Table of contents for 1586 in Auto Express

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ● EQS saloon in development ● Built on all-new EV platform THESE revealing spy shots (right) and exclusive image (above) show an all new, all-electric flagship Mercedes saloon, due in three years. Set to be called EQS, it will be the range-topping model as part of the German manufacturer’s electrification plan, which will see 10 all-electric Mercedes passenger cars arrive by the end of 2022. The EQS will join the existing EQC SUV and forthcoming EQV MPV and EQA hatchback, and these latest images confirm that the model is already well into its development phase. It’s likely that Mercedes will preview the model as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. While the EQC uses an adapted version of the platform that underpins the medium-sized…

Fire risk sees major recall of diesel Volvos VOLVO is recalling 69,616 vehicles in the UK due to a faulty engine intake manifold which, in extreme circumstances, could melt and cause a fire. Models affected include S60 (above), S80, S90, V40, V60, V70, V90, XC60 and XC90 cars built between 2014 and 2019 and fitted with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. All affected customers will be contacted by Volvo personally, with instructions to visit their local dealership for immediate remedial action. Obscured signs are verging on dangerous COUNCILS should trim bushes that obscure road signs, a road safety organisation has said. GEM Motoring Assist says signs covered by foliage are at best a nuisance for drivers, and at worst can be misleading and dangerous. The organisation is encouraging drivers to…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths ● ‘Kangarooing’ issue has existed for seven months ● VW admits to problem, but doesn’t have a fix A SIGNIFICANT number of owners of Volkswagen Group cars fitted with the firm’s 1.5-litre TSI Evo engine have been experiencing serious ‘kangarooing’ issues. While VW has been aware of the problem for months, a fix has yet to be developed. The fault affects mainstream VW Group cars, and Auto Express has been contacted by SEAT, Skoda, VW and Audi owners about their experiences. Online forums are also filled with complaints about the same issue. The problem only appears in manual cars with the 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine; DSG autos are said to be unaffected. Owners report a juddering action, which is most noticeable in lower gears when motors are cold.…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● New hatchback will be revealed in 2020 ● Electric drive set to be offered alongside petrol and diesel CITROEN will take a “bold step” with its replacement for the C4 when the car arrives next year, the company’s product strategy boss has promised. As revealed by Auto Express earlier this year, the Ford Focus and VW Golf rival is being replaced by an all-new model. However, it won’t sit on the PSA Group’s EMP2 platform, like the Peugeot 308, but rather on the smaller CMP architecture, seen on the forthcoming Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa. This means that the C4 will be offered with petrol and diesel power, but also as an electric vehicle – in effect, a rival for the likes of the Volkswagen ID.3 hatch.…

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…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods Running costs 50.4mpg (official) £77 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.4 seconds/155mph THE BMW 3 Series Touring has entered its sixth generation, and while estate cars such as this aren’t quite as popular in Britain as they are in the rest of Europe, this is still a key car for BMW’s UK arm. The newcomer is expected to account for around one in four of all 3 Series models sold, but it’s also got to steal sales from cars such as the Mercedes C-Class Estate and the recently refreshed Audi A4 Avant. With just the same superb blend of comfort and control as the 3 Series saloon, then, this new Touring model has the potential to head straight to the top of the pile. Estate buyers will have to…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths WELCOME to our latest set of Driver Power results, where we uncover the best dealers, insurers and breakdown-cover providers. These aspects are a fundamental part of the new-car landscape, and their impact can’t be underestimated. Choose the wrong dealer and you could be in for years of hassle; pick the wrong insurer and you face reams of paperwork; the wrong breakdown provider could leave you stranded by the roadside for too long. Read Driver Power, however, and you’ll have all the ammunition you need to make the right choices.…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths THE impact that dealers have on our new-car experience cannot be overestimated. From the moment we walk into a dealership, most of us are making judgements. How clean and tidy is it? Are staff approachable, and keen without being pushy? Do they knew their product? How willing are they to offer a test drive? Many of us decide whether we will buy from a dealer within the first few minutes, and good salespeople can make the process positively enjoyable. After all, aside from a house, a new car is the most significant purchase most of us will ever make, so why shouldn’t it feel a bit special? But after the excitement of the sale and unveil, does the after-sales experience match up to the initial promise? Are services…

MODEL TESTED: Volvo XC40 D4 AWD R-Design Pro PRICE: £38,235 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp IT was only introduced in 2018, but the Volvo XC40 is the oldest car in this test. We’ve made it a class winner in the past, and it’s a natural rival to the Q3, not least on price. We’re testing a D4 R-Design Pro model costing £38,235 to see how it fares. Design & engineering THE XC40 is the first and so far only Volvo to be built on its CMA Compact Modular Architecture. Like Audi’s MQB and Land Rover’s PTA, this is a scalable platform that’s based around front-mounted transverse engines, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link set-up at the rear to accommodate four-wheel drive. The D4 unit has 187bhp and 400Nm of…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Shed light on bulb swap ONE of the headlight bulbs has failed on my car. I’ve sourced a replacement pair because I want to upgrade them and also want to fit them myself. I’m not sure where to start, though. Can you help?Richard Maurice, E-mail A FIRST, check your handbook. If you have no luck there, our bulb test winner Philips has several fitting videos on Youtube. Should you still have trouble, locate the bulb, remove any cover and electrical connection, wear gloves when replacing the bulb, and don’t touch the glass. Reconnect the electrics and replace any covers. On some cars there’s a release for the headlight unit. Q Help to clear the air? I’M selling a car for a relative, but unfortunately…

ONE of the best ways to keep your tyres topped up, maximising fuel economy, wear and safety, is to use a 12V compressor. Tyre giant Michelin has launched a four-strong direct-drive range, but we’re testing what’s likely be one of the biggest sellers: the larger single-piston model with presets. To see how it compares, we tried it alongside our current champion, Ring’s RTC1000. We pumped our 15-inch tyre from 20-30psi, measuring the gauges’ accuracy, the time taken and the noise level. We also gave points for features like hose/cable length, storage, accessories, case, light and display. Price was the final factor. The Michelin made a great debut: it’s well featured, powerful and quick. But its price holds it back behind the impressive Ring. “Pump your tyres up to maximise fuel…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Sportier look but same practicality for next Tiguan SUV ● Mild-hybrid, plug-in and performance versions on the cards THE Volkswagen Tiguan is now the German manufacturer’s best-selling nameplate globally – with more than 850,000 examples sold in 2018 alone. But with pure-electric ID. SUVs on the horizon, the company is taking a different approach with the next generation of the car that will arrive in showrooms in 2022. Keeping SUVs relevant when they’re powered by combustion engines is no small task, not least because of social pressures and the likely costs (more than £2,000 per vehicle, according to some estimates) of making Euro 7-compliant diesel engines. So VW design boss Klaus Bischoff and his team have been allowed to take a radical approach with the next Tiguan’s…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● Smaller turbos for entry model ● Same quality as Carrera S THE Porsche 911 range has grown, with the arrival of the entry-level Carrera, which is available now in both coupé and Cabriolet form. Prices for the new base 911 start from £83,793 and £92,438 for the hard and soft-top respectively, which is around £10,000 less than the Carrera S. You can order one now and expect delivery from autumn. The 911 Carrera is powered by a detuned version of the Carrera S’s 3.0-litre flat-six engine. It features a pair of smaller turbochargers and develops 380bhp. That’s 64bhp less than the Carrera S, but 15bhp more than the previous 991.2 Carrera. Like the S model, the Carrera uses an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and sends power to the…

VW T-ROC SCOTT F Glasgow, Lanarkshire SCOTT bought his T-Roc in July. “The car had been warmed up prior to my arrival at the dealer. The next day, I drove it from cold and it would judder ferociously. It did this with enough force to move me in my seat.” “I’ve been told all I can do is wait and contact VW customer services. I’m still waiting.” SEAT LEON STUART Doncaster, South Yorkshire STUART’S Leon is “very hesitant below 20mph, and stalls in second gear even with a good amount of revs”. The fault is intermittent and, unlike many other affected cars, Stuart’s is “worse in hotter weather than cold”. “I was blamed for using low-grade fuel. In the last week the dealer has admitted a fix is due.” AUDI…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC New Ford Puma FROM: HeeYaw IN a world where cars look more and more aggressive in the name of ‘road presence’, a cheerful, characterful car like the Puma is a tonic. And to people moaning this name isn’t attached to a coupé, that’s because you don’t buy coupés! FROM: Roger Savage JUST what the world needs: another generic SUV. Car design seems to have died; it’s all about the apps and connectivity, rather than the actual driving experience. Cars from 10 years ago look better, not dated, in many cases. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Headlights are a nice, subtle throwback to the original. An ST or RS version would be…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Running costs 34.0mpg (official) £64 fill-up THERE’S only one place to start with the new Mercedes-AMG A 45 S: the engine. It’s still a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo, but it’s all-new, without a nut or bolt carried over from the last version, and packs a barely believable 415bhp and 500Nm of torque. It’s the most powerful 2.0-litre engine to find its way into a production car and sees the title of the world’s hottest hatchback return, once again, to Affalterbach. Why so much power in what essentially remains a family hatchback? “Because we can”, Mercedes-AMG engineers proudly claim. But in the pursuit of ultimate performance and outright speed, has AMG made sacrifices in key areas – namely usability, handling and engagement – that turn a fast hot hatchback into…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE “The flat-six engine delivers stunning performance” WITH summer in full swing, many will consider the merits of a convertible – and we’ve been trying the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet for the first time in the UK. The version we’re driving is the Carrera 4S, which currently sits at the top of the range in terms of price; and, at £108,063 without any options fitted, it’s got to be something special to justify that figure. It gets off to a good start because the performance is astonishing. Even with extra chassis strengthening that adds 70kg over the coupé, the 4S Cabriolet can sprint from 0-62mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds, or 3.6 seconds with the (£1,646) Sport Chrono Package fitted. On the road, it feels every bit as quick…

THOUSANDS of Auto Express readers fired up their computers earlier this year to give feedback on the new cars they’d bought over the past 24 months. Those opinions allowed us to closely profile the long-term experiences 75 new cars gave owners in the real world. Over 31 individually ranked subject areas and nine broad categories, you told us all there is to know about these cars, taking in everything from the smoothness of the gearboxes and the sharpness of their steering, to the comfort offered by the front seats and how slickly their infotainment systems pair with your smartphones. Owners scored the efficient Toyota Prius so highly it took our Driver Power new car of the year gold medal, while the sleek Lexus IS finished second, and the sharp-handling Alfa…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths INSURANCE may not be the first thing you think of when car-hunting (although checking premiums before shopping for a new set of wheels is wise), but, as a legally mandated financial product, everyone is glad to have cover, should the worst happen. Yet choosing the right company to insure your car can be a minefield. Failing to shop around come renewal time can cost a fair amount of money because, for example, so-called ‘loyalty’ pricing often means existing customers are faced with automatically renewing premiums that cost more than the previous year’s cover. Research into the effects of loyalty pricing by the Financial Conduct Authority may curb some of the worst excesses of this practice, but keeping an eye on the insurance market is still wise. Some insurers…

MODEL TESTED: Audi Q3 40 TDI quattro S tronic S line PRICE: £38,115 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp WE’VE tested the Audi Q3 in petrol form (Issue 1,556), but now it’s the turn of the diesel to meet its toughest contenders. We put the popular 40 TDI quattro S line version with S tronic automatic gearbox through its paces here. It costs £38,115. enough cruise. The slightly firmer ride does at least give the car precision on twistier routes. Its steering is light but accurate, thanks to the decent level of grip, although as with all of these cars, the higher ride height compared with a more conventional hatchback means there is noticeable roll. Design & engineering THE Q3 was one of the last small Audis to move to the brand’s…

Audi Q3 MMI Nav Plus Standard  Key features: Digi dash, connectivity AUDI’S MMI Navigation Plus system is standard on all Q3s, so you get a 10.1-inch touchscreen mounted in the centre of the dash, plus a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit. A larger 12.3-inch panel is also available for £250, but the standard digital dash is fine, because the resolution is sharp and it displays the nav map in front of you. The main screen’s graphics are great, and it responds quickly to your inputs, while the menus are logical and easy to navigate around. Below this, the climate controls are physical buttons rather than a separate digital panel, as found in high-end Audis, which is a bonus. S line trim gets sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three years’ connected services…

THE Honda Civic Type R is part of a long line of impressive hot hatchbacks from the Japanese brand, and this latest one has sat at the top of the class since it was launched back in 2017. Previous models were known for their high-revving engines, and while the 2.0-litre turbo isn’t as exciting as the old naturally aspirated motors, it’s still a modern marvel. It produces 316bhp and 400Nm of torque, so performance is superb, but it also retains an appetite for revs that’s missing from many turbo units. Its exhaust note isn’t as fruity as the Mégane’s, but the Honda’s motor is so muscular and visceral that it’s easily a match for the Renault’s. In our performance tests the Honda managed 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds, which was 0.1…

Kim_Adams@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Running costs 22.0mpg (on test) £96 fill-up/£260 tax Practicality Payload capacity 1,067kg Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.5 secs (on test)/127mph THERE comes a point in just about every long-term test of a car when you begin to wonder whether it’s a machine you’d want permanently in your life. Sometimes the thought is only fleeting, when the car has proved itself obviously unsuitable. It’s usually a fundamental flaw, like it won’t carry all the family, or it has a poor ride or a gearbox that you just couldn’t bring yourself to spend money on. But I’ve been having serious longer-term thoughts about the Mercedes X 350 d that has come to the end of its six months on our fleet. First, I should declare an interest – I’m a huge…

Audi e-tron Issue 1,579, 1,585 BMW 3 Series Issue 1,576, 1584 Citroen Berlingo XL Issue 1,579 Cupra Ateca Issues 1,564, 1,573, 1,581 Dacia Duster Issues 1,561, 1,564, 1,572, 1,575, 1,583 Ford Focus Issue 1,582 Honda CR-V Hybrid Issue 1,576, 1584 Hyundai Santa Fe Issue 1,575, 1,580 Kia e-Niro Issue 1,569, 1,580 Kia Ceed Issue 1,567, 1,577, 1,582 Mazda MX-5 Issue 1,573, 1,585 Mercedes G-Class Issues 1,565, 1,574, 1,581 Mercedes X-Class Is 1,547, 1,557, 1,563,1,571,1,578 Renault Mégane R.S. Issue 1,581 SEATTarraco Issue 1,574, 1584 Skoda Fabia Issue 1,572, 1,582 Volkswagen California Issues 1,578, 1,583 Volkswagen Touareg Issue 1,580, 1,585…

Half-Ton Military Land Rover Mark J Crook (Veloce Publishing, www.veloce.co.uk) Price: £25 THIS is a good book about one of the most interesting early Land Rovers – the Series I Lightweight – but not a restoration guide. Land Rover aficionados and military history buffs will enjoy it, and only the slightly cheap print quality lets the side down. Lotus 72: 1970-75 Pete Lyons (Evro Publishing, www.evropublishing.com) Price: £50 WITH a foreword by Emerson Fittipaldi, this hefty title covers one of the best-known F1 cars: the Lotus 72. In six seasons, this car won 20 Grand Prix, three constructor’s titles and two driver’s titles, making it well worthy of exploration. F1 fans – especially those that remember the car in its prime – will love this book, which has excellent photography.…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Key upgrade ‘incompatible’ MY wife wants to upgrade the keyless fob on her Mk8 Fiesta with Ford’s new anti-theft unit, but the dealer says her key isn’t compatible. Why is this?Brian Pirrie, E-mail A A FORD spokesman told us that the upgrade to the motion-sensing keyless fob is only recommended for Fiestas built from March 2018. Your wife’s Fiesta is a current-generation model, but it was built in February 2018 (more than a year before the new fob came out) so Ford won’t recommend the upgrade. Q Emergency power for EVs IF I misjudged my journey in an electric car and ran out of charge by the roadside, would there still be any power left for the hazard warning lights and other vehicle…

Dear James, I’m looking for a fun and funky SUV that’s both small and practical. My budget is £12,000, so what can you recommend? Sandy Corbett, E-mail Contact: James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk • THE SPORTY CHOICE SEAT Arona FOR: Strong petrol engines and good equipment levels AGAINST: Not that practical, harsh sports suspension THE SEAT Arona is easily the most fun to drive of these three compact SUVs. Its six-speed gearbox is a pleasure to use, while the three-cylinder 1.0-litre engines have bags of character, and provide a fair amount of shove. The car offers a nicely weighted, precise steering set-up and a well damped, comfortable suspension system in standard trim. However, the sports suspension fitted to FR and FR Sport trims can be unforgiving, making ridges and motorway jolts more noticeable. •…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn Cars in order of UK sales figures * Mercedes prices varied so widely that we obtained two extra quotes of £1,111.80 and £1,198.80 from other dealerships REPLACING a car’s battery is something that many buyers will face at some point. But how much does it cost on the UK’s most popular new cars? And are buyers getting a fair deal? An Auto Express investigation can reveal that some car owners are being charged a staggering £1,250 for battery replacement, while others face bills as low as £98. Auto Express compiled a list of the UK’s 20 best-selling vehicles and contacted three franchised dealer networks across the country to get a price for parts and labour. The only information dealers requested was the vehicle’s registration details. Owners of the…

ELSEWHERE at BMW, the German firm has become the first car maker to make Apple CarPlay smartphone integration a paid-for service. All new BMWs with the latest 7.0 operating system now come with a year’s free CarPlay subscription, but after the first 12 months owners will have to pay to continue accessing it. A month’s trial costs £1, after which owners can pay £85 for a full year, £255 for three years, or £295 for lifetime access to the service. In comparison, buy an £18,600 Kia Ceed, and you get CarPlay included, as well as Android Auto, which isn’t available in BMWs. Car makers have to develop CarPlay software integration themselves, but Auto Express understands that Apple does not charge licensing fees to install it.…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor Celebrating 60 years of the Skoda Octavia THE Octavia is one of Skoda’s most recognisable names. One reason for this is that the badge has appeared on the rears of Skodas for 60 years. Naturally, it was cause for a celebration so we brought together all four generations for a special drive. Welcome to the new BMW X6 coupé-SUV BMW has just introduced the brand new X6 – the car that kicked off the whole coupé-SUV trend 10 years ago. Among the many new features are the even more daring styling and, get this, an illuminated grille; yes, really. Join me as I tell you the whole story. You can watch any of our videos on your phone Simply scan this QR code.…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● Performance SUV gets fresh look and mild-hybrid technology “At higher speeds the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, which Audi cl aims improves stability” FOLLOWING on from the recently updated Q7, Audi has revealed a facelifted version of its SQ7 performance SUV flagship. Due to be launched in the UK this autumn, the brand’s latest off-roader has a new mild-hybrid diesel powertrain, a range of chassis upgrades and a host of styling and tech revisions over the outgoing model. The SQ7 TDI is powered by the same biturbo V8 diesel engine that you’ll find in Audi’s new SQ8. The 4.0-litre unit develops 429bhp and 900Nm of torque, and is fitted with a 48-volt electric compressor, which assists the two turbochargers when off-boost. This compressor…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk @stuartjmilne WITH petrol and diesel prices showing little sign of dropping, many drivers are keen to keep an eye on their cars’ fuel gauges and trip computers to eke every last mile out of a gallon. With a little patience and knowhow, it’s not hard to do, either. But what if you’re driving an electric car or a plug-in hybrid? In that case, every mile really does count, especially if you don’t have a home charger or are entering an area where there are relatively few public points. Should EV hypermilers employ the same practices as those driving combustion-engined cars? To find out, we spent a morning with eco-driving enthusiast Tim Shallcross, head of technical policy at IAM Roadsmart. Tim’s number-one piece of advice for anyone looking to boost…

James_Howe@dennis.co.uk Running costs 33mpg (est) £96 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 5.9 seconds/155mph AUDI’S continued revision of its model line-up has extended to its largest SUV, the Q7. It now boasts a full range of 48-volt mild-hybrid drivetrains, uprated tech and a new look inside and out. The facelifted car is still based on the same larger iteration of the VW Group’s MLB EVO platform as the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Volkswagen Touareg. Unlike its cousins, the Q7 boasts a standard seven-seat layout and so stands as Audi’s answer to the Land Rover Discovery, Mercedes GLE and Volvo XC90. Externally, Audi has tweaked the Q7’s styling to fall in line with that of the latest Q3 and Q8, with a wider, octagonal grille and redesigned LED lights front and rear.…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram IT’S hard not to love a hot, affordable estate, but it’s a part of the market that the VW Golf R has pretty much sewn up in recent years. Capable though it is, to some people it might just seem a little too clinical. If you fall into that camp, MINI might have created the perfect alternative. This is the Clubman John Cooper Works: a hot wagon that’s got personality to match its punch. So how hot is it? Power comes from the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that drives the new BMW M135i. That means 302bhp and 450Nm: proper hot-hatch numbers. It’s one of the fastest, too; engage launch control and 0-62mph is a 4.9-second mash of the throttle pedal away. That figure, like the 155mph top speed,…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths DRIVER Power is more than just an ownership survey rating individual cars. It’s a 360-degree package of features and research looking at the new-car landscape, before, during and after the initial purchase. Over the next 10 pages, we’re looking at the ‘before’ phase, and the deals from manufacturers and dealers for the top 50 cars from our Driver Power new-car survey. Most of these feature either a deposit contribution (typically from the dealer) or a low annual percentage rate (APR) of interest, which is usually picked up by the manufacturer’s finance house. If you can find a deal for a car you want with both of these incentives (some feature over the following pages) and the monthly payments make sense, beat a path to the dealer’s door. If you’re…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths IT may be a legal requirement to take out car insurance, but there is no such mandate for breakdown cover, which is arguably a form of insurance in itself. While you could bank on your car not breaking down in the first place, or just sign up with a firm should this happen, finding good cover is a time-consuming process, and it’s tough to do when you’re stranded at the roadside. However, even if you do your homework and buy in advance, this is a product that is all too often bought and then forgotten about; ultimately you’ll only find out how good the service is if you have to call on your chosen company in your hour of need. Unless you read Driver Power, that is. We’ve…

MODEL TESTED: Range Rover Evoque D180 R-Dynamic PRICE: £40,515 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 178bhp THE second-generation Evoque is our small premium SUV champ, so it’s the one the Q3 has to beat. We’re testing the D180 in sporty R-Dynamic S trim (our pictures show an R-Dynamic HSE) to match the Audi – the Evoque costs from £40,515. Design & engineering THE first-generation Evoque captured the imagination of a legion of buyers, shifting more than 800,000 examples. As a result, Land Rover hasn’t rocked the boat with the styling, by subtly evolving the shape to tauten up and modernise the smallest Range Rover’s looks. However, under that sharper skin there’s a new platform. It’s called PTA, or Premium Transverse Architecture, which is an evolution of Land Rover’s D8 platform that’s been designed…

NEW: BMW X1 xDrive20d M Sport PRICE: £38,145 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp THE X1 is feeling its age in comparison to this trio, but its infotainment is still superb and it’s great to drive. Smooth engines and gearboxes complement the package, while the 505-litre boot means there’s plenty of practicality, too. USED: Audi Q5 40 TDI Black Edition PRICE: £39,000 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp FOR roughly the same price as a new Q3 you could have a high-spec Q5 with the same powertrain showing around 1,500 miles on the clock – which is hardly anything. The Q5 is more spacious and more upmarket, so it’s worth considering.…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram Practicality Max. towing weight 2,500kg Running costs 32.6mpg (on test) £105 fill/£455 or 37% tax MY wife and I have been enduring some fairly extensive home renovations over the past few months. Lifting the roof off a crumbling Victorian terraced house creates such a large amount of dust that it seems to cover pretty much every crack, crevice and cupboard in sight. But this is immediately less problematic when you have a gleaming new Volkswagen California sitting outside. Our lavishly equipped camper van simply couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Far from packing our bags and taking off for the nearest campsite, in recent weeks Anna and I have been pitching up right outside the house. With our own kitchen completely out of action, the two-ring gas…

Top tips for your summer getaway RICHARD Gladman of driver training specialist IAM Roadsmart has issued a list of essentials to keep in your car. A phone and charger for emergencies should be top of the list, followed by a first aid kit and warm clothing. Spare food and drink, hi-vis jackets and a warning triangle (above) should also be carried, while a fuel can and jump leads are useful. Gladman also suggests a spare pair of sensible shoes – just in case you need to get out in poor weather. Log on to www.iamroadsmart.com for more tips. Peugeot 108 buyers get the Ray-Ban look PEUGEOT has partnered with sunglasses brand Ray-Ban to offer customers buying one of its city cars some free kit. Anyone who buys a new Peugeot 108 or…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram ● WRC battle heads north ● Estonian wants a title boost THE World Rally Championship moves on to one of the fastest and most exciting rounds in the calendar this weekend. Rally Finland is famed for its high average speeds and huge jumps between the trees, and with just seven points separating the top three competitors in the driver’s championship standings, the battle is certain to be tight. While the margin is close among the front-runners, it could have been so much better for Toyota’s Ott Tanak after the previous round at Rally Sardegna. The Estonian entered the final Power Stage with a comfortable 26.7-second lead over Hyundai’s Dani Sordo, but a spin – brought on by a power steering failure – saw Tanak struggle towards the end…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “To be fair to Boris Johnson, he got off to a reasonable start in his maiden speech from the Commons despatch box” I’VE just bought three ‘Congrats On The New Job’ cards – for Jo, Bo Jo, and a bloke called Grant. Jo Swinson is a lady I once shared a stage with. Then, she was a Minister in the Tory-Lib Dem Government. And, like me, she was speaking at a Trading Standards Institute/Citizens Advice seminar on motoring. Genuinely, I was surprised by and impressed with her interest in cars, car sales/servicing, and the rights of car users. Trouble is, the Lib Dem Party she was elected leader of a week or two ago is traditionally hostile towards cars, drivers and their…