Table of contents for 1884 in Auto Express

IT’S a conversation we’re having often with industry figures – how do we kick the UK’s electric vehicle market into life? Truth is, the majority of EV drivers (with a few exceptions) won’t ever go back to petrol or diesel. If it works for you, then it works. That likely requires the ability to charge at home, but the point remains that a high proportion of EV drivers are happy with their choice. Nissan’s figures show 95 per cent want another EV; Ford says 89 per cent of EV drivers don’t go back to ICE; and our own Carwow Group data at Auto Express shows that 82 per cent of EV drivers say the same tech would be their first choice when they change vehicles. So there’s clearly very little…

“IT DISPATCHES THE 0-62 MPH SPRINT IN 3.8 SECONDS–0.2 SECONDS QUICKER THAN A REGULAR M2” THE second-generation BMW M2 arrived in 2022 and although many thought a Competition variant would make a comeback, BMW has skipped this step by revealing the new M2 CS. As before, this is the range-topper of the M2 line-up with plenty of powertrain and chassis upgrades to go with its more aggressive looks. You’ll have to pay a premium though, because at £86,800 the CS costs £18,095 more than the standard car. We’ve seen the CS moniker not just on the old M2, but on the previous-generation M5 too, as well as the current M3 and M4. All those cars got a noticeable power bump and it’s the same story here. While the standard M2…

FIAT is “going further” with the 4x4 version of its Grande Panda, revealed as a concept but confirmed for production with a hybrid drivetrain and a suite of ingenious accessories. The regular Grande Panda’s design is inspired by the beloved and boxy Panda 4x4 from the eighties, which posed a challenge for the designers. “We had to go a bit further,” head of design Francois Leboine told Auto Express at Fiat’s design centre in Turin. “But we didn’t want to turn it into a caricature. We just wanted to [add] things to make it cooler – the layer that was missing to finish the car as a 4x4. To say, ‘I’m ready to go off-road’ – that was more or less the exercise.” The 4x4 is a much-loved part of…

THE Seal 06 DM-i saloon and estate may not be the only BYD plug-in hybrids set for the UK, as the brand considers plans to launch even more PHEV models in Europe. Executive vice president Stella Li explained: “We’re going to continue to bring more PHEVs here – the DM-i, and then different models. By then, the EV range will easily be 80 kilometres to 120 kilometres [50 miles to 75 miles]. And in the future, if you need it, it can be 200 kilometres [124 miles]. “We’re going to cover from small to medium size and to the bigger size and also from SUV to sedan and station wagon.” The PHEV range is significant in the UK because of the impact the powertrain has on Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car…

THE controversial luxury car tax on EVs could be about to be axed. A letter from Labour transport minister Lilian Greenwood to a local MP, seen by Auto Express, says the Government will consider raising the threshold of the expensive VED surcharge “for zero emissions vehicles only, at a future fiscal event”. The aim would be to “make it easier to buy electric cars”. Greenwood is Labour’s minister for the future of roads, and was responding to enquiries made by Ben Maguire, the MP for North Cornwall, who was in turn representing concerns raised by a constituent – the general manager of a local car dealership – regarding the negative impacts of the ZEV Mandate. In her reply, Greenwood stated that the Government response to its recent ZEV Mandate consultation “has…

THE Dolphin Surf electric city car arrives as the entry-level model in BYD’s expanding UK model range, sitting below the Dolphin supermini and the Atto 2 small SUV. The giant firm already dominates its home market in China and has openly outlined its ambitions to become the world’s biggest car maker in very short order. To do so, it plans to sell a whole load of Dolphin Surf models in markets around the globe. To help lower costs on European models, it’s building them in Hungary. BYD’s effort is priced from around £18,000, splitting the difference between stripped-out econoboxes like the Dacia Spring and urban trendsetters such as the Renault 5. It’s also on the large side for a city car, very close to four metres long and with a…

LAST year, Audi revised its popular A3 with a set of styling and interior changes, but the biggest upgrade has arguably only just arrived via a new, much improved, plug-in hybrid powertrain. We’ll start with the key figures, because the firm is quoting a phenomenal electric range of 88 miles on the WLTP cycle. This has been achieved through the new e-motor and a battery pack which, at 25.4kWh, has twice the capacity of the previous one. It also now features DC fast charging at up to 50kW, on top of its peak 11kW AC rate. This is the same set-up as on the new Volkswagen Golf eHybrid, and it and the A3 beat most rivals for electric range, including Peugeot’s recently renewed 308 PHEV, which tops out at 55…

IN its current form, the Nissan Qashqai has been with us since 2021, with a mid-life update in 2024. But age has done little to dent its popularity; data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows it’s regularly among the top three or four sellers in the UK, and on the many occasions that we’ve become reacquainted with one, it’s easy to see why buyers still snap the Qashqai up. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE NISSAN has given the Mk3 Qashqai a range of mild and full-hybrid powertrains. This starts with a 1.3-litre turbocharged mild-hybrid petrol making 138bhp and 240Nm of torque, which via its six-speed manual gearbox, provides a 0-62mph time of 10.2 seconds. However, given that the step up to a 156bhp version of the same mild-hybrid powertrain…

HOW clean is your car’s glass? It might look good from a distance, but it will need a polish to get it back to its original state. These mildly abrasive pastes go beyond washing with shampoo and are stronger than a normal liquid glass cleaner. Bilt-Hamber’s new Re-View claims to be able to remove dirt and tired hydrophobic coatings, leaving the glass perfectly clear. We tested it against established polishes from Autoglym and Meguiar’s, on a window that had been contaminated with residual glue from decals, Rain-X treatment, tar and hard water marks. It was hard to pick an outright winner across the board: for its ability to clean the common tar and sticky marks we give a narrow win to the Autoglym, but would recommend the Bilt-Hamber for removing…

THE current Volkswagen Polo arrived in 2018, but a facelift in 2021 brought digital instruments as standard, along with LED head and tail-lights, plus touch-panel climate control. As such, the company has done a reasonable job of keeping its supermini fresh – not that owners are especially impressed by its efforts. The Polo’s best overall category score is for economy and running costs, where it just slots into the top 30 thanks to a 29th-place result. Delving into the sub-categories, the highest scores are 19th places for the Polo’s child-friendly features and ride quality. Next is 23rd position for the supermini’s interior styling, 26th for steering response and the handling as a whole is ranked 29th. Other top-30 finishes include 29th for the balance between physical and touchscreen controls, along…

FOR longer than most of us can remember, the financial rules of the refuelling game at forecourts have been fair and easy to understand. In the interests of genuine and much-needed consumer choice, it has gone a bit like this… Motorists watching the pennies have tended to shop at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and other supermarkets where own-brand fuel has been cheapest. Drivers less concerned about prices have used traditional forecourts, where oil giants such as Esso and Shell sell generally more expensive fuels. This is a textbook case of you pay your money and take your choice! I’ve long believed that such a consumer-friendly arrangement couldn’t be simpler. But for the first time ever, I’m starting to question it. No longer can I, or you, assume that supermarkets will offer…

THE wraps have come off the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4, a key model for the Japanese brand not only in the UK, but also globally. Since the RAV4 arrived in 1994, it’s been a staple of the family SUV class and the outgoing version proved as popular as ever, becoming the third best-selling car in the world last year. The key to the RAV4’s success over the decades has been its build quality, off-road capability and, in recent years, hybrid efficiency. This is something that will continue with the new model’s full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options, although only the latter will be offered in the UK. At the top of the new RAV4 range is the GR Sport trim, a spec added to the previous model’s line-up in 2022. The…

THE reality of solid-state batteries in electric vehicles is edging ever closer, with BMW confirming that it’s started real-world testing for this game-changing technology. Developed with technical partner Solid Power, the new all-solid-state-battery (ASSB) cells have been fitted to an i7. The cells have a higher energy density than existing tech, and offer more range without the weight penalty of simply adding more battery cells to a car. John Van Scoter, president and chief executive of Solid Power, said: “Solid Power is extremely proud that our partnership with BMW has resulted in the first demonstration of truly all-solid-state battery cells in a vehicle. We believe in the promise of ASSBs and continue to drive innovation of our sulfide electrolyte in support of that future for EVs.” The main role for…

A CHUNKY SUV and a ‘Fastback’ crossover are set to appear as part of Fiat’s range renaissance, Auto Express can exclusively confirm. The big one – literally, by Fiat’s compact standards – is an SUV nicknamed the GigaPanda. A sister car to the 4.4-metre-long Citroen C3 Aircross, the SUV is likely to offer both five and seven-seat configurations. Launching first, however, is Fiat’s new fastback. It will fill the gap left by the Tipo, fleetingly sold in the UK as a budget hatch to challenge the Ford Focus, and still sold in other markets as a saloon. It’s a strong seller in Algeria and Turkey, where it’s also assembled The new model is charged with replacing all these in one fell swoop – and Fiat is seriously considering bringing it…

CONTINUING its sales push in the UK and across Europe, Chinese manufacturer BYD is poised to expand its UK vehicle line-up with the introduction of new plug-in hybrid saloon and estate models. The Seal 06 DM-i will join the Atto 2, Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Seal-U and Sea Lion 7 in the current range, and is positioned separately from the BYD Seal 06 GT hatch that was launched in China last year. While the GT is an all-electric family hatchback that could serve as a rival to the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4 EV (if the brand decides to bring it to the UK), the Seal 06 DM-i will focus on the executive PHEV saloon and estate market, competing against the likes of the BMW 330e and the Skoda…

THE Tesla Model Y received a fairly significant update at the start of this year and now we can see a revised Performance version will soon rejoin the electric SUV’s line-up. We’ve caught it testing at the Nürburgring and despite the camouflage, we can see this test car sports an identical front bumper to the facelifted Model Y. At the rear it’s the same story, and aside from an extended rear ducktail spoiler, the body is unchanged over the regular Model Y. But it does have a new bespoke wheel design and red brake calipers. A lower ride height is likely, and there could be more performance, too, going from 0-60mph in less than the old car’s 3.5 seconds.…

THE new Lexus ES was revealed last month, but the brand has announced it has dropped plans to offer the entry ES 300h petrol-electric hybrid in the UK. Originally, following the car’s unveiling at the Shanghai Auto Show, Lexus execs confirmed three versions would be offered – including a 198bhp petrol-electric version powered by the firm’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. No reason has been given for the axing of the ES 300h from the UK line-up, but insiders admitted that if the rumoured 300bhp all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid comes online, it would be offered with the remaining two EV versions. No timeline was given, other than to say Lexus is monitoring market conditions and that a PHEV could arrive with the facelift if there was demand from customers. Two different electric…

ASIDE from MINI and maybe Fiat, there are no car manufacturers more synonymous with compact models than Smart, creators of the iconic ForTwo city car. A lot of people think that’s all it does, even though the smallest car in its line-up is now a 4.3-metre-long SUV called the #1, which is about to be dwarfed by the even bigger Smart #5. While the #5 – and yes, you do pronounce the hashtag – is another step away from the company’s origins, it was only a matter of time before Smart launched a mid-size electric SUV given the success of the Tesla Model Y – the world’s best-selling EV – as well as others such as the Skoda Enyaq, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Audi Q4 e-tron. We’ve been told the…

THE manual gearbox could be on the verge of extinction, because exclusive new Auto Express data shows very few new cars on sale are now available with this kind of transmission. This mirrors continuously falling sales across the UK and ultimately limits drivers wanting to change gears themselves. Our findings show that, at the time of writing, there are just 96 models being offered with a manual gearbox, as opposed to 404 models that are automatic-only, with the former representing just over 19 per cent of the overall market. Compare this with just three years ago when almost a third of all models (including derivatives such as estates and coupés) were available with a manual transmission. With the number of new manual cars available dwindling, there has been a significant…

ALTHOUGH I have been working at Auto Express since 1999, this is my very first long-term test car. Some of our long-standing readers might remember former Editor-in-Chief, David Johns – who also happens to be my husband – as a long-time admirer of Audi. So when we found out I’d be running an A3 Sportback for the next few months, there was genuine excitement in the house. Straight away, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather the python, in the case of this A3. Some say, ‘If you’re going to make an entrance, make it bold’ – and Audi clearly agrees. There’s no missing our car in metallic Python yellow, that’s for sure. I should also admit I’m a person who names their cars. So this bright…

IF you need to carry tools, a bag is often a better bet than a box, because its soft edges are kinder to car trim and your legs. They are also a better choice for keeping emergency and get-you-home-kit in the car, because a bag can be squashed into places a rigid box can’t. So which is the tool bag to keep your car kit safe and handy? We packed 10 top sellers and tried them out to sort the heavy hitters from the dead weights. How we tested WE split our samples between smaller designs for get-you-home kit and the larger versions that could house a more comprehensive selection of tools. Our selection included a compressor, jump pack and multimeter, plus common automotive hand tools, including a small torque…

RENAULT’S sporty Alpine brand has got Porsche in its sights with its second all-electric model. The A390 is a Macan-rivalling ‘Sport Fastback’ with three motors (one at the front, two at the rear), active torque vectoring and up to 464bhp. Alpine says it’ll deliver the “agility and driving pleasure” of its featherweight sports car, the A110. The production-ready A390 has been a long time in the making, and was previewed last year by the bold A390_ß concept. Visually, there are plenty of similarities; the full-width lightbar and slim daytime running lights are almost unchanged, and while the slashes, slots, and vents are more production-friendly, the sharply styled look of the show car remains. Alpine has fitted a number plate and swapped the illuminated lettering on the nose for a more…

BMW has been promising for some time that it’ll reveal something “dynamic, elegant and exotic” at this year’s Villa d’Este concours event on Lake Como, Italy, and now the wraps have come off the new Speedtop. Although labelled a concept, the Speedtop will follow a very similar path to the Concept Skytop, which was unveiled at 2024’s event and has continued development over the past 12 months. It’s clear that the production-ready Skytop looks just like the concept – and we expect the same of the Speedtop. “JUST 70 EXAMPLES OF THE SPEED TOP ARE PLANNED, COSTING AROUND £500K” Not that you’re likely to see one. Just 70 examples of the Speedtop are planned and we expect a price tag to match the convertible version’s, at around £500,000. Like the…

VAUXHALL is looking to shake off the Mokka’s plain image with the GSE Rally Concept, which hints at the look of a future production car. Vauxhall has history in taking an EV and turning it into a rally car. Back in 2019, it revealed the Corsa e-Rally (now named Corsa Rally Electric) for the one-make Opel Electric Rally Cup. Auto Express even had a passenger ride in the car in 2023 and, as you’d expect, it felt far removed from the production supermini. The Mokka GSE Rally is the first car developed for the FIA’s new eRally5 regulations, and while it gets a suite of upgrades for motorsport, it’s the connection to the new Mokka GSE that will excite most. Vauxhall claims the Mokka GSE Rally’s front-mounted electric motor produces…

FOLLOWING successful trials involving 10 local councils operating car parks, the long-heralded National Parking Platform (NPP) is being rolled out in an effort to simplify the parking experience for drivers. The Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned the British Parking Association (BPA) to take forward development of the platform “at no cost to the taxpayer”, following liaison with major parking app operators such as Ring Go, Just Park and Pay By Phone. Announcing the move, the DfT said the new platform “will enable drivers to pay for parking in all participating car parks on their preferred app – ending the scramble to download multiple apps and encouraging a more flexible experience”. According to the DfT, drivers face inconsistent rules around parking, user experiences it describes as “clunky”, and “unnecessary barriers”…

WHILE some might still refer to it as the ‘new Defender’, the current version of Land Rover’s prestigious off-roader has been around for more than five years now – and to keep it up to date, it’s received some cosmetic and technical tweaks. These latest changes aren’t limited to the passenger car, either. They also apply to the commercial Hard Top model, which costs from £57,135 – reducing the entry point to the Defender range by £295. Order books are now open. While the exterior looks largely unchanged from the Defender launched in 2019, there’s a new LED headlight signature with foglights as standard, plus smoked lenses for the rear lights and new exterior colours in Woolstone Green and Borasco Grey. Details such as the textured pattern on the bonnet…

THERE’S been a lot of fanfare around the new Fiat Grande Panda, widely regarded as a fine remix of a classic eighties formula. But much of the focus so far has been on the electric model. For some markets, however – and the UK is one of them – it’s the cheaper mild hybrid that’s likely to be the big hit, and that’s what we have here. The Hybrid pairs a 1.2-litre petrol engine with a 28bhp electric motor, powered by a 0.88kWh 48V battery (for 109bhp in total), with no need (or ability) to plug it in for top-ups. Drive it gently and the motor can propel the little Fiat up to 20mph, then the three-cylinder engine rumbles discreetly into life, making the e-motor good for emissions-free traffic jams,…

IF ever there was a car with a name that matched its intent, the Dacia Bigster is it. If you need more space than the brand’s Duster offers, then the Bigster fits the brief for a few thousand pounds extra. It has similar chunky styling, efficient powertrains and user-friendly tech, but there’s more room for families. Both cars use the same CMF-B platform, but the Bigster is longer and taller than its range mate, and has a longer wheelbase, too. That means more space on board, with a bigger boot and more room for passengers, while the cabin features the same chunky design that Dacia employs to help hide its budget roots. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE THERE are two engine options in the Bigster, but neither delivers spirited performance. The 1.2…

THE Skoda Superb has done us proud over the past six months on our test fleet. It has worked its socks off taking me and loads of photography equipment to various locations around the country. My commute can be half an hour or in some cases four hours, but the Superb manages to make even the long drives acceptable. Over its time with us, the combination of a 148bhp 2.0 TDI engine and a seven-speed DSG gearbox has returned average fuel economy of 50.4mpg. With a full tank of diesel, the Skoda has a range of nearly 800 miles, which goes to prove how practical internal-combustion engine cars can be. The obvious downside to all the miles I’ve covered was that the service-light countdown began five months into the six-month…

Price: £38.26 Rating: Contact: lasertools.co.uk REACHING for a pair of pliers is often a last resort when you’re working on a car. Not got the right-size spanner to hold a spinning nut? You can clamp it in the pliers’ jaws. They will also be able to cut wire, release clips and undo screws that have stripped, rusty or damaged heads. Laser Tools has recognised this last use of pliers and improved the familiar design with a new, patented dual-groove jaw. While a standard pair will struggle to hold a round or damaged screw head, the Laser Combination Pliers have grips that are parallel to the handles at the nose of the pincers, allowing you to bite into the screw from two angles and in narrow spaces. The Laser is longer than most…

WHEN it comes to buying a car, plenty of people automatically gravitate towards a factory-fresh, brand-new model. That may be down to the allure of a zero per cent finance deal or a manufacturer incentive – but the reality is they might actually be paying more than they need for a new set of wheels. There is another option: ex-demonstrator cars. Commonly advertised as ‘nearly new’ or ‘delivery mileage’ cars, these are new vehicles used by dealerships for test drives, showroom displays or short-term internal staff use. For those in the know, they can be a great way to save money. Admittedly, they are not technically ‘brand new’ because they will have been registered and used by the dealer. This means they’ve already had one owner and could have a…

THE best small cars on sale aren’t just easy to drive, they’re also brimming with more safety kit and in-car tech than ever before. Not only do they provide a feeling of refinement previously reserved for ‘big cars’, they’re generally affordable to buy and run. Here are our favourites. 1 Citroen e-C3 Prices from £22,095 THE Citroen e-C3 offers all the essentials at a very affordable price. A 199-mile range, which translates to a little less in real-world driving, won’t write any headlines, but for a shade over £22k it’s not bad at all, undercutting a similar-range Renault 5 by around a grand and the basic Hyundai Inster by about £1,500. Performance is exactly where it needs to be for an urban runaround and no more, with an 11-second 0-62mph time…