Table of contents for 1855 in Auto Express

FOR a couple of billion dollars, we can launch a rocket into space then snatch parts of it from the air on its way back down. Meanwhile, here in the UK, billions of pounds are being committed to the public charging network, yet we can’t make it accessible for disabled people. Something’s not right. Two years after the Department for Transport launched the PAS 1899 accessibility standard for public chargepoints, the reality is that little has changed. There have been improvements, which the chargepoint operators are keen to flag, but nationally, the network continues to discriminate horribly against those that struggle to use it. Despite making all the right noises on accessibility in opposition, the government refuses to be drawn on whether it believes UK Equality Act laws apply to…

AN all-new Renault Twingo EV will form the final piece of the French brand’s small-car puzzle when it’s revealed next year. While the production model is said to be “90 per cent” true to the concept, subtle differences – previewed by our exclusive images – will ensure the city car comes in under its mooted 20,000 Euros (£17,000) starting price. We caught up with the man in charge of Renault concept car design, Sandeep Bhambra, who told us the upcoming new Twingo will need to be as “minimalist as possible” in order to make it as “timeless as possible”. He said the original Twingo – first shown in 1992 – was designed as a “car to live in”. While at the time it rivalled small hatchbacks like the Ford Fiesta,…

THE Ford Mustang Mach-E has been given a selection of tweaks for the 2025 model year, bringing a subtly revised look and extra kit. The changes have been previewed in the US, with UK and European cars due in the spring. The most obvious changes come in the form of a new Sport Appearance Package that gives the look and feel of the top-spec GT trim, but on more modest Mach-E models. Updates include a new grille and front end, black-painted door cladding and 19-inch wheels. US cars also now benefit from red Brembo brake callipers, although UK-bound Premium cars already have these. Inside, 2025 Mustang Mach-Es fitted with the Sport pack get contrasting red stitching and sportier pedals. Further to this, Ford says it will offer three new colours…

THE new Skoda Kodiaq vRS has been revealed, and looks ready to set a new record for the school run. The hot version of our 2024 Large SUV of the Year has the same petrol engine as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, but adds all-wheel drive. It’ll only be available with seven seats in the UK. Like its predecessor, the new Kodiaq vRS uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. However, it now delivers 261bhp and 400Nm of torque – 20bhp and 30Nm up from before. All cars get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, helping the vRS hit 62mph in 6.4 seconds and 144mph flat out. There’s also an uprated braking system, plus progressive steering as standard, along with ‘Dynamic Sound Boost’, which is meant to deliver a more intense soundtrack…

THE new Kia Sportage will be revealed in November, and the first official pictures of the facelifted SUV show that it will adopt the ‘Star Map’ lightning signature that can be found on much of Kia’s line-up. We can also see that the ultra-slim lighting wraps around new vertical headlights. The front grille seems more upright, while there’s a new set of tail-lights. But the engine line-up – with mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options – is unlikely to change. We expect the unveiling to happen at the Los Angeles Motor Show, which starts on 22 November. Following this, the new Sportage is likely to go on sale in early 2025.…

THE BMW M5 is the quintessential super-saloon. Its lineage stretches back to the eighties, and although it’s grown in power (and popularity), it’s also more rounded and usable than ever. The outgoing model used a familiar V8, rear-wheel-drive layout, but this new one throws hybrid power into the mix for the first time. This makes the latest M5 a deeply complex machine, and one that takes time to understand and appreciate. It also takes miles to comprehend the sheer range of its abilities, and ultimately to work out if all of these technologies gel to create a car that’s any good to drive. The numbers would suggest it is. The 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is mated to a 22.1kWh lithium-ion battery and a single e-motor, producing a total of 717bhp and…

WHAT WE WOULD CHOOSE LEXUS Aside from paint and wheels, there aren’t any options to speak of. Urban trim is well equipped, but the top-spec Takumi is luxurious, with matrix-LED lights, 64-colour ambient lighting, a Mark Levinson stereo and more. VOLVO The Core model has all the kit you could ask for, although the £1,495 Driver Assist and £600 Climate packs are worth adding. If you can stretch to the extra £7,500, Plus trim has these and more besides as standard.…

THE Renault Scenic has joined the Auto Express long-term test fleet and, never ones to stand on ceremony, we threw it straight into a twin test against Ford’s latest great EV hope, the new Explorer. We’ve got six months to find out how Renault’s new family car stacks up as an everyday companion, but a quick measure-up against a direct rival was a very illuminating way to kick things off. The full twin-test verdict will be along shortly, but there’s a lot we can tell you right now about my car. Preconceptions can be a dangerous thing when reviewing cars, but I’ll admit to harbouring a few where the new Scenic is concerned. I’ve already run a Renault Megane as a long-termer, and a Nissan Ariya, which uses the same…

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WHILE a topped-up washer bottle is essential all year round, it’s especially important in the winter months. The extra road grime will quickly smear and, with the sun low in the sky, could easily blind you. Now is the time to start refilling your screen wash reservoir to ensure the mixture is more concentrated for the freezing weather. In our previous tests we have rated Prestone’s Extreme Performance Concentrated Screen Wash as our Best Buy, thanks to a great cleaning performance and strong resistance to freezing. Newcomer VP has just launched the CLEAR-IT Ceramic Screen Wash product, which is said to be a ‘premium’ fluid that adds a ceramic-infused hydrophobic coating, meaning rainwater and dirt will bead off the windscreen. We did see some beading where it was used neat,…

“You have to remember to use the drive modes. Driving smoothly and accurately gets the best out of the car.” “It should be more refined, the engine doesn’t sound sporty enough, and the stop-start isn’t smooth enough.” “On a decent twisty road it really is an enjoyable car to drive. The brakes are very strong, with excellent feel.” BMW’s compact contender just makes it into the top half of the table, with a strong score in the ride and handling category, based on fifth for handling and sixth for driving pleasure. Acceleration rates highly, at 14th, with brakes one place above, but scores are poor for engine sound (47th) and transmission smoothness (48th), with steering rated 34th. You can’t beat BMW’s first place for interior style, though, backed up by…

SUVs may be more popular, but there’s nothing that can beat a good old-fashioned people carrier for pure practicality. The best MPVs and people carriers still offer a huge amount of space for you and your loved ones. Our expert road testers have driven every MPV you can buy, and you’ll find their favourite ones right here. 1 Dacia Jogger Prices from £18,300 THE Dacia Jogger really is a lot of car for little money. Not only does this seven-seat MPV follow the Romanian brand’s popular approach of focusing on simplicity and low cost, but it’s also something of an unusual package. That’s because the Jogger cherry-picks the best qualities of MPVs, small SUVs and estate cars and then rolls them all up into a single vehicle. Buyers have up…

SAY hello to one of the most contentious cars of 2024. We know the Ford Capri is one of the UK’s most loved nameplates, so to apply it to an electric SUV with little more than a passing resemblance to the original is an interesting move. But, if we consider the new Capri as a stylish, family-friendly EV, rather than a reborn icon of the seventies, it actually stacks up rather well. Just as with the new Ford Explorer, the Capri comes from a technical partnership with Volkswagen and therefore uses the VW Group’s all-electric MEB platform, including the EV powertrain and basic chassis. However, the bits you can see are convincingly different, whether that be the exterior styling or interior tech. The Capri is being launched with a variety…

THE first prototype of the new Honda Prelude has been spied testing in Germany, with the next iteration of the coupé expected to arrive in 2026 – 25 years after production of the previous Mk5 ended. A concept previewing the new Prelude was revealed last year, before making its European debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It appears that the road-going version will stick very closely to that sleek design, giving us a clear idea of what’s underneath the camouflage. Many of the finer details have been carried over, such as the thin slat across the sharply pointed nose that connects the slim headlights, the flush door handles, a large rear windscreen and what is likely to be a full-width light bar at the rear. However, we’re less…

DRIVERS are being warned to steer clear of purchasing counterfeit car parts as it’s revealed that one in six motorists have bought a fake component in the last year, potentially putting themselves and others at risk. The new campaign from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), called Fake Always Breaks, is designed to raise awareness of counterfeit car parts. Within the study, the IPO surveyed 1,400 people, and of the 15 per cent that admitted to buying a counterfeit car part in the past 12 months, a quarter bought batteries, while almost 20 per cent bought knockoff tyres and wheels. While one of the most common reasons cited for buying such parts was their cheaper price, what some buyers may not realise is that such components do not undergo the same…

TWO years ago this month, the UK’s public chargepoint accessibility standard PAS 1899 was launched by then transport minister Lucy Frazer. “This new Government-backed standard will help the industry to create and install chargepoints that everyone can use easily, making the experience better and fairer for disabled people,” she promised. Yet far from celebrating two years of progress from a ‘British Standard’ that was introduced on a voluntary basis only, disability groups are instead highlighting the lack of progress, and renewing demands for accessibility standards to be made compulsory. Former paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson told a recent All-Party Parliamentary Group on EVs that it was “appalling” that disabled people were having to fight for legislation retrospectively. Many also point to the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, saying public charging…

SINCE the all-new, third-generation Dacia Duster was revealed last November, we’ve discussed pretty much every nut, bolt and feature on what is the Auto Express Small SUV of the Year, and sister site Carbuyer’s 2025 Car of the Year. But now we’ve finally had a chance to drive the first-ever Dacia Duster Hybrid on UK roads. It’s a model that has been made possible by the CMF-B platform, which underpins almost all of Dacia’s current line-up, from the Sandero supermini to seven-seat Jogger. Not to mention the Renault Clio, Captur and Symbioz models. Dacia says moving the Duster to CMF-B offers myriad improvements when it comes to driving dynamics, refinement and interior space. Plus it allows the new Duster to embrace electrification. There are no EV or PHEV versions, but…

EVER since finding out that I would be running a Fiat 600e on the Auto Express fleet back in August, my wife, Paulina, has been very excited. Her first car was a Fiat Seicento that she owned in the early noughties and she adored it, so it was love at first sight when I took the 600e’s keys from former custodian Jordan Katsianis. Her affection for the small electric SUV hasn’t really waned during the two months we’ve had the car. She mainly drives it on little trips, either to and from school, or on her short commute to work. This is where the Fiat 600e is really at home, because it’s a great city car. It’s small enough to navigate narrow streets and the smooth electric powertrain is well…

SO how well, or badly, have the car industry’s main players performed over the past 15 years? The car-manufacturing business has undoubtedly raised its game, survived and thrived, but brands must acknowledge that their inflation-busting retail price hikes are a huge mistake. The design, quality, safety, diversity and desirability of the product has been beyond expectations. As for car users: they’ve more than done their bit as they’ve bought and insured their vehicles before coughing up additional billions in taxes, fines and fees like never before. The other big beasts in the car game are clueless politicians, shamelessly deriving higher profits – for starters, 20 per cent VAT – from the car industry than manufacturers or dealers. They’re cynically discriminating against and picking the pockets of easy-target, defenceless motorists. What…

FROM the moment we first caught wind of the Capri name being reimagined, controversy has surrounded the model, and the fierceness of that criticism has caught even Ford by surprise. However, does the name really matter in 2024? Many of those most offended wouldn’t likely be the sort to be in the market for an electric SUV anyway, according to its maker. And for those who are, Ford is one of the few mainstream manufacturers still offering a rear-wheel-drive petrol-powered coupé; it just happens to be called a Mustang. Instead, the real effect of Ford’s decision has been extensive publicity that would have been very hard to drum up had the car not been called Capri. Whether you love or loathe that decision is almost immaterial; it’s created the all-important…

PRICE If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is; fake car parts typically use substandard materials and are thus a lot cheaper. However, you get what you pay for and we recommend spending the extra for genuine manufacturer parts instead. GUARANTEE Manufacturers will typically provide their parts with a certificate of quality and authenticity; if you’re not provided with this, the component could be fake. Genuine parts can also be traced if there’s a manufacturing defect or recall – something that’s not the case with counterfeit equivalents. SELLER We recommend buying your parts through your trusted local or Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved garage, rather than a random website online. The experts will know exactly what your car needs, with fake parts probably not covered under…

SAFETY experts have slammed BYD’s driver-assistance systems, advising drivers to steer clear of using them. In its latest batch of safety tests, Euro NCAP gave the BYD Atto 3’s ‘Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control’ system a ‘Not Recommended’ rating – the lowest grading it offers. Euro NCAP says the score was the result of the system’s seeming inability to take control if the car’s driver was unresponsive. It says that “in this critical scenario, the system effectively switches off steering support after a prolonged period of inactivity whilst maintaining speed control – leaving an unresponsive driver to his or her fate.” The lack of a reaction garnered the Atto 3 zero points out of 25 in the Unresponsive Driver Intervention test, with it only clawing back ‘Weak’ and ‘Adequate’ results in…

“It’s only offered as an EV, and you can see the Aceman as a zero-emissions alternative to the five-door MINI hatch” MINI’s ever-expanding product line-up is almost complete. The Aceman slots into the range between the entry-level three-door Cooper and the larger Countryman SUV. It’s only available as an electric vehicle, and you can think of it as a zero-emissions alternative to the five-door hatch. With prices starting at around £31,000, the MINI Aceman can’t be considered a bargain. But factor in a price premium of only around £1,800 over the equivalent three-door, and the small electric SUV starts to look like a better-value proposition. For your money, you get an extra pair of doors, a more accessible cabin and slightly bigger boot. This isn’t a large car; space is…

“There’s no extra power, but Audi’s engineers have extracted a better lap time from the chassis” FIVE seconds is a long time on a racetrack, even on a circuit that crams 154 turns into its 12.9 miles. So it makes the achievement of the new Audi RS 3, which has beaten its predecessor by that margin around the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, really quite something. Audi’s engineers have clearly been working some magic underneath, but it’s the cosmetic tweaks that are more obvious. The RS 3’s front grille has grown flatter and wider, and the revised bumper consists of a splitter that extends in one smooth span across the lower edge rather than the slightly stepped version of the old car. The LED headlight graphics have been adjusted, too, and at…

MINI COUNTRYMAN JCW YOU probably won’t buy the electric JCW version of the Countryman if you’re concerned with practicality, right? Wrong! Surprisingly, our JCW has more boot space than other versions due to the lack of mild-hybrid tech in the back. So I’ve got 505 litres rather than the 460 litres in the standard BEV (or 450 litres in the ICE version). That’s more than enough to swallow buggies, bikes, boots and toys, plus even decking after a DIY store visit. DARREN WILSON SUZUKI SWIFT SENIOR content editor Shane Wilkinson wasn’t too impressed by my first report, in which I drew connections between the Suzuki Swift and a certain pop star with a similar name. Thus, he took revenge by taking me out for a spirited spin in his racy…

Price: £69.99 (RIL7100 £44.99 RIL7SINGLE £25) Rating: Contact: ringautomotive.com THE most user-friendly way to charge cordless tools is wirelessly, and we’ve been trying Ring’s latest solution, which comprises two lamps plus single and double charging pads. The lamps are familiar designs both with 600 lumens outputs plus similar battery and LED specs. The hinged Pro RIL7100 has magnets on the base and rear, which also help to locate it on the charging dock. And it needs them because, off metal, it topples if the hinge is anything but straight. The blade design of the Slim RIL7200 is the more versatile of the two here, and this, plus the fact it’s a fiver cheaper at £44.99, makes it our preferred option. The beams are similarly wide and bright plus a touch whiter…

BROWSING today’s new car market is a little like walking into a Starbucks: everything seems to be expensive, full of superfluous added extras and not really aimed at enthusiasts. Simple, back-to-basics sports cars and hot hatches are like gold dust, and those that do exist are either eye-wateringly expensive or don’t offer the level of involvement you might be after. Yet, spend too much time browsing the online classifieds (as I do) and you don’t have to go back too far in age and mileage to find cracking deals on fantastic cars. The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5, for example, has been on sale for a pretty long time and has changed little over that period. To put things in perspective, when the current model arrived in 2015, David Cameron had just…