles on a single charge. Recharging can be handled at up to 150kW, enabling 0-80 per cent top-ups in 34 minutes. Lockdown shows no benefit for air quality TRAFFIC may not be a key contributor to one of the worst types of air pollution, after the University of Stirling found a 65 per cent reduction in vehicles during lockdown didn’t correlate with a drop in toxic fine particulate matter…

MORE than half of all car drivers break 30mph speed limits, official figures have revealed. Department for Transport (DfT) statistics for 2019 show that 54 per cent of drivers exceeded 30mph speed limits when traffic was free-flowing, with one in five travelling at more than 35mph, and six per cent doing in excess of 40mph. Those figures are in sharp contrast to 60mph zones, where 91 per cent of car drivers stick to limits. The statistics also reveal that 50 per cent of drivers on motorways exceed 70mph, with 12 per cent travelling at more than 80mph. Only one per cent of lorries broke motorway limits – a fact no doubt due to the fitment of speed limiters – but a worrying 44 per cent of HGVs were observed to speed…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk LAST weekend’s Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello saw the official celebration of Ferrari’s 1,000th Formula One race. While the exact number varies depending on whether you count race entries or race starts, there’s no disputing the fact that the Scuderia is the both the oldest surviving and most successful team in the sport, having won the constructors’ world championship 16 times. But Ferrari has also faced dark and difficult days over the years; here, we pick out some of the most significant highs and lows. 1,000th Race Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest surviving team in Formula One, and has won the constructors’ crown on 16 occasions 1951 BRITISH GRAND PRIX: First win FERRARI has been in F1 since the first Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950, but with Alfa Romeo…

Running costs 188.3mpg (off icial) £46 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/140mph This is the new skoda Octavia vRs iV Estate. While those first three letters are familiar to fans of the hot wagon, the second pair won’t be. The iV relates to the Czech brand’s electrified models, because this time around the vRs is available with emissions-busting plug-in hybrid tech. it’s the more potent of two PhEV systems available in this latest Octavia, and in both cases, the hardware is identical to the new Golf PhEV models. For the hot vRs option, the system matches the Golf GTE’s: that means there’s a four-cylinder 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol with 148bhp under the bonnet, plus a 13kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor feeding a 114bhp electric motor. The systems muster up their…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs £53 fill-up £465 or 12% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 452/1,328 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/112mph YOU will, by now, be used to Auto Express testers warning you about the sort of fuel economy you can achieve in a plug-in hybrid if you don’t, well, plug it in. This type of vehicle can save you huge bills on company car tax, but if you don’t actually give it electricity on a regular basis, it can quickly become just an inefficient petrol car. This issue has been on my mind ever since I took delivery of our Volvo XC40 PHEV, not least because I have recent history of running pure-electric cars, with the resulting drop in fuel bills, and I’m keen to not see the costs…

products@autoexpress.co.uk Sprucing up a grubby soft-top Q I’VE been self-isolating and not used my car much for a while. It has a soft-top roof, which is now looking pretty grubby. What’s the best way to clean it? Will car shampoo work? Seb Drayson, E-mail A SPECIALIST products are best for fabric roofs, because car shampoo and snow foam take a lot of rinsing to remove. Our tests found Gtechniq has the best combination with its W2 Multi Purpose Cleaner, and I1Smart Fabric V2 (above). Renovo also makes a Reviver for soft-tops. Advice on DIY air-con regas Q HAVE you done any reviews on air-conditioning recharge gas? I know the main one is R134A, but a couple of other brands claim their products are mixable with R134A? Are they safe for…

KEEPING hydrated on a long journey is essential, with studies from Loughborough University showing that even mild dehydration can have similar effects to driving under the influence of alcohol. So keeping water in your car is a great idea, but in hot weather it could quickly become unappetisingly tepid. The answer is to keep it in an insulated bottle, which will slow the rate of change. As well as keeping liquids cool, they can also help retain heat – although it’s tricky to clean these narrow-mouthed bottles properly, so we’d only recommend filling them with water. The best-seller is Chilly’s – here it meets the new twin-topped Contigo Matterhorn. Both are made of double-walled stainless steel with vacuum insulation and cost £20. The Contigo has more capacity than the Chilly’s…

Dear Tristan, I’ve got £35,000 to spend on a premium family SUV. What sort of options are available with this budget? Jason Purvess, E-mail Contact: Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk THE SLEEK CHOICE Audi Q5 FOR: Classy cabin, easy to live with, digital dash display AGAINST: Least exciting car of the three to drive MAINSTREAM Audi models typically prioritise technology and cabin design over outright driving dynamics, and this is the case with the Q5, which is the least involving car here to drive. It’s by no means compromised, but the X3 and F-Pace are more rewarding from behind the wheel. The Q5’s well built cabin is less dour than the X3’s, though. Your budget nets a 2020 242bhp 45 TFSI Q5 with 4,000 miles on the clock or, if you’d prefer diesel power,…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler ELSEWHERE at Maserati, the company has also confirmed that it will launch an all-new SUV in 2021, called the Grecale. It’s the Italian brand’s first mid-size premium crossover, and it will slot into the company’s line-up beneath the existing Levante. And when the Grecale reaches the European market, it has been designed to compete against established rivals such as the Porsche Macan and BMW X3. The new model will be built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but it’ll be powered by a version of the new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine used in the MC20 supercar (previous page). Performance figures for the SUV have yet to be confirmed – but the Nettuno engine is capable of producing up to 622bhp and 730Nm of torque. However,…

1,080bhp electric saloon unleashed US company Lucid Motors has revealed the production version of the 1,080bhp Lucid Air electric saloon (above) – the world’s most powerful production saloon. The flagship model uses an in-house-developed 113kWh battery, which provides a maximum range of 517 miles on the US EPA test regime. 620bhp and 800bhp versions will also be available. The car goes on sale in the US next year, priced from $95,000 – roughly £73,000. Selected European sales will follow. MoT survey reveals ‘clocked’ mileage risk UP to 2.5 million vehicles may have been subject to clocking, after an analysis of seven million MoT records found 6.32 per cent had mileage discrepancies – equivalent to 2.5m vehicles nationwide. Vehicle history firm Rapid Car Check found 414,159 vehicles with reduced mileages from…

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…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 325/1,145 litres Running costs 35.4mpg (official) £63 fill-up THIS is the new Audi S3, one of two hot A3 models on the way (the five-cylinder RS 3 is due in 2021) and the company’s answer to the Mercedes-AMG A 35, the latest BMW M135i and the upcoming Volkswagen Golf R. As such, the S3 still retains a position at the very top end of the hot hatchback performance ladder, without skirting too close to the 400bhp-plus now put out by super-hatches such as the Mercedes-AMG A 45 and likely the next RS 3. It’s an exercise in evolution, not just in terms of how it looks, but also under the skin. That’s because despite this being a new-generation S3, dramatic changes really are few…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy Running costs Fuel economy tbc £52 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.3 secs (est)/155mph THE Volkswagen Golf GTI was the original hot hatch, but in recent times it has not been the hot hatch. Rivals like the Honda Civic Type R have outshone VW’s icon by offering more extreme performance and handling, mixed with just about enough everyday usability. The stakes are high, then, for the Mk8 Golf GTI – and we’ve had the first chance to drive an example on UK roads. Not that VW has panicked and ripped up the rulebook here, of course. As with pretty much every generation of Golf since the beginning, it’s a case of evolution. Like the Audi S3 and Skoda Octavia vRS on the previous pages, the Mk8 GTI uses the…

FIRST TEST Nuna Arra Price: £350 Contact: nunababy.com THE Nuna Arra is a new rear-facing child seat suitable for babies weighing up to 13kg and between 40-85cm in height, and comes as a package comprising the seat and an Isofix base. That base is relatively compact, with a pair of Isofix arms that sit proud of the main unit, which means they’re easy to locate into your car’s fixing points. The seat clamps easily to the base, too, with a clear red/green indicator showing when it has been fitted correctly. Small bars pop out of each side of the seat, and these are designed to absorb energy from side-impact collisions. Despite weighing just 3.9kg without inserts and canopy, the Arra seat feels surprisingly durable, and its lightness makes it simple…

John Haynes: The Man Behind The Manuals Ned Temko (Haynes Publishing, www.haynes.com) Price: £20 THE long-awaited biography of the man described within as ‘the most important man in car repair history’. It deals with Haynes’ life, painting a picture of a family man with a passion for the business he created. A generation of DIY mechanics owe plenty to him, and will find his life and times interesting. ROFGO Collection Doug Nye (Porter Press, www.porterpress.co.uk) Price: £75 FEW colour schemes are as recognisable as the blue and orange of Gulf Oil, and one collector has amassed 22 cars linked by their liveries. The collection is detailed in this beautifully printed and photographed (albeit pricey) book, with everything from Ford GT40s and McLaren F1s to the incredibly rare Howmet turbine car.…

Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk What do the black lines on concrete motorways do? Q I WAS travelling down a concrete section of motorway recently and wondered what those black lines are that appear at regular intervals? They make the road surface even noisier! Can you tell me what they do? Alan Jacob, E-mail A CONCRETE motorways are laid in sections, with huge slabs laid at a time. The lines you describe are joints, and are there to absorb movement between the sections of concrete, as the road surface will shrink slightly in cold weather and expand when it is hot. Motorists generally do not like concrete sections of motorway because of the extra noise, but the 170 miles or so used in the UK are harder-wearing than asphalt, so are cheaper to maintain.…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100kph), in seconds. ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS: Combined WLTP economy figure in miles per gallon and emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. WARRANTY: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, 12 months’ road tax, number plates and first registration.…

Join the debate now at autoexpress.co.uk/opinion FOR a third of a century, most of Japan’s major car makers have invited me over to the Land of the Rising Yen, or let me gatecrash their HQs, design and engineering centres, test tracks, staff canteens, worryingly hi-tech toilet facilities – places like that. Among the more memorable firms to host me were Tokyo (and world) No.1 Toyota, plus neighbouring, underrated, misunderstood Mitsubishi. Also special was Mazda of Hiroshima, which was – and still is – classy, and punching above its weight. Deliciously different Daihatsu in wonderfully wacky Osaka was bonkers, but with a lovely, rarely seen serious side and a massive potential that, sadly, it never realised. Most impressive of the lot? Honda. Based in Tokyo, but building and owning its own,…