Table of contents for 1499 in Auto Express

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan LAMBORGHINI has revealed a futuristic electric hypercar concept, built in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Called the Terzo Millennio, the model demonstrates innovative energy storage systems and ‘self-healing’ carbon fibre technology. The concept made its debut at MIT’s EmTech conference last week, and is the culmination of a year-long partnership between the Italian marque and the world-renowned American university. “Tiny channels in the bodywork will allow the damaged area to fill with ‘healing chemistries’” It’s based on a lightweight forged composite monocoque chassis, with a carbon fibre bodyshell. It’s no ordinary carbon, however; the project aims to develop a way of storing energy in the bodywork itself then using it to power the car’s functions. That’s not the most interesting development in material tech, though,…

Lotus unleashes its wildest Exige yet LOTUS has launched what it calls “the most extreme Exige ever”, with 430bhp, extra downforce and a price of £99,800. The Exige 430 (above) weighs just 1,056kg, can hit 62mph from rest in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 180mph. The 430 is a series production car, not a limited edition – although its high price means that it’s still likely to sell in relatively small numbers. New tax on diesel could be on the way NEW diesel vehicle buyers could face a fresh set of taxes, to be announced in the Autumn Budget on 22 November. The Financial Times claims Chancellor Philip Hammond is planning new tariffs on diesel car sales to balance the budget. It’s currently unclear whether any tax…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer CARS featuring self-driving tech will be subject to new safety criteria from mid-2018, Auto Express can reveal. Euro NCAP will introduce three new safety ratings – titled Basic, Advanced, and Superior. These will apply only to cars with autonomous tech on board and will complement the current five-star system. A new car would be given the usual rating out of five stars, with a supplementary Basic, Advanced or Superior judgement. The new criteria are likely to become part of the Euro NCAP 2025 ‘road map’, which aims to reward cars with advanced driver assistance systems. Matthew Avery, head of Thatcham Research – the UK crash test agency that works closely with Euro NCAP – told Auto Express that while full details of the new grades are still being…

IF you have a problem with your house or landlord, rather than going to the courts, you can get in touch with the Property Ombudsman. The same applies for those mistreated or misdiagnosed at hospitals: the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is there to help if the NHS isn’t picking up your complaint. It’s just over a year since the Motor Ombudsman was created to help motorists deal with dealer and manufacturer disputes. This year alone, the organisation has dealt with more than 28,000 cases and has given a verdict in more than 1,400 of them. It’s great drivers have somewhere to go when brands and dealers refuse to help, but the Motor Ombudsman isn’t without faults. A recent report suggests all of the UK’s ombudsmen could do more for…

Contact Hugo Griffiths mail@autpoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC New BMW X2 FROM: Erly5 DEFINITELY the best-looking SUV from BMW and quite possibly the most attractive car the firm has released recently (with the exception of the i8). But the interior design needs a rethink. It’s getting long in the tooth, with Audi, Mercedes and Jaguar doing it better. FROM: Wheats SHAME the X2 doesn’t look like the stunning concept. It’s a little gawky from some angles, especially the front, but it has a nice side profile and a driver-focused interior. The Jaguar E-Pace will probably steal a lot of sales in this sector if it’s priced right, though. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▪ “THIS is a change…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram IF there is one type of car guaranteed to make money, it’s SUVs. In recent years, Mercedes has seen huge success with its crossover range – covering all bases with everything from the cuddly GLA; through to the luxurious GLS and rugged G-Class 4x4. The brand has also noticed a surge in popularity for its sporty AMG models. So mixing the two makes perfect sense, surely? In response to that question, Mercedes has presented this: the all-new AMG GLC 63. Lifting the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the C 63 S and the new nine-speed MCT gearbox from the larger E 63, Mercedes offers a choice of two full-fat GLCs. The ‘entry’ version gets 469bhp, while the flagship AMG 63 ‘S’ tested here boasts 503bhp and a whopping…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor YOU can credit the BMW X3 for the rise in popularity of luxury mid-size SUVs. The German giant has shifted close to 1.5 million of them spread over two generations since 2003, and wants to dominate the class once and for all. For the last couple of years the Bavarian off-roader has looked a little past it, with big rival Mercedes launching the excellent GLC, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar introducing their desirable Stelvio and F-Pace models, and our current favourite, the Volvo XC60, becoming the class’s new yardstick. So BMW has thrown everything at the development of the new X3 in an attempt to take it back to the top of the tree. While it may not look it, the X3 is totally new; the styling is more…

Tom_Barnard@dennis.co.uk IF you’re going to spend a lot of money on a car – and a long time in it – it’s crucial to get the specification just right. One of the advantages of getting a new car is the ability to choose one that suits you perfectly. Endless hours can be spent on the online configurator getting the right balance of cost, gadgets and cosmetic additions. You could call it the joy of specs. But choosing the specification of a Mercedes E-Class must count as one of the most complicated order processes of any new car. The array of options, packs, colours and trims is a little bewildering. There’s the need to be careful too, as a few boxes ticked can quickly add a massive amount to the bill.…

NEW PRODUCT DOD LS500W Price: £269.00 Contact: www.amazon.co.uk DASH cam specialist DOD has launched the LS500W dual cam, which promises excellent night vision due to an expanded ISO range of 12,800. It has significantly improved capability in the dark compared with previous models. Both the front and rear cameras record in 1080p HD quality at 30 frames per second. The front one features a 145-degree ultra wide lens, while the rear has a 140-degree lens. The DOD’s night-time driving images will also be improved thanks to a large f1.6 aperture – the amount of light the camera is capable of capturing. DOD claims its cameras feature 66 per cent larger apertures than current rivals. On top of the LS500W, DOD released another dual cam, the RC500S earlier this year. Featuring…

New coin marks Fiat 500’s 60th birthday FIAT 500 enthusiasts are celebrating a special birthday: the 60th anniversary of the diminutive Italian people’s car. To mark the event, the Italian State Mint has released a limited-edition coin, featuring the old and new model on its faces. With a face value of €5, the coin displays both models on the front, with the words ‘Repubblica Italiana’, while the reverse has a profile and a dash shot of the 1957 car alongside the initial ‘R’ to show it was minted in Rome. Only 4,000 will be produced, and they can be purchased for €40 (approx £35) from www.ipzs.it. Robutt takes strain out of seat testing IT’S estimated that over a 10-year lifespan, a car seat will be sat on around 25,000 times.…

THE dark nights of winter are here, so more journeys will be made in gloomy conditions, making a torch an essential part of your emergency car kit. With a torch in the glovebox, you can tackle a repair or safely set off on foot to find help in the event of a breakdown. For those who don’t want the clutter of rechargeable designs we’ve focused on conventional battery-powered versions with the super-bright LEDs (light emitting diodes) that dominate the market. So which is the best winter companion? We powered up eight top sellers to find out. How we tested them WE used each of the torches under the bonnet of a test vehicle, where the ability to switch easily from spotlight to flood beams made life a great deal easier.…

BENTLEY has revealed an updated version of its Continental GT3 racer, based on the new road car that was unveiled recently. The firm says a weight of under 1,300kg has been achieved, while the car uses a development of its predecessor’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, making around 550bhp in unrestricted form. Bentley motorsport director Brian Gush said: “The new car leaves no area or system untouched in the search for even better performance, and the early test results are promising. The new Continental GT road car has proved to be a great starting point for the development of a new racer.” The car will make its race debut next spring, at the opening round of the Blancpain GT Series in Monza, Italy. VW teases Polo GTI R5 rally car VOLKSWAGEN…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ▪ All-new version of award-winning hatch in showrooms in 2019 ▪ Fresh styling, more cabin space and mild hybrid among highlights SEAT is hoping to capitalise on the success of its Ateca SUV by revealing a new generation of Leon hatchback within the next 18 months, Auto Express can reveal. Due in showrooms in the first half of 2019, the new Leon is part of a major product offensive from SEAT – the most intensive rollout of new or heavily revised models in the Spanish company’s history. Dr Matthias Rabe, the firm’s board member with responsibility for research and development, told Auto Express: “It’s our biggest push ever. We’ve had Ateca, now Arona, the renewal of Ibiza, the facelifted Leon. But it’s only now that we really accelerate;…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THERE’S little sign that UK consumers are backing local car plants more in the face of Brexit, because the latest set of new car registrations indicates that 80 per cent of the top 20 cars in the UK are imported. The list of the top 20 models sold here shows why the SMMT is lobbying for the UK Government to reach a stable agreement with the EU ahead of Brexit. Just four of the cars at the top of the latest table are made in the UK, while 15 are produced in other EU countries. And of the top 10 cars, only the Mercedes C-Class and the latest VW Polo are made outside of Europe (both in South Africa). Worryingly, the sales numbers for October, published by the…

Steve_Walker@dennis.co.uk THE world has a new fastest production car, thanks to a remarkable high-speed run by the Koenigsegg Agera RS. The two-way average of 277.9mph was achieved by the Swedish supercar on an 11-mile stretch of road in Nevada in the US. It’s 12mph faster than the existing mark, held by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. The Agera RS’s pace is also more than 7mph clear of the speed set by the Hennessey Venom GT – and that car’s figure did not make the record books because it was achieved in only the one direction. Koenigsegg’s attempt at the world record took place on the road between Las Vegas and Pahrump in the Nevada desert. The road was closed specifically for the record attempt, but while the authorities had allowed…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor Video watch AN exciting new SUV and some safety advice take top billing this week. See both at youtube.com/Autoexpress. Our verdict on new Skoda Karoq SUV IT’S an all-out war in the compact SUV segment, with barely a week going by without the launch of another new contender, and one of the biggest in recent weeks has been the Skoda Karoq. An indirect replacement for the distinctive and lovable Yeti, the Karoq uses the SEAT Ateca as its base but adds Skoda polish. Is it any good? I went to Italy to find out. Why not checking tyres can be lethal WHEN was the last time you checked your tyres? If you can’t remember then you’re definitely not looking at them often enough. We brought together three identical…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk GORDON Murray is not known for looking backwards. From a series of pioneering innovations in Formula One while working for the Brabham and McLaren outfits in the seventies and eighties, to the legendary McLaren F1 road car of the nineties and more recent forays into advanced manufacturing techniques, the South Africanborn engineer has always focused on the next big challenge rather than dwelling on past accomplishments. But the opening of a new Gordon Murray Automotive facility at Dunsfold Park in Surrey last month presented the opportunity for an unprecedented gathering of nearly every race and road car he has designed in the course of a remarkable 50-year career – a temporary exhibition called ‘One Formula’ – and Auto Express jumped at the chance to talk to the designer himself…

Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @Sean_Carson_ AFTER more than 40 years on sale, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has rightly earned its status as a performance icon. And now this facelifted Mk7.5 Performance version, fitted with VW’s seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto gearbox, aims to further build on the car’s core values: pace, practicality, image and value. So what do you get for the £31,505 this five-door hatch costs? Well, over and above the standard GTI, there’s a power hike to 242bhp, bigger brakes and a clever limited-slip front differential that helps put that extra grunt to the road. Traction is strong for a front-wheel-drive performance car with this level of power. Admittedly, the GTI Performance still scrabbles for grip a little off the line, but its launch control helps to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan WE’VE already driven Peugeot’s updated 308 hatchback in the UK, but this is our first chance to try the more versatile estate. The question is: has it lost any of its appeal in the face of newer rivals? Limited mechanical changes include a cleaner 1.5-litre diesel and a new eightspeed auto box in the flagship GT. Aesthetic tweaks are limited to a fresh grille and lights, but there’s enhanced infotainment and new optional driver-assistance tech. The revised safety kit includes an upgrade for the basic cruise control and autonomous braking systems; they can now detect pedestrians and operate at higher speeds. Our first taste of the revised 308 SW comes courtesy of the big-selling BlueHDi 150. Despite looking virtually identical to the high-spec GT, it does without that…

SEAT ARONA score 4.0 Connectivity Pack Plus Standard Key features: Nav, phone connectivity FROM SE Technology trim and above – and as included on our FR test car – the Arona comes with SEAT’s Connectivity Pack Plus. This consists of an eight-inch glossy touchscreen that features built-in sat-nav, as well as the usual features for entertainment, including DAB and Bluetooth for phone calls and music streaming. Full Link is also fitted as standard, which is a package that includes MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offering great smartphone connectivity. The former feature is older, but the Apple and Android systems incorporate your phone’s functions nicely and arguably offer even better provision for satellite navigation than the SEAT’s own system. On the whole the set-up is easy to use, but despite…

Renault Grand Scenic A NEW addition to our fleet, the Renault Grand Scenic is settling in well already. Website editor Steve Walker threw it straight in at the deep end with a half-term family holiday to Devon. The seven-seater was loaded up with everything needed for a week-long trip, with plenty of extra space to spare – thanks to the total load capacity of 765 litres with the third row of seats folded down. Even with them in place, there’s 233 litres of room there, which is decent for a seven-seater model. The Renault struck us as being particularly good looking under the autumn trees, but while the sharp looks give it an edge over more traditional MPVs, there’s a trade-off in terms of ride comfort that comes with those…

products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Tips for first-time polisher THE paint on my car has lots of swirls from washing, so I’m planning to borrow a machine polisher to improve it. I haven’t used one of these devices before. Are there any precautions I should take before starting? Richard Yeoman, E-mail A BEFORE tackling your car, we’d recommend practising first on a scrap panel until you understand how the pads and compounds work. Make sure you mask areas on the car that you could damage, such as panel edges, textured trim and rubber seals. Also cover badges, washer nozzles and decals. Q Should I get digital wrench? I AM looking to buy a torque wrench, because I plan to swap my winter tyres myself this year. I’ve seen digital versions on the…

MANY modern cars’ infotainment systems have big double-DIN screens, but there’s no need to miss out if your older model has just a small radio slot. A limited range of single-height units with big, slide-out screens has been on sale for a while, and now the choice has widened with the arrival of Pioneer’s AVH-Z7000DAB. So how does it fare against the established IVA-511R from Alpine? We tried both, looking at what you get for your money, ease of use and scope to expand the system. We also checked out how well each worked with smartphones; an increasingly key factor. The Alpine remains a top-quality unit and performs well, but ultimately loses out on phone connectivity. Pioneer has delivered a high-spec, pop-out screen system which is bang up to date…

YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR CARS 2017 Results Citroen C4 Picasso Factfile Years: 2013 to present CO2: 100g/km Fuel economy: 74.3mpg (BlueHDi 100) Best options: Sat-nav, reversing camera, sliding rear seats, panoramic sunroof Prices: From £7,500 89.48% OVERALL SCORE Bars show where model finished out of 75 cars in our 2017 survey. The longer the bar the better GOOD “THE boot is large with all the seats up, but fold them down and it’s absolutely enormous.” “For a large people carrier it is well proportioned and it looks easy on the eye.” “Rear seat legroom is very good; I’ve had no complaints from tall passengers.” “Dashboard has a nice flow to it, while the materials used feel soft to the touch.” “Easy to drive, comfortable and has good performance.” “I think…

Bob Lutz is needlessly worrying the sort of motorists he’s earned a fortune out of over the last half century. They deserve better BOB Lutz – the ex-GM, BMW, Ford and Chrysler director – is the most eloquent, entertaining and experienced car guy I’ve met. But what he stated a few days ago was the least funny thing he’s ever said. As a high-ranking motor-manufacturing guru he’s produced tens of millions of cars blessed with combustion engines. Why wouldn’t he? The bloke’s the original petrolhead. Even today, he co-owns a company making a 218 mph 8.4-litre V10 sports car. What’s shocking though is the latest big announcement from Lutz HQ: “Everyone will have five years to get their car off the road or sell it for scrap.” Er, excuse me!…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler AN all-new generation of Vauxhall Corsa that will arrive in 2019 and include a fully electric version for the first time is at the core of fresh plans for the British brand announced by its new owner, PSA Group. PSA, which also owns Peugeot, Citroen and DS, took over Vauxhall and its German sister marque Opel earlier this year. The firm announced last week the results of a 100- day review of the business – and it has placed new products and electrification at the heart of its plan for the next decade. The first new Vauxhall to arrive will be the new Corsa. It’s due in 2019, and will sit on PSA’s CMP platform – a set of chassis parts that will also underpin the likes of…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk AE_Consumer MOTORISTS who fail to keep up with manufacturer safety recalls could face automatic MoT fails under new Government plans to improve vehicle safety in the UK. In its response to the Transport Select Committee’s report on the outcome of the Vauxhall Zafira fires, the Government agreed that more can be done to ensure drivers keep up with vital safety repairs. The Government has already established a new Enforcement Directorate within the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to give it greater oversight on recall work, and said it is investigating automatic MoT fails for cars with outstanding safety repairs. That follows criticism by the committee about the number of drivers who failed to have their vehicle repaired. During the Zafira recall, Vauxhall noted more than 55,000 owners hadn’t…

CEO, Smart driver club www.smartdriverclub.co.uk GIVEN the high level of security on most new cars, it may be difficult to understand why thefts have gone up by nearly a third in the past three years. Some may attribute it to the declining resources within the UK’s police, but it’s well known that the use of advanced technology has become common among criminals. And while fitting wheel locks may be one solution to the problem, it’s worth considering adopting even smarter tech to prevent crime. By using connected technology in cars, those stolen can be tracked and located more quickly. The number of models with built-in tracking capabilities is growing exponentially as a by-product of telematics insurance and the growth in the number of connected cars, which eliminates much of the…

Lawrence_Allan@dennis.co.uk @LobAllan JAGUAR Land Rover couldn’t have picked a better time to slot the first of its new ‘Ingenium’ turbo petrol engines into its SUV range. Buyer confidence in diesels has nosedived since airquality issues were raised, and registrations fell by 30 per cent last month compared with October 2016. Until the Government fully clarifies what taxation plans it has in store for even the cleanest Euro 6 diesels, that trend looks set to continue. Petrol and hybrid sales have increased, and car makers such as JLR are racing to widen the appeal of their diesel-biased ranges. The new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine made its debut earlier this year, and is now available across a number of JLR models. The Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport are the first…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram IT’S only a matter of weeks since we drove the all-new Hyundai Kona on European roads (Issue 1,496). But our first taste of the brand’s baby crossover left us a little cold. While it didn’t do much wrong, it failed to offer anything out of the ordinary. The car we drove was a high-spec turbo petrol in Premium SE guise. That version sat on big 18-inch rims, which made us think the Kona could be worth a fourth star in a more appropriate spec and on smaller wheels. As things stood, the smallest Hyundai SUV was middling at best. Now we’ve driven the more sensible SE car in the UK. This version is £3,700 cheaper than the Premium SE model and unlike the car in our pictures, sits…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @Jimmybrods IN a bid to attract more lifestyle customers to its recently launched Fullback pick-up, Fiat has released a more stylish ‘Cross’ variant. It majors on equipment and rugged looks, and is priced to compete with the entry-level versions of the new Mercedes X-Class. Inside, the Fullback Cross gets the same leather steering wheel, heated leather seats and touchscreen infotainment system as the lesser LX model. However, from the outside, the Fullback Cross features enough design tweaks to mark it out as new. Black door mirrors, handles and a black textured sports bar in the load bed are paired off with chunky-looking black wheelarches, and matt-black alloy wheels. Bi-xenon headlights also feature, alongside a new grille and more pronounced silver skid plates. Styling is subjective, but the Fullback Cross…

Sean_Carson@dennis.co.uk @Sean_Carson_ HOW much do you value safety? At Auto Express, we do a great deal. The importance of this was rammed home (nearly literally) to me recently as I was involved in an all too close test of the safety systems on our Volkswagen up!. Trundling around town, there was nothing to make me think the vehicle in front would slam on its brakes. But it did. It made me glad I ticked the £375 option box for VW’s City emergency braking pack, because the tech, always watching and waiting in the background, kicked into life to avoid a collision. Our car jammed the brakes on, avoiding an impact. It was once a rarity on a city car, but more and more of these urban runarounds now feature this…

Lotus 18: The autobiography of Stirling Moss’s ‘912’ Ian Wagstaff (Porter Press, www.porterpress.co.uk) Price: £60 Rating: THIS book charts one of F1’s most famous cars, the Lotus 18, in and out of the hands of Stirling Moss. With no side panels, the Brit took car ‘912’ to victory in 1961’s Monaco GP, showing the driver as he worked. Well written and beautifully photographed, this is a must for vintage GP racing fans. Trucks of the Soviet Union: The definitive history Andy Thompson (Behemoth Publishing, www.behemothpublishing.co.uk) Price: £45 Rating: TRUCKS can shape a nation, and here you get to see how Soviet lorries evolved from early designs inspired by other makers to the heavy-set design we recognise as Communist. Stuffed with period photos – which can’t have been easy to find…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Frustrated by GLC crabbing Q AS with your fleet car (Issue 1,460), my Mercedes GLC has a crabbing issue when manoeuvring at low speed. Mercedes says it’s a “characteristic” and advises fitting winter tyres. Can I do anything else? Colin Thacker, E-mail A A MERCEDES spokesman said both the firm’s experts and independent advisers found the crabbing issue doesn’t affect safety. However, the company is offering GLC owners affected by the issue a free set of all-season tyres, which should improve driving comfort. A4 flywheel frustration Q MY diesel Audi A4 judders intermittently, particularly when I’m changing gear. I’ve been told I need a new dual-mass flywheel and clutch. Can I get away with changing the clutch and leaving the flywheel alone? JamesSherborne, E-mail A UNFORTUNATELY not. Dual-mass…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk FERNANDO Alonso could contest next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours with the works Toyota team. The Spaniard visited the squad’s Cologne HQ last week for a seat fitting, ahead of an anticipated drive at the end-of-season test following the final World Endurance Championship (WEC) round in Bahrain this weekend. A Toyota spokesperson has refused to comment on media reports of the visit, but there has been no outright denial. The first entry list released for the post-Bahrain test doesn’t feature Alonso’s name, but organisers have said “more drivers will be announced closer to the date of the test”. Alonso is already confirmed to contest January’s Daytona 24 Hours with the United Autosports team, alongside McLaren’s 2018 test and reserve driver Lando Norris, and has been vocal about his desire…