Autocar May 22, 2019

FEW CARS HAVE such a large question mark hanging over them as the next Vauxhall Corsa. Most cars typically spend four to five years in development before emerging as a polished product (well, in theory…) but the new Corsa is now almost ready for its imminent reveal in little over two. Such a short development is practically unheard of for a mass-produced car. For it to happen to one as crucial to its maker’s volumes as the Corsa is to Vauxhall is remarkable, even more so after the current one ultimately fell some way short of the class best. But as Matt Prior finds out from a drive of a late-prototype version (p46), it shows no signs of holding the Corsa back. Should we be surprised? Vauxhall is a company whose balance sheet…

Land Rover has heavily updated its Discovery Sport best-seller with a range of new electrified engines, a new platform and a major interior upgrade to take on premium rivals such as the Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5. Launched in 2014, the Discovery Sport remains Land Rover’s top-selling model. The firm sold nearly 100,000 examples worldwide last year – almost a quarter of its total sales. Despite that, sales have tailed off as the Sport has lost ground to a fresher set of rivals, so this new version will be crucial in attempts to turn around the struggling fortunes of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The five- and seven-seat model switches from Land Rover’s D8 platform to the new Premium Transverse Architecture used by the second-generation Range Rover Evoque, which is also built at the…

The Discovery Sport might be easy to overlook in Land Rover’s busy launch schedule. It’s neither as eagerly anticipated as the second-generation Range Rover Evoque that came before it or the reborn Defender that will follow it. But it’s arguably the most important of the three. The Defender is the firm’s ‘halo’ model, a link to the past that underlines Land Rover’s credibility as a maker of genuine off-roaders. The Evoque is the machine that arguably transformed perceptions of Land Rover, broadening its customer base considerably. It’s no surprise the new Defender seems to take inspiration from both of those cars. But neither model is likely to sell in the volumes the Discovery Sport does – and that’s why it’s such a crucial car for the firm, given Jaguar Land Rover’s well-documented…

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) boss Ralf Speth has played down reports that the firm could be sold to the PSA Group – but he has not refuted them outright. Tata Motors, which owns JLR, has been reported to be considering an outright or partial sale of the British firm, with the PSA Group – which comprises Citroën, DS, Peugeot and Vauxhall/Opel – tabbed as a likely buyer. PSA boss Carlos Tavares has been open about his desire to expand the group by acquiring new car brands and Autocar first reported talks about a potential deal last month. Quizzed at the FT Future of the Car Summit on rumours linking JLR and PSA, Speth (right) said: “There are lots of rumours flying around but I can’t confirm any of these discussions.” Asked if he and…

The new McLaren GT, revealed on 15 May and on sale now, will “redefine the rules of grand touring”, according to the firm. The new model is sufficiently distinct from McLaren’s existing line-up of Sports, Super and Ultimate Series models that the Woking-based brand has positioned it in its own category. It’s said to revive the spirit of “traditional grand touring – long-distance driving in comfort, at higher speeds and with room for luggage”. McLaren also claims the new car is lighter, faster and more engaging than any existing products in the GT segment. Measuring 4.68m long and 2.09m wide, the GT is McLaren’s largest production model on sale (only the sold-out Speedtail is bigger) and it targets everything from the Aston Martin DB11 to the Bentley Continental GT. McLaren claims that, at 1530kg,…

De Tomaso, the Italian performance brand that’s been dormant since its founder died in 2003, is coming back. The new owners of the brand’s name will celebrate its 60th anniversary by launching an all-new car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Images of a disguised prototype posted on social media shows that the new model bears a striking resemblance to the Pantera, a mid-engined sports car powered by a Ford V8 and produced from 1971 to 1993. It looks low-slung and wedge-shaped, with similar angular lines to the original. The Project P codename suggests the brand is intending to use the Pantera title once more, though this has yet to be confirmed. The relaunch of De Tomaso is being conducted by Ideal Team Venture, a Hong Kong-based company that brought…