Table of contents for 1575 in Auto Express

VW head of sales & marketing VW’S sales & marketing boss gives us extra insight into why the firm has chosen a limited-edition launch version of the ID.3. Q Why have you chosen to start sales with an ID.3 that could cost £40,000 instead of the model you promised at roughly the same price as a high-spec diesel Golf? A “The initial 30,000 cars will be first editions, for those customers who want to be part of the pre-booking. And orders [for those cars] will be from the Frankfurt show onwards. But we’ll start orders for the regular car from market launch in summer 2020. So if you want a base-spec ID.3, you will be able to have it before the end of 2020.” Q Will the ID.3 be sold…

OFFICIAL Home Office data has revealed significant variations in how likely different police forces are to cancel speeding tickets. One constabulary voided nearly two-thirds of all the tickets it issued in the 2017/18 financial year, while another upheld almost 99 per cent. City of London Police cancelled by far the most tickets, at 62.62 per cent, followed by Cambridgeshire Police, which voided 30.57 per cent of the tickets it issued. Among the reasons were improperly calibrated cameras, missing or incorrect speed-limit road signs, or the alleged speeder not being the driver at the time of the offence. The data, analysed by finance provider Moneybarn, shows North Wales Police was least likely to cancel a Notice of Intended Prosecution for speeding, upholding 98.7 per cent of all the tickets it issued.…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor New Audi A4 range walkaround video YOU’VE read our Top Story on the new Audi A4 range on Page 8; now you can watch the video. The company has just given its best-seller a mid-life update to keep it feeling fresh, and I was one of the very first journalists to see the new car in April in Germany. Now I can take you on a full walkaround tour. We try to beat SUV lap record at Brands I BET you didn’t know the fastest SUV around the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Well, now you do, and we thought its lap time of 57.6 seconds was beatable. So we sent off Steve Sutcliffe in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio to try to add…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Which?: 01992 878329 Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 01722 422422 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0330 159 0364 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510…

THERE are a few things you need to know about the new Porsche 911 Speedster. Number one is that it’s not a brand-new 911 like the 992 we drove earlier this year (Issue 1,569); instead, it’s the last of the 991-generation of 911s. Number two, only 1,948 examples will be produced, marking the year the first Porsche – the Roadster Nr1 – was built. Three, they are all sold out. Sorry. But if you’re lucky enough to have put down a deposit, we’ve no doubt you’ll enjoy it. This last hurrah for all things 991 is a gem of a sign-off, primarily because it has been created by the company’s GT department. No disrespect to those who slave away developing Carreras, Boxsters, Caymans and the like, but the GT cars…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram DESPITE the fact Dacia launched in the UK less than a decade ago, the Duster requires little introduction. It is still the cheapest SUV on sale, starting from £9,995. If you want the space, rugged styling and raised ride height of a 4x4, but without the luxuries and premiums associated with its crossover rivals, nothing comes close. We love the Duster, and are currently running a front-drive diesel model on our test fleet. But how does the same Duster fare when it’s fitted with winter-ready all-wheel drive? We’ve tried one here in the UK to find out. The diesel engine is impressively smooth for something unashamedly billed as a budget SUV, while the manual transmission is relatively pleasant, too, which is handy given how often you’ll be changing…

MODEL TESTED: BMW X7 xDrive30d M Sport PRICE: £74,695 ENGINE: 3.0-litre 6cyl, 261bhp THE X7 sits above the X5 in BMW’s wide-ranging SUV line-up, and here we’re testing the xDrive30d diesel model. It’s the ‘entry-level’ engine, and in M Sport trim, as tested, it costs £74,695. Design & engineering BMW’S CLAR platform provides the X7’s base, so some elements are shared with models such as the X5 and 5 Series saloon. The 7 in the name hints at a family link with the 7 Series saloon, so the firm has focused on boosting luxury in order to match its flagship limousine. Height-adjustable air suspension is fitted as standard; this means the car can be lowered to help with access and to improve aerodynamics, and lifted up to increase ground clearance.…

BMW X7 BMW Live Cockpit Professional Standard Key features: Nav, online apps, gesture control THE X7 features two 12.3-inch display screens, one for the sat-nav and main infotainment functions and the other in front of the driver instead of traditional dials. Both displays are high-res and look very modern. The menus are really easy to use as well, because you don’t have to rely on the touchscreen while driving. It’s useful for entering sat-nav addresses when you’re stationary, but when on the move you can interact using the rotary dial on the centre console. This makes it a lot less fiddly than the systems in both rivals that rely on touch inputs. The feature-packed set-up includes traffic info, gesture control, 3D mapping and Apple CarPlay. Android Auto isn’t available, but…

MODEL TESTED: Suzuki Vitara 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T PRICE: £18,999 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 109bhp THERE are some important tweaks to the Vitara that, according to the manufacturer, make the updated car “the most technically advanced Suzuki model to date”. We’re testing it in £18,999 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T spec to see how much the brand has improved its offering. Design & engineering AMONG the points that mean the Vitara lives up to Suzuki’s bold claim is the engine. It’s the brand’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo engine, which produces 109bhp and 170Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. This is actually down on the Arona’s output, but the Vitara is 29kg lighter than the SEAT, so we’ll see how this affects performance. There’s more to the revamp than just a new,…

SAFETY TECH WE’VE seen that the Vitara SZ-T misses out on some important safety gear, so think carefully about which model you go for if you’ve got your heart set on the Suzuki. The SZ5 adds autonomous braking with collision warning, lane-departure warning and prevention, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic-sign recognition. Much of this kit is standard on the SEAT. BALANCE THE Arona is the better-balanced machine of the pair here. The Vitara sometimes stumbles from bump to bump, whereas the SEAT seems more able to take rough roads in its stride. It’s a pity, because Suzuki’s engineering approach always yielded cars that were quite fun to drive. Despite its new engine, this Vitara doesn’t feel especially interesting from behind the wheel. The steering is okay, though.…

Steve_Walker@dennis.co.uk HOW far has Hyundai come? The company’s products have never been more competitive than they are today, able to go toe to toe with big names in the mainstream car market, but can they really outclass those top-sellers on quality? Its new flagship SUV, the Santa Fe, has just joined our fleet and we’re going to find out if it’s classy enough to beat the best. Hyundai has been selling cars in the UK since 1982, but if the Mk2 Pony with which it tried to woo buyers back then has bolted from your memory, that’s no great loss. Through the nineties and into the noughties, the Korean brand battled away at the budget end of the market. Less-than illustrious models like the Atoz, Elantra, Getz, XG30 and Matrix…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Considering a dash cam app I’M tempted to get a dash cam app for my smartphone because the best standalone units are too expensive and beyond my budget. Is this a good idea, or would it be a false economy? Martin Booth, E-mail A UNLIKE sat-nav apps, those for dash cams have yet to overtake standalone units. Dedicated cams have several advantages, with wide-anglelenses, and modes for protection when driving and parked, giving them an edge over a smartphone. Our favourite app is Drivermatics’ Blackbox Dash Cam (above), but we think a cam is a better choice as a long-term solution. Q Wax on Diamondbrite finish THE new Ford Fiesta, which I’ve just bought, had Diamondbrite added to the paintwork. Having read your articles…

FOAM wheel cleaners are not new but have fallen out of favour recently, as makers focus on the ‘red’ revolution – cleaners that turn purple when they free iron particles baked into rims. Now Autoglym has combined the two in its recently released Wheel Cleaning Mousse, a pH-neutral cleaner that aims to expand into all those hard-to-reach places on alloys. But does the combination work? To find out we tackled grimy, nearly-new rims with the mousse and a serial test winner, Bilt-Hamber’s auto-wheel. We used them on half a wheel each and followed the makers’ instructions, allowing them to work and change colour before gently rinsing. Both were also tried using a brush, and price was factored in. The Bilt-Hamber keeps its title thanks to its more powerful formula, but…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor ● Revised A4 goes on sale in September, priced from about £27,000 ● Changes include revised styling inside and out, plus new engines “High waistline of previous A4 is replaced by more butch-looking design that apes A1 Sportback” THE Audi A4 has been around for 25 years and in that time over 7.5 million examples have been built. Now there’s a new version of the company’s top-seller, featuring a new look, a raft of updated engines and a tweaked interior design. The current, fifth-generation A4 has clocked up four years of service, but with BMW launching an all-new 3 Series and Jaguar revealing a substantially improved XE in recent months, Audi’s best-seller was looking a little stale. Step forward this new A4, with the saloon, Allroad and Avant…

● Taycan will be a ‘true Porsche’ ● Due to go on sale in September IN a little over six months Porsche will enter the world of EVs with the Taycan, and the German firm is aiming for nothing less than pole position, according to the car’s chief engineer, Stefan Weckbach. To see how Porsche’s most radical model ever is shaping up, we joined him for a ride. Porsche’s Tesla fighter has been almost five years in the making and the brief was clear from the very beginning. “We wanted the Taycan to be a true Porsche,” Weckbach told us. “That means it must be a maximum performer under every circumstance for as long as the driver demands it.” We’ve joined Porsche’s development engineers as they put the finishing touches…

Honda confirms name for its first electric car HONDA has confirmed the final name of its upcoming all-electric, retro-inspired city car: Honda e. Presented in near-finished prototype form at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, the actual car will be launched next year and is the first element of a strategy to electrify all Hondas on sale by 2025. Honda UK has revealed that it has received 6,500 expressions of interest in the Honda e. It has also announced that the next-generation Jazz supermini will be offered with a hybrid powertrain. Residential roads face 20mph limit in Wales ALL Welsh residential roads could be given a 20mph speed limit by default, after the country’s First Minister said the lower limit would cut accidents, particularly to children. Mark Drakeford said…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Patents show thinking on EV ● ‘On track’ for 2021 launch THE first details of the Dyson electric car have emerged, after patents awarded to the firm were made public – and the British technology giant appears to be considering a seven-seat crossover with unusually large wheels for a vehicle of its size. The patents were filed by Dyson 18 months ago, but the Patent Office has now published them. They reveal some of the ongoing thinking behind a project that was first announced by company founder Sir James Dyson late in 2017. In an E-mail to staff seen by Auto Express, Dyson said, “The patents certainly don’t reveal what our vehicle will really look like, but they provide a glimpse of some of the inventive steps…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC Lotus’s EV rebirth FROM: JBQ THERE can be no better owner for Lotus than Geely; its mastery of Volvo surprised me, but proves it understands brands must be curated, not controlled. Assuming Geely handles Lotus as well as it did Volvo, we should expect great things. FROM: Chris Sheldrake I’M afraid Lotus has suffered from grand ideas for too long, and has failed to deliver a decent volume-built model since the Elise. Before it can regain any credibility, the brand first needs to come up with an affordable sports car. Our exclusive image previewed look of a new Lotus in Issue 1,572. But readers have mixed views about company’s EV plans Join…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths CLICHÉS should usually be avoided at all costs, but they exist for a reason. And while it may be a cliché to say so, the Skoda Octavia vRS is a car you can buy with your head as well as your heart. The vRS Challenge model arguably ups the ‘heart’ aspect that drives so many hot-hatch purchases; as well as the standard model’s 242bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine (no diesel Challenge is offered), electronic limited-slip differential and vRS bodykit, you get adaptive dampers, a sports exhaust, Alcantara seats and 19-inch alloy wheels. And the head bit? Well, that’s still taken care of by the Octavia’s vast 590-litre boot, wide-opening tailgate and acres of rear legroom. Not to mention the reassurance of Skoda’s fifth place in the makers’ chart…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram “IVAN HAS NOW EARNED THE TITLE OF HERITAGE SPECIALIST – AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF AND PASSION FOR ALL THINGS FORD ARE SECOND TO NONE” AS the weather starts to improve and the days grow longer, Britain’s classic cars begin to emerge from hibernation. Despite a slight plateau in prices, the UK’s love affair with old motors shows no signs of slowing; from fettled Ferraris to battered BMWs, our country’s community of enthusiasts is like no other. However, while many models are squirrelled away for the winter in air-tight garages or heated hangars, some owners choose to embrace their cars’ quirks all year round. One such man is Ivan Bartholomeusz, the chap in charge of Ford of Britain’s illustrious heritage collection – an assortment of about 130 cars dotted…

MODEL TESTED: Land Rover Discovery 3.0 Sd6 HSE Luxury PRICE: £70,760 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6, 302bhp LAND Rover’s Discovery is 30 years old in 2019, but it’s as competitive as ever, so the X7 has a tough challenge. We’re testing the top-spec HSE Luxury model in Sd6 form, which costs £70,760. Design & engineering FOR much of its three decades on the road, the Discovery used an body-on-frame construction, but the latest version features an aluminium monocoque and is closely linked to the high-end Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. In fact, with this fifth generation of the Discovery, Land Rover pushed its seven-seater even closer to the flagship Range Rover, so it’s a natural competitor for the BMW. Electronically controlled air suspension is fitted as standard, just like on the…

NEW: Audi Q7 50 TDI quattro 286 Black Ed PRICE: £68,115 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 282bhp THE Audi Q7 is a lower-cost option ifyou’re after a big, premium SUV, so with our budget here you can get into a high-spec Black Edition model. The Q7 is spacious and has a top-quality cabin, but it isn’t as luxurious or as advanced as the Land Rover or BMW. USED: Range Rover 3.0 SDV6 Vogue PRICE: £75,500 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6 diesel, 271bhp IT’S possible to buy a nearly new Range Rover at this budget; we found a few with delivery miles only for around £75,000 in Vogue form with Land Rover’s diesel V6. The Range Rover is more luxurious than the Discovery inside, but it doesn’t have seven seats.…

MODEL TESTED: SEAT Arona 1.0 TSI 115 FR PRICE: £20,410 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 113bhp THE Arona is one of our favourite compact SUVs and comes with a great 1.0-litre turbo unit. In £20,410 1.0 TSI 115 FR trim, this is the benchmark the new Vitara with its latest engine has to live up to. How does it fare compared with its rival? Design & engineering SEAT’S small SUV is one element of the VW Group’s MQB masterplan. The Arona is based on this architecture, with a conventional MacPherson-strut front and torsion-beam rear end. As with the Suzuki, it sends its power to the front wheels. But unlike the Vitara, which can be specced with Allgrip all-wheel drive, the SEAT is available only with two-wheel drive. Most models in this sector…

Other options in this category… Citroen C3 Aircross PureTech 110 Feel PRICE: £17,855 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 108bhp THE C3 Aircross is one of the most versatile small SUVs on sale with up to 520 litres of boot space on offer. The PureTech 110 engine is punchy enough, while the mostly smooth ride means it’s fairly comfortable. You get a decent level of kit, too. Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI 115 SE PRICE: £19,555 ENGINE: 1.0-litre 3cyl, 113bhp IT’S pricier still, but the T-Cross brings a bit of VW quality to the small SUV market. There’s also extra practicality, thanks to up to 455 litres of boot space, and you can add tech, comfort and refinement to that list. SE trim brings everything you’d want.…

Dawn_Grant@dennis.co.uk WE all know our favourite chocolate bars and sweets have been shrinking in recent years. The manufacturers are clever – they’ve gradually shrunk their products in the hope that we don’t notice. Car makers are at it as well – just in the other direction. Living with our small VW over the past seven months has proved the point – the model is bigger than ever. The original Polo arrived in the seventies – that’s the car I mean, because the mint has been around since the forties. Back then, superminis were about as small as everyday cars got, aside from the Mini. Yet in 2019, the supermini has grown so much we’ve got another class below it (city cars). It has made me wonder if you would ever…

Audi A6 Avant Issues 1,555, 1,558, 1,566, 1,571 BMW 3 Series New arrival CupraAteca Issues 1,564, 1,573 Dacia Duster Issues 1,561, 1,564, 1,572 Hyundai Santa Fe New arrival Kia e-Niro Issue 1,569 Kia Ceed Issue 1,567 Mazda MX-5 Issue 1,573 Mercedes G-Class Issues 1,565, 1,574 Mercedes X-Class Issues 1,547, 1,557, 1,563, 1,571 Nissan Leaf Issues 1,533, 1,551, 1,555, 1,560, 1,568 SEATTarraco Issue 1,574 Skoda Fabia Issue 1,572 Volkswagen California New arrival Volkswagen Polo Issues 1,549, 1,558, 1,562, 1,570 Volkswagen Touareg New arrival Your ultimate guide to buying and owning an electric car…

FIRST TEST Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport range Price: £102.60 (SuperSport 225/40ZR18) Contact: goodyear.com THE new three-tier Eagle F1 SuperSport range (Issue 1,559) is key to Goodyear’s return to the sporting end of the tyre market, which has recently been the preserve of sister brand Dunlop. Changes in the relationship with Dunlop owner Sumitomo and the consequent restrictions on where Goodyear can sell its tyres have prompted the switch of focus. So has the former F1 world champion lost its touch when it comes to producing ultra ultra-high performance (UHHP) tyres? We took the chance to find out at the Ascari Race Resort in southern Spain. We got to spend most time with the SuperSport R fitted to a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The SuperSport R is the middle tyre in the range,…

Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American icon Greg Laurie (American Icon Press, www.knopfdoubleday.com) Price: £12.99 ALTHOUGH this book’s author undertakes his journey in a Bullitt-style Ford Mustang, the focus is on McQueen’s final six months before his diagnosis with terminal cancer. It covers his conversion to Christianity, so it’s more of a theological read than an automotive one. Lancia Stratos Graham Robson (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £19.99 THE usual good fare from Veloce. This is a lightweight reference work on one of the most iconic rally cars ever. Bigger, better books exist, but there’s plenty to recommend this cheaper alternative. It’s packed with period photos and the text is easy to read. #DRIVE Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free WE love the way this game looks, with blocky 3D…

Sponsored by Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Are bikers allowed to filter? I HAVE had several near-misses because of motorcyclists riding in the gaps between lanes as they try to get through slow-moving traffic. Is this practice legal? Keith I, E-mail MOTORCYCLISTS are allowed to drive between slow-moving traffic lanes, or ‘lane split’. While the practice can be dangerous if the rider is travelling too quickly, or other drivers are not being observant enough, the Highway Code specifically advises you should look out for bikers who may be filtering through traffic. Plans for future city ULEZs LONDON has grabbed headlines with its air quality and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), but surely other places have similar pollution problems? Are other cities introducing ULEZs? Chris Sanders, E-mail BATH, Birmingham, Glasgow…

AS you’ve read in our guide on Page 24, the car event season is upon us again in balmy Britain. And that has to be a good thing, doesn’t it? Search hard enough and you can still enjoy and exploit freebie permanent or temporary exhibitions – often in or near holiday destinations (for example, the Whitstable Classic Motor Show in Kent on 14 July). Alternatively spend £20 to attend the improved London Motor & Tech Show (16-19 May); from £39 for the unquestionably upmarket Goodwood Festival of Speed (4-7 July); £144 and up for humble CarFest North (26-28 July); and another £144-plus for the equally modest CarFest South (23-25 August). But with due respect to the organisers of the above and other leading events in the UK, isn’t it time…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● New Golf-sized hatchback on sale now ● Initial UK batch snapped up in hours THE Volkswagen ID.3 is now available for pre-order in the UK. And the first cars to arrive here will have around 260 miles of range and 110kW fast charging as standard. VW launched a microsite at the start of May for the ID.3 1st Plus, but deliveries of the car – the first model to use the MEB all-electric platform – aren’t expected to start until summer 2020. Customers pay £750 and they will be contacted early next year to confirm their order, once full specs and prices have been finalised. The initial production run is of 30,000 units – and while VW declined to say how many will come to the UK,…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Electric 19_19 Concept revealed ● Showcases interior technology THIS is the Citroen 19_19 Concept, an outlandish celebration of the company’s centenary, but one that showcases where the French brand may take future branding and interior finishes. At 4,655mm long, the 19_19 is about the same length as a Peugeot 5008 – but despite its rakish roofline, it’s about as tall as a Citroen C5 Aircross. The car’s design was inspired by aircraft – most notably the stillborn RE-2 helicopter that Citroen developed back in the seventies. As such, the 19_19’s cabin sits apart from its wheels – alloys that feature a fixed central hub and colossal 255/30 R30 Goodyear tyres. The wheels and their arches move independently of the body – a trait that the car celebrates…

Deputy editor, Auto Express WE should remember that these details – issued because they were published by the Patent Office, not because Dyson wanted them to be seen – are only the first suggestions of what the company is doing. But the firm clearly believes that a ground-up design, with large wheels, could deliver the elevated seating position and ride comfort that buyers want, while also helping to get the most out of whichever battery tech the car ends up using. Should that thought process win through, it’s quite likely to produce a car that’s not a million miles away from the patent drawings. Not least because, with a large seven-seat crossover, Dyson can enter the car market at the premium end – precisely what it has always done with…

james_howe@dennis.co.uk THERE is a common perception that electric cars are a product of the 21st century – a bold new take on personal transport set to replace the internal-combustion establishment. EVs have been thrust into the public’s consciousness over the past decade or so thanks to the disruptive success of Tesla and an ever-increasing public concern for the environment. But the truth is that electric cars have been around for far longer. To find out more, Auto Express headed to the Grampian Transport Museum (GTM). This attraction lies in the village of Alford, about 45 minutes’ drive from Aberdeen. Having opened in 1983, it now boasts an evolving range of exhibits that charts the history of transport, both on an international and local level. Remarkably, the latter is central to…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “Mercedes has done well to be fourth across the line into the all-electric premium SUV segment” Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 500/1,060 litres Electric motor Power/official range 403bhp/259 miles THE race is on for manufacturers to get electric cars to market in time for the surge in demand from eager buyers, along with a need for makers to lower their average CO2 figures or risk big EU fines. Mercedes has done well to be fourth across the line into the all-electric premium SUV segment – just behind Jaguar, Audi and, of course, Tesla. BMW, where are you? The new Mercedes EQC was unveiled last year, and this is our first chance to get behind the wheel – just as the order books open in the UK. The range starts…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram IN spite of its sporting pretensions, the Z4 has never been the most dynamic model in BMW’s wide-ranging line-up. It’s been more boulevard cruiser than back-road blaster, and always felt just a little flabby and overweight, thanks in part to its complex folding metal roof. But for this third-generation Z4, BMW has ditched the hard-top for a lighter canvas lid, which folds away in 10 seconds at up to 31mph. We’ve already driven the new Z4 on European roads (Issue 1,549), but this is our first chance to try the fresh roadster back in the UK. Our car is the flagship M40i variant, with its glorious six-cylinder petrol engine and an eight-speed automatic box. That engine is a particular point of interest, because many of the BMW’s rivals…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk PRACTICAL, affordable family transport for the masses. That’s what Ford has been known for since the first models rolled off the production line at the turn of the last century. But that changed forever in the sixties, when Henry Ford II – grandson of the founder – decided his company should enter the world of performance cars. He understood the PR impact of building fast, affordable cars to which the buying public could relate; he knew that his cars could race on Sunday, and by Monday, prospective owners would be knocking on the doors of his dealerships. This philosophy worked from that day forth. And today, each new fast Ford is anticipated more than the last. British buyers simply can’t get enough of them, and each of the cars…

MODEL TESTED: Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription Pro PRICE: £71,945 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl plus electric motor, 385bhp THE XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid offers buyers an alternative fuel choice in their luxury seven-seat SUV, and at £71,945 in Inscription Pro trim, it’s a match for its diesel-engined rivals in this test. Our pictures show a D5 model, but it’s a T8 we’re testing. Design & engineering VOLVO has made a commitment to putting a million electrified cars on the road by 2025, and it’s models like the XC90 T8 that will make that possible. It’s a hybrid that you can plug in at home or at work to keep the battery topped up, avoiding heavy use of the engine. The T8 Twin Engine uses a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder…

Suzuki Vitara Navigation system Standard Key features: Nav, connectivity SUZUKI’S touchscreen infotainment system is a fair offering at this price, because it comes with built-in satellite navigation plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability as standard. Both smartphone interfaces work fairly well, but although the graphics are bright, which helps the reversing camera’s picture, the resolution could be a bit sharper still. Many users might prefer to plug in their device. That’s also because the system isn’t the easiest to use in some respects. The screen occasionally misses your inputs, while the touch-sensitive volume controls are frustrating to use. At least there’s the option to change the volume using the steering-wheel controls, which is a much easier and less frustrating process. It’s an average system, then, but nowhere near as…

Otis_Clay@dennis.co.uk OUR Dacia Duster had a bit of an identity crisis this week, because it found itself at the new BP Chargemaster hub in Milton Keynes, Bucks. While the super-functional budget SUV is a long way off being a cutting-edge electric car (it’s based on a platform conceived well over a decade ago and there are no electrified versions), because of its fantastic 53mpg fuel consumption, it didn’t feel all that out of place. As diesel power is becoming ever more unpopular in the UK, we’re spending more time in petrol models. My Duster is a great reminder of what diesel is best at, though; I can’t remember ever seeing such strong economy from a petrol-engined car. Only electric and electrified models can match the efficiency of diesel, but those…

Automatic braking is trolley good for Ford FORD is again applying its safety tech to items other than cars, and this is the latest product: a supermarket trolley with autonomous emergency braking built in. Using a proximity sensor, the ‘Self-Braking Trolley’ (above) can monitor whether it’s about to have a collision and will apply its brakes if necessary. Could this be an end to door dings and dents in the supermarket car park? Ford thinks so. The trolley is just a prototype for now, but who knows, in the future it could be standard fare in your local superstore. Cut-price servicing deal for new Fiats FIAT is offering an ‘Easycare’ servicing package to anybody who buys a new model between 1 April and 30 June. Easycare costs £199 – a…

PRODUCT GROUP TEST 15|5|2019 Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres to trim cleaners. Log on to www.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge online test archive WHILE leather upholstery is often seen as the top choice for premium car trim, many people still prefer fabric – it’s softer, warmer and grippier. But it’s also easier to stain, which is where these fabric protectors come in. They form a hydrophobic layer over the fabric, meaning liquid simply beads and rolls off rather than soaking in. We’ve tested eight to see which is the best. How we tested them A SECTION of car seat fabric was mapped out for each spray. Then we applied our test products according to the manufacturers’ directions, with some requiring multiple coats…

IF you want to see live motorsport this weekend, Silverstone is playing host to the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup. A full grid of over 50 GT3 cars from the likes of Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and more will line up in Northants for the three-hour race. At the opening round in Monza, the Belgian WRT Audi team (below) secured victory by only two seconds over Strakka Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT. Expect similarly close competition this time around. Tickets start at £12 and are available from silverstone.co.uk.…