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Vicky_Parrott@dennis.co.uk @VickyParrott ● Behind the wheel of Honda’s new upmarket pure-electric city car ● Can hi-tech, luxury cabin help to offset range of just 125 miles? LUXURY doesn’t have to mean large. But is the compact, retro-cute, pure-electric Honda e city car good enough to warrant a price expected to start at around £32,000, despite a claimed driving range of only 125 miles? On the evidence of our early, and brief, drive in a prototype, yes. Just about. From the horizon of screens that you sit behind – which are bookended by the rear three-quarter camera feeds that will be standard on the production car in place of wing mirrors – and the coarsely textured, dense-feeling textiles, it seems enough of a boutique product to justify a boutique price. The…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Concept could lead way for brand’s move into car-sharing CITROEN is considering a radical plan to replace its C1 city car with a version of the AMI One concept (previewed in our exclusive images), Auto Express has learned. The French manufacturer’s participation in the smallest class of vehicle has recently been questioned, due to diminishing returns on investment in such models. The PSA group’s partner on its city cars, Toyota, has already announced that it will assume control of the Czech factory where the C1 is produced alongside its sister vehicles, the Toyota Aygo and Peugeot’s 108. But the Japanese firm has only committed to continuing to produce “the current generation of these vehicles” – potentially leaving the French manufacturers badly in need of a replacement model…

SLEEPING KEYS: When the key is not moving, a motion sensor switches off its wireless signal, preventing thieves from cloning the frequency. ULTRA-WIDEBAND (UWB) TECHNOLOGY: Transmits many signals simultaneously over a number of frequencies. It’s hard or impossible to clone, but expensive. FARADAY POUCHES: Wire-mesh-lined bags that block the signals of keys placed inside them. Cheap and easily available. Keeping keys away from exterior walls, doors and windows is also advised. DEACTIVATING KEYLESS SYSTEMS: This can often be done by a dealer or the owner through the car’s key or infotainment screen. It’s inconvenient but is an effective solution to keyless car theft.…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE United Kingdom continues to stumble towards some sort of Brexit, it appears, yet this year’s Auto Express Brit List – our eighth – demonstrates that British talent still wields significant influence at the top of the car industry, in Europe and beyond. This year’s ranking includes our first-ever Hall of Fame inductee from the world of finance, plus key professionals who hold top-level roles in everything from supply-chain management and logistics to design, marketing and public relations. Our judging panel (right) spent the best part of a day arguing over who to include and in which order – and the debate continued afterwards on e-mail. The team included a record number of new entries, reflecting the shift in the car industry’s focus towards electrification, autonomous driving and…

sean_carson@dennis.co.uk @sean_carson_ FAST Fords have always majored on affordable fun – the current Fiesta ST proves as much – so it’s quite a surprise that this new 276bhp 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo Focus ST costs £31,995 in five-door hatchback form. That’s quite pricey. However, this is meant to be the purest model in the Focus line-up, so let’s park that price for a moment and assess the new ST on ability, because there’s plenty of new tech in the C2 platform on which it’s based. That includes a clever anti-lag system that keeps the turbo spinning to improve throttle response. There are also adaptive dampers, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, standard-fit launch control and a multi-link rear axle, plus a flat-shifter and downshift rev-matching for the shorter-throw six-speed manual gearbox. Special…

MODEL TESTED: Nissan Leaf e+ Tekna 62kWh PRICE: £35,895 ENGINE: Electric motor, 215bhp AT the time of writing, the Nissan Leaf e+ is only available in top-spec Tekna trim. Including the £3,500 government grant for electric vehicles, it costs £35,895. But is it worth the extra over the Kia? Design & engineering THE new Leaf e+ can be identified not only by its blue bumper accents and the logo on its charging port, but also because it sits slightly higher on its suspension than the standard model, to accommodate the bigger battery. It still uses the same basic suspension set-up, with MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back. Along with the new 62kWh battery, the Leaf e+ is fitted with an upgraded electric motor that…

CHARGING BOTH models are compatible with 100kW rapid charging, which means they should be usable for years to come. They also come with a three-pin cable, but this is only likely to be used for charging in emergencies, when there’s no other connection available. These EVs get a Type Two cable as standard, too, which is useful. Some premium manufacturers charge extra for this functionality. REGEN THE e-Niro has paddles behind the steering wheel, but they don’t change gear; instead, they adjust the amount of regenerative braking force that is applied when you lift off the throttle. There are five modes, including an off function that lets the car coast. The dash shows how much range you’re getting back when you lift off. The Leaf’s e-Pedal is either on or…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths Running costs 44.6mpg (on test) £57 fill-up/£145 or 25% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 330/1,150 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.6 seconds/121mph THE Skoda Fabia is a fairly unassuming little car. It’s smartly styled, but hardly eye-catching; it’s competent on the road, but far from thrilling to drive; and while its cabin is nicely designed and well equipped, it certainly doesn’t have the wow factor. Despite all of that, though, the car’s sheer competence should not be underestimated, and this was proved during some advanced driver training last week. To make sure my skills were up to snuff, I spent a day with IAM Roadsmart (formerly called the Institute of Advanced Motorists), getting observation and pointers from the organisation’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman. He’s a…

Audi e-tron Issue 1,579 BMW 3 Series Issue 1,576 Citroen Berlingo XL Issue 1,579 CupraAteca Issues 1,564, 1,573, 1,581 Dacia Duster Iss 1,561, 1,564, 1,572, 1,575 Honda CR-V Hybrid Issue 1,576 Hyundai Santa Fe Issue 1,575, 1,580 Kia e-Niro Issue 1,569, 1,580 Kia Ceed Issue 1,567, 1,577 Mazda MX-5 Issue 1,573 Mercedes G-Class Issues 1,565, 1,574, 1.581 Mercedes X-Class Issues 1,547, 1,557, 1,563, 1,571, 1,578 Nissan Leaf Issues 1,533, 1,551, 1,555, 1,560, 1,568, 1,578 Renault Mégane R.S. Issue 1.581 SEATTarraco Issue 1,574 Skoda Fabia Issue 1,572 Volkswagen California Issue 1,578 Volkswagen Touareg Issue 1,580…

The Range Rover Story Giles Chapman (The History Press, www.thehistorypress.co.uk) Price: £9.99 FROM the same stable as The Jaguar Story (reviewed in Issue 1,579), this book shows off the Range Rover’s fascinating birth and rich and varied history. It’s concise, interesting, easy to read and accurate. Well worth a look, especially for younger car fans. Mini Scrapbook Martin Port (Porter Press, www.porterpress.co.uk) Price: £20 EVEN 60 years on, the legendary Mini still holds plenty of appeal, and this ‘scrapbook’ format makes for an enjoyable history lesson. It’s stuffed with period photos and literature, which add a unique dimension to the book, and the original copy is well written, too. Young readers will love it because it’s colourful, packed with great pictures and straightforward. But we’d like to see it in…

Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q Importing a car from America I WOULD like to import a car from the US, but I know that there are different safety regulations in America compared with the UK. Will this be a difficult problem to overcome? Charles Evans, E-mail A NON-EU cars under 10 years old imported to the UK require IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) to prove that they meet European standards. You can get IVA through a DVLA inspection, or by providing paperwork to show that the car meets those standards. Contact the DVLA for a full guide to the IVA scheme. Q How do hybrids differ? I AM considering buying a hybrid and am puzzled by the difference between plug-in and non-plug-in cars. Surely a non-plug-in is a better…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk ● One-off return for ex-Citroen man ● Kalle Rovanpera linked to Toyota for 2020 FORMER Citroen works driver Craig Breen has landed a one-off return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) with Hyundai at August’s Rally Finland. The 29-year-old was dropped by Citroen at the end of 2018 and has spent this season contesting a variety of national rallies in several different R5-class cars. He said: “I am chuffed to be given this chance to join Hyundai for Rally Finland and to get back in a World Rally car. It’s been a long and patient wait, having to watch everyone else drive this year. “Finland is the rally I’ve done most in the WRC, so I hope I can bring something to the team. I’m getting plenty of seat…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● Renault’s all-new small crossover follows Clio into showrooms ● Upcoming plug-in hybrid variant promises 28-mile electric range SINCE the Renault Captur was launched back in 2013, the compact-SUV class has exploded. According to Renault, the number of competitors it faces has increased from one to more than 20, so the French firm has completely redeveloped its Nissan Juke rival for this all-new second generation. The visual changes are easy to pick out; the Captur now sports LED headlamps – like those on the latest Clio – and they’re standard across the range, while the whole car is 110mm longer, 20mm wider and marginally taller than before. Those new proportions have helped the Captur morph into a proper crossover and one with a boot capacity of 536 litres;…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● SUV is first Kia with digital dials ● Pitched as cut-price Merc GLA KIA has bolstered its SUV line-up by adding a fifth model: the Xceed. It’s the fourth member of the Ceed family, and has a unique look and bespoke chassis tweaks, and will come with the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Prices start at £20,795. The new model is designed to sit between the firm’s Stonic and Sportage SUVs, and is described by Kia as a crossover utility vehicle. It’s pitched as a cut-price Mercedes GLA. The only body parts carried over from the Ceed hatchback are the front doors; every other panel has been redesigned to give the Xceed a unique look within the range. Its wheelbase is the same as the hatch’s,…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor First impressions of new Clio supermini THIS is shaping up to be the year of the supermini, as not one, not two but three new players are arriving. The first is the fifth-generation Clio, and while it looks little different from the old one on the outside, inside it’s all new and it sits on a fresh platform. Our man John McIlroy has driven it. In-depth look at Audi’s faster Q8 SUV A HOTTER, spicier version of the Audi Q8 coupé-SUV was always around the corner, and now it has arrived. The SQ8 has been put through Audi’s sporty S programme, so it gets tougher looks, a thumping V8 diesel and sharper driving characteristics. Let me show you around this new SUV. You can watch any of our…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress Write to: Watchdog/Letters, Auto Express, Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP HOT TOPIC Bentley Flying Spur FROM: Tony Jey THE centre console and gearstick actually look more BMW than Audi to me. But the wraparound wooden dashboard, leather seats and steering wheel are simply beautiful. And it has 626bhp as well; what an awesome car! FROM: Michael Rochester THE Bentayga isn’t an attractive car, but at least the Continental has a svelte yet muscular stance. What’s with the gaping maw of a grille on the revamped Flying Spur, though? Bentley’s stylists should go and stand in the corner. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “The grille is a bit bland in my opinion, but the rest of the car looks good to say the least!”…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths IF a week is a long time in politics, 60 years is a lifetime in the automotive industry. Yet that is how long the Skoda Octavia has been on our roads, with the original car emerging from Skoda’s Mladá Boleslav factory in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1959, and three subsequent generations arriving after Volkswagen bought the company back in the nineties. The original Octavia got its name because it was the eighth model to come out of those factory gates after the Second World War. It was offered as a two-door saloon and a Kombi estate, going on to notch up 363,106 sales globally before production ended in 1971. It would be another quarter of a century until the Octavia nameplate re-emerged, but when it did, it…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE WE loved the new Skoda Scala when we drove it for the first time in Croatia earlier this year. Now, we’ve had the chance to get behind the wheel of a right-hand-drive model on British roads, which is any car’s toughest hurdle. To recap, the Scala is the Czech brand’s latest rival for the Volkswagen Golf in the family hatchback class. It won’t replace the much-loved Octavia; instead, it’ll sit alongside the more saloon-shaped model in Skoda’s range, with a slightly keener price. The new car has similar mechanicals to the Golf and the Octavia, because all three models are based on the VW Group’s MQB architecture. However, there are some crucial differences between them. The Scala uses the smaller version of this platform, called MQB A0, which…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor ASTON Martin claims that the new DBS Superleggera Volante is the ultimate expression of a four-seater convertible wearing the famous winged badge. With a top speed of 211mph and a price tag of £247,500 before you’ve gone anywhere near the options list, the new drop-top Aston certainly has the figures to back up that statement. The Volante arrives a year after its hard-topped sister. The DBS Superleggera coupé was billed as not only a new halo model for the British brand, but also a ‘Super GT’ – fittingly one rung higher than the DB11 on which it’s based. So the new Volante is in pretty rarefied territory; only the Bentley Continental GT Convertible can provide suitable 12-cylinder, four-seater, super-luxurious rivalry. But even the car from Crewe costs a…

MODEL TESTED: Kia e-Niro 64kWh First Edition PRICE: £32,995 ENGINE: Electric motor, 201bhp AS with its rival here, the Kia e-Niro is only available in one trim level. It costs £32,995, including the government grant, in First Edition form. It’s currently our favourite affordable electric car, so the Leaf needs to beat it to take class honours. Design & engineering THE Kia e-Niro is based on the Niro compact SUV, which was designed to accept electrification from the start. There are plug-in hybrid and conventional hybrid versions available, alongside traditionally fueled variants, although it’s the e-Niro that makes the most convincing case for itself. It has a 64kWh battery – slightly larger than the Leaf’s and liquid-cooled, unlike the Nissan’s – and a 201bhp motor with 395Nm of torque. The…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram “We’ll soon test the Ceed against the new Skoda Scala and VW Golf” THE last few weeks haven’t given me many chances to squeeze further miles under the Ceed’s belt, but it hasn’t been gathering dust. Colleagues have been driving it, and it’s been fascinating to get more feedback, first from web editor Pete Baiden, who borrowed the Ceed for a long weekend, and then from the reviews team, who are planning to road test it against the all-new Skoda Scala – driven on page 34 – and the evergreen Volkswagen Golf. It was Pete’s first encounter with the Ceed for an extended period, and his impressions were positive even before he’d started it up. Our GT-Line S model has a fantastic set of leather and suede sports…

Enliten tyre promises eco efficiency boost BRIDGESTONE has introduced a new, low-rolling-resistance tyre range. Named Enliten, the product allows for a reduction in material, meaning that the new tyre is 10 per cent lighter than a conventional premium summer version. Also, the 20 per cent drop in rolling resistance improves economy and CO2 emissions, while still providing the same wear life as a standard tyre. It’s down to a new compound rubber mix, a different mould design and reinforced inner liners. Enliten tech will make its way on to several new cars in the coming months. Skoda studies student car-sharing scheme SKODA has teamed up with three Czech universities to develop Uniqway, a new car-sharing platform aimed at students. The scheme is currently being trialed at university campuses in Prague, and…

THE new Renault Clio is likely to get a faster variant within the next 18 months – but a full-blown Mk5 Renaultsport Clio remains the subject of internal review at the French manufacturer, Auto Express has learned. The fastest version of the fifth-generation supermini at its launch is a 129bhp 1.3-litre petrol (driven in Issue 1,581). A tuned version of this engine was recently released in Renault’s race and rally variants of the car (above) – and the Clio could easily get the Captur’s higher-output version of the motor, with 153bhp. This ‘warm’ Clio would rival the 138bhp Ford Fiesta ST-Line. But while Renaultsport is also said to be testing a 1.6-litre engine in the new car, senior Renault sources have told us that a Mk5 Clio R.S. is far…

Next Astra to be built in UK if Brexit is smooth VAUXHALL will build the next Astra hatchback at its factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, if the UK negotiates a smooth exit from the European Union. Question marks had been raised over where the next Astra would be produced in 2021 because of Brexit and the possible trade barriers it would bring; 80 per cent of production at Ellesmere Port is shipped to Europe. Groupe PSA, Vauxhall’s parent company, said: “The decision on the allocation to the Ellesmere Port plant will be conditional on the final terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union”. The model will also be produced at Opel’s factory in Russelsheim, Germany.…

FORD has confirmed that it will cut 12,000 jobs and close five plants across Europe by the end of 2020, as the firm attempts to cut costs and stabilise the struggling business. The firm has described this latest restructure as “the most comprehensive redesign in its history”. Underperforming models such as the C-MAX and Ka+ will be axed, while various plants in Europe will see shift reductions. Greater emphasis will be put on developing hybrid and electric vehicles, where customer demand continues to grow. Ford confirmed that three all-new vehicles, including a Mustang-inspired electric SUV, will be launched in the next five years.…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths CAR theft is on the rise again, with 112,000 vehicles reported stolen last year, up nine per cent on 2017’s figure. Insurance firms see keyless theft, where crooks use cheap electronic kit to clone a key’s frequency, as fundamental to the recent increase. From 2021, the New Vehicle Security Assessment will place cars with vulnerable keyless systems in higher insurance groups, leading to potentially more expensive premiums for owners. Nobody can blame car manufacturers for criminal activity, but fixes for keyless vulnerabilities are available. We asked all the major players what steps they are taking to safeguard their models past, present and future. FIXES What are car makers doing? BMW and MINI FIX? Sleeping keys ALL new BMW and MINI keyless systems come with sleeping keys. Current BMW keys…

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…

Vicky_Parrott@dennis.co.uk @VickyParrott Running costs 50mpg (est) £89 fill-up THE Skoda Superb Estate is a strikingly brilliant big family car – masses of space, keen value, plenty of equipment, comfortable and pleasant to drive. But with prices starting at £25,975 and climbing up to over £40,000, the mid-spec SE L 2.0 TDI 150 that we’re driving here comes in at more than £30,000. That’s firmly into the territory of the likes of the BMW 3 Series Touring. Design updates with this facelift are mild; the main ones are fully adaptive Matrix LED lights and ‘sweeping’ indicators, standard on SE L trim and above. The infotainment also now gets a built-in SIM card so it can offer a WiFi hotspot and online services without a smartphone. Apple CarPlay will function wirelessly, and…

NISSAN was ahead of the game when it launched the first-generation Leaf. The original blob-shaped model is now looking like a bargain buy on the used market, and this second-generation edition was one of the best electric cars you could purchase when it was launched last year. Yet the EV market is moving so fast that the 40kWh battery in the Leaf was already looking like a throwback. The arrival of the Hyundai Kona Electric, and then the Kia e-Niro, showed that an affordable electric car can have a range of close to 300 miles on a single charge, thanks to a larger 64kWh battery pack. The 40kWh Leaf, with its sub-200-mile range, fell behind these new rivals, but now the brand has launched this, the e+ version. It features…

Nissan Leaf NissanConnect Standard Key features: Nav, smartphone link THE Leaf’s NissanConnect infotainment system uses an eight-inch display and features a handful of useful functions that help with EV driving. But the screen itself is poor, so that it really loses out here next to the Kia’s much more intuitive system. Nissan’s touchscreen is frustratingly slow and unresponsive; sometimes it takes so long to load that you think it hasn’t recognised your input, and sometimes it really hasn’t, which leaves you constantly questioning it. Plus the menus are much more convoluted and harder to understand than the simplified set-up in the Kia. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard; it’s the Leaf’s saving grace, because it lets you bypass the built-in set-up. The shortcut buttons around the screen…

Stuart_Milne@dennis.co.uk Running costs 44.2mpg (on test) £62 fill-up/£145 or 30% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 273/1,250 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 8.5 secs/130mph IT’S hard to believe that the Ford Focus has been with us for more than two decades. Over four generations of the model, Ford has shifted more than two million of them in the UK alone. And although the design is more than 20 years old, even the earliest versions seem fresh, with an eager chassis, steering that’s full of feel, and a sharp design. So much so that I’ve driven dozens and even owned two over the years, including the estate version in our photo. As a cheap, spacious family runabout, the car is hard to beat. Despite the lack of power from its 1.6-litre engine and…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk @AE_Consumer Q How can I clean my wheels? MY car has wheels with slender, widely spaced spokes. This makes them easy to clean, but the dirt on the inner rim is quite visible. What is the best way to shift this?Jordan Kingsley, E-mail A SOME detailers maintain that wheels cannot be cleaned properly without removing them. If this is too time-consuming, a long wheel brush will get to the inner rim. If the slots in the wheels are big enough to get a hand through, a mitt is also a good option. Our pick is Kent’s 2in1 Noodle Wash Mitt (above), at under £5. Q Considering cheap bulbs I HAVE to replace a failed Xenon HID bulb but I’m shocked by the price, which is around…

THE pass rate for the new and tougher Theory Test has dropped to 47 per cent, suggesting that some learners need a little help. It costs £23, so it pays to pass first time. A smartphone app puts the information you need to revise at your fingertips, and we tried three to find which will best help you pass. We looked for the Theory Test questions, Hazard Perception videos and, ideally, the Highway Code with road signs. Ease of use, good graphics and sensible menus were essential, with extra points gained for the ability to keep track of progress and highlight weak areas. The Driving Test Success app is similar to the DVSA option, but wins on several areas of practicality. “Ease of use, good graphics and sensible menus were…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off “At best Formula One will become fringe viewing, at worst forgotten about and ignored by the majority” IF you have a recording of the French Grand Prix from 23 June, hang on to it: the most agonisingly boring race in living F1 memory. Store the wretched thing alongside your other sleep-inducing recordings – songbirds singing, whales wailing, waves washing or Aztec pan pipes, er, piping. Honestly, this ‘race’ at the Paul Ricard circuitcum-colossal-coloured car park was so hypnotically atrocious that I fell asleep while watching on Sky, before dozing off again when viewing the ‘highlights’ on C4 the next day. AWOL were entertainment, excitement, fulfilment – and much more. A huge, allegedly world-class motorsport event like this has to be a great…