An all-new version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class will arrive at UK dealers in August, though you might initially fail to notice.
The second-generation of the traditional off-roader SUV looks on the outside very similar to the original model, launched way back in 1979 and a major rival to the Range Rover.
Mercedes insists, however, that “each part and every bolt came under scrutiny” during the design process for the new model, with the main focus on increasing the car’s rigidity, comfort and handling.
The G-Class is one of the most recognisable SUVs on the road, and that’s not about to change
Retaining the traditional look, with its squared-off, angular lines and protective strips, was deliberate. The G-Class is one of the most recognisable SUVs on the road that appeals to a particular audience – one that needs a very durable, albeit luxury, vehicle. For this reason the model also retains its body-on-ladder-frame form of construction.
While familiar in its visuals, the new G-Class is a larger vehicle, 5cm longer and 12cm wider than its predecessor. Mercedes says that quality is significantly higher, with narrower panel gaps and areas such as the wheel arches flowing into the body, rather than appearing to be add-ons.
The interior has undergone fundamental changes, though the digital ‘widescreen cockpit’ is an option.
More fundamental changes have been carried out inside the car, with the emphasis on quality. While retaining the durable look of its predecessor, the interior is more comfortable. Rear-seat legroom, in particular, has been substantially improved by some 15cm thanks to a wheelbase extended by 4cm.
A major increase in technology features on the new model. While the redesigned driver’s instrument panel retains analogue dials as standard, a digital display is available on the options list. This combines with an infotainment display above the centre console in the form of two 12-inch screens to form a ‘widescreen cockpit’ already seen on recently launched Mercedes-Benz cars.
The base of the centre console includes a touchpad for driver inputs and there is a multi-function steering wheel, but traditional elements also remain, such as the grab handle mounted ahead of the passenger seat for additional stability when off-roading.
The designers of the G-Class claim that it is the most off-road capable version yet, Its ground clearance has been increased 4cm to 24cm, the fording depth raised 10cm to 70cm, and its tilt, approach and departure angles improved. However the changes also include a new trailing-trim rear suspension system around the rigid rear axle to provide greater ride comfort on tarmac.
Mercedes-Benz is yet to confirm G-Class models and prices for the UK market though it is predicted that the first version on sale will be the Mercedes-AMG G63, powered by a 4.0-litre V8 engine of 611hp and costing from around £140,000. Industry sources also expect an entry-level diesel version to be launched in 2019, at around £85,000 which would be £7,000 less than the current cheapest G-Class.
What is it? The Skoda Karoq replaces the previous Yeti model in the enormous compact SUV marketplace battle.
Key features Spacious, practical, value for money
Our view The all-new Skoda Karoq is more than just a replacement for the popular (at least in the UK) Yeti. In fact, it’s almost an anti-Yeti. Gone are the squared-off proportions, left-field styling and general feeling of character. In their place is an accomplished and far more mainstream model.
The Karoq feels like it has absorbed the good points from most of its rivals in the compact SUV marketplace and combined them into one package. The only problem (depending on how you look at such things) is that it’s almost entirely unmemorable in every way.
If you don’t actually like cars and just want something to get you from point A to point B with comfort and practicality, and without breaking the bank, it’s pretty much perfect.
Another week, another compact SUV arrives in UK car showrooms. This week, it’s the Skoda Karoq joining the party. It replaces the Skoda Yeti, although it’s a very different sort of creature.
The compact SUV (or compact crossover, if you prefer) is the 21st-century version of the family hatchback. Two adults up front, two-and-a-bit kids in the back and enough boot space for a week’s worth of shopping or a weekend’s worth of luggage. Every manufacturer worth mentioning now has at least one of these vehicles in its line-up, and sometimes more if it’s trying to segment different demographics.
Skoda previously had the Yeti in this market. Although it wasn’t the first compact crossover in the shopping centre car park, it was certainly around a few years before most others jumped on the bandwagon. The Yeti’s identity befitted a new and unusual type of vehicle, a left-field choice compared to something like a regular Skoda Octavia hatch or estate. It was tall and square, with oddball headlights and a distinctive appeal. It wasn’t as wacky as the best-forgotten Skoda Roomster, but it certainly stood apart from the pack. And that summed up Skoda at the time – sharpening up its act but still drumming along to its own beat.
Skoda has absorbed the best aspects of its rivals to create the Karoq
Now, however, things have moved on. The small-medium crossover market is no longer a niche; it’s the default choice for a family car. And Skoda is no longer a niche player, either. Over the last decade, the brand has gone from bargain bin to family favourite, and the decidedly different Yeti became rather out of step with the rest of the range. A mid-life facelift smoothed out the looks a bit, but it still had limited appeal in the fastest-growing market segment on the planet.
The Skoda Karoq, therefore, epitomises where the brand is right now. It’s a bit bigger than its predecessor, but that’s normal in the automotive market. What’s really changed is that the Karoq is a far more mainstream offering than the Yeti, which is one of the reasons it has picked up a new name. This is not a New Yeti; in fact, it’s almost an anti-Yeti. The styling is smooth and rather bland (although the front end, like all Skodas, is overly fussy), and dimensions are good to excellent in every direction compared to the class average.
Under the skin, the Karoq shares its platform and mechanical bits with the SEAT Ateca and Volkswagen Tiguan – plus a myriad of other vehicles based on the Volkswagen Golf underpinnings. On the surface, however, Skoda seems to have absorbed all the best bits from its very many rivals in this market and assembled them into a Karoq. Does that make it the best of its kind? Well, yes and no.
Has Skoda built the ideal family car for the 21st century?
Buying and owning a Skoda Karoq
Like the rest of the Skoda family, the Karoq offers a lot of value for your money. The range consists of four trim levels, including one aimed specifically at fleet customers, plus two petrol and two diesel engines. In particular, the entry-level SE and mid-spec SE L models include a very competitive level of kit compared to similar vehicles from other manufacturers.
The top-spec Edition models include almost everything you could ever want in a family car, but the price is getting close to £30,000 for petrol models and beyond that for diesel models (although the diesel models do come with four-wheel drive, whereas the petrol models are only available as front-wheel drive).
The fleet-spec SE Technology won’t generally be available from dealerships for retail customers, although presumably they’ll pop up as used cars after a year or two. These models are probably the best value of all, as the price is the same as the regular SE but you get satnav, adaptive cruise control and front & rear parking sensors thrown in. Plus fleet buyers won’t pay anywhere near the retail price anyway, so company car drivers are getting the pick of the range and the best pricing.
Petrol engines consist of 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre options, producing 115 and 150hp respectively. Both are available with a six-speed manual or (for an extra £1,300) seven-speed automatic transmission. The petrol models are expected to be the bigger sellers of the Karoq range, especially with the current anti-diesel sentiment created by Skoda’s evil-empire parent company, Volkswagen. If you do want a diesel engine, there’s a choice of a 1.6-litre producing 115hp and a 2.0-litre with 150hp, with the same choice of gearboxes.
The diesel models might have identical power statistics to the petrol equivalents, but they produce more torque for carrying a full car-load of passengers and luggage, plus they have theoretically better fuel consumption and emissions. Of course, this is Volkswagen we are talking about so you can’t really trust their numbers…
If you want or need four-wheel drive, you need to have the 2.0-litre diesel engine. This makes it considerably the most expensive choice of Karoq.
Safety-wise, it’s good news all round. The Skoda Karoq comes fitted standard with autonomous emergency braking (which Skoda and other Volkswagen brands insist on calling Front Assist) to help reduce collisions, and it was awarded five stars from Euro NCAP for its safety systems and crash-test performance. Edition models get additional accident-avoidance safety tech that is optional on lower models, like lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring.
Inside the Skoda Karoq
Interior is conventional but very well finished
If the outside of the Skoda Karoq is impeccably drawn, solidly-built yet largely bland, the interior is much the same story. Materials are of good quality, it’s all well screwed together and the layout looks thoroughly conventional. There’s none of the quasi-futuristic look of a Peugeot 3008, and thankfully none of the dodgy plastics of some of its lesser rivals.
Everything is laid out very well, following the current trend for eliminating as many buttons as possible and throwing everything into a large central touchscreen. Despite the fact that touchscreens are still not well suited to driving, everyone’s going that way and Skoda is no different. The base-level eight-inch screen is actually easier to use on the move than the higher-spec nine-inch unit found on the Edition model, as it has a proper volume knob (although placed on the wrong side of the screen, away from the driver) and better virtual button placement either side of the screen.
All models get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as standard (note to BMW: stop charging nearly £300 for this!). The sound quality is decent from the regular system but definitely better if you cough up another £400 for the optional ten-speaker Canton sound system.
The seating position and level of adjustment in both the front seats and steering wheel is very good, visibility is much better than most cars since the Karoq is not pretending to be a sports car or private jet, rear-seat passengers have plenty of room and the boot is reasonably large and well-shaped for family kit-shifting requirements.
Driving the Skoda Karoq
Lower-spec models with smaller wheels are most comfortable
Our drive route on the Skoda Karoq launch went from Lincoln to Grimsby and back, so there wasn’t a lot in the way of hills and valleys. There was a good combination of motorway, A-road and windy, crumbly B-road driving, however, so we got to give the Karoq a good workout in varying conditions.
We drove the 1.5-litre 150hp petrol engine in both manual and automatic forms, and it is a great option for most family customers. It is zippy in city traffic and will hold its performance well with a load of passengers and cargo. If you don’t want a diesel but you still have to carry stuff around, it’s the best engine in the range.
The automatic transmission is smooth and efficient, happily working its way through all seven gears as needed to give you either performance or economy as needed. The manual gearbox is light and easy to use, and a lot more enjoyable than the auto if you’re not stuck in stop-start traffic every day. The steering is light and lifeless, like almost every car in this segment, but the Karoq responds well to your directions.
The ride is generally very good, but it’s actually the cheaper models (SE and SE Technology) that feel comfier due to their smaller wheels and taller tyres. If you want to sacrifice comfort for style with the 18-inch wheels and lower-profile tyres on the SE L and Edition models (and optional for the lower models), there’s not too much to worry about as the more blinged-up Karoq models still soak up most bumps, potholes and speed humps without trouble. Handling is not especially exciting, but the Karoq goes pretty much exactly where you want to with no fuss or bother.
The seats are both comfortable and supportive, so a three-hour first leg followed by another 90 minutes after lunch was no problem at all. Noise levels from the petrol engine were good – the diesel is likely to be a bit noisier, but if you have the stereo on or are chatting to your passengers, you probably wouldn’t notice.
All in all, it’s extremely competent without raising your pulse – perfect if that’s what you’re looking for.
Summary
In almost every objective way possible, the Skoda Karoq is a very good vehicle. It does exactly what it says on the tin, with no surprises (unless you live under a rock and haven’t seen a Skoda since about 1997). For a family with a couple of kids, it ticks all the boxes.
The only downside is that, within half an hour of driving the Karoq, nothing especially memorable comes to mind. It was very good at everything and bad at nothing. Actually, if you want to pick nits, the standard-spec cruise control buttons on the indicator stalk are fiddly to use. The optional (£300) adaptive cruise control gets its own stalk and it’s much easier to operate. But that’s really about it.
So if you’re simply looking for a comfortable, practical family car that offers good value for money, the Skoda Karoq should probably be at the top of your shopping list. If you want to enjoy throwing your smallish hatchback-based crossover down a B-road like a sports car, or if you want to stand out from the crowd, this is not that sort of vehicle. If you don’t really like cars and just want one that does the job of moving you and your loved ones from here to there, this is quite possibly it.
November’s rise in interest rates by the Bank of England appears to have done nothing to slow the increase in car finance debt, according to the latest lending results published this week by the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA).
November 2017 results show that the same pattern is continuing – the number of new car finance deals dropped in line with new car sales, while the amount of money being borrowed per car broke new records despite increasing interest rates. Meanwhile, used car finance continues to grow rapidly in both the number of deals and amount borrowed.
Car dealers and manufacturers might be grumbling about the drop in customer numbers over the last nine months, but their finance companies are still lending billions of pounds to buyers, with November’s results setting new records.
Cars bought on finance by consumers through dealerships
New business
Nov 2017
% change on prev. year
3 months to Nov 2017
% change on prev. year
12 months to Nov 2017
% change on prev. year
New cars
Value of advances (£m)
1,385
+2
5,627
+1
18,413
+2
Number of cars
69,287
-8
284,432
-9
974,049
-7
Used cars
Value of advances (£m)
1,237
+16
3,866
+13
15,003
+11
Number of cars
104,683
+10
331,601
+7
1,322,786
+6
Data (c) Finance and Leasing Association
The number of new private car sales fell by 5% in November, according to SMMT data. This was mirrored by an 8% drop in the number of finance deals on new cars, according to the numbers from the FLA. However, the amount of money lent to car buyers increased by 2% compared to the same month in 2016, meaning that the average borrowing for a new car reached a new record of £19,989.
86% of all privately-purchased new cars are financed at the dealership, with the vast majority of those being financed via a personal contract purchase(PCP).
For used cars, both volumes and total borrowing continue to increase rapidly. November saw a 10% year-on-year increase in the number of used cars financed by dealers, with the amount borrowed growing by 16% over the same month in 2016. This also meant that average borrowing hit a new record of £11,817 per used car. Used car lending for 2017 has already reached a new record of more than £14 billion, with one month of results still to be calculated. 2016 was previously a record year, with £13.5 billion lent to used car buyers.
Record lending will fuel fears of overheated car finance market
With December results still to be announced, it is certain that the overall 2017 results will show a record amount of money being lent to both new and used car buyers, despite the drop in new car sales. Average borrowing has also increased in December every year for the last seven or eight years, so it is entirely possible that we may see average borrowing break the £20,000 mark for new cars and £12,000 mark for used cars at the same time.
This is not exactly the news that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Bank of Englandwill have wanted to see, after the BoE increased its official interest rates at the start of November. With the Bank’s base rate increasing from 0.25% to 0.5%, finance companies have been quick to pass on rate increases to customers. Yet the amounts being borrowed continued to increase, which will no doubt fuel concerns that the car industry is failing to adequately regulate its own lending behaviour.
The Bentley Bentayga SUV range is being extended with a new V8-engined model.
According to Bentley the new model will be the most sporting version yet of the Bentayga, which has proved highly successful since its launch into the growing premium SUV market. However it won’t be the fastest, that title remaining with the Bentayga W12.
The V8 is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol unit familiar from elsewhere in the Bentley range. It produces 550hp and 770Nm of torque, which gives the Bentayga a 4.4-second 0-62mph time and a terminal speed of 180mph.
The car returns 24.8mpg combined cycle fuel consumption and produces CO2 emissions of 260g/km. Aiding the emissions figure is start-stop technology that can activate when the vehicle is at ‘near-to-stop’ speeds.
From launch the Bentayga has been offered with an eight-cylinder diesel engine, offering a 4.8-second 0-62mph time, combined cycle economy of 35.8mpg and emissions of 210g/km. The range-topping 12-cylinder W12 model, meanwhile, crests 62mph in 4.0 seconds, with combined mpg of 21.6 and a 296g/km emissions figure.
‘Biggest brakes on any car’
Also launching with the Bentayga V8 is the option to add carbon-ceramic brakes, described as the largest and most powerful brakes yet fitted to a Bentley. In fact Bentley claims that no other production car boasts larger front brakes, the discs measuring 440mm and activated by 10-piston calipers. Buyers that choose the standard braking system will still get red-[painted calipers.
Styling additions to the new model include a black and chrome grille, and twin-quad exhaust pipes at the rear. Inside there are three new options – a high-gloss carbon-fibre finish replacing the traditional veneer surfaces; a wood and hide steering wheel available in seven different veneer finishes; and a new red leather dubbed Cricket Ball.
Bentley is pricing the Bentayga V8 at £136,200, which is only £400 more than its diesel sibling. And the range will be further enlarged later in 2018 by the launch of a hybrid version of the SUV.
Volkswagen has won a major accolade for safety, taking half of the best-in-class awards made by crash-test specialist Euro NCAP.
The safety body recorded its busiest-ever year in 2017, conducting crash tests on 69 new cars, from which it was able to declare best performers in six categories. After a difficult year still suffering from fallout resulting from the emissions scandal, Volkswagen will be delighted by best-in-class wins for superminis (Polo), small off-roaders (T-Roc) and executive cars (Arteon).
The German giant could not take the overall best performer award, however, which went to the Volvo XC60 in the large off-road class. Other winners were the Vauxhall Crossland X in the small MPV class, and the Subaru XV/Impreza that took the small family car award.
Facelifts miss out on tech
Euro NCAP’s testers praised the fact that despite increasingly tough testing regimes, most new models to the market – the vast majority of those tested – gained top five-star safety ratings. However the tests also showed an increasing gap to older facelift cars – ratings for these suffered due to their lack of modern safety technology such as driver-assistance systems.
Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen described Volkswagen’s three wins as a great achievement underlining the company’s commitment to providing the highest levels of safety to its customers.
“Subaru and Opel (Vauxhall) are also offering class-leading products while Volvo continues to underline its reputation for safety,” Ratingen said.
“More broadly, though, it is encouraging to see so many new cars performing so well in all areas of safety, and being equipped with greater and greater levels of life-saving technology,” he added.
Highlights from the test regime include the advance of pedestrian-detecting autonomous braking systems. First tested by Euro NCAP in 2016, the technology was available on 82% of the cars tested in 2017 and standard equipment on 62% of them. Similarly speed assistance was offered on 92% of the new cars tested, standard on 82%.
Despite the march of technology traditional crash protection is not being ignored. On 96% of the tested cars standard equipment included two or more seating positions compatible with new i-Size child restraints. Rear seat load limiters and belt tensioners were standard on 94% of the test vehicles..
The Volvo XC60 was the top safety crash-test performer of all…
Skoda has announced new PCP finance offers, scrappage and free fuel offers for selected models in its range for the first quarter of 2018.
The brand has various different incentives on offer for different models, which is somewhat confusing but is presumably based on what Skoda’s marketing folk think will appeal to customers of each model.
There are deposit contributions for PCP finance agreements on Citigo and new Karoq (£1,500), Fabia, Rapid and Kodiaq (£2,000), Octavia (£3,000) and Superb (£4,000).
In addition to its £2,000 deposit contribution, the Kodiaq also comes with £1,000 of free fuel if you take a PCP finance agreement with Skoda Finance.
Certain specifications of each model are not included in the offer, so check the details with the dealership. The deposit contributions cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, like the scrappage offer below.
The PCP offers are all based on a 5.9% or 6.3% representative APR, which is nothing special in the current car finance market, so the money you save in deposit contributions will be eaten up again in interest over the course of the agreement.
Scrappage offer extended
Skoda has also extended its scrappage offer until the end of March, which offers a guaranteed part-exchange value for older diesel part-exchange vehicles.
The scrappage allowances are available on Citigo (£1,500), Fabia (£2,500), Rapid (£3,000), Octavia (£3,500) and Superb (£4,000). You can’t combine the scrappage allowance and the finance contribution, unfortunately.
The scrappage offer is a part-exchange allowance, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but must be built to Euro 4 emissions standard or earlier. This will definitely be cars registered before 31 December 2009, although some cars had Euro 5 specification engines earlier than this.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least six months, to stop people buying an old banger for £200 and then getting a £4,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
The scrappage price is fixed for any car part-exchanged as part of the scheme, not an allowance on top of the car’s value. You are effectively getting nothing for your car, but a discount on the new car (although it won’t be written that way on the contract).
Cars must be sold and delivered by 31 March 2018.
This offer cannot be used on top of any other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company.
The offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products.
Finance
This offer provides a deposit contribution towards selected new Skoda models, over and above any other discount you can negotiate.
The finance package must be a PCP agreement (called Solutions) from Skoda Finance.
The offers set out on the Skoda website are only examples, and you are entitled to adjust the deposit and annual mileage to suit your own needs. The APR shown on the examples is either 5.9% or 6.3% depending on model, but that does not mean you will be offered a similar rate.
The annual mileage used in all of the examples is 10,000, which is average. You need to make sure that the annual mileage you are quoted matches your expected use of the vehicle.
Excess mileage charges may apply at the end of the agreement if you have exceeded your limit, so make sure you allow yourself enough mileage when setting up the finance agreement. The charge only applies if you are giving the car back and claiming the guaranteed future value (GFV).
Cars have to be ordered and delivered by 31 March 2018.
The finance offers are provided through Skoda dealers by Skoda Finance (which is part of Volkswagen Financial Services). If a dealer offers you a finance deal that does not match these details or from another lender, it is not part of this offer.
As with any car purchase, work out your budget before you visit the showroom and don’t be persuaded to go over it – regardless of what the smiling sales executive suggests. They don’t have your best interests at heart, but The Car Expert does!
Nissan has extended its part-exchange allowance offer on a number of its models until early April.
Unlike most brands’ scrappage schemes, the Nissan ‘Switch’ offer gives owners of older cars an extra £1,000 or £2,000 towards a new Nissan (depending on model) over and above their part-exchange value.
The offer is only available on certain Nissan models, rather than the whole range. If you are looking for a new Micra, Juke, Qashqai or X-Trail, you’re in luck. For everything else in the range, you miss out.
For the four models above, entry-level Acenta specifications get a £1,000 allowance, while higher-spec models like N-Connecta, Tekna and Tekna+ enjoy a £2,000 allowance.
The money is on the table for any part-exchange vehicle originally registered before 31 December 2009. The allowance can be used in conjunction with Nissan finance offers on those vehicles, which provides anywhere between £1,000 (Micra) and £2,500 (X-Trail) of additional deposit contribution. So if you’re buying a new X-Trail on a PCP, you can get a total of £4,500 off the sticker price.
Nissan is also continuing its unique part-exchange allowance on used Nissan Leaf models. This consists of a £1,000 allowance for eligible part-exchange vehicles and a further £1,000 deposit contribution on Nissan Finance PCP agreements.
What about the fine print? We check out the details
This offer is an allowance over and above your car’s part-exchange value, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but the first registration date (as shown on your V5C registration logbook) must be no later than 31 December 2009.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least 90 days, to stop people buying an old banger for £200 and then getting a £2,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
You must order your new car and take delivery by 2 April 2018.
This offer can be used on top of most other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company.
The part-exchange offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products, although there is additional money available if you do take selected finance packages.
2017 was a difficult year for the car industry, especially for those brands heavily reliant on selling diesel cars. After a record-breaking first three months, the market started to fall and just kept on falling.
The market was more than 6% up after March, but then the last nine months saw a fall of more than 10% on the same period last year, leading to an overall result that was just under 6% down in total. Private and small business sales fell more than larger fleets, and diesel cars took a massive hammering.
The industry is pointing the finger of blame Brexit, the government and anyone else they could think of, although no-one wanted to put their hands up and accept that the industry has created its own mess with its addiction to PCP and PCH finance deals, which looks like it has come back to bite hard. The forecast for 2018 is for continued decline, although hopefully things will start to stabilise.
However, it’s not doom and gloom for everyone. Some cars kept rolling out of showrooms at a rapid pace, keeping the dealers, manufacturers and finance companies happy.
These are the UK’s ten best-selling cars of 2017. It’s important to remember that the official numbers refer to ‘registrations’ rather than ‘sales’, as some manufacturers engage in a lot of pre-registration shenanigans to boost their sales numbers.
10. Mercedes-Benz A-Class (new entry)
It’s been around since 2012, but the current model Mercedes-Benz A-Class has continued to rise through the ranks each year. Strong residual values, along with competitive pricing and finance deals, have helped the A-Class knock its biggest rival, the Audi A3, out of the top ten best-selling cars list.
The A-Class has hit the top ten in what is likely to be its last full year before a replacement model comes along before the end of 2018. Interestingly, A-Class sales do not include the CLA saloon (it’s not a coupé, despite what Mercedes wants you to believe), whereas the next-generation model is likely to receive a saloon model (precisely like the Audi A3, in fact) and the CLA is likely to be killed off. So the A-Class may see increased sales numbers over the next year or two.
Sales of new cars in the UK slumped by close to 6% in 2017, with industry bosses putting the blame firmly on adverse publicity levelled at diesel engines.
Figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) revealed a 14.4% decline in new car registrations in December, the ninth consecutive month that the market has fallen. A total of 152,473 cars were registered during the month, bringing the 2017 total to 2,540,617.
The annual figure was 5.7% down on 2016’s total – in January the SMMT had predicted that after five years of growth 2017 would be more challenging but following a record month for sales in March, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes stated that he expected the market to slow over the rest of 2017, “but not significantly.” The market began falling in April and has not stopped since.
Following the latest figures the SMMT tried to play up the positives, Hawes stating that while the decline is concerning demand remains at historically high levels. “More than 2.5 million people drove away in a new car last year, benefitting from the latest, safest, cleanest and most fuel efficient technology,” he said.
Hawes added that the reasons for the slump include falling business and consumer confidence, and “confusing anti-diesel messages (that) have caused many to hesitate before buying a new low-emission diesel car.” While registrations of petrol-fuelled cars rose by a modest 2.7%, diesels slid by 17.1% – at the end of 2016 diesel engines held almost half of the market, now it is down to 42% and still sliding.
The SMMT blames anti-diesel rhetoric and the potential for tax hikes causing buyers to hesitate over buying. “However, these cars remain the right choice for many motorists – especially those who travel longer distances – with lower CO2, better fuel economy and, with these newer vehicles, dramatically reduced air quality emissions,” the industry body says, quoting its own figures suggesting that on average buyers of diesels save £132 a year on their costs.
Hawes is adding to growing calls for an industry-wide Government scrappage scheme to replace older, more polluting diesel cars. “Keeping older vehicles on the road will not only mean higher running costs but will hold back progress towards our environmental goals,” he said.
“Consumers should be encouraged to buy the right car for their lifestyle and driving needs irrespective of fuel type – whether that be petrol, electric, hybrid or diesel as it could save them money.”
One upside to the latest figures is a surge in sales of ‘alternatively-fuelled’ vehicles, which includes electric and hybrid cars. These rose by 34.8%, 119,821 registered over the year. Such vehicles now enjoy their highest ever share of the market though it is still just 4.7%.
Hawes summed up 2017 as “undoubtedly a very volatile year” and added that lacklustre economic growth means that the industry expects a further weakening in the market for 2018. However he added that this could be good news for car buyers; “The upside for consumers is some very, very competitive deals.”
The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace SUV has gone on sale, at prices starting from £29,370.
As its name suggests the newcomer is a stretched version of the highly successful Tiguan SUV, offering seven seats as standard. Effectively it is VW’s answer to sister brand Skoda’s Kodiaq, though at prices starting more than £6,000 higher.
The Allspace overall length is extended by 21cm over the stock Tiguan to 4.7m, accommodating a wheelbase of just under 2.8m – about 10cm longer.
As well as accommodating a third row of what Volkswagen describes as ‘occasional seats’, the Allspace can also offer more luggage capacity. With the third-row seats folded flat, boot space rises from 615 to 700 litres.
Volkswagen hopes to further enhance the practical appeal of the Tiguan Allspace by allowing the second seat row to also fold flat and slide backwards and forwards by up to 18cm. With all seats folded the luggage capacity goes up to 1775 litres.
In all other areas the Allspace replicates the Tiguan Allspace, including its five-strong engine choice. Petrol options range across a 1.4-litre unit of 150hp and a 2.0-litre version with 180hp. The smaller engine can shut two of its four cylinders down when not under the load to aid economy and emissions, while the larger one is matched to all-wheel-drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The all-wheel-drive is part of a package intended to position the Tiguan Allspace as a ‘proper’ off-roader. The 4WD system includes ‘Onroad’, ‘Snow’, ‘Offroad’ and ‘Offroad individual’ driving modes, and an optional off-road pack is available with a front bumper increasing the approach angle from 16.9 degrees to 24 degrees, plus extra underbody protection and chrome door sill protectors.
The three diesel engines are all of two litres and turbocharged, with either 150, 190 or 240hp. The range-topping 240 unit, costing from £39,965, is like its petrol equivalent supplied exclusively with 4WD and the automatic transmission. The 150hp unit, meanwhile can be bought in front or four-wheel-drive, with six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.
From launch the Tiguan Allspace will be available in two trim levels, SE Navigation and SEL. A more sports-styled R-Line grade will be offered from late Spring 2018.
Like many other manufacturer announcements this week, Hyundai is extending its scrappage allowance offer until the end of March 2018. The offer has also been expanded to include the new Kona compact SUV and Ioniq plug-in hybrid, neither of which were on sale when the company launched its scrappage scheme back in September.
The details of the scheme have largely carried over from what was originally offered, with allowances ranging from £1,500 to £5,000 on new Hyundai models when part-exchanging an eligible vehicle.
Hyundai is also offering a range of PCP finance offers at 3.9% APR to support the scrappage offer, with details available from participating dealerships.
This offer is a part-exchange allowance, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but must be built to Euro 4 emissions standard or earlier. This will definitely be cars registered before 31 December 2009, although some cars had Euro 5 specification engines earlier than this.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least 90 days, to stop people buying an old banger for £200 and then getting a £5,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
You must order your new car and take delivery before 31 March 2018.
This offer can be used on top of any other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company, including the government plug-in car grant
The offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products.
Dacia is continuing its scrappage offer on the Duster SUV, and also providing an allowance for Sandero models until the end of March.
The company had already been offering a £1,000 scrappage allowance on selected part-exchange vehicles against a new Duster, and this will continue for any cars purchased by 31 March. Dacia is also extending the offer to the Sandero range, which will now be available with a £500 scrappage allowance.
The allowance amounts are significantly less than offered from other manufacturers, but then Dacia’s cars are priced a lot cheaper as well.
Entry-level Access models are not included in the offer, so you’ll need to be looking at a mid-spec Ambiance or top-spec Laureate model for either the Sandero or Duster.
This offer is a part-exchange allowance, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but must be built to Euro 4 emissions standard or earlier, first registered no later than 31 December 2009.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least 90 days, to stop people buying an old banger for £100 and then getting a £1,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
The scrappage price is fixed for any car part-exchanged as part of the scheme, not an allowance on top of the car’s value. You are effectively getting nothing for your car, but a discount on the new car (although it won’t be written that way on the contract).
You must buy and take delivery of your car by 31 March 2018.
This offer cannot be used on top of any other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company.
The offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products.
Order books are open for the revamped Citroën C4 Cactus, the car set to hit UK roads in April at prices from £17,265 – for a while.
While the revised model includes a number of updates, perhaps the most notable change is a move away from the bold styling that the Cactus launched with in 2014. Gone are the big ‘air bump’ side mouldings on the doors, replaced by much smaller, more discreet items at the base of the doors.. The car looks much more of a conventional large hatch, sitting above its C3 sister which has also donated its front-end styling.
The new Cactus will be offered with a revised powertrain choice ranging across 110 or 130hp petrol or 100hp diesel engines, and in two core trim levels, Feel and Flair. However the £17,265 price tag applies to a limited numbers launch model, dubbed Feel Edition and powered by an 82hp petrol engine.
Based on the Feel trim, the Feel Edition gets the Deep Red colour trim pack and Metropolitan Red interior trim. It also comes fitted with the brand’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats, but not the new Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension that is standard on Feel and Flair trim. Making its debut on a European Citroën, this system is said to offer ‘the ride of a magic carpet’ without affecting handling.
Citroën has also significantly upgraded the driver assistance systems offered on the Cactus, with up to 12 now available depending on trim level chosen. An Active Safety Brake autonomous emergency braking system and Lane Departure Warning are both standard on Flair models, while also available is the clever Grip Control that can produce four-wheel-drive like traction.
Connected navigation, connection to an emergency and assistance service and Mirror Screen phone compatibility are now also on offer to Cactus buyers.
Mainstream Feel versions of the new Cactus will start from £17,965, with the 110hp version of the petrol engine, and range up to £21,165 for a Flair model with the same engine but a six-speed auto transmission. The 130hp engines cost £800 more than the 110, and the diesels another £230.
What’s the most expensive item you’ve ever bought online? Maybe a laptop, an Xbox, 50-inch flat screen 4K TV or an iPhone? Or perhaps that holiday you took last summer?
Buying online is easy and could not be more convenient. The journey taken for any of these purchases follows a similar course involving price comparisons, checking availability and reading customer reviews before adding to a basket, heading for the checkout, tapping in your credit card details and pressing the buy button. Simple. After that, there’s that moment of anxiety knowing your hard-earned cash has gone into the ether and then savouring the thrill when the confirmation email pops into your inbox.
If it’s so easy and convenient, would you buy a car online? A number of car manufacturers are now offering online purchasing for new cars, and some dealers are launching online purchasing for both new and used cars, and it looks like 2018 could be a pivotal year for online car sales.
The same rules apply to buying a £1,000 smartphone as they do to purchasing a £20,000 car. You do your initial research online to shortlist the make, model and colour, hunt around for who is offering the best monthly price, visit a retailer to see it in the metal, just to be sure you like the look and feel, and then buy it.
Being able to buy a car online is not a new concept. Vauxhall launched a service a decade ago during the first flush of internet retailing, but it was ahead of its time and was quietly withdrawn.
Things have moved on since then with 2017 seeing an unprecedented rush of car brands tapping into this emergent market. They are targeting digital-savvy new car buyers who prefer the online route to thumbing through car magazines and trawling around the internet to draw up a shortlist, visiting showrooms to kick the tyres before uncomfortably haggling over the price.
Around 97% of car buyers use the internet when researching their new car and the number of dealer visits made before purchasing has dropped dramatically from four a decade ago to just 1.6 visits today. Adding a ‘buy’ button to online car adverts is a natural extension of this process and one that has been latched onto by car manufacturers and some dealers.
With this in mind, The Car Expert offers you a guide to what to consider if you’re thinking of making your next new car purchase from the comfort of your sofa.
Which brands offer an online car buying service?
Pretty soon it will be easier to say which car makes do not offer the option to buy a car online. BMW was first out of the blocks in late 2015 with its BMW Retail Online offering.
The service set the template for subsequent initiatives covering vehicle configuration, part-exchange values, finance options, test drives through dealerships and a live-chat with a product genius or guru (car maker shorthand for a non-commission driven product expert rather than pushy salesperson). And then onto the final purchase either online or through a dealer.
Since then Hyundai, smart, Peugeot and Mitsubishi have all joined the party. Expect more brands to reveal their online sales plans as competition in the digital marketplace grows.
So what do the different services offer?
BMW
There are six key features to BMW Retail Online. The online journey starts with the tool “Find your BMW”, leading into the vehicle configurator. With a click on the “Buy your BMW” button the customer selects a retailer, is shown cars in stock and selects their preferred finance method.
The customer can then finalise all steps of the purchase with their chosen retailer in the Retailer Online showroom. Buyers can also ask questions along the way through a live chat service manned by product specialists who are available for questions seven days a week from 8am to 7pm.
BMW retail online car selector
Hyundai
Customers using Hyundai’s Click to Buy service can choose a car, arrange a part-exchange, sort out finance and pay online. The process is claimed to take just five minutes to complete, with the handover taking place from the customer’s designated dealership or – in what Hyundai claimed as a market first – straight to their driveway.
Click to Buy is a natural progression of Hyundai’s fresh approach to car retailing which has seen the opening of digital stores at London’s Bluewater and Westfield Stratford shopping centres. Here customers can talk to a product specialist, configure a car, have a test drive, and then buy online in the store or from home.
Hyundai Click to Buy website
Peugeot
Peugeot distanced its Order Online from other brands’ services because it said it provides more choice by allowing customers to configure and order a car to their requirements, rather than being restricted to buy dealer stock. Buyers can also track the progress of their order from placement to delivery.
The service includes guaranteed part-exchange valuations, various financing options and a dealer test drive. Delivery can be to a dealer or the customer’s home. Peugeot claims customers can choose and buy a car online within 30 minutes.
Peugeot Order Online car configurator
Smart
With its simple two-model car line-up – fortwo and forfour – and a choice of pre-configured models, Smart is able to offer a speedy service which it claims can take just 12 days from order to delivery. There are three payment packages enabling customers to choose from either a low monthly payment, a standard offer, or a lower deposit. Cars can be financed from just £119 a month.
Customers can choose to either collect their new smart from a local retailer or have it delivered to their home.
smart cars online website
Volvo
Meanwhile, Volvo has announced that its eagerly awaited Polestar performance sub-brand will only be available through online ordering when it goes on sale in 2019. Furthermore, cars will only be available to lease rather than purchase. Likewise, the forthcoming Lynk & Co brand will only be available through online ordering and on a subscription basis. There’s a connection here, as Volvo and Lynk & Co are both owned by the China-based Geely group.
Volvo and other Geely brands are launching online “subscription programmes” styled after mobile phone plans.
Do I have to complete a car purchase online?
No. While all the car maker services we list claim to be different, they are fundamentally similar. They all allow buyers to save their proposed purchase and completing the transaction face-to-face with a real human being in a dealership if that’s what you prefer.
Can I only buy a car online from a manufacturer’s website?
No. There are moves afoot to add online car purchasing to dealer main websites which will give customers a greater choice of brands and models although cars being offered for sale are more likely to be used or what’s termed “nearly-new” cars with the latest registration plate and low mileages.
The first dealer group service to go live was a used car initiative quietly launched in 2017 by Vertu Motors, one of the UK’s largest car retailers, through its Bristol Street Motors branded showrooms in England.
The group was pleased with the take-up from its initial trial and will now roll the service out across its 120 showrooms, including those operated by Macklin Motors in Scotland.
More dealers are set to follow with the launch of a new back-end e-commerce trading platform by iVendi, the car retailing tech company, who have piloted an online buying service, which incorporates finance options. The system has been piloted by 500 dealers ahead of a national rollout in 2018.
When buying online, you have the right to cancel from the moment an order is placed until 14 days after taking delivery of the car. If you are buying a car in person from a dealer, you do not have the same right. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new or used car, the law is the same.
The seller (and online sales for any manufacturer will be managed by a separate company, either a dealership or a company specifically set up for the purpose) must provide you with details of their returns/cancellation policy. They must also explain who pays for the cost of returning the car if you change your mind. Their policy may include charges for returning or collecting the vehicle, but they must provide you with this information up front. You are liable for any damage you cause to the car.
Technology and society are adopting internet shopping at a rapid rate, and it’s about to get an awful lot easier to buy a car online.
Would you be comfortable enough to buy a car online? Have you already bought a car online? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
What is it? The Mercedes-Benz X-Class is the brand’s first entry into the pick-up market and, it claims, the first such model in the premium market.
Key features Off-road capable, upmarket design, targeted trim levels.
Our view The launch of the Mercedes-Benz X-Class bring desirability of a level never before seen to the pick-up sector. The vehicle combines upmarket comfort, finishing and technology with proper off-road ability, but one pays a premium for the badge.
‘Pick-up by Mercedes-Benz’ is not a phrase one might expect to hear, but it is now fact, as the Mercedes-Benz X-Class arrives on the market.
In launching what it describes as the first such vehicle offered by a premium manufacturer, Mercedes is hoping to attract two very different kinds of buyers, and is targeting versions of the X-Class specifically at the different markets.
The model is marketed by the brand’s commercial vehicle arm – indeed the entry-level X-Class will be hoping to appeal to those who need such a vehicle for their work, and like the idea of a badge with rather more kudos than, say, the Toyota Hilux or Nissan Navara.
The Mercedes is rather more closely related to the Nissan than one might think. Strip off the bespoke bodyshell, with looks that clearly follow the design language of Mercedes SUV models, and underneath is effectively the mechanical specification of the Navara, including its tough, ladder-frame chassis.
However, Mercedes expects the biggest sales for its new model to be of vehicles in the top of the three specification levels. There are plenty of buyers who are attracted to the pick-up as a lifestyle choice, and the hope is that the combination of Mercedes-Benz premium quality and tech in the pick-up format will be a winner.
Underneath the bespoke bodyshell are the mechanical underpinnings of the Nissan Navara
Buying and owning a Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Mercedes-Benz will offer the X-Class with a three-way engine line-up, though the range-topping X 350 d with its 258hp and 550Nm of torque won’t be in showrooms until the middle of 2018. Currently, the choice is between the X 220 d, with a 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine of 163hp and 403Nm, and the X 250 d – this adds an extra turbo to the same powerplant, boosting horses to 190hp and torque to 450Nm.
Six-speed manual or seven-speed auto gearboxes are available depending on model, while unlike rivals there is no two-wheel-drive option – every X-Class comes with selectable 4WD, running with the rear wheels powered in normal use but including cockpit-selectable all-wheel-drive in both high and low range.
In fact, while this may be an upmarket pick-up, the makers are keen to emphasise it’s a proper pick-up, with the off-road ability one might expect and commercial users will require.
So the X-Class can wade through water up to 600mm deep, and it can tip sideways to a shade under 50 degrees. It also boasts a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes, and can be supplied with a 221mm ground clearance which gives it an angle of approach of some 30 degrees and a 22-degree ramp angle.
Okay to get the big ground clearance (plus 20mm on standard) requires spending on the options list, but the capability to match more traditional pick-ups is certainly there. Also on that options list, for example, is a differential lock.
This target marketing is also evident in the trim levels. There are three; Pure, Progressive and Power, with the Pure costing from £27,310 (plus VAT) and aimed at commercial users. It includes steel wheels, black fabric upholstery and such like. Once one starts going up to Progressive or Power grades, less robust features such as alloy wheels, painted panels and silver trim come into play.
Progressive versions cost £1,200 (plus VAT) more than Pure variants, while Power is another £3,500 on top, and only offered with the more powerful 2.3-litre engine. Equipment includes LED headlamps, electric mirrors, electrically adjustable front seats, leather trim and controls on the steering wheel.
Being a Mercedes-Benz, the options list is extensive, and depending on the depth of the wallet one can specify everything from parking sensors and camera to heated seats and even heated windscreen washer jets.
Where the X-Class certainly scores is on its safety package. Euro NCAP has already tested the model and given it a top five-star rating, and the standard specification includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping, traffic sign recognition and hill-start functions, as well as a reversing camera.
Inside the Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Interior surfaces are all of high quality, as is the switchgear.
As mentioned the extent of the interior ‘ambience’ will depend on which level of X-Class one goes for, and not surprisingly our launch event test model is to top Power specification. But common to all is an elevated driving position which gives good vision except out of the rear, which has only a small window cut into the rear bulkhead of the passenger cabin.
Every X-Class is to double cab format, which means two rows of seats each with their own set of doors. The rear is usefully spacious too, with a bench seat offering enough width and height to easily accommodate three adults – the model benefits from being both longer and wider than the Nissan it is related to.
On the downside, there is not much space to store stuff, particularly considering pick-ups don’t come with boots. There is, of course, the load bed, which is 2.1 metres square.
The Mercedes is quite a lot more expensive that the Nissan, and a fair amount of this goes into providing the premium interior finish buyers of the three-pointed star badge expect. The surfaces are all soft touch and of high quality, as is the switchgear, and the layout is typical of the brand’s car output. There is some tough and scratchy plastic, but it’s down by the footwells where it’s most needed.
Driving the Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Still feels like a pick-up to drive, but a very upmarket one
Does it feel like a pick-up to drive? Yes, but a very upmarket one. The powerplant is smooth in its power delivery and refined to boot. Motorway speeds are achieved with no fuss – rest to 60mph takes around 12 seconds. At such speeds the cabin is quiet to a degree that will impress those coming out of other pick-ups – especially the absence of wind noise.
The steering is well weighted, though the fact that this is a big, high-slung machine with a solid rear axle never lets one forget that one is driving a pick-up truck. There is a degree of hauling it through corners required and the effects of poor surfaces do find their way to the cabin.
Summary
At the end of the day, this is probably the most upmarket pick-up truck on the market, with a price to match. Successful business owners who like such vehicles could well be attracted to it, being able to drive a Mercedes-Benz while still claiming the tax benefits that comes with it being designated a commercial vehicle.
The Mercedes view that the best sales will be of the upper trim levels is probably pretty accurate. It’s difficult to imagine too many examples of the X-Class being used as workhorses on building sites, but bosses visiting those building sites, and the urban lifestyle crowd, will likely consider the desirability of a Mercedes to be worth paying the £6,000-odd price hike over an equivalent Nissan Navara.
Prices have been announced for the new Nissan Leaf, as speculation grows that the Government will launch a scrappage scheme to switch drivers out of diesel and into hybrid and electric vehicles.
While many car manufacturers have run scrappage programmes in the second half of 2017 to combat falling sales, and some have extended them into 2018, the Government is coming under increasing pressure to launch a market-wide scheme as an air quality measure. In early December Bristol, which has one of the poorest air quality rates in the UK, joined 15 other cities in calling for the launch of a scrappage initiative.
The Government already offers plug-in car buyers a grant of up to £4,500, that will bring the entry-level price of the new Leaf down to £21,990. While this is £310 more than the cheapest version of its predecessor, that was fitted with a 24kWh battery pack.
More power, greater range
The new Leaf employs at 40kWh powertrain, which boosts the car’s power by 38% to 150PS compared to the outgoing model. But likely more important for dealers trying to convince buyers into electric will be a significant increase in the car’s range, official NEDC figures jumping 50% to 235 miles.
At £24,290 the second-level Acenta version is £1500 less than the outgoing variant, which had a 30kWh drivetrain. The new car also includes more technology, most notably ProPilot autonomous driving technology, and significant styling revisions.
Compared to the two trims of the previous Leaf, the new version offers four main grades, the most expensive being the Tekna variant that will cost from £27,490 to £33,655 depending on equipment.
There will also be a special edition launch model, dubbed 2.Zero, costing from £26,490 and limited to 1500 examples. Based on the N-Connecta grade it will include a range of extra equipment, the package costing £535 less than if specified separately on N-Connecta models.
There is also a special offer on the 2.Zero, dealers adding a £1,000 contribution to the £5,138 deposit provided by buyers, producing monthly payments of £339 on a three-year/10,000 annual mileage PCP with 4.49% APR.
What is it? The Hyundai Kona is the brand’s first direct entry in the bulging small SUV market, and the most style-led design from the Korean brand yet.
Key features Distinctive exterior design, all-wheel-drive option, planned electric power option.
Our view The Hyundai Kona does enough to justify its place amongst the main contenders in the small SUV market but not enough to rise above them. Rivals can offer significantly more boot space and score slightly better in other areas, but the Kona does represent a good-value package with plenty of equipment and a warranty that beats most of its competitors.
For the car industry, 2017 has been all about small SUVs. Right at the end of the year, another is joining a crowded market in the form of the Hyundai Kona.
The Kona sits below the brand’s Tucson SUV and alongside the iX20 compact MPV, and with the buying public seemingly unable to get enough of these small sit-up-and-beg cars right now, this car is expected to become a major seller in the Hyundai line-up.
Problem is, the Hyundai Kona arrives in a market not only traditionally led by the mass-selling Nissan Juke, but bulging with new entries and with yet more on the way. So Hyundai’s recipe to stand out from the crowd appears to be visual presence – the Kona is the most style-focused model from the brand yet.
Extensive black cladding and bold angles on the exterior profile certainly provide the Kona with a distinctive look. Hyundai tells us that like the newly-launched and much-praised i30N performance hatch, the car is designed to appeal to a new section of the market, and move the brand up from those who simply buy cars for the most sensible reasons.
We reckon the Kona’s styling will prove somewhat marmite amongst the buying public, but then again, controversial looks have proven very successful for the Nissan Juke…
Among those many rivals will be the Stonic from sister brand Kia, launched only a few months ahead of the Kona. The two share their engines and much of their technology, but not, as many erroneously believe, their underpinnings. The Kona gets a new platform, which allows it to offer an all-wheel-drive option like few of its rivals, and from next year an all-electric model, like even fewer of its rivals…
The Hyundai Kona stands out from the crowd – it’s the brand’s most style-focused model yet.
Buying and owning a Hyundai Kona
The buyer rushing to snap up a Hyundai Kona at launch will have a simple range from which to choose. There are just two engines, both petrol and of either 1.0 or 1.6-litre capacity. A choice of 1.6 diesels will join the line-up in summer 2018, with the all-electric version to follow.
There are five trim levels – dubbed S, SE and Premium, plus SE and GT versions of the Premium grade. S models get the smallest alloy wheels, at 16 inches, though these do result in better mpg and emissions ratings. Notable standard equipment includes air conditioning, DAB digital radio with Bluetooth, LED daytime running lights, cruise control and electric mirrors and windows.
Biggest sellers are expected to be SE models, costing £1300 more than S. The wheels grow by an inch, while the major additional tech is a seven-inch centre console touchscreen. This allows Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and also shows the image from the standard fit rear camera and parking sensors.
Style add-ons include roof rails and leather on the steering wheel. Typical of this market personalisation is a major part of the Konda DNA, extending to 10 different metallic body finishes and three contrasting shades for the roof and door mirror housings.
Premium models jump another £1,300 over SE. The wheels expand another inch, a host of extra styling details are added, while more pertinently the tech now includes a bigger touchscreen with satellite navigation, keyless entry and start, climate control, a more upmarket audio system and wireless phone charging.
Spend from £21,195 on a Premium SE and you will be enjoying such niceties at a head-up display, lots of electric tech and leather. Finally there is the range-topping GT, costing from £24,995 and only offered with the larger 1.6-litre engine, a double-clutch auto transmission and all-wheel-drive.
Other notables amongst the GT equipment are full LED headlamps and a digital driver’s display, while it is the only Kona to include the Safety Pack as standard, which effectively means autonomous emergency braking – a £235 option on other versions.
Safety is one area in which the Kona knocks its Kia Stonic sister aside. Both were analysed in the same series of crash tests by safety body Euro NCAP, and while the Stonic needed its optional safety pack to be taken into account to boost its three-star score to a top five-star rating, the Kona scored five stars in standard specification. And this was despite the fact that you generally pay extra for autonomous emergency braking on both cars.
On the other hand the Kona does, like all Hyundais, come with one of the better warranties on the market, extending to five years and with unlimited mileage.
Inside the Hyundai Kona
The interior is mostly black, with only a few accents for contrast.
The driver’s surroundings in a Hyundai Kona are roomy and easy to get comfortable in, with good all-round vision from the elevated seating position that comes with small SUVs.
The interior is not nearly so marmite, except that it is mostly black, with only the accents around such areas as the heating vents adding any contrast. They are finished in one of three colours – orange, lime or red, and these colours are replicated on the stitching of the seats and steering wheel. The personalisation options can also extend to seat belts in lime or red.
Most of the plastic is of reasonable quality, though it drops off the lower down the dashboard one’s eyes scan. However the touchscreen fitted to all but entry-level models is well sited and easy to use, while the switchgear also feels of good quality in use.
The Kona is not so impressive in the rear, and especially the boot. Rear-seat passengers have plentiful headroom but very little ahead of their knees, while the space-saver spare wheel fitted on all but entry-level models severely restricts boot space – while the Kona’s 361 litres is more than in the now somewhat dated Juke, it pales against some rivals – the Citroën C3 Aircross, for example – offering more than 500 litres.
Driving the Hyundai Kona
The ride is slightly firm, but not to a degree that is uncomfortable.
The Car Expert spent a week in the company of the 1.0-litre 120hp petrol engine that is expected to power the majority of Konas sold. It’s a unit already familiar from the Kia Stonic, and impresses with both its pulling power and refinement.
This is especially true in the low-speed environment of the typical urban crawl. Combined with a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox (only the top 1.6-litre all-wheel-drive version of the car comes with the twin-clutch automatic transmission) it makes the Kona very easy to live with around town.
Out on the open road, the Kona continues to impress. The ride is slightly firm, but not to a degree that is uncomfortable. Uneven road surfaces are generally dialled out making for undramatic progress.
The lightness of steering touch through slow-speed corners translates to a more weighty but satisfactory effort at higher speeds. The Kona is not a car that has one eagerly awaiting twisty sequences of bends, but it is better than many in the class.
It will be interesting to try the diesels when they come on stream, especially combined with the all-wheel-drive transmission as these models boast a different rear suspension layout, replacing the standard torsion bar with a multi-link setup.
In terms of economy, the 1.0-litre engine proves adequate. It falls behind rivals in both economy and emissions, if not by much. But it is notable that the Stonic, which employs the same engine, will go at least a couple of miles further per gallon while pumping out a couple of grams less CO2, yet also beats the Kona to 62mph by more than two seconds.
Summary
Hyundai has done a credible job of creating a small SUV that offers a little distinction in an overcrowded market.
If you need plentiful rear-seat space and a big boot then this will not be the model for you. But if this is less important and you are looking for a solid car with pleasant driving manners, plenty of equipment and a dash of style, then the Hyundai Kona should certainly be on your list of potentials.
What is it? The Volkswagen T-Roc is a Golf-sized crossover and the most style-focused SUV yet from the brand.
Key features Stylish design, personalisation options, 4WD available
Our view The Volkswagen T-Roc is not the cheapest compact SUV for its overall size and specification, and it has some dodgy interior plastics, but these do not detract from what is overall a highly impressive package.
The car is stylish to look at both outside and in, has enough practicality to match its rivals and then, once on the road, leaves them in its wake. The powertrains are enthusiastic yet refined, the handling to a standard way above the norm in this market. As a result, those in the market for a compact SUV should definitely consider the T-Roc.
Fans of SUVs, who we are led to believe are increasingly becoming the majority of today’s car buyers, have never had it so good. The choice is bewildering, and being added to virtually every month.
Clearly indicative of this is the launch by Volkswagen of a new compact SUV, despite the fact it already has a model competing in the same market. However the Volkswagen T-Roc, arriving on UK roads early in 2018, is pitched as a very different car to its established sibling the Tiguan.
At 4.2m long, the T-Roc is some 25cm shorter than the Tiguan, but the differences run far deeper than that. This is the most style-focused SUV Volkswagen has yet made – it’s a proper example of the new breed of crossovers, expected to appeal to three times more private buyers than fleet ones. They will be drawn in by sharp styling and personalisation options such as two-tone exterior finishes with contrasting roofs.
Certainly viewed from the outside the T-Roc is one of the more attractive compact SUVs on the market, looking lower and more purposeful than many of its rivals, with a hint of coupé about it. In fact, in both size and style the car is much closer to the Volkswagen Golf hatch chassis it shares, and it is also effectively a VW version of the Audi Q2.
As such this new model effectively bridges the gap between traditional compact SUVs such as the Tiguan and the new breed of supermini crossovers such as the Kia Stonic, the Hyundai Kona and such like. But just to further muddy the waters, Volkswagen will in 2018 launch a smaller sister to the T-Roc and a proper supermini SUV, in the T-Cross – confused yet?
The Volkswagen T-Roc is pitched as a very different proposition to its established sibling, the Tiguan.
Buying and owning the Volkswagen T-Roc
Volkswagen is phasing in the T-Roc, with initially only petrol versions available. There are three such engines on offer, a 1.0-litre with 115hp, a 1.5-litre 150hp and the range-topping 2.0-litre with 190hp.
The 1.0-litre comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, the 150 with either the manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, and the 190 only with the auto. And one major plus that the T-Roc offers compared to many rivals is the feature one used to specifically buy SUVs to take advantage of – four-wheel-drive. It’s an option on 150 models, standard on the 190.
In the Spring of 2018, the diesels will join the range. There are two, a 1.6-litre with 115hp and the manual gearbox, and a 2.0-litre putting out 150hp. It can be specified in manual or auto form, and if desired with the 4WD on the manual variant.
While many don’t realise that 4WD is a safety feature, only around 10% of T-Roc buyers are expected to choose their car with it – this compares to a 50/50 split on the Tiguan and reflects the fact that as many as three quarters of T-Roc buyers will likely be private motorists buying the car firstly for its visual appearance.
Equally eight out of 10 sales are expected to be of petrol-powered cars, and the most popular trim level predicted to be SE, the second of currently four options (a fifth is due in 2018). However the specification of even entry-level S models is impressive, including electronic climate control; an infotainment system controlled by an eight-inch colour touch-screen, Bluetooth telephone and audio connection, DAB radio and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The T-Roc also scores well on safety. Euro NCAP has given it a top five-star rating, courtesy of such standard-fit features as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping systems and pedestrian alerts.
Inside the Volkswagen T-Roc
Dashboard layout is standard Volkswagen fare but quality of plastics is poor
Volkswagen claims that the T-Roc is compact on the outside and spacious on the inside, with the best boot space than all its direct rivals – 445 litres extending to 1290 with the rear seats dropped. It’s a nice flat boot too, partly due to the fact that T-Rocs come with a choice of a space-saver or a proper spare wheel.
Certainly when one settles inside it feels comfortable, with adequate room up front, though those attempting to carry three adults in the rear will likely find their passengers feeling rather more cosy – especially in the middle seat. Except above their head, where space should be adequate for all but the tallest occupants, despite the high seating positions which give an elevated view outside and provide one of the major advantages the T-Roc offers over the Golf.
The dash layout is generally standard Volkswagen fare, but it is well laid out with the instrument display and the centre console touchscreen on the same axis. Depending on model choices on the options list can extend up to the digital Active Info Display version of the instrument panel, which for example includes the option to flick a button and have a navigation map stretching right across the panel instead of the speed and rev dials.
Personalisation options include four different finishes on the interior panels – the plastic on the door cards, dash panel and the edges of the gear console can be supplied trimmed in yellow, brown, orange or blue.
However, the general quality of the interior plastics on the T-Roc is slightly disappointing, hard, scratchy and a bit low rent compared to what we are used to from VW.
Driving the Volkswagen T-Roc
Driving the T-Roc is a far more enjoyable experience than for many of its rivals
At the UK launch event, The Car Expert was able to try both the expected best-selling 1.0 petrol unit and its larger 1.5 stablemate. Of course, these are both proven units, though the 1.5 is also the most recently developed engine in the range. This is both plentiful with its performance and boasts the ability to shut down two of its four cylinders when not under load to improve efficiency.
However on the evidence of our test it’s only worth going for the more powerful option if you really feel you need the pace. The three-cylinder turbocharged 1.0 is a very efficient little unit, no less refined than its bigger sibling. And while 10.1 seconds to 62mph is not exactly rapid, it is not that slow either, and in the T-Roc feels swifter than a stopwatch might suggest.
The real revelation of the T-Roc, however, is in its chassis. We’ve tested a whole host of new SUVs over the past year as the market has exploded, and we have got used to describing dull, lifeless handling and indifferent ride quality – “no worse than rivals in the market” has almost become a catchphrase.
Not so the T-Roc – the driver enjoys a good view all round, with no significant blind spots, and their passengers a comfortable ride as the car smothers the bumps and potholes of a typical UK road surface. Note, however, that the 17-inch wheels on our 1.0-litre test car were more efficient in this respect than the 18-inch equivalents with their lower-profile tyres on the 1.5 version.
Ride comfort does not come at the expense of handling prowess, and it is here where the T-Roc excels. It turns in precisely, stays upright under cornering load, and displays impressive levels of grip. This is the best-handling SUV in its market, a much more enjoyable driving proposition than all its rivals.
Summary
The Volkswagen T-Roc is not the cheapest compact SUV for its overall size and specification, though it compares well with some of its rivals and it comes with some not VW-like elements such as the dodgy interior plastics.
However, the car also offers another not very VW-like trait in that style and on-the-road dynamics are given as much importance as practicality. The car looks good without sacrificing interior space, and on the road it proves a revelation – the powertrains are enthusiastic yet refined, the handling to a standard way above the norm in this market.
On that basis, it’s easy to agree with Volkswagen’s prediction that the T-Roc will become one of the brand’s best-selling models. Overall, it’s an impressive package.
Vauxhall has announced details of its January sale, with savings of up to 20% on selected new vehicles from Boxing Day until 15 January 2018.
The “VPlus” sale will offer savings of up to 20% on specific Corsa, Astra, Mokka X and Crossland X models from participating Vauxhall dealers.
The offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, and cannot be used in conjunction with any deposit contribution from Vauxhall Finance or any 0% finance offer.
Orders must be placed by 15 January and cars must be registered by 31 January 2018. This means that the deals will almost certainly only apply to vehicles that are already in stock at dealerships or in storage facilities around the country, so you won’t necessarily be able to configure your perfect specification and order it from the factory.
The offer applies to private individuals only, so fleet customers will have to make do with the considerable savings they already get on the same cars…
Toyota has announced that it is extending its scrappage scheme offer until the end of January.
There are no changes to the scheme that has been running since September, other than extending the end date to 31 January 2018.
The specific allowance amount depends on the new model being purchased, from £1,000 for a C-HR up to £4,000 on offer for a Land Cruiser. Some base model specifications and the new Yaris GRMN are not included in the offer.
To be eligible, your part-exchange vehicle must be at least seven years old, with no limits on whether it’s petrol or diesel, or whether it’s Euro 5 or not. The offer is only applicable if your car is worth less then the scrappage allowance, otherwise it will be handled as a normal part-exchange.
The allowances for each model in the Toyota range are as follows:
Model
Scrappage allowance
Aygo
£2,000
Yaris
£2,500
Auris
£3,500
Verso
£3,500
RAV4
£3,500
C-HR
£1,000
Avensis
£3,500
Prius
£2,000
GT86
£2,000
Land Cruiser
£4,000
Hilux
£2,000
Proace
£2,000
The Car Expert checks the fine print
This offer is a part-exchange allowance, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but must be at least seven years old.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least six months, to stop people buying an old banger for £200 and then getting a £2,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
The scrappage price is fixed for any car part-exchanged as part of the scheme, not an allowance on top of the car’s value. You are effectively getting nothing for your car, but a discount on the new car (although it won’t be written that way on the contract).
You must order your new car and take delivery by 31 January 2018.
This offer cannot be used on top of any other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company.
The offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products.
Volkswagen has announced that it will extend its scrappage part-exchange offer for any new orders taken until 2 April 2018.
There have been some minor revisions to the amount offered on certain models, but the majority of the scheme will continue in the same format that it has been running since September.
As before, the scrappage scheme makes an allowance of anywhere between £1,800 and £6,000 on selected part-exchange vehicles if you are buying a new Volkswagen. Unlike offers from many other brands, Volkswagen insists that the part-exchange vehicle must be a diesel (which is presumably related to its ongoing Dieselgate dramas).
This is an overall allowance, not an additional payment over and above your car’s market value.
Mostly more of the same, but a few changes
The following changes have been made to the offers on a few models:
The old Polo, which was available with a £2,800 scrappage allowance, is no longer available
The new Polo replaces the old model, and has a £2,000 scrappage allowance
The plug-in hybrid Golf GTE (previously a £5,000 allowance) has been withdrawn from the programme
The fully-electric e-Golf scrappage allowance has been reduced from £5,500 to £4,000
The complete list of models available with a scrappage allowace is shown here:
Model
Scrappage allowance
up!
£1,800
e-up!*
£3,300
Polo
£2,000
Golf (hatch, SV, estate)
£4,000
e-Golf*
£4,000
Touran
£4,000
Tiguan
£4,000
Beetle
£4,000
Jetta
£4,000
Passat (saloon, estate)
£5,000
Passat GTE*
£6,000
Arteon
£5,000
Sharan
£6,000
* plug-in and fully-electric models also eligible for government OLEV grant
The Car Expert checks the fine print
This offer is a part-exchange allowance, for selected used cars part-exchanged against selected new cars.
Your current car can be from any brand, but must be a diesel-engined car built to Euro 4 emissions standard or earlier. This will definitely be cars registered before 31 December 2009, although some cars had Euro 5 specification engines earlier than this.
You must be the owner of the part-exchange vehicle and the buyer of the new car (same name and registered address).
You must have owned the old car for at least six months, to stop people buying an old banger for £200 and then getting a £4,000 part-exchange allowance for it.
The scrappage price is fixed for any car part-exchanged as part of the scheme, not an allowance on top of the car’s value. You are effectively getting nothing for your car, but a discount on the new car (although it won’t be written that way on the contract).
You must order your new car by 2 April 2018 and take delivery by 30 June 2018.
This offer cannot be used on top of any other offers from the dealer/manufacturer/finance company, but can be used on top of the government plug-in car grant for relevant models (Passat GTE, e-up!, e-Golf).
The offer is not dependent on you taking any finance package or other products.
If you’re considering buying a new or used diesel-engined car then you could be forgiven for thinking that you’ll be ostracised by all right-thinking people for such a reckless anti-environmental choice.
You might also be a little confused over the government’s stance on diesel; having encouraged its usage for many years for its fuel efficiency and low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, it performed a dramatic U-turn in the 2017 Autumn Budget by raising its benefit-in-kind taxation for company car drivers and increasing the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), or road tax, charge.
On top of this, there’s been plenty of misinformation trotted out in some quarters of the popular media about diesel that has tarred the latest generation of more efficient and cleaner diesel engines with the same brush as older and less refined units.
As a car buyer, you will want to choose the best fuel type for your personal requirements as well as the environment. And with this in mind, The Car Expert has dug deep into the diesel debate to assess the pros and cons of the fuel to help you with your car purchase decision making.
Why has diesel been demonised?
Diesel’s bad press can be traced back to 2015 with Dieselgate, when it emerged that millions of diesel-engined vehicles sold by Volkswagen Group brands were equipped with software programmed to give false nitrogen oxide (NOx) readings when subjected to emission tests.
The scale of the scandal cannot be overstated as it resulted in around 11 million vehicles being recalled around the world for rectification work across VW’s car and van brands, as well as Audi, Skoda and SEAT.
The whiff of the scandal has been present ever since, with the popular view that diesel engines are worse polluters than their petrol counterparts. To set the record straight, diesel engines produce lower carbon dioxide (CO2) levels than comparably-sized petrol engines but higher NOx, or particulate/soot, emissions.
However, the latest generation Euro-6 engines, which have been available on new cars since September 2015 have delivered significantly reduced levels of both CO2 and NOx – diesel has cleaned up its act.
The Autumn Budget clarified the government’s position on diesel; it doesn’t like the fuel and is now actively legislating against its usage. However, don’t panic! The changes were small and could have been much, much worse.
While the rights and wrongs of the government’s approach, after years of encouraging drivers to buy diesel-engined cars, can be argued at length, what is certain is that it will not allow itself to be seen to promote the use of the fuel by choosing to legislate against it.
From 6 April 2018, all company car drivers running diesels will see the long-standing 3% benefit-in-kind supplement raised to 4%; a move that will penalise individuals for choosing diesel for its fuel efficiency and therefore make it less attractive amongst some user-choosers; even though for high mileage drivers it is the only option.
An even more overt message was the penalising of new generation Euro-6 engines which were rounded on for not complying with the Real Driving Emissions Step 2 (RDE2) standards, even though they don’t currently exist and will not be mandatory on new cars until 2021.
This was a particularly bizarre move, worthy of Kafka, but by moving all diesels that do not comply with RDE2 (and that is currently all diesels) into a higher VED band from April 2018, the government has made a statement of intent; it might only equate to an extra £20 in the first year of registration but can be seen as an indicator of how diesel will be treated in the future.
Further down the line, the government has pledged to outlaw the sale of all new purely diesel or petrol cars from 2040.
Are all diesels penalised by new urban clean zone charges?
No. Some UK cities are looking at ways of improving air quality in the major conurbations and are considering the introduction of a toxin charge on older vehicles. London is currently leading the way with the £10 daily T-charge, which is paid in addition to the Congestion Charge.
The London scheme was introduced in October 2017 for diesel and petrol-engined vehicles powered by pre-Euro-4 engines, so that’s all cars registered before January 2005. Additionally, there have been reports that Mayor Sadiq Khan is considering a £12.50 daily levy on all diesels entering Greater London from 2019; a move that would penalise hundreds of thousands of families who have bought diesel-engined cars in good faith.
The advance intelligence from Auto Trader, the UK’s biggest marketplace for used car sales, is that advertised prices are holding up. Despite average values falling £143 month-on-month in November 2017, year-on-year used prices were up 3% according to its Retail Price Index.
Diesel also remains the most searched-for fuel type amongst new and used car buyers, accounting for 55% of all searches on the Auto Trader website in November 2017.
Commenting on the findings, Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s retailer and consumer product director, said: “The negative rhetoric surrounding diesel, which has been fuelled by the government’s recent announcements, is undoubtedly contributing to the decline in new and used car sales and has impacted used car prices in November.
“Although used diesels have been showing much greater resilience, with their value continuing to increase year-on-year, as well as remaining the most searched-for fuel type on our marketplace, our Retail Price Index does show a small month-on-month decline for the first time in eight months. It’s too early to tell whether this is an emerging trend or not, so we will continue to monitor prices closely.”
What are the alternatives to diesel?
Before considering the alternatives you need to weigh up exactly what you need the car for. The absolute prerequisite for choosing diesel is if you expect to do annual mileages of at least 10,000 miles.
Diesels are unsuited for short hop work because they need long distances to return anything near their claimed combined consumption figures and also to generate sufficient energy to burn off soot in their diesel particulate filters (DPF). A common cause of diesel car failures is blockages to their DPFs, requiring costly repair work.
Petrol is the most obvious alternative to diesel, with carmakers now delivering some outstanding downsized engines offering lower emissions, more horsepower and diesel-rivalling fuel economy.
Electric plug-ins are only suited to relatively short hop usage and require somewhere at home where you can easily recharge overnight. Recent years have seen improvements in ranges with the Nissan Leaf achieving a claimed 235 miles and the Renault Zoe 250 miles. However, these are optimal figures achieved in laboratory conditions. Real world stop-start driving can severely reduce these ranges especially once the heating or air-conditioning are switched on.
The best compromises are any number of petrol or diesel hybrids, from the Toyota Prius to the Mercedes-Benz C 300h, which remove the issue of range anxiety and deliver some outstanding fuel economy. It’s also worth looking at plug-in hybrids (PHEV) such as the Mitsubishi Outlander or Kia Optima, which are low-emission hybrids boosted with batteries that can be recharged from the mains to deliver pure electric power.
So, should I still consider buying a diesel car?
If it’s a new car and your annual mileage covers a lot of long journeys, then yes. It will be fitted with the latest Euro-6 type engine and will be high on fuel economy and low on emissions. If you are buying used then factor in that models registered before September 2015 may have older generation Euro-5 engines which, at some stage in the future, are likely to be the next to be scrutinised by the government and local authorities.
Euro NCAP this week published its latest crash test results, which included re-testing cars that have been on sale for a number of years using the latest rating protocols. The results showed how far car safety has progressed in the last decade, with some eye-opening results.
The Fiat Punto was the most dramatic example. Launched back in 2005 as the Grande Punto, it was awarded a five-star rating by Euro NCAP. The car is still on sale twelve years later, largely unchanged although no longer ‘Grande’, but in the meantime, the requirements for a five-star rating have increased considerably.
Many car buyers are unaware that the Euro NCAP safety standards are updated on an annual basis, meaning that the performance required to achieve a five-star result in 2017 is significantly more challenging than it was in 2005 when the Fiat Grande Punto was launched. Euro NCAP also has expiry dates for its ratings, after which time the rating can no longer be promoted by the manufacturers. However, these messages often fail to reach customers.
Many car dealers are also guilty (and have been caught on tape) of continuing to tell customers that a car has a five-star rating long after the rating has expired.
Rating scheme is constantly updated to reflect latest technologies
Nowadays, Euro NCAP’s rating scheme requires cars to score a minimum number of points in all four areas of assessment to qualify for even one star. In areas like adult and child occupant safety and pedestrian protection, the Fiat Punto still performs well enough to qualify for at least two stars. It is let down in driver assistance and crash avoidance: with only a seatbelt reminder system for the driver as standard, zero points were scored in this part of the assessment.
Euro NCAP secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, expressed his disappointment that the Punto remains on sale without incorporating updates to keep up with rivals: “This is perhaps the strongest example of a manufacturer continuing to sell a product that is well past its best-before date, at the expense of the unsuspecting car buyer.”
Matthew Avery, director of research at the UK’s independent car safety body Thatcham Research, was highly critical of the Punto’s poor performance: “In 2005, the Fiat Punto achieved a good rating. However, Euro NCAP frequently raises the bar in its testing regime – and the Fiat Punto’s adult occupant protection score of 51% is more than 30% below the average for the superminis tested in 2017.
“Yes, this is essentially an old car, but that should have sharpened the focus on fitting safety technologies to counteract it’s dated crash performance.”
Other former five-star cars include the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (five stars in 2010, now rated at three stars), the DS 3 (rated as five stars in 2009 when it was still a Citroën, now three stars) and Ford C-Max (rated five stars in 2010, now three stars in 2017). In all cases, it is the lack of accident avoidance technology that has led to the ratings downgrade – if you are unlucky enough to have an accident in any of these cars, their crash performances are still more than respectable.
Avoiding an accident is much better than surviving one
Since Euro NCAP crash testing began back in 1997, car manufacturers have made great strides in designing and building cars that cope better with bring fired into a wall at speed. Earlier this year, Euro NCAP revisited one of its first test subjects, the 1997 Rover 100, to compare it to a 2017 Honda Jazz – a car equivalent to the Rover in today’s market. The test showed that the occupants of the 1997 Rover would have almost certainly been killed, while those in the 2017 Honda would quite probably have walked away with only minor injuries.
The next challenge has been to develop technology that helps prevent having an accident in the first place, which is obviously a much more desirable result for everyone. Electronic stability control (ESC) systems were first recognised by Euro NCAP in 2009, years before fitment of such technology became compulsory.
The latest must-have technology for accident avoidance is autonomous emergency braking (AEB), where the car will automatically apply the brakes if it detects that an accident is imminent and the driver has failed to act.
AEB activates to apply the brakes if the driver fails to act
From 2018, cars will not be able to score a five-star rating from Euro NCAP unless they have AEB fitted as standard. Thatcham Research has made the point that manufacturers are choosing to fit such systems to new models when they are launched, but not updating existing models with similar technology at the same time. For example, the new Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio both have AEB fitted as standard, but the Giulietta (launched 2010) and Mito (launched 2008) have not been upgraded to include AEB. Likewise, the new DS 7 Crossback launched this year gets AEB while the existing DS 3, DS 4 and DS 5 models don’t.
Michiel van Ratingen says that car buyers should do their research before heading into showrooms: “We would urge consumers to check for the latest ratings and to choose cars with the most up-to-date five-star ratings, many examples of which we have seen in 2017.”
The new car headlines this year have been dominated by continued declining sales, but car finance records for the first ten months of 2017 show that the sector is still on track for record lending this year.
Latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association show that the number of private new car finance agreements declined by 7% in October 2017 compared to the same month last year, which is not as bad as the number of private new car sales, which fell by 10% in comparison according to SMMT data. Despite fewer people borrowing, the total amount borrowed went up by 2%, meaning that the average amount borrowed per car increased by approximately 9.5% compared to the same month last year.
More than 86% of all new private car sales are financed at the dealership, with the vast majority of those using a personal contract purchase (PCP) agreement.
It’s becoming a familiar pattern this year, as the amounts led keep going up even when sales go down
Used car finance borrowing continues unabated despite falling sales
Used car finance continues to grow, with October another strong month for dealer-brokered finance. The number of finance agreements was up 9% on the same month last year, and the average lending per car was up 15%. This continues a pattern that has run all year long.
It’s important to remember that despite the used car numbers looking similar or larger to new cars most months, the overall used car market is much larger (about 3-4 times the size of the new car market), so the overall percentage of used cars financed at the dealership is much lower (and not quoted by the FLA).
We won’t know how the finance numbers compare to used car sales until early in the new year, as sales data is only provided by the SMMT on a quarterly basis. The third quarter saw used car sales falling by 2%, and the second quarter saw a modest 0.5% drop.
Assuming that nothing significant changes in the last two months (and so far, there doesn’t seem to be any indication of it), then total lending for 2017 will hit a new record for both new and used car finance markets.
It will be interesting to see if there is any response from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Bank of England, given that both institutions are currently investigating the car finance market.
A mass end-of-year set of crash tests have sparked concerns at safety body Euro NCAP, with many low scores topped by the first-ever no-star result.
The Fiat Punto was among a host of cars retested and re-rated by Euro NCAP because while launched several years ago, they have remained on sale, their lives extended by facelifts.
The Punto first launched in 2005, and is both still available new in the UK and a strong seller in its home market of Italy. The crash test results indicated marginal or weak protection for the chest of both front and rear seat passengers, and danger of injury to occupants from structures in the dashboard. Protection for child occupants was also rated poor, weak or marginal in several areas.
To achieve star ratings cars have to score a high enough percentage in the wide range of tests carried by Euro NCAP. And according to the testers, the Punto was let down by failing to keep up with the latest safety technology fitted to more recent cars.
In areas such as adult and child occupant safety and pedestrian protection, the Fiat still performs well enough to qualify for at least two stars but the lack of driver assistance and crash avoidance systems dooms it. The only standard-fit driver assistance is a seatbelt reminder. resulting in a zero score in this category. And the car also scored zero in the side-pole impact test, due to the test not being able to be carried out because the car does not come fitted with a head-protecting airbag as standard.
“This is perhaps the strongest example of a manufacturer continuing to sell a product that is well past its best-before date, at the expense of the unsuspecting car buyer,” said Euro NCAP Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen.
In total 15 cars were analysed in the latest set of tests and other recently facelifted older cars also came in for criticism. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Ford C-Max and Grand C-MAX, Vauxhall Viva, DS 3 and Toyota Aygo all saw their star score drop to three, though when fitted with optional safety equipment the Aygo rating was restored to four stars.
The brand new Kia Stinger is a five-star crash-test car.
Two more recent cars, the MG ZS and new Dacia Duster, could also only manage three stars, while the Kia Stonic’s three-star score increased to five stars for cars fitted with an optional safety pack.
The tests proved happier for the brand-new Hyundai Kona small SUV, the Kia Stinger GT, the Jaguar F-Pace SUV and the BMW 6 Series coupé. All scored top five-star ratings.
“We have seen a lot of good cars in 2017, able to meet Euro NCAP’s five-star requirements – superminis like the new Volkswagen Polo, the Ford Fiesta and the SEAT Ibiza now come with advanced safety technology as standard, offering the best in crash avoidance and crash protection,” van Ratingen added.
“The fact that older cars cannot compete illustrates the pace at which the vehicle industry is innovating safety and the willingness and ability of competitive manufacturers to meet the highest standards. Those who do not keep their cars up to the latest standards get left behind, as these results clearly show.
“We would urge consumers to check our website for the latest ratings and to choose cars with the most up-to-date five-star ratings, many examples of which we have seen in 2017.”
The MG ZS, launched in 2017, could only achieve three stars.
It’s been around since 2012, but the current model Mercedes-Benz A-Class has continued to rise through the ranks each year. Strong residual values, along with competitive pricing and finance deals, have helped the A-Class knock its biggest rival, the Audi A3, out of the top ten best-selling cars list.
The A-Class has hit the top ten in what is likely to be its last full year before a replacement model comes along before the end of 2018. Interestingly, A-Class sales do not include the CLA saloon (it’s not a coupé, despite what Mercedes wants you to believe), whereas the next-generation model is likely to receive a saloon model (precisely like the Audi A3, in fact) and the CLA is likely to be killed off. So the A-Class may see increased sales numbers over the next year or two.
Next page: Moving up the alphabet
The SMMT blames anti-diesel rhetoric and the potential for tax hikes causing buyers to hesitate over buying. “However, these cars remain the right choice for many motorists – especially those who travel longer distances – with lower CO2, better fuel economy and, with these newer vehicles, dramatically reduced air quality emissions,” the industry body says, quoting its own figures suggesting that on average buyers of diesels save £132 a year on their costs.
Hawes is adding to growing calls for an industry-wide Government scrappage scheme to replace older, more polluting diesel cars. “Keeping older vehicles on the road will not only mean higher running costs but will hold back progress towards our environmental goals,” he said.
“Consumers should be encouraged to buy the right car for their lifestyle and driving needs irrespective of fuel type – whether that be petrol, electric, hybrid or diesel as it could save them money.”
One upside to the latest figures is a surge in sales of ‘alternatively-fuelled’ vehicles, which includes electric and hybrid cars. These rose by 34.8%, 119,821 registered over the year. Such vehicles now enjoy their highest ever share of the market though it is still just 4.7%.
Hawes summed up 2017 as “undoubtedly a very volatile year” and added that lacklustre economic growth means that the industry expects a further weakening in the market for 2018. However he added that this could be good news for car buyers; “The upside for consumers is some very, very competitive deals.”
The all-wheel-drive is part of a package intended to position the Tiguan Allspace as a ‘proper’ off-roader. The 4WD system includes ‘Onroad’, ‘Snow’, ‘Offroad’ and ‘Offroad individual’ driving modes, and an optional off-road pack is available with a front bumper increasing the approach angle from 16.9 degrees to 24 degrees, plus extra underbody protection and chrome door sill protectors.
The three diesel engines are all of two litres and turbocharged, with either 150, 190 or 240hp. The range-topping 240 unit, costing from £39,965, is like its petrol equivalent supplied exclusively with 4WD and the automatic transmission. The 150hp unit, meanwhile can be bought in front or four-wheel-drive, with six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.
From launch the Tiguan Allspace will be available in two trim levels, SE Navigation and SEL. A more sports-styled R-Line grade will be offered from late Spring 2018.
