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John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● SUV is smallest member of Chinese manufacturer’s three-car line-up for continental Europe ● Britain will only get all-electric Atto 3, but more right-hand-drive BYD EVs are set to follow “BYD is still in ‘detailed discussions’ with a retailer group that will lead its charge into the UK market” CHINESE EV giant BYD has confirmed plans for a major expansion into Europe that includes an ambitious push to bring cars to UK customers by the end of this year. Founded as a battery maker in 1995, BYD (Build Your Dreams) took its experience in that area and used it to move into vehicle development and production. The firm has a wide portfolio of EVs on sale in its native China, and BYD has confirmed it will launch three…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● EV packs 422bhp and 4WD ● Due to arrive in UK next year HOT Smart models will return, starting with this: the new Smart #1 Brabus. Smart (joint-owned by Daimler and Geely) and Mercedes tuner Brabus have had a long-standing relationship that will extend into Smart’s rebirth as an all-electric brand. Brabus has first turned its attention to the new #1, improving performance and adding more exclusivity and driver-focused appeal. Based on the Geely SEA platform, the #1 Brabus has a pair of motors – one on each axle – delivering four-wheel drive and a total output of 422bhp and 543Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds. Styling revisions include a deeper, more aggressive front bumper and narrow cooling vents in the bonnet. The Brabus…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale THE effectiveness of a Government scheme to improve public EV charging infrastructure has been questioned, following a lack of transparency and concerns over uptake from councils. Department for Transport (DfT) chiefs announced a £20million investment last week in the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, with nine councils – Barnet, Dorset, Durham, Kent, Midlands Connect, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Warrington – being awarded funding. The money is expected to go towards the installation of around 1,000 chargers. Similar projects to help EV drivers who don’t have off-street parking, such as the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), have previously struggled to attract bids from local authorities. Only 107 councils have successfully applied for ORCS funding in the past five years. Auto Express asked the Df Thow many councils…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Self-driving vehicles FROM: Stuart T I HAVE driven Teslas and their supposed ‘self-driving’ technology is anything but. They constantly detect phantom objects on the road and steer me into oncoming traffic when they pick up imaginary road markings. I can’t see cars safely driving themselves by 2025 and certainly don’t trust the technology. FROM: Scott Parker I’M not sure I would trust the technology on more complex roads, particularly in built-up areas, but I think it definitely has a place on motorways. With all the lane-hogging, tailgating and other poor driving we see from human drivers on a daily basis, I would welcome a computer taking control. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Many road markings in the UK have faded away. These would need to…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.8 seconds/124mph Running costs 188mpg (official) £91 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,726 litres THIS new CX-60 SUV represents Mazda’s push to go premium and take on established German brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Plenty of rivals have tried the same trick in the past with mixed results, but Mazda has engineering heritage and experience on its side, and it’s launching the CX-60 with a very ‘of-the-moment’ powertrain. It’s a plug-in hybrid that combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 17.8kWh battery feeding an electric motor for a total of 323bhp and 500Nm (making it the most powerful road car Mazda has ever built), plus an all-electric range of 39 miles. In some ways, that latter figure is a shame, because just one…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk THE Cupra brand has carved out a niche as the sporty member of the VW Group family, but up to now its Born electric hatchback has only aped what we’ve already seen from Volkswagen with its ID.3. That all changes with this car, though: the Cupra Born e-Boost. Born e-Boost models feature a 77kWh battery feeding an electric motor on the car’s rear axle that can temporarily deliver up to 228bhp when the Cupra driving mode is selected using a steering wheel-mounted button. With 310Nm of torque from low down, performance is fairly swift, with this big-battery model sprinting from 0-62mph in seven seconds flat. The smaller-battery model can complete the same sprint in 6.6 seconds thanks to the lighter 58kWh unit, but it doesn’t offer as much range.…

IF there’s one key indicator of just how successful these two brands have become, then the sales of the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson tell a big part of the story. Based on the latest new-car registration data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Kia has sold 18,206 Sportages in 2022 up to the end of July, making it the fifth most popular car in the UK. Sitting just behind in sixth, on 17,173 units, is the Tucson. Both are currently more popular with buyers than anything Volkswagen produces, including the Golf. Of the four match-ups that we’ve assembled here, the Tucson and the Sportage are the most similar, at least under the skin. The fifth-generation Sportage and the Mk4 Tucson both use the same Hyundai-Kia N3…

SAVE 43% ON THE SHOP PRICE After your initial 6 issue trial, your subscription will continue at £26.99 every 13 issues representing a saving of 43% on the shop price. FREE DELIVERY Never miss an issue with every copy delivered straight to your doorstep. FULLY FLEXIBLE You are able to cancel at any time using a dedicated customer portal or by getting in touch. YOUR FREE GIFT Money is tight, make your screenwash go further with a free gift of CarPlan Demon Shot Screenwash Booster. Demon Shot is a new, innovative screenwash booster from CarPlan. Demon Shot can either be diluted with water or used neat to boost your existing screenwash temperature, meaning it is ideal for emergency or routine top ups. One bottle of Demon Shot makes up to…

Know Your Road Signs AA Publishing (theaa.com) Price: £4.99 Rating: A GOOD gift for those learning to drive but also ideal if you passed your test abroad and need to brush up on the UK’s signage. Even veteran drivers will likely find some unfamiliar signs. This is all available online, but it’s good to have it in a clear and tidy book. Alvis Society: A Century of Drivers David Culshaw (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £50 Rating: AN impressive feat, listing every Alvis chassis made and giving info on notable models, owners and number plates. But it’s not a particularly interesting read. Some cars have fascinating histories, but they’re not done too much justice here. Good imagery throughout, though. Monoposto Available for: iOS, Android Price: £1.99 (iOS), Free (Android) Rating: A…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Can the DVLA help me trace my car’s previous owner? I GOT a fairly good deal on a used car, especially considering the current market conditions. The only snag is that it’s missing some service history. Can the DVLA put me in touch with a previous owner to get this? Ian Sanston, E-mail A UNFORTUNATELY, there are a limited number of reasons for which you’re allowed to make a previous-keeper request to the DVLA. These include finding out who was responsible for an accident or parking infringement, or for tracking down someone suspected of insurance fraud. Obtaining service history is not a valid reason, but you can ask the DVLA if it has any relevant information on the car itself. Q Any idea why new smart…

World Rallycross returns to Lativa WITH the Hungarian and Swedish rounds of the World Rallycross Championship cancelled and the German event rescheduled, the fast-paced WRX series heads to its second round in Riga, Latvia this weekend. Every car in the World RX series now features electric power for the first time, but the RX1e class already looks very familiar, with four-time and defending champion Johan Kristoffersson leading the way after the season opener in Hell, Norway. The Swede will be looking for his fifth race win in Latvia, the most out of any World RX driver since the series launched in 2014. Timmy Hansen shouldn’t be discounted, either, because he’s a former race winner at Riga and is second in standings. Daniel Ricciardo set to leave McLaren McLAREN and Daniel…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy SKODA has enjoyed great success with its first bespoke EV, the Enyaq iV – and now the Czech manufacturer is showing its vision for an even bigger zero-emissions model that seats up to seven people, as well as revealing a fresh brand identity. Called Vision 7S, this new concept car previews an electric SUV that will be part of Skoda’s ambitious plan to expand its current EV range with three further models by 2026. It’s larger than the Enyaq, and is being presented in a ‘six-plus-one’ layout, with three rows of two and a baby seat mounted on top of a central ‘spine’ that runs down the centre of the cabin. The most obvious evidence of Skoda’s new brand identity comes at the front end, where the company’s…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE Atto 3 doesn’t seem a bad place for BYD to start in the UK. It’s a small family SUV with some smart styling cues that have been designed with Europe in mind, and based on our short first drive, it should have plenty of appeal for UK buyers. The electric motor is nicely calibrated, so the Atto 3’s throttle progression is well judged, sensible and pleasingly linear. The same can be said for the brakes; modulating the transition between energy recuperation and discs and pads is notoriously tricky, but BYD has come close to nailing it here. There’s no nasty sponginess or step to speak of, although we’d rather have just one setting instead of being able to choose between two levels of left-pedal resistance. This also…

PEUGEOT is updating its line-up by adding Active Premium+ and Allure Premium+ spec levels, and now it’s the turn of the five-seat 3008 and seven-seat 5008 SUVs to receive the updated trim structure. Active Premium+ replaces the Active Premium trim. Both cars get aluminium front door sills and pedals, 18-inch grey diamond-cut alloys (3008 only), aluminium roof rails and tinted windows. The 3008 Active Premium+ is priced from £31,035 and the 5008 £33,500. Allure Premium+ trim features the Aluminium Pack items listed above, while the roof is finished in a contrasting ‘Black Diamond’ look. Prices for the new Allure Premium+ trim start from £33,335 for the 3008 and £35,900 for the 5008 version. The two fresh trim levels are on sale now for both models.…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale THE UK car industry was very different 50 years ago. In 2021 only 850,575 cars were built here, albeit with Covid and the semiconductor shortage hindering efforts. In 1972, however, the figure was more than double 2021’s total, with more than 1.9 million cars rolling off British production lines. It was also a year that saw various new models launched in the UK. Honda began selling passenger cars in Britain in 1972, starting with the Civic, and we also witnessed the Aston Martin Vantage, Ford Granada and Lancia Stratos for the first time. Some of the most significant new-car launches that year, though, came from Germany, with the country’s automotive manufacturers unveiling a host of impressive saloon cars to the world. BMW launched its E12 5 Series that…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Electric motor Power/range (official) 134bhp/222 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.6 seconds/93mph VAUXHALL bagged a big prize in the UK last year, because its Corsa was the best-selling car of 2021. But the brand has more than just that to celebrate, with Vauxhall having been at the sharp end of the supermini sales charts for 40 years, and this is the landmark milestone the Corsa-e Anniversary Edition celebrates. This latest all-electric model pays homage to the car that was badged Nova in the UK but Corsa in European markets, with Record Red paintwork inspired by the original Nova’s Carmine Red colour, plus tartan trim for the sports seats as a nod to the Nova SR. Limited to just 1,000 examples in the UK, each celebratory Corsa-e comes with special collectors’…

Steve_Walker@autovia.co.uk THERE really is nothing like a big boot. You probably haven’t devoted much time to considering the size of your car’s cargo area recently, but let me tell you that the 575-litre capacity of our new Ford Focus Estate has been a regular source of joy in the early days of our long-term test. Fold the back seats down and there are 1,653 litres to play with – great for my growing family. The boot, of course, is what estate cars are all about. Like a peacock or an eighties footballer’s mullet, it’s business as usual up front and party out the back. That’s if your idea of a good time is being able to carry an extra suitcase on holiday or a child’s bike without taking a wheel…

PRODUCT Davanti Alltoura 4-Seasons Price: TBC Contact: davanti-tyres.com DRIVERS looking to swap to all-season tyres have a new option, thanks to the arrival of the first all-weather design for cars from Davanti. The Alltoura 4-Seasons joins the fast-growing line-up at Davanti, which was established in northern England in 2015 by wholesaler Oak Tyres. Designed in the UK and developed at specialist facilities in Finland and Davanti’s test centre at IDIADA in Spain, the Alltoura is made from a silica-based compound that’s intended to work in extreme temperatures throughout the year and designed for long life. The tread pattern is directional and follows current thinking on winter and all-season tyres to clear water effectively and give good grip on snow. This performance is further enhanced with an “intelligent sipe design”, while the…

New Peugeot goes on display at Louvre IF you’re heading to France soon, you might find an unexpected visitor at the Louvre-Lens museum – the expanded home of the Musee du Louvre, 120 miles north of Paris in Lens. There, Peugeot has placed its new 408 coupé-SUV inside a huge sphere (above) to show it off from all angles. The car twists and flips so that every inch of the avant-garde styling can be seen. Entry to the museum is free, but admission to special temporary exhibitions costs six Euros. You can find out more or plan a visit at louvrelens.fr. Huge round of price cuts from Halfords HALFORDS has dropped prices across almost all of its ranges in a bid to help motorists with the cost of living. Members of…

CO2/tax 126-132g/km £130-£155 Running costs 48-50mpg (1.2 TCe 130) £95 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.1 seconds/119mph RENAULT’S first foray into SUV production didn’t end well. Its Koleos of 2008 failed to interest buyers, but when its supermini-sized Captur was launched in 2013, it went on to become the French firm’s most popular model. With this newfound momentum, Renault then introduced the Kadjar a couple of years later, a size up from the Captur and another car that hit the spot with its appealing design, roomy cabin and low running costs. It helped that the Kadjar was based on a car that had already proved to be a smash hit, the Nissan Qashqai, but we reckoned that the Renault was actually better than the Japanese car. Seven years after its launch,…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks ● German firm joining in 2026 ● Likely to team-up with Sauber AUDI has announced it will compete in Formula One from 2026 – the same year new engine regulations come into force. After years of speculation surrounding it joining the series, Audi has highlighted F1’s plans to become more sustainable and cost-efficient as key reasons behind its decision. At a press conference at the Belgian Grand Prix, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said: “Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA. Formula One is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off YOU wouldn’t believe what goes on behind the scenes at a major car exhibition like The British Motor Show, which ended last week and was so well received by public, trade and industry that its 2023 dates (17-20 Aug) have already been confirmed. For starters, there was the little matter of getting well over £100million-worth of cars delivered to the show venue. I was only responsible for receiving about half a million pounds-worth of vehicles for my busy Best Cars of the Year stand. But I was staggered by the lack of information trucking companies provide to their hapless drivers, some of whom – through no fault of their own – had next to no idea where they were supposed to be…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE Vision 7S marks a major shift for Skoda – in styling but also in its overall branding. Former Porsche America chief Klaus Zellmer took over at the helm of the Czech brand in July. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, he gave his thoughts on the new concept and Skoda’s wider push into EVs. Q Why does Skoda need a new design language and corporate identity? A “Skoda has always had to change ever so slightly through its 127 years. This might be a bigger change because we’re taking it to the next level on design and the logo. But we’re in the middle of the biggest transformation of this industry – more change than in the past 50 years. Also, we have to make a conscious decision…

WILL you really be able to buy an Atto 3, and take delivery, before the end of this year? The team at BYD is optimistic that it will happen, thanks to an impending deal with a major UK dealer group. With that in place, it’ll be down to the firm’s own supply chains and manufacturing structures. It’s here where BYD could steal a march over not only other Chinese manufacturers but also lots of established European brands. The firm makes nearly all of the components used in the car itself. And without the much-publicised semiconductor issues, there should be little to hold it back. Supply should not be a problem.…

Entry-level Model Y SUV is on sale now TESLA has launched a new entry-level version of the Model Y crossover. It’s on sale now with first deliveries in December. The £51,990 Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive sits below the Long Range and Performance models in the mid-size, all-electric SUV’s line-up. A single electric motor drives the rear axle, while a battery with a usable capacity of 75kWh offers a range of up to 283 miles. The top speed is 135mph and 0-62mph takes 6.0 seconds. The sky’s the limit for airport drop-off fees AIRPORT drop-off fees are at an all-time high, RAC research has revealed. Stansted charges the most: £7 for 15 minutes. Luton and Gatwick charge £5 for 10 minutes, while £5 at Heathrow buys an unspecified period of time.…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Running costs 44.8mpg (official) £86 fill-up YOUR choices are fairly limited if you’re after a relatively affordable cabriolet these days. There’s the Mazda MX-5: brilliant to drive, great to look at, and even cheap to run but just two seats. The MINI Convertible has four, but the rears aren’t much use to adults. Both cars’ boots are small, too, so if you want an open-top car with some semblance of practicality, there’s pretty much only one choice. The Volkswagen T-Roc’s crossover body seems like an unlikely starting point for a drop-top adaptation, but it continues VW’s roofless lineage that dates back 70 years, taking the mantle from the Golf when the T-Roc Cabriolet launched in 2017. Like the rest of the T-Roc family, the open-roofed model has received…

Stuart_Milne@autovia.co.uk SPORTS Utility Vehicles generally deliver far less of the former than the latter. But there are exceptions to the rule, and the Jaguar F-Pace has offered much of what the firm knows about sports saloons and coupés, distilled into a far more practical package. Times change, though, so for the 2022 facelift the fundamentals remain, but the F-Pace has been boosted in areas where it was being left behind: tech and electrification. That’s why I find myself talking to Ahmed Rahman, sales executive at Beadles Jaguar in Southend, Essex, as he shows me around our new F-Pace: a plug-in P400e in R-Dynamic SE spec and Portofino Blue. Ahmed gives me a tour of the immaculate showroom; you could pretty much eat your food from the floor, and it’s every…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Looking for some light relief I’M renting a lock-up garage which has no mains power. I have cordless tools, but what’s the best way to light it? It’s very dark at the moment. Brian Kidd, E-mail A THE best option for working on your car is to use a head torch. Our current favourite is the NightSearcher ZOOM 580R at around £40. To light the space, the Ring RIL3700HP for around the same money (and shown above) is a good option. Or the NightSearcher Tower Pro-2K is powerful, at 2,000 lumens, and can be hung from the roof. Expect to pay around £75. Q Will fuel-saving tyres suit? I NEED to replace my tyres in the next few months. Given the cost of fuel, I’ve been looking at…

A CORDLESS rotary tool is essential for a DIY car owner’s garage, offering the ability to cut, grind, brush, drill, clean and sand with a versatile design that’s light enough to use just about anywhere. Our current test winner is the Sealey CP1207KIT, but the company has now introduced the lower-voltage CP108VMG, which we test here alongside the latest from Dremel, the Lite 7760-15. We compared the spec and number of accessories included, and assessed comfort, ease of use and value for money. We used the tools for a selection of typical car tasks, including polishing and drilling, and timed how long it took to slice through a 6mm steel bolt using a 38mm x 0.75mm disc. The CP108VMG is our new best buy, combining great and quiet performance with…