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.
Order books are open for the latest Mercedes-Benz CLS, after the four-door coupe debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
The second generation car will go on sale at prices starting from £57,510, with first UK deliveries scheduled for summer 2018. It will target the Audi A7 and BMW 5 Series GT – cars that were effectively launched as contenders to the first CLS that until then had no direct rivals.
All new Mercedes-Benz CLS models for the UK will be supplied in a single trim level, AMG Line, and equipped with all-wheel-drive as standard. There will be a choice of three engines, the cars dubbed 350 d, 400 d and 450.
Both the 350 d and 400 d use a new in-line six-cylinder diesel engine. In the entry-level model, it produces 286hp and 600Nm of torque, good enough for a 5.7-second 0-62mph time. Combined cycle fuel economy is 48.7mpg alongside CO2 emissions of 156g/km.
The 340hp and 700Nm of the 400 d cuts the sprint to five seconds, while delivering 47.9mpg and 156g/km of CO2 for a price £2,900 more than the 350 d. Both cars are electronically limited to a 155mph top speed.
The petrol option is the CLS 450, costing only £10 more than the 350 d and again employing a new engine. The 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder bi-turbo petrol unit has an output of 367hp and 500Nm of torque. However, a 48-volt starter generator dubbed EQ Boost can increase the output by 22hp and 250Nm. The car hits 62 mph from rest in 4.8 seconds, again is limited to 155mph and offers combined fuel economy of 36.2mpg with CO2 emissions of 184g/km.
Standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz CLS models includes 19-inch alloy wheels; a parking package that includes a reversing camera; leather upholstery; split folding rear seats; a 12-inch infotainment screen and a separate 12-inch cockpit display; ambient lighting with a choice of 64 colours; ‘Agility Control’ suspension and a DAB digital radio.
What is it?
The Kia Stinger is an executive five-door fastback hatch that takes the fight to Audi and BMW’sdoorstep.
Key features
Strong performance
Outstanding level of standard equipment
Competitively refined
Our view
As 2017 turns into 2018, Kia offers a range of confident, competent vehicles that match European class leaders for comfort, technology, safety and efficiency. The new Stinger GT S sits at the top of the family tree, and is aimed squarely at two of the industry’s most aspirational brands – Audi and BMW.
The Kia Stinger GT S comes kitted out with a comprehensive level of kit, at a price that seems steep for a Kia but in reality undercuts the Bavarians by a third when they are similarly optioned up to the Kia’s level.
Kia has been keen to point out that it sees the Stinger as a ‘gran turismo’, and the driving experience backs that up. It’s rapid but refined, happy to be left in auto mode instead of flicking the gearshift paddles up and down to play racing cars.
Despite its push upmarket into posh-brand territory, Kia continues to work to the formula that has succeeded so well against mainstream hatchbacks and SUVs. It delivers a class-competitive performance in every way at a very attractive price.
Similar carsAudi A5 & S5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, Mercedes-Benz CLA
Despite its push upmarket into posh-brand territory, Kia continues to work to the formula that has succeeded so well
Full review
Introduction
Kia has come a long way in a short time. From its position less than a decade ago as Hyundai’s budget brand sibling, Kia has made meteoric progress. As 2017 turns into 2018, Kia now offers a range of confident, competent vehicles that match European class leaders for comfort, technology, safety and efficiency.
And the flagship for the Kia of 2018 is this, the all-new Stinger. It’s a mid-sized rear-wheel drive executive fastback, aimed squarely at the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé.
The Stinger, seen here in GT S specification with a 365hp 3.3-litre turbocharged petrol that is the only model available at launch, is clearly set to break down some barriers for Kia – the first of which will clearly be “Will people pay £40,000 for a Kia instead of an Audi or a BMW?”.
Of course, Kia already offers a top-spec Sorento SUV that costs more than £40K, but the family 4WD market is rather different to the executive market and there are plenty of mainstream competitors offering similar vehicles for similar money. This is different – Kia is not targeting Peugeot or Škoda here with a well-meaning but boring family wagon, but BMW and Audi with a sleek executive gran turismo.
So the Stinger treads new ground for Kia, but it still brings the brand’s hallmark of producing a car that gives you a lot of bang for your buck – to get an Audi S5 Sportback with similar performance and kit to the Kia will set you back about £58,000. A BMW 440i M Sport Gran Coupé runs up to about £56,500 once you add on all the extras that come standard in the Stinger.
That’s the theory anyway. What we need to find out now is whether the Kia Stinger justifies such comparisons.
The Kia Stinger GT S is not shy about targeting the big-hitting German brands
Buying and owning a Kia Stinger GT S
To kick things off here in the UK, the Kia Stinger is launching with the top-spec GT S model trim. Lower-order models, with a smaller petrol or diesel engine will arrive in the first few months of 2018.
If you’re looking for an options list for the Stinger GT S, it’s essentially a colour chart. One colour is free (yellow, unfortunately) and the rest cost extra. That’s about it. Everything else that Kia could possibly cram into the GT S is included in the sticker price.
That may cause confusion for buyers of German cars, who are used to starting with the advertised price and steadily working upwards to add basic things like seat pockets and cupholders.
The Audi S5 Sportback needs nearly £10,000 of optional extras to come close to what the Kia includes as standard (although the S5 does have all-wheel drive rather than real-wheel drive). The BMW 440i M Sport Gran Coupé requires adding £11,000 of extra-cost features to more or less compare with the Stinger.
The AMG version of the unimpressive Mercedes-Benz CLA tots up to about £55K as well – once you add in all the extras that still don’t bring it up to the Kia’s level. The CLA 45 is more powerful and all-wheel drive, but if you really want a Mercedes-AMG for that money then you’re much better off buying an ex-demo version of the far more excellent C 63 saloon.
The Kia Stinger GT S comes kitted out with a comprehensive level of kit, including an array of safety systems and luxury features. The leather seats are electrically adjustable with memory function, heating (rear passengers, too) and ventilated cooling. The satnav and infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without charging you extra, there’s a head-up display, a sunroof and much more. We were still finding extra gizmos after four hours of driving from Cornwall to London.
Styling is always a matter of opinion, but overall the Stinger looks good from a distance with a few jarring details close up. The long wheelbase and short overhangs are great, and the big wheels and sporty bumpers of the GT S model suit the look of the car. Some of the details jar a bit and look overdone, although Kia is certainly in good company there (step forward BMW and Mercedes-Benz).
Running costs might be a mixed bag. The Kia will probably be cheaper to insure than an Audi, BMW or Mercedes, but fuel economy on the big 3.3-litre V6 isn’t especially clever. Kia claims 28.5 mpg on the combined lab test cycle, which will probably mean 20-25 mpg for most owners. By comparison, Audi claims about 36 mpg for the S5 Sportback, BMW reckons about 42mpg for the 440i and Mercedes expects just under 39 mpg for the CLA 45.
Kia is bullish about predicted residual values, and initial calculations from industry analysts cap hpi sound positive, but inevitably we’ll have to wait and see. Many manufacturers have claimed market-leading residual estimates when launching a new car, only for the actual figures in three years’ time to be wide of the mark. Good cars tend to retain their values well, so if the car builds a solid reputation over the next few years then the used car values should take care of themselves.
The Kia Stinger has yet to be crash tested by Euro NCAP, but having a full complement of accident avoidance technology included as standard is very promising.
Inside the Kia Stinger GT S
Dashboard heavily inspired by Mercedes-Benz and Audi designs
Slide into the driver’s seat, and it has a rather familiar look. It seems that Kia’s designers have taken rather a lot of inspiration from various Mercedes and Audi models when sketching out the Stinger’s cabin, as there are numerous details which look just like those in an E-Class or an A7. Altogether, it feels thoroughly modern and properly screwed together, with no rattles or buzzing noises evident from any of the cars we drove for a few hundred miles in total.
It’s a very comfortable seating position, with everything falling to hand easily. The head-up display projects very clearly, although a little more vertical range would be better. The dials are conventionally analogue, rather than an all-singing digital screen like the latest Audis, but the gauges are clear and the central infotainment touchscreen is easy enough to navigate.
It does feel a bit dark with black headlining and mainly black plastics everywhere, especially if you choose black leather upholstery. The red or grey leathers do brighten things up a bit, which is worth considering.
Like many modern cars, the view out the rear window is limited and over-the-shoulder three-quarter view is not a lot better.
The back seat is great for legroom but starts to get a bit tight on headroom if you’re approaching six feet tall. There are three seat belts, but – like most cars – the middle seat occupant definitely draws the short straw.
Driving the Kia Stinger GT S
The steering has reasonable weight, if not feel, and there is minimal roll through corners.
Unsurprisingly, a 365hp rear-wheel drive car like the Stinger GT S packs a solid punch. From a standing start, you’ll be hitting 60mph in less than five seconds and handing over your licence a few seconds after that.
Kia has been keen to point out that it sees the Stinger as a ‘gran turismo’, and the driving experience backs that up. The engine may be powerful, but the eight-speed automatic gearbox softens things a bit. It’s happier left in auto mode, rather than flicking the paddles up and down to play racing cars on a B-road.
The steering has reasonable weight, if not a lot of feel, and there is minimal rolling through corners. At a reasonable road pace, it feels well balanced and responsive – it’s not the last word in feedback and feel, but it’s good fun.
Ride is pretty good, too. Bumps and potholes are dealt with about as well as you would expect for a car on sports suspension with 19-inch wheels – and generally better than most Audis do on similar set-ups. The Stinger has quite a long wheelbase, which no doubt helps here.
Big magazines who have driven the Kia Stinger around the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany have reported that it is very impressive there as well, although that won’t be too relevant for the average buyer.
Summary
So, does the Kia Stinger deserve to stand alongside similar cars from Audi and BMW? Yes, definitely. It’s not perfect, but neither are they by any stretch of the imagination.
There are other worthwhile cars in this segment that are worth considering – the Alfa Romeo Giulia has been much praised, the Lexus IS is similarly comfortable and well equipped, and the Jaguar XE will hold its own on a B-road. All have strong and weak points, but
Despite its push upmarket into posh-brand territory, Kia continues to work to the formula that has succeeded so well against mainstream hatchbacks and SUVs. It delivers a class-competitive performance in every way at a very attractive price.
What is it?
The new Peugeot 5008 is a large SUV replacement for the brand’s former largest MPV.
Key features
Seven seats, upmarket cabin, lots of space
Our view
The Peugeot 5008 offers a lot to elevate it above much of the competition in a very congested SUV market. Not many of its rivals are large SUVs, and fewer still are quite so versatile, offering both the option of seven seats and a big boot.
Add this to a package that is well built, with quality finishing, bang up-to-date technology and a solid performance on the road, and the 5008 will tick a lot of boxes for potential buyers.
Similar carsSkoda Kodiaq, Nissan X-Trail, Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace
The new Peugeot 5008 is very different from the first-generation model. Following a well-established trend, the French brand has abandoned the MPV format of its Mk1 5008 in favour of an SUV, because everyone wants an SUV these days and there have never been more to choose from.
In the process, however, Peugeot has created an SUV that actually has few direct rivals, because prime in the design has been retaining the versatility of the previous people-carrier – the designers are targeting those people who want the looks of an SUV, but need the carrying capacity of an MPV.
So every version of the 5008 comes with seven seats, and that means its direct rivals are the Skoda Kodiaq, Nissan X-Trail, the extended Allspace version of the Volkswagen Tiguan, and not a lot else…
Mind you the 5008 is effectively an extended model too – in looks, layout, just about everything it is the Peugeot 3008 on steroids. That car launched a year ago, we liked it and we were not alone, the model winning European Car of the Year. Does its bigger sister maintain the breed?
With the 5008, Peugeot has created an SUV that has few direct rivals.
Buying and owning a Peugeot 5008 SUV
The new 5008 comes with a wide line-up of power plants. Core petrol choices involve the 1.2-litre 131hp unit which is a three-time class winner at the International Engine of the Year awards, and combined with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. There is also a 1.6-litre petrol unit with 165hp matched only to the auto gearbox.
Diesel buyers have a wider choice. There are 1.6-litre units in 100 and 120hp power outputs and a 2.0-litre 150hp variant offered only with the third of four trims, GT-Line. The range-topping GT model, meanwhile, exclusively employs a 180hp version of the 2.0-litre diesel, with either the six-speed auto ‘box or an eight-speed version.
Our test car is the 131hp petrol unit with the six-speed manual gearbox. With the increasing switch to petrol among UK buyers, this is likely to be the best seller – particularly as it boasts a plus-55mpg combined cycle fuel economy and CO2 emissions of only 117g/km. The best emissions, by the way, come courtesy of the 100hp diesel, at just 106g/km, which considering the size of the vehicle is seriously impressive.
What is not an option, currently at least, is all-wheel-drive. Peugeot is clearly taking a very different view of the market for its big SUV than rival Skoda, which sells virtually every version of its Kodiaq as an AWD model.
You can, however, specify the optional grip control system on all versions of the Peugeot. Costing £470, it does most of what AWD can do, includes mud and snow modes and also hill descent control.
We have our test car in the GT-Line trim. As mentioned, there are four to choose from and each comes well specified – even entry-level Active models include Peugeot’s superb ‘i-Cockpit’ (more on which directly), dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, a DAB digital radio, full smartphone compatibility, and automatic headlights and wipers.
We would pay £3,700 more than an Active for our GT-Line, and the extra equipment one gets for the money includes navigation with voice recognition, a rear parking camera and front sensors, powered folding mirrors, wireless phone charging, LED head and fog lamps and lots of visual enhancements.
The 5008 also scores well on its safety package. While at the time of writing it hasn’t been specifically crash-tested by EuroNCAP, it is effectively a bigger version of the 3008 that scored five stars in 2016 and, accordingly, gets to share its smaller sister’s five-star rating.
Automatic emergency braking, a distance alert and lane departure warning are standard on all versions. As soon as one moves above the entry level, uprated versions of all these driver aids are fitted, including ‘Active Lane Keeping Assistance’ and blind-spot detection, along with Peugeot’s Connect SOS assistance service.
Inside the Peugeot 5008 SUV
Peugeot’s i-Cockpit digital instrument panel is the highlight of the cabin.
Many will be buying the 5008 for its interior space, and it is a roomy vehicle. While based on the same underpinnings as the 3008, it is 190mm longer than its smaller sister, and 110mm longer and wider than its predecessor. Most of the extra length goes into the wheelbase, extended by 165mm over the 3008, but those sitting in the second row (on three individual seats) will also find significantly more space around the knees.
The larger car is no taller, however, which helps with the exterior looks – the 5008 SUV offering a much more attractive visual profile than the boxy proportions of its MPV predecessor. And despite the compact roofline, interior headroom is not compromised even in the third row, where occupants will find more room above than in the old car.
The third row of seats is compact overall, and on long journeys particularly only really suited to younger, smaller occupants. A neat touch is the fact they are removable, each weighing just 11kg, and when you take them out you are left with a truly enormous boot of 1060 litres capacity.
The cabin scores highly on its quality. Not only is it well finished with upmarket materials, it also boasts lots of upmarket high-tech touches, such as blue ambient lighting.
The highlight is without doubt Peugeot’s i-Cockpit 12-inch digital instrument panel, effectively outdoing Audi. You can choose from a number of options as to what you want displayed on it, from speed, range info and such like to the satnav map (in addition to the eight-inch centre console touchscreen display), and the way the dials tumble and reshape as you run through the modes is almost hypnotic.
Our GT-Line model even includes completely different finishes to the display, dubbed ‘Boost’ and ‘Relax’ which you select according to your mood…
Driving the Peugeot 5008 SUV
The Peugeot 5008 may be tuned for comfort, but it’s easy to navigate through bends
The driving position of the 5008 is high up and with good visibility ahead. Behind is not so great, but the reversing camera makes life a lot easier. Viewing the instruments is greatly helped by Peugeot’s more compact steering wheel – this departure from the norm has garnered mixed reviews but we found it no problem to live with.
While this is a big vehicle to move around, it doesn’t feel so – the enthusiastic yet unflustered way the petrol engine accelerates the car is impressive. A 0-62mph time of just under 11 seconds is respectable and whether at 30 or 70mph the car feels smooth, refined and a quality environment to travel in.
The 5008 is a big machine with the emphasis on comfort and, as such, it’s not expected to top the charts in handling prowess. However it returns a pretty solid performance, being easy to navigate through a series of bends, a little body roll evident but nothing to get excited about. It’s certainly a big step up on its MPV predecessor.
Overall, the 5008 proves highly competent on the road and a journey of several hours munching the motorway miles should not prove particularly fatiguing.
Summary
In a market that is now very congested the Peugeot 5008 would be expected to have a battle on its hands. But, in fact, not that many of its rivals are large SUVs, and fewer still are quite so versatile, offering both the option of seven seats and a big boot.
Add this to a package that is well built, with quality finishing, bang up-to-date technology and a solid performance on the road, and the 5008 will tick a lot of boxes for potential buyers.
Prices have been announced for the latest Lexus LS 500h, the first car from the brand with a host of new safety technology.
The flagship petrol-electric hybrid model goes on sale early in 2018 at prices ranging from £72,595 to £97,995.
Lexus is particularly promoting the safety specification of the LS, which debuts the latest suite of safety and driver assistance systems dubbed Lexus Safety System+ A. This technology includes autonomous emergency braking that can detect both cyclists and pedestrians at night and provides more effective braking.
Part of the system involves Active Steering Assist, claimed as a world-first and steering the car away from a permanent obstacle, such as a crash barrier or a pedestrian, if it calculates braking will not avoid a collision.
CoDrive, meanwhile, adds to the usual cruise control system to reduce the strain on the driver. Including technology dubbed Lane Tracing Assist, it works to keep the car in its lane, distinguishing between tarmac, grass and kerbs, and will make steering inputs to help.
Coupé style
The fifth-generation version of the LS is longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces, with visual styling made to appear coupé-like. It is only available with a hybrid drivetrain, employing the latest multi-stage unit that debuted in the LC coupé earlier in 2017 – this combines a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with a 650-volt electric motor.
The result is 359hp, sending the car through 62mph from rest in 5.4 seconds in rear-wheel-drive form – an all-wheel-drive version is also available, a tenth slower to the 62mph marker.
The maximum speed of both versions is an electronically-limited 155mph, while the rear-wheel-drive version returns combined cycle fuel economy of 43.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 147g/km – the all-wheel variant’s equivalents are 39.8mpg and 161g/km.
Four trim levels are available: 500h, 500h Luxury, 500h F Sport and 500h Premier, with all-wheel drive offered as an option on the top two trims.
An updated version of the Volkswagen Golf SV has gone on sale, with the people-carrier version of the big-selling model gaining a range of upgrades.
The Golf SV has a wheelbase 50mm longer than the hatch and estate variants, and in terms of overall length sits between its sibling models. Inside occupants sit 85mm higher than in the hatch and estate, and the rear bench seat slides by up to 180mm to make the car more versatile.
Notable among the upgrades is an enhancement to the safety specification. All Golf SVs now include autonomous emergency braking, which includes a monitor to react to pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle.
Further safety tech available on the options list includes Emergency Assist, which tries to wake the driver if they become unresponsive. If that is unsuccessful, it brings the car to a halt with hazard flashers on. Parallel parking and trailer assistance are also offered.
Upgraded kit and a new engine
Every Golf SV is now offered with a touchscreen infotainment system – the standard version increases in size from six to eight inches. Optionally available is the Discover Navigation Pro unit with a glass nine-inch touchscreen, while all models also get a CD player, DAB radio and simultaneous pairing of two mobile smartphones via Bluetooth.
On the exterior new front and rear bumpers are fitted, the rear diffuser trim is revised and all-LED tail lights fitted, while a full-LED headlamp setup is on the options list.
Four trim levels are available and among the six-strong engine line-up (four petrol and two diesel) is a new unit. The 1.5-litre TSI Evo petrol engine includes Active Cylinder Technology, that shuts down two of its four cylinders to reduce fuel consumption whenever possible. The new engine is available in 130 and 150hp forms.
Prices for the new Volkswagen Golf SV range from £20,475, buying a 1.0-litre 85hp petrol version with a five-speed manual gearbox in entry-level S trim, to £28,595 for the 2.0-litre petrol 150hp variant in GT trim with a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The new Ford Ecosport will launch early in 2018, heavily revised to try and take more advantage of the mushrooming compact SUV market.
The growing obsession amongst UK buyers for SUVs has seen the market grow by more than 20% a year – in 2016 SUVs took more than a quarter of all UK car sales.
Since 2013 some 40,000 of these have been Ford EcoSports, despite the model attracting lacklustre reviews on its launch, criticised for poor road manners and a mediocre interior.
The new model has had its ride and handling specifically tuned for European roads, and revised styling to more closely identify it with its larger sister SUVs the Kuga and Edge.
A ‘refined’ interior includes redesigned controls for easier use, new soft-touch surfaces and dash changes, including ‘floating’ touchscreens of up to eight inches in size.
Technology changes include the availability of cruise control with a speed limiter for the first time on the EcoSport, along with a rear parking camera and Ford’s latest Sync 3 connectivity system.
The major mechanical changes to the EcoSport, however, will be added some months after the revised model goes on sale, with the addition of a new diesel engine and all-wheel-drive system.
Matched to an equally new six-speed manual gearbox, the 1.5-litre diesel has been refined to cut its CO2 emissions, though Ford is not yet quoting figures. It produces 125hp and 300Nm of torque, and is available as standard in front-wheel-drive form.
The 1.5-litre unit will also be the only engine matched to the new all-wheel-drive system, which in normal running powers the front wheels but will be able almost instantaneously to send up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels.
Alongside the diesel Ford also intends to launch a new 100hp 1.0-litre petrol model in mid 2018, promising improved economy and emissions over existing powertrains. Launch engine options will be a 100hp 1.5-litre diesel and 125hp and 140hp versions of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.
Prices for the new EcoSport range will be released closer to its showroom debut.
Volkswagen UK’s managing director, Paul Willis, has been forced to admit that the company has received nearly 17,000 complaints from customers whose vehicles have suffered after receiving the company’s so-called “fix” for its emissions-cheating Dieselgate models.
Willis appears to think that 17,000 recorded complaints from UK customers represents a complete success, noting in a letter to Chair of the Transport Committee that in his and Volkswagen’s opinion, that “no systemic issue in respect of impaired performance has been identified”.
Meanwhile, reports of “fixed” Volkswagens, Audis, Škodas and SEATs breaking down or going into limp mode – in some cases only a few miles after having the repair work conducted by a dealership – continue to rack up.
Complaints include noticeably worsened fuel economy, broken exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves and clogged diesel particulate filters (DPFs), despite Volkswagen’s official position that “the technical measure has no adverse impact on fuel consumption figures, CO2 emissions figures, engine output, torque, noise emissions, or durability of the engine and its components”.
Willis’ letter was in response to a request from the Chair of the Transport Committee, Lilian Greenwood MP, in which she requested an update from Volkswagen on a number of issues, starting with confirmation that Volkswagen still had no intention of compensating UK drivers for its emissions cheating.
Ms Greenwood also questioned Volkswagen’s progress in applying its fix, which the company had promised to complete by autumn 2017, and asked about the many complaints her committee had received about the negative impacts of Volkswagen’s fix.
She also asked how many customers have received compensation for problems arising from the fix, and what measures Volkswagen was taking in the UK to reduce NOx as it is doing in Germany.
Willis confirmed that Volkswagen has no intention of compensating customers in Europe, which is no great surprise although still disappointing for the 1.2 million UK customers who bought an affected Volkswagen Group vehicle. More than 40,000 UK owners have joined a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen over the Dieselgate scandal, so this may result in the company having to pay out something to owners eventually.
Willis argued that Volkswagen had made excellent progress on its fixing of customers cars, because they have completed about 75% of the job in the time he promised. Clearly, Willis is eyeing up a future career as a painter and decorator, as they never seem to get their jobs finished on time, either.
To be fair, a large number of clued-up owners have explicitly rejected the company’s offer to “fix” their vehicles, so it will be impossible for Volkswagen to ever complete the task as promised. Many others are angry because they feel they were duped into believing the recall work was compulsory, when they would have refused it if they realised they had a choice.
The Volkswagen Diesel Consumer Forum, which now comprises more than 6,600 angry Volkswagen/Audi/SEAT/Skoda owners and still growing, claims that Volkswagen has never disclosed exactly what the “fix” entails. Forum founder Gareth Pritchard said, “So far, 820,000 cars have had the emissions software update in the UK. Yet not one owner has had it explained to them what the fix does to our cars. It’s very easy in those circumstances for VW to deny there is an issue when it won’t tell us what has been changed or how our cars should be operating.”
Willis refused to disclose how many customers have received compensation for failures resulting from the fix, claiming that it was “competitively sensitive information”. He did not elaborate on who such “competitors” would be that could benefit from knowing how many customers Volkswagen had compensated for its own failings.
He also made a rather ambiguous statement that seemed to suggest that 75% of customers who had sought reimbursement have had their claims approved, although it could easily be interpreted that only 75% of those who were actually approved (rather than all applications) have actually been approved for payment. It was a very wordy phrasing, which seemed designed to obfuscate rather than illuminate…
In his letter to the Transport Committee, Willis claimed that “the vast majority of customers have been satisfied with the technical measures”, although he did not provide any evidence to back this up. He went on to boast about his company’s scrappage scheme, which offers customers between £1,800 and £6,000 on certain part-exchange vehicles – the catch, of course, being that they have to buy a new Volkswagen Group vehicle, and only selected models are included in the offer.
Finally, Willis explained that Volkswagen would be offering “widespread voluntary software updates” on certain Euro 5 diesel models, including cars that have already received the dieselgate “fix”. No doubt, many owners will be far more reluctant to let Volkswagen meddle with their cars’ software next time around after their experiences last time.
Meanwhile, in America…
A second Volkswagen executive has been jailed over his role in the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal. Oliver Schmidt led Volkswagen USA’s environmental and engineering office in Michigan, and learned of the cheating scheme in 2015, according to court documents as reported by the BBC. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and violating the Clean Air Act in August, and will spend the next seven years in prison – as well as being hit with a US$400,000 fine.
Volkswagen has been fined more than US$15 billion over its emissions cheating in the USA, but has so far got off scot-free in the UK and Europe thanks to regulations that are worded slightly differently.
The Car Expert recommendation: Don’t buy a “fixed” vehicle
Should you buy a used diesel Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT or Skoda that has been “fixed”? No. There are far too many reports of breakdowns, poor performance and poor fuel economy for it to be a safe bet, despite the company’s protestations. There are literally thousands of other vehicles for sale that are less risky places to put your money.
Should you buy a used diesel Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT or Skoda that has not been “fixed” but is on the list? Probably not. If your car develops any engine or exhaust problems and you have not had the “fix” done, you are less likely to be offered any support from the Volkswagen Group for repairs, or a dealer may go ahead and apply the fix without your knowledge – and the company says it can’t be undone afterwards (although aftermarket specialists are doing good business out of ‘rolling back’ the fix for affected customers).
If you are considering buying a used diesel Volkswagen Audi, SEAT or Skoda, you should absolutely check whether it’s on the recall list and find out whether it has had the work done.
If you own one of these vehicles, whether fixed or unfixed, you have every right to be angry. The Dieselgate scandal has made people wary of buying a used car on the cheat list, regardless of our recommendation above. You will get no apology from Volkswagen, despite the company screwing you over. If you want to sell your car privately or part-exchange it on a non-VW Group vehicle, your car’s value is likely to suffer.
If you part-exchange it for another Volkswagen/Audi/SEAT/Skoda, you may be eligible for a boost to your part-exchange value (called something insipid like a “customer loyalty bonus”), but the downside is you have to buy a new car from the same company that has just screwed you.
The Hyundai i30 range will be completed in January with the launch of the Fastback version.
The five-door coupe model will cost from £20,305 when it goes on sale alongside the existing i30 hatch, Tourer estate and N performance variants (tested here).
Compared to the hatch the Fastback’s roof is 30mm lower, tapering towards the rear and meeting a spoiler integrated into the car’s body.
Hyundai says that the exterior design enhances the car’s wide stance, improves its aerodynamics and provides it with a distinctive silhouette. The width is further emphasised by a slimmer grille, an air intake below it and an angled lower spoiler. The LED daytime running lights are also of a bespoke design.
Two engines, three trims
The i30 Fastback will be available in SE Nav, Premium and Premium SE trim levels, matching the existing Hatch and Tourer models for equipment. Powertrain choices range across the 1.0 T-GDi 120hp and 1.4 T-GDi 140hp petrol engines of the Hatch, with six-speed manual gearboxes or on the 1.4 an optional seven-speed DCT auto.
Standard equipment on SE Nav models includes satellite navigation through an eight-inch LCD touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth with voice recognition and wireless phone charging on compatible handsets, rear parking sensors and camera, height adjustable front seats with electric lumbar adjustment to the driver’s side and a leather steering wheel.
Fastback buyers will be the first able to choose the 1-litre engine with the two upper trim levels. The Premium costs £1800 more than the SE Nav and extra equipment includes dual-zone climate control, an electronic parking brake with auto hold function, privacy glass and heated front seats with artificial leather/cloth facings. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, the dash gains a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display, and front parking sensors are added along with LED front headlights and rear combination lights.
Premium SE models add a panoramic sunroof, leather seat facings and a heated steering wheel for a £1300 price increase.
Hyundai also expects the new model to sell on its safety specification. Autonomous Emergency Braking is standard on all models with a forward collision warning system, as well as lane departure warning and lane keep systems and hill-hold. In addition, Premium and Premium SE models also gain a blind spot detection system and a rear cross-traffic alert for when reversing out of car-parking spaces.
The Vauxhall Insignia GSi will arrive on UK roads in March 2018, at prices starting from £33,375.
The performance version of Vauxhall’s large car was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It will be offered in both five-door Grand Sport and, for an extra £1400, estate Sports Tourer body styles.
Powertrain choices will range between a 260hp 2-litre turbo petrol with 400Nm of torque, or a bi-turbo diesel engine of 210hp. Both are paired with an eight-speed auto transmission with steering wheel shift paddles, and permanent all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring to ensure grip is constantly delivered tot he wheel that will make most efficient use of it.
Both engines produce the same performance figures – in Grand Sport form the GSi achieves a 6.9 second 0-62mph time and will go on to an electronically limited 155mph. The car weighs in some 160kg lighter than its predecessor, and as a result it has been able to lap the Nurburgring test track in Germany faster than the range-topping VXR model of the previous Insignia generation, despite being more than 70hp lower in power.
Petrol versions of the Grand Sport record CO2 emissions of 197g/km, the diesel 192g/km. Diesel Sports Tourer versions match their Grand Sport siblings, while the petrol estate mode produces 199g/km.
Vauxhall’s FlexRide chassis is fitted, four driving modes allowing damping, steering, gear change-up points and the car’s stability and traction systems to be configured according to a driver’s preference, Brembo four-cylinder brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres on 20-inch rims complete the chassis specification.
The GSi gains bespoke styling, including chrome air intakes, specific front and rear bumpers, side sills and on the Grand Sport a large rear spoiler. Vauxhall’s IntelliLux LED matrix headlamps are also standard while inside there are full-leather front sports seats, aluminium pedals, an eight-inch colour information display with navigation, a Bose sound system and head-up display.
November marked the eighth month in a row of falling new car registrations for 2017, and once again it was collapsing diesel sales causing the most concern in the latest figures published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Overall numbers were down 11% on the same month last year, although the majority of these losses were for business and fleet buyers. Private registrations were down by just over 5% compared to last November’s numbers, which is a decent result compared to greater falls over the previous six months or so.
Diesel registrations slumped to new lows, recording just 37.7% of new car registrations in November with numbers that were more than 30% off last year’s figures, which is comfortably the worst performance for diesel in what has been a very bad year. Twelve months ago, diesel cars were still outselling their petrol equivalents, but it looks increasingly unlikely that such days will ever be seen again.
Fleet and business buyers stayed away in droves this month, compared to private buyers.
As usual, the SMMT has no compunction in blaming the government for falling diesel sales, although disappointingly Brexit fails to get a mention this month. Hopefully, Santa will deliver the SMMT press office a new record for Christmas, as the current one appears to be broken.
The SMMT regularly talks about “confusion over diesel”, which seems to very much underplay the situation. The numbers show that there is a protracted slump diesel sales in the marketplace – a 30% fall in sales isn’t confusion, it’s a large-scale rejection. Maybe the industry’s representative needs to lobby the government to increase incentives for electric and hybrid vehicles, rather than continuing to flog the dead horse of how wonderful diesel is…
Ford Fiesta gets comfy back in top spot
The Ford Fiesta returned to the top of the sales charts in October, and retained its traditional position in November. The Volkswagen Golf continued its strong run in second place, which also saw it edging away from the Ford Focus in year-to-date registrations for the runner-up slot with only one month to go.
It was also a good month for the MINI hatch, the BMW 1 Series and the Kia Sportage, while the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo both fell out of the top ten in November.
What’s in store for 2018?
There appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel for diesel sales, as increased road tax rules will be introduced next April that will put the initial registration duty on almost every new diesel car up by one tax band.
Manufacturers have been starting to add more petrol engine options to models that were previously only or predominantly sold as diesels. The latest is Toyota, which has dropped diesel engines from its Auris family hatchback range for 2018. More of the same is likely across the board as every brand looks to offer alternatives to unpopular diesel offerings.
There will be continued growth in what are called ‘alternatively-fuelled vehicles’ (AFVs). These consist of hybrids, full electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell models, natural gas or LPG power and so on. This year has been one of massive relative growth for AFVs, which have held more than 5% of the overall market for the last six months or so. There is still a long way to go, but it is likely that 2018 will see even greater growth as more manufacturers bring new hybrid and electric vehicles to market.
It’s a buyers’ market this Christmas
For buyers looking for a new car this Christmas, there will be plenty of deals on offer. With most manufacturers and plenty of dealerships falling well behind their quarterly and annual sales targets, there will be plenty of people who would really, really like you to buy a new car before the end of the year.
With eight months of falling new car sales, there will also be an increasing number of pre-registered cars coming into the market after spending a few months parked up in fields around the countryside. A pre-reg car can be a good option in the right circumstances, but you would need to be getting a massive discount for it to be worthwhile given that brand new cars will also be available with very good deals.
The long-awaited Lamborghini Urus has been unveiled in Bologna, Italy, and described by its makers as the world’s first ‘Super SUV.’
It is also being pitched as the world’s fastest SUV, its 4.0-litre V8 engine producing a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.
Putting out 650hp and 850Nm of torque, the engine is a twin-turbo unit, unlike the naturally-aspirated equivalents familiar in the Italian brand’s sports cars. This has apparently been done to provide the low-range pulling power needed when running off road.
The Urus output passes through an eight-speed auto transmission into a permanent all-wheel-drive system with a locking differential. In normal use, this pits torque 40/60 front to rear, but can send up to 70% to the front wheels, 87% to the rear.
Four-wheel steering also features, turning the rear wheels by up to three degrees to aid manoeuvrability at low speeds, stability at high speeds. Other chassis technology includes active torque vectoring and carbon-ceramic brakes, while there are six driving modes selectable from the cockpit, including off-road, sand and snow modes.
The engine is placed low in the chassis to improve the centre of gravity, while Lamborghini also claims that the Urus kerb weight of under 2,200kg gives it the best power-to-weight ratio of 3.38kg/hp. The Bentayga of sister brand Bentley tips the scales at 2440kg.
The Urus shares its platform with the Bentayga, also used under the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. The Lamborghini is one of the most coupé-like SUVs offered in the sector, with its profile two-thirds metal and one-third glass.
Exterior detailing includes references to Lamborghini sports cars, such as a peak on the bonnet reminiscent of the Miura and Aventador, and diagonal bonnet lines first seen on the Countach. Also recalled is the LM002, an off-roader produced by Lamborghini between 1986 and 1993.
First deliveries of the Urus are planned for Spring 2018, at prices likely to start from around £165,000. The SUV is expected to double Lamborghini’s annual production volume, and the Urus range will expand, likely including a plug-in hybrid version.
Buyers of the revamped Toyota Auris family hatch will no longer be able to choose a diesel engine.
As part of the model range update for 2018, Toyota has made ‘a tighter focus on the (Auris’s) in-demand powertrains’, dumping both the 1.4 and 1.6-litre diesels along with the 1.3-litre petrol unit. The reason is believed to be long-standing poor sales of the diesel, not the current adverse publicity and tax pressures being heaped on the oil-burning engines.
The two remaining powertrain choices are the 1.8-litre hybrid and the 1.2-litre turbo petrol – the hybrid fitted as standard with a CVT automatic transmission whereas the petrol can be bought with either the CVT or a six-speed manual gearbox.
Toyota says that three quarters of Auris buyers choose the petrol-electric hybrid, which offers 80mpg combined cycle fuel economy and CO2 emissions as low as 79g/km.
No more Active
Trim levels have also been streamlined – Active grade disappears, Icon now the entry-level model with 16-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, front fog lights, power windows, six-speaker audio with DAB digital radio and automatic air conditioning all on the standard equipment list.
Also standard is the Toyota Safety Sense package, which includes autonomous emergency braking, auto high-beam lights, lane departure alert and traffic sign recognition.
Icon Tech models add cruise control and the Toyota Touch 2 with Go touchscreen, which includes navigation and connectivity functions.
Extras on Design grade models include 17-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, Alcantara upholstery, sports front seats, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, auto-folding door mirrors, dusk-sensing headlights and rain-sensing wipers.
Excel versions top the range, their Touch 2 with Go package including voice command and text-to-speech functions, along with 3D mapping. Intelligent Park Assist, LED headlights, smart entry and push-button start, heated leather seats and dual-zone climate control are also included.
Hybrid versions of the revised Auris are now on sale – the 1.2 petrol variants will be available early in 2018.
What is it?
The all-new Fiat Tipo is the brand’s re-entry into the family hatch market, taking on some of the biggest-selling cars in the UK market.
Key features
Good interior space, well-equipped, competitive price.
Our view
The Fiat Tipo offers good value for money in a roomy vehicle, its price comparing favourably to smaller cars from rivals and including impressive levels of standard equipment. However, those rivals significantly outscore it on the quality of their interiors and their on-the-road performance, while the poor safety package is a definite minus point.
Similar carsFord Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Golf
The all-new Fiat Tipo launched onto the UK market in late 2016 and signified the Italian brand’s latest attempt to take a slice of the large but highly competitive family hatch market.
Potential rivals to the Tipo include the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf, all permanent members of the UK top ten best-selling cars list. And that’s before one considers the Renault Megane, Peugeot 308, Honda Civic, Toyota Auris, Kia cee’d, Hyundai i30…
Since the previous Tipo disappeared in 1995, the brand’s offerings in this sector have comprised the Bravo and Stilo, both cars so forgettable that today they could feature on The Car Expert’s blink-and-you-miss-them list.
So Fiat needs to do better with the latest Tipo, and the recipe for steering buyers away from such well-known rivals seems to be a combination of practicality and value for money, rather than any radical design effort to give the car a visual presence.
Fiat says it now has two sides as a company, the aspirational side typified by cars such as the Mazda MX-5-rivalling 124 Spider, and the rational side typified by the Tipo. Following this mantra to the full, the latest Tipo is very conservative in its styling – if you don’t like standing out, you will like the innocuous look of this car, whether you choose the hatch or its sister estate model the Station Wagon.
If you don’t like standing out, you will like the innocuous look of the Fiat Tipo
Buying and owning the Fiat Tipo
The Tipo is offered with a five-strong engine line-up and three trim levels. Petrol buyers can choose from a 1.4-litre unit with 95hp, a turbo version with 120hp or a 1.6-litre ‘E-torq’ unit, with 110hp and only available with a torque-convertor auto gearbox – the 147g/km CO2 emissions levels should cross this one off the potentials list.
Diesel options lie between the 1.3 Multijet of 95hp or the 1.6-litre 120hp version as tested here. It’s available with a twin-clutch automatic transmission or a conventional six-speed manual like the one we are driving, with impressive official efficiency figures of 76mpg and 98g/km emissions.
The trim levels are dubbed Easy, Easy Plus and Lounge, and this is where Fiat scores some serious points on value. An entry-level Easy model starts at £12,995 (with the 95hp petrol engine). Such money would only buy a supermini from several of the Fiat’s rivals, the Tipo being heavily pitched as a large car for small-car cost.
It becomes all the more impressive when one considers that the standard specification includes such niceties as air conditioning, remote central locking, front electric windows, electric door mirrors, six airbags, DAB digital radio, USB and Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel remote controls.
Our test car, meanwhile, is in range-topping Lounge trim – for just £2,000 more one adds a whole host of equipment, including leather detailing, navigation with traffic updates, connected services ranging from music streaming to social media access, a rear camera and parking sensors, bigger alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, climate control… the list goes on.
All this comes at a price that is on average £2,000 cheaper than rivals with less equipment. However, there is one notable downside.
Today car manufacturers routinely expect to drive away with top five-star ratings from the Euro NCAP safety crash tests, so when the Tipo was tested in 2016, its three-star rating was a bit of a shock.
The major issue is the fact that a ‘Safety Pack’, which includes autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control – but not pedestrian detection – is only available as an option. True it’s only a £500 option, but rivals consider such features important enough to specify them as standard. Adding the safety pack improves the car’s Euro NCAP rating to four stars, which is better albeit still off the pace of the best in this class.
Inside the Fiat Tipo
The Tipo’s interior looks dated compared to its major rivals
One of the most impressive aspects of the Tipo is its interior space. There is a lot of it! Even taller occupants will have no issue getting comfortable – okay in the rear seats they may find it a little cosy about the head, in which case the Station Wagon version, which is taller, might be a better choice.
The boot space of the hatch, meanwhile, knocks rivals aside – 440 litres outspaces the VW Golf by 60 litres, the Vauxhall Astra by 70 litres and the best-selling Ford Focus by a massive 124 litres. However it is deep, rather than long, space, and the high rear makes it not that easy to load stuff into the boot.
Less alluring is the dash layout. It is so boringly conventional, and as a result, the dials and vents look dated even before one begins checking out rivals. The info panel for the satnav and other functions is particularly poor, its surrounding instrumentation overwhelming the tiny screen which is not very user-friendly.
Add in surfaces that while reasonably put together, feel hard, scratchy and low-rent, and one sees where that value-for-money price requires compromises. The Tipo’s interior is significantly behind even those of former value brands such as Hyundai and Kia – the Koreans have upped their game whereas Fiat, it seems, hasn’t.
Driving the Fiat Tipo
The overall driving experience is comfortable most of the time.
The driving position is comfortable offering a good view ahead and behind, and ‘comfortable’ is also the best way to sum up the driving experience.
This is a very easy car to drive, so long as one proceeds in an unhurried fashion. Push on with enthusiasm and the result is less satisfactory, a combination of vague steering with little feedback, and a little too much body roll through corners.
When the Tipo launched, Fiat expected the 1.6-litre diesel engine to be the best seller. Whether that is still the case after the recent backlash against diesel in the UK remains to be seen, but it is generally a smooth, enthusiastic unit. But again, push it on too much and it becomes a tad agricultural, with an intrusive, clattery audio note. Generally, however, it is competent and the efficiency figures speak for themselves.
Summary
Should you buy a Fiat Tipo? It depends on how many compromises you are prepared to accept to take advantage of the low price.
The car scores on cost, and the amount of equipment you get for the money. But rivals do many aspects better, particularly their interior design and finish, and their on-road dynamics.
If you need a car to ensure you get from A to B with little fuss, then the Fiat Tipo could be a good option. But please ensure you pay an extra £500 for that safety pack…
Top five-star ratings have proven the norm in the latest series of crash tests of new models staged by Euro NCAP.
Of the nine cars tested by the safety body, just one, the Citroën E-Mehari, failed to achieve the five-star score. The retro-styled electric buggy, which is not sold in the UK, could only manage three stars.
The tested models included four new to the market in 2017 – the E-Mehari, the Jaguar E-Pace and DS 7 Crossback SUVs, and Mercedes-Benz’s first pickup model, the X-Class.
Also tested were the latest versions of the BMW X3, Subaru XV and Subaru Impreza, while the Honda Civic was retested following improvements to its rear seat restraints and side curtain airbags that had seen the car achieve only four stars in its first test earlier in the year.
A lack of driver-assistance systems doomed the Citroën E-Mehari to three stars.
E-Mehari ‘satisfactory’
The e-Mehari is sold widely in Europe and could, for example, be offered to UK holidaymakers as a hire car. According to Euro NCAP, its crash protection was satisfactory, with standard airbags and seatbelt load-limiters and pre-tensioners, the e-Mehari offers satisfactory crash protection but its star rating was held back due to the stripped-back open car not including driver-assistance systems that are the norm in other vehicles – including the DS 7 produced by Citroën’s sister brand.
Matthew Avery, head of research at Euro NCAP’s UK body Thatcham Research, described the results as a strong showing for the vehicle manufacturers who submitted cars for testing, and praised the widespread of autonomous emergency braking. “It is encouraging that drivers of all eight cars will be supported by standard-fit AEB – a technology which is proven to reduce accidents – as two cars aimed at the family market, the Honda Civic and the Subaru Impreza’s suite of safety technologies are especially welcome,” Avery said.
Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen admitted that the five-star results would be unsurprising to some, but continue to represent outstanding engineering achievements.
“(A five-star rating) should not be taken for granted given the fact that Euro NCAP’s rating regime now includes over 15 different tests and hundreds of individual requirements, which are strengthened all the time – it is very positive that manufacturers still see a five-star rating as the target for most new vehicle models,” van Ratingen added.
Evidence of the challenges facing manufacturers is evident in new tests that Euro NCAP intends to introduce in 2018, in which brake systems that can detect and mitigate cyclists will be put to the test for the first time.
“These new tests and other planned updates will reflect the surge in automated vehicle functions that we expect to see on the market in the next years – our mission is to help consumers understand how these systems operate, to show what they are capable of and to explain how one day these might save your life,” van Ratingen said.
What is it?
The latest extensions to the Ford Fiesta range add sportier ST-Line and luxury Vignale trims to the existing Style, Zetec and Titanium lines.
Key features
Choice of sporty or luxury trim, three and five doors, diesel option
Our view
The new ST-Line and Vignale trim levels added to the Ford Fiesta range simply provide more choices on a model that remains just about the most complete package on the small car market, and worthy of its long-held best-seller status.
Similar cars
Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo, Renault Clio
There is not a lot that Ford can do wrong with regard to the Fiesta. Since its launch in 1976, the supermini has firmly established itself as the UK’s best-selling car.
Some 4.5 million Fiestas have found homes in the UK, while the latest, seventh-generation model has already sold 20,000 since its launch in July – each month it sits at the top of the UK top ten, a good couple of thousand units ahead of its nearest challengers.
We reviewed the Titanium trim version of the new Fiesta back in July, and we dubbed it a definite improvement over its predecessor, albeit no longer head and shoulders above the opposition.
That July launch was of the initial mainstream Style, Zetec and Titanium models. Now Ford seeks to ease out that gap on rivals by adding the ST-Line trim, evoking the look of the performance ST model but without the potency and inevitable compromises.
Also added for the first time is the upmarket Vignale grade. And these two models will not be the end of the Fiesta story. Coming next year are a crossover-styled model dubbed Active, and the full-house ST hot hatch.
Unlike many new superminis, the Ford Fiesta continues to be available in both three-door and five-door models.
Buying and owning a Ford Fiesta
So what do the new trim levels offer to encourage buyers to choose them over the Titanium specification, top of the range at launch and described by us back in July as ‘the sweet spot’ of the Fiesta range?
Whereas once superminis were seen as cars chosen mainly for their lower prices, today’s offerings conform to the modern trend of better things coming in smaller packages, as drivers downsize from larger cars of past times.
Ford sees more extensively equipped, upmarket lines taking the majority of Fiesta sales. Such models also, of course, earn the brand more money, so Ford wants to attract buyers up the range with ‘something for all.’ As a result, the ST-Line is pitched not as a step up from Titanium but an alternative, and priced the same.
ST-Line is aimed at customers that want a good selection of equipment but in a more sporty-looking package. So the car gets 17-inch alloy wheels with five twin spokes instead of the 16-inch 10-spoke versions of the Titanium. And these can be upgraded to 18-inch versions for £550.
Further exterior styling comes in the form of a large rear spoiler atop the tailgate and bespoke body styling, particularly the grille – Ford is using the mesh design to differentiate its various trims.
‘Sports tuned’ (in other words slightly stiffer) steering is included, as are some interior additions, but the cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and auto climate control of the Titanium is not part of the ST-Line specification. Neither are the various driver assistance aids such as traffic sign recognition, while any form of braking assistance and collision mitigation remains an option on both cars. Since our July test, however, the Fiesta has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP and gained a top five-star rating.
For those buyers who want the looks and all the equipment, many of the Titanium niceties the ST-Line loses are restored in the ‘ST-Line X’ model, costing an extra £400.
Then there is Vignale, the ‘ultimate luxury model’, offered on the Fiesta for the first time. Ford debuted the concept on the Mondeo in 2015, describing it as an ‘upscale product and ownership experience.’ The cars were intended to be the most luxurious of their range, their creators suggesting they were targeting the likes of Audi and BMW, and the ‘experience’ even extended to bespoke ‘Vignale Lounges’ in the flagship Ford dealers, where customers were supposed to be treated to more premium levels of service.
Since then, Vignale has expanded rapidly across the Ford line-up and possibly the original concept has been diluted as a result. It now arrives on the Fiesta, the major exterior evidence being bespoke alloy wheels and the signature grille mesh.
Equipment on the Vignale Fiesta is based on that of the former range-topping Titanium X, and is mostly composed of upmarket detailing with the only extra tech a rear-view camera with parking sensors. At a shade under £20,000, it’s hard to see what just two years ago was pitched as something special, as anything more than just another trim level.
Inside the Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta Vignale is very well kitted out.
The interior of the Fiesta came in for the most praise in our July test – a revolution in design we called it, with far fewer buttons and an intuitive design based around an eight-inch touchscreen.
Unless you pay for the X model, the ST-Line shrinks that touchscreen back to 6.5 inches and removes the navigation, but you get everything else including DAB digital radio and Apple CarPlayand Android Auto smartphone compatibility – so you won’t miss the navigation as you can use a phone app.
The seats are mildly sports-like and the steering wheel has that stylish flat-bottom, while there are also sporty-look alloy pedals. Generally, however, the interior is not that different, and that’s not a bad thing because it all works very well indeed.
Vignale models of course gain some more significant additions, most notably the ‘black ruby’ leather on the seats and steering wheel, which are also all heated. Bespoke monogrammed floor mats front and rear and silver door threshold plates also feature, while the five-door version – yes you can buy a three-door even in Vignale – is the only Fiesta to be supplied with electric rear windows as standard.
Something that can’t be changed across trim levels is the interior space, one area where the Fiesta does fall behind rivals. The back seats in particular are quite cosy for anyone larger than the average child.
Driving the Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is still the driving benchmark for superminis.
Both of the new trims are available with any of the complete Fiesta engine range apart from the entry-level petrol and diesel units. Petrol buyers have three versions of the much-awarded 1-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engine to choose from, with 100, 125 or 140hp.
For the mere 4% or so of buyers who insist on diesel, there is a 1.5-litre 120hp unit available. Six-speed manual gearboxes are the norm, while the 100hp petrol unit is available with an auto transmission as an option on ST-Line models, and as standard on the Vignale.
During the launch, on the superb roads of an admittedly rainy Snowdonia in North Wales, we focused on the 120hp petrol unit that is likely to take the majority of sales.
The Fiesta has long been regarded as the benchmark of on-the-road dynamics for small cars and this model does nothing to change that view. The car combines a free-revving, versatile and very smooth engine with an excellently sorted chassis. It’s good to travel in, the larger wheels and supposedly beefed-up suspension not having any ill-effect on ride comfort. When one wants to press on through a series of challenging bends, the car corners with precision and confidence.
Summary
The latest Ford Fiesta earned widespread positive reviews when launched earlier in 2017 and the new trim levels merely add some extra gloss and increase the choice for customers. While some might struggle to see the relevance of Vignale luxury in a small car, Ford clearly sees a market for it. Overall, despite the best efforts of rivals, the Fiesta remains the complete package and likely to remain top of the pops for some time yet.
Could the Infiniti QX50 be the car to kickstart the brand’s UK growth?
First pictures of the Japanese premium brand’s new compact SUV have been released ahead of its public unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show. And Infiniti is confirming that it will be the first production car in the world to use an engine with a variable compression ratio.
The 2.0-litre VC-Turbo petrol engine in the QX50 can adjust its compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1, which will allow the driver to make full use of the 280hp available for performance, or dial everything back to return the most effective fuel economy.
Infiniti has so far struggled to grow significantly in the UK because it does not offer diesel versions of its cars. But with UK buyers now increasingly turning against diesel a high-tech new petrol model with high fuel economy but also performance could be the key the brand needs to get the attention of UK buyers.
New platform for more space
The QX50 is also built on an all-new platform, which its makers say will set a new level of refinement, rigidity and interior space to take on the many rivals in the booming compact SUV segment. It will also debut a new interpretation of the brand’s design language.
Infiniti adds that the QX50 will feature its pioneering autonomous drive support technologies, promising to assist the driver when accelerating, braking and steering during single-lane carriageway driving, whilst still allowing them to retain ultimate control over the car.
The Infiniti QX50 will go on sale in the USA in 2018, in front-wheel-drive format with all-wheel-drive as an option. More details of its technical specification, or when it’s coming to the UK, we don’t currently know. Infiniti is promising further information when the car is unveiled at the Los Angeles Show.
Diesel cars have come in for another hammering from the government in the Autumn Budget, despite pleas from industry figures to arrest the negative publicity that has led to sliding sales.
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that all new diesel cars sold from 1st April 2018 will have their Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) raised by one band, unless they meet new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) step 2 standards. Existing cars on the road before 1st April 2018 will not be affected.
The RDE test has been introduced to measure car emissions in real-world driving conditions – it uses portable measuring equipment attached to a car and its results include such elements as what a vehicle is carrying and the weather. The currently used tests that produce the emissions and fuel economy figures quoted by car manufacturers have been widely criticised because they are conducted in a laboratory, with virtually no likelihood of owners living with a car being able to achieve results anywhere near the official figures.
The RDE tests will be combined with the existing laboratory tests to produce more accurate economy and emissions results for new cars. The step 1 tests were introduced for new cars from September 2017 and are planned to apply to all cars from September 2019, while the stricter step 2 tests will not become mandatory on all new cars until 2021. Due to the portable testing devices not yet delivering completely consistent results, step 1 allows cars to emit up to 2.1 times the prescribed limit – under step 2 this will be reduced to 1.5 times as the equipment becomes more accurate.
Very few car manufacturers have yet submitted their cars for RDE testing and it is thought that most current cars on the market will not currently meet particularly the step 2 standards, so anyone buying a diesel after March next year will pay, on average, £40 extra in tax.
Company drivers hit
Company car motorists have been targeted too, with the supplement for anyone driving a diesel-engined fleet car rising from 3% to 4% – again unless the car meets the RDE step 2 standard. And this change has been made despite the Chancellor previously promising to give three years’ notice on any company car tax hikes.
Chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), Mike Hawes, criticised the Chancellor’s moves as continuing the mixed messages around diesel which will only deter and confuse the public further.
“Diesel buyers will not face any additional taxation for the next six months, but thereafter, will face additional charges which will undermine fleet renewal efforts, which are the best and quickest way to address air quality concerns,” Hawes said.
“Manufacturers are investing heavily in the latest low emission technology, however, it’s unrealistic to think that we can fast-track the introduction of the next generation of clean diesel technology which takes years to develop, in just four months. This budget will also do nothing to remove the oldest, most polluting vehicles from our roads in the coming years.”
In contrast, the chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, Gerry Keaney, welcomed the VED tax hike as “a fair, well-signposted tax change that will encourage more drivers and fleets to look at alternative hybrid and petrol-powered new cars.”
However, he was fiercely critical of the change in company car tax rates. “Having previously promised that it was only looking to change the tax treatment for new diesel cars, the government has gone back on its word by retrospectively raising the company car tax bill of hundreds of thousands of workers,” he said.
“People that chose a diesel car as a cost-efficient, low CO2 form of essential business travel are being punished unfairly. Why should drivers at work be treated differently from other taxpayers?
Diesel sales slumped by almost 30% in October, as buyers were turned away by the negative publicity surrounding the engines. However, increasing numbers of independent tests are suggesting that the latest diesel engines produce fewer pollutants, particularly NOx, than their petrol-engined equivalents. This suggests that only applying RDE-based tax changes to diesel engines is unfair, and that RDE testing needs to be levied equally on all new cars, no matter what their engine, to provide a much clearer picture.
The tests also point to older, less efficient diesel engines being primarily responsible for emissions issues, and the Budget contained no measures to help speed the replacement of such vehicles with newer, cleaner equivalents.
Portable test kits such as this Mahle example hold the key to future emissions testing
The 2018 Aston Martin Vantage has been unveiled, bring a bolder visual appearance to one of the brand’s most famous model names dating back to the 1950s.
A new exterior look is the most obvious change to Aston Martin’s entry-level two-seater model, which will arrive on UK roads in February 2018 and replace a car described by company CEO Andy Palmer as “the single most successful model in Aston Martin’s history.”
Describing the new Vantage as “a true sports car with a sharper look and a keener dynamic edge,” Palmer adds; “Creating a worthy successor has been a challenge to relish and a huge source of motivation. I’m enormously excited by what we’ve created – a new Vantage that’s more explicit in looks and intent, wrapping heart-pounding performance and dazzling dynamics into an everyday usable package.”
The new car’s shell is dominated by sharp cut lines, with minimal front and rear overhangs and several design firsts for the brand including the lowest grille ever incorporated into a production Aston Martin model and a dramatic rear end dominated by a large diffuser.
The shell generates significant downforce which again is a route Aston Martin has not previously pursued with its road cars. Construction is an evolution of the aluminium structure used on the recently launched DB11, though Aston Martin adds that 70% of the Vantage structure is new. The interior replicates the bolder look of the exterior with a focus on the driver.
Power for the new Vantage is provided by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is set as far back and low down in the chassis as possible to improve the car’s centre of gravity and provide a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Combined with an eight-speed transmission, it produces 505hp at 6000rpm, together with 685Nm of torque between 2000 and 5000rpm, which sends the Vantage through 60mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 195mph.
Industry observers suggest a V12 version of the car is likely to launch later, but not a hybrid as Aston Martin’s already announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its cars are scheduled from 2025, suggesting the next generation of Vantage will be the first with electric power.
Electronic aids on the new car include stability and torque vectoring chassis assistance, speed-dependent electric power steering and for the first time on an Aston Martin an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). Linked to the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to understand the car’s behaviour, reacting much more efficiently than a conventional LSD to direct the engine’s power to the relevant wheel. As a result, the car feels more planted both in terms of straight-line stability and cornering performance.
Aston Martin is now taking orders for the new Vantage, at prices starting from £120,900.
The Jeep Compass compact SUV will go on UK sale in February 2018, costing from £22,995.
Jeep has high hopes for the Compass, which will sit in the US manufacturer’s line-up between the Renegade and Cherokee models and is regarded as a key model especially in Europe. It enters a booming market, expected to grow almost 20% to 7.5 million by 2020, two million in Europe.
A host of rivals are bidding to enter the compact SUV market and the Compass will need to target recently launched models such as the Renault Kadjar, Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland X, while the segment remains led by the Nissan Qashqai.
Five engines, two transmissions
UK buyers will be offered a choice between two petrol and three diesel engines, and front or all-wheel-drive transmission. Despite Jeep’s 4×4-focused heritage, the brand has to offer a front-wheel-drive model as most buyers will continue to buy compact SUVs for their appearance rather than prowess when away from tarmac.
Jeep insists, however, that class-leading off-road ability will be available, particularly on the Trailhawk model which will launch in summer 2018 and include extra body protection, raised off-road suspension, hill descent control and a rock-climbing transmission setting.
Petrol engines range across two versions of the 1.4-litre MultiAir II Turbo engine. The entry-level unit offers 140hp and 230Nm of torque matched to the six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel-drive, while a higher-power model produces 170hp and 250Nm, paired to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4×4 transmission.
Entry-level diesel is the 1.6-litre MultiJet II with 120hp and 320Nm again front-wheel-drive with a manual gearbox. The 2.0-litre version offers 140hp and 350Nm, with manual gearbox but 4×4, and there is also a higher-power variant, with 170hp and matched to the nine-speed auto ‘box. This variant includes the low-range gearbox mode for serious off-road driving.
Four trim levels will be on offer, Jeep’s familiar titles of Sport, Longitude, Limited and later Trailhawk. Standard equipment on entry-level models includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lights, a leather steering wheel with audio controls, air conditioning, cruise control and a forward collision warning driver aid.
The Compass has already been tested by Euro NCAP and clocked up a five-star rating. Jeep says that more than 70 active and passive safety and security features are available including lane-departure and rear cross traffic warnings, blind-spot monitoring, a rear parking camera, parallel and perpendicular park assist and adaptive cruise control.
Tesla has unveiled a surprise new $200,000 electric Roadster model with a claimed 0-60mph time of 1.9 seconds.
Described by its makers as “the quickest car in the world, with record-setting acceleration, range and performance,” the new Roadster was revealed during an event at Tesla’s California base focusing on the brand’s new electric truck, which itself can complete the 0-60mph sprint in five seconds.
To the surprise of guests at the event the Roadster was driven out of the truck’s trailer and immediately demonstrated its almost instant acceleration.
Three electric motors are fitted in the 2+2 sports car, providing some 10,000 Nm of torque. According to Tesla founder Elon Musk it will also hit 100mph in only 4.9 seconds and complete a quarter mile in 8.9 seconds. Its top speed will be 250mph while it will also offer a range between charges of 620 miles. Like all other current Tesla models it will include full autonomous driving technology, using a combination of eight cameras, 12 sensors and a radar.
Tesla is already taking orders for the new Roadster, which effectively succeeds the first car offered by the electric manufacturer, launched in 2008 and last sold in 2012. The base version is priced at $200,000 while the company is also taking reservations for a 1,000-model ‘Founders Series’ at $250,000 each.
Remarkably following the car’s unveiling Musk indicated in Twitter postings that the new Roadster would be offered with an upgrade package “that takes it to the next level”, though he also hinted that faster speeds would add safety concerns. “Rocket tech applied to a car opens up revolutionary possibilities,” he wrote.
Tesla aims to deliver the first Roadsters to customers in 2020 but observers remain sceptical that the company can meet such deadlines after struggles to keep up with more than 400,000 orders for its latest Model 3. Issues blamed on parts supply have seen production slowed, though recently the company built its 250,000th car since launching in 2003.
Roadster will be supplied with a lightweight glass roof that can be removed and stored in the boot.
Renault has joined the ranks of van-based people carriers by launching the Renault Trafic Spaceclass.
First seen at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017 the Traffic Spaceclass is on sale now, at prices ranging from £32,500 to £38,600, excluding VAT.
The new variant of the well-known van can seat up to nine and Renault describes it as a ‘high-end shuttle’ for business and VIP transport, it is also expected to appeal to taxi drivers and independent chauffeurs.
Based on the specification of the Traffic Passenger Sport model, the Spaceclass goes on sale in three versions, dubbed Standard, Adventurer and Prestige.
Adventurer and Prestige versions include a modular format interior, with the second and third row of seats mounted on rails allowing a wide range of layouts – Renault says that up to 50 different seating configurations are available.
The Adventurer includes a pair of second-row ‘Captain Chair’ format seats that pivot, while the third-row rear bench can fold fully flat to from a bed – Renault claims this is unique in the sector.
The range-topping Prestige includes leather upholstery. Renault says that this combined with the Captain Chairs allows the model to function as a mobile company boardroom.
Standard equipment across all three versions includes privacy rear glass, climate control with manual heating and air conditioning in the rear passenger area and six individual LED reading lamps. Reflecting its target customer base, the vehicle also includes 220V and USB sockets throughout the interior for charging laptops and electronic devices.
The Trafic Spaceclass is offered in both short or long-wheelbase form across all three trim levels. All three also offer a choice of two 1.6-litre diesel engines with 125 or 145hp outputs, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Best combined cycle fuel economy is 48.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 155g/km.
First deliveries of the Traffic Spaceclass are expected in January 2018.
What is it? The Hyundai i30 N is the brand’s first performance model, a more potent version of the mid-sized family hatch.
Key features
Complete package with impressive performance and handling
Not too extreme to act as everyday car
Two versions at competitive prices
Our view The Hyundai i30 N is one of the most surprising new cars of 2017. The brand’s new N division has produced a complete package with every bit as much performance prowess as far better-known and established rivals.
All of this is available in a car that one can live with just as easily as much less powerful everyday hatches. Add in an extensive specification, a strong safety package and a five-year warranty at a value-for-money price, and the Hyundai i30 Nis a definite winner – on road or track…
Hyundai has not previously made a performance production model and few of the brand’s core customers probably expect it to. The hot hatch market does not appear natural technology for the Korean badge, once a pure budget choice, today regarded as a more upmarket value brand.
Hyundai’s enthusiastic UK boss, Tony Whitehorn, tells us that he could imagine fans of hot hatches hearing of the new performance version of the i30 hatchback, dubbed the N, dismissing the car as offering likely nothing more than jacked-up suspension and a chip in the engine management system.
They could not be more wrong. The i30 N will be the first of a range of N performance cars and Hyundai has clearly demonstrated its intentions by to poaching Albert Biermann to head the division. He has been responsible for most of BMW’s most-admired M models over the last two decades.
N stands both for Namyang, Hyundai’s enormous research and development centre in Korea, and the Nurburgring, the challenging 14-mile circuit in Germany where much of this car’s development was carried out.
Hyundai expects to sell many examples of the i30 N to trackday enthusiasts, who spend their free time pounding their pride and joy round the UK’s race circuits. And the brand’s confidence in the car is so marked that the UK launch includes time on just about the most challenging UK circuit available to the trackday crowd – Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, dubbed the ‘mini-Nurburgring.’
The i30 N will be the first of a range of N performance models from Hyundai
Buying and owning a Hyundai i30 N
The basis of the i30 N is the five-door i30 hatch, and importantly virtually all the changes made to give the car performance prowess are hidden under the skin. The i30 is already regarded as a very good value family car, and both in terms of specification and as we will shortly see performance the N retains this appeal.
Two versions of the car are on offer. The N costs £24,995, the N Performance £27,995 – highly competitive pricing amongst the perceived opposition which Hyundai claims is the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST rather than the more potent Focus RS or Honda Civic Type R.
Both N models use the same turbo petrol engine of two litres. In the N it produces 250hp, while the N Performance gains an extra 25hp. Torque figures are the same across both versions, at 353Nm from just 1750rpm, while an overboost feature can add an extra 25Nm for up to 18 seconds – great for swift overtaking. Best 0-62mph time is 6.1 seconds in the more expensive version, while the 6.4 seconds of the stock model matches the opposition.
A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, actually a strengthened version of that from the larger i40 model, while other upgrades include significant stiffening to the shell to aid the car’s handling prowess.
Visual changes are not as radical as the likes of Honda has done with the Civic Type R. The i30 N is intended to be an everyday car, so while the front and rear bumpers, the side skirts and the alloy wheels are bespoke, they are not radical redesigns and the car looks pleasing to the eye. Most obvious markers, in fact, are the Performance Blue paintwork that is only offered as an N option, and the red finish to the calipers acting on the enlarged brake discs.
The options list is notable because basically there isn’t one – the only choices are metallic or pearlescent paint, and on the N Performance specifying the same cloth seat finish as the N, instead of the standard leather of the higher performance model. This no-cost alternative is really aimed at the truly competitive, as it saves 12kg in weight…
This lack of options does not mean that the i30 N is a stripped-down hot hatch – far from it. The standard specification is just as in the rest of the range, long and impressive – particularly as this will be regarded as a range-topping i30.
LED head and tail lights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start and an eight-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatibility all come as standard, before one starts talking about the performance upgrades. N Performance models also add the leather and suede seats, electrically adjustable up front, and an ‘Active Variable Exhaust System’ which Hyundai says it added just for fun and which basically allows the car to make evocative ‘crackle’ and ‘pop’ sounds from the exhaust when in the N or Custom drive modes – more on which shortly.
The safety package is as pleasingly extensive as other Hyundais. Autonomous emergency braking with a collision warning is standard, as are hill-start assist, driver and emergency stop sign alerts. While the i30 N has not specifically been tested by Euro NCAP, it retains the full safety package of the mainstream i30 that scored five stars earlier in 2017.
One major plus of the i30 N is its warranty. The car is supplied with the same five-year deal that is standard across the Hyundai range, but remarkably it also covers track use. It won’t sort any crash damage resulting from too fast a corner entry and a meeting with a barrier, but if the engine cries enough, for example, Hyundai will want to know.
Inside the Hyundai i30 N
Interior is not radical but is well thought-out and put together.
Stepping inside the i30 N will be familiar territory to anyone who has driven any of the mainstream range. The interior space replicates that of the rest of the range, generally good, with slightly restrictive rear headroom but a 395-litre boot that outdoes many rivals. The seats are more cossetting than the normal car’s to keep the driver in one place when cornering hard on the track, but not to the degree that becomes uncomfortable on a long journey.
The design of the cockpit is not at all radical but generally well thought-out and put together. Everything one expects from a normal road car is there in terms of audio, Bluetooth, navigation and smartphone connection, including wireless charging.
Being an N, however, there are some extras. The instrument display includes a bespoke digital cluster that offers information aimed at trackday use, providing lap times, acceleration and G-force recorded, while a line of shift lights on the dash light up as one goes up the rev range, turning from orange to red as the max power point comes closer.
The driving modes are selected by two buttons, mounted either side of the bottom spoke of the steering wheel. The lefthand one offers the usual normal, eco and sport modes, while the righthand one is intended only for the track. Its N Performance mode stiffens everything up and produces the most performance, while a custom mode allows one to for example have all of the performance without the rock-hard suspension, perhaps for enthusiastic progress along a challenging and empty country road.
Driving the Hyundai i30 N
When one wants the car to perform, the i30 N is truly remarkable
The i30 N is of course intended as a driver’s car, which is why the launch day focuses on laps of the challenging Cadwell Park. But rural Lincolnshire also offers surprisingly challenging roads, and a route around these proves that this really is an everyday performance car. In its normal, even sport mode, it is as well-behaved as any other family hatch, and a shopping trip to the supermarket, or a drive across half of the country with miles of motorway munching, will prove unremarkable and fatigue-free.
When one wants the car to perform, however, the i30 N becomes truly remarkable – in just how good it is. While our test cars are to N Performance specification, with more performance extras that include an electronic limited slip differential, larger brakes and wheels and bespoke Pirelli performance tyres, it is the handling that most impresses.
A combination of excellently sorted suspension and well-designed electronics stops the front-end diving under braking, then point the car’s nose into the apex of the bend and hold the rear tight as the revs are wound on, with none of the rear-end fidgetiness that one expects.
There’s more. Launch control enables superbly rapid getaways from a standing start, while out on the track a brake knock-back feature pre-loads the callipers to ensure when one steps on the pedal retardation is instant. The faster one tries, the better the car becomes, accompanied by the right noise, the active exhaust adding the popping and banging soundtrack. This can be turned off but why would you want to? It is a whole lot of fun.
Verdict
Albert Biermann has been quoted as saying he was given a blank sheet of paper and “the opportunity of a lifetime” when appointed as the head of the N division. On the evidence of the Hyundai i30 N, he’s made the most of that opportunity.
Any experienced performance driver who steps into the i30 N will initially express major surprise and then start to smile. This is certainly no chipped hatch with big wheels – it has every bit as much prowess as better-known rivals, and indeed this reviewer found it to be just as much fun as the so-called class above Honda Civic Type R that he drove recently on road and track. And all this is clothed in an overall package which is no less an everyday car than any mainstream Hyundai, Ford or Volkswagen.
The Hyundai i30 N proves that performance car fans do not need to compromise – this really is the best of both worlds.
The Volvo S90 and V90 range-topping saloon and estate models can now be ordered with a new petrol engine targeted primarily at company drivers.
The T4 unit is a Euro 6 emissions compliant 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 190hp and mated to an automatic transmission. Volvo currently only offers a petrol engine as part of the hybrid models, alongside two diesel units.
The Swedish brand believes the new engine will appeal to drivers wanting to stick with petrol drivetrains but still take advantage of higher fuel economy figures closer to those recorded with diesel units. The T4 engine returns combined cycle economy of 42.2 mpg in the S90 and 40.9 mpg in the V90.
Volvo will offer T4 versions of the S90 and V90 across the full trim level line-up from Momentum to Inscription Pro. Standard equipment includes the Sensus nine-inch touchscreen control system, satellite navigation with real-time traffic information, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive technology, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and leather-faced upholstery. Depending on the trim level, T4 versions are available with wheels ranging from 18 to 21 inches.
Retaining former diesel car buyers
Diesel engine sales have been sliding in recent months on the back of negative publicity over their emissions, with registrations of new diesel cars down 15% year-to-date and 30% in October alone.
According to Volvo Car UK’s Head of Business Sales, Steve Beattie, petrol engines are becoming an increasingly popular choice with motorists, including business users. “It’s imperative we offer the range of engines that our customers demand, and we expect strong interest in the S90 and V90 T4,” he says.
Part of the system involves Active Steering Assist, claimed as a world-first and steering the car away from a permanent obstacle, such as a crash barrier or a pedestrian, if it calculates braking will not avoid a collision.
CoDrive, meanwhile, adds to the usual cruise control system to reduce the strain on the driver. Including technology dubbed Lane Tracing Assist, it works to keep the car in its lane, distinguishing between tarmac, grass and kerbs, and will make steering inputs to help.
Part of the system involves Active Steering Assist, claimed as a world-first and steering the car away from a permanent obstacle, such as a crash barrier or a pedestrian, if it calculates braking will not avoid a collision.
CoDrive, meanwhile, adds to the usual cruise control system to reduce the strain on the driver. Including technology dubbed Lane Tracing Assist, it works to keep the car in its lane, distinguishing between tarmac, grass and kerbs, and will make steering inputs to help.
Matched to an equally new six-speed manual gearbox, the 1.5-litre diesel has been refined to cut its CO2 emissions, though Ford is not yet quoting figures. It produces 125hp and 300Nm of torque, and is available as standard in front-wheel-drive form.
The 1.5-litre unit will also be the only engine matched to the new all-wheel-drive system, which in normal running powers the front wheels but will be able almost instantaneously to send up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels.
Alongside the diesel Ford also intends to launch a new 100hp 1.0-litre petrol model in mid 2018, promising improved economy and emissions over existing powertrains. Launch engine options will be a 100hp 1.5-litre diesel and 125hp and 140hp versions of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.
Prices for the new EcoSport range will be released closer to its showroom debut.
What’s in store for 2018?
Four-wheel steering also features, turning the rear wheels by up to three degrees to aid manoeuvrability at low speeds, stability at high speeds. Other chassis technology includes active torque vectoring and carbon-ceramic brakes, while there are six driving modes selectable from the cockpit, including off-road, sand and snow modes.
The engine is placed low in the chassis to improve the centre of gravity, while Lamborghini also claims that the Urus kerb weight of under 2,200kg gives it the best power-to-weight ratio of 3.38kg/hp. The Bentayga of sister brand Bentley tips the scales at 2440kg.
The Urus shares its platform with the Bentayga, also used under the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. The Lamborghini is one of the most coupé-like SUVs offered in the sector, with its profile two-thirds metal and one-third glass.
Exterior detailing includes references to Lamborghini sports cars, such as a peak on the bonnet reminiscent of the Miura and Aventador, and diagonal bonnet lines first seen on the Countach. Also recalled is the LM002, an off-roader produced by Lamborghini between 1986 and 1993.
First deliveries of the Urus are planned for Spring 2018, at prices likely to start from around £165,000. The SUV is expected to double Lamborghini’s annual production volume, and the Urus range will expand, likely including a plug-in hybrid version.
The shell generates significant downforce which again is a route Aston Martin has not previously pursued with its road cars. Construction is an evolution of the aluminium structure used on the recently launched DB11, though Aston Martin adds that 70% of the Vantage structure is new. The interior replicates the bolder look of the exterior with a focus on the driver.
Power for the new Vantage is provided by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is set as far back and low down in the chassis as possible to improve the car’s centre of gravity and provide a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Combined with an eight-speed transmission, it produces 505hp at 6000rpm, together with 685Nm of torque between 2000 and 5000rpm, which sends the Vantage through 60mph in 3.5 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 195mph.
Industry observers suggest a V12 version of the car is likely to launch later, but not a hybrid as Aston Martin’s already announced plans to offer electrified versions of all its cars are scheduled from 2025, suggesting the next generation of Vantage will be the first with electric power.
Electronic aids on the new car include stability and torque vectoring chassis assistance, speed-dependent electric power steering and for the first time on an Aston Martin an Electronic Rear Differential (E-Diff). Linked to the car’s electronic stability control system, it is said to understand the car’s behaviour, reacting much more efficiently than a conventional LSD to direct the engine’s power to the relevant wheel. As a result, the car feels more planted both in terms of straight-line stability and cornering performance.
Aston Martin is now taking orders for the new Vantage, at prices starting from £120,900.
