Table of contents for 1693 in Auto Express

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods • 831bhp from PHEV drivetrain • Built for speed, not range MERCEDES-AMG has revealed this new AMG GT 4-Door 63 S E-Performance, its first plug-in hybrid, which is aimed directly at the mega-powerful Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. It’s the most potent production car that Mercedes has ever made, and yet it can run on electric power alone. At the heart of the new AMG GT variant is the turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine that is used across many of AMG’s products. The nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system of the AMG GT 4-Door 63 S are also carried over. They are now joined by a battery and electric motor, which power the rear axle through their own two-speed transmission, and is integrated with an electronically controlled limited-slip…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk @Motoring • Firefighters concerned that EVs in car parks could spread flames “Thatcham says there’s currently no evidence of an increased incidence of EV fires relative to ICE cars” THE insurance industry-funded research lab at Thatcham is keeping tabs on the frequency and causes of electric and hybrid car fires, as it monitors the risk. EV fires have made frequent headlines, with Dutch firefighters being called to the first recorded Volkswagen ID.3 fire in recent days (pictured). It was a so-called battery ‘runaway’ fire, with a series of explosions heard by witnesses, firefighters said, and VW is looking into its cause. Last week, Chevrolet extended an ongoing fire risk recall to all 150,000 Bolt EVs sold in the US at a reported cost of $1.8bn (£1.3bn), and Bolt owners…

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 FROM: Andrew Smith AT least it looks different from your typical SUV; that has to win the GV60 some points! The 251-mile range could be a little better, but with the same underpinnings as the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, I’m sure it will be competent. FROM: Luke Geoffrey I’M not getting premium vibes from this. Even the colour choice somehow seems wrong. It’s a shame, as I want to see Genesis do well. I’m especially not a fan of the split lights at the back. Reminds me of a Lexus from the early 2000s. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “I really like the contrast of the yellow…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Running costs 29.7mpg (official) £89 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.1 seconds/149mph THIS is the GV70, the latest model to join the family of the fledgling Genesis brand. The Hyundai-owned premium make has now reached Europe to tackle a market where the established German makers dominate. It’s pitched as a rival to the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC, as well as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Jaguar F-Pace and Volvo XC60. There really isn’t a bad car in that list, so it’ll be quite an achievement to match any of them at Genesis’s first attempt. Prices start from £39,450, meaning the GV70 undercuts all of those rivals. Even the top-spec petrol-powered Luxury Line only comes in at £44,370. Below Luxury Line there’s also Premium Line and Sport Line…

MODELTESTED: Renault Captur TCe 140 R.S. Line PRICE: £25,300 ENGINE: 1.3-litre 4cyl, 138bhp Running costs 47.7mpg (WLTP) £61 fill-up/£155 or 30% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 404/1,275 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.3 seconds/122mph OUR favourite compact SUV of the moment is facing its sternest challenge yet in this company. The model in our photos is the R.S. Line trim paired with the TCe 140 petrol engine and automatic gearbox, but for the purposes of this test we’ll be matching its specs to the rivals here. That means we’re basing our numbers on the manual version, which before options is priced at £25,300. Design & engineering THE Captur is underpinned by the CMF-B platform, that’s shared with the Clio supermini and the Nissan Juke. The structure is more rigid and safer…

Products@autoexpress.co.uk JUST as last year, the Covid-19 pandemic meant we had to make changes to our annual test of the tyres that the majority of UK drivers will use all year round. Testing summer tyres, as the rest of Europe calls them, is vital for Auto Express and we were determined to ensure you have all you need to know when it comes to choosing the best replacements for your car as mileages return to pre-pandemic levels. Travel restrictions meant we had to change the way we gathered our results, though, and with the help of Continental, all the objective tests were conducted by staff at its Contidrom facility near Hanover, Germany. With restrictions still in place, we sought the help of an independent tyre tester in Germany, who has…

OUR last test in this size marked the return of British brand Avon to our assessments, after a break of more than a decade. It finished last then, but it is back again with the same ZV7 and has made progress, because it has not only gained one place, but it is also a step closer to the top performers. Yet again we found its A-rated wet grip label at odds with our results across six tests, rather than just the braking of the EU grading. The Avon has improved since last time, not only beating the struggling Dunlop and puzzling Pirelli, but also matching the Bridgestone and Nokian, although there still areas of concern. The ZV7 really doesn’t like deep water, particularly when the grooves are distorted during cornering.…

FALLEN champs are a theme in this test, and here’s another former winner that failed to match earlier achievements. There had been warning signs, because it was fifth in our SUV test and the PremiumContact 6 finished seventh last year, so a replacement can’t come soon enough. There were flashes of its former prowess with second in wet braking, a priority for Continental. Yet it was a step behind the Hankook, which stopped more than a metre shorter. It was a touch off the leaders on the wet-handling circuit, but felt secure with front grip limiting progress, as can be seen in the cornering result, where it was last. That held its lap time back and saw it finish more than a second off the winner, but it felt better…

DUTCH tyre maker Vredestein has been busy during the pandemic launching a series of new designs, and the Ultrac arrived early this year. It’s arrival also marked Vredestein’s return to our summer tyre test, after an absence of some years. This result shows that its R&D centre hasn’t been wasting its time, with the tyre showing improvements both in the wet and dry over its predecessor. The performance is pretty well balanced between the two surfaces, with a great win in wet handling. The Ultrac and the Hankook were a step ahead of the competition around the handling track, and from behind the wheel it was no surprise that the Vredestein took the win, because it gripped where others just skated across the soaked surface. Front grip was impressive, and…

CO2/tax 100-104g/km Free-£20 Running costs 70-72mpg (1.5 dCi 110) £71 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 12.4 seconds/114mph MANUFACTURERS generally play safe with their cars because getting it wrong can prove disastrous – but not all companies are the same. Renault stands out when it comes to taking risks and innovating, and while some of its business decisions have been questionable over the years (such as the Avantime and Vel Satis), this French firm has also created some all-time greats. These include the 1960s R4 and R16, while in the 1990s it came up with the Scenic, a brilliant, Mégane-based MPV. Rivals latched on, and soon there were numerous small MPVs on the market – but changing tastes mean virtually all have now disappeared, including the Scenic and its bigger, seven-seat brother,…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Kia develops Sportage specifically for European market • Plug-in, hybrid and mild-hybrid technology on offer KIA has unveiled its all-new Euro-spec fifth-generation Sportage family SUV, with plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains confirmed for the Korean brand’s rival to the Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai. It’s the first time Kia has built a Sportage specifically for the European market, with this new car featuring a 75mm-shorter wheelbase than the global Sportage. The new car has been developed with three key pillars in mind, according to Kia. The first focuses on innovative design, the second on advanced technology and the third on making the car more fun to drive. As a result of the shorter wheelbase, the European car’s styling features a few tweaks compared with the global car’s. These…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Top-selling Skoda will be first core VW Group car to be pure EV • Boss confirms new model will arrive in second half of decade THE current Skoda Octavia is likely to get a pure-electric successor in the second half of this decade, the company’s boss has suggested, providing one of the first examples of a current core VW Group model that will evolve to full electrification. The Czech manufacturer has already committed to a smaller pure-electric model that will arrive by 2025 and sit beneath the Enyaq iV in its line-up. It’s all but certain to be another SUV, and the same will apply to a more affordable EV that’s due around a year later, using the VW Group’s forthcoming MEB Entry architecture. VW Group brands…

WE’VE captured more images of the soon-to-be-revealed updated Ford Fiesta wearing less camouflage than ever before. Our spies spotted the refreshed Fiesta in sporty ST-Line trim ahead of its debut later this year; resculpted front bumper vents are visible, along with a new honeycomb mesh for the grille. The headlight clusters have also been refreshed, featuring a new LED running light signature, while changes at the rear are less extensive. Inside, the popular supermini could inherit the digital dash from the Puma crossover, while it’s likely mild-hybrid versions of Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost unit will make up the majority of the engine options.…

Tackling the motoring issues that matter CAST your minds back to the Brit List rundown of the most influential people in the motor industry (Issue 1,683) and you may recall discussions around diversity, and how underrepresented some demographics were. Well, back then I promised Auto Express I would look into this subject more closely – which is why I’ve spent some time talking to senior and influential motor-industry figures. I wanted to find out not just what the state of play is on this important topic, but also how people from minority groups made their way towards the top, and what individuals from diverse backgrounds can offer one of the world’s most exciting industries. I felt it important to understand the journeys faced by a number of people who fall…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk “This is a seriously rapid SUV that feels spookily sharp to drive, even by Porsche’s lofty standards” AS part of Porsche’s updates to its Macan SUV, it has axed the Turbo range-topper, so if you want a performance-focused Macan, the GTS is now the choice. Then again, ever since the GTS first appeared in 2015 to fill the not-especially-wide gap between the Macan S and the Macan Turbo, it’s always been quite busy at the top of the Macan range. So a little housework seems like a welcome move. At £64,770, the new 434bhp, 169mph GTS supersedes the Turbo and brings with it a unique personality all of its own. From a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, it produces 434bhp and 550Nm of torque so on paper it’s as quick…

MODELTESTED: Hyundai Bayon 1.0 T-GDi MHEV iMT Ultimate PRICE: £25,045 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 118bhp Running costs 53.3mpg (WLTP) £54 fill-up/£145 or 28% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 334/1,205 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/115mph PRICES for the Bayon start from £20,295, although here we have the top-spec Ultimate version paired with the most powerful mild-hybrid engine. In this trim, it comes to £25,045, while the ‘Intense Blue’ paintwork adds an extra £550. Design & engineering YOU could be excused for looking at the Bayon with a little confusion. Not because of the dramatic angular looks, but because anyone who is familiar with Hyundai’s current line-up might wonder how it’s any different from a Kona. The pair are almost identical in length, although the Bayon is ever so slightly narrower and…

Hyundai Bayon Full name 10.25-inch Touchscreen Nav Key features: 10-year software updates SETTLING on the best infotainment set-up between the Renault and Hyundai is tough; both do an excellent job, but for slightly different reasons. We’re just going to give Hyundai’s the nod here, because the menu layouts are the most logical and, while the graphics aren’t quite as sharp or as pretty as the Captur’s, the no-nonsense style is very easy to comprehend, even with the sort of quick glances that are necessary on the move. Kit is generous, too. Every Bayon gets a digital driver’s display as standard that lets you scroll through a range of driving and entertainment functions via controls on the steering wheel, and the graphics change colour according to the driving mode selected. Only…

Darren_Wilson@autovia.co.uk Running costs 52.2mpg (on test) £49 fill-up £145 or 7% tax THE great thing about reviewing long-term test cars is you (and they) get a second chance. My first report on our SEAT Leon e-hybrid focused on my frustrations at not being able to make the most of charging the plug-in hybrid. I was also struggling with the sub-menus on the infotainment system. What a difference time and a couple of full battery charges has made to my opinion. To recap, I’ve been hindered by the lack of a driveway to charge the Leon at my London home – not an uncommon problem in urban areas. However, extended trips away to see family with driveway parking enabled me to run the SEAT as intended – basically on electric power…

IT’S hard to know what’s going on with the latest C2 version of the P7, because yet again it hasn’t troubled the leaders. It’s not what we’d expect from a tyre by the Formula One supplier. It has moved up from joint last in our 2020 16-inch test, but has fallen further away from the winning performance, because last year it was just 1.6 per cent off first place. Across the wet tests it only beat the ageing Dunlop, with the deficit in both shallow and deep water. Last year we saw a lack of balance, with a strong front not matched by the rear, and it remains in this bigger size. Power off through corners or turn in off the throttle and the rear moved much too easily –…

THERE’S little to choose between former test winners Goodyear and Continental, with the former delivering a slightly more balanced performance. Last time out the Asymmetric 5 was a top-three finisher in our SUV test, despite a poor fuel economy result that was surprising for what was then a new tyre. That high rolling resistance was still there two years later, with the Goodyear only outperforming Michelin. It was much more assured elsewhere and shared a sharpness behind the wheel with Continental. It was the best around the dry-handling course, combining precise steering with good front grip on the throttle and a great lap time. It was also close to the best in braking, around a metre off the winner. That same lively steering was there in the wet, too, where…

ELSEWHERE in this test we’ve seen former winners struggling to repeat their success. That’s emphatically not the case for Michelin, which obviously knows a thing or two about evolving a design through its life to maintain performance. The Pilot Sport 4 made its debut in our 2016 test and won it. Since then it’s scored another podium finish, and it’s a well-deserved runner-up this year. It was rarely off the podium across the tests, apart from cabin noise and fuel economy. Long gone, it seems, are the days when the Michelin design philosophy was impressive fuel economy at the expense of wet grip. Even ignoring the Bridgestone, the Michelin’s rolling resistance result is a step or two off its rivals and perhaps a sign of its ageing design – it…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk • World RX heads to France • Hansen brothers lead series THIS weekend will see the World Rallycross circus move on to round three of the 2021 season in France. Lohéac in Brittany will play host to a battle of sibling rivalry between the Hansen brothers – following the last round in their native Sweden, Timmy leads his younger brother, and Peugeot 208 WRX team-mate, Kevin by six points in the overall driver’s standings. Up to 10,000 fans are expected to make the journey to Lohéac on 5 September for race day, and the 1,150-metre course is known for throwing up frantic action. The Hansen brothers will once again be expecting big things in France; while Covid saw the event drop off the calendar in 2020, last time the…

KIA Europe’s Sportage specialist tells us why this new fifth-generation car is a huge step for the Korean brand. Q Why did you choose to develop a Sportage specifically for Europe? A “Europe’s requirements are different. Towns and cities are more compact, which suits a shorter wheelbase. Doing two versions meant fewer compromises for each car, and more freedom for European tuning here, including for the electronic adaptive dampers that will be available.” Q Will we see an all-electric Sportage in the future as full EVs become more important? A “There’s currently no plan to offer the Sportage with a full-EV powertrain but we’ll continue to monitor market trends and our customers’ requirements. But full EV is huge for us, with cars such as EV6 and e-Niro.” Q How does…

SKODA has revealed a new range-topping version of its Enyaq iV, the 80x SportLine. The new arrival gets a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain producing 261bhp and 425Nm, enough for a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. The car has a 77kWh usable battery, delivering a range of 303 miles, while standard kit includes LED Matrix headlights, leather upholstery, carbon-fibre-effect trim in the cabin, and a more focused chassis, with a ride height lowered by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear. It’s on sale now, priced from £46,610.…

New Dacia MPV is in the starting blocks DACIA has confirmed that its replacement for the Europe-only Lodgy MPV will be called the Jogger. Set to be unveiled at the Munich Motor Show next week, the new seven-seater is based on Dacia’s CMF-B platform and will be a budget-priced alternative to van-based MPVs such as the Peugeot Rifter and Citroen Berlingo. The teaser image (above) shows an MPV-style silhouette with a squared-off rear to boost practicality. The Jogger is expected to launch in the UK in 2022. British show runners declare it a success THE British Motor Show sold 45,000 tickets over the three days it ran in its inaugural year, with organisers hailing the event a “staggering success”. Saturday 17 August was the busiest day for the event, when…

FIRE departments around the world must now confront the potential hazard of EV and hybrid batteries re-igniting spontaneously, hours after blazes have been extinguished. It can happen when chemical reactions in damaged or faulty battery cells cause an accelerating rise in temperatures, known as thermal runaway. One answer is to put burned-out EVs into mobile tanks where they can be immersed in cold water for 24 hours before disposal (pictured above).…

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 makers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Financial problems Financial Ombudsman: 0800 023 4567 Safety concerns/recalls www.check-mot.service.gov.uk…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods THE Yaris name now spans a family of small cars within the Toyota line-up; it’s a title applied to an efficient supermini, a searing hot hatch and now, a small SUV. This is the Yaris Cross, and it takes its name and some styling cues from its supermini counterpart, but mixes it with design inspiration from the larger RAV4. It’s a hybrid, so direct rivals include the Hyundai Kona hybrid and the Renault Captur E-Tech. The Yaris Cross is built on the same small-car TNGA platform as the regular Yaris supermini, with a drivetrain that consists of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine linked to a CVT transmission. A hybrid transaxle packages an electric generator and motor alongside each other on the front axle. The electric motor produces up…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Electric motor Power/range 92bhp/118 miles OUR first impression of the latest Fiat 500 was that the dinky EV is a huge leap forward over its fossil-fuelled predecessor in both philosophy and ability. The big-battery version holds its own in the style stakes against the likes of the MINI Electric. It also delivers significantly more range, at roughly 170 miles real-world, but it manages this while costing less. However, what if you don’t need that extra range? Fiat allows buyers to save even more cash with a model that has a smaller battery. As it stands, the priciest component in a typical EV is the battery, so to cut costs, Fiat has chopped its capacity down from 42kWh to 23.8kWh. Available in entry-level Action trim only, it’s priced from…

MODELTESTED: Citroen C3 Aircross PureTech 110 Shine Plus PRICE: £21,500 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 108bhp Running costs 51.5mpg (WLTP) £61 fill-up/£155 or 31% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 410/1,289 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.1 seconds/114mph THE C3 Aircross has consistently impressed us thanks to its competitive price – and the facelifted car maintains that tradition. This top-spec Shine Plus model, at £21,500 before options, is comfortably the cheapest car on test. Design & engineering THE C3 Aircross was first introduced in 2015, making it the oldest car of this bunch, and in such a fast-moving class, it’s one of the oldest in the segment. However, the range has been refreshed for 2021, which most notably has introduced a new front end whose X-shaped lighting arrangement aligns its look more closely with…

Ford Puma 1.0 E’Boost 125 MHEV ST-Line X PRICE: £24,345 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 123bhp THE UK’s most popular model in this class is also the best to drive. A huge boot offers impressive practicality, while a strong range of mild-hybrid turbo petrol engines and a comprehensive kit list come at a competitive price. Peugeot 2008 PureTech 130 GT PRICE: £26,515 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 128bhp THE only car in this class with an interior finished to a higher standard than the Captur, the handsome 2008 rides and handles well, too. The e-2008 EV has a 200-mile real-world range, but ICE cars are expensive compared with the most-talented rivals.…

Porsche Cayman THE custodian of our Cayman GTS, Steve Sutcliffe, reports that the car has a slightly old-school vibe, with its lovely manual gearbox and a 4.0-litre flat-six engine that makes a right old racket when you fire it up from cold. Just recently, though, it’s started to drink what seems to Steve like quite a lot of oil; as in two litres of Mobil One in not much more than 2,000 miles. When Steve poured the second litre in, then went to re-check the level via the digital dipstick within the car’s onboard system (there’s no physical dipstick) it came up with a “system temporarily not available” message. Which meant he couldn’t then check whether a) he’d poured in enough to keep the engine’s innards properly lubricated, or b)…

THE Dunlop Sport Maxx RT 2 has truly gone from hero to zero in just three years, because it was the joint runner up in our 2018 test. The five-year old RT 2 would normally be close to the end of its life, but with parent company Goodyear focusing heavily on its own products, it may be around for a while yet. Last time it was one of the wet-weather stars and was particularly effective in the aquaplaning tests. That performance is still there, with two podium finishes, but it was last in the handling and braking, and could only go one better in cornering. The braking result is a concern, because it was still travelling at 26mph when the remarkable Hankook had stopped, and 13mph when the next best…

FINNISH tyre maker Nokian tops a tightly packed group with Pirelli and Avon, where there’s precious little to choose between the three manufacturers. Nokian has also seen its performance drop, because the Powerproof won our 2019 SUV tyre test. It was the clear wet-weather star then, making a clean sweep of handling, cornering and braking. But the competition has moved on and there was to be no repeat in this car size, with the Powerproof taking fifth in the wet evaluations. A podium in the closely matched cornering test was its highlight. There was a general lack of grip from the front, which gave a stable rear but required lower entry speeds and less throttle through the turns. It was safe but not quick, and not what we felt when…

IT’S hard to look past its stellar fuel economy result when assessing the T005. It was no doubt assisted by being W speed rated rather than rival’s Y, which meant it was more than a kilo lighter than most of its rivals. That weight advantage, around 750g less than the next lightest, no doubt helped the rolling resistance result, but this performance cannot just be explained away by a different specification, because we have seen the T005 top the test by a healthy margin before. A four per cent fuel economy advantage over the next best is impressive and will appeal to some drivers, but the performance trade-off for good fuel economy is wet grip, and we can see that with the T005. It needed seven metres more to stop…

IT’S been interesting watching Hankook’s progress, because it has improved its tyres to the point where the Korean producer has secured original equipment listings with premium brands such as BMW and Audi. It has also crept up our test results, and this latest version of the S1 evo3 has taken its first win. Our emphasis on wet performance played to the tyre’s advantages, because it was a front runner here, including that remarkable wet braking result. To finish two metres ahead of the next-best Continental – which was still doing 13mph when the Ventus had stopped – deserves noting. It’s not just in a straight line where the Hankook works, because it was good on the wet handling circuit, marrying strong front-end performance with a grippy rear. The balance was…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q How can I restore the lost sparkle to my alloy wheels? I’M careful not to kerb my car, but the alloy wheels are losing some of their coating in places and they look a mess. Is there any other way they could have been damaged, and how can I get them fixed? Peter Roberts, E-mail A SOME alloy wheels can be susceptible to peeling of the lacquer, with salt and general road grime being common culprits. You may also want to check what solution you’ve washed your wheels with, in case it isn’t designed for alloys, and could be causing problems. There are specialist alloy wheel restorers who may be worth consulting for a quote on getting your alloys repaired. This may be cheaper than replacing…

López explains Toyota’s Le Mans issues JOSE Maria López has revealed the steps he and his team mates had to take to avoid a lengthy repair that would have cost them their maiden victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in August. Both the #7 Toyota of López, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi (above) and the runner up #8 of Buemi, Nakajima and Hartley suffered fuel pump issues that could have forced up to an hour stuck in the pits. The drivers had to switch the fuel pump off when braking into a corner, and switch it on again on the way out. “A quite complicated task at 350km/h,” said López, “to press a button when you are about to touch the brake and touch it again when you are…

THE stench of gross hypocrisy, deep despondency, and sheer lunacy was somewhat overwhelming during the final week of August. Let’s start with the hypocrite-in-chief – Dr Gail Bradbrook. She’s co-founder of Extinction Rebellion (XR) the pressure group that’s effectively declared war on cars, combustion engines, drivers and their passengers. Late last month the group was up to its tired old illegal antics of blocking driving lanes that car users were attempting to legally use. This despite the fact that the activists know that there’s nothing quite like a deliberate road blockage to significantly increase the tailpipe emissions which XR claims it’s trying to decrease. But is it? Really? Blocked highways inevitably mean stationary traffic, idling engines, greater pollution. Conversely, unblocked free-flowing lanes result in less environmental blight. Since there are…