Table of contents for 1631 in Auto Express

AS the UK emerges slowly from lockdown, what’s your view on where you’re going to buy your next car? Perhaps you’ve been tied into a 36-month PCP and it’s time for an upgrade or a swap. Your lease deal could be up for renewal. Or maybe your current car has just reached MOT time and you think it’s time to sell it on. But regardless of why you’re changing, you might also be considering a used car, possibly for the first time in years – and you wouldn’t be alone. Concerns over the global economy and job security could well force many people to leave the new-car buying cycle at this point. A decade ago, we’d have understood entirely if this concept filled you with dread. Second-hand cars have always…

THIS is the new Skoda Octavia Scout. The off-road-inspired estate goes on sale later this year, but the firm has yet to confirm whether the model will be sold in the UK. Its ride height is 15mm taller than the standard car’s, while Skoda has fitted underbody protection panels to prevent damage when off-roading. Elsewhere, there’s a fresh set of 18-inch alloys, tweaked front and rear bumpers, and rugged black plastic body cladding. Inside there are new pedals and different fabric upholstery. A selection of petrol and diesel engines have been confirmed for Europe market, extending to four-wheel-drive variants with 187bhp in petrol form, or up to 197bhp in the 2.0-litre TDI model, both using a sevenspeed DSG automatic gearbox. Page 26: Octavia Estate driven in UK…

Used cars online CORONAVIRUS has led many automotive retailers to invest in online car sales. For firms that already offered a digital service before lockdown began, altering this to reduce contact as much as possible has been less of a challenge than for those operating on a purely physical basis. Online retailer Buyacar.co.uk – sister title of Auto Express – has measures that it aims to implement in the vast majority of its transactions. Prior to delivery, used cars sold via the platform will have their interiors – particularly high-contact areas such as the steering wheel, doors and gearlever – wiped down with anti-bacterial wipes. Anyone handling a vehicle will be required to wear gloves at all times. Upon delivery, BuyaCar employees will keep two metres from the customer at…

A NEW Skoda Octavia is hitting showrooms soon, but it’s a heavy update of the outgoing model, rather than an all-new car. So while that new car has a little more tech and some plusher materials, a second-hand Octavia gives you the same practicality, even more affordability, impressive versatility and lots of efficiency. It’s a perfect and pragmatic used car buy Our example is a later, facelifted car, so benefits from a few extra touches, including pedestrian detection. Watch out for this feature fitted to used cars. Whichever version you go for, the same great traits remain – mainly, the 590-litre boot. The hatch reveals a huge load space that means most families won’t get near the extremes of the Octavia’s practicality. It’s not a car that tugs at your…

CITROEN’S quirky design and comfort-orientated outlook seem tailor-made for the small SUV segment. It’s a sector that prioritises urban style, an upright stance and suspension that can deal with the country’s worst potholes and biggest speed bumps. And by any measure the C3 Aircross excels. It’s one of the most spacious models in the class; the boot is of a decent size, two adults can sit in the back in comfort in those forgiving seats, and its big windows bathe the interior in light, particularly on models fitted with a glass roof. This does eat into the headroom, though, so it’s certainly a case of try before you buy. Up front, the seats are wide, and the dashboard layout is funkier than the class norm. The C3 Aircross drives well,…

ONCE again, the Jaguar XE is our best used compact executive car, and with good reason. The BMW 3 Series rival is a brilliant all-rounder that offers pace, practicality and a plush interior. It’s also relatively inexpensive on the used market now; we found a mid-range 2.0-litre diesel model, with around 29,000 miles on the clock, priced at £12,847. It’s based on an aluminium-intensive platform which features double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear axle, so the XE dishes up agile and predictable handling. There’s slightly more body roll than you’ll get in a 3 Series or Alfa Romeo Giulia, but the Jag can smother bumps and potholes with far greater ease than these sporty rivals. There’s a strong range of petrol and diesel engines with a choice of rear…

IF maximum space, practicality and economical motoring are your priorities, then you’ll find it difficult to look beyond the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (later renamed the Grand C4 Space tourer from 2018 onwards). The big Citroen has been a repeat winner in the MPV class of our New Car Awards, and on the used market it’s every bit the champion, too. We’ve singled out the well specced VTR+ version of the Grand C4 Picasso, using the frugal, but not fast 1.6 BlueHDi diesel engine, developing 99bhp. Performance isn’t crucial in this segment, though. Space for passengers trumps all, and the Grand C4 Picasso can seat seven adults in good comfort. All three seats in the second row can slide and fold independently, and middle-row legroom is superb. The two rearmost…

THE previous-generation Fiesta ST is one of our favourite hot hatchbacks of all time. It does everything well – it looks good, is practical, handles superbly, and has enough power to worry far more expensive sports cars on the right stretch of road. It’s powered by a 180bhp 1.6-litre turbo four cylinder petrol engine – although Ford’s ‘overboost’ function can temporarily increase this to 197bhp under full throttle. The engine is connected to a snappy six speed manual gearbox that means a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 139mph. If you’re not satisfied with the level of performance from the standard Fiesta ST, look for one with the Mountune upgrade pack. Or you can always take a standard car to the tuning firm who, with a…

ELECTRIC cars have come a long way in a short space of time, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking at used examples, because cars like the Volkswagen e-Golf will be perfect if your annual mileage is low and you want to seriously slash your motoring outgoings. The 24.2kWh battery gives an official range of 118 miles on a full charge, which takes around 22 minutes on a 50kW DC rapid charger. This increases to six hours and 45 minutes using a home wallbox, which means a full top-up overnight shouldn’t be a problem. If you rarely travel more than 50 miles a day – and not many of us do – then an early e-Golf could be for you, because a full charge will only cost around £3.…

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for our extensive product archive NEW PRODUCT F1 2020 Price: TBC Available for: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC On sale: July 10 Contact: www.codemasters.com WHILE Formula One fans have been waiting for the 2020 season to start, eSports have been filling the void, with some of the top young Grand Prix talent competing in simulated races during lockdown. With F1 returning on 3 July, Codemasters has announced that the officially licensed F1 2020 will be launched on 10 July, letting players race against the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The new game promises a series of firsts, including a major new mode that allows you to create an F1 team from scratch and pit it against the current grid, with a new driver-manager experience that gives you…

2020 Results Juke Factfile Years: 2010 to 2019 CO2: 129g/km Fuel economy: 57.6mpg (1.5 dCi) Best options: Touchscreen, climate control, rear camera, leather, sunroof USED PRICES: From £3,300 OVERALL SCORE 89.41% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2020 new car survey. 89.41% The longer the bar the better WE SAID “A CAR that remained so popular it stayed on sale for three years longer than is typical; owners love the original Juke’s looks and build quality. But practicality gets the thumbs down, as does phone connectivity.” ✓ GOOD “ONE of the most distinctive cars on the road – it has its own unique character and really stands out. I love the looks.” “Driver’s seat is very well padded and easily adjusted for a perfect, comfortable…

✔ THE CASE FOR A SCRAPPAGE scheme would stimulate the automotive sector, bring cleaner cars onto the road, and offer financial benefits to drivers by making new cars more affordable. ✖ THE CASE AGAINST ANY scheme would come at the expense of the taxpayer, while scrapping potentially serviceable cars is wasteful and would reduce choice on the used market. tristan_shale-hester@dennis.co.uk @tristan_shale THE possibility of a new scrappage scheme encouraging drivers to scrap older petrol and diesel cars for new electric models has been hotly discussed at a senior Government level, according to several sources. The Telegraph reported earlier in the month that Boris Johnson was considering a scheme that would see drivers given £6,000 if they traded in their petrol or diesel car for a brandnew EV. The paper reported…

Essentials BentleyFlying Spur Price: £217,970 Engine: 6.0-litre 12cyl twin-turbo Power/torque: 626bhp/900Nm Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.7 seconds Top speed: 207mph Economy/CO2: 21.9mpg/337g/km Options: First Edition Specification (£37,300), ‘Naim for Bentley’ premium audio system (£6,595), rear seat entertainment with maps (£5,775) Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn “HOW did you occupy yourself during lockdown?” is a question we’ll all have to get familiar with answering. As the UK government shut the country down to help tackle COVID-19, it not only confined people to their homes but also cars to their driveways, furloughed, unable to work. So I find myself in a rather unique position. Outside my flat sits an all-new, £217,970 Bentley Flying Spur. It was only supposed to be in my possession for 24 hours before I drove it to a photoshoot…

YET again the Citigo is our Used City Car of the Year. It’s tough to make money from small cars, so manufacturers have tended to shy away from launching new models, leaving the Skoda clear to remain our top choice. It offers superb practicality, with five-door models available, it’s affordable (our chosen example comes in at just over £3,500), and used Citigos are still holding their money well, so at this price point you shouldn’t lose too much if you sell it on. It’s also good fun to drive because the Citigo is light, compact and nimble; add in some clever touches, such as the removable touchscreen infotainment system, and it even offers a few big-car features. The packaging is superb, especially in five-door form, where access to the rear…

MOST people buy an estate for its carrying capacity, so it makes sense to buy the biggest car that you can afford. And when it comes to the price-to-space ratio, nothing can beat the Skoda Superb Estate. The current model came out in 2015, and it remains one of our favourite cars available at any price. It’s popular with owners, too. In the 2020 Driver Power ownership survey, the Superb claimed 10th place out of 75 cars, with owners praising its child-friendly features, infotainment, running costs and rear-seat legroom in particular. There are a large number of Superb Estates available used, starting at around £5,500 for a highmileage 1.6 TDI, but we think the 148bhp 2.0 TDI combined with SE Business trim is the sweet spot. That brings kit you’ll…

RENAULT hit the jackpot with the Kadjar. It’s based on the Nissan Qashqai’s platform, and it feels similar to drive, but there’s more space on offer; Renault fitted more storage bins around the SUV’s cabin and increased its boot capacity by 42 litres over the mechanically similar Qashqai’s, to 472 litres. Its cabin is well built and hard-wearing, with plenty of tough plastics down low and soft-touch materials in your eyeline. If your budget can stretch to a 2018 model, you’ll also get Renault’s revised R-Link 2 infotainment system, which is an improvement when it comes to ease of use and response. As with most cars in this segment, the Renault’s handling isn’t particularly involving, but it always feels composed. What the Kadjar lacks in driver involvement it makes up…

THIS year’s best used executive car is the Volvo S90, and for a very good reason: it’s a total bargain on the second-hand market, and you’ll struggle to find anything newer, or with a lower mileage for the cash. That’s before you even consider the merits of the Volvo over traditional executive favourites such as the BMW 5 Series or the Mercedes E-Class. Here is a classy saloon that oozes quality, comfort and refinement, and a dash of exclusivity, too. The S90 is still on sale as a new car today, making the prospect of finding a current model for a fraction of the price on the used market hard to ignore. There’s plenty of choice out there, with the market for S90s growing steadily since it hit showrooms in…

AUDI really moved the TT on with the Mk3, so much so that it teased us first with the interior at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2014. That’s because the TT came packed with tech – it was Audi’s first model to use its Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch digital panel that showed a sat-nav map and all the infotainment functions in front of the driver. There’s no central dashtop screen here. That makes for a beautifully minimalist cabin that’s loaded with the high-quality materials you’d expect from an Audi that’s only five-years old. Touches such as the heated seat and climate controls set inside the air vents were revolutionary at the time. The tech underneath the angular, pin-sharp bodywork creases is just as advanced. Believe it or not, this sporty…

A PERENNIAL winner in our best used sports car category, it’s hard to argue against the Porsche 911. Once again, we’ve picked out the 997-generation model in Carrera S spec, which is easily found in good condition on the used market from around £24,000 with even a reasonable mileage. For the money, you get one of the finest sports cars of the 2000s, and a 911 with trademark, naturally aspirated flat-six punch. The howling 3.8-litre engine in the 997 Carrera S develops 350bhp, meaning 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds plus a top speed of 180mph. But it’s the handling and the chassis that really mark the 911 out alongside its peers. Opting for a version of the Carrera S with a manual gearbox only enhances the experience. The steering is spot…

VW Transporter WHEN was the last time you drove a van? If it was more than a couple of years ago, you might be surprised at the kind of tech that the latest models now offer. This is ably demonstrated by the Volkswagen T6.1 Transporter that content editor Dean Gibson has been custodian of during lockdown. The standard kit list of his Highline test model is as comprehensive as you’ll find in any car, with front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise and climate control, auto lights and wipers, heated electric mirrors and 16-inch alloys included. But as on VW’s cars, a host of options can be added. One highlight is the £1,338 Discover infotainment system that brings a second USB-C charging socket, voice control and wireless Apple CarPlay, a…

SPORTY crossovers; everyone seems to want them, and nearly every maker is building these potent, driver-focused but practical cars. The BMW X2 20i and Volkswagen T-Roc R-Line are two hot contenders in the market, and each plays to its brand’s strengths. The X2 focuses on driver involvement and quality, while the T-Roc sways towards ease of use and neutral handling. Both these SUVs offer similar levels of performance, comparable practicality, and a near identical amount of standard equipment, so from a technical point of view, there’s little between them – even if their characters are very different. One thing that’s not so different, however, is the impact depreciation has had on these cars, which cost close to £40,000 when they were new, yet are now available for as little as…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths CORONAVIRUS has, without any doubt, changed the world significantly, and one of the big areas that has seen major disruption is transport. With rush-hour trains and buses being incompatible with social distancing, and the environment for drivers becoming trickier by the day, getting back to our workplaces requires some fresh thinking. Over the next six pages, we assess the options for commuters, looking at everything from taxis, trains and buses, to bikes, scooters, and cars of the future. And because the car remains the primary mode of transport for the majority of people who are getting to work, we’ve picked out 24 of the best new commuter cars you can buy, whatever your budget. How do the experts think we will get back to work? SHAUN Helman, Chief…

BADGE snobs really are missing a trick. The previousgeneration Vauxhall Insignia took top honours in this category in our 2018 Used Car Awards, but with prices as low as £7,000, its replacement, the newer Insignia Grand Sport, has taken over the reins. It’s not hard to see why, either. The Grand Sport is, in the right spec, a very good-looking car, with low-slung, sleek looks. Not that this impacts interior space, which is best described as ‘vast’; it’s so big, in fact, that Vauxhall has recently dropped its estate sibling. There’s a huge amount of space in the back, which makes it easy to install kids into child seats, and the hatchback bodystyle ignored by premium rivals makes it a cinch to chuck bikes, buggies and beach towels into the…

THE Sorento is one of the roomiest seven-seat SUVs on the market today. It’s a comfortable family car and it offers decent value for money, although because of its size and weight, running costs can be a little higher than for some of its newer rivals. But these more modern competitors aren’t as cheap to buy; a Skoda Kodiaq of the same age and mileage carries a £2,000 premium over the Kia, for example. Our pick is also a 2017 model, which means it’ll still be covered by Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty for another four years, which will provide great peace of mind for used-car buyers. The engine range is simple, because there’s just one 197bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel unit on offer, and every single model comes with four-wheel drive…

THE S-Class is hands-down our favourite new luxury car, so it should be no surprise to see that it’s our number one used luxury bargain, too. Once again, pre-facelift versions of the current S-Class stand out as the best choice, with the silky-smooth, 254bhp S 350 d V6 diesel model representing a fabulous all-rounder. It offers performance, refinement and what could even be considered decent running costs, when you bear in mind that this is a market where whatever you buy will inevitably cost more than average to run. The S-Class is a car that passengers will find astonishingly comfortable, thanks to a combination of brilliant body control and amazing ride quality. However, for those behind the wheel it’s also a highly convincing proposition. Allied to the strong diesel power…

THE MX-5 is the world’s best-selling two seat roadster, and that’s no surprise: no car comes close to delivering as much fun for your money, regardless of the amount you have to spend. But we think the current ND-generation is the pick of the bunch when factoring in reliability, running costs and the sheer availability of good, low-mileage cars. Almost all of the fourth-generation models we found advertised for sale have covered fewer than 35,000 miles, because they’re now more weekend playthings than daily commuter cars; the complete lack of interior storage clearly has its upsides. A recent new-car price increase makes the sub-£10,000 starting point for used MX-5s look like even more of a bargain. As such, you’re more likely to find a cared-for model that’s never seen racetrack…

THE Prius has a fine reputation for environmentally friendly motoring. It’s a great option if you’re looking to minimise your fuel bills without sacrificing other features, such as comfort or technology. That’s because this fourth-generation Prius, which was introduced in 2015, moved to an all-new chassis, based on Toyota’s New Global Architecture platform. A sophisticated suspension set-up delivers a refined ride and impressive body control, so while the Prius focuses on sipping fuel, it’s actually surprisingly good to drive. The 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motor set-up claimed sub-100g/km emissions at launch, and the 2016 example we found will be free to tax. Business Edition spec is the trim level to go for. This features dual-zone climate control, LED lights, Toyota’s Touch 2 infotainment system, a colour head-up display, adaptive…

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Which is best at removing invisible contaminants? PRODUCT GROUP TEST 17|06|2020 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive CLAY bars have long gone beyond the professional world of detailers and become mainstream, but some drivers still struggle to see the point of removing grime you can’t see from bodywork. Getting rid of contaminants such as metal particles, brake dust and tree sap is key to providing a good surface for a wax or sealant. If you’re going to the effort of applying protection, you want to give it the best chance of lasting. Not sure if your car needs claying? Slip a finger in a thin plastic bag and run…

KIA is riding on the crest of a wave right now. Launched in the UK less than 30 years ago, the brand was known for cheap and cheerful prices and questionable styling. But, from the start, Kia’s products have been reliable and offered excellent value; while nothing has changed there, its quality and design have improved immeasurably over the past decade, and the firm now has one of the more desirable ranges on the market. Yet as desirable as many of Kia’s cars are, the Optima has never sold in big numbers since its launch in 2012, something that can be ascribed as much to the falling popularity of saloons as anything else. That didn’t stop Kia introducing a sequel four years later, which also saw modest sales despite its…