Sommaire pour February 12, 2020 de Autocar

IN THE WAKE of the government saying it wants to ban sales of new non-zero-emission cars by 2035 (p13), Andrew Frankel’s rundown of the 50 cars you should drive before you die (p39) has added prescience. Perhaps that should be ‘50 cars to drive before the combustion engine dies’. Not quite. The list is intended as a celebration of the car in many forms – including electric cars. It’s why we’re asking you to vote for the ultimate car to try before you die for our Readers’ Champion award this year. In fact, the government would do well to look at the list and reflect on the love people have for cars, regardless of powertrains. It reminded me that cars should be carrots and not sticks. If you want to…

Volkswagen Motorsport has confirmed that it is building a second-generation version of its record-breaking ID R prototype – and it is also aiming to eclipse a lap record held by a Formula 1 car. The 671bhp ID R was developed by VW’s motorsport arm in 2018 for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It set a new outright record and since then has broken the electric lap record at the Nürburgring and the outright hill record at Goodwood. It has also set a new record on Tianmen Mountain in China. VW Motorsport chief Sven Smeets said the improvements to create the new ID R Evo will focus on aerodynamics and the powertrain system. Talking about the powertrain, Smeets said: “We have several options for the future, and with e-mobility there…

A PROTOTYPE FOR the next-generation Hyundai i20 has been spotted ahead of its confirmed unveiling at next month’s Geneva motor show. The Ford Fiesta rival is tipped to receive an extensive overhaul, including styling inspired by the new i10 and a revamp of the model’s interior and technology features. There’s also a strong possibility that some electrified powertrain variants will be brought in to help the Korean manufacturer meet stringent EU emissions targets. Hyundai’s new Santa Cruz pick-up truck has also been seen undergoing winter testing. The Santa Cruz is confirmed for launch in 2021 and is targeted at the US ‘compact’ truck market dominated by models such as the Ford Ranger. It’s not yet clear if the model will come to Europe or the UK.…

New car brand Czinger will unveil a bespoke hypercar called the 21C at the upcoming Geneva motor show. Promising to showcase a “paradigm shift in the way vehicles are designed, developed, engineered and manufactured”, the year-old brand is named after founder and CEO Kevin Czinger, the man behind the Divergent Blade supercar. The Blade was claimed to be the first car of its type to use 3D printing to form the body and chassis components. Details of the new model are scarce, but Czinger claims its “revolutionary technology” has led to “a groundbreaking hypercar with an iconic design and dominating performance”. It uses a hybrid powertrain of unconfirmed size and output, with the car and its propulsion system designed, developed, engineered and manufactured from scratch at the company’s base in…

When Jaguar launched the original F-Type in 2013, the hype that surrounded its arrival was palpable. Why wouldn’t it be? Here was one of Britain’s most revered sports car marques launching what was, well, its first bona fide two-seat sports car in what felt like forever. This was no mere replacement for the long-standing XK; the F-Type signified something much bigger than that. Not only did Jaguar know that its name would explicitly mark it out as a spiritual successor to Sir William Lyons’s legendary E-Type, but it was also the car with which it would very successfully, and with a healthy dose of supercharged British attitude, take the fight to the likes of Porsche and its formidable 911. Fast forward to 2020 and it’s tricky to shake the feeling…

Ford’s new Puma compact crossover has been making plenty of waves since it was revealed a couple of months ago. As well as grabbing generous helpings of buyer interest, it has collared the coveted What Car? Car of the Year award. A combination of great styling, nice spec and ideal size looks like sending Ford’s latest to the top of the baby SUV class. Yet there are still questions. Ford currently offers two three-cylinder mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrains, with 123bhp and 153bhp. Choose the former and you save £750. Is the extra outlay worthwhile? And the Puma range’s three distinct models offer three ride comfort levels – 17in wheels and compliant suspension for the Titanium, 17in wheels and sports suspension for the ST-Line and 18in wheels with ditto for the ST-Line…

1 RANGE ROVER SDV6 VOGUE Full-fat Range Rover is still the best posh SUV for GLS money. Doesn’t have seven seats, but does have rolling refinement, class and badge appeal to burn. 2 BMW X7 xDRIVE30D M SPORT X7’s looks are an acquired taste, but BMW’s flagship SUV nonetheless drives well and is commendably spacious inside. A bona fide seven-seater. 3 AUDI Q7 50 TDI S LINE QUATTRO Newly facelifted Q7 majors on tech appeal and ride quality but remains a fairly remote steer. Still good value in this company. 4 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 400D AMG LINE PREMIUM 4MATIC Diesel powertrain is impressively muscular and refined but could ride better. Interior is spacious but lacks some wow factor. 5 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SD6 HSE LUXURY Massive off-road capability and impressively talented across the wider board,…

Porsche 911 2002 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, £14,995, 93k miles The smart money should head towards unpopular Porsches for those playing the long ‘appreciation’ game. What everyone really wants, of course, is a 911. You could get a mortgage and go all 993 for the purity, but right now a 996, the first water-cooled one, is the most affordable. There are problems to dodge, though, from the well-known IMS shaft issues and more rarely cracked cylinder heads and liners. Any rust usually means that it could have been patched up after a bash. But whether you want a coupé, cabriolet or Turbo, this is the best way to drive your dream 911. Mini Cooper S 2005 John Cooper Works, £5490, 90k miles The obvious buy is one of those rusty classic…

The used EV market is showing signs of growth but, as this was written, one popular sales website was displaying just 2300 of them. At least they suit most pockets thanks to prices ranging from £5195 for a 2011-reg Nissan Leaf to £99,950 for a 2019-reg Tesla Model S. Here are some of the best… Nissan Leaf (2011-18) PRICE £5000-£16,500 OFFICIAL RANGE 100-155 miles OUR PICK Leaf Acenta 30kWh, 2015-reg, 64,000 miles, £9995 Early versions were basic and had a smaller boot but, from 2013, the car gained more range and three trim levels. There’s a 22kWh version but we prefer the 30kWh’s longer range. LOOK OUT FOR Reduction in battery charge cells, that the unique infotainment SD card is with the vehicle and that all recalls have been followed…

Jim Holder’s article ‘UK at risk of perfect storm’ (15 January) should be a wake-up call to all car enthusiasts. Our choice of great and interestingt cars is going to be severely curtailed in the near future. I believe that the makers of interesting and/or higher-performing, higher-CO2 cars will just stop selling those models in the UK. As the article says, it simply won’t stack up as a business case when they only have the UK, rather than the whole of Europe, to average out their fleet CO 2. We are set to become the poor relations. Of course, all of the very high-end models – Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce etc – will still be available because they will have the exemptions due to low production numbers. It will just mean…

MILEAGE 11,682 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether the modern-day Jimny is as worthy as its iconic predecessor The Jimny has become an easy, comfortable companion for urban and rural journeys over the past few months, but until now we haven’t really tested its promised forte: off-road prowess. Jimnys, past and present, have long been known for their 4x4 capability, led by light weight. In the case of our Jimny, it is around 1135kg on the scales; for comparison, a new Defender 90 weighs 2300kg. My only off-roading in the Jimny had been some brief, tentative drives across muddy fields. So on a dreary Monday in January, I headed to the wilds of Lincolnshire – Tixover Quarry, to be precise – to see if the Jimny lived up to…

MILEAGE 31,047 LAND ROVER SERIES 3 Well, it had been a bit chilly. I turned the key, but I know it well enough to realise the engine would never actually fire. Luckily, there are other vehicles available and I wasn’t planning to shift much stuff. I did hoof out the battery, though, as it was such a long way from a three-pin plug. If I was a proper fleet car owner, I would have detailed records of when I bought the last battery. I certainly remember getting one during the 2009 cold snap but, whatever, this one is probably on its way out.…

Suzuki Swift Sport 1.6 3dr Price £8995 A warm hatch from a small Japanese maker. Surely not the ingredients for a future classic, except that under the bonnet of the old Swift Sport is that rare thing: a naturally aspirated petrol engine. It’s a 1.6 producing, from 2014-17, 134bhp. With the Swift weighing just 1045kg, that translates to 128bhp per tonne – or about the same as the Peugeot 206 GTi. Will we regard the little Suzuki in the same light? That’s a stretch but it is almost as fun to drive and it’s a last-of-breed. Around £9000 buys a very low-mileage 2017-reg.…

“In range-topping form, the new two-door model would benefit from a twin-motor set-up” Volkswagen is planning an advanced new electric sports car that is earmarked to act as a figurehead for a limited range of performance-based ID R road cars and is set to go into production by the middle of the decade. The new headlining Volkswagen model has been conceived as both a coupé and roadster, according to highly placed Volkswagen sources, and will be based on the German car maker’s skateboard-style MEB platform – the same integrated structure that also underpins the ID 3 hatchback. It has been suggested that the ID R could compete against the second-generation Tesla Roadster, if an internal ID sub-brand strategy paper calling for the proposed model to be assembled at the company’s…

VOLKSWAGEN HAS TURNED the development mule for its record-breaking ID R sports car into a showcase for a planned range of high-performance EVs from its R division – and Autocar has had a first taste of its potential. The Golf eR1 made its public debut at the recent GP Ice Race event in Austria. The machine uses the body of a Golf TCR touring car racer, but it is fitted with a high-performance twin-motor electric powertrain that, sources suggest, produces close to 500bhp and puts it through all four wheels. A refined version of the twin-motor powertrain, producing 671bhp, was eventually used in the ID R record-breaker. The eR1 is now being used to showcase the potential of – and test systems for – an eventual hot ID 3 R…

AN ACCELERATED PLAN to ban by 2035 the sale of all petrol and diesel-engined cars – and which now includes hybrids and plug-in hybrids – has been branded “extremely concerning” by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The proposed ban, which is five years earlier than had been previously scheduled, was announced by prime minister Boris Johnson as part of measures to help the UK achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Previously the government had said ultra-low-emission vehicles, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, that emit less than 75g/km of CO2 would still be allowed, but the new plan will ban the sale of any vehicle that is not zero emissions. Based on current technology, that would allow only battery-electric or hydrogen cars to be sold. However, SMMT…

GORDON MURRAY DESIGN has unveiled an autonomous, electric and ultra-lightweight quadricycle that is claimed to meet new car crash safety requirements. Called the Motiv, it has been launched as part of a consortium alongside Delta Motorsport and itMoves. The single-seater pod is said to provide “significant cost savings and improved refinement” over similar concepts thanks to Murray’s patented iStream Superlight tech. The 2.54m-long Motiv is targeted for use as private city transport or last-mile deliveries, and is “ready for immediate adaptation for driverless use”. A 20kW electric motor mated to a 17.3kWh battery pack promises a range of about 62 miles and a top speed of 40mph. A 450kg kerb weight is claimed without the battery. The consortium is looking for tech partners to begin real-world trials ahead of mass…

SKODA VISION IN Previews the first car to be built in India off a bespoke new MQB A0 IN architecture for the country – and priced to beat rivals including the Kia Seltos. KIA SONET Buoyed by the success of the larger Seltos, Kia will be hoping for more of the same with the smaller Sonet SUV when it makes production later this year. TATA SIERRA The Sierra name made a surprise return on a small electric SUV concept at the show. The only thing in common with its 1990s forebear is a three-door layout. VOLKSWAGEN TAIGUN Sister car to the Vision IN, the Taigun will make production shortly after the Skoda despite having been revealed in its final form first. Unrelated to previous Up-based Taigun concepts. MARUTI SUZUKI FUTURO-E…

A TEST MULE for what appears to be McLaren’s upcoming hybrid Sports Series model has been spotted – with a glimpse of the dashboard revealing more than first expected. McLaren’s CEO, Mike Flewitt, told Autocar back in April that the first non-Ultimate Series hybrid would be the replacement for its Sports Series line-up, which includes the 540S, 570S, 570GT and 600LT, and it would be launched some time this year. This new test mule, marked out as a hybrid by mandated badging and complex interior wiring, is based on a 570S but with repositioned exhausts and carbonfibre aerodynamic body addenda. More interesting, however, is what can be seen in the interior shots. Within a new digital dial design, this prototype features a ‘car status’ menu based around a detailed graphic…

MODEL TESTED 400D AMG LINE PREMIUM 4MATIC Price £75,040 • Power 326bhp • Torque 516lb ft • 0-60mph 6.5sec • 30-70mph in fourth 6.9sec • Fuel economy 30.0mpg • CO2 emissions 213g/km • 70-0mph 45.5m The Mercedes-Benz GLS, which is now entering its third full model cycle, has become something of a strange idol for those who believe, absolutely and unquestionably, that bigger must necessarily mean better when it comes to luxury cars. It hasn’t always been known by that initialism. The first version, which stretched the ML-Class’s underpinnings to suit a proper adult-sized seven-seat SUV application, was dubbed ‘GL’ when it came along in 2007 and helped provide the production volume to establish Mercedes’ US factory in Alabama. But now that first mission has been achieved, and with so many…

Never mind all the new electric cars arriving this year, could 2020 be the year people start buying used ones? It’s an important question since whether people are prepared to buy used electric cars and for how much will help determine how successful the new models will or won’t be. Simply put, it’s used EVs that will provide nervous buyers with their first, more affordable experience of an electric car that one day may give them the confidence to purchase a new one. It’s used EVs that will determine how much people pay each month for a new model on a PCP. And it’s used EVs that, if they sell easily and for a profit, will give dealers the confidence to market and support the new models. Fortunately, it looks…

A SIGN THAT used electric cars are becoming more popular is the arrival of dealers specialising in them. EV Experts, based in Guildford, was founded in 2017 by Martin Miller, a former advertising executive with Ogilvy & Mather where he worked on the Ford account, and later at Nokia where he became familiar with battery technology. A few years ago, he found himself in the market for a used BMW i3 but was shocked by how poorly dealers treated him. “It was a woeful experience,” he tells me when we meet on his forecourt located, ironically, on the site of an old BP filling station. “If you could persuade them to let you try an i3, they weren’t interested in accompanying you and they knew very little about the technology.…

NEW vs USED Mercedes-AMG A45 vs Nissan GTR: how much fun for £50k? The AMG A45’s price, power and positioning put it closer to a used Nissan GTR than any of its hot hatch peers. Can it cause an upset? INSIGHT Getting a handle on handling The science behind handling, and what ‘good’ handling really means INVESTIGATION Global car sale trends 2019 Who bought what, where and how many. We crunch the numbers EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Rolls-Royce Cullinan The SUV has helped Rolls to record sales. How good is it? We find out FIRST DRIVE BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé A stretched 1 Series or a shrunken front-drive 3 Series? Our first test FIRST LOOK Polestar 2 We join the team behind Polestar’s first all-electric mainstream model SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe…

MILEAGE 5979 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if Mazda’s bold claims about its revolutionary Skyactiv-X tech ring true Gone are the days when a new car competed with three or four core rivals in the same class. Ever-expanding ranges and niches that don’t remain so for very long mean most mid-sized metal is cross-shopped between two or more car categories now – even within one brand itself. So when Mazda launched the similarly sized, priced and positioned CX-30 crossover hatch-cum-SUV, we thought there was plenty of merit in living with it for a week to compare it with our long-term 3. And indeed there was. The maker hasn’t gone to great lengths to disguise the CX-30’s platform relation. The design similarity is clear, though to our eyes the crossover…

Our round-up of coupés begins with this, the Fiat Coupé of 1993-2000. It was first offered in 2.0-litre 16-valve and turbocharged forms, but these were replaced a couple of years later by 20-valve five-cylinder versions. Today, it’s the 20v Turbo that hogs the classifieds, with prices starting from around £2000 (or £1000 for non-runners) and rising to £25,000 for the best ones. We can think of tougher cars but the Fiat has its charms, not least those looks and that engine, which, in 20-valve turbo form, made 217bhp for 0-62mph in 6.3sec. It’s a strong unit but we’d change the cambelt and water pump every 50,000 miles. When checking one over, make sure the rear coolant hose is secure. (It can let go without warning but the clamshell bonnet traps…

An expert’s view KEVIN FATHERS, FOUNDER, FAVERSHAM CLASSICS “A good Stag can hold its own in modern traffic, plus it’ll seat four comfortably and carry their luggage. The exhaust note is like no other. Cynics say it distracts you from the car’s poor performance but the Stag is a GT that will happily cruise all day at the legal maximum. Prices have been rising in recent years so that decent ones start at £10,000. The Stag has a reputation for unreliability that dates from when it was new but today many have been fitted with more reliable parts. For example, modern head gaskets are made from much better materials and don’t give any trouble.” Buyer beware… ■ BODY Check for rust on the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, bootlid edges…

While plans develop for hot new versions of Volkswagen’s electric-powered ID models (see p8), the company’s R division is expanding into a new niche for its combustion-engined cars. Having recently added the 296bhp T-Roc R to its ranks, Volkswagen’s performance car division has now turned its attention to the Arteon line-up. A new 325bhp range-topping Arteon R saloon will arrive during the final quarter of this year as part of the range’s mid-life facelift. Following the hot version of the Arteon saloon, Volkswagen R plans to unleash a similarly powered version of the upcoming Arteon Shooting Brake in the first half of 2021. The coupé-cum-estate, which will be launched in standard form first at the start of the year, has the distinction of being among the last all-new combustion-engined models…

Aston Martin has revealed the new Vantage Roadster, which the company hopes will provide a boost to underwhelming Vantage sales. The Porsche 911 Cabriolet rival costs from £126,950 and is available to order now, with deliveries beginning in the second quarter of this year. That price would have been a modest £6000 increase over that of the hard-top but, as part of a round of updates for the 2021 model year, the list price of the coupé has been reduced from £120,900 to £114,800. The convertible Vantage is said to “amplify the emotional appeal” of the two-seater and receives what Aston claims is the fastest fully automatic soft-top hood in the business, going from opened to closed and vice versa in under seven seconds at speeds of up to 31mph.…

MOST PREMIUM CAR makers have used some sort of active sound technology to get rid of unwanted resonance, either by sending noise-cancelling signals through speakers or by using active engine mounts to quell vibrations – especially on models using cylinder deactivation technology. At the Consumer Electronics Show, Continental AG showed off a Speakerless Immersive Sound system it has developed in collaboration with premium sound specialist Sennheiser. While not a sound cancellation system, ‘Ac2ated’, as it’s called, takes an unusual approach to broadcasting audio sound inside the cabin of a car. Instead of conventional speakers, the system turns the car’s internal trim panels into speaker surfaces. Continental likens the tech to the way the wooden body of a musical string instrument, such as a violin or cello, acts as a resonance…

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Porsche’s GTS models have arguably represented the sweet spot in the range for quite some time now. Infusing a little of the Motorsport-themed GT cars’ hard edge with a generous smothering of everyday usability, these machines are compromised, but in a good way. So it’s fair to expect that the new Macan GTS will be the pick of the sporty SUV bunch. As with its predecessor (and all GTS models, frankly), the formula is fairly simple: the Macan gets a more focused suspension set-up, a bit more power and some natty visual additions. And as ever with these models, the changes add up to a little more than the sum of their parts. As before, the chassis is treated to a 15mm drop over the standard car, making the GTS…

VERDICT In this almost shamelessly aggrandised class, recreating the superiority of the S-Class was always going to pose an interesting challenge. Just as hot hatch virtues rarely translate into their higher-riding crossover counterparts, the greatest attribute Mercedes’ famous limousine possesses – its sublime ride quality – appears to have been lost during the journey upwards. That the latest GLS has not received an interior to truly dazzle its occupants seals its fate as an outwardly impressive but ultimately unremarkable addition to the Mercedes line-up. None of which is to say that this car won’t enrich the lives of owners. Its straight-six diesel powertrain is superb and the cabin is comfortable and spacious enough for the longest of journeys, where the car’s enviable aural refinement comes to the fore. The high…

“The Ferrari F40 is about the sense of occasion, the totally immersive driving experience” There have been times – rare ones, I concede – where briefly the Ferrari F40 is superseded in my mind as the greatest road car I’ve driven. It happened a few years back with the LaFerrari, and many years before with the McLaren F1. But once time is allowed for true perspective, there it always is. The F40. Enzo’s last car. Ferrari’s thoughts on the car were much like the man: ribald and forthright. “This car is so fast,” he was reported as saying, “you’ll shit yourself.” And in 1987 perhaps that was a risk. But we acclimatise: you don’t expect any longer to run screaming from the room when Psycho comes on the telly, or…

“OUR SON-IN-LAW sent us a Tesla wall charger, so we thought we better get a car to plug into it.” As a reason to go green it’s not quite on the same level as saving the planet, but I get the impression Lorraine Bailey is just making excuses for her husband John, whose heart is already set on buying their first EV. So set, in fact, that the couple have come in John’s Jag all the way from Earley near Reading to the Holiday Inn, outside Sevenoaks, for a presentation on the benefits of running an electric car. Afterwards, there will be a chance to drive a Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Models S, X and 3, an Audi E-tron, a BMW i3s and a Renault Zoe. The Baileys have been joined…

FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 5358 WHY WE RAN IT To see if Peugeot’s smart new generation of saloons really does offer a viable alternative to German premium rivals At least it won’t be boring. Those were my words on Peugeot’s smart, stylish 508 saloon in my opening report last summer. After plenty of time to get to know first the saloon, or Fastback as Peugeot calls it, and then the SW estate variant, do I stand by that statement? Yes… and no. Yes, in the sense that Peugeot’s alternative to the beloved BMW 3 Series is really that. There: a positive answer to why we were running it, straight up. But although the 508 offers pleasing refinement, plenty of comfort over long distances and respectable figures when it comes to fuel…

Audi’s Q3 is so well built and its styling so evolutionary that you have to ask yourself why you’d buy a brand-new second-generation model starting at £34,640 on the road when you could have an example of its predecessor, a 2013-reg one-owner 2.0 TDI 140 SE quattro with a full main dealer service history, for nearly £27,000 less. The answer might be because the used one hasn’t got the latest infotainment technology and isn’t as efficient, because it has done 85,000 miles and because it no longer smells so nice. Still, all that image and quality for just £8000… You can pay as little as £6000 for a used Q3 or as much as £30,000 for an example of its hot spin-off, the RS Performance model. The sweet spot is…

MGB ROADSTER No classic car auction is worth its salt without a sprinkling of MGBs. Prices for early chrome-bumper models are getting silly but fortunately there are always the later, and much maligned, rubber-bumper cars for less money. Launched in 1975, they sit a little higher than the earlier model – they have thicker anti-roll bars to contain body roll – but a clever paint scheme can make them look better proportioned. Just before Christmas, a late 1981 LE roadster in good condition and with 78,000 miles went through the ring and changed hands for just £2912.…

Michelotti styling: tick. James Bond cameo: tick. Things were looking up for Triumph’s four-seat convertible when it was launched in 1970. And then rumours began to circulate about its bespoke but unreliable 3.0-litre V8 engine. Cooling problems, an under-sized water pump located in the wrong place, head gasket and timing chain failures, warped cylinder heads, internal casting sand deposits… Just a few of the issues that plagued it then, to which, today, you can add rust – lots of it. That so many survive (around 8000 in the UK) is testament to the Stag’s enduring appeal. Triumph from adversity you might say, if you enjoy a bad pun. What’s to like? Those looks, for a start, and that bellowy V8. It’s a genuinely roomy car and practical, too. There’s a…