Could the Infiniti QX50 be the car to kickstart the brand’s UK growth?
First pictures of the Japanese premium brand’s new compact SUV have been released ahead of its public unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show. And Infiniti is confirming that it will be the first production car in the world to use an engine with a variable compression ratio.
The 2.0-litre VC-Turbo petrol engine in the QX50 can adjust its compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1, which will allow the driver to make full use of the 280hp available for performance, or dial everything back to return the most effective fuel economy.
Infiniti has so far struggled to grow significantly in the UK because it does not offer diesel versions of its cars. But with UK buyers now increasingly turning against diesel a high-tech new petrol model with high fuel economy but also performance could be the key the brand needs to get the attention of UK buyers.
New platform for more space
The QX50 is also built on an all-new platform, which its makers say will set a new level of refinement, rigidity and interior space to take on the many rivals in the booming compact SUV segment. It will also debut a new interpretation of the brand’s design language.
Infiniti adds that the QX50 will feature its pioneering autonomous drive support technologies, promising to assist the driver when accelerating, braking and steering during single-lane carriageway driving, whilst still allowing them to retain ultimate control over the car.
The Infiniti QX50 will go on sale in the USA in 2018, in front-wheel-drive format with all-wheel-drive as an option. More details of its technical specification, or when it’s coming to the UK, we don’t currently know. Infiniti is promising further information when the car is unveiled at the Los Angeles Show.
Diesel cars have come in for another hammering from the government in the Autumn Budget, despite pleas from industry figures to arrest the negative publicity that has led to sliding sales.
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that all new diesel cars sold from 1st April 2018 will have their Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) raised by one band, unless they meet new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) step 2 standards. Existing cars on the road before 1st April 2018 will not be affected.
The RDE test has been introduced to measure car emissions in real-world driving conditions – it uses portable measuring equipment attached to a car and its results include such elements as what a vehicle is carrying and the weather. The currently used tests that produce the emissions and fuel economy figures quoted by car manufacturers have been widely criticised because they are conducted in a laboratory, with virtually no likelihood of owners living with a car being able to achieve results anywhere near the official figures.
The RDE tests will be combined with the existing laboratory tests to produce more accurate economy and emissions results for new cars. The step 1 tests were introduced for new cars from September 2017 and are planned to apply to all cars from September 2019, while the stricter step 2 tests will not become mandatory on all new cars until 2021. Due to the portable testing devices not yet delivering completely consistent results, step 1 allows cars to emit up to 2.1 times the prescribed limit – under step 2 this will be reduced to 1.5 times as the equipment becomes more accurate.
Very few car manufacturers have yet submitted their cars for RDE testing and it is thought that most current cars on the market will not currently meet particularly the step 2 standards, so anyone buying a diesel after March next year will pay, on average, £40 extra in tax.
Company drivers hit
Company car motorists have been targeted too, with the supplement for anyone driving a diesel-engined fleet car rising from 3% to 4% – again unless the car meets the RDE step 2 standard. And this change has been made despite the Chancellor previously promising to give three years’ notice on any company car tax hikes.
Chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), Mike Hawes, criticised the Chancellor’s moves as continuing the mixed messages around diesel which will only deter and confuse the public further.
“Diesel buyers will not face any additional taxation for the next six months, but thereafter, will face additional charges which will undermine fleet renewal efforts, which are the best and quickest way to address air quality concerns,” Hawes said.
“Manufacturers are investing heavily in the latest low emission technology, however, it’s unrealistic to think that we can fast-track the introduction of the next generation of clean diesel technology which takes years to develop, in just four months. This budget will also do nothing to remove the oldest, most polluting vehicles from our roads in the coming years.”
In contrast, the chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, Gerry Keaney, welcomed the VED tax hike as “a fair, well-signposted tax change that will encourage more drivers and fleets to look at alternative hybrid and petrol-powered new cars.”
However, he was fiercely critical of the change in company car tax rates. “Having previously promised that it was only looking to change the tax treatment for new diesel cars, the government has gone back on its word by retrospectively raising the company car tax bill of hundreds of thousands of workers,” he said.
“People that chose a diesel car as a cost-efficient, low CO2 form of essential business travel are being punished unfairly. Why should drivers at work be treated differently from other taxpayers?
Diesel sales slumped by almost 30% in October, as buyers were turned away by the negative publicity surrounding the engines. However, increasing numbers of independent tests are suggesting that the latest diesel engines produce fewer pollutants, particularly NOx, than their petrol-engined equivalents. This suggests that only applying RDE-based tax changes to diesel engines is unfair, and that RDE testing needs to be levied equally on all new cars, no matter what their engine, to provide a much clearer picture.
The tests also point to older, less efficient diesel engines being primarily responsible for emissions issues, and the Budget contained no measures to help speed the replacement of such vehicles with newer, cleaner equivalents.
Portable test kits such as this Mahle example hold the key to future emissions testing
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage has been unveiled, bring a bolder visual appearance to one of the brand’s most famous model names dating back to the 1950s.
A new exterior look is the most obvious change to Aston Martin’s entry-level two-seater model, which will arrive on UK roads in February 2018 and replace a car described by company CEO Andy Palmer as “the single most successful model in Aston Martin’s history.”
Describing the new Vantage as “a true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge,” Palmer adds; “Creating a worthy successor has been a challenge to relish and a huge source of motivation. I’m enormously excited by what we’ve created – a new Vantage that’s more explicit in looks and intent, wrapping heart-pounding performance and dazzling dynamics into an everyday usable package.”
The new car’s shell is dominated by sharp cut lines, with minimal front and rear overhangs and several design firsts for the brand including the lowest grille ever incorporated into a production Aston Martin model and a dramatic rear end dominated by a large diffuser.
The shell generates significant downforce which again is a route Aston Martin has not previously pursued with its road cars. Construction is an evolution of the aluminium structure used on the recently launched DB11, though Aston Martin adds that 70% of the Vantage structure is new. The interior replicates the bolder look of the exterior with a focus on the driver.
Power for the new Vantage is provided by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is set as far back and low down in the chassis as possible to improve the car’s centre of gravity and provide a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Combined with an eight-speed transmission, it produces 505hp at 6000rpm, together with 685Nm of torque between 2000 and 5000rpm, which sends the Vantage through 60mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 195mph.
Industry observers suggest a V12 version of the car is likely to launch later, but not a hybrid as Aston Martin’s already announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its cars are scheduled from 2025, suggesting the next generation of Vantage will be the first with electric power.
Electronic aids on the new car include stability and torque vectoring chassis assistance, speed-dependent electric power steering and for the first time on an Aston Martin an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). Linked to the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to understand the car’s behaviour, reacting much more efficiently than a conventional LSD to direct the engine’s power to the relevant wheel. As a result, the car feels more planted both in terms of straight-line stability and cornering performance.
Aston Martin is now taking orders for the new Vantage, at prices starting from £120,900.
The Jeep Compass compact SUV will go on UK sale in February 2018, costing from £22,995.
Jeep has high hopes for the Compass, which will sit in the US manufacturer’s line-up between the Renegade and Cherokee models and is regarded as a key model especially in Europe. It enters a booming market, expected to grow almost 20% to 7.5 million by 2020, two million in Europe.
A host of rivals are bidding to enter the compact SUV market and the Compass will need to target recently launched models such as the Renault Kadjar, Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland X, while the segment remains led by the Nissan Qashqai.
Five engines, two transmissions
UK buyers will be offered a choice between two petrol and three diesel engines, and front or all-wheel-drive transmission. Despite Jeep’s 4×4-focused heritage, the brand has to offer a front-wheel-drive model as most buyers will continue to buy compact SUVs for their appearance rather than prowess when away from tarmac.
Jeep insists, however, that class-leading off-road ability will be available, particularly on the Trailhawk model which will launch in summer 2018 and include extra body protection, raised off-road suspension, hill descent control and a rock-climbing transmission setting.
Petrol engines range across two versions of the 1.4-litre MultiAir II Turbo engine. The entry-level unit offers 140hp and 230Nm of torque matched to the six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel-drive, while a higher-power model produces 170hp and 250Nm, paired to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4×4 transmission.
Entry-level diesel is the 1.6-litre MultiJet II with 120hp and 320Nm again front-wheel-drive with a manual gearbox. The 2.0-litre version offers 140hp and 350Nm, with manual gearbox but 4×4, and there is also a higher-power variant, with 170hp and matched to the nine-speed auto ‘box. This variant includes the low-range gearbox mode for serious off-road driving.
Four trim levels will be on offer, Jeep’s familiar titles of Sport, Longitude, Limited and later Trailhawk. Standard equipment on entry-level models includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lights, a leather steering wheel with audio controls, air conditioning, cruise control and a forward collision warning driver aid.
The Compass has already been tested by Euro NCAP and clocked up a five-star rating. Jeep says that more than 70 active and passive safety and security features are available including lane-departure and rear cross traffic warnings, blind-spot monitoring, a rear parking camera, parallel and perpendicular park assist and adaptive cruise control.
Tesla has unveiled a surprise new $200,000 electric Roadster model with a claimed 0-60mph time of 1.9 seconds.
Described by its makers as “the quickest car in the world, with record-setting acceleration, range and performance,” the new Roadster was revealed during an event at Tesla’s California base focusing on the brand’s new electric truck, which itself can complete the 0-60mph sprint in five seconds.
To the surprise of guests at the event the Roadster was driven out of the truck’s trailer and immediately demonstrated its almost instant acceleration.
Three electric motors are fitted in the 2+2 sports car, providing some 10,000 Nm of torque. According to Tesla founder Elon Musk it will also hit 100mph in only 4.9 seconds and complete a quarter mile in 8.9 seconds. Its top speed will be 250mph while it will also offer a range between charges of 620 miles. Like all other current Tesla models it will include full autonomous driving technology, using a combination of eight cameras, 12 sensors and a radar.
Tesla is already taking orders for the new Roadster, which effectively succeeds the first car offered by the electric manufacturer, launched in 2008 and last sold in 2012. The base version is priced at $200,000 while the company is also taking reservations for a 1,000-model ‘Founders Series’ at $250,000 each.
Remarkably following the car’s unveiling Musk indicated in Twitter postings that the new Roadster would be offered with an upgrade package “that takes it to the next level”, though he also hinted that faster speeds would add safety concerns. “Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities,” he wrote.
Tesla aims to deliver the first Roadsters to customers in 2020 but observers remain sceptical that the company can meet such deadlines after struggles to keep up with more than 400,000 orders for its latest Model 3. Issues blamed on parts supply have seen production slowed, though recently the company built its 250,000th car since launching in 2003.
Roadster will be supplied with a lightweight glass roof that can be removed and stored in the boot.
Renault has joined the ranks of van-based people carriers by launching the Renault Trafic Spaceclass.
First seen at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017 the Traffic Spaceclass is on sale now, at prices ranging from £32,500 to £38,600, excluding VAT.
The new variant of the well-known van can seat up to nine and Renault describes it as a ‘high-end shuttle’ for business and VIP transport, it is also expected to appeal to taxi drivers and independent chauffeurs.
Based on the specification of the Traffic Passenger Sport model, the Spaceclass goes on sale in three versions, dubbed Standard, Adventurer and Prestige.
Adventurer and Prestige versions include a modular format interior, with the second and third row of seats mounted on rails allowing a wide range of layouts – Renault says that up to 50 different seating configurations are available.
The Adventurer includes a pair of second-row ‘Captain Chair’ format seats that pivot, while the third-row rear bench can fold fully flat to from a bed – Renault claims this is unique in the sector.
The range-topping Prestige includes leather upholstery. Renault says that this combined with the Captain Chairs allows the model to function as a mobile company boardroom.
Standard equipment across all three versions includes privacy rear glass, climate control with manual heating and air conditioning in the rear passenger area and six individual LED reading lamps. Reflecting its target customer base, the vehicle also includes 220V and USB sockets throughout the interior for charging laptops and electronic devices.
The Trafic Spaceclass is offered in both short or long-wheelbase form across all three trim levels. All three also offer a choice of two 1.6-litre diesel engines with 125 or 145hp outputs, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Best combined cycle fuel economy is 48.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 155g/km.
First deliveries of the Traffic Spaceclass are expected in January 2018.
What is it? The Hyundai i30 N is the brand’s first performance model, a more potent version of the mid-sized family hatch.
Key features
Complete package with impressive performance and handling
Not too extreme to act as everyday car
Two versions at competitive prices
Our view The Hyundai i30 N is one of the most surprising new cars of 2017. The brand’s new N division has produced a complete package with every bit as much performance prowess as far better-known and established rivals.
All of this is available in a car that one can live with just as easily as much less powerful everyday hatches. Add in an extensive specification, a strong safety package and a five-year warranty at a value-for-money price, and the Hyundai i30 Nis a definite winner – on road or track…
Hyundai has not previously made a performance production model and few of the brand’s core customers probably expect it to. The hot hatch market does not appear natural technology for the Korean badge, once a pure budget choice, today regarded as a more upmarket value brand.
Hyundai’s enthusiastic UK boss, Tony Whitehorn, tells us that he could imagine fans of hot hatches hearing of the new performance version of the i30 hatchback, dubbed the N, dismissing the car as offering likely nothing more than jacked-up suspension and a chip in the engine management system.
They could not be more wrong. The i30 N will be the first of a range of N performance cars and Hyundai has clearly demonstrated its intentions by to poaching Albert Biermann to head the division. He has been responsible for most of BMW’s most-admired M models over the last two decades.
N stands both for Namyang, Hyundai’s enormous research and development centre in Korea, and the Nurburgring, the challenging 14-mile circuit in Germany where much of this car’s development was carried out.
Hyundai expects to sell many examples of the i30 N to trackday enthusiasts, who spend their free time pounding their pride and joy round the UK’s race circuits. And the brand’s confidence in the car is so marked that the UK launch includes time on just about the most challenging UK circuit available to the trackday crowd – Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, dubbed the ‘mini-Nurburgring.’
The i30 N will be the first of a range of N performance models from Hyundai
Buying and owning a Hyundai i30 N
The basis of the i30 N is the five-door i30 hatch, and importantly virtually all the changes made to give the car performance prowess are hidden under the skin. The i30 is already regarded as a very good value family car, and both in terms of specification and as we will shortly see performance the N retains this appeal.
Two versions of the car are on offer. The N costs £24,995, the N Performance £27,995 – highly competitive pricing amongst the perceived opposition which Hyundai claims is the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST rather than the more potent Focus RS or Honda Civic Type R.
Both N models use the same turbo petrol engine of two litres. In the N it produces 250hp, while the N Performance gains an extra 25hp. Torque figures are the same across both versions, at 353Nm from just 1750rpm, while an overboost feature can add an extra 25Nm for up to 18 seconds – great for swift overtaking. Best 0-62mph time is 6.1 seconds in the more expensive version, while the 6.4 seconds of the stock model matches the opposition.
A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, actually a strengthened version of that from the larger i40 model, while other upgrades include significant stiffening to the shell to aid the car’s handling prowess.
Visual changes are not as radical as the likes of Honda has done with the Civic Type R. The i30 N is intended to be an everyday car, so while the front and rear bumpers, the side skirts and the alloy wheels are bespoke, they are not radical redesigns and the car looks pleasing to the eye. Most obvious markers, in fact, are the Performance Blue paintwork that is only offered as an N option, and the red finish to the calipers acting on the enlarged brake discs.
The options list is notable because basically there isn’t one – the only choices are metallic or pearlescent paint, and on the N Performance specifying the same cloth seat finish as the N, instead of the standard leather of the higher performance model. This no-cost alternative is really aimed at the truly competitive, as it saves 12kg in weight…
This lack of options does not mean that the i30 N is a stripped-down hot hatch – far from it. The standard specification is just as in the rest of the range, long and impressive – particularly as this will be regarded as a range-topping i30.
LED head and tail lights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start and an eight-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatibility all come as standard, before one starts talking about the performance upgrades. N Performance models also add the leather and suede seats, electrically adjustable up front, and an ‘Active Variable Exhaust System’ which Hyundai says it added just for fun and which basically allows the car to make evocative ‘crackle’ and ‘pop’ sounds from the exhaust when in the N or Custom drive modes – more on which shortly.
The safety package is as pleasingly extensive as other Hyundais. Autonomous emergency braking with a collision warning is standard, as are hill-start assist, driver and emergency stop sign alerts. While the i30 N has not specifically been tested by Euro NCAP, it retains the full safety package of the mainstream i30 that scored five stars earlier in 2017.
One major plus of the i30 N is its warranty. The car is supplied with the same five-year deal that is standard across the Hyundai range, but remarkably it also covers track use. It won’t sort any crash damage resulting from too fast a corner entry and a meeting with a barrier, but if the engine cries enough, for example, Hyundai will want to know.
Inside the Hyundai i30 N
Interior is not radical but is well thought-out and put together.
Stepping inside the i30 N will be familiar territory to anyone who has driven any of the mainstream range. The interior space replicates that of the rest of the range, generally good, with slightly restrictive rear headroom but a 395-litre boot that outdoes many rivals. The seats are more cossetting than the normal car’s to keep the driver in one place when cornering hard on the track, but not to the degree that becomes uncomfortable on a long journey.
The design of the cockpit is not at all radical but generally well thought-out and put together. Everything one expects from a normal road car is there in terms of audio, Bluetooth, navigation and smartphone connection, including wireless charging.
Being an N, however, there are some extras. The instrument display includes a bespoke digital cluster that offers information aimed at trackday use, providing lap times, acceleration and G-force recorded, while a line of shift lights on the dash light up as one goes up the rev range, turning from orange to red as the max power point comes closer.
The driving modes are selected by two buttons, mounted either side of the bottom spoke of the steering wheel. The lefthand one offers the usual normal, eco and sport modes, while the righthand one is intended only for the track. Its N Performance mode stiffens everything up and produces the most performance, while a custom mode allows one to for example have all of the performance without the rock-hard suspension, perhaps for enthusiastic progress along a challenging and empty country road.
Driving the Hyundai i30 N
When one wants the car to perform, the i30 N is truly remarkable
The i30 N is of course intended as a driver’s car, which is why the launch day focuses on laps of the challenging Cadwell Park. But rural Lincolnshire also offers surprisingly challenging roads, and a route around these proves that this really is an everyday performance car. In its normal, even sport mode, it is as well-behaved as any other family hatch, and a shopping trip to the supermarket, or a drive across half of the country with miles of motorway munching, will prove unremarkable and fatigue-free.
When one wants the car to perform, however, the i30 N becomes truly remarkable – in just how good it is. While our test cars are to N Performance specification, with more performance extras that include an electronic limited slip differential, larger brakes and wheels and bespoke Pirelli performance tyres, it is the handling that most impresses.
A combination of excellently sorted suspension and well-designed electronics stops the front-end diving under braking, then point the car’s nose into the apex of the bend and hold the rear tight as the revs are wound on, with none of the rear-end fidgetiness that one expects.
There’s more. Launch control enables superbly rapid getaways from a standing start, while out on the track a brake knock-back feature pre-loads the callipers to ensure when one steps on the pedal retardation is instant. The faster one tries, the better the car becomes, accompanied by the right noise, the active exhaust adding the popping and banging soundtrack. This can be turned off but why would you want to? It is a whole lot of fun.
Verdict
Albert Biermann has been quoted as saying he was given a blank sheet of paper and “the opportunity of a lifetime” when appointed as the head of the N division. On the evidence of the Hyundai i30 N, he’s made the most of that opportunity.
Any experienced performance driver who steps into the i30 N will initially express major surprise and then start to smile. This is certainly no chipped hatch with big wheels – it has every bit as much prowess as better-known rivals, and indeed this reviewer found it to be just as much fun as the so-called class above Honda Civic Type R that he drove recently on road and track. And all this is clothed in an overall package which is no less an everyday car than any mainstream Hyundai, Ford or Volkswagen.
The Hyundai i30 N proves that performance car fans do not need to compromise – this really is the best of both worlds.
The Volvo S90 and V90 range-topping saloon and estate models can now be ordered with a new petrol engine targeted primarily at company drivers.
The T4 unit is a Euro 6 emissions compliant 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 190hp and mated to an automatic transmission. Volvo currently only offers a petrol engine as part of the hybrid models, alongside two diesel units.
The Swedish brand believes the new engine will appeal to drivers wanting to stick with petrol drivetrains but still take advantage of higher fuel economy figures closer to those recorded with diesel units. The T4 engine returns combined cycle economy of 42.2 mpg in the S90 and 40.9 mpg in the V90.
Volvo will offer T4 versions of the S90 and V90 across the full trim level line-up from Momentum to Inscription Pro. Standard equipment includes the Sensus nine-inch touchscreen control system, satellite navigation with real-time traffic information, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive technology, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and leather-faced upholstery. Depending on the trim level, T4 versions are available with wheels ranging from 18 to 21 inches.
Retaining former diesel car buyers
Diesel engine sales have been sliding in recent months on the back of negative publicity over their emissions, with registrations of new diesel cars down 15% year-to-date and 30% in October alone.
According to Volvo Car UK’s Head of Business Sales, Steve Beattie, petrol engines are becoming an increasingly popular choice with motorists, including business users. “It’s imperative we offer the range of engines that our customers demand, and we expect strong interest in the S90 and V90 T4,” he says.
Used car sales are following the new car market downwards – but at a much slower rate.
Figures for the third quarter of 2017 issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) show that the used market dropped by 2.1%.
Year-to-date however, the market is holding steady, just 0.1% up, whereas new car registrations in the same period have slumped by 4.6%.
Used sales declined for a second successive quarter – in total 2,102,078 cars were sold, but SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes claims that overall the market is currently positive, with more than six million secondhand cars changing hands so far in 2017.
“The used car sector remains in good health as motorists take advantage of some great deals on cars – including some of the latest low emission diesel and alternatively-fuelled vehicles,” Hawes says.
However, he adds a warning that the slumping demand in the new car market is normally followed by a similar decline in used car sales, unless there are significant tax changes affecting the new car market.
He again calls upon Government to help the sector. “Fleet renewal is the fastest way to improve air quality, however, so we need economic and political certainty to boost buyer confidence and keep both markets moving,” Hawes says.
Diesel sales still strong
Negative emissions publicity that has heavily hit sales of new diesel cars does not seem to have reached the used market. While petrol sales fell 6.5%, demand for diesels remained healthy, rising 4.2% and year-to-date, more than 2.5 million used diesel cars have changed hands. This suggests that potential new diesel car buyers are instead turning to the used car market, possibly attracted by a number of attractive ex-demonstrator or pre-registered cars hitting forecourts in ever-increasing numbers.
“A lack of consumer confidence has rippled out across the market but it’s reassuring to see that the confusion surrounding new diesel vehicles hasn’t hurt the sales of used diesel cars,” says Simon Benson, director of motoring services at used car website AA Cars.
“This suggests that drivers who rely heavily on diesel – those driving frequent, long distances, for example – are instead turning towards the second-hand market. Dealers should consider this an opportunity to advise customers and help them identify the fuel type that’s right for their specific needs”.
Sales of both electric and hybrid used vehicles have grown strongly, closely reflecting the healthy demand that’s been seen in the new car market and also helped by more vehicles entering the used sector. Registrations rose 17% to 25,196 units and pure electric vehicles, in particular, proved increasingly popular, with sales up 66.4%.
More vehicles coming onto the market are fuelling a rise in sales of used electric cars such as the Renault ZOE.
British sports car manufacturer Lotus is targeting serious performance fans with the Lotus Exige Cup 430.
The Cup 430, which succeeds the Exige Cup 380 unveiled as recently as April 2017, goes on sale at £99,800 – a £6,800 increase over its predecessor – and promises a 3.3-second 0-62mph time.
It is described as the most extreme version of the two-seater car yet and unlike the 380, which was offered as a limited-edition model with just 60 made, the 430 will join the Lotus production line-up.
More power plus less weight
As the name suggests, the newcomer produces 430hp – 55 horses more than the 380 – and 440Nm of torque from its 3.5-litre V6 engine. This has been developed from the unit used in the recently launched Evora GT430 model and includes a new supercharger and charge cooler.
Overall weight of the car is down by 12kg to 1059kg, while the body has been redesigned to improve its downforce, generating 220kg. The front clam bonnet is lighter and includes carbon fibre ducts and wider radiator apertures, while the revised mesh of the grille enables a more effective design of front splitter and air curtain.
At the rear, the body panel is again lightened by the same 6.8kg as the front, and a larger, straight motorsport-pattern wing added. Downforce is more biased towards the front, from 36% to 45%, to aid turn-in.
Compared to the next production model down, the Exige Sport 350, the Cup 430 is 24% more powerful and produces the same downforce at 100mph as the 350 does at its 170mph terminal speed.
As a result the new, omer will pass 62mph from rest in 3.3 seconds, and go on to 180mph. It has also become the fastest production Lotus to lap the brand’s test track at its Hethel base in Norfolk.
According to Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales, there is not another car on sale that can match the new Exige Cup 430. “The Exige continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of performance, agility, aerodynamics and rapid covering of ground from A to B in a production road car – it will go down as a ground-breaking car in the history of Lotus,” he says.
The Mitsubishi Shogun Sport will further expand the Japanese brand’s range of SUVs in 2018.
Mitsubishi intends to capitalise on the seeming unstoppable appetite for SUV models amongst the UK buying public by marketing a model it currently sells in Asia as the Pajero Sport. There are high hopes that the Shogun Sort will become one of the brand’s best sellers in the UK.
When it arrives early in the new year the newcomer will join the ASX, Outlander, L200 pickup and Shogun SUV models that the brand already sells, and the new Eclipse Cross model that Mitsubishi has already announced for a 2018 launch.
The seven-seater Shogun Sport uses the same platform as the L200 pickup and according to its creators will offer the same off-road ability as its Shogun sister – able to ‘comfortably negotiate the most demanding of terrain.’
Single engine option
Just one powertrain will be available – a 2.4-litre diesel with 180hp and 430Nm of torque on tap, the latter from 2500rpm. It will be mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission and Mitsubishi’s Super Select II all-wheel-drive system – this operates in two or four-wheel mode depending on conditions.
Hill descent, hill start and trailer start aids will further enhance the Shogun Sport’s go-anywhere specification, as will a dedicated off-road mode that allows the car’s setup to be selected according to the terrain.
Two specifications will be available from launch and standard equipment on both will include leather upholstery, keyless entry with push-button start, LED daytime running lights and the Mitsubishi Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) system with Apple or Android smartphone compatibility.
The range-topping models significantly increase the safety specification, adding a radar-guided forward collision alert, blind spot warning and a bird’s-eye view monitor the entire car using cameras at the front, rear and in the door mirrors.
Mitsubishi is yet to announce prices for the Shogun Sport – industry observers suggest it will start at around £26,000 – more expensive than the Outlander but less than the Shogun.
Eight new cars have been crash tested by independent safety testers Euro NCAP, with all eight vehicles scoring a maximum five-star rating.
The Citroën C3 Aircross, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Vauxhall Crossland X, Volvo XC60, Volkswagen T-Roc and Polo, Škoda Karoq and SEAT Arona all achieved a five-star result in an excellent round of tests.
The Volvo XC60 mid-size SUV achieved the highest score of any car tested in 2017, equalling the best-ever results of its bigger sibling, the XC90. Matthew Avery, director of research at the UK’s own Thatcham Research, praised the Swedish company for its safety efforts.
“It’s exceedingly rare for a vehicle to score so favourably across the board,” said Avery. “The adult occupant protection result for the Volvo XC60 is one of the best on record. But it’s in active safety that Volvo is really maintaining its lead. The XC60’s standard-fit safety technologies are excellent – or rather those that we were able to test, as its Turn Across Path and Run off Road systems are not yet a feature of the Euro NCAP programme. That’s how high the Volvo XC60 is above the bar set by Euro NCAP.”
Of the eight cars tested in this latest round, six are equipped as standard with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which leading safety experts consider the most important new safety technology in decades. The Vauxhall Crossland X and Citroën C3 Aircross do not have AEB as standard but offer it as an option, and still achieved a five-star score even without AEB as standard.
What is it?
The MG ZS is an all-new small SUV and MG’s first entry into the fastest-growing UK market.Key features
Budget price, strong spec, seven-year warranty
Our view
The MG ZS is the car designed to take the brand into mainstream territory, and in most respects it succeeds. It competes with much better-known rivals for design and specification and beats them in terms of interior space, its budget price and its warranty.
Less impressive are the powertrains that provide only adequate performance. The better of the two engines is let down by only being available with an auto transmission which results in economy and emissions figures that compare badly to rivals.
Similar carsRenault Captur, Kia Stonic, Mazda CX-3
Every manufacturer wants a small SUV these days and MG wants one more than most. While more consumers now recognise the modern, Chinese-owned incarnation of the once iconic British brand, people that buy MGs have until recently still tended to be over 65, with nostalgic memories of MG-Rover.
The MG3 supermini and the larger GS SUV started the brand on the road to recognition, and MG claims that the average age of its buyers is now 45 – still high for a budget brand. The MG ZS, however, is regarded as the game-changer.
A combination of a budget price, strong specification and a seven-year warranty is expected to persuade around 4,500 UK buyers into an MG ZS in 2018 – and that’s double MG’s entire current annual sales in the UK.
These buyers, MG hopes, will be predominantly young families and single people, attracted by a car that looks – well like several of the other compact SUVs now flooding the market.
The ZS is by no means an unattractive car, but it appears that MG believes replicating the mainstream at this stage of its development is a safer option than adventurous styling. Without looking at the badges you will struggle to distinguish the ZS from its established rivals such as the Mazda CX-3. And this, we are told, is the new ‘Emotional Dynamism’ design direction set to future on future new models…
MG ZS will compete in a very full market segment against all the biggest brands in the industry
Buying and owning an MG ZS
The MG ZS goes on sale with a choice of two petrol engines and three trim levels. All cars are front-wheel-drive – there won’t be an all-wheel-drive sister because buyers don’t want one and there are no current plans for a diesel either.
The core engine is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit with 106hp. It’s matched as standard to a five-speed manual gearbox and available in all three trims, dubbed Explore, Excite and Exclusive.
MG is banking on a budget price being a major draw to the ZS. The cheapest Explore version costs from just £12,495, and its specification includes LED daytime running lights, cruise control, and Bluetooth and MP3 connection on the radio.
Jump up to Excite, at an extra cost of £1,500, and you gain quite a lot of significant upgrades. There are 17-inch alloy wheels instead of 15-inch steel versions. The steering wheel gains leather and audio controls, the mirrors are electrically adjustable and heated.
You get air conditioning and an eight-inch colour touchscreen that includes smartphone integration, but only at present for Apple CarPlay. More usefully perhaps, there are three steering modes, dubbed Urban, Normal and Dynamic, and parking sensors.
Range-topper is Exclusive, for another £1,500 and the toys include ‘leather-style’ upholstery, satellite navigation, and a reversing camera alongside the parking sensors.
MG expects most customers, however, to choose the rather more modern three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine, developed with former Vauxhall owner General Motors. It’s more powerful, at 111hp, but at 12.4 seconds it’s also half a sec slower to 62mph than its 1.5-litre sister. Economy and emissions are not as good either, due entirely to the fact that it only comes mated to a six-speed auto transmission. You can only buy the 1.0 version in Excite or Exclusive form at a £2,000 premium over 1.5 versions.
At the time of writing the ZS has not been crashed into things by the testers of Euro NCAP. The standard safety specification does include side and curtain airbags, electronic braking and anti-rolling aids, and a hill-hold function, but the industry’s current favourite phrase of autonomous braking does not appear anywhere in MG literature.
What may have surprised rivals is MG’s launch, alongside the ZS, of a seven-year warranty. Currently only applying to the new small SUV, it’s capped at 80,000 miles, unlike Kia’s well-known seven-year offer which stretches to 100,000 miles.
MG claims, however, that its warranty is the best in the business because it enjoys full support by the factory from day one to day 2,555, whereas the direct manufacturer support for rival long warranties declines the longer they go on. And like the Kia warranty, it’s transferable to a new owner if the ZS is sold on.
Inside the MG ZS
Dashboard layout and interior quality is competitive, if not class-leading
On slipping inside the MG ZS one is impressed by the space. It’s a notably bigger car than the segment-leading Nissan Juke (almost 180mm longer, more than 40mm wider and higher), and MG claims interior space comparable to the Juke’s larger Qashqai sister.
Certainly there is no shortage of room to move about whether sitting in the front or back of the ZS, and it also scores on boot space – at 448 litres it’s not only claimed to be the best in the class but also measures up at over 90 litres more than most of its perceived rivals.
MG bosses used the word ‘premium’ a lot in the launch presentation and a fair amount of effort has been expended on at least the more visible areas of the interior. The soft touch plastics around the dash are well finished and the general layout good, if very traditional.
Controls come readily to hand and it is easy to get reasonably comfortable, though forward and back adjustment on the steering wheel would be welcome. The eight-inch touchscreen offered on all but entry-level models works well enough, with an easy-to-understand menu system.
In summary, premium is perhaps an optimistic way to describe the interior of the ZS, but it is a big improvement on previous offerings from the brand. Your reviewer has driven four new small SUVs in the past month alone and the MG lags behind none of them in terms of interior quality.
Driving the MG ZS
Overall, the MG ZS is a comfortable car to ride inThe Car Expert drove cars fitted with both engine options at the launch event and would advise buyers to follow MG’s prediction and choose the 1-litre engine – even if it means giving up manual gear changes.
The 1.5 appears to offer enthusiastic acceleration, but this does not translate to actual power delivery and it struggles for versatility, while the five-speed manual gearbox is a touch indistinct in its shifts.
The 1.0-litre feels far more potent, and combined with the auto gearbox presents a more sorted proposition, with smooth acceleration and comfortable high-speed cruising. However while the auto gearbox is reasonably smooth in its shifts, it does sap speed, and more importantly economy and emissions – the ZS does not measure up well in this area amongst rivals.
MG claims to have spent many months specifically tuning the ZS for UK roads and overall it’s a comfortable car to ride in. On the urban crawl it soaks up the less than perfect surfaces of town-centre roads and out in the country at higher speeds it maintains is poise, with the body staying reasonably upright when cornering.
The steering is light, but not over-so, and provides enough feedback to maintain confidence in bends. The three steering modes effectively change the level of power steering assistance and while the extra lightness of Urban mode can be useful for negotiating tight urban streets, leaving the setting in Normal effectively provides all one needs.
Summary
The MG ZS won’t write any great headlines, but then it doesn’t really need to. MG needs a car in a big market that competes on the level with much better-known rivals, and the ZS does just that.
Buyers searching for the best economy and emissions won’t be detained long by this car. However those looking for a small crossover that is easy to live with, comes at a budget price and with a reasonably strong specification, plus that seven-year warranty, should certainly check out the MG ZS.
The UK House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee has demanded answers from Volkswagen, with new data revealing that the company has not fixed a third of its emissions-cheating Dieselgate cars, despite a pledge to the British government to have done so by now.
Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, has written to the Department for Transport to express the Committee’s concerns around the lack of progress of applying fixes to cars equipped with ‘defeat devices’. Nearly 1.2 million Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda models were sold in the UK with the cheat software. So far, just over 800,000 have been “fixed” and just under 400,000 remain “unfixed”. Additionally, the rate of work being carried out has dropped right off, with only a small number of cars having the emissions fix carried out each month compared to earlier this year.
A representative of the Department for Transport said: “The UK government continues to take the unacceptable actions of Volkswagen extremely seriously and is working hard on behalf of UK consumers.”
Volkswagen sinks to a new low by trying to blame customers
Part of the problem is that the recall issued for the 1.2 million cars was voluntary and issued by Volkswagen UK, rather than a compulsory recall ordered by the government. Compulsory recalls are only issued in the UK for safety matters. Volkswagen has tried to blame customers for not bringing their cars in to have the recall work done, in the company’s latest attempt to shirk blame for the Dieselgate scandal. A Volkswagen spokesperson told The Times: “The service action remains voluntary and we are aware that some customers have actively declined the implementation of the technical measures.”
Thousands of owners have indeed refused to bring their cars to have the recall work done, due to allegations that the solutions applied by Volkswagen have caused damage to “fixed” vehicles, in addition to affecting fuel economy and performance. Volkswagen has denied this, as it has done with virtually every aspect of the Dieselgate scandal, but there has been a growing number of deeply dissatisfied owners taking the company to task over its handling of the repairs.
The initial correspondence from Volkswagen to its customers strongly implied that the recall was compulsory, and prominently featured the government Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) logo on letters to owners of affected vehicles. There have been numerous complaints from owners who believed that they were legally obliged to have the emissions recall work done as a result of this correspondence.
The Volkswagen Diesel Customer Forum (Emissions Scandal) group on Facebook, now comprising more than 6,500 members, has reported many occurrences of cars suffering from performance and/or economy and/or reliability problems after dealers have carried out the emissions recall work. The group has been pushing the hashtag #vwfixfail aggressively in social media and has been campaigning against Volkswagen’s behaviour throughout the Dieselgate scandal.
The BBC’s Watchdog programme also investigated complaints about “fixed” Volkswagens suddenly going into ‘limp-home’ mode, which was alleged to have caused an accident when a “fixed” car rapidly decelerated from 70mph on a motorway. The programme also reported on many owners who have suffered breakdowns, reduced performance and increased fuel consumption after the recall work was done.
As usual, Volkswagen denies everything. It refuses to accept allegations that the recall work, which they describe as a “technical measure”, causes any problems. The company even claims that the fix will not affect performance or economy, which begs the questions as to why the cars were not sold in this state in the first place and why there was a need to cheat the system at all. But then again, this is the same company that denied it had even been cheating at all and refuses to compensate owners for its own failures, so its claims can hardly be considered to be trustworthy.
An Austrian consumer group found that 43% of owners of “fixed” cars reported increased fuel use, reduced acceleration and considerable jerkiness to the engine’s power delivery. There have been many reports of increased diesel particulate filter (DPF) problems, as the filter is having to work much harder to catch and burn off more soot than before.
Volkswagen’s handling of the whole Dieselgate scandal has been disgraceful from the very start, and continues to fall short of any form of decency. The company has treated its customers and the British public like idiots, and expects us all to accept its repeated lying, denials and lack of contrition. Its latest pathetic attempt to blame customers for its failure to deliver on its pledge is simply the latest act of a company that believes it is above the law.
In a breathtaking display of arrogance and hypocrisy, Volkswagen UK managing director, Paul Willis, told a UK Transport Select Committee in February that Volkswagen had done nothing wrong and the recall of 1.2 million vehicles was done simply to put customers’ minds at rest. Willis argued that no-one had been misled because cars were not sold on the basis of NOx levels in the UK. Of course, this fails to address why Volkswagen bothers to ensure its other vehicles all comply, and why only certain models that were fitted with the cheat software to comply with a test that they did not need to comply with…
In the US, Volkswagen has been hit with billions of dollars in fines for its cheating. However, in virtually every other part of the world it has got off scot-free. This is not because the US is tougher on emissions or cheating, but rather due to the wording of the relevant legislation in America.
Essentially, manufacturers in the USA are required to formally identify any systems that control a car’s emissions systems to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Volkswagen obviously failed to declare its carefully-hidden ‘defeat device’. So it wasn’t fined for emissions breaches, it was fined for failing to report the secret device. Other countries don’t have an equivalent clause and so have been unable to penalise Volkswagen.
Sales staff from UK Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda dealers have reported dissatisfaction and despondency to The Car Expert (in confidence) about having to carry the can for Volkswagen’s behaviour and face thousands of angry owners. Now I don’t usually expect customers to feel sorry for car salespeople, but as a former Volkswagen and Audi sales executive myself, I can sympathise. I am angry that I sold hundreds of cars to innocent customers over several years that were fitted with these cheating devices. Like others, I was happily sharing Volkswagen’s “Clean Diesel” mantra with no idea that the company was cynically manipulating its vehicles to cheat emissions tests.
Interestingly, although the emissions work definitely and absolutely doesn’t cause any cars to break in any way at all, Volkswagen has been quietly compensating some owners who have suffered mechanical maladies post-fix. Volkswagen’s bullshit department describes this as a “trust-building measure” because it is generously paying for repairs to fuel and exhaust systems, even though the damage was totally unrelated to the recall work that affected the fuel and exhaust systems. Promise.
The Car Expert recommendation: Don’t buy a “fixed” vehicle
Should you buy a used diesel Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT or Skoda that has been “fixed”? No. There are far too many reports of breakdowns, poor performance and poor fuel economy for it to be a safe bet. There are literally thousands of other vehicles for sale that are less risky places to put your money.
Should you buy a used diesel Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT or Skoda that has not been “fixed” but is on the list? Probably not. The company continues to pester owners who have bluntly refused to have the fix applied, but it is entirely possible that the government may eventually step in and force cars to have the recall work done. The fix may become an MOT requirement, or it may find some other method to enforce the work. As previously mentioned, compulsory recalls are only issued for safety matters in the UK, so that would have to be changed if a compulsory recall was to be issued.
If you own one of these vehicles, whether fixed or unfixed, you have every right to be angry. The Dieselgate scandal has made people wary of buying a used car on the cheat list, regardless of our recommendation above. You will get no apology from Volkswagen, despite the company screwing you over. If you want to sell your car privately or part-exchange it on a non-VW Group vehicle, your car’s value is likely to suffer.
If you part-exchange it for another Volkswagen/Audi/SEAT/Skoda, you may be eligible for a boost to your part-exchange value (called something insipid like a “customer loyalty bonus”), but the downside is you have to buy a new car from the same company that has just screwed you.
The number of personal new car finance deals fell by 11%, which was more than the corresponding sales drop of 9%, however the total amount of money lent was the same as September 2016 according to the latest figures published by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA). That meant that the average amount borrowed on new cars hit a record £19,904, up 12% on the same month last year.
Used cars also continued their growth in terms of car finance, with volume up by 3% and total lending up by 9%. This means that the average amount borrowed on used cars also hit a new record of £11,609, a 6% increase on the same month last year. Used car sales figures for July to September are expected to be released later this month, but the finance figures are usually a good guide to the broader market.
Average borrowing on both new and used cars has been steadily increasing for the several years, outstripping both average weekly earnings (which haven’t grown anywhere near as much) and “real” household income (which has been flat for years). At the industry’s lowest ebb in early 2010, after the 2008 financial crisis, the average borrowing was £11,782 against an average weekly earning of £442. In September 2017, average weekly earnings had increased to £507 (up 15%), but average new car borrowing was up to £19,904 (up 69%). Used car borrowing is up from £9,211 in early 2010 to £11,609 in September 2017 (a 26% increase).
Much of this growth has been fuelled by the boom in PCP car finance over this decade, with customers borrowing more money without increasing their monthly payments. However, it has meant that the total debt on new car finance has increased massively over that time. The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority are both continuing investigations into the car finance industry to determine whether any action needs to be taken to ensure the viability and sustainability of the car finance market.
New car buyers are borrowing an average of £2,200 more per car than they were 12 months ago, which is more than a month’s pay according to average weekly earnings. Used car buyers are borrowing about £630 more compared to the same month last year.
With the Bank of England announcing a 0.25% interest rate rise this month, it will be interesting to see if there is any effect on car finance. Interest rates remain at an historic low, so finance is still very cheap for most customers and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Android Auto is a system designed by Google, in conjunction with car manufacturers, that allows you to control selected apps on your Android smartphone from your car’s infotainment system.
The idea is to allow drivers to control selected apps on your phone in a safe manner while driving, such as your navigation, phone, messaging and music apps.
The system is pretty much a rip-off of the rival Apple CarPlay system, which is not surprising given that Android itself is a copy of Apple’s iOS and most Android smartphones are wannabe iPhones…
Along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto is gradually being adopted by virtually every car company as new models are unveiled. The central display screens on new cars are perfect for Android Auto to create a display that looks very much like an Android smartphone screen, using app icons that look exactly the same as the ones on your phone.
This Hyundai is using Android Auto for navigation rather than its own system
Some older systems can be retrofitted with Android Auto, either by the car manufacturer or by independent companies, and there are a growing number of aftermarket stereo systems that can run Android Auto and CarPlay.
Systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will potentially revolutionise in-car infotainment systems, providing a much better experience for car owners at a lower cost than traditional systems. A smartphone is far more advanced than your car’s radio and satnav system anyway, so it seems smarter for your car to use your phone’s technology rather than provide its own, inferior, systems.
The system also uses Google’s version of Siri, the “OK Google” voice control system, in addition to the car’s controls. So if you prefer not to fiddle around with buttons or a touchscreen, you can simply tell Android Auto what to do.
Android Auto allows you to access the following while driving:
Navigation: Your Android smartphone has a free and regularly updated navigation system already built in, thanks to Google Maps. It comes complete with a full “turn by turn” navigation system that is better than most portable satnav units or integrated manufacturer nav systems.
Alternatively, you can use the popular Waze navigation app if you prefer it to Google Maps. Other navigations apps may also be available in the future.
Phone calls: Using your car’s steering wheel phone controls, or the controls for the display screen, you can answer or reject calls, listen to voicemails.
There’s no need to sync your contacts between your phone and your car, as the system gets the information directly from your phone when a call is made or received.
Messages: Your text messages can be displayed on the car’s display screen, or the system can read them to you if you prefer. You can also dictate a message to send to anyone in your contacts.
Audio: You can play music, podcasts or audiobooks stored on your phone from Google Play Music account, or from other music apps like Spotify or Amazon Music. You can also access radio apps like BBC iPlayer Radio.
Manufacturer apps: Many car manufacturers have developed specific apps that allow you to access certain car settings from the Android Auto display. To date, these have been very basic, but will develop further as demand grows and the manufacturers develop systems that integrate better with Android Auto.
Do I need Android Auto on my new car?
If you are buying a new car and it offers the option of Android Auto (usually along with Apple CarPlay as well), it is definitely a worthwhile addition. At the moment, the level of integration between your phone and your car is somewhat limited, but this will accelerate rapidly in coming years.
The key selling points of Android Auto are:
A (usually) seamless integration of selected functions of your smartphone with your car’s infotainment system
It’s always up to date, as Google updates Android regularly. When was the last time you updated your car’s operating system (or even had the option to)? If you have ever been frustrated by the navigation system on a ten-year-old car, you’ll understand the importance of keeping things up to date.
Voice control. As cars and infotainment systems get ever-more complex, the option to simply speak to your car is becoming a real advantage. Voice recognition software has improved enormously over the last decade, so if you have previously tried voice control in your car and hated it, it may be worth another try.
Only approved apps are accessible when driving. Your smartphone essentially blacks out when you plug it into your car, so any non-essential notifications will not be displayed until you disconnect it again. So no Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter or other distractions while you’re driving.
Important considerations are:
Android Auto needs a decent phone signal at all times. Google Maps, Google Play Music, Spotify and most other apps require a constant data signal to function. If you are driving beyond cellular network range, Android Auto won’t work.
Your phone needs to be plugged in to charge at all times. With your smartphone running your car stereo and providing navigation, and continually downloading and uploading data, your phone battery will go flat in no time. To date, all the compatible systems available have used a cable to connect to your phone, so it will charge your phone while it working anyway. However, BMW has announced the first wireless Android Auto and CarPlay system, which sounds great but will kill your phone battery on a long journey. Some cars now have wireless charging as well, which you will need if you’re not plugging the phone in every time.
Is Android Auto actually any good?
Depending on how new your particular model of car is, you may not find that Android Auto works any better than your existing navigation or voice control systems. However, a key part of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is that they will continue to be updated and improved, just like the operating system on your phone.
This means your car infotainment system will continue to get smarter over time, unlike existing systems that don’t improve or maintain compatibility with newer hardware and software.
What if I’m buying a used car? Can I get Android Auto added?
Most existing cars on the road were not designed with Android Auto in mind – in fact, one of the problems with traditional car infotainment systems is that they usually lag years behind consumers (which is why many new cars are still sold with CD players). Some systems can be retrofitted to accommodate CarPlay and/or Android Auto, but many can’t.
If you have an old-school standard size rectangular stereo (called DIN, or double DIN for units that are twice as tall), then you can easily replace your current unit with an aftermarket stereo that incorporates Android Auto. There are several stereo manufacturers who make Android Auto units that can slot straight into your car, and prices generally start at a couple of hundred pounds.
However, these have been getting increasingly rare over the last decade, as manufacturers preferred to fit integrated infotainment systems that are not interchangeable. This is more of a problem, as you can’t just pull out the old system and replace it.
For more popular brands like Audi, aftermarket companies have been developing hardware and software that updates existing systems to work with Android Auto. In coming years, many more companies are likely to find ways of adding CarPlay and Android Auto to your old unit, but it may take years to cover all the makes and models in the marketplace, so don’t hold your breath waiting.
Apple CarPlay is a system designed by Apple, in conjunction with car manufacturers, that allows you to control selected apps on your iPhone from your car’s infotainment system.
The idea is to allow drivers to control selected apps on your phone in a safe manner while driving, such as your navigation, phone, messaging and music apps. Unsurprisingly, a similar system for Android phones was developed shortly after, called Android Auto.
Apple CarPlay is gradually being adopted by virtually every car company as new models are unveiled. The central display screens on new cars are perfect for CarPlay to create a display that looks very much like an iPhone screen, using app icons that look exactly the same as the ones on your phone.
Some older systems can be retrofitted with CarPlay, either by the car manufacturer or by independent companies, and there are a growing number of aftermarket stereo systems that can run CarPlay.
Apple CarPlay is available on the latest Mini models
Systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will potentially revolutionise in-car infotainment systems, providing a much better experience for car owners at a lower cost than traditional systems. A smartphone is far more advanced than your car’s radio and satnav system anyway, so it seems smarter for your car to use your phone’s technology rather than provide its own, inferior, systems.
The system also uses Apple’s Siri voice control system in addition to the car’s controls, so you don’t have to fiddle around with buttons or a touchscreen.
Apple CarPlay allows you to access the following while driving:
Navigation: Your iPhone has a free and regularly updated navigation system already built in, thanks to Apple Maps. It may have been justifiably derided when it was first launched for being a bit rubbish, but Apple has been working away on its Maps app to the point where it is now as good as (if not better than) Google Maps and comes complete with a full “turn by turn” navigation system that is better than most portable satnav units or integrated manufacturer nav systems.
Apple Maps now provides speed limit information, lane suggestions and full UK postcode recognition. Plus the mapping is updated almost every week with the latest changes to the UK road system.
Phone calls: Using your car’s steering wheel phone controls, or the controls for the display screen, you can answer or reject calls, listen to voicemails.
There’s no need to sync your contacts between your phone and your car, as the system gets the information directly from your iPhone when a call is made or received.
Messages: Your text messages can be displayed on the car’s display screen, or Siri can read them to you if you prefer. You can also dictate a message for Siri to send to anyone in your contacts.
Audio: You can play music, podcasts or audiobooks stored on your phone from iTunes or your Apple Music account, or from other music apps like Spotify, Google Play Music or Amazon Music. You can also access radio apps like BBC iPlayer Radio.
Manufacturer apps: Many car manufacturers have developed specific apps that allow you to access certain car settings from the CarPlay display. To date, these have been very basic, but will develop further as demand grows and the manufacturers develop systems that integrate better with CarPlay.
Apple CarPlay running on a Volvo XC90
Do I need Apple CarPlay on my new car?
If you are buying a new car and it offers the option of Apple CarPlay (usually along with Android Auto as well), it is definitely a worthwhile addition. At the moment, the level of integration between your phone and your car is somewhat limited, but this will accelerate rapidly in coming years.
The key selling points of Apple CarPlay are:
A (usually) seamless integration of selected functions of your iPhone with your car’s infotainment system
It’s always up to date. Apple updates iOS every year, with minor updates several times a year. When was the last time you updated your car’s operating system (or even had the option to?). If you have ever been frustrated by the navigation system on a ten-year-old car, you’ll understand the importance of keeping things up to date.
Voice control by Siri. Most voice command systems are, frankly, a waste of time. Siri, on the other hand, is one of the best on the market. If you use Siri anyway, you’ll find it perfectly natural to use it in your car. If you don’t currently use Siri on your iPhone, you may find it so useful in your car that you start using it all the time.
Only approved apps are accessible when driving. Your iPhone essentially blacks out when you plug it into your car, so any non-essential notifications will not be displayed until you disconnect it again. So no Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter (sorry Donald) or other distractions while you’re driving.
Important considerations are:
Apple CarPlay needs a decent phone signal at all times. Apple Maps, Apple Music, Spotify and most other apps require a constant data signal to function. If you are driving beyond cellular network range, your CarPlay won’t work.
Your phone needs to be plugged in to charge at all times. With your iPhone running your car stereo and providing navigation, and continually downloading and uploading data, your phone battery will go flat in no time. To date, all the CarPlay-compatible systems available have used a cable to connect your iPhone, so it will charge your phone while it working anyway. However, BMW has announced the first wireless CarPlay system, which sounds great but will kill your iPhone battery on a long journey. Some cars now have wireless charging as well, which you will need if you’re not plugging the phone in every time.
Is Apple CarPlay actually any good?
Depending on how new your particular model of car is, you may not find that CarPlay works any better than your existing navigation or voice control systems. However, a key part of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is that they will continue to be updated and improved, just like the operating system on your phone.
This means your car infotainment system will continue to get smarter over time, unlike existing systems that don’t improve or maintain compatibility with newer hardware and software.
What if I’m buying a used car? Can I get Apple CarPlay added?
Most existing cars on the road were not designed with Apple CarPlay in mind – in fact, one of the problems with traditional car infotainment systems is that they usually lag years behind consumers (which is why most new cars are still sold with CD players). Some systems can be retrofitted to accommodate CarPlay and/or Android Auto, but many can’t.
If you have an old-school standard size rectangular stereo (called DIN, or double DIN for units that are twice as tall), then you can easily replace your current unit with an aftermarket stereo that incorporates CarPlay. There are several stereo manufacturers who make CarPlay units that can slot straight into your car, and prices generally start at a couple of hundred pounds.
However, these have been getting increasingly rare over the last decade, as manufacturers preferred to fit integrated infotainment systems that are not interchangeable. This is more of a problem, as you can’t just pull out the old system and replace it.
For more popular brands like Audi, aftermarket companies have been developing hardware and software that updates existing systems to work with CarPlay. In coming years, many more companies are likely to find ways of adding CarPlay to your old unit, but it may take years to cover all the makes and models in the marketplace, so don’t hold your breath waiting.
UK car sales plummeted again in October, as industry figures blamed the slide on collapsing consumer confidence and an over-hyped campaign against diesel.
New figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) show registrations of new cars slumped by more than 12% to 158,192 units, the first double-digit decline since the recession years. Year to date the market is down 4.6%.
For diesel the fall was even more marked, the 62,349 cars registered down 30%, or almost a third, on the same month in 2016. Diesel’s share of the market, that was almost half in October 2016, has now slipped to less than 40%.
The fall of diesel shows no signs of slowing
Speaking to The Car Expert before the figures were released, Hyundai UK CEO Tony Whitehorn pinned blame for the slump on consumer confidence, less attractive exchange rates for foreign manufacturers and a campaign against diesel.
“Consumer confidence is low and won’t be helped by the increase this week in interest rates, that will hurt even more,” Whitehorn said. “(And) with the change in exchange rates many manufacturers are looking at the UK and saying this is no longer treasure island – we’re not going to invest quite so much. A number of manufacturers are tens of thousands of units down year on year.”
According to the SMMT figures, Hyundai registrations slipped by 0.5% in October but year-to-date the brand is up more than 2% in a market down 4.6%.
‘Tragic’ diesel campaign
Whitehorn dubbed as “tragic” the negative publicity applied to diesel cars. “I think it’s been hyped – diesel and petrol particulates, NOx, NO and CO are pretty similar nowadays with Euro-6 cars but there’s a consumer momentum,” he said.
Commenting on the figures, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes urged the Government to reassure customers over diesel cars. “Declining business and consumer confidence is undoubtedly affecting demand in the new car market but this is being compounded by confusion over government policy on diesel,” he said.
“Consumers need urgent reassurance that the latest, low emission diesel cars on sale will not face any bans, charges or other restrictions, anywhere in the UK – we urge the Government to use the forthcoming Autumn Budget to restore stability to the market, encouraging the purchase of the latest-low emission vehicles as fleet renewal is the fastest and most effective way of addressing air quality concerns,” he added.
However, others are urging further take-up of alternatively-fuelled vehicles, which include electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Registrations of such vehicles grew by 37% in October to 8,244, with their market share continuing to hover just above 5% for the fourth month in a row.
Year-to-date more than 102,000 AFVs have been registered in the UK, 4.6% of the market compared to 3.3% in 2016.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the fastest SUV in its class, claim the new performance model’s creators.
Evidence for the claim is a remarkable 3.8-second 0-62mph time from the newcomer, a top speed of 176mph and a record-setting lap record of 7 min 51.7 sec around the 14-mile Nurburgring circuit in Germany during development.
When it arrives in summer 2018, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will become the top model in the Stelvio range, Alfa Romeo’s first SUV which went on sale in September. When the Italian brand revealed the Stelvio at the 2016 Los Angeles Motor Show, it was as a Quadrifoglio model.
On sale in the summer of 2018, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will join a fast-growing sub-sector of potent premium compact SUVs. Porsche launched the Macan turbo way back in 2015, while both BMW and Jaguar are developing performance versions of their X3 and F-Pace SUVs, using the same engines in their performance cars the M3 and F-Type SVR.
Bi-turbo powerplant
Alfa Romeo has taken a similar route – powering the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the same 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo petrol engine used in the Quadrifoglio version of the Giulia saloon. It produces 510hp at 6,500rpm, with 600Nm of torque between 2,500 and 5,000rpm.
The engine is matched to an eight-speed auto gearbox and all-wheel-drive, including torque vectoring that individually adjusts torque to individual wheels to maintain the most effective grip. This forms part of the Chassis Domain Control (CDC), described as the car’s ‘brain’ and coordinating all of the various electronic systems, such as the active suspension and the DNA Pro driving mode selector, to ensure they work most effectively together. Carbon-ceramic brakes are also part of the Quadrifoglio package.
Visually, the Quadrifoglio will stand out from stock Stelvio models courtesy of its additional vents on the bonnet and on the sides for the intercooler, the side skirts and big body-coloured wheel arches. Similarly, the inside will be liberally sprinkled with surfaces in carbon fibre, leather and Alcantara, while standard equipment will include the latest nine-inch Alfa Connect infotainment system with 3D navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.
UK pricing and specifications for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio are yet to be released. Industry observers suggest it will start from above £65,000, based on how much more the Giulia Quadrifoglio costs over the Giulia Veloce. The current Stelvio range-topper is the Milano, which starts at £45,390.
The next step in Vauxhall’s absorption into the PSA Groupe (Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles) has been finalised, with PSA taking control of Vauxhall Finance.
Vauxhall Finance, along with its German sister Opel Finance, was part of GMAC under its previous owner General Motors. Following the sale of GM’s two European car brands to PSA Groupe, the finance divisions have now also been transferred to PSA’s finance operation.
Although the switch may not seem significant, it will affect nearly every customer buying a new Vauxhall as the finance offered at Vauxhall dealers is almost always provided by Vauxhall Finance. The 400 Vauxhall dealers themselves also use Vauxhall Finance to buy in vehicles, fund showroom improvements and other interests.
Vauxhall Finance and Opel Finance will now be set up as a new organisation under the control of Banque PSA Finance and major French bank BNP Paribas. With a total of 1,800 Opel and Vauxhall dealerships in 11 countries added to PSA’s existing operations for Peugeot, Citroën and DS dealerships, Vauxhall dealers will be hoping that the new arrangement will allow them to offer the most competitive finance deals possible for customers.
What does this mean for car buyers?
There is unlikely to be any visible difference to Vauxhall customers in how finance products are sold at dealerships (apart from a few lines in the fine print on all new contracts), but it remains to be seen how the new owners will approach the UK’s uncertain finance market.
Existing finance contracts will not be affected by the change, and all currently advertised offers are still available with no changes.
Management of the new operation has pledged to present its strategic plan for the future of Vauxhall Finance and Opel Finance within the next 100 days. Commenting on the transaction, Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Sorel said: “We are now thoroughly committed to building the strategic plan with the clear purpose of improving the performance of the company’s businesses and the competitiveness of our financial solutions for Opel and Vauxhall customers.”
What is it?
The Hyundai Ioniq hybrid is one of a three-pronged eco attack by the Korean manufacturer that also includes full-electric and plug-in hybrid sister cars.Key features
Less radical design, low starting price, well-equipped
Our view
The Hyundai Ioniq provides the Toyota Prius with a serious rival. The Korean newcomer is cheaper to buy, comes with plenty of equipment including a strong safety package, and offers performance and on-the-road dynamics directly comparable to its Japanese competitor.
Space inside is adequate, the boot good-sized, while the less outlandish design looks far more contemporary. However, the Hyundai is not quite as eco-efficient as the Toyota and becomes significantly less so if one chooses the top specification version.
Similar carsToyota Prius, Toyota Auris hybrid
When Hyundai decided to make an assault on the eco market, it did so in force. The new Hyundai Ioniq is a model on sale in traditional hybrid and full-electric versions, plus a plug-in hybrid variant.
The hybrid Ioniq we are testing forms a direct rival to the Toyota Prius – the one car everyone will quote when asked to name a hybrid. And in many ways, the Korean newcomer even looks like its long-established Japanese rival, with a pointed stance, low nose, long, sleek shape and a more slab-like back.
The rear end of both cars shares that seeming hybrid styling signature, the split rear screen with two areas of glass separated by a metal panel. This reviewer is not a fan, the metal bit seeming to fall right across where one wants to see out the back in the mirror.
The Hyundai is slightly larger and generally a better-looking car than the Toyota, with subtle curves instead of sharp angles producing a pleasing visual stance. The fastback shape, we are told, is all about aerodynamics, while other efforts to make the most of the car’s eco credentials include such measures as an aluminium bonnet and tailgate. As a result, the Ioniq is 60kg lighter than its traditional stablemate the i30.
The Hyundai Ioniq is slightly larger and less radical in appearance than the Toyota Prius
Buying and owning the Hyundai Ioniq
A big selling point for the Ioniq is its price – the hybrid starts from £19,995, which is more than £4,500 cheaper than its full-electric sister (even after the Government’s £4,500 plug-in grant is applied), and more than £4,000 less than the cheapest Prius.
The Hyundai also comes well equipped – standard on all versions are alloy wheels, DAB radio with Bluetooth, cruise control and both rear parking sensors and a camera.
It’s no less impressive in terms of safety. Autonomous Emergency Braking is on all cars, as is a lane-keep assist system, so it’s no surprise that the Ioniq has earned a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating – as has, incidentally, the Prius.
There are two more Ioniq trims – costing from £21,795, the Premium adds such niceties as satellite navigation, keyless entry and start, a digital dash and more upmarket audio with Android and Apple smartphone capability.
Our test car is the range-topping Premium SE, starting from £23,595. Heated leather extends across both front seats, the steering wheel and even the outer rear seats. The driver’s seat offers powered adjustment, while there are bigger alloy wheels and extra safety in the form of blind-spot detection (with a rear cross-traffic alert) and front parking sensors.
Note, however, that all this kit has a trade-off in terms of eco performance. The best fuel economy and CO2 emissions figures for the Ioniq are 83.1mpg and 79g/km – on our range-topper these dip to 70.6mpg and 92g/km, which lags significantly behind the equivalent top model of the Prius.
Inside the Hyundai Ioniq
Conventional dash looks like any other Hyundai
The first thing one notices when slipping into the Ioniq is its normality. The dash layout looks like that of any other Hyundai and a world away from the sci-fi digital layout of the Prius, which this reviewer already considers oddly dated.
The Ioniq is cleverly packaged – that sharply-styled exterior profile with its dipping rear roofline means that space in the rear is cosy but not over so. The batteries for the hybrid system are neatly incorporated under the rear seats, which means no sacrifice of boot space and 443 litres as a result – more than 100 litres of extra volume compared to the Prius.
Driving the Hyundai Ioniq
Steering is light for urban traffic but not so good on open roads
Powering the Ioniq is typical hybrid drivetrain, combining a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine of 105hp with a 32kW electric motor. Combined they put out 141hp and 265Nm of torque, which is more than the Prius despite the Toyota having both a 1.8-litre engine and 53kW motor. However our test Hyundai reaches 62mph from rest in 11.1 seconds, half a second behind the Prius.
Where the two rivals differ significantly is in the transmission. They are both autos, but the Toyota uses a CVT while the Ioniq gains a newly designed six-speed dual-clutch transmission. This is more efficient and makes acceleration a more purposeful process.
The petrol engine certainly holds its own alongside its electric imposter – while the car moves off smartly in full-electric mode, the engine is quick to cut in, which makes for more noise, especially if you use sport mode when the revs are held longer and the engine note can become intrusive.
The changes between electric and internal combustion powerplants are noticeable, as is the regenerative braking, and the Ioniq does not quite feel as smooth in this area as does the Toyota.
Hyundai has spent quite a lot of effort on the Ioniq’s suspension, with the rear benefiting from a multi-link suspension layout which translates to comfortable progress, slightly on the firm side, even when the road surfaces become less than perfect.
Up front for the driver, it’s not quite so pleasing. In town, it’s really easy to steer through sharp corners and urban traffic but out on a twisty country road, the steering feels over-light and lifeless when holding a straight line.
Summary
Many buyers when looking for an eco-friendly hybrid car might consider the Hyundai Ioniq a Korean copy of the Toyota Prius, which is to do it a disservice. This is an all-new design that competes square-on with its flag-waving rival and beats it in several areas.
The Ioniq is not the most exciting car to drive but that is not generally what people buy hybrids for. With a significantly lower selling price and an impressive equipment list it should appeal to those who have wanted to go hybrid but been put off by the price. But those for whom eco performance really is a major concern should keep away from the top-spec models like our test car.
Not the most exciting car, but that’s not generally why people buy hybrids
The Mercedes-Benz X-Class will likely tick boxes with lifestyle buyers as a pickup wearing a desirable badge.
First deliveries of the brand’s first-ever open-backed model will be made in January 2018, at prices starting from £27,310 plus VAT, and only available in the lifestyle-friendly double-cab format.
However, Mercedes-Benz reckons buyers looking for a tough workhorse should not dismiss the X-Class, pointing to the fact that it boasts selectable all-wheel drive and a low-range gearbox as standard. A differential lock and 20mm ground clearance increase are also on offer as options to further expand the vehicle’s capabilities.
Both markets, meanwhile, will likely appreciate a strong standard safety specification. This includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping and hill-start assist, traffic sign recognition and a reversing camera, as well as the Mercedes me Connect emergency and breakdown service.
The X-Class goes on sale in three trim levels and which you buy depends on what use you are likely to put the vehicle to. Entry-level is the X 220 d Pure, powered by a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel of 163hp, put through a six-speed manual gearbox. Lots of storage, black fabric and 17-inch steel wheels feature on a specification tuned to the building site.
Progressive models will offer more home comforts, including styling upgrades, heated mirrors and alloy wheels, as well as the option of an X 250 d model with 190hp and matched to a seven-speed auto transmission. Progressive trim starts at £28,510, the more powerful engine and auto transmission combination adds another £2,000.
Lifestyle buyers will likely favour the top-range Power grade. Only available in X 250 d form and at £3600 more than the Progressive version, it gains a further raft of styling touches including quite a lot of chrome, along with LED front and rear lights, keyless entry and start, folding mirrors, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Mercedes offers a standard infotainment package across the range, a CD system also including Bluetooth and a DAB radio. A seven-inch touchscreen controls everything while steering wheel controls feature on Progressive and Power models. The package can be upgraded, adding Garmin Map Pilot navigation for £405, or the full Mercedes Connect Online system for £1470.
Also available on the options list are seven packages targeted at different types of users. These range from extra styling to parking sensors and a 360-degree camera and a winter package with heated seats and windscreen washer jets.
Mercedes clearly has high hopes for its new pickup and will expand the range later in 2018, adding a V6-powered X 350 d model to the line-up.
This week the international motor show scene has shifted to Japan and while much of the new metal at the Tokyo Motor Show is destined for the domestic Japanese market, there are also cars that preview or at least hint at, future European models.
Posted here are some of the highlights from what is one of the most wide-ranging shows around.
Mitsubishi E-Evolution
This is the Mitsubishi E-Evolution – yes, it’s the brand’s first Evo model for years. But while the old Evos were rally replicas with big wings, this is a four-wheel-drive coupe-like SUV with an electric powertrain. Apparently it forecasts a new direction for the brand while not previewing a specific model.
Mazda Vision Coupe and Kai
Mazda pulls out the stops for its home show and two new models are attracting a lot of attention. The Vision Coupe (above) is one of the most striking cars at the show. Officially Mazda says that it previews the next version of the brand’s ‘Kodo – Soul in Motion’ design language, with a more minimalist theme. Beyond that, little is being said – certainly no mechanical information on the car, and no clue as to whether it might hint at a future sports car Mazda is known to be thinking about…
The future for the Mazda Kai (below) is much more predictable. Officially it’s a ‘compact hatchback that heralds a new generation of inspired vehicles’ – but most observers believe it will evolve into the next Mazda3, expected in 2019.
Honda Sports EV and Urban EV
Is Honda about to make a successor to the iconic S2000? Apparently not, though comments by the brand’s high-ups at the show suggested such a car is not out of the question. These two are the Sports EV and Urban EV concepts. The latter is significant as its previews a production electric car that Honda intends to put on sale first in Europe, in 2020. The Sports EV suggests a future electric-powered performance car, though there is no current confirmation it will reach production.
Toyota TJ Cruiser
Can an SUV also be a van? Toyota thinks it could, and this concept, the TJ Cruiser, is it. The ‘crossover genre concept vehicle’ apparently ‘represents the harmonious balance between the roominess of a cargo van and the powerful design of an SUV.’ The T stands for ‘Toolbox’ – showing how the vehicle can be used for work, and the J for the ‘Joy’ of going visiting in the car. And it’s a Cruiser because all of Toyota’s SUV models are.
Toyota GR HV
This is Toyota’s other major concept unveiled at Tokyo, the GR-HV. It’s designed to prove that a sports car can also be eco-friendly, though no performance figures have been revealed. The GR-HV boasts both design cues and powertrain elements evolved from the TS050 hybrid car that Toyota races in the Le Mans 24 Hours, while one other race-bred element is the H-pattern gearbox selection. Will it reach production? No clues, though Toyota is known to want a successor to sports models such as the Supra.
Subaru Viziv
Subaru is certainly suggesting exciting future cars with this concept, the Viziv. It showcases the brand’s legacy, being both all-wheel-drive and powered by a ‘Boxer’ flat engine, but apart from that we are not being told much. Seasoned observers suggest this could hint at the shape of the next WRX.
Suzuki E-Survivor
The next big thing in SUVs? Suzuki is showing the E-Survivor, a convertible SUV that is stripped down so much it could almost be a dune buggy. The electric all-wheel-drive model could also suggest elements of future versions of the brand’s well-known Jimny and Vitara models.
Tokyo Show suggests more Nissan Leaf models – click hereTokyo show debut for flagship Lexus LS+ concept – click here
New suspension technology and major changes to the signature ‘air bumps’ feature on the new Citroën C4 Cactus, unveiled ahead of its launch in Spring 2018.
The car has been revealed just as the Citroën C3 Aircross goes on sale, a small SUV that some observers consider has made the C4 Cactus effectively redundant. But Citroën has shown its faith in the model with wide-ranging updates.
Prime amongst these are the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions (PHC) – suspension technology debuting on a European Citroën and described as giving the car a ‘Magic Carpet’ ride quality. PHC is set to appear on other future models from the brand and its development resulted in the filing of 20 patents.
The PHC system replaces the bump stops in a conventional spring and damper suspension system with a pair of hydraulic stops on each unit – one for compression and one for decompression. These come into play when the car endures a heavy impact on the road surface, such as a pothole, by slowing each end of the suspension movement to avoid sudden jolts in the cabin.
Citroën is heavily promoting its Advanced Comfort programme and alongside the PHC the Cactus also debuts Advanced Comfort Seats. These use a high-density foam that is said to maintain its comfort even after many hours of use, or as the seats age over time.
Visually the most notable exterior difference of the Cactus will be the new design of ‘Air Bump’ body side mouldings. These are slimmer than their predecessors and mounted lower, on the sills rather than the door panels.
The new C4 Cactus will be offered with a wide line-up of powertrains although not all will be available to UK buyers. British buyers are expected to have a choice of petrol units ranging across 82, 110 or 130hp, all with manual gearboxes and the 110 also offered with a six-speed auto.
Diesel buyers will initially choose between either standard or stop-and-start versions of a 110hp unit. In Autumn 2018 a 120hp version with the auto transmission will join the line-up.
Meanwhile, technology available on the C4 Cactus will include 12 driver assistance systems and three different connectivity options. The latter includes Smartphone compatibility for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink, a connected navigation system through a seven-inch touchscreen and an assistance service for emergencies or accidents.
What is it? The new Citroën C3 Aircross is the brand’s small SUV that replaces an MPV
Key features Stylish design, lots of space, more versatile than rivals
Our view The Citroën C3 Aircross is a notably stylish new entrant to the small SUV market, both outside and in. It’s also practical and versatile, with lots of interior space and off-road ability with the aid of the optional GripControl.
While it offers an ordinary drive, this is no worse than the majority of the small SUV market. The only significant downside is the amount of equipment, especially safety-related, that requires paying for the top trim level or options.
The new Citroën C3 Aircross aims to provide the manufacturer with a contender in the now hotly-contested small SUV market – but it also has a legacy to uphold.
For many years Citroën sold the C3 Picasso, an MPV that succeeded the equally distinctive Xsara Picasso and gained a lot of fans – 65,000 in the UK alone. But buyers don’t want MPVs anymore and the expansion of the latest C3 hatch, launched in January 2017, had to be an SUV.
The C3 Aircross is, of course, closely related to sister brand Peugeot’s 2008, but also to the Crossland X of new sister brand Vauxhall – they share their underpinnings and are all built together on the same production line in Zaragoza, Spain.
Not surprisingly, the Citroën stands out for style – today’s brand is all about distinctive cars. Styling signatures include the two-tier front light layout (now with the fog lights integrated into the main headlamp units), the ‘floating’ roof design with its black pillars and the 3D-effect rear lights intended to emphasise the car’s width.
Equally, the car emphasises its SUV credentials with black wheel arch edges, front and rear skid plates and roof rails, and its high stance – at 17.5cm the ground clearance is 5cm more than the C3 hatch.
Finally, there are up to 85 exterior colour combinations. These comprise eight body colours, three roof colour options and four ‘colour packs’ comprising headlamp surrounds, roof bars, door mirrors and a ‘venetian blind’ design on the rear quarter lights. This last, however, is a stick-on graphic on the glass and slightly low-rent to this reviewer’s eyes – as well as compromising rear three-quarter visibility.
The Citroën C3 Aircross is one of the most stylish entrants to the small SUV market
Buying and owning the Citroën C3 Aircross
The C3 Aircross is offered with six powertrain combinations across four engines, and three trim levels, Touch, Feel and Flair. Petrol buyers have the choice of 82, 110 or 130hp engines with five or six-speed manual gearboxes, the 110 also offered with a six-speed auto.
For diesel fans the choice is between 100 or 120hp units, in manual form only. Initially, three-quarters of C3 Aircross sales are expected to be petrol-powered, but are expected to adjust to 60/40 as customers are told about the benefits of today’s cleaner diesels.
The entry-level Touch trim is only available with the 82hp petrol engine at a price of £13,995. Highlights of the equipment list include DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity, manual air conditioning, cruise control and automatic lights.
Feel trim, costing from £15,100 with the 82hp engine, adds alloy wheels, an aluminium-effect finish on the skid plates, leather on the steering wheel and LED daytime running lights. There are two extra speakers on the audio, Android, Apple and Mirror smartphone connectivity, a seven-inch colour touchscreen and electric, heated door mirrors.
Another £1500 buys the top Flair trim, and rivals will point to the fact that you have to spend this amount of money to gain such basics as electric rear windows. The wheels expand to 17 inches, while the buyer has the choice of one of the four ‘style packs’ on the two-tone roof.
Navigation is included with Flair versions, while the air conditioning is automatic and dual zone. Other notables include keyless entry and start, automatic windscreen wipers and rear parking sensors.
Few of today’s small crossovers are available in four-wheel-drive form as customers want the looks not the capability, and the C3 Aircross is no different. But the car scores over its rivals by offering its clever GripControl traction system – a £400 option with all bar the 82hp engine and Touch trim.
GripControl keeps the car sure-footed off the tarmac, especially in muddy conditions – the latest version even includes Hill Descent Control. It is also a prime safety aid – an aspect of four-wheel-drive often forgotten – by improving grip on wet or icy roads.
The overall safety specification on all cars includes six airbags, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, hill-start assist and a speed limiter. Surprisingly neither of the upper trim levels adds further safety features except the connected emergency services on top Flair specification.
Autonomous emergency braking with a collision alert and blind-spot monitoring are both available for the Aircross, but only as options. We wait to see if this fact will affect the car’s Euro NCAP safety rating when it is tested.
Inside the Citroën C3 Aircross
Interior is an attractive environment, but also user-friendly and practical.
Citroën insists that the C3 Aircross has to reflect the practicality of its MPV forebear as much as the current SUV popularity, and in terms of interior space it generally does. The long 2.6-metre wheelbase translates to rear passenger leg and headroom claimed to be best in class, as is the 410-litre boot space.
This can be further improved by a neat arrangement that allows the individual sections of the 60:40 rear seat to slide back and forth by up to 15cm, as well as folding flat, which boosts carry space to 1289 litres. However, the sliding function is only available on Flair models as standard. On Feel models it’s part of the £490 optional ‘Family Pack’ which also includes the auto braking and collision alert and another neat touch – a folding front passenger seat, allowing something as long as 2.4 metres to be accommodated.
One further note – our test cars at the launch event included panoramic sunroofs, a £950 option on all but Touch models. These produce a light and airy interior but also cut the headroom available on the non-adjustable front passenger seat – tall buyers beware…
We first saw the new breed of stylish Citroën interiors with the C4 Cactus, and the C3 Aircross follows the format – generally, it’s an attractive environment but also user-friendly and practical. However the ordinary quality of some of the plastics and cloth trim slightly dull the effect, and a definite wrong move is the aircraft-style handbrake lever. A case of form over function, it looks good but is irritatingly difficult to use.
Driving the Citroën C3 Aircross
Engines are strong, but on-road dynamics not so much
At the launch event, The Car Expert was able to drive cars fitted with the 110 and 130hp petrol engines, which will take the majority of Citroën C3 Aircross sales. The efficiency and refinement of these three-cylinder turbo engines produce little surprise – they are effective units, especially the 110. Plus 50mpg combined cycle fuel economy combines with a CO2 emissions figure that is only 11g/km worse than the best diesel, and thanks to the stop-start function, a gramme better than the far-slower 82hp petrol.
Sadly the car’s on-the-road dynamics do not quite live up to the standards of the engines. Citroën makes much of ambitions to be the benchmark of the auto industry for comfort with its ‘Advanced Comfort Programme’ and the Aircross suspension, while slightly stiff, does smother the bumps and imperfections of the average road.
The steering, however, is fidgety, and absent of feel through the wheel, and through a series of bends the driver feels remote from the car. But the Aircross is not particularly worse than its rivals in this respect, unimpressive steering seeming to be a trait of the small SUV sector.
Summary
In a now crowded small SUV market any newcomer has to stand out, and in looks, the Citroën C3 Aircross certainly does that – it is one of the most stylish entrants to the market and leaves newcomers such as its Vauxhall sister model and the Kia Stonic in its wake.
The inside matches the exterior for style and adds a healthy dose of practicality, in most areas. However, making the car truly versatile requires paying for top trims or options – as does too much of the safety specification.
The Aircross won’t impress quite as much for its driving prowess, but then one will struggle to find a small SUV that does. Overall the car offers enough against its rivals, along with some bespoke extras such as the off-road ability provided by GripControl, to make it a contender.
The shell generates significant downforce which again is a route Aston Martin has not previously pursued with its road cars. Construction is an evolution of the aluminium structure used on the recently launched DB11, though Aston Martin adds that 70% of the Vantage structure is new. The interior replicates the bolder look of the exterior with a focus on the driver.
Power for the new Vantage is provided by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is set as far back and low down in the chassis as possible to improve the car’s centre of gravity and provide a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Combined with an eight-speed transmission, it produces 505hp at 6000rpm, together with 685Nm of torque between 2000 and 5000rpm, which sends the Vantage through 60mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 195mph.
Industry observers suggest a V12 version of the car is likely to launch later, but not a hybrid as Aston Martin’s already announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its cars are scheduled from 2025, suggesting the next generation of Vantage will be the first with electric power.
Electronic aids on the new car include stability and torque vectoring chassis assistance, speed-dependent electric power steering and for the first time on an Aston Martin an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). Linked to the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to understand the car’s behaviour, reacting much more efficiently than a conventional LSD to direct the engine’s power to the relevant wheel. As a result, the car feels more planted both in terms of straight-line stability and cornering performance.
Aston Martin is now taking orders for the new Vantage, at prices starting from £120,900.
Lifestyle buyers will likely favour the top-range Power grade. Only available in X 250 d form and at £3600 more than the Progressive version, it gains a further raft of styling touches including quite a lot of chrome, along with LED front and rear lights, keyless entry and start, folding mirrors, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Mercedes offers a standard infotainment package across the range, a CD system also including Bluetooth and a DAB radio. A seven-inch touchscreen controls everything while steering wheel controls feature on Progressive and Power models. The package can be upgraded, adding Garmin Map Pilot navigation for £405, or the full Mercedes Connect Online system for £1470.
Also available on the options list are seven packages targeted at different types of users. These range from extra styling to parking sensors and a 360-degree camera and a winter package with heated seats and windscreen washer jets.
Mercedes clearly has high hopes for its new pickup and will expand the range later in 2018, adding a V6-powered X 350 d model to the line-up.
This is the Mitsubishi E-Evolution – yes, it’s the brand’s first Evo model for years. But while the old Evos were rally replicas with big wings, this is a four-wheel-drive coupe-like SUV with an electric powertrain. Apparently it forecasts a new direction for the brand while not previewing a specific model.
Mazda pulls out the stops for its home show and two new models are attracting a lot of attention. The Vision Coupe (above) is one of the most striking cars at the show. Officially Mazda says that it previews the next version of the brand’s ‘Kodo – Soul in Motion’ design language, with a more minimalist theme. Beyond that, little is being said – certainly no mechanical information on the car, and no clue as to whether it might hint at a future sports car Mazda is known to be thinking about…
The future for the Mazda Kai (below) is much more predictable. Officially it’s a ‘compact hatchback that heralds a new generation of inspired vehicles’ – but most observers believe it will evolve into the next Mazda3, expected in 2019.
Is Honda about to make a successor to the iconic S2000? Apparently not, though comments by the brand’s high-ups at the show suggested such a car is not out of the question. These two are the Sports EV and Urban EV concepts. The latter is significant as its previews a production electric car that Honda intends to put on sale first in Europe, in 2020. The Sports EV suggests a future electric-powered performance car, though there is no current confirmation it will reach production.
Can an SUV also be a van? Toyota thinks it could, and this concept, the TJ Cruiser, is it. The ‘crossover genre concept vehicle’ apparently ‘represents the harmonious balance between the roominess of a cargo van and the powerful design of an SUV.’ The T stands for ‘Toolbox’ – showing how the vehicle can be used for work, and the J for the ‘Joy’ of going visiting in the car. And it’s a Cruiser because all of Toyota’s SUV models are.
This is Toyota’s other major concept unveiled at Tokyo, the GR-HV. It’s designed to prove that a sports car can also be eco-friendly, though no performance figures have been revealed. The GR-HV boasts both design cues and powertrain elements evolved from the TS050 hybrid car that Toyota races in the Le Mans 24 Hours, while one other race-bred element is the H-pattern gearbox selection. Will it reach production? No clues, though Toyota is known to want a successor to sports models such as the Supra.
The next big thing in SUVs? Suzuki is showing the E-Survivor, a convertible SUV that is stripped down so much it could almost be a dune buggy. The electric all-wheel-drive model could also suggest elements of future versions of the brand’s well-known Jimny and Vitara models.
Tokyo Show suggests more Nissan Leaf models – click here
Tokyo show debut for flagship Lexus LS+ concept – click here 
Citroën is heavily promoting its Advanced Comfort programme and alongside the PHC the Cactus also debuts Advanced Comfort Seats. These use a high-density foam that is said to maintain its comfort even after many hours of use, or as the seats age over time.
Visually the most notable exterior difference of the Cactus will be the new design of ‘Air Bump’ body side mouldings. These are slimmer than their predecessors and mounted lower, on the sills rather than the door panels.
The new C4 Cactus will be offered with a wide line-up of powertrains although not all will be available to UK buyers. British buyers are expected to have a choice of petrol units ranging across 82, 110 or 130hp, all with manual gearboxes and the 110 also offered with a six-speed auto.
Diesel buyers will initially choose between either standard or stop-and-start versions of a 110hp unit. In Autumn 2018 a 120hp version with the auto transmission will join the line-up.
Meanwhile, technology available on the C4 Cactus will include 12 driver assistance systems and three different connectivity options. The latter includes Smartphone compatibility for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink, a connected navigation system through a seven-inch touchscreen and an assistance service for emergencies or accidents.
