Table of contents for 1772 in Auto Express

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Concept points to supermini EV ● Expected to go on sale in 2025 WE’VE been waiting for a couple of years to see how Volkswagen plans to make electric motoring more affordable – and after one false start with the ID. Life concept, here’s the firm’s proposed solution: the ID. 2all, a supermini that will be a rival for the likes of Vauxhall’s Corsa-e and the Peugeot e-208 when it goes on sale in 2025. The ID. 2all is VW’s first take on MEB Entry, a project announced in 2019 to deliver EVs costing less than 20,000 Euros. That price has now risen up to “less than 25,000 Euros”, but it’s hoped that the car could cost from just under £22,000 in the UK. The MEB Entry…

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk @jordankatsianis ● Fabric roof folds in 13.5 secs ● Top speed of 198mph-plus FERRARI has revealed a new convertible Spider variant of its Roma, adding a second luxury drop-top GT car to its range alongside the existing Portofino M. Unsurprisingly, the Roma Spider shares most of its underpinnings with the coupé, but replaces the metal roof with a folding fabric soft-top for a full open-air experience. The new Roma Spider uses a modified version of the coupé’s aluminium chassis, making up for the structural compromises of the convertible’s roof by adding strengthening elements to the underbody. The roof itself is a new Z-folding unit that can be raised and lowered at up to 37mph, taking just 13.5 seconds to operate. The roof mechanism slips under a fabric-covered tonneau behind…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) 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.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.3 seconds/168mph THINGS can’t be easy for performance sub-brands right now. All of the top companies are pushing relentlessly towards electrification and the transitional products are tricky to judge when you’re a cult band of engineers known for adding pace and extra agility. We’ve seen Mercedes-AMG struggling with its latest hybrid C 63, and now here comes BMW’s first bespoke M vehicle since the M1: the XM. The new arrival isn’t another svelte, lows-lung, mid-engined supercar, but rather a vast 5.1-metre-long SUV, mixing a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with a 192bhp e-motor. This plug-in hybrid offers 644bhp and 800Nm, enough, even in a car weighing more than 2.7 tonnes, for a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of up to 168mph…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 LIKE many premium brands, Jaguar is keen on special editions. Normally, these amount to little more than subtle spec changes – maybe a unique colour and perhaps some new badging. Often a little bit of Jaguar history will be referenced. A quick glance at the F-Type R 75’s specs shows it fits that bill. It gets the normally optional Windsor leather as standard, along with Ebony ‘suedecloth’ headlining, lighter ‘slimline’ seats and little badges displaying the silhouette of the F-Type. There’s a gloss black, diamond-turned finish for the R 75’s 10-spoke, 20-inch wheels, and when it comes to heritage, the ‘75’ refers to 75 years of Jaguar sports cars, the first being the XK120 of 1948. If you want a V8-powered F-Type now, it has to be a…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy HOW do you reinvent a brand? You probably start by boiling down what it currently means to people; then you come up with what you’d like it to mean to people. And then, presumably, you work out a way of joining the dots between the two. But how do any of those processes actually happen? In the case of Dacia, the team had decades of experience with customers – listening to their comments, reading feedback through the dealer network, studying owner-satisfaction surveys such as Auto Express’s own Driver Power. After all, knowing why people buy your cars is important; knowing why they don’t is arguably even more critical. Lionel Jaillet, Dacia’s vice-president for product performance, and David Durand, its design chief, are the guys who then had to…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 HAVING driven a Jogger ‘home’ to Romania from Paris (pages 40-49), it’d be remiss of us to not spend the remaining time before the flight home exploring how Dacia engineers such great value into its cars. There are three main locations in Romania where the brand’s models – the Jogger included – are designed, developed and manufactured to be great-value motors. And handily, all three sites are within a short drive of each other. There’s a common theme here: cutting-edge technology often used for very pragmatic purposes. Our whistle-stop tour starts in the country’s capital. BUCHAREST THE sizeable Dacia Business Center to the west of Bucharest brings multiple departments once spread out across myriad locations under one roof. There’s a tram stop right outside, as is the entrance…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE tone is one of mild disbelief: “You’re sleeping? In that? You’re mad.” I’d expected nothing less from seasoned campers, but even so, the reaction to the sight of a humble Dacia Jogger occupying a full eight-metre pitch in the middle of a Sussex campsite is one of brutal bemusement. “How will you actually doze off?” they ask. “Simple,” I reply. “I intend to drink the best part of a bottle of red – purely as a precaution, you understand – and then lie down.” This real-world test of Dacia’s Sleep Pack is taking place only hours after the final version was revealed, and it wasn’t part of the original plan. But when chatting to execs like Lionel Jaillet at the preview of the kit in a French…

129bhp Powertrain 1.2 litre 3cyl 52 litres Fuel tank £77 fill up 10.2 secs Performance 130mph 536 litres Seats up/down 1,611 litres MODEL TESTED: 408 1.2 PureTech 130 GT PRICE: £34,650 POWERTRAIN: 1.2-litre 3cyl turbo petrol, 128bhp THE new Peugeot 408 isn’t a replacement for another model. Instead, it carves a new niche as a five-door coupé-crossover that slots somewhere between the 308 hatch, 508 saloon and possibly even the 3008 SUV. Here we’re testing the top-spec GT trim, but with the smallest engine in the line-up, a 1.2-litre petrol unit, while our car comes in at £39,275 including options. Tech highlights THE big talking point of the 408 is its dramatic bodywork. With its long bonnet, low roof and tapering rear end, it has quite a distinctive five-door coupé…

SAME CLASS Renault Arkana PEUGEOT isn’t the only French brand that has tried to merge several classes into one car. Renault tried the same trick with the Arkana: a coupé-style SUV that aims to blend a unique design with practicality. With a load volume of up to 510 litres, it runs the 408 very close for storage capacity, and while it isn’t quite as roomy inside, it’s still a spacious place to sit. Thanks to a mild-hybrid powertrain, the Arkana returns 48.7mpg on the WLTP cycle, although its ride and handling fall short of the Peugeot’s. However, Renault’s competitive zero-per-cent PCP finance offers mean that it has the potential to be a very cheap car to own. ● Interior space ● Hybrid efficiency ● Smart cabin ● Unsettled ride ●…

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NEW PRODUCT Castrol GTX Classic engine oil Price: £49.95 (five litres) Contact: classicoilsshop.co.uk CASTROL has revived a name from its past for the latest addition to its range of engine oils for older vehicles. GTX was a household name in the seventies and eighties, thanks to its ‘Liquid Engineering’ marketing. And fittingly, this latest version is designed to provide the correct lubrication for cars built between 1978 and 1993. While today’s synthetic oils enhance the performance of modern engines, older cars need lubrication to match the technology of the period. That’s just what Castrol’s Classic Oils range, including its distinctive motorsport castor-based R, aims to do. It covers not just engines, but also gearboxes and axles. The revived GTX Classic is a 10W/40 mineral-based blend produced to the original formulation required…

75th Anniversary Porsche 356 Gordon Maltby (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £60 Rating: THE story of Porsche’s first sports car, the 356, is told in great detail here, with beautiful production values and a glut of top imagery. The engaging narrative is of the high standard we’ve come to expect from this publisher. The Ford Transit Story Giles Chapman (The History Press, thehistorypress.co.uk) Price: £8.99 Rating: FIRST released a few years ago and so not up to date with the latest Transits, but this earlier history of the van is so interesting and well written that we don’t mind. The small format’s a little limiting, but there’s an awful lot packed in, considering this. Fancade Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating: PLAY 10-20 levels of a cute, blocky mini-game to progress to…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk WHILE 58th position in the 2022 Driver Power new-car survey is certainly not a reason for Mercedes to celebrate, there aren’t many areas where the smallest of the German brand’s SUVs really fails, according to feedback from its owners. The GLA’s worst scores are for fuel economy, where it ranks 70th overall, and a 72nd placing for the balance of physical buttons and touchscreen. On the plus side, its best rating is a 19th place for the engine sound, while it ranks 24th for the owners’ overall opinion of the exterior styling and quality. The car’s reliability is rated as above average, too, in 25th place, with just 11.5 per cent of owners saying that they have experienced an issue. WE SAID “Mercedes has refined the GLA in all…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks ● Birthplace of Ayrton Senna ● Porsche leads by 42 points “Porsche has had a driver on the podium in every race so far. Will that continue in Brazil?” FORMULA E makes its Brazil debut on 25 March, with the all-electric, single-seater category heading to the country’s largest city, São Paulo. Formula E says the 22 drivers can expect a carnival-like atmosphere at the 1.8-mile street circuit, one of the shortest layouts on the calendar. The circuit sits in São Paulo’s Satana District, the birthplace of legendary Brazilian Formula One driver, Ayrton Senna, and the starting grid is placed within the city’s Sambadrome – a seating area that is home to São Paulo’s carnival. Alberto Longo, co-founder of Formula E said, “Together we will bring an electric carnival…

Red Bull launches £99,999 F1 simulator RED Bull has revealed what could well be the ultimate set-up for sim racers. Based on the official Red Bull Racing Championship-winning Formula One car from 2022, the ‘Champions Edition’ simulator (above) will set you back £99,999. It’s made using the same processes as the real race cars, using the same tooling. The simulator comprises the F1 car’s nose and front wing assembly, plus a removable halo. Two liveries are available, based on Max Verstappen’s or Sergio Perez’s car. Including the hardware, the whole set-up weighs 160kg. Silverstone to remain as Britain’s only F1 GP PLANS for a London Grand Prix to be added to F1’s race calendar have been shut down by Formula One. The project was pitched by environmental group LDN Collective…

THE bean counters within the global automotive industry are famous for their frustratingly slow pace. Only now have they put down their calculators and decided that 61.6 million cars were built last year. Of the car-producing corners of the world, Asia is still – by far – the most powerful and productive, due to its output of more than 42 million cars in 2022. China already churns out almost half a million cars a week. And with neighbours such as Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, and what I predict to be the next big automotive nation – Vietnam – don’t be surprised if the collective work ethic of the Asians leads to one million cars per week before long. Yikes! Meanwhile, car making in the European region continues to shrink,…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram ● Similar size to the VW ID.4 and priced from around £40,000 ● Ford’s bespoke design includes SYNCMove infotainment tech FORD is reinventing the Explorer name for a new mid-size electric SUV. Following in the footsteps of the sleek Mustang Mach-E, the new 2023 Explorer has been revealed with a choice of two trims, two battery options and up to 335bhp from a dual-motor configuration that brings all-wheel drive. Built on the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID.4, the Ford Explorer is the result of an ongoing partnership between the two brands. The companies have already shared their commercial-vehicle expertise on vans and pick-ups, and now the attention turns to passenger EVs. Volkswagen has had something of a head start, though: the ID.3 and ID.4 have been…

MINI special is final hurrah for Clubman MINI is bidding farewell to its Clubman with this Final Edition model. Limited to 1,969 units (the year the Clubman first went on sale), with 200 cars set for the UK, this £37,000 model is based on Cooper S Exclusive spec and features a 175bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Special details include ‘Final Edition’ lettering, ‘1 of 1969’ badging, and dark dashboard trim with sage-green inserts, while the kit list features an 8.8-inch screen. Deliveries begin later this year. Audi confirms new entry-level EV model AUDI CEO Marcus Duesmann has confirmed that the brand will build a new entry-level all-electric model that will sit beneath the firm’s current most affordable EV, the Q4 e-tron. Speaking at the brand’s annual conference, Duesmann said, “We have…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler GERMANY has many hotbeds of automotive manufacturing, but Dülmen isn’t traditionally one of them. Hidden away on the outskirts of the town not far from the German/Dutch border lies an extraordinary factory with more than a hint of British inspiration in what it produces. Wiesmann is a unique thing: an independent German sports car maker, but one whose inspiration comes from British roadsters. It was founded back in 1988 to mix the best of British style with fine German engineering – what sounds like the perfect combination. But as with many independent sports car makers, it’s had its fair share of ups, downs and financial tribulations. Siblings Martin and Friedhelm Wiesmann founded the company, but are no longer at the helm; the company was rescued in 2016 by…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 “You can’t miss that logo, you can’t miss the signage. It’s great that Dacia is so visible in a busy area”ELINA KARPPINEN RENAULT UK’S RETAIL GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR AMID the spaghetti-like arrangement of concrete and asphalt where the M1, A5 and A406 North Circular roads meet in north London is a key part of the Dacia UK story. Not just the beginnings of the brand here, but the way in which it’s evolved to its present form, and where it’ll be going in the future. Here, you’ll find Renault Staples Corner, a relatively new facility created via the overhaul of an old Vauxhall dealer. It’s effectively a temporary home while the completion of an all-new facility in Chiswick awaits, but its history goes back much further. It has…

148 bhp Powertrain 1.5 litre 4cyl 50 litres Fuel tank £74 fill up 8.9 secs Performance 126mph 450 litres Seats up/down 1,475 litres MODEL TESTED: Formentor 1.5 TSI DSG V2 PRICE: £33,825 POWERTRAIN: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 148bhp THE Cupra Formentor arrived in 2020 as the sporty Spanish brand’s first standalone model that wasn’t originally marketed as a SEAT. Here we’re testing one of the more mainstream variants in the line-up, a V2-spec version with a 1.5 TSI turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. Options push the price of our test car up to £35,230, which is only slightly more than the standard 408 GT. Tech highlights WHEN the Cupra Formentor was first released, its racy bodywork offered a sportier look than anything else in the Volkswagen Group’s compact SUV line-up. It’s…

CRUNCH the numbers, and there is a mixed bag of results for these two models, but overall the Cupra comes out just ahead of the Peugeot. A £3,500 deposit is just over 10 per cent of each car’s list price, while a slightly higher £1,500 deposit contribution means the Formentor V2 costs £463 a month, compared with £494 a month for the 408, which has a £1,200 deposit contribution. The Cupra’s finance term lasts for 36 months, which is a month shorter than the Peugeot’s, but you’ll need to stump up more cash if you want to keep the Formentor at the end of the term, with a final payment that’s £1,017 more than the 408 GT’s. We’ve chosen a 10,000-mile annual limit, but the Formentor has a more favourable…

MEDIUM SUVs There is plenty to think about when it comes to these two family-car competitors Sean Carson Associate editor “IF you can’t wait for the all-new Toyota C-HR, then the current car is still well worth a look. Its balance of ride and handling is better than the 408’s, and whether you go for the 1.8 or the 2.0-litre hybrid, it returns superb fuel efficiency, too. But the back seats are cramped.” John McIlroy Deputy editor “I CAN’T deny that Peugeot has made a really appealing car with the 408, it’s just that it can’t quite compete with the very strong finance deals for the Cupra. The Formentor is something of a bargain not only beside the 408, but also by the standards of the family-car segment as a…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 41.1mpg (on test) £66 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 540/1,545 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.1 seconds/145mph THE third-generation BMW X1 is a Marmite kind of car if ever there was one, mostly because of the way it looks. Some hate the grilles, others think they give the new X1 serious road presence. Either way, in Frozen Pure Grey matt paint and with enormous 20-inch M-Sport wheels at each corner, the car certainly turns heads – in a way the previous-generation model never quite managed to. What’s more radical, arguably, is its all-new high-tech interior, in which you’ll find almost no buttons whatsoever. Instead you get screens – and lots of them, some huge, some small, but all of them designed to make your on-board experience more interactive…

Audi heads off road on just two wheels WANT an e-bike to go with your EV Audi? Good news – the brand has launched a limited-run electric mountain bike. It’s built by Fantic and aims to be a highly versatile touring and enduro bike. The 36V/720Wh battery is located within the frame and powers a 250W motor with 90Nm of torque. There are four drive modes with different levels of electrical assistance. Available in three sizes, priced from £8,499, the bike can be ordered through Audi’s accessories catalogue. Contact your dealer or visit audi.co.uk for more details. Dog-friendly playlist unleashed by Skoda RESEARCH by Skoda with animal behaviorist Anna Webb has revealed that six out of 10 dogs are anxious or unhappy when travelling in a car. So the two have created…

CO2 /tax 99-120g/km £0-£30 Running costs 64mpg (1.0) £47 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 14.7 seconds/93mph TOYOTA is one of the world’s biggest car makers, but also had a reputation for being one of the most conservative. With their safe designs and so-so dynamics, the firm’s cars were great for reliability, but they generally struggled to set the pulse racing. However, Toyota embraced hybrid technology decades before pretty much everyone else (Honda being the key exception), and it has produced quite a few enthusiasts’ cars over the years. It also hasn’t been afraid to innovate, with one of its most interesting vehicles being the iQ city car that arrived almost 15 years ago. At less than three metres long but with the comfort of something bigger, the iQ provided superb urban transport.…

BENTLEY is changing its production layout to allow even more scope for personalisation, after posting record profits in 2022 of 708m Euros (£621m). The luxury brand delivered more cars than ever – 15,174 units – and buyers also increased average spend on each vehicle. Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark (below) says the firm will offer greater scope for personalisation to happen in future. “We’ve had to make a lot of changes to the way we build cars,” Hallmark told us, “but new building work will allow us to take our whole ability with car colours, trims and options to another level.”…

We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Hyundai Kona Mk2 FROM: TMWA IT looks truly awful; it reminds me of a bus. Why couldn’t the designers put a dummy grille on the front? That would improve the looks tremendously, in my view. The interior looks suitable. I hope it’s affordable for ordinary people. FROM: Alex Kyle THE last Kona was a good package: an affordable, practical EV with good range. I hope Hyundai can build on those solid foundations. Some may critique the looks, but I like the smooth face without a grille; it looks modern. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “The current Kona is a decent-looking car. This is a step backwards…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Electric motor Power/range 134bhp/222 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.5 seconds/93mph CITROEN’S e-C4 X reintroduces a niche to the mainstream UK market, but one that never quite found favour with buyers. The niche in question is nothing to do with the fact that this newcomer is electric, or that Citroen claims its chunky wheelarch cladding offers SUV style. Instead, it’s down to the rear end; the e-C4 X is a saloon. While four-doors are hugely popular sellers among premium brands, the layout has never quite found favour in smaller family cars. The likes of the Ford Focus, Renault Mégane and the Mazda 3 have all been offered with saloon bodies in the past, but the five-door hatchback option always vastly outsold them. Citroen still offers that choice, too –…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy DENIS Le Vot wants to sell you a car. And he has a good idea when and why it might happen. What started out as a relaxed discussion of how what was once a state-owned brand from Romania has become the value king of private-car buyers across Europe has, inevitably, arrived at the present day. Having reached this point, Dacia’s CEO can’t resist looking into the near future. And boy, is he excited about it. With Europe’s car manufacturers racing each other down the path to full electrification, this may seem a strange period for a brand that has frequently eschewed the latest tech to see huge potential. But Le Vot is positively fizzing as he looks forward two years from now, when his line-up will have expanded…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 THESE days, Dacia places a great deal of emphasis on its adventurous side. The Jogger is at the forefront of this – it’s even named to evoke the brand’s “positive energy and sense of adventure”. Really, then, it should be the kind of car you can take on a massive trip without thinking about it, loaded to the gunwales with your family’s luggage plus some activity gear, such as walking boots or climbing kit, or perhaps even the new Sleep Pack camping module to make the Jogger double as a two-berth ‘motorhome’. Since a test of the latter has already been sorted (see page 60), what you’ll see here is a thorough assessment of the Jogger’s long-distance touring abilities. For that, we hatched a plan, to pick up…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy “You have to understand that this has never been seen before. It’s the first ever prototype”PAULINE DOUBLET QSTOMIZE IT’S just a box. But then, suddenly, it isn’t. There is no escaping the fact that upon first inspection, the latest addition to Dacia’s range of accessories looks like the sort of robust workshop bench where you might chuck tools at the end of a day’s labouring. There’s a neat integration of the brand’s new logo, admittedly, but the thing is even made out of wood. However, then Dacia’s reps begin to open it up. A latch here, a hinge there; a couple of slats are inserted, various wooden panels are extended and in less than 90 seconds the box has expanded to become a frame that can support an…

WINNER Cupra Formentor 1st THESE two models are closely matched in terms of practicality and running costs, but the Cupra edges ahead courtesy of a more focused drive that doesn’t compromise on everyday usability. There’s a long kit list for a lower list price than on the Peugeot, too, although this version of the Formentor also has its faults. The touchscreen can be frustrating, while the 1.5 TSI petrol isn’t the powerplant that we’d choose because it’s a bit too sluggish to do justice to the car’s chassis. ● Sporty handling ● Well equipped ● Good interior space ● Sharp looks ● Frustrating infotainment ● Adequate power ● Rearward visibility ● Low seat for some INTERESTED? Scan code for information on deals and test drive bookings RUNNER-UP Peugeot 408 2nd THE…

SAME CLASS Audi Q3 UNDER the skin, the Audi Q3 is mechanically similar to the Cupra Formentor. The chassis is largely the same, it takes up a similar amount of space on the road, and it even comes with the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and twin-clutch automatic gearbox. The Q3 scores points for its comfort, with a smooth ride that has the measure of either of the two cars in our real-world test, plus the attraction of those four rings on the bonnet. ● Ride comfort ● Slick in-car tech ● Steady handling ● Not as posh as badge suggests SAME MONEY Porsche Macan IF you want a full-blown SUV that’s sharp to drive, then nothing does it better than the Porsche Macan. Its chassis is a match for…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk HOW TO Change your headlights Let there be light IF you’ve found your headlights wanting during the winter when they seemed fine previously, try changing them before booking in with the optician. While LED and HID headlamps are common on new cars, older vehicles are likely to have a pair of halogen bulbs whose origins can be traced back to the sixties. And because the light source is a filament that burns and deteriorates over time, it is entirely feasible that your lights have dimmed since last winter. The bulbs’ alignment can affect their performance, but it is easy to spot if the light is focused a few feet in front of the car or illuminating tree tops. If they’re pointing the right way, halogen bulbs…

A TORCH in the car is always useful and a rechargeable one is best because the batteries usually last longer and can be topped up in the vehicle. Our current champ is the Coast HP7R kit, but it has a new rival: the NightSearcher Zoom 600R. We ran each for an hour on its highest setting, then used them under the bonnet, around the garage and outdoors to check close up and distance performance. We assessed their various modes and power outputs, plus weight, magnets, lanyard, pouch and the like. A rating against dust and moisture ingress, x and warranty were also factored in, alongside price. The practical results were very close, so the choice comes down to use. If you work your torch hard and can make the best…