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BY any stretch of the imagination, it’s been a miserable week for the car business. The terrible news that Ford is likely to close its plant in Bridgend comes off the back of a year of bad news for jobs in the UK’s car industry, as we report on page 18. The UK remains a great place to build cars; the level of expertise on the factory floor remains second to none. But the lack of support the industry gets from government is one of the main reasons this hugely important industry is floundering. We’ve seen disappointing car sales figures this week, too: May was down 4.6%. According to Mike Hawes, boss of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), “Confusing policy messages and changes to incentives continue to…

● Petrol and diesel models offered as five or seven-seater ● Two-wheel and 4MATIC four-wheel drive versions in range John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THIS is the all-new Mercedes GLB, a family SUV designed to slot into the German manufacturer’s line-up between the GLA crossover and the larger GLC. The GLB sits on the same MFA2 chassis architecture as the current A-Class, B-Class and CLA saloon, but the wheelbase is 10cm longer to give it extra practicality. The result is a car which, at 4.63 metres, is only 22mm shorter than a GLC. There are key differences from the more expensive model – not least air suspension and six-cylinder engines, neither of which are available on the GLB. That quest for practicality has delivered an unusually boxy profile. If anything, the GLB is…

“An automatic tailgate is standard, and how far it raises can be adjusted through the iDrive set-up” ● On sale from 28 September ● Plug-in hybrid also confirmed James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods AS certain as night follows day, a new Touring model has now arrived to bolster the latest BMW 3 Series line-up. Globally, estates such as this are beginning to feel the strain of the ever-growing SUV market, but the newcomer remains an important part of BMW’s business. After all, the outgoing 3 Series was still the brand’s second-biggest seller in its final year on the market, and accounted for 17 per cent of all BMW deliveries in 2018. From a design perspective the 3 Series Touring adds a conventional estate rear end on to the saloon – and there’s little…

● Advanced engineering meets luxury in third-generation GT saloon Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn BENTLEY claims to have developed the world’s ‘most advanced luxury Grand Touring saloon’ with the all-new Flying Spur. Launched, in part, to mark the British brand’s centenary, the Mk3 goes on sale this autumn. The Flying Spur has been designed and developed at Bentley’s base in Crewe. It has undergone a ground-up redesign over the outgoing car, switching to the MSB platform that also underpins the Porsche Panamera. While the latest model is only 5mm longer than the previous version, at 5,304mm, and remains the same height, at 1,488mm, the wheelbase has increased by 130mm, giving the third-generation car greater proportions without drastically altering its footprint. It rides on 21-inch alloys as standard, but buyers can spec larger 22-inch…

VAUXHALL’S new Corsa-e electric supermini will cost from £26,490, which is inclusive of the Government’s plug-in car grant. On a 47-month PCP deal, buyers will pay £270 a month, with a deposit of just under £5,500. The first 500 people to place an order will get a free home charging kit when they take delivery in the middle of next year. As standard, the Corsa-e will come fitted with a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 11kWh on-board charger, sat-nav, LED headlights, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and DAB radio. A 50kWh battery drives an electric motor on the front axle; Vauxhall claims 205 miles will be achievable on a full charge.…

SEAT is the latest brand to reveal its first fully-electric car, the Mii electric. And when it arrives in dealerships in September, it’s expected that conventional, petrol-powered versions of the Spanish city car will be axed. The Mii electric is powered by a 36.8kWh battery pack and electric motor, producing 81bhp and 212Nm of torque. SEAT claims a range of around 160 miles, 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 81mph. To charge the battery from flat to 80 per cent will take an hour using a CCS 40kW fast-charger. A domestic 7.2kW wallbox charger will top up the battery in around four hours. Updates over the petrol-powered Mii include a new set of 16-inch alloys, a fresh dash, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and new ambient lighting. Other…