Table of contents for 1881 in Auto Express

AS drivers and car lovers, we – and I don’t think it’s just me! – spend a lot of time moaning about what’s wrong. Whether it’s potholes, temporary speed limits, roadworks, other drivers, the cost of motoring, what manufacturers are doing badly, or a million and one other things, it’s easy to whinge. But recently I experienced a trio of diverse cars that put a smile on my face for different reasons. And it’s reminded me just how great the car is as a thing, in all shapes and sizes, and how lucky we are to be able to just hop in and pull away, whatever we’re driving! On the same day, I jumped between a current Toyota Prius, an Ineos Grenadier and Toyota’s beautiful 1985 AE86 Corolla Coupé: three…

JEEP is hoping to tap into the mainstream with an all-new Compass that’ll be available in mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric forms. The new European-focused mid-sized SUV is longer, wider and more sophisticated than previous generations, with a greater emphasis on family-friendly practicality than off-road capability. With Jeep a cog in the massive automotive machine that is Stellantis, the new Compass runs on the common multi-energy STLA-M platform, optimised for both electric and hybrid powertrains. These kick off at the lower end with a 142bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system, mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. A 191bhp plug-in hybrid will be the most powerful combustion-engined model in the range, pairing a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a more substantial e-motor and 17.9kWh battery. Jeep…

KEYLESS thefts now account for nearly two-thirds of all cars stolen, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) – raising more questions regarding the technology’s security. The CSEW data shows that between March 2023 and ’24, 58 per cent of car thefts were committed by criminals illegally accessing cars by replicating and/or manipulating the signals from a vehicle’s keyfob. This follows recent Metropolitan Police data that estimated 40 per cent of car thefts are performed this way, rising to 60 per cent in London where newer cars with keyless-access features are more common. Wind the clock back to 2019, and just 14 per cent of cars were stolen this way. Now, as more cars are offered with keyless-entry tech, criminals are turning away from smashing windows –…

AUDI is about to add a new plug-in hybrid model to the sixth-generation A6 range it revealed a few weeks ago. The e-hybrid quattro will be available in saloon and Avant estate bodystyles, and can provide an impressive-65miles-of electriconly running – better than the 63 miles of the latest BMW 530e, but not quite matching the 70 miles the Mercedes E 300 e can muster. The plug-in hybrid A6 shares its powertrain with the new A5 e-hybrid quattro, which means you get a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with an electric motor for a total of 295bhp. In markets outside the UK, there’s a 362bhp variant, too. We were impressed by the A6 Avant when we tested it a few weeks ago, although the 200bhp petrol felt a little…

ISUZU has unveiled two new versions of its D-Max: the Arctic Trucks AT35 (right), for extreme off-road ability, and the Huntsman “tailored for forestry and field sports”. Developed with Arctic Trucks, the £57,005 AT35 is taller and wider than the standard model, with flared arches, 35-inch tyres and trick Bilstein suspension. The Huntsman accessory pack costs £7,871 and includes an Aeroklas hard-top, an under-rail bed liner and a custom Gearmate drawer system.…

IT was touted as a cross between a saloon, an estate and an SUV, but despite fishing in three different customer pools, Citroen’s C5 X just hasn’t caught sufficient buyers. So the spacious, comfortable and imaginative French car is dropping off UK price lists this month, after only three years on sale. Citroen’s 4.8-metre-long hatchback sits between the Touring (estate) versions of the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series in length, and with prices from £31,355, the French flagship is more than £12,000 cheaper than the smaller BMW. Nonetheless, it made very little impact in a British market addicted to premium German executive cars. It also struggled on the continent: in 2024, Citroen registered just 4,296 C5 Xs in 28 European countries, including the UK. It remains a stronger seller…

THIS is an issue that affects every single road user, because while you might not buy potentially dodgy used tyres, your day could be negatively impacted by someone else who has. That’s why we want ministers to beef up regulations around the standards expected of part-worn tyre retailers, through an officially backed accreditation scheme for retailers. This would offer consumers a level of quality and service that’s all-too-often missing in the market today, and while it would potentially increase costs to customers a little, it would also greatly improve peace of mind. Second, we want to see much more proactive intervention from the authorities to prevent offenders ignoring regulations. That means increased monitoring and oversight, and stiffer penalties to clamp down on those who continue to put lives at risk.…

THE latest Mercedes-AMG C 63 caused consternation among fans of the brand. Gone was the twin-turbo V8 of the previous model, replaced by a plug-in hybrid powertrain based upon a 2.0-litre turbo unit. To say it wasn’t very well received is a bit of an understatement, because while it was rapid, the PHEV element had sucked the soul out of the flagship model. With the arrival of the new CLE to replace both the C-Class and E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet ranges, we were expecting a CLE 63 variant to join the line-up, too, but for now the top of the range is this, the CLE 53. While the C-Class AMG models stick with four-cylinder power (for now), the CLE versions come with Mercedes’ turbocharged in-line six and the mild-hybrid system…

IT wasn’t long ago that estate car buyers would have been feeling pretty left out of the EV market. For years, there have been plenty of huge SUVs to choose from, but electric wagons were much thinner on the ground. With its i5 Touring, BMW was one of the first to offer a spacious, desirable estate that was just as usable as the petrol-powered equivalents – and now rivals like the Audi A6 and S6 Avant e-tron models aim to take away some of BMW’s glory. There’s still a huge amount to like about the i5, though, even if the Audi has revealed one or two areas where there’s room for improvement. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE THE i5 is available with a choice of two powertrains. The eDrive40 is likely to…

WITH my colleague Ellis now gleefully driving around in our shimmering yellow Renault 5, I landed the keys to our MG3 Hybrid+ for its final few weeks on the fleet. For me, the fact you can get a brand-new supermini with a full-hybrid powertrain, enough space for four adults plus luggage in the boot, a seven-year warranty, and all the latest tech you really need – like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, and adaptive cruise control along with myriad safety kit – all for a whisper over £21,000 in top-spec guise is marvellous. The MG’s efficiency in our hands has been great, too. We’ve covered nearly 3,200 miles and averaged just over 50mpg. Better still, that figure has hardly moved no matter what sort…

Price: £649-£699 Contact: humaxcharging.com HUMAX – a Korean brand which is best known for its TV set-top boxes in the UK – has announced a new entry into the electric car charger market. The MX7 is also one of the first home chargers to offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality. The MX7 range is available with a tethered cable in five-metre and seven metre lengths, or with just a socket. Only 7kW versions are offered, so there is no 22kW option for properties with a more powerful three-phase supply. Humax says the MX7 features a piece of tech called an integrated Power Line Communication module and conforms to the ISO 15118 protocol, allowing the charger to communicate with compatible EVs when they are plugged in. This enables several features, such as only providing…

I’LL admit I’m a pretty fundamentalist petrolhead, so it took a while for me to accept that EVs were the right answer to many requests for new car-buying advice. However, in the past year or so I’ve found myself oddly campaigning for a very unexpected alternative: diesel. There’s no doubt that this technology has taken a colossal beating thanks to the bad press brought on by Volkswagen and its co-conspirators during the Dieselgate scandal. And it’s understandable that we, the British public, have probably had enough of being told it’s a solution to climate change only to be, in effect, lied to. But I’m here to tell you that diesel isn’t a dirty word for our short-term goals in reducing carbon emissions. However, I will caveat this by saying that,…

BMW needs to reinvent its big-selling 1 Series if it is to continue operating in key European markets, brand boss Bernd Koerber has revealed. The plans will most likely see the firm launch electric and hybrid versions of the popular hatchback in tandem, as previewed in our exclusive images, when the current model is replaced in 2027. “It has never been a question that we step out of the small-car segment”, Koerber told Auto Express in an exclusive interview at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. “There are many markets where that is highly relevant; go to Greece, go to Spain, go to Italy – take out the 1 [Series] and that’s one-third of your business. So, if you’re a global player, you had better do things in your home markets…

FORD’S iconic Fiesta nameplate could rise from the ashes with help from Volkswagen, with the two brands reported to be exploring new projects after a “very successful” first endeavour. The final Ford Fiesta rolled off the production line in July 2023, but the success of the deal that let the Ford Explorer and Capri use the platform from VW’s ID.4 and ID.5 means a surprise return could be on the cards. While nothing is yet confirmed, the German firm’s head of sales and marketing, Martin Sander, exclusively told Auto Express that he considered Ford and VW’s original EV tie-up to be “very, very, very successful” and that he did “not want to rule out that there are future opportunities here to share technology again”. This could therefore open up the…

LEADING Korean car maker Kia is taking its first steps into the realm of commercial vehicles with the launch of the PV5, which it revealed at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham last week. On the stage were panel and crew van versions of the newcomer, but Kia also announced a passenger-carrying variant as part of the new line-up. Called the PV5 Passenger, it doesn’t have the most innovative name, but potential buyers will be more intrigued by the £32,995 starting price. That’s a massive £25,000 less than a Volkswagen ID. Buzz – a model that’s similar in size and shape to the PV5. It’s also competitive with van-derived MPVs such as the Ford Transit Connect and the Citroen Berlingo, as well as its Stellantis siblings. Under the skin, the…

WHILE driving the all-new Renault 4 along winding roads on the pretty Portuguese coastline, we approached an original 4 travelling in the opposite direction. We gave the driver a cheery wave, but he didn’t return the compliment. Ironically, he was one of a small minority not to notice the new 4. Judging by the sideways glances and looks of admiration it was generating, this reimagination of one of history’s best-selling French cars looks set to be popular. Of course, this is familiar ground for Renault, given that the R5 has only just burst on to the scene with show-stopping retro looks of its own. The 4 is here to fulfil a slightly different brief; while the R5 is set to take on the premium supermini class, this car draws on…

JAPANESE performance cars have become objects of fascination for people young and old recently, and with this in mind, Nissan’s performance arm, Nismo, has decided to cash in with a hot version of the Ariya electric SUV. It has more power and a host of other upgrades, so could it be Japan’s answer to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N? Well, from the outside, the Ariya Nismo certainly matches the Hyundai’s loud-and-proud styling updates. Of course, whether you like the way a car looks is ultimately down to personal taste, but the added trim in combination with the Ariya’s already high bonnet line is all a bit too ‘Max Power’ for us. Yet we must admit that we’re fans of the Formula E-style rear foglight in the deep rear diffuser. Moving…

ONE of the biggest incentives to invest in an electric car is the fact that it can potentially save you a great deal of money. However, ‘potentially’ is the key word here, because an EV’s biggest savings typically come through the use of a home charger – something that I don’t have. Imagine, then, my concern when I was handed the keys to Auto Express’ new Vauxhall Grandland Electric test car. I was more than a little concerned as to how I’d be able to inject some juice into its beefy 72kWh battery without having to sell any organs in order to afford it. Driving around my home city of Norwich, it’s amazing how several of the comparatively slow charging options cost almost the same as plugging into one of…

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WE might have put the worst of the damp weather behind us for now, but the occasional unexpected downpour will soon drench your car’s interior if you’ve left your windows, sunroof or convertible top open. To help you dry out the interior and avoid the lingering smell – and potential damage – of damp, you could try a dehumidifier pouch. Absorbent crystals inside soak up damp from the air in the same way as the small sachets you can find in boxes of items such as electronics that could be damaged by moisture. In our last test, we rated the Simply reusable pouch as our damp champ, but we can’t ignore a bargain and saw that Chinese online retailer Temu is offering a similar product for £3.69. We put it…

OWNER VIEWS ON THE UK’S BEST CARS THE fifth-generation Toyota RAV4 was launched with claims that its more advanced suspension would improve on the ride and handling of its predecessors, and the latest Driver Power responses certainly bear that out. This popular SUV ranks eighth for its ride smoothness and ninth for handling. Along with equally strong ratings for steering and braking response (seventh and eighth respectively), it’s no wonder the Toyota is ranked seventh overall for its driving experience. The RAV4’s interior is its high point, taking second position overall. This includes a third place for visibility, second places for rear-seat legroom and boot space, and fifth for seat versatility. Other high scores include top spot for reliability and sixth for overall quality, while the hybrid powertrain is a…

WHILE the next 1 Series is tasked with delivering volume sales, the BMW Skytop convertible will pave the way for more limited-run BMW series-production models, with one eye on an exclusive future halo car for the M brand. Sylvia Neubauer, vice president for BMW M customers, brand and sales told us: “[BMW’s] strategy is to have a series of small-series additions that we offer to the markets. There will be something at Villa d’Este [the annual luxury car show in Italy] this year, and probably some future small-series editions with the ‘M’ designation”. Asked whether the culmination of such projects might be the creation of a bespoke BMW M model, similar in philosophy to the M1 supercar from the seventies, Neubauer stated: “Definitely; such halo cars clearly position the brand.…

LOTUS has a rich history in motor racing, thanks to some incredible cars and drivers, with one of the highlights the triumphant Formula One season Jim Clark experienced in 1965. Now, 60 years on, Lotus has created the Emira Clark Edition to celebrate the anniversary. Clark is widely regarded as one of the most talented drivers ever, and as well as winning his second F1 title in ’65 in a Lotus 33, he also drove Lotus cars to victory in the Indianapolis 500 and the Tasman Series, plus claimed British Formula Two titles and wins in the British Saloon Car Championship behind the wheel of a Lotus Cortina. This bond with Lotus has led the Norfolk firm to honour Clark’s legacy with the new special edition, which is based on…

LAST year we saw the dinky Citroen Ami get a redesign and now it’s the the turn of the Ami Buggy-the electric quadricycle’s open-sided and open-roofed sibling. Citroen has shifted more than 75,000 Amis in 17 different countries, with the UK accounting for more than 1,000 in the past two years. That includes 40 of the first-generation, limited-edition Buggy, but customer demand will dictate whether the new version reaches the UK. The design of the revised Ami Buggy follows the update to the standard model, with Citroen’s new badge adorning the front and rear, while the headlights have been reshaped and moved higher up the body. As before, pairs of corresponding parts – including the front and rear body panels, wings, windscreen windscreen pillars and rear screen – are made…

WE’RE a while away from September, but we’ve already managed to get hold of the Government’s list of banned number plates, deemed by the DVLA too rude for the road. Every March and September, the DVLA issues new letters and numbers, featuring the ‘age identifier’ figure. Cars registered in March use the last two digits of the year, so in this case it’s ‘25’, and in September, 50 is added to that, which this year will result in ‘75’. This allows an array of rude plates, and among those that have been ruled out are BA75 ARD, AR75 RSE and the distinctly unappetising EA75 POO. We have a full list online.…

THIS is the Volkswagen ID.3 Match. Prices for this new value-focused trim and powertrain combination start from £32,220 – or about the same as a Golf Style with a 1.5 eTSI auto, which has a similar level of performance. That price has added appeal to the ID.3 range, which looks like it’s getting better with age. When the ID.3 was launched in 2020, it’s fair to say that it was welcomed with decidedly un-rave reviews. What must have been frustrating for VW’s engineers, who spent time, effort and money developing an all-new fully electric architecture, was that very few of our criticisms were to do with the fact it was an electric car. Instead, the ID.3 was plagued by a range of issues in areas that were previously taken for…

MAKING the switch to an electric car is a big step for most people, because it can require a lifestyle change and a huge financial investment. With this in mind, there has long been the need for a carrot in the form of incentives to get people to go electric. For a while, such an enticement came in the form of the Government’s Plug-In Vehicle Grant and the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant which, as their names suggest, provided a small financial contribution towards the purchase of a new car or charger, respectively. However, these have since been largely discontinued (although renters and flat owners can still, for now, get the Chargepoint Grant), which means that, along with the reduction in benefits offered to company car drivers, there is less from…

BEFORE we start, let’s clear something up on behalf of Audi, which has got into a habit of confusing people with its recent naming structure. While the brand had previously said that it would reserve even model numbers for its electric cars and odd ones for internal-combustion models (the reason why the A4’s replacement is called A5), the A6 e-tron has been joined by another new A6, which is available with an ICE engine and varying levels of hybrid assistance. The pair aren’t related mechanically; the standard A6 uses the same PPC platform – itself an updated version of the VW Group’s MLB architecture – as the aforementioned A5, while the A6 e-tron and sportier S6 e-tron ride on the PPE platform that underpins the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche…

AS my colleague Tom has found (p50), if you don’t have home charging, running an electric car is more expensive than it could be. This situation isn’t helped by the fact that the pricing and speed of connections across the various chargepoint providers is a minefield in itself. It’s something that new EV converts need to get their heads around. I tend to try charging on cheaper slower chargers if I’m out for a few hours, or use the fast chargers at various supermarkets that, although expensive, at least offer the benefit of convenience. However, I travel fairly regularly up from Dorset to London, and my husband received an email from Instavolt offering a cheaper price via the app for its brand-new superhub near Winchester, Hants. It’s the UK’s largest…

HOT KIT Insta 360 X5 Price: £519.99 Contact: insta360.com OUR favourite action camera has got better, all round. The Insta 360 is the world’s best-selling 360-degree camera and has won two multi tests. We thought it was perfect for capturing footage from your car, whether it is on the road, track or in the mud. The company has just announced the launch of the new Insta360 X5, its latest flagship camera, with better image quality, improved durability, and and AI-powered features claimed to make it easier to use. Like its predecessors, the X5 allows you to record 360-degree footage that you can edit to capture the view you want. The camera will automatically edit out the mounting stick to create driving footage that looks like you are being followed by a…

WHETHER it’s an emergency recharge for your laptop, the need to power a hand-held tool outdoors, or the convenience of a temporary energy supply on a camping weekend, being able to convert your car’s 12-volt DC electricity to a part-time 240-volt AC supply can be really handy. That’s where a power inverter comes in useful. If it’s to give life to a low-wattage device such as a laptop charger, then a simple inverter that you plug into your car’s 12V socket is an inexpensive and convenient accessory. At the upper end of the scale, there are also heavier-duty inverters that will power devices with a peak output of up to 1600 watts – roughly the same as a vacuum cleaner or microwave. These are especially useful for using power tools,…

FINANCIALLY, Formula One is doing very nicely at the minute. The Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and Aston Martin F1 teams are each worth billions of dollars. And since I reported in March that Max Verstappen might earn up to $75 million (£56m) driving for Red Bull this year, he’s now reportedly considering a possible future deal with Aston Martin where he’ll receive around $100m (£75m) per year. If he defects, he’ll be reunited with aerodynamicist Adrian Newey, who’s just joined Aston as part of a circa £29m annual package over the next five years. But my thoughts are more with salt-of-the-earth F1 punters who live in a different world, where ‘progress’ means free-to-air live races they used to enjoy on TV have been replaced by pay-per-view coverage that doesn’t…