Table of contents for 1886 in Auto Express

IT’S Driver Power time, our annual report where you tell the world what you really think of your car. We’ve been hearing from thousands of people eager to spill the beans on what they love, like and hate about their vehicles. We deep dive into every area, from running costs to infotainment, quality to practicality and, of course, what you think about how your motor drives. But the best bit about Driver Power is your comments, because they give away all the little details that make living with a car good or bad. We spot patterns when numerous drivers complain about the same thing – a jarring engine stop-start system on one car came up time and again, for example. And some complaints cross brands and seem to universally annoy…

CITROEN is agonising over whether to bring back the 2CV – the forties masterpiece of simplicity that put Europe back on the road after World War II. The recreation of the Renault 5 supermini and Renault 4 hatchback (reinterpreted as an SUV) has got Citroen executives questioning whether to delve into their brand’s back catalogue. It’s one of the biggest decisions facing new CEO Xavier Chardon – and Auto Express has exclusively spoken to his predecessor Thierry Koskas, just prior to his departure, and head of design Pierre Leclercq to get their views. A 2CV FOR THE 2020S? Reviving the 2CV – a cheap four-seat car with a long canvas roof, a tiny engine to save fuel, and comfortable suspension so it could carry a basket of eggs across a…

THE Bentley Bentayga Speed held the title as the world’s fastest SUV for a while, thanks to its legendary W12 engine catapulting it to 190mph. Now the car is back – with V8 power. Bentley stopped building W12-equipped cars last year, with the new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain acting as a replacement. But the Bentayga Speed gets a 641bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 without plug-in assistance – making it less powerful than the 771bhp Ultra Performance Hybrid and the recently announced 671bhp High Performance Hybrid. That’s still more than the old 6.0-litre W12 Bentayga Speed produced (626bhp), and while there’s 50Nm less torque, the V8 Bentayga Speed shrugs off the 0-62mph benchmark sprint 0.4 seconds quicker, taking just 3.4 seconds. The top speed has increased to 193mph as well. With the…

TESLA has been criticised as part of Euro NCAP’s latest round of car safety tests, with the maker’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system described as having an “inappropriate” name. Following its most recent Assisted Driving Grading assessments, Euro NCAP blasted Tesla for the name of its Autopilot system, which led to the Model S scraping a ‘Moderate’ rating after performing strongly in the Safety Backup tests, but poorly in the Assistance Competence section. The latter focuses on how easy it is for drivers to comprehend a system’s capabilities and limitations, how effective functions like adaptive cruise control and speed-limit assist are, and how easy it is to retake control of the car. Technical manager of assisted driving systems at Euro NCAP, Adriano Palao, accused Tesla of “misleading consumers about the Autopilot…

WE’VE seen a flurry of Chinese models sweep onto the European market in recent years – some good, some bad and some downright ugly. A few stand proud as genuinely competitive, while others feel half-baked, rushed to production and less compelling than a cold takeaway the morning after a big night out. Omoda, which brought us the petrol and electric 5 and E5 SUVs last year, is now hoping to raise its profile further with its flagship product: the Omoda 9 SHS. That three-letter acronym stands for ‘Super Hybrid System’ – this Volvo XC60-sized SUV runs a PHEV set-up powered by a huge 34.5kWh battery for a claimed EV range of up to 93 miles. That comparison with the XC60 is an interesting one. For context, the Omoda is not…

CAR manufacturers can be awfully predictable at times. We recently saw Stellantis roll out its new Hybrid 136 powertrain to cars such as the Citroen C4, Peugeot 5008, Alfa Romeo Junior and Vauxhall Astra. Not one to be left out, Fiat has now added it to its 600 crossover. We’ve experienced the Fiat 600 in all-electric 600e form already – as well as the wild Abarth 600e – and found that while the Italian firm has clearly tried to differentiate the small SUV from its many other Stellantis-owned siblings on the surface, the same all-electric e-CMP architecture shared with the likes of the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Jeep Avenger EV is always apparent. The new 600 Hybrid poses a similar question: has Fiat given its crossover enough of its own…

IT’S likely that most drivers weighing up a new-car purchase will start by comparing similar models to narrow down their choices, and that makes the Driver Power class winners important for both manufacturers and potential buyers alike. Indeed, although there are many ways to slice and dice the Driver Power data, it’s this approach that provides arguably the most significant results for anyone in the new-car marketplace, and this year the Driver Power top 50 fall into a total of nine separate classes. They range from small cars and supermini-based SUVs at one end of the scale, to full-sized SUVs and large luxury models, with a sporty coupé option included, too. As you might expect, it is the SUV classes that are dominant in numerical terms, taking more than half…

WE’VE explored the Ineos Grenadier’s off-road potential (Issue 1,875), and it left us wondering – if you ventured as far off the beaten track as possible, how could this 4x4 support you? Fortunately, Ineos provides a number of accessories to help, and we decked our car to make it even more off-road ready. The most obvious addition is on the roof: the iKamper two-man tent (£3,350), but before that could be attached, the hefty Rhino Rack (£1,750) had to be bolted into place. This 60kg steel platform clamps into the rain gutters and lets you fit dozens of optional accessories. We added a tent, but you can also securely attach tyres, jerry cans, cycles, tools and even surfboards when using the right mount. The tent opens up quickly and easily…

IT hurts me to admit this, but we have to acknowledge a major problem before taking realistically workable measures to rapidly rectify it. So here goes: on the world stage, Britain’s automotive business is currently looking and performing like a low-volume cottage industry. Long-established car-building nations Germany and Japan, relative newcomers such as China and South Korea – plus dark horse countries like the Czech Republic and Spain – all now wipe the floor with the UK in terms of the number of cars produced. Sure, the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, McLaren and Gordon Murray Automotive are still among the best in the world at designing and building proper luxury, sports, super or hyper cars. But the nature of such magnificent, high-end beasts is that only a comparatively…

THIS is the iX3, a “once-in-ageneration opportunity” to redefine its cars, reckons BMW. After years of hype, concept cars and teasers, Auto Express is standing among nine prototypes at BMW’s Miramas test facility in southern France. We’re going to be driving the breakthrough electric SUV on road and track, plus become a guinea pig testing its autonomous capabilities. It’s early morning but the warm, straw-coloured sun is heating up the black tape disguise as we squeeze the door handle and climb into the driver’s seat, covered to protect the design from prying eyes. There’s no hiding the cockpit’s biggest change however – the new Panoramic iDrive spanning pillar to windscreen pillar. This displays key information in bitesize digital chunks at the top of the dashboard, and is totally configurable –…

TEAMYES RICHARD INGRAM Richard.Ingram@autoexpress.co.uk CONTRARY to what I might suggest over the next five paragraphs, I’m not actually that into retro remakes. Yet being able to capture the magic of the original, blending the rooted DNA of a brand in a contemporary – and most importantly, competitive – way, is a surefire recipe for success. Take the modern MINI as an example. There’s no mistaking it for anything else, yet it doesn’t sacrifice what made the dinky fifties small car so great: namely that super-sharp go-kart driving experience. How about the latest Land Rover Defender? Boxy but brilliant; nothing compares if you really want to venture off the beaten track. I think Citroen could (and should) do something similar with the reinvented 2CV. Imagine it: a bubbly, snail-inspired family car…

THE Jeep Cherokee is back with the first all-new version in more than a decade – yet there are no plans to bring the car to the UK. The all-new, sixth-generation Jeep Cherokee has been revealed and American buyers can look forward to seeing this big, boxy SUV on their roads later this year. But it’s been confirmed to Auto Express that there are no plans to bring it over to our side of the pond. We’d forgive you for thinking this is just another picture of the new Jeep Compass that was unveiled not too long ago, because the two cars look pretty similar. Both feature an upright front end with Jeep’s signature seven-slot grille, a flat bonnet, a very square body and squared-off wheelarches. Of course, all of…

VAUXHALL’S fledgling GSE sub-brand is hotting up and soon it’ll introduce a performance version of the Mokka – spied here for the very first time. The Mokka GSE will join the firm’s list of zero-emission performance cars. The all-electric Astra and Corsa are set to gain sporty GSE variants, and a new pure-electric Grandland GSE will replace the previous-generation plug-in hybrid Grandland GSe. We already know plenty about the hot Mokka’s underpinnings thanks to its Stellantis siblings, the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, which use the same platform and powertrain. Vauxhall has also recently teased the Mokka GSE’s design and even created an FIA eRally5-regulated Mokka GSE Rally to whet our appetites. Yet these new spy shots give us lots of fresh details about the sporty electric crossover.…

THE new BYD Dolphin Surf is on sale now, with prices starting from £18,650 – making it one of the cheapest new cars in the UK. The dinky Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 city cars undercut it on price, but at almost four metres long, the Dolphin Surf is closer in size to the Fiat Grande Panda, Renault 5 and Citroen e-C3. The entry-level Active model gets a 30kWh battery with a 137-mile range, while its 87bhp e-motor means 0-62mph takes 11.1 seconds. Standard equipment includes LED headlights, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital instrument panel, keyless entry, a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors. Boost trim costs £21,950 and has a 200-mile range, while Comfort is priced from £23,950 and can cover 193…

“A maximum charging speed of 67kW is rather pathetic by 2025 standards” AS well as being a pioneer of hybrid technology, Toyota actually launched the world’s first electric SUV all the way back in 1997 – 22 years before we were introduced to the Tesla Model Y. The Toyota RAV4 EV was a petrol-free version of the world’s original crossover SUV. It was only sold in California, though, to meet the US state’s zero-emissions vehicle mandate. However, the brand’s latest attempt at a small electric SUV, the new Urban Cruiser, definitely is coming to the UK – although not as soon as this summer, as was originally planned. It won’t be arriving in showrooms until the first half of 2026. Pricing is still firmly under wraps, but we’re expecting things…

UNTIL the upcoming Polestar 5 saloon arrives to tackle the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT in 2026, the Polestar 3 is the all-electric brand’s flagship model, also vying against German competition, in the shape of the Audi Q6 and Q8 e-trons plus the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV. Helping to set the Polestar apart are its design, technology, performance and battery size – the latter resulting in some impressive range figures. There’s now a Long Range Single Motor version too, living up to its name with 400-plus miles on offer. The Polestar 3, like the above rivals, is a premium SUV and it’s priced as such. The new Long Range Single Motor (LRSM) version brings the line-up’s entry point to just under £70,000, with the Long Range Dual…

SCRUTINISING the 2025 Driver Power results at category level gives an important extra depth of understanding when it comes to assessing the performances – both positive and negative – of the models in the survey. To get to the bottom of what you find truly satisfying or otherwise, we break the Driver Power survey down into 10 individual categories (shown on every vehicle’s results page in this issue), each with varying numbers of sub-categories or ‘attributes’ that address the broad spectrum of relevant topics. This allows us to analyse satisfaction with a forensic level of detail. As ever, when looking at the Driver Power results, it’s vital to remember that scores in any category, or for any attribute, don’t reflect an absolute level of performance, but instead tell us only…

THE Citroen e-C4 initially came with petrol, diesel and electric powertrains, but a facelift at the end of 2024 revised the line-up to comprise petrol, hybrid and EV. Updates to the C4 focus on the front and rear, with a new nose that wears the latest corporate look, while the tail-lights have been revamped with fresh block LED elements across the tailgate. Inside there’s a new steering wheel and all cars now come with a 10-inch infotainment screen and a new driver’s display. Another highlight is the fitting of notably plusher seats. MOTORS & PERFORMANCE THERE are two powertrain options: a 134bhp model with a 50kWh battery and a 154bhp version with a 54kWh pack. Maximum torque is rated at 260Nm for both motors. There are three drive modes offered…

THE Range Rover Sport is covering some big miles at the moment, and proving early suspicions completely correct about how well suited it would be to long-distance milemunching. The most recent trip was more than 800 miles in 36 hours from the south of England up to, and around, Yorkshire and back, where it was equally adept on the long motorway schlepp and the flowing and beautiful quiet country roads of the area that affectionately calls itself God’s own county. The long-distance comfort is impressive given our car’s huge 23-inch wheels, and any early fears that the £1,100 option would harm ride quality have proven unfounded. Now the weather has warmed up a bit, I’m consistently getting a touch over 50 miles from the plug-in hybrid battery before switching to…

FIRSTTEST Autoglym Car Care Experience Day Price: £99  Rating: Contact: autoglym.com FORGET cookery classes and wine tasting – if you are the type of driver who sees cleaning your car as a pleasure rather than a chore, then you’re likely to prefer Autoglym’s new Car Care Experience Day. The £99 course brings together like-minded enthusiasts who want to improve their valeting techniques by learning from the experts at the car care company’s indoor training facility in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire. The aim is to teach you how to clean and care for your motor like a pro, avoiding damage and protecting your paint for the future. The first part of the day shows you how to do a basic clean using the correct methods and products. You may be surprised to discover…

MENTAL health has (quite rightly) become an important topic of conversation over recent times. People are being encouraged to talk to each other more openly and find positive outlets that help promote a calmer, more relaxed state of mind and improved well-being. Everyone will have a different perspective on exactly what works for them, be it getting enough sleep, eating more healthily or taking up a new form of exercise. In truth, it’s probably a more holistic approach that generally works best, and one of the ways that helps me is to simply pick up my car keys and go for a drive. Now, I’m one of the biggest critics of our road network, but I do still have a favourite route (at least for the time being) that takes…

THE UK Government must support the development of a European-style hydrogen filling station network and give drivers a real alternative to battery-powered EVs, say car makers frustrated by a lack of progress in the development of hydrogen fuelling options. Speaking at a ‘Hydrogen Summit’ organised by BMW on 6 June, David Wong, the head of technology and innovation at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the UK requires the same sort of policy ambition as the European Commission. The EC has mandated that by 2030 there should be at least one hydrogen filling station every 120 miles on all major routes, and in all towns with a population of 100,000 or more. Wong also called for the Government to ditch the road tax supplement for all zero-emission vehicles,…

THE end is nigh for the iconic Honda Civic Type R. It’s been announced that sales of the current FL5 generation will be coming to an end in the UK and Europe next year due to stringent new emissions regulations. To mark the occasion, the brand has created a new special-edition version of our two-time Hot Hatch of the Year, called the Honda Civic Type R Ultimate Edition. Only 40 are being made, and these will be sold across Europe. The UK will receive 10 of those, and each will cost £57,905. Thankfully they aren’t all going to the brand’s favourite customers, but are being sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, so it’s a race to the dealership for whoever wants this piece of hot-hatch history. “Designed to…

VOLVO has unveiled a new advance in car seatbelt tech, which it says can better protect passengers by adapting to specific situations – something not possible before. Called the ‘multi-adaptive safety belt’, the firm’s latest safety innovation differs from traditional pre-tensioning seatbelts because it uses the car’s built-in sensors (accelerometers, etc) to ascertain the type and severity of a collision. By analysing this data, plus the height, weight and posture of the person wearing it, the seatbelt will pretension itself to the optimum amount, keeping occupants safe in heavy crashes and avoiding injury in more minor bumps. The examples Volvo provides are that a larger person in a more severe collision would receive a high pretension load to avoid causing a head injury, while a child in a less serious…

THIS is the MINI John Cooper Works Aceman, the hottest version of the brand’s five-door, all-electric challenger. Less than a year ago, the Aceman would have had the class all to itself, but the recent arrival of two Stellantis cars – the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima – means buyers have three distinctive options when it comes to something compact and sporty with a subtle SUV stance. The Aceman’s squared-off front end gets some low-key tweaks for the John Cooper Works edition; the red, white and black JCW logo sits within a large gloss-black frontage, which extends into the front splitter and into the wheelarch trims. These surround a unique set of 19-inch alloy wheels and a pronounced spoiler frames the rear window. The Aceman’s…

WHEN it was first launched, the Volkswagen ID.3 was tasked with attracting buyers to electrification, with the hope it might have the same sort of appeal as its classic Beetle and Golf models. Things didn’t pan out that way, but an early update in 2023 fixed some of the criticisms levelled at the car, with softer materials in the cabin, a revised look and updated infotainment tech. Prices start at just under £31,000 for the base model and there are three battery options called Pure (55kWh), Pro (59kWh) and Pro S (79kWh), with Essential and Match trims available for each battery. At the top of the range is the GTX, which comes with the Pro S battery and a lot more power. Its price tag in excess of £46,000 is…

STEPPING up to a dash camera with 4K resolution will make a real difference to the quality of the footage you are able to capture. This could be crucial if you are looking for extra detail as part of an insurance claim or for a police report, because it means you (or the powers that be) will be able to make out registration numbers or the faces of other people involved in an incident. While some of the entry-level 4K dash cams cost less than £100, moving up the price range will bring extra features and normally a more compact device, too, which will be especially important on a car with a smaller windscreen such as a MINI or a roadster. “YOU CAN PAY LESS THAN £100 BUT A BIT…

LAND Rover recently unveiled its new-old Classic Defender V8 Soft Top restomod, which has generated a lot of interest thanks to its looks, optional on-board wine cooler and the fact that its starting price is £234,000 – nearly £90k more than the already impossibly capable Defender OCTA. For those with deep pockets, this extra-special Defender will be their dream car and they’ll think nothing of splashing out nearly a quarter of a million pounds on one. But if all you want is some V8 muscle and the ability to draw looks at will, we’ve put together a three-car garage using the Auto Express Find a Car service for less than half the price of the Classic Defender V8 Soft Top. 1 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GTC (£44,999) THAT’S right, for less than…