Table of contents for 1747 in Auto Express

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● Concept previews future tech ● No plans for production DACIA has unveiled its Manifesto Concept, a two-seat off-road buggy that looks ahead as the Renault-owned maker reinvents itself for a new chapter. While the Manifesto won’t go into production, the tech on board will influence features that we may see on future models, such as the next Duster SUV coming in 2024, and the Bigster family SUV due in 2025. The Manifesto also affirms Dacia’s core pillars with a realigned focus: ‘essential but cool’, ‘robust and outdoor’, and ‘eco-smart’. According to Design Director David Durand, the Manifesto is a “great way to brainstorm ideas and design codes without the pressure of production – some that you will see in our future models. We’ve pushed back limits and removed…

ID.4 gets an Xtreme new look and 382bhp VW has beefed up its ID.4 family SUV to create this show car, the ID. Xtreme. The new creation (above) has 50mm-wider wheelarches, chunky 18-inch off-road tyres, a new front bumper with bullbars, and extra underbody protection. It uses the ID.4 GTX’s dual-motor set-up, retuned to deliver 382bhp. Senior VW sources say the firm will gauge reaction before deciding what to do with the car, but it seems unlikely that the concept will make production. Manchester ranks top for bus-lane fines MANCHESTER issued more bus-lane fines than any other UK council in 2020/21, with 116,862 fines raking in £3.7million. Research from Moneybarn revealed Bristol and Glasgow in second and third places; the former issued 103,465 fines worth £2.04m, while Glasgow’s 65,868 fines…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks A NEW all-electric Peugeot e-308 is coming next year and Peugeot has released pictures and first details of the five-door hatch and the e-308 estate. The two new EVs will complement Peugeot’s growing electric car range, but unlike the French brand’s e-208 supermini and e-2008 compact SUV, which sit on Stellantis’s CMP architecture, the e-308 won’t be fitted with the familiar 50kWh battery. Instead, Peugeot has equipped the car with a 54kWh unit that will deliver a claimed range of up to 248 miles. The e-308 is based on the same Stellantis EMP2 platform as its combustion-engined and plug-in hybrid siblings, and will share its tech with the Vauxhall Astra-e that will arrive after the e-308 next year. The e-308 will be the first Stellantis model to offer…

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.consumerombudsman.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…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.4 seconds/150mph Running costs 327.7mpg (official) £130 fill-up FOLLOWING the recent reinvention of the Range Rover for the electric era, it’s now the turn of the Range Rover Sport. The Sport is based on the same MLA-Flex platform as the Range Rover. This allows for plug-in hybrid models and a full EV that will join the range in 2024, and it’s the former in P510e guise that we’re focusing on here. It uses a 38.2kWh battery feeding a 141bhp electric motor alongside a 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six petrol engine to deliver 503bhp and 700Nm of torque. This gives the car its easy-going feel, especially around town and at lower speeds. You move off smoothly and quickly in full EV mode, with plenty of refinement. And when the…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks Running costs 428mpg (official) £85 fill-up PLUG-IN hybrids might be losing customers to pure-electric cars (sales of PHEVs have dropped by 15.7 per cent this year, compared with BEVs rising by 48.8 per cent), but Mercedes is clearly confident there’s still a market niche that it can fill with this new GLC 300 e. On paper, the new GLC looks to be a significant improvement over the old model. There’s more boot space, extra equipment and a longer all-electric range. While other markets will receive a more powerful 400 e variant from launch (as shown in our pictures), the GLC 300 e will be the range-topping petrol model in the UK until the GLC 63 arrives next year. The GLC 300 e’s powertrain consists of a four-cylinder turbocharged…

Audi RS 6 MODEL: RS 6 Avant PRICE: £97,670 ENGINE: 4.0-litre V8, 591bhp PORSCHE isn’t the only brand that offers buyers both premium petrol and electric performance options. The Audi RS 6 Avant delivers 591bhp and 800Nm from a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, figures that not long ago would have blown us away in a supercar. Indeed, the RS 6 can crack the 0-62mph sprint in as little as 3.6 seconds. There’s more to the RS 6 than just straight-line speed, though. The chassis offers sophistication; the RS 6 reassures the driver with a neutral balance, so those incredible performance stats can be exploited easily. But when you want to relax, the RS 6 is comfortable. It’s also roomy – the vast 565-litre boot means plenty of luggage space, while the…

WHEELS THE 21-inch alloy wheels fitted to the Panamera are part of the exclusive upgrades for the Platinum Edition. They suit the dynamic proportions of the Sport Turismo perfectly, and the platinum finish looks understated. Some of the wheel options for the Taycan are anything but; go for optional 21in wheels and you can choose gloss black, satin black, satin gold, or match them to the body colour. NOISE WHILE silence is great in a GT car, performance car buyers might desire a bit of noise from the powertrain to get a feel for what’s happening when driving keenly. The near-silence of the Taycan’s e-motors can be boosted with the Porsche Electric Sport Sound; the £354 option adds a hum that sounds futuristic and dramatic. The Panamera’s V6 provides a…

Dean_Gibson@autovia.co.uk @DeanGbsn Practicality Cargo volume/payload 5.3 cubic metres/1,063kg Running costs Official range/tax 190 miles/£0 WHEN people find out that you drive an electric van (often when they want to berate you for blocking a public EV chargepoint with what they presume is a smelly diesel), one of the first questions that’s often asked is how a heavy payload affects the van’s range. Having mostly driven our Citroen e-Dispatch empty, I thought it high time we loaded it up before it headed off into the sunset, just to see what effect a full cargo area has. For this highly unscientific project, I raided my garage for anything that would add some weight. Mountain bikes aren’t really that heavy, but it’s easy to double your payload with two on board, and I…

New app adds extra tech features to Ami CITROEN has launched a new app for users of its Ami, My Ami Play. This boosts smartphone connectivity, giving users access to things like sat-nav, internet radio and Bluetooth calling, using a smartphone as the processor. There’s even a unit available that clips to the Ami’s steering wheel and allows the user to control certain functions without taking their hands off the wheel. It will be standard on new orders of Pop and Tonic versions, plus models featuring a colour pack, and can be added as an accessory, too. Visit your local Citroen dealer or citroen.co.uk/ami to find out more. Special offers on Nilfisk washers HEAD to Machine Mart for special deals on Nilfisk pressure washers. Offers include a £14 saving on…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 11.1 seconds/101mph Running costs 64.2-74.3mpg £74 fill-up CO2/tax 88-101g/km £155 WIDESPREAD electrification has been a long time coming, with most mainstream car makers slow to introduce new products. The market is now awash with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars, but six years ago it was a different story, with Kia at the vanguard with its Niro. Designed from the outset as an electrified family car, the Niro showed other car makers how to do things. Whichever powertrain was chosen, the car was packaged efficiently, with a long range, lots of standard equipment and a decent level of reliability included for good measure. Of course this shouldn’t have surprised anyone because these have been Kia strengths for years. And even now, despite many alternatives reaching the market,…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram • Six points between top two • Two events remaining THE BTCC returns from its summer break for the penultimate meeting of the season. The Silverstone National circuit is the venue for rounds 25 to 27, with the wide, smooth and fast circuit offering plenty of opportunity for action. The series moves to the ‘home of British motorsport’ with the title fight shaping up for a thrilling conclusion. The Thruxton triple-header was a very strong one for the Motorbase-run Napa Racing pairing of Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish; the team will be bringing a huge level of momentum into the closing stages of the season. Cammish took a lights-to-flag win during a chaotic first round of the weekend, chalking up his first victory of the season in the…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Improving cabin tech has been major focus of facelift ● 3 Series remains superb to drive on any road THE days when the BMW 3 Series was a piece of automotive currency, like the Ford Mondeo or the Volkswagen Golf, have probably gone now, thanks to the inexorable transition towards SUVs. But sales of the Munich manufacturer’s iconic three-box premium saloon have actually remained steady in recent years, with it finding around 20,000 customers in the UK annually. This, plus continued big sales numbers from China, has been good enough to earn fresh investment in a facelift from BMW. And now it’s time to see if the money has been well spent. From the outside, not a great deal has changed compared with the G20 3 Series…

We talk to the man at the top of Dacia about future challenges and what lies ahead for the brand Q Are you worried about Euro NCAP results? A “No. It’s about choices. We are serious on passive safety, but active safety – lots of people deactivate lane-keep assist, for example, so we don’t sell it. It’s philosophical and a serious choice we make. ” Q How will you manage the switch to electric? A “Dacia’s job is to be late, to arrive at the right moment. We will look at it segment by segment. The more you wait, the more clever you are, because technologies are not completely settled. We’ll do it the Dacia way. We’re not going to develop a 35,000-Euro Sandero with 500 miles of range and…

FOLLOWING its commitment to go all-electric by 2028, Vauxhall has outlined plans for the future of its sporty models, by confirming a new GSe performance sub-brand. Standing for Grand Sport Electric, the new badge will likely be applied to the firm’s Astra hatch and estate, and Grandland SUV models, utilising plug-in hybrid powertrains to offer more power with zero-emissions capability. Vauxhall’s acting MD James Taylor says the GSe cars will offer “sports handling and looks combined with performance”.…

@tristan_shale ● Shortage of new cars drives desire for extended lease deals ● If warranty expires, you’ll have to fix a car you don’t own DRIVERS who have their car’s lease extended are facing hefty repair bills in the event of a fault, because the length of the warranty cover is not being increased at the same time. A shortage of new cars has meant lease extensions are being widely offered with no changes to monthly payments or terms. In cases where the lease is extended beyond the car’s warranty period, however, the warranty is not automatically extended. This means that, should a fault occur, the customer is left having to fork out for a repair on a car they don’t even own. One driver in this unenviable position is…

HOT TOPIC Nissan X-Trail FROM: Marco Ejs I DON’T understand what’s going on with the shape and size of the headlights. Surely a fairly pricey 2023 model car like this should have full-size LEDs. The interior looks amazing, but I’m not sure the exterior is up to scratch. FROM: Josh Davies HOPE the ground clearance on this new X-Trail is better than it is on the current Qashqai, because one of those bottomed out while reversing on to my driveway. And I can get a Hyundai i10 on to the drive with no problems at all. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Looks to me like a jacked-up Qashqai with some extra plastic bits and all-wheel drive.”Neil George ■ “The front end looks remarkably similar to that of the BMW…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 Running costs 161.1mpg (official) £77 fill-up WE’VE had numerous misgivings about the DS 7 over the years, but one particularly bad blot on its report has been the ride. As the first bespoke DS product after the split from Citroen, it ought to be smoother, given the brand’s focus on comfort. But now there’s a facelifted version of the DS 7, and the suspension has been overhauled. There’s a catch, though – only the E-Tense 4x4 360 flagship gets these changes, which aim to sharpen up the driving experience at the slight expense of suppleness. The DS Performance team has gone to town on the EMP2 platform. It sits 15mm lower, while the track widths have increased by 24mm at the front, and 10mm at the rear. The…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks MERCEDES has somewhat cornered the diesel plug-in hybrid market of late, which means the new GLC 300 de doesn’t have much competition. But Merc still hasn’t dropped the ball. The 300 de is powered by a 197bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel and a 134bhp electric motor; total system output is 329bhp and 750Nm of torque, and both power sources are well integrated. This means a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds, so the GLC never feels sluggish. The GLC 300 de is 60kg heavier than the 300 e (left) at a relatively portly 2,415kg. Mercedes has done well in masking much of this weight with direct, nicely weighted steering and a responsive powertrain; even the nine-speed automatic transmission changes gear swiftly if you use the paddle shifters. However, sharp inputs and…

MODEL TESTED: Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo PRICE: £91,000 POWERTRAIN: 2x e-motors + 93.4kWh battery, 483bhp Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.1 seconds/149mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 446/1,212 litres Running costs 3.2 miles/kWh (on test) 268-mile range/2% tax COMBUSTION or electric, coupé or Cross Turismo, there’s always one thing that remains a constant throughout the Porsche range, and that’s a lengthy personalisation list. Among the many options fitted to this Taycan 4S Cross Turismo are the black leather-free interior (£2,538), Ice Grey metallic paint (£1,683), 20-inch Turbo design wheels (£1,776), a Panoramic roof (£1,137), a 22kW AC charger (£1,179), the Sport Chrono Pack (£788), a Bose surround-sound system (£956), and the 4+1 seating arrangement (£336). Those bump up the £91,000 starting price to £101,393. Design & engineering THE Taycan marked Porsche’s entry into…

Porsche Panamera Porsche Comm’ Management Key features: Wireless charging PORSCHE Communication Management is the brand’s latest iteration of its infotainment tech, and it maintains the unfussy principles of earlier systems. Now, however, they’re shown on a much larger, sharper and more colourful display; the 12.3-inch central touchscreen looks fantastic. Shortcut icons are displayed in a sidebar to the right, which leaves room for either simple tile-like shortcuts on the main menu screen, or mapping on the navigation screen, courtesy of Google. The screen isn’t quite as responsive nor the loading times as fast as the newest systems from BMW and Mercedes, but it still operates very smoothly. Another small gripe we have is that the reversing camera’s detail hasn’t kept up. An HD camera would be better. On the plus…

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Running costs 34.2mpg (on test) £162 fill-up £510 or 12% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 696/1,759 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.6 seconds/119mph UNTIL recently I’d never owned a dog or driven a 4x4 – or even had any notion of getting married. But there I was, on honeymoon, driving around Europe in a Defender with my bride next to me and our dog Tito snoozing on the back seat. The odyssey began, as is traditional, with a six-hour wait at the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal. Then from Calais we headed through Belgium into Germany, then down past Munich, continuing through Austria and Slovenia into northern Croatia, and on to the Adriatic coast. Two people and a dog in a Land Rover hardly sounds like the last word in romance, and the…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk Q Service before SORN? I PLAN to put my car on a SORN over winter. A service is due even though one was done this March. Should I delay the next inspection until next March, when I take the car out of hibernation, or store it after it has had a fresh service? The car is kept outside, but under a cover. Tim Everton, E-mail A WE’D be tempted to get the service done now. Contaminants in used oil can cause damage if left in the engine for long periods. A service is also a good time to check coolant concentration. Brim the fuel tank to cut condensation and clean and wax bodywork before going under the cover. Q Be wise, get a smart charger I’M…

ONCE you’ve got a mechanic’s seat in your garage, you will wonder how you managed to survive without one. Bending down to clean wheels or work on the lower half of your car can literally be a pain, while kneeling on the floor is never comfortable either. Being able to sit comfortably makes all the difference, especially if your seat also includes castors to make it easier to move around, and storage so you don’t lose precious parts or constantly have to make trips to the tool box. After our last multitest we crowned the Hilka Pro-Craft as our favourite and it’s still a great product, with comfort and height adjustability. But a price increase means it’s no longer such great value. Clarke’s new rival costs more and does the…

AMERICA and its people have long known how to put on a show. No one staged them better. The USA really was home to the greatest shows on earth. I know this because I blagged my way into scores of ’em – from New York to LA, Miami to Detroit, plus countless other places. Whether we’re talking car exhibitions, motorsport events or other auto-related occasions, America was the showtime capital of the world. Only one snag: I’m talking past tense here. Lately, a cocktail of Covid, carbon/climate conundrums, crime chaos, a crazily controversial chav ‘in charge’ (2017-21) and other calamities has comprehensively clobbered the country. What used to be the most international nation somehow went insular. IndyCar and NASCAR racing (a bit like GM and Chrysler cars) have become increasingly…

THE estate version of the 3 Series accounts for around half of the model’s sales in its native Germany, but barely 10 per cent in the UK. That’s an odd stat that’s likely to remain in place, even after the 3 Series Touring gets the same worthy updates as the saloon. Indeed, you could argue that the 320d Touring we’re trying here makes a good case for two lost causes – the estate bodystyle, and diesel power. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine produces 187bhp and a hefty 400Nm of torque, taking the car from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds and ensuring that it can still make swift progress even when the loadbay is in full use. It’s a fantastic motor and one that has been cleverly installed, with little or no vibration…

● 5.0-litre V8 under bonnet ● Dash features twin screens THE world is running short of sports cars, let alone those powered by pure combustion, but Ford still believes there’s a place for this type of vehicle, so has invested in an all-new Mustang, which is hotly tipped to be the last generation of the car to feature petrol power. Revealed at last week’s Detroit Motor Show, the world’s best-selling sports coupé has an evolutionary exterior look and upgraded V8 and four-cylinder engines under the bonnet, plus a cabin with much greater in-car technology. Available as a coupé and a convertible, the new Mustang has LED headlights (which are slimmer than on the previous car) hooded by an aggressive bonnet, dual air intakes in the front grille to improve performance,…

VOLVO could be preparing a U-turn on the name of its forthcoming new flagship, after documents filed to the European Patent Office revealed the Swedish brand is trying to tie down the EXC90 badge. The successor to the XC90 should be revealed this autumn. Drawings have shown an evolutionary look, but Volvo had been expected to drop the number-based model name in favour of a word, possibly Embla. However, new CEO Jim Rowan may have decided to use the value in the ‘XC’ convention. Volvo has also registered EXC60, EXC40 and EC40, plus ES60, ES90, EV60 and EV90, which could cover saloons and estates.…

Now you can camp in your Dacia Jogger AFTER Auto Express broke the story first back in April that Dacia was considering a ‘Camper’ version or accessory pack for its Jogger family car, we can now confirm that an in-car bed is under development. When folded, the bed is stored in a wooden box in the car’s boot; you remove the third-row seats and fold the middle row down to erect the bed, with a thin mattress that sits on top of the frame for comfort. A tent that clips onto the tailgate will also be available. Traffic levels remain down after Covid COVID-19 has, in effect, culled one in 20 cars from UK roads, with traffic levels “entrenched” at no more than 95 per cent of where they were…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale THE cost of topping up an electric car using a public chargepoint is skyrocketing as energy bills soar. Public chargepoint operator Osprey is one operator that has been transparent about the situation, announcing a new price across its network of £1/kWh. The firm’s CEO, Ian Johnston, described the circumstances around the change as “extraordinary”. “The Government has announced a £150 billion support scheme for homes and businesses,” he said. “However, as yet, we have no details on this scheme. “Unlike for residential customers, to date there’s been no cap on the price that businesses pay for their electricity and, indeed, in recent weeks the price of electricity has risen to more than three times what it was this time last year.” Johnston said he was sure he wouldn’t…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 Running costs 43.5mpg (official) £95 fill-up IT really feels like Citroen has started to rediscover its sense of direction in recent years. In the past, there have been flashes of daring quirkiness that have singled out the brand’s past icons, and in more modern times the C5 Aircross was one of the first in the current Citroen range to show signs of that returning. A focus on space and comfort, while other car makers pushed for a sportier driving experience, made the brand’s family SUV a breath of fresh air when it launched in 2017. Five years on, there’s a facelifted version – and we’ve now sampled it in the UK. The revisions start with a new look inspired by the recently released C5 X. The focal point…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk\ @AxleIngram Performance 0-62mph/top speed 2.9 seconds/221mph HEAD back as far as you like in Lamborghini’s history, and almost without fail there’s a trend running among Sant’Agata’s iconic vehicles: the final examples of the breed are always the most extreme and thrilling of all. The run-out models of the Countach, Diablo and Gallardo were all deeply special. Even as recently as the Huracán, it’s the latest Tecnica edition that’s the best of a very talented bunch. The brand’s iconic Aventador is no different. This is the LP 780-4 Ultimae, which here we’re driving in Roadster form; it’s one of 250 to be produced alongside 350 coupés. Ultimae, for those of us not fluent in Latin, means “the last”. It marks a final chapter in another way, too. While Lamborghini has…

MODEL TESTED: Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid ST Platinum Ed. PRICE: £97,770 POWERTRAIN: 3.0-litre V6 + 1x e-motor, 456bhp Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.4 seconds/174mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 418/1,287 litres Running costs 32.2mpg (on test) £136 fill/£510 or 15% tax THE Platinum Edition is set apart from the rest of the Panamera range through subtle cosmetic and spec details (see Through the Range, right). However, as on the Taycan, there are a few choice options added here, including adaptive cruise control (£1,455), and Isofix child seat mounts on the front passenger seat (£134). The extras lift the £97,770 starting price to £105,309. Design & engineering BEFORE we dive into the technical details, there’s one thing that sets the Panamera apart from its all-electric range mate: the cabin. While there’s no questioning the…

1st TAYCAN IT’S an incredibly close call, but the Taycan is our pick here. In this company, it really does feel like the future; its powertrain is so smooth, refined and punchy, yet it’s still just as sophisticated to drive and with the character you’d expect of a Porsche. From a financial point of view, it holds its value better, it’s cheaper to lease, and it’s cheaper to run for private and company car users alike. 2nd PANAMERA IT may be our second favourite Porsche estate car, but it doesn’t stop the fact that the Panamera is still a fantastic grand tourer. It’s more sumptuous inside than the Taycan and more spacious, and it’s better at doing long distances, but items such as the gearbox feel like old tech beside its stablemate.…

Dawn_Grant@autovia.co.uk Running costs 55.6mpg (on test) £74 fill-up £165 or 30% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 380/1,190 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.9 seconds/126mph FOR the past couple of months, I’ve been looking after my daughter’s puppy, Isla, once or twice a week, and she has become a big fan of our Skoda Fabia. Well, to be fair, she just loves being in any car, but Isla definitely knows she likes the small Skoda and will sit by the door waiting for me to let her in. While the Fabia’s boot is a good size, Isla usually travels in the back seats – and as anyone with a dog knows, unfortunately dogs (or should I say their coats) and cloth interiors really don’t go together, so I use an old cover…

Britain’s Motorways Mark Chatterson (Amberley, amberley-books.co.uk) Price: £15.99 Rating: A QUICK guide to all Britain’s M-ways. This should contain at least a fact or two to make even the most experienced drivers think next time they get on one of our multi-lane expressways. But it’s quite a compact book – it feels like the author could have easily given more. Traction for sale Bill Munro & Pat Turner (Earlswood Press, earlswoodpress.co.uk) Price: £54.99 Rating: EVER wondered how the Jensen FF (the first four-wheel-drive road car) got its name? It’s from Ferguson Formula – Ferguson (of tractor fame) was the company behind it. This book gives a history of the system, its development and use on and off the road (and track) plus the story of the company’s founders. Well worth…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@autovia.co.uk Q Where do we stand on Citroen’s poor paint finish? THE lacquer coating on my daughter’s 2016 Citroen C3 Picasso has lifted in patches on the roof and bonnet. I’ve looked into getting it repaired for her and have been quoted £400. Can we get Citroen to pay towards this? John Lawrence, E-mail A WE checked the Citroen UK website and it appears the paintwork warranty only lasts three years, although it’s worth your daughter checking her car’s documentation to see if her’s is longer. If the warranty has expired, Citroen isn’t obliged to pay anything and may deny a request for a goodwill gesture. It’s worth looking for quotes from reputable independent specialists who may repair it for a cheaper price. Q Filling in…

FOLLOWING a stint of nine years as a factory Audi driver, Nico Muller has signed for Peugeot to join the French team’s Le Mans program. Swiss driver Muller will fill the seat in the 9X8 hypercar that was vacated by Danish star Kevin Magnussen after he was called up to return to the Haas F1 squad at the start of the 2022 F1 season. Muller has already had a stellar career, with highlights including 10 DTM victories with consecutive runner-up championship finishes in 2019 and 2020, while a campaign in the Vector Sport LMP2 car in this year’s WEC has proven to be solid preparation for his Peugeot campaign.…