Auto Express 1667

IT’S not exactly normal practice to blurt out the result of the week’s test on the front cover of Auto Express – but in the case of the result in this issue, we’re prepared to make an exception. Because it really does feel significant that Ford, with its first bespoke pure-electric car, has managed to beat the latest version of the Tesla Model 3. The Californian EV has been a class benchmark pretty much since the day it was launched; it was, remember, the winner of the Auto Express Car of the Year gong back in 2019. And yet, as you can read from page 66, the new Mustang Mach-E manages to overcome the odds to squeak a narrow victory. It’s a little cheaper on list price, yes – but it’s also…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Electric-only crossover is based on the Volvo XC40 • 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and a max range of 261 miles VOLVO’s ‘40’ series of compact models has been expanded with this, the C40 Recharge, and its debut is largely thanks to the XC40 crossover being a smash hit. The C40 Recharge is Volvo’s first model with electric power only. A potential rival for everything from the Tesla Model 3 to Audi’s forthcoming Q4 e-tron, the C40 is a key arrival as the brand pushes towards half of its sales being electric vehicles by 2025. The C40 Recharge is a clear relative of the popular XC40, the pure-electric version of which became Volvo’s first EV offering at the end of last year. The C40’s front-end styling is very similar to the SUV’s, but its…

IT’S not exactly normal practice to blurt out the result of the week’s test on the front cover of Auto Express – but in the case of the result in this issue, we’re prepared to make an exception. Because it really does feel significant that Ford, with its first bespoke pure-electric car, has managed to beat the latest version of the Tesla Model 3. The Californian EV has been a class benchmark pretty much since the day it was launched; it was, remember, the winner of the Auto Express Car of the Year gong back in 2019. And yet, as you can read from page 66, the new Mustang Mach-E manages to overcome the odds to squeak a narrow victory. It’s a little cheaper on list price, yes – but…

“The focus is clearly on comfort and refinement, and we’re expecting lots of new safety tech to be announced when the car is revealed fully” • First drive of fourth-gen Fabia • New look, more practicality Stefan Grundhoff SUPERMINIS are still big business in the UK, which is why Skoda is launching its fourth-generation Fabia, its rival for the Ford Fiesta – and this new car’s tech should send it to the sharp end of the class. The Fabia has moved to the VW Group MQB A0 platform, and grown to 4.1 metres long – longer than a Ford Fiesta and the SEAT Ibiza, the first car on this architecture. In true Skoda style, this means more space inside, with a longer wheelbase and a wider cabin. A modern supermini has to offer this level of…

FILLING stations in the UK will start selling E10 petrol as the standard grade of unleaded from September, prompting concerns that motorists will end up spending more on fuel, while hundreds of thousands of older cars are incompatible with E10. The current standard grade of unleaded is E5, meaning it contains up to five per cent ethanol. But the Department for Transport estimates that making E10 petrol – which contains up to 10 per cent ethanol – the standard grade will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 750,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road. E5 will still be sold, but will be offered only as super unleaded once the switch is complete. Ethanol is made from fermented natural products such as grains, sugars and wood. Although it…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Electric-only crossover is based on the Volvo XC40 • 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and a max range of 261 miles VOLVO’s ‘40’ series of compact models has been expanded with this, the C40 Recharge, and its debut is largely thanks to the XC40 crossover being a smash hit. The C40 Recharge is Volvo’s first model with electric power only. A potential rival for everything from the Tesla Model 3 to Audi’s forthcoming Q4 e-tron, the C40 is a key arrival as the brand pushes towards half of its sales being electric vehicles by 2025. The C40 Recharge is a clear relative of the popular XC40, the pure-electric version of which became Volvo’s first EV offering at the end of last year. The C40’s front-end styling is very…